Practice

After we got home from Springfield this week I started really practicing editing techniques in Photoshop Elements 9. I actually watched/listened a 2 day Webinar about editing. It was live stream and very cool. When I couldn't take anymore I got up and walked around. I also got to practice while she talked. (I watched on one computer and played/worked on another. :D)

These are some of the edits I came up with. 

One of the most awesome things I learned was how to brighten eyes. Sometimes my eyes in photos are just too dark. I also learned about Actions. 

Actions are presets that someone else has made. All I have to do is load them on my computer and run them on a photo. The Action takes over and adds the layers. I can them go in and tweak them if I want. 

Textures was also covered. Textures are very cool too.

I will keep adding pix as I edit/play them.

Springfield Road Trip

Yesterday, DeWayne, Mom, Jim and I, took a short road trip to Springfield, IL. After viewing the Indiana state capital building, I felt very guilty for not seeing our own LOL! So we took off for the day.

These are a few of the pictures that I took while we were there. 

I was doing some experimenting with my camera all day. I am trying to use the Manual mode to take photos. This allows me to choose the light and the shutter speed myself. Some of it still overwhelms me but I am getting it.

While we were in Springfield, we saw the capital buildings (new and old) and toured the Lincoln museum. The Museum is really wonderful. A lot of information. I could probably do two or three more trips and still not take in all the info.!!!

We Skyped with Evan this morning. She was doing really well. She spoke a little Russian for us. I was glad to see her face. :)

On Evan Leaving...

Today is June the 3rd. It is the day after DeWayne and I dropped Evan in Indianapolis. Today she starts her training before heading off to the Ukraine for the summer.
All day yesterday I reflected on her growing up years (and Dane's too).
When Evan was about 2, Star Church held its first ever Baby Dedication service. Evan was older but she was still considered a baby. I remember the day well because the other children were still babies being held by their mommies and daddies. Evan was big enough to walk and talk. She DID NOT want to be held. She DID NOT want to stand by us. She laid in the floor and threw and fit. :) Just a little stressful for a mom who was trying to have the "perfect" Christian family. It wasn't until years later when I was a MOPS mentor at Little Chapel that I truly understood the words that we said that day. DeWayne and I are her parents but God is her true Father and the way we have pointed her her whole life. She has made so many decisions in her 21 years that have reflected that walk that I am beyond proud.
I did not cry when we dropped her off and prayed with her before we left. (Very unusual for me!) My thought all day was: I gave her back to God when she was two and have tried to be a good steward as her earthly parent since. Have I aways been perfect? Heck NO! That being said, I have placed my trust in God for this summer. He is in control and it's up to me to trust Him. Am I going to miss her? Oh, Yeah! Am I sad that I can't just call her and talk to her anytime I want. You bet! But, God has a greater plan for Evan in the Ukraine.
When Dane was 20, he went to Minnesotta for the summer to work at a church camp. Not that far and still in the US. It might as well have been the Ukraine! He had no cell phone service and only sketchy internet. We did see him for a couple of days that summer which helped. I would call his cell phone just to listen to his voicemail message and hang up. :D He went back to camp the next summer too. Not as hard the second time around but my heart ached for wanting to see and talk to him. I just missed him! I still Just  miss him and he only lives in Elizabethtown. LOL So I am kind of knowing what this summer will look like. :D
My sister, Marsha, who's daughter died when she was three, will sometimes with a heavy heart say: "I just miss her!" I am sure that heaviness will come for me and it will come at the least expected moment. Good thing there is email and Skype and Facebook and Twitter and Blogspot. :D
To keep up with Evan this summer you can check out her blog:
http://evansukrainiansummer.blogspot.com/

Evan & DeWayne at the Indianapolis Museum of Art

no pix today

Tomorrow is the last day of school for me. Tomorrow, DeWayne and I take Evan to Indianapolis to get ready for her trip. In just a few days, my baby is going to fly off to the other side of the world. The Ukraine. She has been called to missions this summer. I am so excited and proud. She is an amazing woman of God.
Saturday, my Jackie girl got married. This makes me happy, proud and sad all at the same time. She was BEAUTIFUL is her dress. The sad part of her getting married is that Evan and her friends are all grown up. :(
I have lost count of what day it is to post a picture. I guess I flunked the daily picture thing LOL!

Day 98 of 350

UGH!!! I have just let this blog slide! Sorry again!
It's Good Friday. We have no school today. We actually got out of school at 11:30 yesterday (the kids did anyway, we had to work until 2). That brings me to those parents/grownups who don't look at the school calendar, don't read any note that comes home from the teacher and who just don't pay any attention to what's going on at their child's school. At 11:30 yesterday I had two tables full of children. No problem, the buses were crazy out of order and the pick up parents had to circle the block. At 11:45, I still had ALOT of children left. Probably 10 or so. By 12:00, I was down to 5 children who's parents our secretary called to remind. At 12:15, when I finally left the last one with her and went to eat my lunch there was only 1 child left. How hard is it to read the calendar and write down ALL important facts on it. How hard is it to read the notes that come home from school. Oh and the biggy, how hard is it to READ the sign in front of our school???? The ones that were left over yesterday were actually children that I really like. They are sweet natured and not alot of trouble. Hope they have a good long weekend and don't get left anywhere because their grownup wasn't paying any attention to them! :D
Good Friday...
Easter...
Wow, with the busyness of school this week and not being on Spring Break, it was hard to just settle down and think about Thursday being the day Jesus carried his cross to Cavalry. Every sin I ever committed was in the stripes that they layed on his back. His burden is my own that he carries still for me (if I let Him). Jesus, you are Amazing!!!! Thank you for trading your life for mine. Thank you for suffering for my sin and forgiving me and interceding for me with the Father. THANK YOU!!!
Isaiah 53:5
But he was pierced for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.
Evan is home for the weekend. She only has a few more days left and then she is officially finished with her third year of college. Wow, how time has flown! She will be home the whole month of May before heading to the Ukraine. She's excited about her trip. I am excited for her too. I am just going to miss her. Skype better work over there!!!!
How about a picture:

This is the hail that was outside our backdoor last Friday evening. It really stormed hard for about 15 minutes. Then the sun came out and it was beautiful!!!

This was the beautiful rainbow after the storm. The sky was blue/gray the sun came out and it was doing the "golden time" thing over the top of the woods. It was very pretty. I grabbed my camera and just started shooting out the front door and the back door. (That's what I have been wanting to do!!!)
Guess I better make some muffins and wake DeWayne and Evan up

Day 86 of 350

Happy Anniversary to my sister Marsha and her husband Randy! They got married during my senior year of high school. 1981! Wow! 30 years ago!

This is me, Marsha and Debbie Scott

The little girls were friends of Marsha and Randy's from Olney. I can't remember their names!

I wore that same dress to my senior prom! It was all lace and satin. The head things were pretty and different. I kept mine for a long time in my cedar chest. I think I threw it away the last time I cleaned it out! LOL

It has turned in to feeling like summer. The mid-80's and high humidity. Welcome to southern Illinois!!!

I like cool spring weather better. :D

My mom and dad got home this week from Florida. They are all brown and fit! I am glad they like Florida so much but I am glad they are home too!!!

DeWayne and I went to Evansville Friday evening and spent the night. We explored Newburgh on Saturday morning. It is a very pretty town. I didn't get my camera out because it was trying to rain and then we were away from the car. Oh well, That just means I will have to go back. It's a town that would be better explored with a bunch of ladies. Lots of antiques, little specialty shops, and cafes. DeWayne was a good sport but he would rather have been at Bass Pro I'm sure! :)

Evan's Student Christian Fellowship group had their spring banquet last night. So we stayed in Evansville and ate with her and her group. It was an enjoyable meeting. The kids and adults are a good group and I am glad Evan has a base group to hang out with. She is the president of this group until December. She really likes what she does. 

The countdown is on!!! Less that 50 days until the wedding. A little over that until Evan leaves for the Ukraine. And about the same for days left of my school year. 

Day 78 of 350

Day 78 of 350
Happy Anniversary to DeWayne and LaDonna
This is a picture of us either right before or right our wedding. April 2, 1983.
(I love my boat shoes. I wish I still had them!)
We were babies. Not even 20 years old.

So yesterday, instead of celebrating our anniversary we held Jackie's bridal shower. 

These are the bridesmaids and Jackie.

Evan, Cacy, April, Brea, Sam, Jackie, Erin, Cassidy, and Angela

The only one missing is Beka.

It was a wonderful shower and she got LOTS of wonderful gifts. 

I spent the day in the kitchen, prep and clean up!!!

DeWayne and I are celebrating our anniversary next weekend. He has the whole weekend off. We have to make a plan this week.

Day 75 of 350

Well, today I spent the day at John A. Logan College at the Tech  Showcase. It is a conference that is held every Spring for educators in this area. There seemed to be more people there this year than in years past. The day started with a keynote speaker and then was divided in to 5 break out sessions and lunch.
The keynote speaker was very good and very engaging. He spoke about native learners (in the new digital, computer, etc. age) as opposed to the people like me and everyone over 30 who has to learn all this knowledge. He talked about the way children learn and what is working now. I saw and got several of his points but getting everyone to see this point of view and keeping track of who's online where...HEADACHES!! for the tech people!!!
I sat through 4 sessions about the iPad and it's use in the classroom. Only one of them was awful. The guys presenting were from a district that is not Mac friendly so they had only a few nice things to say about the device. I actually got up and left it was so Mac-bashing. (my husband calls me a Mac snob so I was completely offended :D)
I did learn some new things and they always share new sites. There are so many Apps for the iPad for education. It's an amazing tool. I know it's not perfect and has its shortfalls but the good far outweighs the bad!

LaDonna & Marsha

I spent the day with Marsha yesterday. Their house is "sale-pending". So they are gearing up for a move somewhere. I chose this picture because she and I took a few walks down memory lane yesterday. We found a lot of "treasures" that had been tucked away in her basement for awhile. Good times and much laughter!

Tomorrow I have a dentist appointment. Can't wait! :) Shouldn't be too bad. I am just getting my permanent crown. YAY!

Day 70 of 350

Well, I was able to miss days again!
It was a crazy week of school. The book fair, the art show, and the start of spring break Friday.
No excuse really. I just did other things.
I have book group this week. I must finish my book. It is really easy and really hard all at the same time. I can't decide if I really like it or nit. I think I like some of the parts so far and some are just bizarre. The book is "The Divine Romance" by Gene Edwards. He also wrote a Tale of Two Kings. It was different too but it seemed to make more sense. :)
I was hoping to have a photo job this week. So far I don't.
Monday I plan on cleaning the basement some.
Tuesday I will finish up what I started Monday. And I have book group.
Wednesday I am going to Marsha's to catch up and regroup with her!!!
Thursday is the tech showcase at JALC. Geeks unite!!!
Friday I have a dentist appointment and then general goofing off on my last day of spring break. (not really because Jackie's shower is Saturday and I have to help the girls get stuff ready.
Saturday is Jackie's shower at 11 am.
So my week off is completely planned!!!

Day 66 of 350

Spring Week! It has been a run of beautiful days. The sun is shining and the temperatures are warm. The wind is blowing. It's really March and it's really Spring! We are going to revisit Winter this weekend though, but that's ok. Maybe it will keep at least some of the Easter flowers from all blooming.

I finished editing Aaron's pictures and got them posted. I'm ready for my next project! 

Good news!!! The tech support people of the software that was continually crashing was able to help me with my problem and now it runs like a dream! YAY!!! I can use it here at home and on my school computer!

Examples:

Love being able to add frames to my images. And I love to be able to make the collages! I really think it adds some pop!

Our spring book fair and art show are going on this week. Thursday night is our late night with the parents invited to view the art and shop at the book fair. Everyone is crazy right now trying to get everything decorated beautifully! It really does look amazing at West Side!

Evan has three pieces of her art in the UE spring art show! She also won a couple of awards last night for two of her pieces! I'm going to let her toot her horn on her blog but I am very proud of her! 

I am sooooo ready for Friday and the start of Spring break! 

Day 63 of 350

OK, I had to look and make sure that was right because I am so far behind in the posting.
I took Aaron's senior pictures last Saturday. So every evening this week I have been editing pictures. I jsut finished up and got them uploaded to zenfolio.
Preview:

He is a kayaking buddy of DeWayne's too. I love the way this one turned out. DeWayne thought of this pose. It's actually at the loading dock of the old IGA in Harrisburg. ( I love that this background was free on OnOne's website!)
I've received some new software that includes backgrounds and borders this week. BIG problem! It crashes every time I open it and try to edit a picture. I've been emailing back and forth with technical support. It runs on my school computer so I brought it home for the weekend. (Of course, I will be bringing it home next week too because spring break starts!!!!)
I was so ready for this week to be over. The time change kicked my butt!
I slept til 7:30 this morning!

Day 53 of 350

I skipped yesterday. Oh well! Seems to be a trend! :D

This is what DeWayne and Evan did yesterday together.  They went exploring and decided to give Superman a visit in Metropolis. I am envious because I have not ever explored the downtown of Metropolis to see this museum and the big statue of Superman.
Today they went to St. Louis to the zoo and to the art museum. They had a great time yesterday and today. Good dad and daughter time!
We all at supper together tonight. Even Jackie is home and I cooked! I don't get to do that very often. Salmon cakes! Yum!

Day 51 of 350

Wow! I can't believe that it's been 50 days since I started doing this thing of counting the days of the year! I also can't believe that is't only about 80 days until Jackie and Austin's wedding! WOW!

Day 50 of 350

I really like this picture that I took of our Christmas tree. I was practicing with the light and the lens and the just stuff on my camera. I also needed to see JOY great big today!

Church was wonderful. Jeff was talking about love again today. I need to hear what he is saying. I like what he is saying. I get what he's saying. Loving some people is hard. Loving no matter what happens is hard. BUT, if I do not have love, I am a clanging symbol. Just making noise and not being very effective as a witness for Christ. So I do not want to fail this. I do not want my feelings to get in the way of love. UGH!!! Why does it have to be so hard!?!?!

Enough of that.

Evan's friend from school, Beka, was here overnight. She's from Texas and didn't want to go home for Spring break. She is very sweet and I like her. I'm glad she is friends with my daughter!

Evan and Angela took a few minutes this morning at church and spoke to the people about what they are doing this summer. I was very proud of both of them. They both have a heart for missions and seeing people come to Jesus! That's exciting!!!

More tomorrow!

Days 47, 48, & 49 of 350

ok i'm a loser! I can't even keep up with my blog! I did better last week when I was sick :D

Evan is home for spring break. She got yesterday afternoon. She surprised me at school! It is so good to see her face! I miss her and don't realize it until I see her. I worked out and she overnight mailed her passport to  the mission office. She went to eat with friends and I came home. She and DeWayne got home at about the same time and we layed on the bed and talked. Good times!
I need to post a picture.

LaDonna & Marsha

Wow a wonderful blast from the past. I wish I still had that little chair Marsha is sitting on! This is at the house in Broughton. My Griswold grandparents lived there. Now my mom and  dad live there. (And the TV is in the same place only it's newer! ) Love the tree and the tinsel. I don't remember that scary doll sitting next to me! Good thing! It probably gave me nightmares. LOL 

I'm glad that I somehow ended up with most of the old pictures. I have scanned most of them and they just are everywhere. In my Picassa albums online, on my external hard drive, on disks, and on my desktop in folders. Gotta do something with them! I have some ideas! 

Evan needs some things for her trip so we are going to Carbondale to shop a little bit today! (I would rather go to Paducah, so we'll see)

DeWayne is fixing us a wonderful breakfast so I better get going!

Day 45 & 46 of 350

I just realized that I forgot to post yesterday.
We had home group last night and didn't get home until almost 9. I got may hair cut and colored right after school so I didn't get home until right before group time. (Just enough time to run in and run out :D )
Sooooo, that being said, I have nothing. LOL
I went to Curves today and worked out. I hadn't been since the first of February. UGH! I feel a lot better and have more energy. I know it's good for me and I know it helps keep my weight down. It's just hard to make the time when my job and my life get in the way of working out. So, now I have to get with it again., I must go at least 3 times a week and keep it up!
I will post a picture tomorrow and get back on track!

Day 44 of 350

Jackson Falls

Ok, don't get shook up. This was taken February 12 at Jackson Falls. While I was taking pictures at the girls retreat, DeWayne took the D40 and went to Jackson Falls. It was the first day off he had had in several weeks and he just wanted to be outside. It had snowed and iced during that week so he saw some   wonderful ice and water. I love this picture. He's standing under an overhang of rocks. The sky is so blue and the ice is so white. Just a wonderful picture.

He got to go kayaking today. Not just to the St. Francis in MO like he wanted to. The water level was dangerously too high. They ended up kayaking at Lusk Creek down by Eddyville. They had a good time but he would rather go somewhere big. There will be other days! 

I worked today. I got very tired by 2:40. I didn't sleep all that well last night either. I hope tonight that I sleep soundly and deeply.

I have formulated a plan for Prom pictures. I will using a house and yard in Harrisburg. My friend Julie made a couple of texts and set it up and made arrangements. YAY!!! I am going to schedule appointments for every 30 to 45 minutes. I don't want to get rich but I want to take lots of pictures. Prom is May 7 (the day before Evan's 21st birthday!). If I book right I should be able to make about $250 in 3 hours or so. :D

I found out today that if Mr. Smith gives our PTO permission. They are taking the whole school to see a Miner's game May 11. EVERYONE!!! Pre-K through 2nd grade at a baseball game. It will either be fun or pure torture! The big kids will love it. The little ones, maybe.
Evan's spring break starts Friday. I am ready for her to be home for awhile. Her friend Beka is coming Saturday to spend a couple of days. 

More tomorrow!

Day 43 of 350

The many faces of Elias

This is an awesome template that I downloaded from a free site. All I had to do was place the pictures where I wanted them and attach them to the layer and Ta-da, it's done. Love, love, love free stuff!

I finished editing the pictures and even posted them to zenfolio already. All I have to do is burn Casey's disk and I am finished. 

I am thinking about taking pictures of prom kids this year. That didn't convey what I am talking about really. Several people have asked me to take their kids pictures for prom and I have been rolling around some ideas in my mind. The plan I have come up with is to use someone's house (& yard) in Harrisburg, schedule times for every 45 minutes, and have the couples/groups come to me. And charge them $40 per couple. I could make money and not have to stress over several locations, just have one location set up. I think it will work. (as long as everyone is on time and courteous to others :D )

It's supposed to rain - ALOT- tonight. DeWayne is so excited. He's going kayaking tomorrow in MO. The river is supposed to be way up!

Hopefully I'll have pictures of his runs tomorrow!

Day 42 of 350

Elias 1 year

Well, here's my little man Elias. We finally got our photo shoot in and it was COLD! The weather was promising me 55 degrees and it barely broke 40. Factor in the wind chill and it was still in the high thirty's. BRRR! is all I can say. He was a trooper though. Let me just say that 1 year olds have the attention span of a  flea. And props were a joke! One year olds are just cute! He smiled, he laughed, he cried. He ran, he sat, and he walked and climbed. I snapped almost 1000 pictures (between my camera and DeWayne's) and I have edited it down to 185. Not bad I guess. 

It's been a good day! I will finish up editing and get the pictures to Casey by early next week. Yay!

Day 41 of 350

Elias - 9 months

This is Elias at 9 months. He is now a year old and I am taking his pictures tomorrow. I am excited to be taking pictures again! I am ready to take a little person's pictures. He is so cute. 

I took a sick day today and just rested. I slept late and did absolutely nothing all day. I feel a lot better. I think if I had gone to work I would have felt horrible by this evening. Better to take a day and recover than to keep pushing and still be feeling nasty!

Time to gather my gear and my props and make sure I have everything!

Day 40 of 350

Jackie at West Side

This is Jackie. She was at West Side today with the other Dental Hygiene students from her school. Every February they come to our school and present a short lesson about taking care of your teeth. They bring a short video, a puppet, a book, or another short activity. She's showing the pre-k children how to brush their teeth the right way. She is really good. The kids like her and she likes the kids. She also knows her "tooth" business! I was a proud mama today. She did a great job!

I still feel yucky! My head goes from being stopped up to running like crazy. My head hurts sometimes. My ears hurt sometimes. My teeth even hurt sometimes. I sometimes feel like I can't hold my head up. I  am thinking that I might not be going to school tomorrow. YUCK!!!

I have pictures Saturday. I have to feel well!!!!

I bought Nyquil and Dayquil to take tonight and tomorrow! I'll keep you posted. 

Day 39 of 350

February Book Group here at my house! These are wonderful reading friends!

I haven't posted for a couple of days. I was really disappointed not to get to take pictures Saturday of Elias but we have rescheduled for Saturday. (The weather is supposed to be sunny and warm!) I was also getting ready for my friends to be here last night.

I made potato soup and DeWayne fixed chili. I also put together a huge salad with bread. Denise brought 4 different Larry's House of Cakes cakes. Chellie brought soda and Wendy brought ice. The perfect meal and the sides! 

We discussed Chasing Fireflies by Charles Martin. We are all becoming huge Charles Martin fans. We read When Crickets Cry last year. I have read a couple other books by him. Each book has some form of water in it; usually a river but sometimes a lake. He gives a lot of history details of the setting of each book. He does a lot of research and adds characters to fit the area. Very nice. He's also considered a Christian writer. So there is no worry of being offended by bad language of sex scenes. :)

Our book for next month is Divine Romance by Gene Edwards. He also wrote A Tale of Three Kings. This book was on Dane's reading list at IHOP in Kansas City. It's a quick read and I would recommend it also.

I have a full blown cold. I have the nasty nose, the sneezing and the just yuckiness. Maybe it's really the flu. I don't know the difference. My whole life I thought the flu was throwing up etc. But then I learn that's just a virus. The flu is chest, nose, yuckiness. Who knew?

I hope I get to feeling better before Saturday. I really don't like to feel bad!

Supposed to rain the next day or so. DeWayne is really excited. It will raise the water level of the St. Francis River enough to kayak! He's looking at Saturday as the day he and his friends will go. I hope it works out for him!

More tomorrow...

Day 37 of 350

UGH!!
Rain
No pictures today. Just cooking and cleaning
:(

Day 36 of 350

No picture today!
Sorry!
I just am not feeling it today.
Tomorrow - tomorrow there will be pictures. I am taking Elias' 1 year pictures. I hope the rain stays away! I am really looking forward to taking little people pictures again. I love, love, love taking kid pictures! Hope the weather cooperates and he is in a GREAT mood!
I also have to finish cleaning my house and fix potato soup for Tuesday night book group. I am excited about it being here. A lot of the girls have not seen my library yet!
More tomorrow!

Day 35 of 350

Day 35 of 350

This is Ally on her 2nd birthday. She is my great-niece. She was a princess for her birthday. (She is the princess!!!)

I downloaded some free actions for Photoshop Elements - frames, collages, background, etc. I was just playing around with it and tried it out on Ally picture. It's frustrating me, though, in some ways because I can't figure out (YET) how to open all the files and choose! I will get it though.

Today has been an interesting day. DeWayne had to go in 4 hours early so that made him work a 12 hour shift. Tonight he has to work midnights. Tomorrow was to be his day off. Maybe after he wakes up we can do something together.

I have to clean and cook for Tuesday. It's book group night and it's here. 

I also am gathering props and ideas for Elias' photo shoot on Monday. I have several ideas for him. I hope the sun comes out and it's semi-warm. He is such a cutie. Of course, I have laughed, and said he's one - he sits, he stands, he walks, and he does a great TA-DA!! I can't wait to take his pictures.

More tomorrow!

Day 33 & 34 of 350

Day 33 & 34 of 350

I forgot I hadn't blogged until I was already in bed last night and almost asleep! Oh well, I do like sleep better than blogging. :D
We only had to work a half day today. The kids didn't come at all. It's parent/teacher day. I worked in the lab and did troubleshooting all day for teachers. I had 3 people asking me questions at the same time today. After I solved everyone else's problems then I got to finish my work.
When I finished work, I headed to Evansville to hang out with Evan for a little while and to deliver Paige's wedding picture disks to her. She met us at Starbucks and we had a good time just chatting. It was good to hear her loving her pictures! She was excited to get back to her office and load her pictures on her computer. I am also excited about getting to take her newborn baby pictures in June!
I have been asked by 3 different co-workers who have girls going to prom to take their pictures for prom. I am thinking about finding a place (a yard maybe the park) and just setting up and having people come to me at different times. Then I don't have to rush around and I can take a lot of different people's pictures. (And make some money!!!)

This is the collage I put together for Paige. These are a few of the pictures Evan and I took while she was getting her hair and make up done. I made it square and put the title on it. Her mom LOVED it. I had it printed on a 10 x 10 canvas. It really looks awesome!

I like editing and post processing the pictures as much as I like taking the pictures. It's fun to see what you can do with an image!

I am meeting my niece Alayna tomorrow and delivering some pictures to her. She ordered some large prints of her kiddos that I took last fall. They are adorable! Can't wait to see her either!

Well, I better get busy on this Friday evening doing something!

Later

Day 32 of 350

Day 32 of 350

This is getting pretty fun looking through all the old pictures that I have scanned on my computer and finding one I haven't looked at in a while. (I really should do something with these!!!)

This is me, my sister Marsha and our cousin Julie.

We are in the kitchen at our Grandma and Grandpa Griswold's house. Funny thing about that house. It now is where my mom and Jim live.

I love those cowboy boots. I wore them a lot that summer. I have another picture of me wearing them with shorts! LOL 

Julie and her family lived in Texas. They usually made the trip to Illinois about 2 times a year until she and her brother started school and my grandparents moved to Texas. 

Oh well!

I received the software that I ordered today. Photoshop Elements 9 and Capture NX2. They are both for photo editing. I have messed with them a little. 

It was a beautiful day! The sun was out and it was warm. DeWayne and I actually took supper to Karel Park. After we ate, we walked around and looked at the park. I am going to take Elias' pictures there on Monday. I saw another friend who has twins while we were there. She wants me to take their pictures in March. So I have another job! YAY! I am excited! Oh yeah, and I'm taking wedding pictures in October for a girl at my  school! So I have another job.

Day 31 of 350

Day 31 of 350

So I have been at this for one month. I have only had a few times of "doubled up" days.
I haven't even picked a picture yet. I really haven't had my camera out much this week. I am trying to play catch up with laundry and dishes and just being a part of the family again since the pictures are edited and posted!
Ok, I found a picture. It's an old one again!

Jackie & Evan

These are my girls when they were in Jr. High. They were so cool thinking they were Charlie's Angels. :D They've grown up to be beautiful young women who love Jesus with all their hears. I am blessed to be their mom; by choice and by birth! 

More tomorrow!

Day 30 of 350

Day 30 of 350

This is a wonderful picture of DeWayne and I pretty early in our dating relationship (I think). We might have been married but I don't think so. And I am not really sure where we are. I don't recognize that couch or those curtains. LOL!
I chose this picture because today, Valentine's Day, is the anniversary of our first date. Yep, 30 years ago today, DeWayne and I had our first date.  I am so thankful that he went home after school on that Friday and called and asked me out. He was nothing like any other guy I had ever liked or chased. He was kind and fun and very polite and gentlemanly. (His mother raised him well!!!) God is awesome in knowing just what we need before we realize it sometimes! I am grateful for that!
Well, I posted the pictures of the wedding last evening and have had much response. All good!!! Yay! They are all pleased with the pictures. That makes me so happy. Friday I will deliver her disks and a price sheet if others want to order prints.
Did I tell you I got an iPhone for Valentine's Day? My husband is AWESOME!!! It is a miniature version of my iPad but takes pictures and video. I love it. I Skyped my mom on it yesterday. Way cool! Being a Mac user already it was pretty easy to figure out.
I guess I better go spend more of the evening with DeWayne. He's on Day Shift so he's home. (He grilled some very yummy steaks for us for supper!)
More tomorrow

Day 27, 28, & 29 of 350

Days 27, 28, 29 of 350!

I did it again. I got so caught up in other things that I forgot to post. UGH!!!!

This weekend (Friday and Saturday) was the Designed to Shine Jr. High and High School girls conference at our church. I, of course, was the official photographer. I really had a great time. My friend Terah and her daughter Moriah led the sessions. And two wonderful women from the east coast led the worship. The girls from North Carolina are leaders in a surfing ministry that moves up and down the east coast winning surfers to Jesus. Very cool ministry! The conference was beach themed. It was amazing!

The girls were broken up in to groups called PODS. They camped inside the church and had popup tents for their "campsites".  After each session, they went back to their POD site and added a charm. Each charm represented the theme of the talk. The pearl was a real freshwater pearl. It's a very pretty bracelet! 

My friend Mel put this all together. She can plan an event almost as well as my sister!

I promise I will post tomorrow!

Oh, and the pictures are DONE! You can view them:

http://lwhitlock.zenfolio.com/

Days 24, 25, & 26 of 350

Days 24, 25, & 26 of 350
I have nothing but edit for the last two evenings and all day today!!! The pictures are now edited to the best of my ability. (I think!)
I keep going through them and deleting the ones that don't make the cut even after editing. I will do that more and then get them ready to share with Paige and Addison.
Evan and I photographed her her getting her hair and makeup done. I processed a few in black and white. They look really cool.
I am as pleased as can be with the lighting. If I had $1000 lenses and professional lighting I would be even more pleased but I am not there yet. My theory is that they are getting the best I have to offer!
I am tired! And it was snow day #7 today! I've done laundry and sat here at my laptop all day! DeWayne is on second shift so we got to spend the morning together! It's been a good day. Makes me wish that I was home when he is all the time!
ok, now for the three pictures to share for today:

This is Paige, Leigha and Patti

This is taken front outside the door in the lobby.

This is taken front the balcony. The light was awesome I thought. I like the blue stained glass windows. They added a lot of natural light. Just very blue.

Day 23 of 350

Day 23 of 350

Here's my bride! I have edited about 200 hundred pictures tonight. This is one of my favorites of Paige. She is a very pretty girl and very easy to photograph!
So far I am pleased with the results of the color and quality. I was a little worried when the pictures were loading on my computer and I was watching the thumbnails thinking that they weren't going to be good. But they really look good.
The only thing that I am disappointed in is the background distractions of some of the pre-wedding photos. I would have liked the room to have been less cluttered. But you have to work with what you have.
I'll keep working tomorrow evening and hopefully I will get finished this week! :D
I was seriously hoping for a snow day this week to do nothing but edit pictures and get ready for the girls retreat this weekend.
Oh yeah, I am the photographer for the weekend at church with the jr. high and high school girls. It's called Designed to Shine. It's beach themed and going to be very cool.
I'll keep you posted!

Day 21 & 22 of 350

Day 21 & 22 of 350
Oh well, Looks like you get a 2 for 1 again. The wedding threw off my blogging by a day. Sorry about that. I will give you a little preview of the wedding.

These are Paige's shoes sitting in the aisle of the church before the wedding. I didn't have to ask her to take them off. She hadn't put them on yet. She was still running around in white gym socks because her feet were cold!
The wedding came off well. I was somewhat nervous but not to point of being sick! LOL The only hitch was the schedule and time. I don't think she realized how much time prep takes for the wedding (hair, nails, makeup, eating, dressing...) I followed her around for the morning and took pictures of her getting ready. We didn't get back to the church until after 1 and the wedding started at 3. Needless to say, all those pre-wedding photos that I planned to take were put on hold until after or taken very quickly. I would have liked to have had more time to take relaxed photos of her with her dad and mom and family but there was no time. Oh well, nothing to stress about! It's over. They are married and I got photos of the important part. :D
I've edited all day (since church). I'm ready to give it a rest and start again tomorrow evening! It takes a long time to adjust color and lighting and cropping. Just deleting the bad ones takes time. I probably won't be finished until late in the week with this. I am taking my time. I don't want to rush through the process. (of course there are about 1000 pictures to look at!!!)
It was really fun to work with DeWayne and Evan! We worked well as a team. Since we didn't have a lot of time before the wedding to get shots. Evan took the detail shots (rings, flowers, decorations, etc.) DeWayne took the guys getting ready. And I took the girls with Paige. Worked out great! And the best part is we have three angles on the ceremony with each of us seeing something different! Love it!
I think it's time to crash! More tomorrow

Day 20 of 350

Day 20 of 350

I was looking through my pictures again and found this one of my sister and I on the day we started our "Great Road Trip" to Texas and New Mexico together. We had the best time! Most people seldom take a vacation. And very few take a vacation with just their sibling. We made the trip to visit with our grandma in Texas and made a detour on the way home through New Mexico. It was a WONDERFUL trip.
DeWayne and I are in Evansville tonight. We spent about an hour at the church looking at the location and the lights. The only problem is that tomorrow there will be natural light in the church besides the artificial lighting. So anything I preset tonight will have to be reset tomorrow. We checked flashes and I have batteries charging right now.
I am READY! It is going to be great!

Day 19 of 350

Day 19 of 350

This was the view from our front door this morning! The geese were enjoying the ice and cold. It was COLD here this morning! There was actually a little snow on the ground. The sun came out this afternoon though and it got up in the 30's. There's a possibility of snow tomorrow, Saturday and Sunday! Oh well, it is six weeks until spring.
I'm gathering my stuff for picture taking. I made a list and I'm checking it twice! LOL I just don't want to get to Evansville and not have batteries or a charger or a power cord.
DeWayne went to SIU to practice kayaking. They let the kayak club put their boats in the old pool and roll around. He hasn't been since before Christmas. He can't wait for it to warm up so he can start kayaking again.
Tomorrow is his first day of in 30 days. He is very ready for a day off and I am ready to spend more that a couple of hours at a time with him! :D
More tomorrow!

Day 18 of 350

Day 18 of 350

Ok. I know this is an old picture, but I was looking through some pictures that I scanned while I was at grandma's this summer and this one caught my eye. It caught my eye because it seems like I blinked and these little people grew up! (And that really young dad is now very gray!)
This was right after we built the wooden swingset and added the huge sandbox. Dane got the backhoe digger for his 2nd birthday. Looks like Dane is probably around 4 1/2 and Evan is about 1 1/2. She always thought she could do whatever he was big enough to do!
I miss those kids but they are really fun now that they are grown ups too! There are many pictures very similar to this. DeWayne, Dane and Evan doing something together outside. I ALWAYS had the camera ready. Those were film days. It was always the hope that "I got the shot", because there was no way of telling until the film was developed!!! I love digital. When I took pictures then, it was always the theory that you better take two just in case you missed it! I still do that now even with digital! LOL! Better safe than sorry!!!
I rented a large flash unit and battery pack for the wedding Saturday. It will continuous fire for several shots!! I am so excited. It will be awesome for the reception and for the pictures during the ceremony that I can use the flash on. I got it out and played with it a little. I will mess with it some tomorrow too and Friday night I will set it when we check out the church! Only two days away!
We heard from Dane and he is in Terre Haute. Not too far away but still very cold to be working outside. It's amazing how much snow some places have had and are still getting and are getting ready to get again! All I can say is WOW!

Day 17 of 350

Day 17 of 350

This is me and my handsome son, Dane. He is an electrical lineman. He and his crew got called out today for storm duty in Ft. Wayne, IN. He is headed in to all this snow and ice to by on stand by in case the power goes out.  He really likes his job. And he really likes to work storm. :D He likes the overtime pay that comes with working the storm!
We just missed the storm here in Southern Illinois. We only got rain today. I don't even think we are going to get any ice now. Some say yay others wanted bad weather! I could have taken it either way. Snow day or not, didn't matter to me!
I am really surprised we didn't get more bad weather though. The kids have been acting really crazy the last two days. Their behavior usually reflects the weather.
I've looked at more wedding picture poses today. I am re-reading one of the wedding photography books that I bought. I am trying very hard to keep my mind wrapped around the details and the technical stuff of the wedding.
After this wedding, what will I talk about?!? :D

Day 16 of 350

Day 16 of 350
What to post? What to post?

These are the Trusty boys. I took their picture along with their mom and dad last fall. It actually only seems like yesterday. :D The light on this day was incredible. I let them "fish" off the dock to begin with and that's all the little one wanted to do. I had to bribe him to take the rest of his pictures.
I love to take outdoor pictures of families and children and people!
In a couple of weeks I will be taking a young man's senior pictures. And I will also be taking Elias' one year pictures. And, of course, I am taking the wedding pictures this weekend. So, it looks to be a very busy and productive month of picture taking.
We have rain, ice and snow in the forecast for the next 48 hours. I have mixed feelings about it. I could use a prep day for this weekend. But the kids are really behind in the computer lab. I'm easy either way!
DeWayne had more pictures of deer on his camera. One really nice deer (antler wise). He also had a nice picture of a raccoon and a rabbit. :)
More later!

Day 15 of 350

Day 15 of 350

I decided on this picture for today because it was sunny and pretty outside today but the wind was still Winter. I miss the warm, beach weather. I really think I could live at the beach and not miss anything but the changing of the leaf color here in Illinois! :D
Evan has agreed to help DeWayne and I at the wedding next weekend. (I will owe her a new pair of TOMS!) I am excited that we are going to do this as a family. I love that my husband and my daughter see things to photograph that I usually miss! It's going to be a great day.
DeWayne and I worked with the settings on my camera this afternoon. I think I have figured out how to do some presets on the white balance and the ISO settings.
I'll keep working on it this week and I'll keep you posted.

Day 14 of 350

Day 14 of 350

This is DeWayne's Christmas present to himself. He bought a trail camera. He has it set up on the back of our property where deer are known to travel. Obviously, by the look of this guy, some big deer!
He has been checking it about every 3 or 4 days. Today, when he checked it there were not as many deer pictures as earlier in the week with this picture.
There were other pictures of deer (about 10 different deer we think). Some big, some small. It's just fun to see them not knowing they are getting their picture taken!
He threw out some apples today, so we might have some new pictures tomorrow!
It has been a teaser of a day. It feels like Spring. It was 52 at about 2:00. DeWayne and I actually walked to the neighbors house and fed their cat. I didn't even have to wear a coat! It's supposed to be icy and snowy on Monday thought. Oh well! That's weather in Southern Illinois!
The wedding is in just a week! I am starting to get a little nervous and a little excited! I have bought a ton of extra rechargeable batteries for my flash units. I have extra SD cards for my cameras. I have studied poses and lighting and settings on my camera. I am just going to have to jump in and take the pictures. I can't worry about them until I get there Friday night and check out the lighting for real!
I am praying for a creative eye, an ability to get people posed and that my camera equipment is set right. Please pray with me on that one!!!
More late!

Day 13 of 350

Day 13 of 350

This is the excitement of West Side today!!!
This is my friend and coworker Mary. She is a very creative and imaginative person. She also has much compassion for all kinds of animals.
Today she was the RIF (Reading is Fundamental) celebrity reader. She put on quite a show. She read the book Oppossomundous and dressed the part of mama. She even added the right voice and accent! It was wonderful. As you can see, she actually has a pet possum. Her golden retriever retrieved this possum when she was just a few weeks old and dropped it at her feet. So being Mary, she nursed the baby along and read EVERYTHING about possums. So, Ta Da!, she has a pet possum. The kids loved her. They were very attentive and were excited about seeing a live possum.
The RIF program is a fantastic program. We do 3 RIF programs a year for the second graders. They receive a free book of their choice, a bookmark, a pencil and an eraser. Plus they get a very cool program/speaker of some kind.
Along with RIF, it was the 100th day of school, the PBIS good behavior reward day, and DEAR (Drop Everything And Read) Day in 2nd grade. A very busy day indeed!
Time to crash and catch up!

Days 11 & 12 of 350

Days 11 & 12 of 350

Sorry they are combined! :(

I took these pictures while I was working with the manual settings on my camera. The first picture is with Auto White Balance set. The second picture is taken with the White Balance set to indoor lighting (Tungsten/Light bulb). The second one is warmer and looks more appealing to me. The first one is the natural color. What do you think?
White Balance is a big deal during indoor photo shooting. I had a small problem with white balance when I took the pictures at the 50th wedding anniversary party I shot last fall. I should have went manual and cooled down the pictures ALOT!
I am anxious to get to Evansville next Friday and make the settings on my camera.
Today was an interesting day at West Side. Usually when we have a fire drill it is not a surprise. So when the fire alarm went off at about 1:45 we all jumped and ran and did what we are supposed to do. We got our children out in record time. While the other aides and I stood outside the building we were discussing the fact that we didn't think there was a fire drill scheduled. Well, sure enough, you could hear the fire trucks coming!!! To make a long story short, someone put some popcorn in the microwave and it caught on fire. (Guess they missed those directions that said 3 minutes is the max for microwave popcorn!) The teacher's workroom was a little smokey and very stinky!!!
The other crazy thing that happened when I got to school this morning was that when I opened my little fridge a bottle of poppy seed dressing fell out and crashed to the floor. The whole bottle shattered and dressing was in a big pile right behind my desk. Needless to say I craved salad ALL day! LOL
Time to cook some dinner for DeWayne.
More later!

Day 10 of 350

Day 10 of 350

This is my book group. We meet once a month and discuss books that we read. It is sooo fun! We started the group because we all liked Karen Kingsbury books and thought we should get together and talk about the books. Well, this is our third year and we try to read one of her books a year. As a group, we decided to read this book every January (to get it out of the way!). We read the book Unlocked for this month. Two of our members, Lisa G. and Chellie, are not big fans of Karen. So the rest of us got together and had T-shirts made that say I heart Karen Kingsbury. Too funny! We laughed and laughed tonight. Good times with good friends!
Next month the group is meeting here. Most of them have not seen my library. Maybe we can meet in there. (might be a little cramped) :D

Day 9 of 350

Day 9 of 350

Well, this is the full moon the other night. I, again, took this out our front door. It looked way cooler when I was getting my camera ready. The color is ok. I should have had a tripod or a monopod but I was in a hurry.
Sorry about not posting a picture yesterday. I just absolutely forgot.
We dodged a snow day today because the temperature didn't go too far below freezing. It snowed almost an inch last night before bed time but was melted down this morning. And it was almost all melted off by this afternoon. If we use all of our snow days we get out of school on the 6th of June. If we don't use any more, we get out on June 3rd. We'll see!
The kids were ready to learn today. I was ready to teach. It was a good day.
I thought about wedding pictures all day: schedules, poses, people etc, etc. It will all come together. God is awesome like that!

Day 9 of 350

Day 9 of 350

AWWWWW!!! It happened. I got so caught up in church then just relaxing yesterday that I forgot to post.
SORRY
I'll post for today when I get home from work!

Day 8 of 350

Day 8 of 350

This is Jackie. Jackie lives at our house and is a big part of our family. Jackie moved in permanently in May of last year. She and Evan have been best friends since they were 14. Jackie has practically lived at our house ever since. Before the girls drove, we would pick her up on Fridays and deliver her back to her house on Sunday evenings after church. Sometimes she would even spend the night and go to school the next day with Evan. Due to finally putting up with her family long enough (and I say that in the nicest way), she moved in with us. It's been coming for a long time. She just needed to make her own mind up that enough was enough. She and Evan and Erin and Cacy and Angela are the fabulous five. All through high school they did everything together. And Jackie always had a plan. I lovingly call her the cruise director. She is a good leader!
Jackie is a student at John A. Logan college in the Dental Hygienist program. She finished the Dental Assistant program last June and works at a dental clinic in Harrisburg. She is the hardest working 21 year old that I know. She works at the clinic, goes to school full time and works at Hardee's part time. And did I mention she is planning her wedding. She is engaged to Austin. They are getting married in May. Austin and DeWayne kayak together. He and Dane have been friends since first grade.

The real reason I posted this picture is because I was playing with my flash and light. I am trying to eliminate the shadowing that happens behind people when you take their picture using flash. I bought a bounce card and my flash has a swivel head. So this allowed me to find the right angle and take this picture of Jackie in portrait position without the shadows. The catch lights in her eyes (the white shining) are just right too. So it was a good practice day! :D

Evan came home for a few hours today. She's getting ready to order a new passport and start on immunizations. She hasn't found out yet if she will be able to help with the wedding or not. I am selfishly hoping that she can. I NEED her and her creative eye! :D

More later!

Day 7 of 350

Day 7 of 350

Well, here is the snow picture I promised. It's shot while I was standing at my front door. I did open the door and stick my head out and that's about it! I am not one to walk around outside when its really cold. That was right after the snow quit and the sun poked out for behind the clouds for about 15 minutes. It was really pretty reflecting off the woods.
Today it's FREEZING!!! The temperature is hovering in at about 10. BRRRR! I like the 24 degrees and snow way more than 4 and frigid!

I'm keeping my camera close today. You never know when the deer are going to stick their heads out of the woods. :D
I also need to keep reminding myself what each button on my camera does. (I really think I will be 70 and still wondering what some of the buttons do on my camera!)

DeWayne is working a lot of overtime right now. The "no-show" guy has started being a no-show again so everyone else has to pick up the slack. He has promised to help me take the pictures at the wedding. Those will probably be his first days off! He has a good eye and seeing details that I sometimes miss! I like it when he helps me!

Day 6 of 350

Day 6 of 350

Well, it's snow day number 5 and DeWayne took my laptop to work. I assured him with the iPad I wouldn't need it. I forgot about posting to my blog and I haven't figured out how or if I can upload a picture to this site. So, today there is no picture. Sorry!!!

I have had my camera out several times today working on light settings and trying to really figure it out. I took a picture of the snow. The su decided to shine at about 4:00 and I snapped a few pictures of it. I'll use those tomorrow. I have read several good articles about wedding pix and lighting and poses. I'm trying to put together a timeline for the day of when to take whose picture. Fun, fun, fun!!!

Tomorrow is snow day number 6. That officially changes the end of our school year. I now go the week after Memorial Day. As long as we stay out of June I'm ok with it. (Of course I don't have much choice.)
I just want to be able to take Evan to Indianapolis on June 2. That's when she leaves for the Ukraine on her mission internship! Very exciting for her!

More tomorrow!

Day 5 of 350

Day 5 of 350

Well, I have actually made it for 5 days in a row now!

This is a picture of Christmas day and all the snow we had. I had to post this picture because we are forecast for this same amount of snow tonight and tomorrow. Looks like we may another snow day or two in our future. :D

I shot this picture through the door glass because I didn't want to disturb the birds. They can sure empty that bird feeder fast. Usually about every day or so. The blue jays are the biggest and the bossiest. Then the woodpeckers and then the little birds. When they empty the bird feeder, they start on Brody's dog food. They REALLY like dog food. Too funny!

I've been putting together wedding pose lists and a schedule of when to take each groups pictures. The bride and groom don't want to see each other before the service. I can respect that. We can do all the formal separate shots before the wedding and then take all the together formal shots afterwards. I just need a timeline and a plan so we don't stand around trying to remember who has and hasn't had their picture taken. Wedding photography is very nerve wracking. I feel like I have to cover a lot of bases. (You don't get second chances to take some photos at a wedding again!) I just want to be prepared and do a good job!

More later!

Day 4 of 350

Day 4 of 350

Meet Paige and Addison. This is why my day of taking pictures was so easy. They are a very handsome couple. Very photogenic and much personality!

Paige is the same age as Dane. They started in the same kindergarten class and went all through school together. I have a connection with her family from way back! Her dad and his family lived behind my Aunt Jackie and her family. I honestly don't have too many memories of being at their house and her dad, Eric, not being around. He was just the kid who lived next door and hung out with us. He's also my sister and my cousin Jill's age. So is was a pleasure to take an old friend's daughter's engagement photos. I also work with her mom, Patti.

I had never met Addison so I wasn't sure what to expect. He was very funny and a good sport about having so many pictures taken. I pray that their life will be blessed and they will grow stronger and stronger in their relationship.

This picture was taken on Main Street in downtown Evansville. The street lamps are painted black and very old style. It's a very charming place to take photos. I hope to use this location again as I take more pictures.

I have had contacts about senior picture, a family group and a child's photo shoot. So in the next 2 months or so I am going to be busy. Can I just say YAY!!