Not-So-Wordless Wednesday

This is my first photo with my new Nikon D5000 camera. I thought it was funny when Mackaylan said, "Take a picture of my princesses, Mom. They are already smiling!" A few clicks later this is what we ended up with. I am pleased with the way this photo turned out. Now I am reading all about ISO, Aperture, and Shutter Speed. My learning curve is going to be BIG!! :)

What a Day!

Yesterday was a very busy day. I was up and at 'em by 6:00AM in order to get to Converse for the two classes that I am taking as I continue to work toward my Masters in Educational Leadership. The classes are only for 4 weeks, but it is going to require a lot of discipline on my part so I don't let all of the assignments pile up on me.



After class I called my husband, Mickey, and he invited me to join him for lunch. I guess that will be one good thing about being in summer school - lunch dates with my hubby! Today, I met him at work and we headed to On the Border for a nice mid-day meal. We love Mexican food and eat it all of the time. It is just one of those things that we never grow tired of.

After lunch, I dropped Mickey off at work and went to our local Best Buy to make a BIG purchase- a Nikon D5000. The salesman was so nice and actually works as a professional photographer and for Nikon. Needless to say, he was able to answer any question I had, plus provided me with lots of other helpful information, tips, and tricks. I have been wanting a SLR camera for a while now and Mick and I decided that this was a deal that couldn't be resisted. I am so happy we found this deal when we did because Mick has his last race before the summer break this Sunday. Hopefully between now and then I can learn the basics of how to capture some of the best shots! Any tips, tricks, suggestions are greatly appreciated....

You would think that the day would end there, but it didn't. On the way home, I called my sister and convinced her to join me for a mani/pedi. Oooh! It was so relaxing and I always love spending time with my big sis!

Once I finally returned home, I was so excited to see a package sitting at the front door. I thought it was my textbook, but it was actually my blog books from Blog2Print. One of the main reason I started blogging was to serve as a "scrapbook/journal" for our family near and far. I was so happy when I realized that I could have the posts and pictures bound into an actual book. My first order contained the 2008 and 2009 book. I can already tell this was a good investment because Mackaylan hasn't stopped flipping through the pages since we walked in the door.


After dinner, we spent some time outside as a family. Mickey worked on his 4-wheeler, I did some reading for class tomorrow, and Mackaylan drew some pictures with sidewalk chalk- one of her favorite outdoor activities. Needless to say, it was one marvelous Monday!

Completing Him Challenge

There is nothing more important to me than my relationship with Christ and my relationship with my husband. I love reading books, articles, and blog posts on ways to encourage my husband and strengthen my marriage. I am excited about this new challenge that Courtney, at Women Living Well, is going to be hosting each Monday throughout the summer. I encourage you to click on the button above and join us as we strive to become the type of women the men in our lives need and deserve.

Lunch at the Golden Arches

Now that Mackaylan loves to eat at McDonalds, I have a feeling we will be eating there very often throughout the summer! Actually in the past 3 weeks I think we have eaten at all, but one of the McDonalds in a 20 mile radius of our house. No joke. Here are a few pictures from our latest visit to McDonalds with my sister and her two boys. As Eli and Mackaylan were playing on the playground, I couldn't help to think that in just a few short years they will be like Boyce and will be the ones sitting at the tables playing with the latest electronic gadget. I know that time will be here in just a blink of an eye. So while I can, I will relish in every moment spent eating Happy Meals, trying to collect all of the toys in a particular set, and listening to the pitter patter of the little feet as they enjoy time on the playground at the Golden Arches. I'm loving it!

Swimming Fun!

School's out and we have had a wonderful first week of summer break! We spent Friday afternoon at the pool with my sister and her two boys. The biggest accomplishment of this outing was that Mackaylan has overcome her fear of not getting water in her face. This is BIG, people! All it took was watching Eli for a little while and she decided to give it a try. I didn't know if this day would ever come. Hopefully after a few days with Jahpa she will be a real swimmer! More pictures of our week will be posted tomorrow, but for now, I am leaving you with this short clip of the kiddos on their "diving board!"