I Heart Faces - Whimsical

She knew it would not be long before her brother noticed his tube was missing, but the afternoon sun was insufferably hot, and the water seemed to summon her…

Check out other I Heart Faces "Whimsical" photos this week here.

His Heart

“How far away is my heart, Mommy?” Nicholas asks me.

“Your heart is inside your body, baby. It isn’t far.”

“Yes, it is far. It’s very very far away. That’s why Heller is far away.”

“Heller is far away, to you, because you can’t see him. You can’t see him because he is in Heaven. But, he is also in your heart because you love him. We say, ‘he is in our hearts’ because our hearts feel our love, and we love him forever.”

Nicholas is insistent. “My heart is far far away. Very far. Further than the farthest far.”

I try again.

“When we love somebody, or something, we say that it is in our heart. It means, our heart holds a part of that thing forever and ever. You are in my heart, Jenny is in my heart, Daddy is in my heart. It means we love someone.”

Nicholas gets the final words. “Well, I love my stuffed animals, but they are not in my heart. They are at home, on my bed.”

I’ll try again tomorrow.

Happy Father's Day!

There is nothing on this earth that would please my son more than hanging out with his Daddy. May today find you happy with someone you love, doing what you love to do!

Happy Father's Day!

Silhouette Photography Fun

I particularly remember the fun I had as a child, making silhouette portraits from cutouts of black paper, and framing them for my mom. Even more fun, I discovered, is being the mom and dressing up your entire family for a silhouette portrait photo shoot. Over the course of the last few weeks, I have enjoyed participating in a 30 Day Photo Challenge. Today's shoot, as you can see, called for silhouettes! Easy peasy mac-n-cheesy!

As dynamic as they appear, it is hard to believe that a silhouette capture is probably one of the easiest photo light tricks. Simply find a location that offers little background obstruction, position your subject between the you and the light, and voila--silhouettes!

Wordless Wednesday - Sleep is for Humans

Water Hazard Wednesday

miniature golf - mini-golf - midget golf - goofy golf - shorties - extreme golf

crazy golf - adventure golf - mini-putt

We just call it FUN!

Nicholas truly enjoyed his first miniature golf experience at a recent birthday party for his great friend, Zachary. Perhaps I will post Zachary's photos after his mom gets to see them first! We knew the course was close to our home. (Who could miss the awful blue water as you pass by it on the street?) We never knew how much fun it was! Expect more putt-putt in our future!

2 Kids/12 Times/12 Colors

The end of 2010 found me desperately trying to fill a photo album with photos of my children (taken together) over the course of the last year. I found that it could not be done. I was forced to settle for separate, yet similar, captures. It seems that their fourteen-year age difference does not contradict the definition of sibling rivalry. I could see it in their photos--my children each competing to define who they are as a person, and each wanting to show that they are separate from their sibling.

Well, that just would not do.

It has been said that our siblings are the people we practice on. They teach us fairness, cooperation, kindness, and compassion. Jenny is beginning her adult life this year. Nicholas barely knows the joys of being a full-fledged kid. They are still learning and growing together, and I intend to capture these moments while I can.

If I had the pleasure of raising them together as small children, I confess, I would have dressed them the same and paraded them around in all their cuteness. Sometimes, it happens naturally, and I secretly love it. For my project, it will happen at least once a month.

So begins a new project--2 Kids/12 Times/12 Colors.

This is not a new concept. I admit, I borrowed it from several members of my photographer community. Thank you. I don’t know what I would do without your inspiration.

So it begins…

2 Kids/In January/In RED

Another Visit from Mapa--Another Train Hat

One of these days, we're going to get on the train.

On Pin Trading and Theme Selection

Our Disney Pin collections were always themed as follows:

Jenny kept on the lookout for Tinkerbell and other fairies. Ford let the kids find Pluto, Goofy, and other dogs for him. As for me, I searched for pins that reminded me of my own Disney days, scuba diving, and memories of my kids. Having a theme made it fun and easy to decide when to make a trade.

But, Heller’s was always my favorite theme. It still makes me smile. He never seemed to have a problem finding the perfect pins for his lanyard. The day he made his theme decision, I knew I had a smartest kid on the block.

“So Heller?” we asked. “Did you decide what pins to collect?”

“Yep.” He responded without a bit of hesitation. “My theme is pins I like.”

The Yellow Wall

When life hands you a giant, yellow wall of sunshine...

Two-Wheeler

The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps. ~Proverbs 16:9

“Look!” someone said, “He’s starting to crawl.”
And, that was the very first start of it all.
The next thing I knew, in the blink of an eye,
You were walking and running and climbing quite high.
And now, here you are, on a bike with two wheels.
Striding, then gliding, and lifting your heels.
Your balance—magnificent.
You are fearless and fast.
And, I find myself wishing this moment could last.
But, I know you’ll keep growing, with each passing day.
And, I know God’s design says it’s perfect this way.
So for now I will store in my memory’s heart
The gift I am given, as I witness each start.
And to my story, one day, you will listen in awe,
As it begins with a baby, before he could crawl.

I Heart Faces - Smile

Oh for those sticky pink lips, delectable cheeks, and eyes that sparkle with sinful delight...

In just a few, short weeks, I Heart Faces will offer us the soft and sweet challenge. I almost hesitated posting this one now. Almost.

But, with a smile this delicious, I could just eat him up!

Wanna see more sugary goodness? Check out other smiles this week at I Heart Faces!