Project 365 Day 127 - May 6th

Today was a special day to my family and me... it was the first time in more than 15 years that I've taken communion at church.  It was also the very first time that my daughter has taken communion ever.  It brought tears to my eyes to see her kneel down and accept the bread and grape juice and to know their significance.  The sermon that Brother Steve gave was titled "When the Lightbulb Comes On".  The title and listening to him speak got the wheels in my head turning.  As Tony and I talked on the way home from church, he came up with an idea for today's photo that reflects the title of the sermon.  The shot obviously had to be edited in order to end up in its final state, but I can't help but look at it without smiling as I think about the symbolism behind the photo itself.

Project 365 Day 126 - May 5th

It's a SUPER MOON!!!  The full moon we are seeing tonight is supposed to be the largest and brightest full moon we see all year.  I, of course, couldn't resist taking my tripod and camera outside for a few shots.  Since I already did a few full moon shots earlier this year, I didn't want to use a photo that was just the moon.  As I played around with my shutter speed, I ended up with this shot... I left the shutter open for about 2 seconds, which allowed me to pick up the aura around the moon, as well as several flares reflecting off of objects below on the ground.  It's shots like this that make me feel artsy.  :)

Project 365 Day 125 - May 4th

I haven't been feeling particularly motivated today - this was basically my view for the majority of the day as I sat at my desk working on a couple of different crochet projects and played around on the computer off and on.

Project 365 Day 124 - May 3rd

Those who know me know that I HATE doing laundry.  I would rather scrub toilets than deal with doing laundry.  Okay... let me clarify.  I don't mind the getting everything into the washing machine.  I don't mind the moving everything from the washer to the dryer.  The part that I despise it folding and putting away everything.  Today, my distaste for doing laundry became even more solidified.

I had one load washed and in the dryer, one load going in the washer, and 3 loads ready to go in right behind those.  When I went to pull the first load out of the dryer, I realized they were still damp.  I tried to turn the dryer back on, which I have to do occasionally, and it wouldn't work.  I could hear the timer ticking, but the dryer itself wasn't doing anything otherwise.  After Tony got home from work, he pulled the dryer apart and discovered that the little piece you see above was no longer working.  I'm not sure exactly what it's called, but basically it keeps the dryer from overheating... and because it is no longer working, the dryer won't work at all. UGH!  Now I have to pay $35.00 for a new one, plus the shipping, plus wait for it to arrive.  And in the meantime, I am hanging shirts to dry and Tony is taking everything else to the laundry room at our apartment complex to dry it.  Grrrrr.... at least it's still cheaper than buying a new dryer altogether.

Project 365 Day 123 - May 2nd

This is the necklace that Tony bought for me at the Strawberry Festival a few weeks ago.  I absolutely love the way it's made - it was created from 4 horseshoe nails bent into position then wrapped in wire.  And of course, I picked one that was done in Alabama colors.

Project 365 Day 122 - May 1st

My neighbor, Kathy, has a family of lizards living in her plants.  One in particular is not shy and has no problem posing for pictures, as demonstrated here.  LOL

Project 365 Day 121 - April 30th

My son always falls asleep in the funniest positions.  Tonight was no different.  I left him in the living room for a few minutes to go change clothes, which wasn't a big deal since he was watching a movie while sitting on the floor playing with his tool set.  A few minutes later, I walked back into the living room to find him passed out on the corner of the couch still wearing his "work" gloves.

Project 365 Day 120 - April 29th

For weeks I've been trying to get a picture of the beautiful cardinals that love to sing in the trees outside my windows.  I finally succeeded as we were headed to church this morning.  I saw this one on the branch in front of where the car was parked so I pulled out my camera (yes, I take it to church with me too) and snapped a couple of photos right before it flew away.

Project 365 Day 119 - April 28th

It was supposed to be a beautiful day at the ballpark for a t-ball game, but I think Mother Nature had other things in mind.  In the end, it didn't rain until much later in the night.

Project 365 Day 118 - April 27th

The kids and I finally made it to the pool today for the first time since Spring Break, that was a month ago.  Despite how warm the weather had been, the pool water was still like ice.  Oddly enough, the weather has been much cooler over this past week, but the water has started to warm up.  I am so not even trying to figure that one out!

I got brave (with my two kids in the pool, that is the only way to put it) and took my camera into one corner of the pool.  After making sure the kids were nowhere near me, I placed the body just above the water and looked for a focus point.  I absolutely love how I was able to focus on one ripple in the water and throw everything else just slightly out of focus.

Project 365 Day 117 - April 26th

I love this time of year... the wheat fields are full and beautiful.  I snapped this photo while we were sitting at a stop sign next to one of the many local wheat fields.

Project 365 Day 116 - April 25th

As time passes, we gradually fall in and out of touch with certain people in our lives.  One of my closest friends from high school, Will Johnson, and I dealt with that more than once.  We stayed in touch after graduation but time and distance caused us to lose touch.  A few years later we reconnected, but again lost touch.  In 2005, we reconnected for one last time through MySpace.  We have remained in touch ever since.  He and his beautiful wife, Jessica, have become like family to both me, as well as my husband and kids.  

This could not be any more true than where it concerns my daughter.  She (and I) met Jessica for the first time on the afternoon I shot their engagement photos back in 2009.  Daisha instantly bonded with Jess and has loved her ever since.  Whenever possible, even if only once a year, we try to get together with Will and Jessica and plan it without telling Daisha.  They came into town for her Kindergarten graduation back in 20010, we met them for a beach day last spring, and tonight, they showed up to dinner to surprise her. Daisha didn't even realize they were in the area visiting.

This photo may not be great technically, but it touches my heart.  This was taken within seconds of Will and Jessica walking into the restaurant where we were meeting for dinner.  Daisha knew we had 2 people meeting us, but had absolutely no clue who they were.  I have not seen a smile that big on her in months, and it brought tears to my eyes to know that two people have made such a huge impact in her life without even realizing it!

Just a note, the fuzziness of Will and Tony was completely coincidental - I didn't want to use my flash since we were inside the restaurant.  The two of them moved toward each other to shake hands just as I snapped the photo, resulting in the blurry background with Daisha and Jessica remaining clear... love it!

Project 365 Day 115 - April 24th

The landscapers were on the property today testing the sprinkler systems out before the warm weather returns.  As the kids and I walked back from the mailbox, I turned to see this little rainbow hovering between two of the sprinklers.  I snapped and got this single shot before the guys shut them back down.

Project 365 Day 114 - April 23rd

I have no clue what the things growing on these trees are... all I know is that as I saw them while I was walking down the sidewalk, I became intrigued and had to stop to take a picture.  They look like some sort of flower and barnacle all rolled into one.  LOL

Project 365 Day 113 - April 22nd

I'm not going to pretend to know what kind of flowers these are... I have no clue.  I just thought they were pretty so I snapped a photo when I saw them out in front of the office of our apartment complex.

Project 365 Day 112 - April 21st

I know it doesn't look that way, but this is the "scary" creek that runs behind our apartment complex.  There's actually nothing whatsoever that makes it scary other than the things that continue to be spotted in it.  First there were water moccasins, definitely one snake I have no desire to interact with.  Second were the gators - yes, alligators.  There were rumors of a 10-foot, an 8-foot, babies, and eggs.  The only proof that has been found is a baby gator of about 1.5-feet in length.  I'm no genius, but I know that where there's a baby gator, a mama isn't too far behind.  Lastly, we had cow sightings.  It's true!  A couple of days ago some cows escaped from a nearby farm and went exploring our apartment complex, including taking a stroll through the creek.

The craziest thing to me is that it isn't even a creek - it's a runoff area for rainwater.  LOL

Project 365 Day 111 - April 20th

I've said before that I'm all for supporting local businesses.  Well today, Kathy took me to one that I've heard rave reviews about but hadn't yet tried... Gelato Joe's.

If you're a lover of italian food and especially desserts, this is definitely a place you have to try.  They serve everything from sandwiches to pasta to Italian Ice.. and of course, gelato.  The customer service is wonderful, the prices are amazingly low for the quality of what you're given, and the taste is to die for.  

For my first visit, I opted for the raspberry gelato and my son had the banana pudding italian custard.  I also picked up a few goodies to take home:  the biggest chocolate covered strawberry I have ever seen in my life, a huge slice of bread pudding (for Tony since it's one of his favorite desserts), and the best cannoli I've tasted (the canonoli shell was dipped in chocolate).  One of my favorite things about Gelato Joe's is that everything is made fresh in-house.  If you want to find out more, or to see their full menu, they have a website you should definitely check out.

I can't wait to go back and take my family so we can sample some more of their deliciousness!!!

 

Project 365 Day 110 - April 19th

I love to look at old buildings, and not just the front of the buildings, but all sides and angles.  This shot was taken from the passenger seat of our car while waiting on my husband to come out of a nearby store. 

Project 365 Day 109 - April 18th

Who doesn't love bubbles!?!  I have kids, so it's inevitable - we always have bubbles available for playtime.  The first time I attempted Project 365 back in 2010, I took a bubble shot.  I was determined to make it different, better.  I love the way the colors came out in the photo this time, plus you can even see my reflection in the bubble.

Project 365 Day 108 - April 17th

I don't get it... What is it about curtains that fascinates children so much!?!  I have to fight to keep both my son and daughter out of my curtains, as well as the sheer panel that separates the two.  This photo was snapped today while Keiran danced in the sheer.  I love the way the sheer draped around him looked on camera and knew it had to be today's photo.