What's that pout about?

Must have been a bad day at the office! And a bad day for Mason at the Superhero Headquarters makes a great shot for me to enter in this week's I Heart Faces pouting contest. Superheros have feelings too you know!

There's lots of pitiful pouts going on at I Heart Faces this week.
Click here to see what they're all about.

Also, this week is pet week and anything goes. So, of course, I couldn't leave out our dog gone good dog, Petey, playing in the snow.

A Sleeping Giant

Last week I shared with you the field of sunshine that my sister and brother-in-law came across while on their way to visit one of Costa Rica's main attractions. Today, I'm taking you to their final destination. The scenery comes for the Irazu Volcano. The name Irazu comes from an Indian word which means 'thunder and earthquake mountain'. It's the largest and tallest volcano in Costa Rica. The unusual greenish coloring of the lake at the Diego de la Haya Crater is caused by rainfall dissolving the minerals along the craters walls. It's last major eruption occured in 1963, oddly enough, while President John F. Kennedy was visitng. I'm guessing it was too much excitment for this volcano to contain itself. Today, this giant is peacefully sleeping, but no one knows for sure when he will wake. What a wonder!

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Sometimes we are so busy with everyday life that we forget to appreciate the beauty that God has placed before us. Scenic Sundays are about stopping and smelling the roses. And while you're smelling those roses, take a picture so that others can share in your appreciation for the beauty of His creation. So pretty please come join us for Scenic Sundays. Maybe we'll see things in a different light.

(You're welcomed to join in any day.)
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Manny & Me

I'm so glad I decided to participate in Carin's carnival 52 Weeks. I'm having so much fun with it; and I gotta say, I love taking pictures with my little guy! Once again, we're enjoying this beautiful weather. Handy Manny had lots of work to do outside that day, but as you can see, Squeeze wasn't feel'n it. I can't blame him. All work and no play....not very fun at all.

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Most moms have an obsession of photographing their families that they rarely are ever seen coming out from behind the camera. That's why Carin @ Forever in Blue Jeans created a new challenge for all blogging mamas. It's called 52 Weeks. Every week moms will be stepping away from their cameras and sharing the spotlights with their loved ones. Looking through my photos, I discovered that it's so true. I'm missing in action in most of the shots. And really it doesn't bother me one bit. Well......maybe just a little. I would have to say that when I look at pictures of me growing up, my favorites aren't the ones of me alone. They're the ones that capture me with my family, especially my parents. So, I'm excepting the challenge.
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Scrubalicious Giveaway

Today, I was visiting one of my bloggy friends over at The Story of Us and she was giving a heads up on a great giveaway from All Sugared Up. There's nothing like a good o' scrub; and, by the looks of of them, they don't get any better than these. So head on over to enter. Every lady deserves to be pampered.

Bubblicious

This week's I Heart Faces theme is NO FLASH. All that's required is the sheer beauty of natural light. So, now that Spring has finally arrived, I took Mason outside to enjoy the sunshine. Out he went with a bubble machine in one hand and a big grin on his face. He was so excited! Or shall I say bubbly.

Check out more not so flashy photos at I Heart Faces.

Field of Sunshine

Scenic Sunday's here again. Today, I'm taking you to a very special place that's very dear to my heart. The scene comes from the beautiful land of Costa Rica. I'm proud to say this was were I was born. In 28 years, I haven't had the chance to return, but I hope to visit very soon. My sister and brother-in-law were fortunate enough to visit my family a few years ago. While on their way to visit the Irazu Volcano, they found this beautiful field covered with yellow flowers. Being the spontaneous people that they are, they asked my Uncle if he would stop the car so they could snap this photo. It's as if they had stepped into a field of sunshine.

BTW....I will be posting my photos on Sundays, but you're welcomed to join in any day.

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Sometimes we are so busy with everyday life that we forget to appreciate the beauty that God has placed before us. Scenic Sundays are about stopping and smelling the roses. And while you're smelling those roses, take a picture so that others can share in your appreciation for the beauty of His creation. So pretty please come join us on Scenic Sundays. Maybe we'll see things in a different light.

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Picture This

While blogging around, I came across another photography contest called We Picture {this}. Like I Heart Faces, this contest has a theme. This month's theme is black & white. I recently started using a photo editing program called Picnik. Let me just say....I'm so impressed with it. It's amazing what it can do for your photos. I love the photos that combine the simplicity of black & white with a POP of color. In pursuit of creating my very own, I found this photo of Mason and went on a Picnik. Mason looked so adorable in this little bucket hat and surfing shirt. I just couldn't bring myself to take the beautiful, vibrant color away.

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To enter your favorite black & white photo, click the button below .
Contest ends March 28, 2009.

I'm so proud of myself! This week I finally came out of hiding. Here I am, with my little guy, trying to get him ready for bedtime. Apparently, I wasn't getting anything accomplished. Still fully charged, he was jumping up and down and running all around. I finally managed to get him to lay with me for just a moment to snap the picture. Then, with the flash of the camera, I was off again to catch my little energizer bunny.


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Most moms have an obsession of photographing their families that they rarely are ever seen coming out from behind the camera. That's why Carin @ Forever in Blue Jeans created a new challenge for all blogging mamas. It's called 52 Weeks. Every week moms will be stepping away from their cameras and sharing the spotlights with their loved ones. Looking through my photos, I discovered that it's so true. I'm missing in action in most of the shots. And really it doesn't bother me one bit. Well......maybe just a little. I would have to say that when I look at pictures of me growing up, my favorites aren't the ones of me alone. They're the ones that capture me with my family, especially my parents. So, I'm excepting the challenge.
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Happy Go Lucky

This week I Heart Faces celebrates St. Patty's Day and I'm green with envy. There's so many great green pics. I always look forward to this holiday, even though there's not a drop of Irish blood in me. Maybe it's because of all the goodness it represents. And so, in the spirit of the holiday, I wanted to go out and have a good time with my little guy. We drove up to the local mall and I let him go wild in the play area. At first he was his usual shy self. That was to be expected but it didn't last too long. There was too much fun going on! Off he went...for TWO WHOLE HOURS. That was O.K. with me. I was having a good time watching him run and play. But eventually we were gonna have to go home. I thought, "How am I gonna get him to leave with out kicking and screaming?" Thank my lucky stars there was a Sweet & Nutty store right across the way. Otherwise, I would still be sitting there. Luckily for me, Mason went happily. He was a SUPER GOOD BOY!

Scenic Sunday

Yahoo! Yesterday, I introduced you to my new bloggin venture - Scenic Sunday. It's FINALLY here. I'm so excited and I just can't hide it any longer. Today's scene comes from the beautiful state of Georgia. Some of you may have been here before. It's the Cockspur Island Lighthouse. Back before we knew Mason was coming and he was just a tiny little peanut tucked away in my belly, we took a trip to what would become one of my favorite places - Tybee Island, GA. The Cockspur Lighthouse was just a short distance away and well worth the boat ride. I was so amazed! I had never seen a lighthouse completely surrounded by water.

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Sometimes we are so busy with everyday life that we forget to appreciate the beauty that God has placed before us. Scenic Sundays are about stopping and smelling the roses. And while you're smelling those roses, take a picture so that others can share in your appreciation for the beauty of His creation. So pretty please come join us on Scenic Sundays. Maybe we'll see things in a different light.

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Uncharted Territory

Tomorrow I will be stepping into uncharted territory. Well.....at least for me it will be. After all, you only live once. Right? So why not. I've decided to make my own meme. The word meme has a special connotation for me. Being the modern lady that she was and not wanting to be called Grandma, my dear mother-in-law thought that Meme would be better suited for her. And I couldn't have agreed more. Grandma just sounded so old and not like her at all. She was a very vibrant lady, always so happy and full of energy. She also LOVED traveling very much. And so, my new meme is a way to honor her memory. It's called Scenic Sunday. Sometimes we are so busy with everyday life that we forget to appreciate the beauty that God has placed before us. Scenic Sundays are about stopping and smelling the roses. And while you're smelling those roses, take a picture so that others can share in your appreciation for the beauty of His creation. The scary part about it all is that I'm adding a Mr. Linky for all of you to join in. So pretty please come visit me on Scenic Sundays. Maybe we'll see things in a different light.

I Love Wild Olive!

Some of my blogging buddies have posted a GREAT giveaway brought to us by a GREAT place called Wild Olive. I took a look at the site and fell in love. Their merchandise is so up lifting and inspiring that I couldn't help but spread the word.

Here's how to enter:

From now until April 15, Wild Olive is giving away entries for a drawing for $75 worth of free stuff from their store! That's equal to 3 free tees of your choice! All you have to do to get an entry is grab a button from one of the sidebars and add it to your blog on the sidebar. Then leave them a comment, with your blog address, and you're good to go!If you're a super achiever, you can write up a blog post about our site, and you'll receive 3 entries. Add a button to the side bar AND write a blog post, and you'll get 5 entries. Exciting stuff, huh?Now go, and spread the word!

http://wildoliveliveit.blogspot.com/

The Love Story

Today I'm pushing the rewind button and reminiscing of a day back when I was eating for 2.....or 3......or 4. There was nothing special about this particular day, at first. It was just another day. I wobbled a little more, my shoes fit a little tighter and all I could think about was, "Am I ever going to see my feet again?" But, there was a moment in those 24 hrs. that made me forget about how miserable I was feeling and made me stop and appreciate the blessing that God had brought my way. Brad and I had stopped to grab a bite to eat.......or 2.....or 3 and on one of my MANY trips to the ladies' room I witnessed LOVE in it's purest form. A little boy walked in with his mommy. They were on a mission - a potty training mission. The mother was helping him do his busy in a very patient sort of way. After he finished doing what he had to do, he stopped and said "Mommy, I love you." By the sound of his voice you could tell she was a very good mommy. My heart, right then and there (out of all places), turned to putty. One day I was going to hear my very own little boy say those 4 precious little words to me. Well......once again my heart is nothing but a BIG glob of putty. Last week, for the first time, Mason told me "Mommy, I love you." I had heard him say he loved me before, but this time it was different because it came out of the blue and straight from his heart. I know there will be days when he won't be able to stand the sight of me. Let's face it. Those days are just inevitable, but I will always remember the first time I heard him say those 4 precious little words and that moment will always be a piece of me.

See. I wasn't lying when I said I was eating for 2....or 3.....or 4!

Here we are at the Ripley's Aquarium in Mrytle Beach. It's another oldie but it will do. I'm bound to get out in front of the lens someday. Maybe I'll come out of hiding next week.

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Most moms have an obsession of photographing their families that they rarely are ever seen coming out from behind the camera. That's why Carin @ Forever in Blue Jeans created a new challenge for all blogging mamas. It's called 52 Weeks. Every week moms will be stepping away from their cameras and sharing the spotlights with their loved ones. Looking through my photos, I discovered that it's so true. I'm missing in action in most of the shots. And really it doesn't bother me one bit. Well......maybe just a little. I would have to say that when I look at pictures of me growing up, my favorites aren't the ones of me alone. They're the ones that capture me with my family, especially my parents. So, I'm excepting the challenge.

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Wordless Wednesday

Zumba keeps me in shape

I recently started doing Zumba with my sister. Zumba is a great way to get exercise without feeling like your exercising. It's so much fun! I describe it as aerobics with a Latin twist.

It's been a few weeks since I've gone. I've had sort of a busy schedule lately. I try to go on Saturday mornings. I've missed doing it and I'm ready to get moving again.

Cream of the Crop

There's a whole lot of cropping going on this week at I Heart Faces and here I go again. I can't help it. Like so many others, I've become addicted to this contest. Since this week's theme is creative crop, I wanted to focus on the best features of some of my favorite shots. Both my entries were taken on a family trip with my wonderful in-laws to Charleston, S.C. We were visiting one of the beautiful plantations. Walking through the grounds I captured this shot of Mason. I couldn't help but zoom in on those plump little cheeks.

As we waited for the tour to begin, I caught a glimpse of something so sweet I just had to grab my camera. It was this. Papaw holding Mason. They say that the love for a grandchild is the greatest love imaginable. It must be true.

The Before Shots

Come and Join the fun!

Most moms have an obsession of photographing their families that they rarely are ever seen coming out from behind the camera. That's why Carin @ Forever in Blue Jeans created a new challenge for all blogging mamas. It's called 52 Weeks. Every week moms will be stepping away from their cameras and sharing the spotlights with their loved ones. Looking through my photos, I discovered that it's so true. I'm missing in action in most of the shots. And really it doesn't bother me one bit. Well......maybe just a little. I would have to say that when I look at pictures of me growing up, my favorites aren't the ones of me alone. They're the ones that capture me with my family, especially my parents. So, I'm excepting the challenge and starting my 52 weeks today.

I love this picture of me and my little golfer. It maybe an oldie but it's definitely a goody.

I Would Do Anything for Love but I Won't Do That......

What does 'THAT' mean? To me it means that I won't lose my integrity. Once you lose your integrity you lose the love you have for yourself. Stay true to your beliefs. It is only then that you will find your true love. I love my husband because of the man he is. But if he were a man without integrity, then he would not be my husband in the first place.

"The soul is dyed the color of its thoughts. Think only on those things that are in line with your principles and can bear the light of day. The content of your character is your choice. Day by day, what you do is who you become.

Your integrity is your destiny. It is the light that guides your way."

Heraclitus

(The One-Minute Writer is a great place to cure the common writers block. But like the names says, you only have One-Minute to write. So, I wanted to elaborate on the topic and decided it needed To Be Continued.....here.)

What do I LOVE about March?

Reading through my ALL YOU magazine inspired me to do a monthly posting of all the things I LOVE each month. And as we enter the month of March, thoughts of beauty spring to mind.

WHAT DO I LOVE ABOUT MARCH?

March is the coming of spring. The morning song of chirping birds begin to awaken me and the tulips and daffodils begin to bloom. Spring is in the air and warmth begins to emerge. I absolutely dread the cold and saying good-bye to it is what I LOVE about March!

MESSY

{characterized by a dirty, untidy, or disordered condition:
causing a mess: a messy birthday boy}

On May 23, 2007 we celebrated our little boy's 1st birthday. It was a day I had been looking forward to long before I felt his first kick. I remember being so excited that I forgot my own birthday when it came around exactly one month before. Life changes in an instant when a little one comes along. All my thoughts are about Mason and what would make him happy. I wanted to make his very first birthday the happiest ever. I made his birthday cake EXTRA special with all the Sesame St. gang and TONS and TONS of bright green icing. What can I say? You only turn 1 once.......might as well go to town with it and get down right MESSY!

Wanna see more down right messy faces?



Check them out @ I Heart Faces.
This week they've added a beginners category.
To qualify as a beginner, you must answer yes to 3 or more of the following questions:

• Have you recently started taking photos or taking photography more seriously?

Yes I have. Ever since Mason was born 2 yrs ago I'm constantly taking pictures. My photos of him are precious to me and I want to make sure I capture every special moment.

• Do you have NO idea how your camera works yet?

I've had my Kodak Easyshare for about a year now. I know the basics, but when it comes to all those special features, I've got NO idea. I do play with the different settings, because I'm curious of what they do. But, the pictures usually come out all out of wack.

• Are your skills average or below average?

I would have to say that at their very best my skills are average. I would love to someday have the great skills to take beautiful shots like all those I see here on I Heart Faces. They're so talented!

• Are you clueless when we talk about Aperture?

Not only am I clueless. I have no idea how to say it.

• You don't even know what editing means....let alone have an editing program for you photos?

This is a tricky one because I know what editing means....but knowing how to edit is another story. I have a program called Photo Explosion. I used it for the messy photo above but I just fidget with it until I like what I see. And that takes a pretty LONG time since I'm really not sure what I'm doing. I would love to have Photoshop one day!

• Are you willing to be open for constructive criticism from the other participants?

Of course! I'm here to learn, so have at it.

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