A Not So Well Thought Out Plan

I tried to take some photos at a place I have been stalking for a few months. It's been overgrowing and just getting more fabulous day after day. I finally decided the time was right. I had been watching the weather for a week. Finally, it was gorgeous this past Wednesday night. I began to visualize the shot in my mind ... it's just about time for the sun to set, a mostly blue sky all day, a bit of cloud cover starting to form, and a few old building with lots of ground cover, an old boat and who know what else there is ... I was really ready to give it a shot. Literally.

I got off work, picked up my son, ran home, got started with some of our party projects (piñata), and we needed a trek to the craft store. I decided we were going to do a drive by of this place and see if my timing was right for sunset. I had been trying to coordinate with a photographer friend to go do a shoot there together. We did a quick drive by and stopped in a big parking lot across the street. I was thinking we'd cross the street, but then the amount of traffic changed my mind. I didn't want to try running across the heavily trafficked road with my almost 4 YO. So, I finally got the nerve up to try to fit in front. Yes, I can be a bit of a chicken. It's not exactly in a remote location, and there is just this tiny drive up area in front. There's logs blocking the actual drive.

I pulled into the small area and it was definitely tight. I finally managed to get in the space and was confident I could get out of the car without being in traffic. I got out of the car, grabbed my camera out of the trunk, helped my son get out of his seat and we walked up to shoot a few shots. You know how you get all excited, a little anxious and all that? Well, I am full on ready. I can see it working, I am even thinking - tripod. I need my tripod.

I am pressing on the shutter - you know, ready for the result. It's not focusing.

Wouldn't you know it - DEAD BATTERY!!! I apparently left the camera on and since I am really not shooting long days, or full days (yet), I don't have a backup. GRRRR.

My heart plummets at this moment. I cannot believe I have pulled into this crazy spot, with a toddler in tow, where there is actually a sign saying NO TRESSPASSING (you can't see it until you are up next to the logs) without a camera.

I start to jump back in the car and it dawned on me, why not try to at least try the phone. I needed some proof, and it was really beautiful. We were there at the perfect moment. I just had to capture one frame (or 6). I know it's not the same. The thing is, there are just no real controls on the iphone. I am going to have to do some searching and see if there are any apps. I needed a few things to force it to expose longer, and I had never tried it before on my phone. I do have a timer, which I almost tried to use, but then left it with the sun glare and then got one shot where the phone exposed better to see more of the scenery.

What do you think? I was happy with what I ended up with. I was not completely disappointed and it made the cost of the phone a little bit more justified - but man there is some serious noise in them.

I really can't wait to have a charged D200, an adult accomplice, and another gorgeous sunset to give it one more try! Oh and I know, double posting, but I have to take advantage of my ME time as much as possible. I know it might be a while before I get a new one up.

Thinking of the Future - Reminiscing the Last 4 Years

As always, things are very busy, but this time of the year it actually begins to pick up speed. Time flies by even faster and all of a sudden the holidays will be here and then the new year. 

No, I am not wishing it away just yet. I really love this time of the year. It's almost my son's birthday, the beginning of the holiday season for me. It's the one big party I give every year. And this will be our fourth party. I cannot believe there have already been 3 birthdays!! He already says he is 4. Please kid, don't rush it, you've got two weeks. I want to enjoy the few days he has left of being 3 way more than he does I'm sure!

I go a bit overboard with the planning for his parties, but it's so much fun. Here's the run down:

1st birthday - Animal/Monkey theme. I loved that one. Yes, there was a good amount of prep, but the monkey cake inspired by Martha Stewart was one of the easiest to do. The invitations were fun, and it was the beginning of making his party hats too.

2nd birthday - Trucks. That year we actually had two cakes, well, a cake and a dirt cake. How fun!! The cake was a fabulous design from Family Fun Magazine and was an excavator. The dirt cake was in a plastic dump truck! 

3rd birthday - I went a bit over the top, with Fire Engines. So, what else but a fire truck for a cake. I think I ended up making 4 cakes to make the whole thing. It was enormous! (I cannt find my photos. Gonna have to add them later)

This year is all about Superheroes. It is going to be so much fun this year. (If there is NO rain... Puh leeze do not rain!) It's time for all the superheroes to show up for training. Gonna have games and fun. My son is really excited too. We've almost finished the piñata, just a little more paint and we are done. Thanks to the Manic Mommies for inspiring me to give this a try! Ours is going to be a Spiderman and kind of similar to this pirate one Kristin made. Hopefully there will be fun photos to show of that fairly soon after the party. 

That all being said, I should have been working on one or more of the projects to get ready for the party, or get a few extra dollars made by working overtime. But, now I have spent the better part of my evening reviewing old photos trying to find these and reminiscing over the last 4 years. This was a lot more fun than work, and as for the projects, there is always this weekend to finish it all up! I think i will spend the rest of the night getting my list ready and watching The Mentalist!

With a bit of chalk

This week on I Heart Faces it's all about chalk. I had a photo that immediately came to mind when I saw the title of this challenge. In a weekend full of family activity we went to my dad's for a cookout. As always, it was a blast. All of the kids were running everywhere keeping the adults in constant check. This photo captures a "slow-down" period with my son and one of his  big cousins. I love the spiderman face tattoo and the faces they drew on their chalk outline people too!

Happy Tuesday and Happy I Heart Faces Challenge day!

That's right, it's time

I am making time again to stop in and say hello. I am coming live to you today from the home studio now located — on my treadmill. My DH surprised me last night with a new "desk." It's now situated on my treadmill so I can type as I walk. Of course I can't go too fast while typing, but it helps when trying to do my tworkout or watch Biggest Loser and tweet and walk. Or while just watching Glee over and over again on Hulu. I love it! Hoping it get's lots of use while working out during the cold winter season.

OK - short and sweet. I know, really short though, i am squeezing this in before picking my son up from daycare, so it's time to shower and go get the weekend started. At least now i can say I burned a few (200) calories beforehand!

Have a great weekend!

End of Summer Veggie Roundup

Today was a blah kind of day outside, and with the rain washing out our plans to head out to Alexandria for our anniversary, we sat and sat. I couldn't just sit around any longer so decided to finish canning some hot peppers.

Thursday night was my first canning session ever. I hope they turn out and we use them. There are a TON! They are hot banana peppers and used a basic pickling recipe. It was simple enough, and since it was so easy, I had the in-laws send more out with my husband this weekend and canned three more jars. Five in total. I also make a sausage stuffed hot pepper recipe last night with them that was so good I used the rest of the stuffing today in a few more.

I just sat down from making a batch of zucchini bread. I have enough zucchini to make about 10 batches I think. I am not sure that is an exaggeration either. It takes 3 cups of grated zucchini per 2 loaves and the one zucchini I grated yielded almost 8 cups. Then I have 5 more to use. The loaves just came out of the oven and it has a great flavor. I altered an altered version of a cooking light version. I recommend it! I have been using the recipe a while, but the altered version turned out perfect. I think I will make one more batch of bread and freeze the loaves, then try out a casserole and a lasagna. That should do it, but will I find the time? That remains to be seen,

I am going to take a few shots of my peppers and my bread tomorrow! I will get back to posting photos here soon - I promise!

It's Been Too Long

I've been completely out of touch and in more ways than just the blogging kind.

I have been feeling physically out of it too. Just last week I finally got the reason why. I got my diagnosis. Not one of the bad kind, just more detailed than in the past. I was given the diagnosis that I have Hashimoto's. Yep, but I already had been diagnosed with hypothyroidism so the treatment is now to increase the meds. Hopefully that will reduce the fact that my body is now fighting itself. Well, that is how I explain it.

The results so far? The increased meds are doing the trick with the energy. Let's just hope in 6 weeks the number of antibodies goes down and things settle down. It does explain why my energy goes up and down in spurts. Apparently that is how this whole thing works. Does anyone take care of their thyroid naturally? I really think that I would prefer to increase the health of my thyroid that way. I have been trying to get more info and put a book on hold at the library that I am hoping has more information than most of what I have found so far.

This past weekend was really fun, for the most part. It was really COLD. BRReath seeing cold. Not so fun when you are camping in a tent!! Thank goodness for family and long extension cords. Yep, camping with an electric hookup saved the day. The in-laws had a small space heater and that kept the tent nice and toasty. Well, and probably encouraged the daddy long legs.

That was something my son just did not enjoy. It made for a tough night getting him to go to bed. Here how it all progressed ... as I was telling my son a story. Being the attentive kid he is, Big E saw one daddy long leg on the side of the tent. hmmm. but then I saw one more Of course I didn't tell him that. I attempted to get the one he saw but it ran (what else). Here's where the story gets interesting. While I am trying to get said spider out the door, one decided to run right over my son's sleeping bag. He screams like crazy and so I work to get it out the door. Which would be nice, but no, the story is not over cause the second one goes scampering over him just as I am attempting to settle him down, but he is in full force bloody murder at this point. I summon my DH away from the fire to help me get the second one out the door. Problem solved right? NOPE. Not at all. I get the Big E sitting down, since we all know he isn't laying down, cause he is kind of shaking all over. Well, I decide at this point to pull out the movie and see if I can get him to watch it and calm down. Over saunters spider number 3. I maneuver the small screen he is engaged in to keep his eyes on the video and not on the big spider sitting on my blanket now. I threw a pillow at him and still the thing is relentless. It's like a mini invasion going on now, cause I have spider number 4 crawl up on my right side. UM - really? So, I swat at it and tell my son that it is a mosquito. Yeah, well, that is about the point I decided that we were just not going to be able to calm the kid down and took him out by the fire to help him fall asleep. That was the only way I could see him going to sleep. There were more, but he didn't see them. THANK GOODNESS! At naptime the next day I had to have my DH sneak another one past him so he would not see it, I am certain there would be no nap otherwise!

Well, right now is the first time I have sat down and done nothing. Okay, not nothing, but nothing but kind of watch a movie, while blogging. It's a movie I have seen before. One I wouldn't exactly say I love, but one that I LOVED the showtime series it was made from. Dead Like Me. I just love how they say what they think, and how bizarre it is. It is so weird it is funny.

On that note, it is time to end this overdue post. I am going to get things back in order soon. Somehow!

End of One Crazy Month, Beginning of Another

Whew. July is over, and now August has begun.

August has always been a great month for me cause it's MY birthday month. I don't normally get all excited about it, but I am deciding right now it's going to be an awesome one this year! Not just my birthday, I want the whole month to be great.

I want it to include several things, good friends, good fun, a lot less weight (yes- pounds less) AND of course, my awesome husband and son spending some quality time together with me. I really want it to NOT include chaos. I have had my fill for a while.

Today not only marks the beginning of August, it marks the beginning of some changes being made on my part, on many levels.

I'd love for the main change be a turning point in my weight loss journey. I am so ready for a permanent change to happen, and for this vicious cycle of weight loss to end.

Bring it on August - I am ready - OH and bring it on Down & Dirty in 30 Challenge!