Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to all the great dads out there. I hope you get to spend your day just the way ya' like it.
(For my guy...it's out washing the truck...with a little shadow).

Timeless Baby

Right after I entered my photo of Colie in the I ♥ Faces Blurb photo book contest I found this picture. I thought, "Oh! I should have entered this one instead!" I love the look on her face and the way the blanket frames her face. But, I knew "Sepia Week" was coming up and that this photo would be perfect for that beautiful, timeless, treatment. So, here she is...my baby Nicole.

To enter your photo in this week's challenge just click HERE or the button below. Thanks!

Knowing Me - Knowing You...the June Edition.

It is time again for that fun little interview project started by my friend, Shan, over at Tales From the Fairy Blogmother. If you'd like to play along, be sure to sign Mr. Linky over at Shan's site so we can see your answers and get to know ya' better.

1. Do you have any pets?

Yes. We have two dogs and a rabbit. We have a 13 year old corgi that I adopted while I was in school to become a veterinary technician...and he was in the animal shelter I worked at. Cutest little guy I'd ever seen in my life. And we have a 3 year old Newfoundland. After our corgi's buddy died (a border collie cross I also adopted while in school), we wanted to get him another friend who would be very good, and gentle, with all the kiddos in the house. She certainly is. "Bun Bun" was adopted from an animal rescue who saved her from some pretty horrid conditions at a Rabbit Meat Farm that was shut down by the SPCA.

2. What's your favourite dessert?

Well, the old stand-by would be ice cream but if you want to kick that up a notch then just put it on top of some pie that involves rhubarb in some way. Mmmm.

3. For my fellow bloggers out there - are you a stats checker?

A what? Apparently not. Didn't even know I had the ability to do that.

4. Do you have a gaming system?

No. I had a PlayStation back in my single days and quickly found out what a horrible time-suck that was. I prefer my computer for time-suckage now. For the kids...they need to go outside. No PlayStation, or Xbox, or whatever the heck else the kids are into these days. And, no computer for you, either. Do as Mommy says, not as...

5. What is your beverage of choice?

Wow...that is ~totally~ situationally dependent. I have a very strong, and deep, love for coffee. I have to have a coffee by 10 am or I get, um, a bit less cheerful than my normal happy-go-lucky self (i.e. I'll turn into a raving lunatic with a vicious headache). But, I usually only actually drink one coffee a day. The rest of the day, if I haven't totally forgotten to drink anything (normally the case) I like to just have water. Room temperature water. Or, if we are talking "adult" beverages...I love a nice, dry, red wine (pinot noir is swell) in front of the fire - or a nice, cold, Stella on the patio.

Thanks for the quiz again, Shan!
Always fun...just like you.
;-)

I Think I Need an Exterminator.

I began to notice something this morning. It started when I went to change the baby...

and then I almost stepped on this one by the kitchen sink...

When I turned around I noticed these two in the baby's Bumbo. I think they are multiplying.

You know what they say, "If you see 4 in your house, then there are 400 more that you can't see".

Woot! Woot! Woooooot!

What's all the hooting about, you ask?

ahhhh...nothin' much. Just ThiS!!!





I placed in the top 10 of last week's photo challenge over at I ♥ Faces. I got 10th place. Now, you may not think coming in 10th is anything much to be getting so excited about, but you have to remember that there are a LOT of really, really, good (professionals even) photographers entering their photos each week. I think this silhouette challenge receieved something like 350 entries. So, my picture being picked at all is just incredible and I haven't been this excited about anything since Colie was born! To check out all the winners click HERE.

I really want to thank I ♥ Faces for the super, incredible, fun, and inspirational site and all the work Angie and Amy (the founders of the site) do over there, and Lyndzee for picking my photo. I'd also like to thank my beautiful children, my wonderful husband, and all the little people who have made this moment possible. :0) LOL.

I originally told myself that if I ever placed in the top 10 of any I ♥ Faces contest that I would start a separate photo blog and start practicing my photography even more. I just, really, didn't expect to get this lucky this fast! But, a promise is a promise...so I'm going to work on that soon.

Woot! Woot! Wooooooot!
(I swear, I'll stop hollering soon...)
I'm so excited!!!!!

Celebration!

This week's challenge over at I ♥ Faces is "Happy Birthday". If you want to enter, your photo must have a child in it and there must be some signs of a "celebration". While I got some cute shots of Maddie making her wish and blowing out her candle, my favourite picture turned out to be this one...with her looking up at the smoke that came off the candle just after she blew it out. I love the great, natural, smile on her face and the look of pure happiness in her eyes. It reminds me of the joy of childhood - to see the amazement and beauty in the simplest of things.

If you have a favourite "Birthday Celebration" photo that you would like to enter, or if you'd like to check out all the other great entries, please just go HERE or click the little button below.

Thanks!!

Jon and Kate...

Okay, so you've all seen it by now, right? I'm talking about The episode of Jon and Kate Plus Eight. Everyone has seen it, everyone has chatted about it, everyone has had their opinions on who is right, who is wrong and, I think, everyone has moved on. So, why is it still bothering me?

I've watched Jon and Kate pretty much from the beginning, I think. I mean, those kids are all so adorable. So, so, adorable. But, eight of them? I have 3. I don't know how I would do 8. I do imagine there would be a lot of yelling going on. Not just from the kids, but from Dave and I, too. How else would you even hear each other? And, probably, as you continue to yell at each other the tension in the atmosphere is just going to keep going up and up. I've seen that in my own house. If the kids are playing loudly, and the baby starts crying, and the t.v. is going on in the background...ugh...I just can't take it. "Okay! Okay! That's It! Turn off the t.v. and girls, I'm sorry, but you have to go play down in your toy-room...at least until the baby calms down". All that noise can just make you batty.

And like Jon even said himself in one episode (btw, I find it really weird to use the word "episode" when what it really is, is their life), "Dontcha' think it would be weird if we were like 'Hi honey' (all sweetness and light) all the time?" Yes, that would be weird. Because no one is like that. Admit it. You aren't like that. Not all the time.

So, yeah, Kate did yell at Jon a lot but, gawd, she was in charge of all those kids. She is trying to keep things going and organized and keep everyone happy and safe. That is a big job. Sure, she could have (definitely) worked on talking to Jon nicer...but, then again, maybe Jon could have said something to her instead of being passive aggressive about it all the time (like when he kept coming into the kitchen when she was cooking and getting in her way as she repeatedly asked him to get out).

Oh dear. There I go getting judgemental. I don't mean to do that. I'm sure that is probably just the way Jon handles his stress and that is probably just the way Kate handles hers. The point is, I don't think either of them are bad people. In fact, I think they are pretty great people. They obviously love their children and, at least at one point, they loved each other.

I think all I really want to say is that I am so, so, so, sorry that things have taken this turn with them. Because, you know, it isn't just a t.v. show, it's their lives. And, yes, things got really insanely loud and hectic in their lives and, I'm sure, having a camera crew in the house with them didn't help matters any. But...what about "for better or for worse"?

The noise of 8 kids. The nasty tones. The passive-aggressiveness. That's the "worse".

The miracle of 8 healthy kids. A family. A new day. That's the "better".

"It may be a crazy life, but it's our life".

I guess I'm just sad to see them give up on their life.

I'm gonna' go hug my family now.