This Good Day

Ears pierced!

2012-01-30T10:19:00.000-06:00

My daughter got her ears pierced as an early birthday gift. She will be 12 on Saturday. She is looking so grown up these days but she is still my baby girl! ;-)

CRAVE Photography Giveaway!

2011-12-31T23:18:00.002-06:00

Check out CRAVE Photography's AWESOME giveaway! Win a Nikon 85mm 1.4 lens or a Canon 85mm 1.2 lens. YOU CHOOSE!

http://cravemyphotography.com/blog/

Precious Girl

2011-12-14T19:08:00.001-06:00

Pepper

2011-11-29T12:25:00.000-06:00

This funny little guy cracks me up with his cute "smile" and sweet, happy squeaking!

Alpacas

2011-11-24T11:57:00.000-06:00

Love

2011-11-22T16:20:00.000-06:00

Monet

2011-11-13T01:11:00.001-06:00

Cappuccino

2011-11-05T13:28:00.001-05:00

2011-10-26T10:29:00.001-05:00

Newborn

2011-09-10T21:53:00.000-05:00

It was fun to do a little photo shoot with this precious baby girl. Her parents are head over heels in love with her and it is easy to understand why! She is such an adorable little peanut! I'm so happy for this sweet young couple and their darling daughter!

Froggy

2011-08-20T14:01:00.000-05:00

This cute little frog was outside our front door the other night. :-)

Fenced

2011-08-04T12:35:00.000-05:00

Sky-high silhouette

2011-07-23T15:09:00.002-05:00

4th of July

2011-07-06T10:31:00.000-05:00

Summer Days

2011-06-29T23:54:00.001-05:00

Kate and her friend had a blast at the local pool today! :-)

Spring Days

2011-06-10T11:41:00.002-05:00

School is out for the summer now, but here is a look back at what we were up to on a few spring days.
Kate is starting to look so grown up ~ sigh. Where does the time go?

Kate was on bus patrol at her school this year!

Grant and a friend doing what boys like to do ~ play video games! :-)

Piano Recital

2011-05-17T12:20:00.001-05:00

This was Grant's first piano recital. He's only been taking piano lessons for a couple of months. He did a great job and seemed to enjoy himself! :-)

Katie is an old pro at recitals now! :-) One of the songs she played was, "Fur Elise." It is such a pretty song and she played it beautifully!

Birthday Boy

2011-04-07T11:14:00.000-05:00

Happy birthday to my son, who made me a mom with his entrance to our family 13 years ago! He is maturing into a wonderful young man and his dad and I are so proud of him! HOW can he be a teenager, already, though?!! The time is flying by all too quickly, but we are loving the journey of watching him grow and we are so incredibly thankful to God for him!!!

Back in the day .. when Grant was about 2 years old.

Two Beauties

2011-03-04T21:26:00.001-06:00

Sweet Sisters

2011-02-11T09:06:00.000-06:00

Birthday Girl

2011-02-04T13:13:00.000-06:00

A New Year Begins

2011-01-06T10:20:00.000-06:00

My husband brought me flowers for our anniversary. :-)

Back to school and the homework blues.

2011-01-04T11:07:00.002-06:00

January 2nd was our 18th wedding anniversary. The next day we celebrated with a lunch date while the kids were at school. (free babysitting! ;-) ) It was such a good day, even though our conversation went deep and cut a little. Years ago we could never have talked like that on our anniversary! But, it was authentic and rich and good. We both agree it was a wonderful day and we wouldn't change any of it! :-)

Christmas Eve 2010

2011-01-01T10:47:00.000-06:00

Making Gingerbread (Graham Cracker) Houses

2010-12-23T22:45:00.001-06:00

To Find A Christmas Tree

2010-11-26T23:47:00.000-06:00

We drove to a nearby tree farm to cut down our Christmas tree today. It is a tradition that we keep every year on the day after Thanksgiving.

It was beautiful out there, but it sure was cold! We chose our tree quickly and hurried back inside to warm up!

Boxes of Love

2010-11-26T23:42:00.000-06:00

Here's Life Inner Cities' annual Thanksgiving Boxes of Love were packed by volunteers at the Here's Life warehouse a few days before Thanksgiving and distributed by local urban churches to people in their neighborhoods.

First Snowfall

2010-11-14T12:43:00.001-06:00

This is the scene we woke up to outside our window on Saturday, November 13th. The kids were giddy with delight and couldn't wait to get out and play in the snow! And play in the snow they did. For hours! They finally came in, warmed up and went back out for round two.

I admit that I do love the snow, from November through February, that is. If only it melted away in March and we could enjoy a warm spring...but usually winter drags on and on until sometime in April. And by then I am pretty sick of winter and snow!

So, for now, I say, "Welcome, Winter!" (Just don't stay too long!)

Walls!

2010-11-14T12:21:00.000-06:00

After many months of stop and start work on the basement, the walls are finally up and they are painted! Whew! It is a relief to have actual WALLS down there! We still have to put up baseboards and trim around the windows, but having walls is a huge step and we are glad to be this far along. Home improvements seem to take much longer than anticipated!!

Brunch Date

2010-11-14T12:14:00.000-06:00

The kids were at school and my husband had the day off, so we went to a fun bakery/cafe for brunch and then walked downtown. We had so much fun talking, laughing and just being together. I know this is a bit blurry, but it captures the memory of our fun date and makes me smile.

Last Warm Days of Fall

2010-11-14T12:10:00.001-06:00

Pepper

2010-11-14T12:07:00.000-06:00

Pepper is my daughter's guinea pig. He was given to us by a neighbor because their other guinea pig and Pepper did not get along. I didn't really want a guinea pig, but my daughter was in love with him, so Pepper came to live with us. I did not know that guinea pigs are sweet, social and cuddly, and that they make the cutest sounds when they are happy! So, now we all love Pepper. What a fun surprise gift he has been to our family!

A Look Back At Summer

2010-11-14T11:22:00.000-06:00

Two of my favorite people enjoying summer...

Mom

2010-10-27T14:33:00.000-05:00

I am so thankful that my mom could come for a visit! She has braved the unusually cold and windy weather we have been having in what is typically a beautiful and mild month in terms of the weather. I'm sure she misses her warm Arizona home, but I am SO GLAD she came! We all love her so much and wish she lived closer!

Fall

2010-10-11T13:00:00.000-05:00

Wow, it is already autumn and the leaves have mostly all turned colors by now! This shot is of Kate and her friend Elli jumping on the trampoline at their piano teacher's house. Kate's lesson is right after Elli's, so they often have a little time to play afterward while their moms visit. Even though this image is blurry, it makes me smile. :-)

First Day Of School 2010

2010-09-10T12:29:00.007-05:00

He was up early to catch the bus for his first day of middle school!

This was her first day ever to actually go to school, since she had been homeschooled from Kindergarten through fourth grade. She was pretty excited!

Both kids are enjoying school and adjusting to their new schedules pretty well. It was a bit of a shock for all of us to have to get up and get going so much earlier than we did last year. (The middle school starts an hour earlier than the elementary school.) After a pretty relaxing summer, the plunge back into a structured schedule was a bit of jolt, but we are all getting into the swing of things! :-)

Braces!

2010-09-05T10:09:00.001-05:00

A Few More Wedding Pics

2010-09-03T11:03:00.000-05:00

Bridal Beauty

2010-08-07T16:08:00.000-05:00

Wedding Day!

2010-08-05T10:18:00.001-05:00

I had the privilege of helping my friend, Claudia, shoot a wedding last Saturday. What an experience that was! A wedding day moves very quickly from one thing to the next. There is not much time to set things up perfectly, but you have to get the shot and you only have one chance to get it before moving on to the next thing. It's like riding a bullet train! Whew! But it was a fun challenge and this young couple and their families are just wonderful. This is the beautiful bride getting ready for her big day. More to come...

Monet

2010-08-02T11:52:00.000-05:00

I captured this image on the 2010 Scott Kelby Worldwide Photo Walk about a week ago. It was a lot of fun! I think this photo kind of looks like an impressionistic painting. :-)

I can't seem to figure out how to add this button to the side, so I guess I'll just post it here

2010-07-20T19:59:00.003-05:00

Determination

2010-07-20T14:24:00.000-05:00

Summer Soccer

2010-07-17T22:51:00.000-05:00

Two Together

2010-07-12T11:34:00.000-05:00

Happy Independence Day!

2010-07-04T23:28:00.000-05:00

A Few More Engagement Pics

2010-07-04T17:43:00.000-05:00

More Engagement Images

2010-06-29T09:13:00.001-05:00

Engagement Shoot

2010-06-27T13:51:00.009-05:00

My friend, Claudia, is starting a photography business. Recently, she had an engagement shoot and she invited me to come along, too! The couple who is getting married are just the most delightful young people you could meet. They are easy going and kind and so sweet with each other. It doesn't hurt that they are gorgeous, too! :-) At the beginning of their relationship, these two had some picnic dates at a local park, so we met there and set up the engagement shoot around a vintage picnic theme. Claudia is very artistic and a master at staging beautiful scenes, so everything was just perfectly dreamy! When we reached the "golden hour" just before sunset, the light was incredible!! We kept oohing and aahing as we clicked away with our cameras before the light slipped away! :-)

That evening in the meadow was definitely one of the most fun times I have had in a long time. I can't quite describe the complete joy I experienced in capturing these images. Claudia says that photography is "painting with light" and I think that is part of it ~ creatively expressing an idea with a camera and light. It is challenging and fun to see what you can create. Another aspect of that evening, though, had to do with experiencing beauty that God has created. Beauty that speaks of God's glory. Everything around us was lovely ~ the meadow grasses, the trees, the sky, the people ~and when we were drenched in that golden sunlight, it was like being transported to some sparkling, enchanted world. And yet, it is more than that. Something about it touched me deeply and brought me to tears... of joy, wonder, delight and the sense that this is just a taste of what is to come.

"The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they display knowledge."

Psalm 19:1-2

Maybe what moved me so was the realization that if I am so overwhelmed with just a taste of His glory, and with the beauty of what He has created, what must it be like to behold Him face to face in all of His glory??

Whenever I recall that evening, it brings me eventually to that thought. From a fun photography shoot with a friend to the glory of God. I love photography and am thrilled that I am learning how to, “paint with light.” And I'm finding that photography is leading me to so much more.

Here is an image from the “golden hour” of the engagement shoot. More photos from that evening to come later!

School's out!

2010-06-10T11:47:00.000-05:00

At the end of the school year, all the 5th graders spend a day at a local amusement park. They look forward to this day ALL year! Well, the big day dawned gray and rainy. :-( I went as a parent volunteer and there was such a downpour on the drive to the park that I could hardly see the road! The kids were not really too affected by the weather. They were just excited to get on with this big adventure they had been waiting for for so long! It did stop raining for the most part, although there were still a few showers throughout the day, and the kids had a great time. What a fun way to end the school year!

Wedding Day ~ Mother & Daughter

2010-06-02T17:01:00.002-05:00

TrAmPoLiNe FuN

2010-05-24T17:27:00.003-05:00

On her way to a sleepover! (Will she get any sleep? ;-) )

2010-05-21T21:38:00.001-05:00

Races & Ribbons

2010-05-15T20:19:00.000-05:00

Track Meet

2010-05-04T15:11:00.001-05:00

Homeschool Reading Group!

2010-04-26T15:48:00.002-05:00

He is 12 now! Where did the time go?

2010-04-21T12:51:00.003-05:00

Tulips are my favorite flowers!

2010-04-10T21:37:00.000-05:00

On the farm

2010-03-31T20:26:00.000-05:00

Going to the zoo. zoo, zoo!

2010-03-21T14:43:00.000-05:00

Broomball!

2010-03-06T11:21:00.000-06:00

Snow & Ice

2010-02-21T22:10:00.006-06:00

Birthday Tea Party

2010-02-13T20:46:00.000-06:00

Happy 10th Birthday, Kate!

2010-02-05T13:04:00.000-06:00

Shopping on her birthday.

Home with her new Addy doll.

20/20

2010-01-21T00:11:00.000-06:00

Christmas 2009

2010-01-16T10:32:00.001-06:00

Snowy drive to church on Christmas Eve...

Opening a couple of presents later that evening.

Coming down the stairs to see what is under the tree on Christmas morning.

Merry Christmas!

Nutcracker Ballet

2009-12-19T11:25:00.000-06:00

A School Day in 1900

2009-12-12T16:05:00.000-06:00

Students in our homeschool co-op went on a field trip to a one-room schoohouse and experienced a school day in the year 1900.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-28T19:09:00.000-06:00

Katie made these two pies all by herself! She rolled out the crusts like a pro! I have to say, I am quite impressed with my girl!

Piano Recital

2009-11-28T19:03:00.000-06:00

Kate was a little nervous before her piano recital.

But, she did great! She played a solo piece and a duet with her teacher.

Another little beauty at the piano recital. :-)

Krystal's New Horse!

2009-11-28T18:56:00.000-06:00

Kate's friend, Krystal, WON a horse through 4-H by writing an essay! She named her horse, Golden Rose.

Fall

2009-11-12T18:46:00.000-06:00

Lizard face :-)

2009-11-05T18:44:00.000-06:00

Carousel

2009-11-04T23:07:00.000-06:00

Light

2009-11-04T10:04:00.002-06:00

Green

2009-11-03T23:47:00.000-06:00

Flowers

2009-11-02T13:18:00.000-06:00

Football

2009-11-02T13:15:00.000-06:00

Falls At Night

2009-11-02T13:12:00.000-06:00

Field Trip

2009-11-02T13:08:00.000-06:00

Tea Party

2009-11-02T13:01:00.002-06:00

First Day of School ~ September 2009

2009-11-02T12:56:00.000-06:00

A Look Back At Summer...

2009-11-01T18:23:00.000-06:00

THE BEGINNING OF ( ? ) BLOG

2009-11-01T18:19:00.002-06:00

THE END OF THIS GOOD DAY BLOG

2009-11-01T18:10:00.002-06:00

End of the Blog

2009-05-27T11:12:00.001-05:00

Well, I think the time has come to end the blog. I started this blog as kind of a scrap book to record memories of our daily life for my kids and I plan on having it made into some kind of book for them. Since I am on Facebook, and am having fun connecting with friends, playing word games and posting pictures there, I haven't been spending much time here anyway. So, basically this is THE END. :-)

Love these two!

2009-05-20T22:09:00.004-05:00

Soccer

2009-05-08T22:32:00.005-05:00

It's that time of year again...Katie's soccer team met for the first time last week. They are calling themselves, the "Pink Panthers," because their uniforms are light pink. She is getting back into the swing of playing soccer and I'm getting back into the swing of being a soccer mom! :-)

Grant used the time that Katie's team was practicing to kick a ball around with a friend on an empty soccer field and to check out the snack bar!

My Girl

2009-04-20T10:18:00.006-05:00

Downtown

2009-04-15T13:37:00.004-05:00

The other day, the kids and I were downtown and had some fun running around and taking pictures. They were running around and I was taking pictures. :-)

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T12:10:00.007-05:00

Jesus is risen, just as He said! Alleluia!

Happy Resurrection Day!

Birthday Boy

2009-04-11T10:31:00.007-05:00

Grant recently celebrated his eleventh birthday! It is hard to believe that he is already eleven! He is now a "tween"! Grant chose a family birthday celebration at a water park over having a party with friends. We were happy to celebrate with him! :-)

Happy Birthday, Grant!!!

My Favorite With My New Camera So Far

2009-04-07T10:13:00.001-05:00

Having fun taking pictures...

2009-04-06T00:09:00.006-05:00

Birthday Gifts

2009-03-30T23:08:00.004-05:00

Today is my birthday and it is kind of a big number. But, my husband and children really loved on me today and reminded me of how blessed I am, so I think I am okay with the big number now. :-)
Another reason I am over the big number is that I am so excited because... I got a new camera!!!
This is a camera I have been wanting for quite sometime now. Well, I don't actually have it yet, but I just ordered it online and should get it this week! I can hardly believe it! Happy birthday to me! :-)

Talent Show

2009-03-06T23:36:00.004-06:00

Our co-op held a talent show tonight that both Grant and Kate participated in. Grant sang a song and Kate played a piano piece. Both of them were a bit nervous beforehand, but they both did well. Here they are with some friends before the show started.

And, here they are during their performances. :-)

It was a good experience for each of them. I'm glad they had the opportunity to prepare and practice something and then present it in front of a group.

Staff Retreat

2009-03-03T16:18:00.004-06:00

We were able to get away for a few days with our staff team to relax, hang out together and enjoy the frozen beauty of the north shore of Lake Superior. Dave took the kids snowshoeing one day while I spent time with some of the other women. We all had a great time. :-)

Great Speech by a Seventh Grader

2009-02-27T16:32:00.001-06:00

More From Art Class

2009-02-16T00:32:00.004-06:00

My art class made these adorable cats last week. Aren't they cute?! I think the kids did a great job! This lesson is from the wonderful blog I mentioned before, Art Projects for Kids.

Pool Party!

2009-02-08T14:20:00.007-06:00

Yesterday, Kate and some friends celebrated her birthday at a water park. She had a wonderful time floating on inner tubes, and going down huge water slides, with her friends. Afterward she said, "This is the best party I've ever had!" We're glad she had such a fun birthday celebration!

Here are some pictures from Kate's fun day~