BWandC -- Rocks at the Pond

He split the rocks in the wilderness
And gave them abundant drink like the ocean depths.
He brought forth streams also from the rock
And caused waters to run down like rivers.
Psalm 78:15-16 NASB

BWandC

One image, two ways--black and white, and color.

One day in early April, we decided it was warm enough for a bike ride.  So Fernando, Danny, and I pedaled around town and stopped at the pond behind a friend's house (our friends weren't home).  Here are a few images of rocks--yes, rocks--from that sweet afternoon by the pond.

Rocky shoreline

Rock in water

Capturing the moments of life.

Christine

Visit my website
Stop by my family blog
Find me on Facebook

Little Boys Make Me Smile

I love when I'm at a photo shoot, and a photo shoot breaks out.  :)

During my two-day photo shoot in Georgia, I took both candid images and more formal portraits of mothers and daughters.  One mom asked me if I would take some shots of her little guy.  She didn't know that my camera, Ellie, is a baby magnet!  Of course I loved it!  We went to the lobby, spread out a comforter, and set little Angus down.  And he smiled, drooled, and laughed his way into my heart within, oh, five seconds.  Ellie was hooked even though we spend just ten minutes with him.  Enjoy these highlights of my time with little Angus.

Living life; capturing life.

Christine

Visit my website
Stop by my family blog
Find me on Facebook

365 Project -- #106-112

What a nice week of eclectic photos!  We had a busy week here at our home--everything from dirt for our garden, families coming over to dig and build and fellowship, and homeschool, to ducks!  My busy week in images, coming up...

When one builds raised bed vegetable gardens, one needs a lot of dirt!  We've bought a wonderful garden mixture from this company (advertising inserted here--see phone number in photo!!) for several years, and this year was no exception.  I hope we're done building gardens for a while.

[106] April 16 -- Dirt delivery!

What do you get when a group of homeschooling guys comes over?  Lots of hard work!  Um, in the below image, they found a worm.  Yes, they range in age from 14 through 22, and a worm can still stop them.  It was an impressive worm.  Read all about the guys and my garden here.

 [107] April 17 -- Worm intermission

We have a resident duck couple who sat in the balcony (our roof) to watch all the work going on in our garden.  I caught this neat shot when they took off for a quick circle of the area before returning to their balcony seating.

[108] April 18 -- Mallard fly-by

Mmm...dessert.  Nothing more needs to be said.  :)

[109] April 19 -- Raspberry tart for dessert

Danny was frustrated with his chemistry experiment, and it took the both of us two attempts before we figured out how to hold a beaker over the flame on the stove without the beaker slipping and spilling everywhere.  As the experiment included hydrochloric acid, we were glad the beaker contained just water!

[110] April 20 -- Chemistry experiment

Our resident papa duck was waddling around one day, watching mama sitting, when he had an itch (we think!).  So he stopped to scratch it.  I decided to try a photo collage.

[111] April 21 -- Duck dance

Baking day for Resurrection Sunday!  My mission--find a cake recipe that didn't call for either shortening or cake flour.  I don't use shortening, and I wanted to use my special golden wheat flour.  I found a recipe for a white layer cake, and adapted it (as it suggested to do) for a yellow cake.  (I added two egg yolks back in to the batter.)  It also used buttermilk, and that intrigued me.

[112] April 22 -- Baking for Sunday

P.S.  As I type this, only one-quarter of the cake remains.  I made a lemon-buttercream frosting and the cake was a hit.  Another photo for next week, maybe!

I hope your Resurrection Sunday was sweet with the knowledge that He paid a debt He did not owe; here are the lyrics from a long-ago simple church chorus:

He paid a debt He did not owe,

I owed a debt I could not pay,

I needed Someone to wash my sins away.

And now I sing a brand new song--"Amazing Grace!"

For Jesus paid a debt that I could never pay.

Capturing the moments of life.

Christine

Visit my website
Stop by my family blog
Find me on Facebook

365 Project -- #99-105

I took a break from blogging last week, but I didn't leave my camera.  I stayed away from all things blog when I realized that after a whole week of no blog headers, link buttons, etc., I was one of Photobucket's .25% of customers still without access to my account.  That's 25 in 10,000 people.  I don't know who those other 24 people are, but I'm sure they were as mad as I!  Since my account is still inaccessible, I used a combination of a Google photo host and a new Photobucket account to re-create the beauty in my blogs.  (I for one think they're pretty, anyway.)

Here are my images from April 9 through April 15.  We had a mini spring that weekend, and then it snowed a few days ago.  Huh!  (And I promise to spend this week visiting your blogs, since I stayed away last week!)

I had a book-it-and-shoot-it photo session, and within four days the job was almost over!  I enjoyed capturing this homeschool family fife and drum band on a beautiful Saturday.  (You'll see more of them in future posts.)

[99] April 9 -- Fife and Drum

[100] April 10 -- Boot buckle

Dinner is always something I can shoot!

[101] April 11 -- Beef roast with mushroom gravy

Even though it has been c-c-cold here all spring, I happened to notice my brunnera happily blooming in the gloom!!  Yay for early spring flowers!  These flowers are teeny-tiny, but my macro lens does them justice beautifully.  My coral bells are also coming back to life.  Spring is so precious to me this year, after a interminable winter which lingers on.

[102] April 12 -- Spring brunnera

[103] April 13 -- Coral Bells "marmalade"

Sweet Joseph and I dropped Jacob off downtown again, and we decided to visit the Shedd Aquarium.  Joseph loves dolphins and clownfish.  I was able to capture a few decent shots through all that thick glass.

[104] April 14 -- Sea turtle

[105] April 15 -- Clownfish

And that concludes my "moments" for the week--all the way from the Revolutionary War to exotic sea creatures!  Off to live life--and visit your blogs, too!

Capturing the moments of life.

Christine

Visit my website
Stop by my family blog
Find me on Facebook

Looks Like This Image Isn't Showing Up!

 Word of Explanation!!

Many of my graphics for this blog

are connected to Photobucket, which has, for some reason, gone

 --  ka-plooie  --

on me.

I've seen a few other blogs with issues, but it seems they have all been corrected.  Alas, not mine.

I am seriously not happy, and will probably soon take action.  When I have time.  Grrr.  

For now, enjoy the lovely gray Photobucket signs around my blog...

Don't worry--my blog still works, all the buttons and links work, except things are a bit...gray.
Grrr again.

Capturing the moments of life.

Christine

Visit my website
Stop by my family blog
Find me on Facebook

365 Project -- #92-98

Last week was another decent week for photos.  We had a hint of spring over the weekend (April 3), resulting in our first bike ride of the season.  On our weekly bowling outing I scored a 180!  And I booked a photo shoot.  I used my Ellie every other day or so, and she didn't disappoint me.  My week in pictures:

[92] April 2 -- Rocks on shoreline

[93] April 3 -- Lingering autumn leaf

I don't think I'll ever become a wildlife photographer, let alone a bird photographer!  Trying to capture birds in flight is incredibly difficult.  From all the different birds we saw at the pond--cormorants, mallards, an egret, Canada geese, and seagulls--the best shot I got of flying birds was the common, beady-eyed seagull.  And I captured its back end!  It still turned out pretty cool.

[94] April 4 -- So long, seagull

[95] April 5 -- The garlic is growing

[96] April 6 -- Garden oregano

[97] April 7 -- Strike ball

 [98] April 8 -- Robin on post

I'm happy for the nice variety of photos from last week, even though most are of nature.  I can't wait to post photos of this new week, though!  I had an awesome photo shoot on a warm Saturday, and have been enthusiastically editing images the whole weekend.  I can't wait to show off a few in next week's post!  For now, I hope you have a great week with your camera.  :)

Capturing the moments of life,
Christine

Visit my website
Stop by my family blog
Find me on Facebook

BWandC -- Random Waiting for Spring

So let us know, let us press on to know the LORD,

His going forth is as certain as the dawn;

And He will come to us like the rain,

Like the spring rain watering the earth.

Hosea 6:3 NASB

BWandC

One photo, two ways--black and white, and color.

I'm still hanging around waiting for spring.  Here are a few random images I've taken over the past few weeks while I wait for the temperatures to rise, the sun to warm, and the flowers to bloom.

Brussels sprouts leaf

Back yard grass

Spring day lilies

Signs of spring

Nettle

Autumn leaf

Water spigot

Capturing the moments of life.

Christine

Visit my website
Stop by my family blog
Find me on Facebook

SECHDF Mother/Daughter Encouragement

I flew down to Georgia at the end of February to shoot this a special two-day event for mothers and daughters.

Southeastern Christian Home Discipleship Families is a wonderful organization dedicated to encouraging homeschooling families to follow a Biblical model of Christian discipleship, worship, and education in the home.  I was encouraged to meet many Godly mothers and daughters throughout the weekend, and it was an honor to take both formal portraits and casual candid images over the two-day event.

Both Marilyn Boyer and her daughter, Laura, presented workshops which gave me encouragement to return to Illinois and live out Biblical principles in my marriage and home.  I'm still smiling over the wonderful ladies and daughters I met, and the renewed friendships of those I met last year at this same event.

Here are just a few formal (and one not-so-formal!) portraits which I had the privilege of shooting.

There were also special times set aside for crafts of all kinds.  The thoughtful planners and volunteers placed out baskets of yarn for crocheting, which the girls could bring home with them!  The craft times were busy and lively, and mealtimes were filled with conversation and delicious food.

 

Saturday's activities culminated in a tea party, complete with delicate tea cups, finger foods, and tasty treats.

*contented sigh*  I've just relived a wonderful, fun-filled springtime weekend in Georgia.  :)

Living life; capturing life.

Christine

Visit my website
Stop by my family blog
Find me on Facebook