You Capture – Play

By Beth · Comments (34)
Jul 29, 2010

Hi friends!

I hope you had a great week.  This past weekend we visited a water park for three days, it was great fun and there was TONS of play but not a lot of pictures taking because of the water and also the lighting was TRICKY.  But I did my best.

Here’s Noah, playing with water.  Check out my settings, this was a serious low-light situation!  I wish I had lowered my aperture to 1.8.  Dangit.

Noah at play

F 2.5 | SS 1/60 | ISO 1250

This was near a set of doors at the waterpark.  Anna is a serious water park junkie going on every single water slide available many times.  She has an adventurer’s spirit.  I love it.

Here she is in between slides.

Anna at Key Lime Cove

F 2.0 | SS 1/400 | ISO 500

And this is what’s typically covering my kitchen floors.  Well, this and cheerios, blueberries and spaghetti.

playtime

F 4.0 | SS 1/100 | ISO 1250

Now it’s your turn!

But first, remember these most important guidelines.

1.  Anyone can join in on the challenge at anytime.
2.  Please make sure the photos you use were taken for the challenge, meaning do not search your archives for an appropriate photo.  The goal of You Capture is to get you out taking photos each week!
3.  Use YOUR photos.
4.  When linking up, only link to your You Capture blog post, not your main blog URL.   (incorrect links will be deleted.)
5.  You MUST link back to You Capture in your post.
6.  I encourage you to visit other participants and leave comments.  This is a great way to meet new friends!

{more You Capture info can be found here.}

YouCapture_300x150

Summer.

Capture what summer means to you before it’s over.  Is it a big bowl of watermelon?  Sweat dripping down your face?  The beach?  Fireflies?  Go out of your way to capture what you think of when you think of summer!

Happy Capturing!

The Ice Cream Diet

By Beth · Comments (31)
Jul 28, 2010

I have no idea what my problem is.  All I know is that I always want ice cream.  I mean, I always want to eat, but ice cream “has me at hello.” If you know what I mean.

I’m not even that picky about ice cream.  Give it to me straight up or on the rocks, in a waffle cone or in a bowl, covered in hot caramel?  Sign me up.

I think it’s something I’m passionate about, I think ice cream should be a part of everyone’s lives.  This Friday, I’m hosting a 31 Gifts Party (live in my area and want to come, email me!).  I’m having an ice cream bar.

Because THAT MAKES SENSE.

Anyway, this past week was really hard.  Nothing went right, I felt like I was constantly fighting with my kids and my husband.  My heart felt broken, my spirit; shattered.

And on Saturday, I didn’t have any ice cream.  For the first time in weeks.

I laid in bed, after crying into my pillow for a long time that night, thinking about how hard life is sometimes.  I realized I had gone ice cream-less all day.

I cried even harder.

{woe is me.  I know.}

While tears fell on my pillow, I prayed (begged) to God for grace the following day.  I asked Him to give me strength, to be a bigger person, to not always WANT, to GIVE more.  I also asked for a way for me to be ME again.  To be happy and in love, not just with my kids but also with my husband.  I asked Him to help me to be less angry but I also asked that my family GIVE more, too.  (it’s only fair.)

I can’t say everything is solved.  Because, my goodness, it’s not.  But the tears stopped and I’ve felt more happiness than I have in a long time.  And not just because of decisions and prayers on my end, but also decisions and prayers from those I live with, it’s a work in progress.

On Monday and Tuesday, I made up for it and had ice cream twice.  (I also felt and saw a whole lot of love and smiles, too.)

Last week, Stephanie, Lovelyn, Rhonda and I all met for ice cream at a local parlor.  Our kids were so hyper and honestly, driving us crazy.  And then Gray fell and lost his ice cream.  He was so sad.  But he sat down and continued to eat his chocolate waffle cone despite the tears and the sadness.  This little four year old taught me a serious lesson.

Some moments are bad, some are good, either way, things are better with ice cream.

ice cream tears

***

This week, I lost 1.6 pounds.

Back to picking outfits for the day when I love the way I look, I’ve decided to go with beachwear this week.  This is me.

I like it.

beachy

Baby Ears

By Beth · Comments (24)
Jul 26, 2010

I found out on Friday that Eli has an ear infection.

Thankfully he’s feeling better.

hanging out

I’ll be back later.  I PROMISE.

Jul 22, 2010

Hi everyone!

I loved this week’s challenge mainly because we could shoot whatever we wanted!  My family and I are going on a little trip next week, I’m hoping to sit and go through everyone’s entries as I lounge in a hotel room not worrying about laundry and mopping!  I CAN’T WAIT.

Here are my shots.  I just love the way you can change the photo to black and white and it instantly changes the mood of the photo.  Makes it more emotional, don’t you think?

This one was taken on a Sunday drive through the country.

cornfield bridge

Here are my two oldest babies.  Yes.  They are babies.

a good read in the cupcake shop

baby girl

And here is yet another baby from my newborn shoot yesterday.  He is perfectly divine and I am finding that I REALLY love doing newborn shoots.

and I’m also finding that I want to have 9,000 more babies.  True story.

you capture

Now it’s your turn to share!

But first, remember these most important guidelines.

1.  Anyone can join in on the challenge at anytime.
2.  Please make sure the photos you use were taken for the challenge, meaning do not search your archives for an appropriate photo.  The goal of You Capture is to get you out taking photos each week!
3.  Use YOUR photos.
4.  When linking up, only link to your You Capture blog post, not your main blog URL.   (incorrect links will be deleted.)
5.  You MUST link back to You Capture in your post.  This is a big one, friends.  Many offenders last week!

{more You Capture info can be found here.}

YouCapture_300x150

PLAY.

Happy Capturing, friends!

You Capture – Error

By Beth · Comments (6)
Jul 22, 2010

Hi everyone!  You Capture was initially running behind because the babies and I were sleeping nice and late.

But now it’s late because I am having serious technical difficulties… and now I have a hungry baby …

Wish me luck – I’m working on it!