Tales From the Suburbs

This week's challenge was to take some pictures of our "hood". So, here are a few pictures I took of my neighborhood. My favorite park, where I practically grew up. In the distance you will see the Denver Technical Center aka DTC; The little spot (Southlands) where we like to hang out with friends, where there are great water fountains for the kids to play in....and one of my favorite places to eat-Tokyo Joes; And, the street signs and light post in my yard....we are on the very corner.

I can't wait to see what everyone else comes up with!!!!

Negative Space

And for this week's challenge we have "negative space". Boy, do I have the lens for that!! LOL!! The complete opposite of last week's challenge, which was to "fill the frame". Here are some very recent pictures I took that I thought would be appropriate for this theme, and the one of the kids in the lake was taken today. I think I'm liking this challenge, so I am sure I will have more to post. Thanks, Helen and Wendy!!!

Filling The Frame

This week's challenge is to "fill the frame". It's something that I always do, without even thinking twice. But, for some reason it is more difficult when I am suppose to. Hmmm? So, here are a couple of shots I took, attempting to fill the frame.

The first one, though old, is one of my favorites of Jess. That girl is the reason I tend to fill the frame. I can't help myself. She has her daddy's beautiful eyes. Then there's Diesel and his "baby". How could I resist?

Picking Pumpkins 2007

Here are more old pictures that needed to be scrapped. I literally have a "to do" list of scrapping. These pics were taken at Berry Patch Farms last Fall, while the girls and I went pumpkin picking with Krissy, Ashli, and Mason. It was so much fun, and we are looking forward to it (and their roasted green chiles!) again this year. Let's just hope it's a little warmer! By the way, SR, I am now addicted to overlays. I can't get enough of them. Beware.

First Day of Kindergarten

Yes, I am about a year behind, but I am on a mission to get caught up with my scrapping. My computer is SO bogged down with pictures and digi supplies. It's time to get to work and get all of this crap out of my PC....before I take a hammer to it! It takes me about five minutes to open a file. Have I ever mentioned how impatient I am? So, here is Lexi starting Kindergarten last year. She was so nervous when I dropped her off, but when I picked her up, she came running out the door with the biggest smile ever. Pheew. One year down......how many more to go? Yeesh.

Imprison

Here is a layout I made tonight of Diesel, as usual, getting in trouble. His favorite thing in the world to do is hang out in the backyard with the kids, digging in the grass and eating trees. And every day, he is immediately brought inside for a canine "time-out". He knows the drill. He walks inside, heads straight to the back window, and gazes out at the kids, hoping that one of them will slip up and let him back out. And, of course, one of the kids always gives in, and Diesel is searching and destroying once again. He is half beast, half earth mover.

Happy Girls

Isn't this layout gorgeous? My dear friend, Lizzy aka "SR", created this little masterpiece. She always amazes me with her talent. She just has a way of making pretty pictures beautiful!!!! Thanks, SR, I love this!!!!!!!!!!

Fence Textures

Here are a few shots of my fence right after it rained on Sunday. Yes, Wendy, these are the ones I got in trouble over. *I* didn't see any harm in "disappearing" for a half an hour, right after we ate dinner, while we were suppose to be celebrating my MIL's birthday. Hey, I spent the afternoon in the kitchen cooking the damn meal- isn't that enough? AND I was in our backyard!!! I couldn't resist these shots, as the lighting was just right!! So, here's the second and last batch of textures. I also took a couple of cool ones of our tree, but I was told they were a little "obscene"! Oh well. It was fun.

Fire Starter

These pictures crack me up!!!! This is our friend, Bill, lighting all of the fireworks. He was blowing things up two days before the fourth- he's just like a typical little boy, waiting for things to blow up!! I get such a kick out these pictures because he's RIGHT there, in each one, next to his potato gun. If it wasn't for Bill, we wouldn't have had the big celebration that we did. Thank goodness ONE of us played the "dumb @$$"!!!!!!!!!! For that, Bill, we thank you!!!!!!!

Lazy Fireworks

Nope, we didn't go out and see one of the many amazing fireworks shows they have here in Colorado. Instead, we got together with the neighbors and put on a little show of our own. I'm sure the other neighbors hate us now, but who cares? Obviously, not us. We had a rent-a-cop car circle us a few times, eyeing our stuff...and the potato launcher, but he decided to leave us alone. Maybe he felt outnumbered.. or the silhouette of the potato gun scared him off. Who knows, but we sure had a good time!!!! These pictures could have been a little better, had I walked across the street to grab my tripod, but I didn't feel like messing with it- and there were lots of short stumpies running around in the dark, not watching where they were going..yikes! My camera was much safer around my neck! I can safely say, after taking these pictures without a tripod, with a VR lens, I will ONLY buy lenses with VR (vibration reduction)!!! If this lens didn't have it, these pictures would have been a horrible, blurry mess. VR...or IS...is definitely worth every extra penny!!!!

Sweet James

This precious boy is my friend's son, James. Christy and Tim adopted him from China last year. He had been in an orphanage for four years. His family gave him up because he is hearing impaired. He has learned sign language from his parents, as his new mom is also hearing impaired. In addition to learning to communicate, he has also learned that it is OK for boys to be shirtless and play in water!! I am serious. When he first arrived to the U.S. he was used to wearing long sleeved shirts, buttoned all the way up. He was also afraid of water. Now, here he is, shirtless and water-logged!!! He loved my camera too. After each picture, he ran over to make me show him on the LCD. By the end of the day, he had learned what buttons to push to show himself. This kid has come a loooong way in the past year, and he just continues to improve.

"Gross"? NOT

Here is my sweet, beautiful friend, Amanda. She is seven months pregnant with her second daughter, Mia, and she complains..daily...about how "gross" she looks. So this weekend, as she started in on how "disgusting" she looks, and about how she is worried about getting back in to shape after the baby is born, I took a picture of her- to show her (or try to!) just how pretty she is right now. I swear, she is the most beautiful, glowing pregnant woman I have ever seen, and it drives me up the wall when she rambles pure nonsense. Be prepared for more pictures of Amanda and Mia- I will be taking many more this weekend, during our pretend maternity photo shoot. Yikes- I am NOT good with posed shots, so let's keep our fingers crossed...for their sake!

Textures? Maybe?

The next photo challenge for us is "textures". I still don't have a macro lens, so here a some pictures I took this morning with my mediocre kit lens. I should have a macro lens, hopefully, by this afternoon. So, here is the first batch of my textures. Since I am already loving this week's challenge, you can bet that there will be many more pictures that follow!!!! Oh, and I am submitting the picture I posted last night of the water drops on the web. I had to crop it to a blurry mess (although, I haven't had to adjust the saturation or brightness/contrast in weeks!! WOOHOO!), but I do like how it turned out.

Not Quite Macro But...

Here are some shots I took today of a spiderweb in our bushes. The girls were playing in the sprinklers, and I thought it would be cool to spray the web with some water. I still don't have a macro lens, so I had to use the 18-55mm VR that came with the camera- it's very restricting, but I do kind of like how these turned out. I came very close to buying a macro today, but thought it would be best to wait a couple of weeks. Though, after cropping the crap out of the first one, I don't know if I can wait that long!!!!

Lean On Me

Here are my three Summer Beauties- Bella, Lexi, and Jessi. It has been cloudy all afternoon, but that didn't stop these close friends from pretending my backyard is a swimming pool. Funny thing is, they have been playing this little "swimming" game together since they were 2 and 3 years old. Even in the dead of Winter, these girls will strip down to their swim suits and "swim". I just love this picture of the three of them, happy and leaning on each other. I could only hope that they will continue this special friendship in the years to come.

I Might As Well Eat Worms

I am learning that Jess is becoming very possessive of her older sister. During a visit to a local park today, Lex, being as social as can be, quickly made friends with another little girl. Jess sat next to me, pouting. She told me she thought Lexi didn't like her anymore. Oh, the drama! What is a mother to do in this situation? Take pictures, of course! I did tell her to introduce herself to the girl, and ask if she could play with them. She told me that she wouldn't- she would only swing by herself and play with her ball.....alone. And I took more pictures.