wild mushroom and stilton galette

amy sent me a recipe for THIS galette and i linked from there to the wild mushroom and stilton one on her blog from that day.  as soon as i read those words my mouth watered.  i LOVE mushrooms and i LOVE blue cheese.  especially stilton, it is my favorite.

so, i tried it.  it wasn't as hard i thought it'd be (i was expecting worse after reading the smitten kitchen blog) but the frozen butter did bend my pastry knife (i just dumped it into the food processor instead) and my dough didn't turn out as pretty as hers.  i'm not a very patient pastry maker.  that is probably why my biscuits never turn out right either.  my crust was good - awesome flavor - but not as flaky as i expected.  i also had to add more water because i couldn't get all the flour to get into the ball.  eh, i made it work.

SO anyway, the mushrooms weren't anything fancy, i was limited to only what they had at lowes foods (which is just "normal" wild mushrooms) and i also didn't let the dried ones soak for 30 minutes.  within 15 minutes they were cooled and hydrated.

the rest is history.  when it was baking, a lot of the butter ran off the pan so i had to have a drip pan underneath the one that it was cooking on.  it was really messy while it was cooking...

but WELL worth the mess.

the smell in my house was so yummy.  it smelled like fall.  the warmth of the herbs and the richness of the butter and cheese and 'shrooms.  oh man oh man oh man.  it was all i could do to wait to eat it.

but i did and i had 2 pieces.  nathaniel had 1.  it was really rich.  very filling, and very tasty.  it'd be a great side-dish for a steak or an appetizer just a "light" heavy dinner.  (i.e., just a couple of pieces and you're full, but you really don't eat that much but you DO get plenty of fat when you eat it... remember, there is over  stick of butter in that thing!).  and, i did an eggwash on the crust which she didn't do.  either way mine was u-g-l-y (and totally has no alibi)!


so, here are my pictures.  if you want the recipe and a better "what to aim for" idea, then please visit the original website!!!

dragonfly reflection card [cased]

i cased a zindorf card (her original and tutorial is here) tonight.  i picked this one because i had access dragonfly stamp in a set that i borrowed from connie, a lady in my club.  plus, it looked easy and since this month in club will be "brayer technique month", i thought i needed to brush up on my brayering.  SO, i practiced with this card since michelle zindorf created this card and had such a great tutorial for it... 

for those of you who are like "who's michelle zindorf?"  she is to brayering in the art of stamping like michael phelps is to the butterfly stroke in the sport of swimming.  if there were gold medals to be won, she'd have them all!!!

i think that i picked this particular card of hers because, for some reason, i thought my sister in law (amy) would like this one. amy, do you like dragonflies?  if not, i wonder where i got that from!

 
i've already mentioned that i always... make... things... in... pairs.  so, i made two, of coarse!  make sure you look at the original card to compare how mine looks.  not as cool as hers ( i didn't have anything to border it with, so i just improvised with a smear of ink directly from the pad).  i also used a little different colors.  same scheme, though.

incidentally, our official "brayer technique card" will be another zindorf card.  well, a version of it.  but since i KNOW my clubbers check my blog (some of them anyway), i'll not say which one and leave it a surprise.  the only hint(s) i'll give is that it uses a stamp that we (i) use a lot, i didn't have to buy much of anything for it (except a lot of embossing powder since we always seem to plow through that stuff at club meetings!), and it'd be really easy to make a halloween card using it!!!  or, a christmas card... just have to use your creativity with the colors!  my next purchase will be a color coach.  i'm in desperate need of color help (prepare for subject change) in both the stamping world and my wardrobe.  :)  i think this fall i'm just gonna buy black and gray.  can i pull off monotone?

watermelon lemonade

this is a modification of THIS recipe which i'm sure is good as is, but - i didn't have all their ingredients, i only had fresh stuff.  so, i made up my own version.

this is how i made mine.

* 1 small watermelon from dad's garden - it was super ripe and very sweet - i cut it in half and put all the middle part that didn't have seeds in it in one bowl, and the part that had seeds in it in another bowl ( i didn't intend to "deseed" it by hand...).  and, this one was sweet right out to the rind. also, i should mention that holly and i ate a lot of it as i cut it up, so i HARDLY used the whole thing in this.  i'd say i probably had about 4 cups of melon pieces (without seeds).  they weren't cut pretty, i was just scooping with a spoon.  (another idea would be to use a seedless melon - then you wouldn't have to worry with seeds!)

* i juiced 5 large lemons with my hand-held juice thingy (you know the thing you twist and it catches the seeds).  i probably had about 1/2 to 1 cup of juice from those 5 lemons.  they were really big.  i didn't measure it.

* i pre-made and cooled some simple syrup but i didn't use all of it. i put 2 cups of water and 1 cup of cane sugar in a pot over med-high heat, stirred, and got it to a boil and then i let it cool.  it was brownish since it was cane, but it didn't matter when i used it in the lemonade. we don't have any regular (refined) sugar in our house anymore. 

so, i used mom's food mill to mash the juice out of the seeded part of the watermelon.  that way i got the juice but left the seeds (and pulp) to that part of the watermelon. that was quick to do and didn't take 2 minutes. i love her food mill and i probably use it twice a week.  i need to buy one for myself and give hers back to her. but, eh, while i got it, i'll keep using it!  this is the perfect use for it too.  (i use it a lot to seed things like cherries and grapes and puree cucumber soup and things like that too... i have such texture issues and having a food mill has opened up my world to smooth soups!!!)

ok, so next i put the watermelon (without seed part) in the blender with the juice from the food mill and turned it on low.  that didn't take but a few moments to puree also.

it all went into my pampered chef mixing pitcher that melissa gave me years ago (i see that it is discontinued now, what a bummer) along with the lemon juice and then i added the simple syrup to taste.  i ended up adding about 1/2 to 2/3 of  what i had made.  how much simple syrup you add would be based on how sweet your watermelon was, and mine was pretty sweet.  if yours isn't really sweet/ripe then you'd need all of it.

you can also dilute your lemonade with water to stretch it out but i liked mine full strength. the original recipe recommended adding up to 6 cups of water but i just can't do that.  i DO think it'd be good split about 50/50 with seltzer water or ginger ale.  OR, mixed with gin or vodka.  it is good on ice even as the ice melts.  it'd probably make a good margarita base if you added more sugar (and lime rather than lemons).  last night i ground some mint leaves with some raw sugar in my mortal and pestle and added it to a glass - sorta like a watermelon lemonade mojito without the alcohol.  that was yummy too.

my kids love it too! the bright pink of this reminds me of koolaid. you know, my kids have never had koolaid?  they've had OJ, applejuice - and lots of fresh made juices.  never anything made from a powder (as far as i know, anyway).  so, this is just one more fresh-made juice to add to their palate!  even kendal drank some of it.  he isn't a watermelon fan.  holly is, and because of that, i suppose i'm lucky that any of it made it into the blender.  it was a race against her mouth to get this lemonade made!  she smelled the melon as soon as it was cut... and came running!

so, if you try it, tell me what you think!

no tv = i actually made some cards.

made 4 cards.

for club next month we're going to be using the brayer.  so, i was trying to find cards (one easy one, this is/was going to be the "easy" one - which it was very easy) to do using the brayer.   so about a couple weeks ago, i guess, i found this card and fell in love with it.  probably becuase it had yellow, green, and orange in it.  my three favorite colors.
 
so, mine didn't quite work out like hers.  i didn't have that awesome background paper like she did.  the first 2 i made ( i always make things in pairs) were the pink/green but the ink washed out the pattern of the paper i had.  so, i tried to find something with more pattern and that did much better.  the pictures don't do the card in the front justice.  it actually looks quite fabulous if i don't say so myself!  it'd be a great birthday card for a kid or a man. unfortunately, i think the paper i ordered for the club version of this card won't be enough pattern for it too work for the "club card" - so i may need to find something else.  we'll see. 

Check out this entry I found on Shutterfly Summer Freedom Contest.

Check out this entry I found on Shutterfly Summer Freedom Contest. please go to shutterfly and vote on my contest entry! kate (and mark), you should plug this to all your friends since it is of you guys!!!

random crap

my finger hurts where i sliced it.

i miss my design star or color splash or whatever HGTV program i usually watch during nap.

holly just woke up for a brief moment saying YOW!  YOW!  YOW!

i'm about to go have a glass of watermelon lemonade.  think i may grind a little mint and sugar to give it a punchy flavor.  wish i had some gingerale and rum.  oh, and about 15 more days of relpax to blast the migraine that'd cause!

i need to make some cards.  i have ideas, great ideas.  but, just not the desire to create them.  my desk is too cluttered i think.  but, i don't want to clean it off.  wish i had the TV to watch so i could take a nap.  can't sleep without the TV.  OH, i'll miss degrassi tonight.

women's sizes

most everyone knows that at the beginning of the year, we made a lifestyle change (i.e. diet?) and both nathaniel and i have lost weight.  around april or may, i stepped it up a notch and eliminated meat from my diet and also did a major liver/gallbladder and colon detox (both herbal, obviously).  this gave my weightloss a boost and around the end of june, i reached a loss of 25 pounds (depending on what you consider my start weight...  nathaniel says i started at more than what i consider my start weight, so he thinks i lost more than that, he thinks it is ~30 ).

so for the past few weeks, anyway, i've been sitting at the same weight or +2.  i decided to do the liver detox again while mamaw was gone to missouri (sometimes i think mamaw's food is what gets me fat! it is so dang good...)  i haven't weight myself this week but i am intentionally going to avoid the scale until next week.

SO anyway, i was just thinking about and discussing the fall and money with nathaniel  thankfully, unemployment was reinstated (still waiting to hear from and hoping for good news from the last job i interviewed for...).  we're down to just 1 car now (eliminated both the car payment, the car tax, car insurance, and extra gas) and we also turned off our direct TV (we don't need satallite, right?).  after the new year we'll be able to turn off (yes turn OFF!) our cell phones.  that'll save us a ton right there!  of coarse we'll have to get long distance on our house phone, but that'll still be cheaper than our cell phones.  nathaniel loves saving money so this just makes him so happy i know.  in the mean time, i get to sit at home with no cable.  hahahaha (only dora movies to watch... or, i can just blog during nap since there isn't any TV to watch. like now!)

so anyway back to my original point.  this fall, none of my clothes are going to fit.  i hate to admit this, but last fall (and even this past spring), i was a size 16/18.  yesterday, the kids and i walked over to kohls when we went to the grocery store to get a pair of non-jean pants for myself since i had none and i can't wear jeans to work. a skirt would have never made it last night since i was bending and squatting and lifting and climbing... it was "new line" night and i had the most fun working.  i always have a great time there at gymboree.  too bad they only work me 5 or 6 hours a week!

i tried on a 14 first (out of habit) and i could have jumped out of them.  i haven't tried on pants in SO long there really was that much difference.  i really don't think you can look at me and tell it - mainly because i still wear my old shirts (oversized...) but when i put on clothes that actually fit me, i look like my old, pre-pregnant self (i've never been skinny)!  well, i guess i still have a little extra belly where my skin stretched during the pregnancy but that's not a problem,  just my little reminder of the two most important things in my life.

so i grabbed a size 12 and bought them without trying them on.  they fit pretty good last night.  now that i've been wearing them (today) though, they are a little loose.  can you believe that?   from a size 16/18 to a size 12... and still loosing hopefully!

and this is without adding exercise!  i'm waiting until the fall for that.  i hope to run again.  no way could i have run with all this weight on my bones.  i had to loose some so i could do it again.  i'm gonna wait for the sweet potatoes to come in so i can eat them and run like i used to.  those beauregard sweet potatoes that marlene used to bring me helped me run 5 to 6 miles back in washington... those things were made of pure running fuel!  i would never even break a sweat.  of coarse our hills will impede me, but, i'll have to get used to them.  damn hills.

OOOH no more degrassi.  i'm gonna go through withdrawals.....

recurring problem

we don't have a [working] dishwasher.  well, except our four hands.  (four hands = two people with two hands hahaha)  so, that means lots of hand-washing dishes.  lately, i've been having a huge issue of cutting myself with a knife - submerged knife, beneath the sudsy water - i did it again today.  it hurts!

i'm not sure what to do about it.  i knew the knife was in there, i was being careful even.    but, i wanted it to soak for whatever reason (i tend to let them soak for a few minutes in the hot water, habit i guess) and this is when it always gets me - trying to "find" it on the bottom.  no matter how careful, it always "bites" me from time to time.

so now, with this bandaid on my finger, kendal won't let me touch him.  he moves away from my hand if he remembers it is there - like when he's close enough to see it (diaper changes).  it is funny to watch him.  the kid hates weird things like that.  stickers he's finally gotten used to.  but, not on your/his skin! ha!

so anyway. i have another boo boo.  same finger, same hand.  always the same spot.

family reunion photos

these are more for melissa than anyone else, but there are some cute ones of my kids in here too than just those of "the crowd". 

these are from last sunday's annual turner family reunion.  turner is my grandma's family (dad's mom) and though i believe most of her generation is gone, we do still meet, greet, and eat.  not as many people come as used to but there is still a huge crowd!


kendal and mamaw going back for dessert - i believe this was the first of probably 4 times to the this table (i know, i know - i'm not big on giving them sweets - but, you gotta pick your battles and that day that the "no more dessert" was not one i wanted to pick - neither with kendal nor with mamaw!) 

kendal, though he thinks he doesn't like chocolate, ate chocolate this time (as you can tell from his face).

holly's big bow (and hair poof).

and then the rest of us (and the one of me thanks to kate taking the camera)...

and PS melissa - this fall, i'm gonna go to aunt hatties house and take some landscape photos!!!  that'll be awesome.  want to wait until #1 it is cooler, and #2 the leaves are starting to change.  can't you see those big oak trees with some color in them?  too bad that old cow isn't still there.

Do You Know What Drowning Looks Like?

(click on this link for the original post) - i saw this and had to share it.  this is my worst nightmare!
http://www.dailydoseofcommonsense.com/2010/07/08/do-you-know-what-drowning-looks-like/

During the first weekend at our local public pool this year, one of the lifeguards at the mid-sized kid pool was nodding off in her chair. I pointed it out to a friend, which alerted the other lifeguard on duty. He came over and told the too-tired-teen guard to leave. “If you can’t stay awake, you can’t be here,” he told her. An undercover report by CBS showed there are other lifeguards out there without an eye on the water. Some guards were texting and reading magazines instead of watching the swimmers.
On average, 10 people die a day from unintentional drowning. But, drowning generally doesn’t happen like it does in the movies, where swimmers splash and scream for help. Swimmers in serious trouble slip under the water silently.
Mario Vittone, a former Coast Guard rescue swimmer, wrote a sobering article on what drowning really looks like:

There is very little splashing, no waving, and no yelling or calls for help of any kind. To get an idea of just how quiet and undramatic from the surface drowning can be, consider this: It is the number two cause of accidental death in children, age 15 and under (just behind vehicle accidents) — of the approximately 750 children who will drown next year, about 375 of them will do so within 25 yards of a parent or other adult. In ten percent of those drownings, the adult will actually watch them do it, having no idea it is happening (source: CDC).

Think your child is an expert swimmer and couldn’t ever get in to trouble? Watch this report from NBC and you might change your mind:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Mr. Vittone has these words of advice if you suspect a swimmer is in trouble:

Sometimes the most common indication that someone is drowning is that they don’t look like they’re drowning. They may just look like they are treading water and looking up at the deck. One way to be sure? Ask them: “Are you alright?” If they can answer at all – they probably are. If they return a blank stare – you may have less than 30 seconds to get to them. And parents: children playing in the water make noise. When they get quiet, you get to them and find out why.

So keep your eye on your kids this summer when they are around water. There’s no substitute for vigilant parental supervision.

purple fringe

we got a new line at work that had a pair of purple fringe cow[girl] boots.  they absolutely adorable.  turns out this weekend is employee appreciation weekend (mega-discount!).  SO... i got holly the boots.  needless to say, she loves them.

kendal went with me this morning to gymboree to shop (after his haircut in the morning - he got his first buzz-cut) so he got to pick himself out a couple of size 3T shirts since his size 2T shirts are suddenly all too small.  you can tell in this picture how short this one is.  it is also a bit snug around the middle.  it'd be OK to wear unbuttoned but, well, i didn't plan on that today so he's just worn a tight shirt all day. :)  anyway, i'm hoping that these 3Ts will last until next spring/summer.  holly also just out-grew her spring/early summer clothes but i'm guessing next year when she's in a 2T she won't outgrow anything summer-wise.

and so i know these 2 pictures are blurry, but they were running at me so fast that i couldn't focus.  but, they are too funny not  to post (or delete).  the one of holly - she decorated herself all by herself, hairband, [kendal's sun]glasses, bracelet and all.  kendal, well he was just having a good old time!  holly was in my lap and he was running to sit in her lap.  they were both laughing loud as can be.

 update (9:08 pm):  had to PEEL the boots off holly to give her a bath.  after the bath, she insisted they go back on her first (i.e., before the diaper).  so now she's up past her bedtime (kendal is super-into the goonies so i'm not gonna interrupt him, it is almost over, i keep fast forwarding through scenes to make it over faster) and she's reading books while sporting the cute little boots.  she's climbed on the couch, walked over toys, you name it - all in the boots.  guess she will want them first thing in the morning!  (i actually wondered if she'd insist on sleeping in them!  haha!)

sore thumb

though i don't mean it in the way the picture is showing it, my thumb joint is sore!  it's hurt for several days now.  so bad that now i'm loosing my grip.  i can hardly open the orange juice.  2 days ago i had to invest in some gripper-getter pads to help me open the containers and now i can tell that i still can't even get a good grip.  what is up with that?  it is pain coming from my wrist, i guess, but it is only affecting my thumb.  i tried to pay attention to the way i held it while i slept last night and that didn't seem to be weird. (when i was pregnant, i had carpel tunnel syndrome in which my whole hand would ache from the way i balled up my arms while i slept... and my wrists were swollen to boot.  but, swelling isn't the problem here.)

so anyway, i guess i'll give it a few weeks in the case i injured it and can't remember doing it.  if it still hurts in a month, i'll get it looked at.  hopefully, though, it'll fix itself.  but, in the mean time, boy does it hurt!!!

i broke through the 5 barrier

i've learned that entering photos into this particular contest is more about your audience than your skill.  not that i'm skilled compared to the other people who participate in it... i'm definitely a newbie, which is why i started doing the contest, to work on my skills.  in general, each of your entries gets critiqued so i can use those suggestions on  my next composition.  and, i've tried to do that.  i think that it'll take me a little while before i can start doing some of the amazing work that are the "ribbon winners" in these contests though.

anyway, i just wanted to mention that i've broken the "5" barrier now - and it only took 3 entries.  based on what many folks say in the forums, breaking that barrier usually takes longer.  and, it takes a long time to break into the "6"s and "7"s - its the 7s that win ribbons.

so, heres to months and years of working both my skills as a photographer AND my skills at shooting for my audience!

(here is a snapshot of some of the ribbon winners for each group - so you know what i mean about amazing photography and how far i need to go!)

spheres (which was basic editing, meaning that the picture could be color corrected and cropped and that's about it)

order (also basic editing) - interestingly i didn't like the ones that won!  usually i give a "10" or a "9" to the ones i like a lot!

and bovine (which was advanced editing - so you could do a lot to the picture using editing software)

tabbouleh

nathaniel made some tabbouleh last night that i have to say that i honestly could not wait to get up this morning and eat. 

here is the recipe that i think he used.  i KNOW he used the inca red quinoa because we didn't have wheat germ.  i have to say that i like the red quinoa better than the white stuff - and it is marvelous (and pretty) in this tabbouleh.

1 cup raw red quinoa (plus 1 cup water to cook the quinoa accd to package directions...) - this obviously needed to be cooked then cooled.

4 large tomatoes, chopped (and seeded at my request)
2 cups chopped parsley
don't think he added mint but the recipe we have calls for 1 cup of it, chopped
1 bunch of scallions finely chopped
1/2 tsp allspice (not sure if he added that)
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/3 (or more?) FRESH lemon juice (fresh being most important here - thank you lori for the lemons!)
1/3 EVOO
mix all that together and you have such a delicious and nutritionally complete dish!  tons of protien, fiber, etc.  just wonderful!  even better after it sits overnight.  (i can vouch for that because i had a bite at 7:30 am!)

i'll add a picture of the final product if i remember to take my camera downstairs...

uncle matt's OJ part 2

just to reiterate how good uncle matt's OJ is...

#1.  at dinner when i pour myself a glass of OJ, the kids wont eat until MY cup of juice is gone (which means they helped me drink it.  i have to get a straw and share it before they will, literally, eat any of their own food).

#2.  this morning i asked kendal and holly if they wanted juice or chocolate milk for breakfast (with their cereal).  at that point, kendal decided he wanted to choose his cup (since his favorite green one was dirty, his normal morning rhythm was thrown off because of that...)

so in the mean time i got out the with-pulp (trying it! and it is actually pretty good, not too much of the stringy stuff, but i still prefer it smooth and sans-pulp) OJ for myself (the kids have a container of with calcium and vitD for them). so after the cups were chosen, i asked them again if they wanted "juice or chocolate milk?"  when they saw MY container of OJ on the bar, they both screamed JUICE!!!!!!!!!  now really, what kids pick juice over chocolate milk? 

i'm telling ya, it is some good OJ!  and i think this proves my kids concur!

if i could say it better myself...

then i would. 

but i can't, so how about just go to this blog and read it?

http://www.welcometotheoccupation.com/2010/02/job-security-is-devil.html

if rain on your wedding means good luck, then this couple is the LUCKIEST ever!

this is the shot from my car when i drove up to the church.  car full of electronics + torrential rainstorm + lightening = wondering how i was gonna get into the church!  luckily there was a carport in the back by the kitchen and i backed in there and unloaded my gear and then parked my car - and just i got wet.  (also luckily i did not wear my "wedding" clothes, so i got to change into my nice, dry clothes later before the ceremony.)

so the rain kept coming down and down.  a pond formed in the front yard - it was half-way up a tire on someone's car parked out there.  we were wondering how many folks would brave the weather to come out for it but it did clear up somewhat before 4pm (when the bride walked down the isle).

so before then, i took lots of cute shots of the bride, and right before she walked in, i got some AWESOME shots of her and the bridesmaids.

the wedding went off without a hitch (save autumn trying to marry smitty instead of her mama, reminded me of the way i held faith when nathaniel and i got married) - and as i was looking through all these pictures, i smiled a lot remembering yesterday!  i hope the miranda and smitty have as many smiles and warm feelings -  (and happy years ahead of them).

mother's intuition

kendal has always been a special child.  being our first born, he has taught us how to be parents.  this means that we've had to learn when to worry and when to relax when it comes to developmental things (and sick things and hurting things...). 

and i think after all the worry with his walking and gross motor delays (to which he is still delayed), i've finally figured out when to worry and when not. (maybe, anyway!)

all the time kendal was sitting (and not walking), he was doing things way faster than he should in other areas.  like, putting together puzzles and stacking and talking.  he's always been a great talker (and singer now, he sings constantly).  about 2 weeks ago, he started stuttering.  not just a little, either, i mean big time stuttering.

so much so that my mom has even commented on it.  now if she's commenting on it, it must mean something usually.  and, that is what really brought it to my attention.  i'd noticed it before but i hadn't paid much mind to it because, i guess, i thought he was just going through a phase or something.  so tonight at dinner, every other word was k-k-k-k-k-k-k-k-kitty and p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-pea and everything had about 20 repetitions to it.  i never interrupted him and i never finished his sentences, i just listened.  he doesn't seem frustrated with it, he just seems excited when he's talking.  but anyway, i decided to get up from the table and leave them with nathaniel.  i went upstairs and got on the internet to see if i could find anything of use about 2 year olds and stuttering.

not to my surprise, it is likely a phase.  the consensus of the sites i found say that basically their "their talking abilities going faster than the language centers of their brain" (i.e. their brain can’t catch up to their motor mouth, so it slows things down by repeating sounds over and over).  i guess that means i won't be worrying about it unless he is, eh, still stuttering at christmas!

on the other hand, what i do worry about is his pronated feet!!!  soon we'll be getting braces and starting PT for gross motor again (because of stairs, mainly).  he did walk down the stairs this week on his own, which was a huge thing for him.  he was holding on to the rail with one hand and walking down.  he's NEVER done that before.  he was so proud when he got to the bottom!  so funny how he does things on his own schedule...

he's a mad mad mad mad boy!

these two pictures of kendal are just too funny not to post.  i remember back when emily used to ask me if he ever cried.  which, he really doesn't cry (often).  he does get mad and scream at me a lot (which i'm guessing is frustration) - and yesterday he was a real charmer.  apparently, he had a rough nap (woke up screaming a lot).  then, after nap, he was his beaming red-headed self (which i have to deal with a lot in the mornings, he wakes up grumpy at least half the time).  anyway, i caught him in action yesterday.  i'm not sure why he was mad except i had my camera and he didn't like it.  kendal and holly are SOOOO tired of me having it in my hands!  i think they think it is my 3rd child...  :)

so to be fair to him, here is a shot just moments later when he is happy.  he is happy because a firetruck and ambulance went by.  hope everyone was ok - but, my kids love to see and hear them, so we like it when they go by sirens blasting!

here are some others i took yesterday with my new 35mm lens.  random shots, but i just liked these.  holly is always flirting with maaaaaaart, some are of the veggies (i entered that picture, after i cropped it, into this weeks photo contest: subject "spheres"), and then holly and kendal's favorite thing to do on sunday afternoons:  ride the 4wheeler.