I cannot even imagine...

Then what should I find on Helen's blog this evening but this....

Helen you are such a dear sweet friend and I cannot ever imagine where I would be today without your friendship!! You have been a blessing to me...You inspire me!

We have had so many memories together...look how much we've grown artistically and photographically together!! Look at how far we have come...Tears, laughter, joy, sharing our thoughts and feelings, venting (he he he), ideas, blogs...There is so much that you have taught me; inspiration, patience, love, digi scrapbooking, endurance need I go on...You ROCK!! I love you and cheers to many more years together...aww heck a lifetime if I have anything to say about it, lol...Thank you HELEN! Thank you!

After the tears stopped and I started staring at the layout...I started laughing!! Here is her photo and she is sober and beautiful and here is my photo and if anyone knew about this past weekend I was completely and totally inebriated...another words completely snookered!! Such a good friend to love me no matter what condition I might be in....ha ha ha!!

MWA to you Helen!!

(Credits: everything by Sue Cummings & available at Oscraps:52 week inspiration - week 34 "today". Frames - 52 week inspiration - week 4 - "discover". Date stamp - From My Notebook - Memories No.1.)

Lifes greatest blessings are smiles like yours...

What should I find this Morning on Helen's blog but this....

Helen loved this photo and made this wonderful layout...now she tells me it was simple but not to me! It's absolutely beautiful and was made with love...that is not simple!!

Thank you Helen!! This, as all your layouts you make for me, is priceless and will be treasured for always!! You ROCK woman!!

(Credits: all Nina Scraps & available at Oscraps. Template: smoochie freebie unique template "life's greatest blessings" (Nina's blog). Word art: Say it Simple Vol.1.)

Michaels day aboard the U.S.S. Lexington

Oh Goodness!! What more could a boy ask for on his Birthday:

Big ships, Jets, Cockpits, Cobra Helicopter, HUGE artillery guns, more cockpits, more HUGE artillery guns...Michael was in heaven!! He even asked me tonight if we could go back tomorrow, lol...Maybe it's time for a membership?

The first thing he spotted after we boarded the Lex was the cockpit they had set up for visitors to climb in and play with...Sigh!

We couldn't get him out of it...

I wandered off for a bit and left Michael and Daddy at the cockpit and I took some other photos...like the Jellyfish you see above! There were hundreds of them in the water surrounding the Lexington, ugh!!

Finally we got Michael out of the cockpit and up on the flight deck...He was thrilled!!

Then of course we got stuck at the Cobra helicopter for the next 30 minutes, lol...He had to tell Daddy about the missiles and guns and where they were all at...

Oh Goodness then we found the Big Huge Artillery guns, Yikes!!

When Daddy told him yes he could climb up on them there was no stopping him!!

He looks like he belongs up there, Yikes! I always thought he'd be a fighter pilot but I have my doubts...Fred yells Marines!! Momma yells Airforce...Michael may prove us both wrong and join the Navy, lol...

Here he is with Daddy, pleased as punch! Of course he is staring at the Artillery guns too!! LOL

Oh goodness another Big GUN!! He had to have his photo taken as we were leaving and then he kept posing for me!!

He didn't want to leave....

But we splurged and let him get his own aircraft carrier...he is just tickled! Of course if we knew it made as much noise as it did we might have waited until we got home before letting him open it!! Yikes!!

We headed back to Victoria to Daddy's dentist appt. and I was totally shocked. My husband had no cavities, ugh!! He makes me sick!!

Then off for cheese and chips at a local Mexican restaurant where who should we meet but Trey, Cindy, Angie and a few of Cindy's family members! Trey and Cindy had just had their civil wedding ceremony and were officially married!

It's been a long day and little one told me he had sooo much fun!! I think this will be a birthday he'll remember for quiet some time to come, Yea!! Nothing like making memories!

There are more photos on the flickr site...

Happy BIRTH-day Michael!

5 years ago today at 3:05pm our Son was born...

Happy Birthday Michael! We love you!

Me 11 days before the baby was born, lol...don't I look lovely?

9lbs 4 ozs later...

Here is the little darl'in...you know he still sleeps like that, lol...look at all that dark hair too...who would have thought he'd be blonde, Yikes!!

My favorite photo of him as a newborn...chubby cheeks!! So serene and peaceful...

~ 1 year old ~

Here he is on his 2nd birthday!

~ 3 yrs old ~

~ 4 yrs old ~

And here he is today!! 5 yrs old and still our little angel!! But NOT serene and peaceful...very LOUD and Boisterous! Ekkk....

We are off to the U.S.S. Lexington today with Daddy!! Yea! Birthday boy wanted to go see the fighter jets and helicopters and since it is his birthday and his request is within reason we are off...

Experimenting with Hummingbirds...

Fred called..."What are you doing?"..."hmm do you even need to ask?"..."How many photos can one person take of hummingbirds?"..."As many as I want!"...."Your wasting film!"..."Darl'in do you remember I have a digital camera?"..."No film involoved"...

MEN!!

May someday he'll wake up! (lol)

Today I experimented with my different lens to see which one I thought did a better job! I also used the flash and then tried without the flash...It's been overcast most of the afternoon and I had a really tough time getting the exposure correct...

This was taken at about 1pm with the telephoto 70-300mm lens.

28-105mm lens 3pm with flash...The flash over-exposed it so I played with it in PSE to darken it up a bit...

28-105mm lens after I adjusted the camera, no flash. 3pm.

50mm lens at 4pm, flash.

50mm lens at 4pm, flash.

I think this is my favorite one of the day or maybe the berylline one from earlier!!

Okay so I am off to finish dinner and finished with hummingbird photos for the day, lol...well maybe!

Tuesday morning hummingbird photos

It's been raining off and on all morning. Since yesterday we've had over an inch of rain, YES!! We needed it...but it doesn't help me with the camera and hummingbird photos.

I had to sit on the front porch with the camera this morning. I have seen this migration for a few years now but it never ceases to amaze me the shear number of hummingbirds! I can not even describe what the air out in our yard looks like...just imagine dozens upon dozens of little dive bombers flying around. You honestly have to watch yourself and they do come up and buzz you in the face. Curiousity on their part, I think.

I have 3 feeders up. Two out in the yard and one on the front porch. I've been having to refill the feeders every day now. Normally I do it once a week. They are hungry little ones! Basically I am focusing on the big feeder out in the yard but each feeder is covered with hummers. They avoid the feeder on the porch if I am outside. But here are my photos from this morning...

I was patient this morning and finally I had a berylline hummingbird come to the feeder on the porch while I was sitting there. I did use the flash on this one. I love the colors and the softness of the feathers.

Oops...I got side-tracked, lol...There were a few butterflies fluttering around the yard and I couldn't resist...Swallowtail.

The feeder is almost full, lol...

It stopped raining just a bit ago for a few minutes so I was back out...I'm off to see if I got any decent photos and will share those in a bit...I told you to be prepared, lol....So far all the photos were taken with my 75-300mm lens...not one I am fond of but the only telephoto lens I have...

It's that time of year...

Be prepared to be inundated with Hummingbird photos, it's that time of year.

The fall migration for Ruby-throat hummingbirds has begun...

Here are a few photos I took this evening.

I could sit out there for hours and watch them...

I tried counting (LOL) and after reaching 15 lost count...

It's a giant brown hummer, lol...Julie being nosey had to come see what I was doing...When I sprang the camera/flash she bolted off! I started laughing at her, she turned around stomped and snorted at me...silly horse!

I'm going to work with the shutter speed some more this week and see what interesting photos I can come up with...

Photo Challenge ~ Lines ~

This week the photo challenge was lines...

Here is my attempt to use lines to draw the viewers eye to the subject in the photo.

Hello Toby!

Jordan and Ashley playing on the slide.

While we were at the park I was looking all over for lines...I saw a lot of lines but none that really drew your eyes to the subject...I decided to get down and close to the ground for this photo...Not sure that I like the subject matter but it works...


Ms. Ashley is framed by lines...

Toby was posing for me on the slide!

On the way to the wedding Saturday I saw this grain elevator...Of course Fred wasn't going to stop so I took it out the window...Lots of lines...but I liked the two main lines forming a triangle.