PHOTO SHARE PROJECT | August Words

VIEW

REPETITION

LEARN

EMOTION

SIMPLICITY

To read about what PhotoShare is you can start  HERE.  See my other posts by clicking the PHOTOSHARE category on the top right of my blog.  

PHOTOSHARE PROJECT | July Words

I cannot believe it's August!  I count my lucky stars all the time that last December I was invited to participate in a weekly photo challenge with a group of other photographers.  We call the challenge Photoshare.  I'm always so anxious to see what words the new monthly moderator has come up with and I've learned so much over the last 7 months.   July was super busy, but I got all my pics done :)

WATER

a little "home made" summer rain storm for my girls.

 NIGHT

I don't get much quiet time during the day with 3 girls at home, so every now and again I'll stay up late and enjoy a snack, listen to my peaceful house...and catch up on photos.

FOCUS

messing around with focus and some really shallow depth of field.

IMPERFECT

i was trying to find something broken, something bent, something "imperfect" to photograph for this theme...but this picture won.  it's imperfect in it's composition and lack of focus but those smiles.... the prompt "imperfect" gave me a great reason to post this.

PHOTO SHARE | WAITING, BACK LIGHTING, BLACK & WHITE, SELF PORTRAIT, & SUMMER is...

I can't believe we're halfway through the year!!!  I have really loved participating in this weekly challenge with some really talented women.  I have developed friendships and learned new skills.  Each month, one of us serves as moderator and chooses a word for each week.  Some of the words really pushed me to get creative.  I love that!  Anyway, if you want to see some of the words and pictures so far you can hop on over to http://www.photoshare2014.blogspot.com/  It's always fun to see how all of us can interpret the same word so differently. 

Here are my photos for June words...

WAITING

(waiting to go to grandma and grandpas to play with cousins)

 BACK LIGHTING

(we sure had a great time camping in Wyoming this year)

BLACK & WHITE

(pretty sure my mom has more toys and fun things to do at her house than i do)

SELF PORTRAIT

SUMMER IS...

swimming pools and popcicles

PHOTO SHARE | DOWN & UP as well as 20/52

Playing a little catch up...

DOWN

UP

and catching up on my weekly pictures...

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2014"

I can't believe time is flying as quickly as it is.  The weeks are feeling like days.  I committed to both the weekly themed Photo Share project as well as the 52 project of my kids and although I may be late in posting...I'm still getting the pictures taken.  Hard to believe the half way mark is here.  Anyway...

Lou:  Em and I don't get to spend a lot of time together, just the two of us.  The plan was to wait for Bailey to wake up and put the slide on the hill but I couldn't resist some one-on-one with my sweet Emmy.  She got this slide for her 5th birthday a few weeks ago...yup, she's 5!!!  She's been so anxious to use it.  I love spending time, just us two, with each of my girls and soaking in their darling personalities.

Sue:  Sara is 11 months and climbing up on everything, and seems to have no fear or reservations about it either.  She always get a big grin and squeals a little when she climbs up on something, like she's queen of the castle.

Boo:  Each year we try and visit as many headstones of loved ones as we can on Memorial Day.  I remember visiting this cemetery with my grandma and mom when I was young.  Now my girls (and mom, dad, and sisters) visit my grandparents here each year.  It amazes me how easily the tears still come when I think about my angel grandma who has been gone nearly 8 years now.  I wish all the time she could have been around to meet my girls, but I know that although they may not be able to spend time on Earth together, they have all danced and laughed together in Heaven.  After Bailey placed the flowers on the headstone, she & Emmy reminded us all that they were for "Grandma Bernice."  

Linking with lovely Jodi at Practicing Simplicity  

PHOTO SHARE | MOTHER

mother; 

verb: to bring up {a child} with care and affection

"the art of mothering"

PHOTO SHARE | FRAMED

Anxiously waiting for the local carnival to open.

PHOTO SHARE | EYES

The top one was my original submission...but I just had to add the second and submit 2.  

PHOTO SHARE | BLOSSOM

 I have a "popcorn" tree in my yard.  It's a new tree.  A very young tree but when it blossoms, it is gorgeous!!!  It is right outside my kitchen window and when it's flowering it sure makes washing the dishes much more enjoyable.  I get a fabulous view and I get to ponder a little about all the beautiful creations I get to enjoy each day.  I love spring.  I love the newness.  The life.  The beauty.  I love reflecting on all my blessings.  

Well, my tree hasn't "popped" yet.  When it does, you can be sure there will be pictures on this blog.   Until then...the other night my family and I were out on a walk and I spotted these blossoms on the side of the road.  They were hidden in between some dry and dark trees.  I love this picture because it captures blossoms in a little different way.  Not the bright green background or lots of sun.  It shows more of a "thorn among the roses."  A hidden beauty.  

PHOTO SHARE | COLORFUL

With it being Easter this week, I had pretty much planned on a picture of all our colorful eggs.  I did get some of those, but this one just kept saying "pick me, pick me."  So, it wasn't my initial vision for the word, but it's a colorful candid moment with my silly Emmy (before the annual coloring of the eggs).

PHOTO SHARE | REFLECTION

She is the oldest, she can be stubborn, she is tender hearted, she loves her little sisters, she likes to learn new things, loves to be outside, enjoys teaching others....I see myself in her all the time.

PHOTO SHARE | PRETEND

Pretending like we are enjoying our spring break vacation at a fabulous pool.

PHOTO SHARE | FEET

Spring is crazy around here.  You just never know what your're going to wake up to.  Sun, rain, hail, SNOW?  So, on the days that it's reasonably nice we try to spend as much time outside as possible.  Sara LOVES this swing!  She is getting so big and loves being more a part of things.  

PHOTO SHARE | GREEN

Having the color "green" on my mind this week helped me be a bit more creative at the park this week.  

PHOTO SHARE | FAMILY

When I saw the prompt for the week I panicked a bit.  I wan't sure how I was going to get a picture of all 5 of us.  The last time we had pictures taken was well before my third child was born...finding time when we are all home, all awake, and all happy is, well, a tad difficult.  So, I looked up the definition of family and thought I could take a picture of like items or things categorized into a family?

Well, the other night the beautiful weather was calling our names.  We couldn't resist a walk. In an attempt to document my girls on their first official bike ride with their new bikes, I brought my camera.  As we were walking I watched our shadows on the rode, all 5 of us, together.  This was "family" to me.  All of us out enjoying the weather and being together.  I didn't want to tell everyone to stop and look at me, I wanted to somehow capture our family moment (and try to be in it).  

So, this was what I got.  I could have adjusted my camera settings a bit differently and really planned the shot, but we were walking, we were almost home, and I didn't want to ruin the moment.  I love this picture and it's imperfections.  We are all in it!!! 

PHOTO SHARE | ANIMAL

In an effort to photograph something other than my dog for the "animal" theme this week, my girls and I went on a walk around our neighborhood.  We discovered these Alpacas last summer and enjoyed visiting them and their little goat friend.  So when the sun decided to shine this week, I packed some bread and apples, bundled the girls up and we went to go visit these long lost friends of ours.  Thanks to the bread and apples, the Alpacas stayed pretty close to the fence and were entertained for a bit so I could take a few pictures.  It was rather fun editing and getting creative with animal shots vs people this week.  

PHOTO SHARE | EVERYDAY

Still on the 2-nap-a-day schedule, this sweet little one wakes up happy and content everyday from her morning nap.  I never know where in her bed she'll be when I go get her or what she'll be doing.  I do like to peek on though and watch her for a bit unnoticed before I get her.  She is growing too fast and I am trying to "absorb" her these days :)

PHOTO SHARE | TALL

I cannot wait for the weather to change around here.  I'd say 98% of my pictures this year have been taken inside.  I'm ready for some new scenery.

I'm really enjoying this Photo Share challenge.  I like how it makes me think outside the box.  I capture images I wouldn't normally think to it's challenging me to use different angles and compositions.  

PHOTO SHARE | OLD

When I told my husband the theme this week was "old," his response was: 

"Why don't you just take a self portrait?"

HA. HA.

No.

After my failure to complete last weeks assignment with confidence, I really wanted to make up for it this week.  I brainstormed.  I came up with several ideas.  I even took lots of pictures, edited them, then just as I was going to post...decided I didn't love them as much as I thought I did.

I am very happy I waited, put my thinking cap on, and got a photo I'm proud of.

This is my "treasure box."  

I collect keepsakes in it.  Notes, newspaper articles, trinkets from loved ones passed on.  

The items I decided to showcase are from my sweet, angel grandmother Bernice.

I love this picture because it's personal.  I love that, by chance, the aquas seem to pop.  Aqua was her favorite color.  

I look at this picture of these old items and I see so much life in them.  

SO many memories.  

PHOTO SHARE | EXPLORE

I really struggled with the word "explore" this week.  I had a lot of ideas, but executing them was a bit more difficult than I had imagined.  Who'd have thought it would be a challenge to just get outside for a few minutes? 

So, my image this week is not a real stunner, to say the least. 

I took this photo of my sweet old camera because I have finally decided to put her up for sale.  This image represents "explore" because I will be exploring all the capabilities of my new camera and using it to "explore" the beauty around me.

(I know, it's a stretch.  But it's all I got right now.)

PHOTO SHARE | LINES

 I'd love to be out and about looking for fabulous locations and beautiful things to photograph...but, I'm mother of 3 kids under 5, living in Northern Utah where the winters are freezing and the air quality horrific. Leaving the house is a chore.  A cold, I-don't-want-to-pack-all-the-kids-and-their-baggage-just-for-a-drive, chore.  

So, here I am on week three of  Photo Share and another one of my images is from inside my home.  It bothers me, but at the same time I'm enjoying the challenge of looking at my home in new light, from different angles, seeing details, and taking photos I probably wouldn't have thought to take if it weren't for this challenge. 

This week I saw the shadows of my blinds on the wall and thought they were intriguing, I noticed how the keys on my computer create a sort of maze, I saw the stripes on my baby's pajamas "hug" her cute little body.  Lines are everywhere.  It was fun actually NOTICING them this week.