tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85556400569460461062024-03-14T00:44:15.233-04:00The McAnallysenjoying the simple thingsKatiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11096956587784336808noreply@blogger.comBlogger118125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8555640056946046106.post-50687415689609685212011-10-19T17:30:00.004-04:002011-10-19T17:48:05.720-04:00The Fair<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">For the first time since we moved to the Raleigh area in 2009, we finally made it to the State Fair. It's actually the first time I've gone to a fair in almost 10 years. (Pitiful, I know.) One of the things that I was most excited about was the whole fair feeling--the yummy smells and the cool fall air with people milling around... so naturally it was the hottest day since late August.</div></div><br />
We bought our tickets in advance so we were able to just walk right in, which was awesome. Rory was so incredibly excited by everything. As soon as we got there, she started on a rant about how she was going to ride all the rides including the big Ferris Wheel. We just wandered around for the first little bit just to see what there was to see (and smell what there was to smell) and try to find a map. I eventually found one on the ground, brushed it off and took it with us (never did find a legitimate one). <br />
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The girls were both very excited to see this little train. Quinn loved it so much, she actually rode it again later on in the night. In fact, according to her, it was her favorite part of the fair (despite what the picture shows).<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-x3QJTFg3K_w/Tp8qEZLKJkI/AAAAAAAAGfc/vpLmfK3AQyk/s1600/IMG_4409.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-x3QJTFg3K_w/Tp8qEZLKJkI/AAAAAAAAGfc/vpLmfK3AQyk/s640/IMG_4409.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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As soon as Rory got off of the train, she wanted to go on a "faster" ride. I was pretty sure that once it got started she would spend the rest of the ride screaming to get off. She got my goat.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-O6Q4aWRZl7w/Tp8qQ9tSnTI/AAAAAAAAGfs/quk3yLgOKWU/s1600/IMG_4432.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-O6Q4aWRZl7w/Tp8qQ9tSnTI/AAAAAAAAGfs/quk3yLgOKWU/s640/IMG_4432.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kECuqFpqH7E/Tp8qXOwGxAI/AAAAAAAAGf0/SKeRDzqGuuM/s1600/IMG_4435.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kECuqFpqH7E/Tp8qXOwGxAI/AAAAAAAAGf0/SKeRDzqGuuM/s640/IMG_4435.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
In fact, she eventually asked to ride the little roller coaster. I don't have a picture because Nathan had taken Quinn to the bathroom, and like the genius I am, I didn't think to at least take a picture of the ride itself before we left. Anyway, the girl LOVED it. She even kept her hands in the air almost the whole time (except for the "big" drop). I was thrilled. Now I can't wait to get her on a real roller coaster.<br />
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The girls ran into Mr. Cow and acted like they hadn't seen him in a million years. I think Nathan and I could have told them we were going to the fair, showed them Mr. Cow and gone home heroes.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-n3bmcMFnr-c/Tp8qd7DgGMI/AAAAAAAAGf8/BDpvlcxembI/s1600/IMG_4455.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-n3bmcMFnr-c/Tp8qd7DgGMI/AAAAAAAAGf8/BDpvlcxembI/s640/IMG_4455.jpg" width="425" /></a></div><br />
Nathan and I ate WAY too much. Just know there was Italian sausage, a burger, a gyro, pizza, some funnel cake and a few other things involved. Too much. For the girls, their big treat was cotton candy. They liked the blue. And that it turned their mouths blue.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dCgTw4xIXFs/Tp8qkmWfZ2I/AAAAAAAAGgE/KzQtYdg--L8/s1600/IMG_4462.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dCgTw4xIXFs/Tp8qkmWfZ2I/AAAAAAAAGgE/KzQtYdg--L8/s640/IMG_4462.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Rory riding the pony.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wYcpTRHM_V8/Tp8qsjXqF8I/AAAAAAAAGgM/4MXCf3mciQA/s1600/IMG_4472.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wYcpTRHM_V8/Tp8qsjXqF8I/AAAAAAAAGgM/4MXCf3mciQA/s640/IMG_4472.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Funny story about the pony ride... When Rory was done with the pony ride, we started walking over to the Village of Yesteryear. Quinn started having a fit--sobbing, yelling, the works. As it turns out, what we thought was her asking to get out of the stroller as her saying she wanted to get on a horse. And the farther away from the horses we got, the more hysterical she got. By the time we got to the building the Village of Yesteryear was in, I FINALLY figured out why she was so upset. After some calming down and her asking politely, we went back so Quinn could ride her horse.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--mKHb4EL3yk/Tp8q18R6VMI/AAAAAAAAGgU/_gMQ4jMORlc/s1600/IMG_4490.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--mKHb4EL3yk/Tp8q18R6VMI/AAAAAAAAGgU/_gMQ4jMORlc/s640/IMG_4490.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zhKfwsYjNso/Tp8q-5LuZyI/AAAAAAAAGgc/jFIgmHoYbZg/s1600/IMG_4494.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zhKfwsYjNso/Tp8q-5LuZyI/AAAAAAAAGgc/jFIgmHoYbZg/s640/IMG_4494.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">That smile was totally worth the way-to-much amount of money required to ride the horse. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We stopped to eat some more food. (Somehow we never made it back for me to go to the Village of Yesteryear...)</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HsNlCj29du8/Tp8rHuEREjI/AAAAAAAAGgk/0RKtCFTGfSM/s1600/IMG_4516.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HsNlCj29du8/Tp8rHuEREjI/AAAAAAAAGgk/0RKtCFTGfSM/s640/IMG_4516.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Quinn felt the need to show off how cute she is--blue mouth and all.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xsWE4NtVGgg/Tp8rQgehDkI/AAAAAAAAGgs/zMtQDjSOfBo/s1600/IMG_4518.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xsWE4NtVGgg/Tp8rQgehDkI/AAAAAAAAGgs/zMtQDjSOfBo/s640/IMG_4518.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Random silliness around 7:30.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6jM6IY2OsFM/Tp8raXzC5dI/AAAAAAAAGg0/cSEngpqg_pQ/s1600/IMG_4525.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6jM6IY2OsFM/Tp8raXzC5dI/AAAAAAAAGg0/cSEngpqg_pQ/s640/IMG_4525.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br />
I made Rory wait until it was dark to ride the Ferris Wheel. By that point, she wasn't thrilled with it because it didn't go fast.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ssXJ9yqFmok/Tp8rlYMV9gI/AAAAAAAAGg8/i4GrNhyzWec/s1600/IMG_4535.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ssXJ9yqFmok/Tp8rlYMV9gI/AAAAAAAAGg8/i4GrNhyzWec/s640/IMG_4535.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">But she did like the view of the whole fair. (All I had was my 50mm lens. The fair was MUCH bigger.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-O1vbq8xA5yc/Tp8rxvYTXRI/AAAAAAAAGhE/pkECsnYEpGI/s1600/IMG_4565.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-O1vbq8xA5yc/Tp8rxvYTXRI/AAAAAAAAGhE/pkECsnYEpGI/s640/IMG_4565.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This last picture makes me miss having access to editing software. When I get the chance, I will lighten it up a tad, decrease the noise (I only brought my XTi--I was NOT about to haul my big camera around), and make a few tweaks. Even without that, I know I will cherish this photo.She was so pretty up there looking out over the whole fair. I just loved watching her. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7HwSJ3aaeZM/Tp8p9N0f9RI/AAAAAAAAGfU/srdHDoInIYY/s1600/IMG_4574.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7HwSJ3aaeZM/Tp8p9N0f9RI/AAAAAAAAGfU/srdHDoInIYY/s640/IMG_4574.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Oh, and I know there were no pics of me, but when I handed the camera over to Nathan, I forgot to change my autofocus settings over to full auto for him. So the pics with me in them turned out like this:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WAA95Q1qbOs/Tp9BHF95KjI/AAAAAAAAGhc/mfuLlc3VXQ8/s1600/IMG_4465.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WAA95Q1qbOs/Tp9BHF95KjI/AAAAAAAAGhc/mfuLlc3VXQ8/s640/IMG_4465.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Good times. But I'm still going to save it so 30 years from now the girls know I was there, too. :)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We had a great night. It all fell apart a little at the end (overtired kids, 2 year old had an accident... all the stuff that happens when kiddos get overtired), we spent way too much money, the kids were up too late, we ate WAY too much, but it was totally worth it. Great memories. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11096956587784336808noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8555640056946046106.post-70721826864102727692011-03-19T23:44:00.000-04:002011-03-19T23:44:51.588-04:00Haven't posted in a while....just wanted to get your hopes up that I actually blogged. I know you hate me. And yes, I'm talking to you. Patrice Williams.Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11096956587784336808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8555640056946046106.post-62872644251476918782010-09-25T09:24:00.000-04:002010-09-25T09:24:38.692-04:00Fall QuestionsMy friend, Leigh, tagged me in this Fall question fest. I love fall, so I felt compelled to participate---maybe if I participate it will FEEL more like fall.<br />
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<strong>Do you like Starbucks? And are you a fan of their seasonal coffees?</strong><br />
Not really. There's just a ton of hype and the fact that they charge like $84 per cup of coffee seems excessive. The only saving grace is that they make a good molasses cookie. <br />
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<strong>How do you decorate and prepare for Fall?</strong><br />
We will definitely carve pumpkins and I'll get a few mums for the front porch. It's actually good timing because my bagonias (sp?) are starting to look iffy. Though I'm sure if I watered them they'd jump right back. <br />
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<strong>Will you participate in your college's homecoming activities?</strong><br />
No, but if I still lived in Greenville, we'd at least be at the parade. I miss going to football games.<br />
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<strong>What is your favorite Fall clothing item or accessory?</strong><br />
It's not really a favorite since I get all weepy when I have to pack my flip-flops away for the winter, but I guess it would have to be my Sperry's. I love good comfortable shoes.<br />
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<strong>What was your favorite Halloween costume as a kid?</strong><br />
I don't really remember having a favorite.<br />
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<strong>Do you like Halloween/Horror movies? Do you have a favorite?</strong><br />
No. Not my cup of tea. The typical horror movies are cheesy and the serious ones freak me out. After I watched Mothman Prophecy, I ran everytime I saw the woods.<br />
<strong>What is your favorite Fall Activity?</strong><br />
Going to pumpkin patches, carving pumpkins and Halloween.<br />
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<strong>What is your favorite Fall recipe?</strong><br />
Pumpkin bread. Mmmmm.<br />
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And then she added eight more quickie questions, and here they are:<br />
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<strong>What movie coming out soon are you looking forward to seeing?</strong><br />
I don't really do movies, but I'll steal Leigh's for this one...Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows <br />
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<strong>What will you miss most about Summer?</strong><br />
My flip-flops.<br />
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<strong>When do you start your holiday shopping?</strong><br />
Right here in the next week or two.<br />
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<strong>Favorite exercise/activity?</strong><br />
I'm really enjoying softball right now. As far as working out, I really love the elliptical. I wish I had one in my house. But not the regular kind--the gym quality ones that actually have a really long stride.<br />
<strong>Best book you've read lately?</strong><br />
I haven't read a lot lately because when I do read, I get COMPLETELY engrossed and kinda neglect things that I should be doing around the house. <br />
<strong>Do you make your bed every day?</strong><br />
Yes. It's just nice to get into a nicely made bed at night.<br />
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<strong>If you could choose a personal chef or a personal shopper, which would you choose?</strong><br />
Personal Chef!! Shopping is something to do out of the house so I'm not giving that up (even though the kids drive me crazy). Plus, a personal chef could cook healthy foods that taste good and I wouldn't have to go through the hassle of figuring out a healthy menu. <br />
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<strong>Which TV show are you most excited for this Fall?</strong><br />
Big Bang Theory, The Office, maybe Mythbusters (yeah, I know)<br />
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I think I'm supposed to tag people, but pretty much anyone I would tag has already done it, so I'll just let you guys sit in amazement that I actually took a few minutes to post. :PKatiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11096956587784336808noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8555640056946046106.post-44827012372031852312010-07-28T20:49:00.005-04:002010-07-28T21:29:32.098-04:00I'm Bringing Blogging Back...for a visit. I'll quit again in, oh (looks at watch) tomorrow. But, I wanted to share my new purchase. I got a new camera. What kind you ask? Drumroll please.... a new point and shoot. :) Nope, not a new fancy big camera or exciting lens. A point and shoot. One that has a lens that comes out every time I turn it on and that will actually open the shutter cover. Pretty exciting stuff considering my old one has been acting up for about 2 years now.<br /><br />I haven't been taking as many pics of the kids recently because I don't like hauling my SLR to the park every time I go or while we are out on walks and the old point and shoot made me mad. So I decided it was time to get a new point and shoot. I went with one that has some manual controls so the control freak in me can override the camera's decisions when I think it's wrong. It's got an awesome zoom and HD video which were important because I don't want to haul around a camera and a camcorder. I'm pretty happy with it. In all honesty, there is a part of me that LOVES the harsh shadows, crazy flash, and graininess that comes from a point and shoot. I know that sounds insane from someone so into photography, but I adore snapshots--pictures that are about the moment and nothing else. A picture doesn't alway have to be composed well or be technically correct to warm your heart and make you smile.<br /><br /><div align="center">It can remind you that your 3 year old cares more about directions than daddy.</div><p align="center"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kbzjPxQUC8o/TFDThPaSSUI/AAAAAAAAGZU/eMW1f66uaXE/s1600/IMG_0063.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499127713045301570" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kbzjPxQUC8o/TFDThPaSSUI/AAAAAAAAGZU/eMW1f66uaXE/s400/IMG_0063.JPG" /></a></p><p align="center">Or that your 14 month old covers her face anytime she hears the word "where" because she thinks you are going to say "Where's Quinn?"</p><p align="center"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kbzjPxQUC8o/TFDTgW1QFfI/AAAAAAAAGZE/LMJWGS10sbI/s1600/IMG_0065.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499127697857582578" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kbzjPxQUC8o/TFDTgW1QFfI/AAAAAAAAGZE/LMJWGS10sbI/s400/IMG_0065.JPG" /></a></p><p align="center">And then she has to show you where she was.</p><p align="center"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kbzjPxQUC8o/TFDTg7XCUNI/AAAAAAAAGZM/EGMUq1Hv3IU/s1600/IMG_0066.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499127707662962898" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kbzjPxQUC8o/TFDTg7XCUNI/AAAAAAAAGZM/EGMUq1Hv3IU/s400/IMG_0066.JPG" /></a></p><div align="center">Or that your husband will let you take a wide-angle shot that will make his head look huge simply because he knows that playing with photo stuff makes you happy. And at the end of the day, he loves you so much, that doesn't care that he looks silly as long as you are happy.</div><p align="center"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kbzjPxQUC8o/TFDTfTWM9HI/AAAAAAAAGY0/iHhtifKVTXU/s1600/IMG_0042.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 300px; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499127679742178418" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kbzjPxQUC8o/TFDTfTWM9HI/AAAAAAAAGY0/iHhtifKVTXU/s400/IMG_0042.JPG" /></a></p>I like my new point and shoot.Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11096956587784336808noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8555640056946046106.post-62506233564486484862010-04-22T03:11:00.002-04:002010-04-22T03:11:00.604-04:00Gabe...I haven't met you (yet), but I love you. Happy Birthday little boy.Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11096956587784336808noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8555640056946046106.post-65813480358393226412010-03-30T20:58:00.002-04:002010-03-30T21:46:29.689-04:00Take that Alexander!I'm sure by now we all know that Alexander had a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. I get it--I do. But I think, today, just this once, I have him beat. <br /><br />It didn't start off that way. Quinn actually slept until 7, which was wonderful. We got up, ate breakfast and did all of our normal morning stuff. It started going downhill a bit when Quinn got up from her nap. She's got some of her top teeth coming in and they are giving her a heck of a time. Needless to say, she woke up in a fury. So, to try to calm her down, I put her in her high chair and gave her some Cheerios. And this is where it all falls apart. <br /><br />As I'm sitting in the dining room with Quinn, I look out in the yard and see Darby (the dog) thrashing around on the ground. To put my reaction in perspective, you should understand that the dog is epileptic. So in my head, I think she is having a seizure. I grabbed my keys to unlock the deadbolt (we have the kind with they key slot on both sides) and darted outside to check on her. Moron dog was fine. She was rolling in a mud puddle. Great... now I have to bathe her. <br /><br />As I walk back up to the house, I realized that I'd left my keys in the deadbolt. I immediately freaked out because Rory has been known to lock the doorknob--I always take my keys out with me. Well, today, she locked the deadbolt. I knocked on the door and tried to get her to open the lock. After about 3 minutes of that, I reached in my pocket (thank HEAVENS I had my cell phone in my pocket) and googled the closest locksmith. I told them what was going on (all the while trying to direct Rory on how to turn the key)and she said they'd be here in 15 minutes. <br /><br />At this point, I called Nathan. While I was on the phone with him, the reality started to sink in a bit and I may have started crying a bit. That's about when Quinn ran out of Cheerios and started screaming her head off. So, I got off the phone and started trying to give Rory better directions for getting in the house. She was struggling to reach the deadbolt enough to turn it all the way back around, so I told her to grab a chair. It should be said that the chairs are, oh, about 2 feet from her. But, alas, my little 2 year old disappears into the kitchen and reappears in the living room, where she flings her stuffed animals off of her rocking chair and proceeds to drag the chair--across the living room, through the kitchen, and back around to the dining room. She climbed up on the chair, tried for a bit to turn the lock, but got frustrated. So what did she do? She just sat down in her little chair and started rocking--all the while looking straight at me. Punk!<br /><br />I took a break and ran around to double check the rest of the doors and windows. No dice. By the time I got back, Rory had caught a second wind and started playing with my key chain again. Right when I think we are on the right track, she hit the panic button on my key chain and set the car alarm off. And it proceeded to go off for about 2 minutes before she figured out where the button was to turn it off. BUT.. it gave me a GREAT idea. I had a spare set of keys in the car. I immediately turned all of my attention to getting her to start hitting buttons on the key fob, hoping she'd unlock the car. When I saw her hit the right one, I darted down the porch, through the gate and to the car. 1) because I was afraid she'd turn around and hit the lock button, and 2) because my car relocks itself if you don't get in it fast enough. Thankfully I got my keys and ran back and let myself in the house--almost 20 minutes after the whole thing started. Poor Quinn had been screaming the whole time. <br /><br />I was supposed to be meeting a friend shortly after that, so after calling Nathan and the locksmith (who was still 10 minutes away... ggrr) I got the girls ready and headed out of the house. I had a nice break from the suckiness of the morning while I was hanging out with Heather. That was, until, I went home.<br /><br />As soon as I walked in the door, I realized that Darby wasn't in the house. So I went to the backyard to let her in. But she wasn't there. Apparently, when I was running from the backyard to my car during the lockout incident, I didn't shut the gate and Darby ran out. At that point I broke into panic mode. I started checking closets and bathtubs around the house hoping I was wrong. I started shaking around her food container (this is a parallel to the incident where Patrice's cat Sam got out and Patrice was opening food containers around the house, though I was a little less pathetic) and yelling for her. It was about then that I realized that after we moved, we'd never updated our information on her collar. I called my old cell phone number to leave a message for whoever had the number now letting them know what happened and giving them my new number. After that, I just sat down on the stairs and started blubbering like an idiot. Rory walked over and said "Where's my Darby? My Darby is lost. Where's my buddy?" It was heartwrenching, but a good reminder that I needed to be the adult in the situation. So we got in the car to drive around looking for her. As I was putting the girls in the car, a neighbor (that I didn't know) pointed me in the direction they had last seen here. I headed that way and THANK HEAVENS a group of kids that is ALWAYS outside had picked her up and brought her into their house so she couldn't run off any more. <br /><br />As soon as the older boy went to get her, she ran out of the house straight to me. I put her butt in the car (while whispering in her ear that I was going to beat her from here to Canada for scaring me like that). I thanked all of the kids and the mom that was out with her. The littlest boy, about 5, was apparently all ready to adopt her and make her his. He looked at me with a little sad face and asked me where I lived. I pointed toward my house and told hime where. Then he asked, in this cute little voice, if he could come visit her. It was SO sweet. He and all of his friends are welcome to come and see her any time. <br /><br />We left and immediately went to PetSmart to buy her a new tag. She now has a new shiny tag with our new shiny phone number and address. All tired and worn out we came home to recover from our long and stressful day. <br /><br />And Darby peed on the floor. At least things are back to normal.Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11096956587784336808noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8555640056946046106.post-1741046405962996652010-02-06T21:11:00.004-05:002010-02-06T21:18:10.026-05:00Jonah's EB AuctionYou guys know <a href="http://patriceandmattwilliams.blogspot.com/">Patrice</a> by now and her awesome little Jonah. In honor of his first birthday we're holding an auction to raise money for EB research. The auction will be hosted at <a href="http://jonahsebauction.blogspot.com/">http://jonahsebauction.blogspot.com</a> from February 23-27. It's pretty simple, all you have to do is stop by at any point during those five days to browse items and bid on the ones you like. And trust me, there are A LOT of great things to bid on. (Like a lot, a lot. Like 100ish things a lot!) <br /><br />Right now, we're holding a giveaway for those that help us spread the word! Go to the <a href="http://jonahsebauction.blogspot.com/">auction site</a> and check it out!Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11096956587784336808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8555640056946046106.post-18989707075601212022010-01-13T13:02:00.006-05:002010-01-13T13:33:33.384-05:00Camera Lost and FoundThere's actually an online camera lost and found! Who knew! <a href="http://ifoundyourcamera.blogspot.com/">http://ifoundyourcamera.blogspot.com/</a><br /><br />And I read some really great advice today to help you identify your camera in case you ever lose it. Take a picture of a paper with some form of identification on it (you know, kinda like what your pet wears). "If found, please call Katie at 4rt5y7u8i956." (Why yes, that is my real phone number. *shakes head*) Then, set that image to lock or protect (I don't know which wording your camera uses), so that it won't get deleted. This way, if anyone ever finds your camera, the first picture will always have a way to contact you so that (if they are honest) you can get your camera back. Sure, I'll load it into the metadata, but most people don't even know you can do that (or would know to look for it), plus it's not an option for most point and shoot cameras.<br /><br />You better believe that will be the first picture I take with my new camera. Which, according to FedEx, will be here sometime in the next 3 hours.Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11096956587784336808noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8555640056946046106.post-74018346649976901302010-01-12T10:43:00.006-05:002010-01-12T11:26:22.406-05:00I Heart Faces Week 2This week's theme at I Heart Faces is "best faces". And this is one little face that I am seriously <em>all about</em>. My sweet little girl that looks so much like her daddy. I can't believe she's already 7 1/2 months. Time sure does fly. I took this yesterday, and I know if I tried to take the same picture a week from now, she'd look even more grown. <br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kbzjPxQUC8o/S0ybFbg86UI/AAAAAAAAF5w/JbUXoKnjh9E/s1600-h/quindow2+web+wm.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425882168662223170" style="WIDTH: 286px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kbzjPxQUC8o/S0ybFbg86UI/AAAAAAAAF5w/JbUXoKnjh9E/s400/quindow2+web+wm.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><br /><br />Don't forget to check out more great faces this week at:<br /><br /><br /><center><a href="http://www.iheartfaces.com/"><img src="http://www.livinglocurto.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/I_Heart_Faces_noborder_125x100.jpg" /></a></center>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11096956587784336808noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8555640056946046106.post-47015231728029851262010-01-11T21:11:00.005-05:002010-01-11T22:33:42.006-05:00I don't knowThat's about the mood I'm in. Things have been a little topsy turvy around here over the last week. Nathan has been super busy with work because of an approaching deadline (tomorrow) and has been working every night. He's sitting on the couch beside me the whole time, but he's so engrossed in what's going on, I could be in Canada and I don't think he would notice the difference. I'm not irritated about it--he's just doing what he needs to do to support the family--but a lot of days, he's really my only adult contact, so after a week of that every night, I'm just starting to be a bit bummed out about it. <div><br /></div><div>To add to the bummage, we didn't make it to church this week (again) because Rory had a fever Saturday night and Sunday morning. So there's another major blow to the attempt at adult contact. Positive note, though, the fever disappeared as quickly as it came and Rory is doing fine.</div><div><br /></div><div>I think lack of sleep is starting to take its toll as well. Quinn has been teething (her two bottom teeth poked through last Thursday) and has been waking up completely hysterical in the middle of the night. I HATED the nights when Rory was at this phase and I'm still not a fan. The newborn nights I don't mind--get up, bottle/nurse, back to sleep. No, no my friend. Screaming. Blood curdling, world-is-over screaming. For an hour. Or two. Ugh. Oh, and she's waking up at 6am now. NOT COOL. </div><div><br /></div><div>On top of all of that, Darby had her worst seizure yet today. She's been having them on and off for the past two years or so. She'd been having them every 3-4 months for awhile and we had kinda been just monitoring them. Unfortunately, they've been getting closer and closer together and more severe. Today's came on the heals of one just two weeks ago and lasted almost a full 10 minutes. Rory caught a glimpse of today's and it scared her so bad. We brought Darby in to the vet (same office that had previously told me they could provide care for her, but that it would total roughly $1800 a year not including her typical care like shots and stuff.), but saw a different vet than the last time. I liked this guy so much. He didn't make me feel like a crappy pet owner like the last guy did and even told me that while there were ideal ways to address care, they would work with us to come up with a plan that we could afford that would help provide Darby with care. So Darby is now on seizure medication, which makes me glad, but at the same time nervous because it has to be given twice daily and at the same time every day. With our schedules, it's going to be a challenge. And as a side note, there is no reason why it should cost more to take my dog to the vet than it would for me to pay for a doctor's visit out of pocket. It's ridiculous. But I digress. </div><div><br /></div><div>While it's not nearly as frustrating as everything else that's going on, I haven't been able to get my 365 project pictures uploaded since Nathan is having to use the good computer all the time. I'm taking them, but I'm like 6 days behind at uploading them. So frustrating. But that's minor. And in the scheme of things, it doesn't really matter. But it is another piece of straw. And this camel is not one known for keeping her emotional fortitude.</div><div><br /></div><div>I've probably bummed everyone out by now, but it was good to type all of this. I knew I'd been kind of out of it over the past few days, but I didn't really realize just how much. Hopefully things will be on the up and up again soon. I've got some pretty cool things going on in the midst of my rut, but I will save those for another post. One that can be totally happy and positive. But for now, vent over. </div>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11096956587784336808noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8555640056946046106.post-71875918959966243222010-01-05T22:37:00.006-05:002010-01-06T08:26:02.700-05:00I Heart Faces Week 1I have been so busy with stuff for <a href="http://patriceandmattwilliams.blogspot.com/2010/01/jonahs-eb-auction.html">Jonah's auction</a> over the last few days, that I almost forgot about the i heart faces challenge for the week. So I busted my (not-so-little-after-the-holidays) hiney to get my pic done tonight, and then I realize I have until Friday. Silly me. Maybe I'll add a second shot in during the week. Maybe (probably, almost totally unlikely).<br /><br /><br />Anyway, I decided to get a little creative. I don't know if it will really be the judges' cup of tea, but it was fun to do. This is the first time I've ever done anything even remotely close to a self portrait (even though all you can see is the outline of my eyes and my giant schnoz (no clue how you spell that and i'm too proud of my made up spelling to check)).<br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kbzjPxQUC8o/S0QHkj40JhI/AAAAAAAAF5c/mUMljDy2t-4/s1600-h/iheartfaces1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423468175951144466" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 286px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kbzjPxQUC8o/S0QHkj40JhI/AAAAAAAAF5c/mUMljDy2t-4/s400/iheartfaces1.jpg" border="0" /></a></p>And here's my legal jargon -<em> I am submitting this photo into the I Heart Faces logo photo contest. By entering, I am granting I Heart Faces LLC permission to consider my photo for use in the marketing and promotion of their website.</em><br /><br /><div align="center">Be sure to check out some other cool logo faces at:</div><p align="center"><a href="http://iheartfaces.blogspot.com/"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423468446049756594" style="WIDTH: 182px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 52px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kbzjPxQUC8o/S0QH0SFV5bI/AAAAAAAAF5k/ybp-N9XOgLI/s400/button_-_photochallenge1.jpg" border="0" /></a></p>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11096956587784336808noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8555640056946046106.post-3003859618029638782010-01-03T15:01:00.005-05:002010-01-03T15:28:47.100-05:00It's An Auction, People! (And a giveaway?!)That's right! To celebrate Jonah's first birthday, we're throwing an auction! (You know, since we can't throw a party online. ) The gift? Donating as much money as possible to DebRA for EB Research. Suh-WEET, right?<br /><br /><br />You wanna help (cuz I KNOW you do)? Have something you want to donate? Are you willing to donate some cash-money (anyone else remember Yo Momma on MTV?) to help cover shipping costs for auction items? Do you know people that might be willing to donate? (If so, pester them, please. In a nice way.)<br /><br /><br />Most of all, DO YOU LIKE TO SHOP?! Then keep your eyes open for details! The auction will run for five days ending at 11:59pm (EST) on Jonah's first birthday (that's Feb 27). Help us raise money, people! <br /><br />Oh, and did I mention that I'm going to have a giveaway? I didn't mention that? Hhmm. Well, keep your eyes peeled over the next few weeks (especially as we get closer to February) for details on what YOU can do to be entered to win a $20 gift card to TARGET (you know, in honor of Patrice and stuff-Target knows squat about this). <br /><br />Lets make this huge and raise a ton of money to help find ways to fight and CURE this horrible, horrible thing called EB.Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11096956587784336808noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8555640056946046106.post-49523002070862448822009-12-28T22:02:00.003-05:002009-12-28T22:15:02.448-05:00Christmas through Rory's eyesRory woke up Christmas morning to a ton of presents and the one thing she asked Santa for... her very own digital camera. (It's definitely a kid's camera, but that's okay. She doesn't need 42,000,000 megapixels. She just likes to "take a cheese" of the things around her.) So here is Christmas from Rory's point of view. I just picked a few to post. She took over 150 pictures Christmas day...<br /><br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kbzjPxQUC8o/SzlylPcKgGI/AAAAAAAAF5M/qaLo6EYStdc/s1600-h/131.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420489610642489442" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kbzjPxQUC8o/SzlylPcKgGI/AAAAAAAAF5M/qaLo6EYStdc/s400/131.JPG" border="0" /></a> </p><p align="center"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kbzjPxQUC8o/SzlylE7PW7I/AAAAAAAAF5E/Q33jBcU-btQ/s1600-h/078.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420489607820041138" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kbzjPxQUC8o/SzlylE7PW7I/AAAAAAAAF5E/Q33jBcU-btQ/s400/078.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /></p><p align="center"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kbzjPxQUC8o/SzlykwM4qqI/AAAAAAAAF48/nBJhvkR1zRU/s1600-h/103.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420489602256906914" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kbzjPxQUC8o/SzlykwM4qqI/AAAAAAAAF48/nBJhvkR1zRU/s400/103.JPG" border="0" /></a></p><p align="center"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kbzjPxQUC8o/SzlykqzFQ1I/AAAAAAAAF40/K3hsOlPLas8/s1600-h/086.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420489600806503250" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kbzjPxQUC8o/SzlykqzFQ1I/AAAAAAAAF40/K3hsOlPLas8/s400/086.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /></p><p align="center"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kbzjPxQUC8o/SzlxwODDI-I/AAAAAAAAF4s/kBvaOMdvTzc/s1600-h/045.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420488699735647202" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kbzjPxQUC8o/SzlxwODDI-I/AAAAAAAAF4s/kBvaOMdvTzc/s400/045.JPG" border="0" /></a></p><p align="center"> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kbzjPxQUC8o/SzlxvxXLbvI/AAAAAAAAF4k/NG4VEz2Ka1Q/s1600-h/55.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420488692035448562" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 286px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kbzjPxQUC8o/SzlxvxXLbvI/AAAAAAAAF4k/NG4VEz2Ka1Q/s400/55.jpg" border="0" /></a> </p><div><p align="center"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kbzjPxQUC8o/Szlxvnsms1I/AAAAAAAAF4c/fxQ4zOcShsQ/s1600-h/026.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420488689440961362" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kbzjPxQUC8o/Szlxvnsms1I/AAAAAAAAF4c/fxQ4zOcShsQ/s400/026.JPG" border="0" /></a></p><p align="center"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kbzjPxQUC8o/SzlxvtlPzGI/AAAAAAAAF4U/zn-DJHbWNF0/s1600-h/021.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420488691020713058" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kbzjPxQUC8o/SzlxvtlPzGI/AAAAAAAAF4U/zn-DJHbWNF0/s400/021.JPG" border="0" /></a> </p><p align="center"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kbzjPxQUC8o/SzlxvW_uqaI/AAAAAAAAF4M/yltDZKnDCOw/s1600-h/027.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420488684957772194" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kbzjPxQUC8o/SzlxvW_uqaI/AAAAAAAAF4M/yltDZKnDCOw/s400/027.JPG" border="0" /></a></p><div> </div><p align="center"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kbzjPxQUC8o/SzlylbPgr5I/AAAAAAAAF5U/IWsc0pqoS0I/s1600-h/126.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420489613810642834" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kbzjPxQUC8o/SzlylbPgr5I/AAAAAAAAF5U/IWsc0pqoS0I/s400/126.JPG" border="0" /></a></p></div>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11096956587784336808noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8555640056946046106.post-66789886957558897482009-12-23T08:59:00.003-05:002009-12-23T11:07:18.868-05:00Getting ready for the holidays...<p align="center"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kbzjPxQUC8o/SzIjQDhUsxI/AAAAAAAAF4E/VMosxPmXiRU/s1600-h/Quinn+2009+-+2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418432060410082066" style="WIDTH: 286px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kbzjPxQUC8o/SzIjQDhUsxI/AAAAAAAAF4E/VMosxPmXiRU/s400/Quinn+2009+-+2.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kbzjPxQUC8o/SzIjPmjM_jI/AAAAAAAAF38/_KLLiGFvaoY/s1600-h/009.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418432052633337394" style="WIDTH: 267px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kbzjPxQUC8o/SzIjPmjM_jI/AAAAAAAAF38/_KLLiGFvaoY/s400/009.JPG" border="0" /></a></p><br /><br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kbzjPxQUC8o/SzIjPDlYF-I/AAAAAAAAF30/rH-h79HC4nE/s1600-h/005.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418432043247212514" style="WIDTH: 267px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kbzjPxQUC8o/SzIjPDlYF-I/AAAAAAAAF30/rH-h79HC4nE/s400/005.JPG" border="0" /></a></p>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11096956587784336808noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8555640056946046106.post-32128411260444124372009-12-22T17:20:00.003-05:002009-12-22T17:26:23.606-05:00Holiday Bokeh<p align="left">Lauren - here's my go at it. Fun stuff!</p><p align="center"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kbzjPxQUC8o/SzFHRe5v5MI/AAAAAAAAF3s/Il-si7bFH4g/s1600-h/holiday+bokeh2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418190192382043330" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 286px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kbzjPxQUC8o/SzFHRe5v5MI/AAAAAAAAF3s/Il-si7bFH4g/s400/holiday+bokeh2.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kbzjPxQUC8o/SzFHQ2JkmXI/AAAAAAAAF3k/S-3LuaWigCE/s1600-h/holiday+bokeh1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418190181442558322" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 280px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kbzjPxQUC8o/SzFHQ2JkmXI/AAAAAAAAF3k/S-3LuaWigCE/s400/holiday+bokeh1.jpg" border="0" /></a></p>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11096956587784336808noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8555640056946046106.post-3830431982574206972009-12-22T17:16:00.003-05:002009-12-22T17:20:04.582-05:00What's wrong with his face?!He was a great Santa. Jovial. Merry. Full of holiday cheer. But the second he saw the camera, he turned into this guy...<br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kbzjPxQUC8o/SzFF23240uI/AAAAAAAAF3c/2o4PUhZnt-0/s1600-h/IMG_2926.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418188635712836322" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kbzjPxQUC8o/SzFF23240uI/AAAAAAAAF3c/2o4PUhZnt-0/s400/IMG_2926.JPG" border="0" /></a></p>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11096956587784336808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8555640056946046106.post-91713499962371147812009-12-16T08:34:00.002-05:002009-12-16T09:16:02.729-05:00Coming Soon: The Santa With the Weird SmileMonday, we took the girls to see Santa. He was a great Santa, but had camera issues. Every time the camera popped up, he got all weird. I couldn't help but think of this episode of Friends.<br /><br /><br /><p align="center"><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/a2joUFlCdPE&hl=en_US&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/a2joUFlCdPE&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></p><br />Yeah, it's a long clip, but it's the shortest one I could find. And <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">c'mon</span> - it's Friends, so naturally, it's worth it. :)<br /><br />So, keep your eyes peeled for the Santa with the camera face. As soon as I catch up on some editing, he's coming your way. <br /><br />Oh, and Patrice - check those boots Monica's wearing at the beginning. Scandalous!Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11096956587784336808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8555640056946046106.post-12097351957358013702009-12-11T12:17:00.001-05:002009-12-11T12:18:57.903-05:00AddendumI know I said there would be more installments of my Favorite Things, but I left something off of yesterday's list that should ABSOLUTELY be on the first draft:<br /><br />My crockpot. Do I need to say more?Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11096956587784336808noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8555640056946046106.post-72478405567441783162009-12-10T14:39:00.007-05:002009-12-10T22:59:08.105-05:00My Favorite ThingsSeveral times today, I have found myself thinking about products that I absolutely love. Some of them are just personal favorites and others are things that I just can't imagine how anyone could live without them. So, in an attempt to post something not entirely kid or photography related (they'll still sneak in) I thought I'd post about some of my favorite things. Here they go, in no particular order:<br /><br />1) Tropicana Orange Juice. There is just no substitute. In my attempts to save money I've tried everything from the store brand all the way up. Nothing is the same. Florida Natural comes in second, but it's really not all that close. Simply Orange is pretty good too, but not the same. I love my Tropicana. No pulp, though. The orange or blue containers.<br /><br />2) OxiClean in all of it's various forms. The best, though is OxiClean Laundry Stain Remover Spray. That stuff works wonders. Grape juice, blood, it gets it all. I don't know what I did before I discovered it. Yes I do. I had lots of clothes with stains and so did Rory.<br /><br />3) Laminate floors. Maybe I wouldn't love them so much if I didn't have kids or a dog, but seriously, laminate makes my life easier--on a daily basis.<br /><br />4) My DVR. I'm not really sure how I watched TV before. Did I?<br /><br />5) Noiseware. Yes, this is a photography thing, BUT it's something that ANYONE can use on their pictures. Everyone has taken pictures that are grainy b/c it was too dark--you love the picture, but the grainy-ness sucks. This stuff fixes that. And it's super easy to use. Seriously, you open your picture, click twice, then save. Oh, and it's FREE. This is a 100% crop (really freakin' zoomed in) of a pic I took that was really noisy (grainy). I'll spare you the details as to why it was noisy, but lets just say it is the one thing that I can't stand about my camera.<br /><br /><br /><div align="center">Here's the before (sorry it's dark - it's straight out of the camera):</div><p align="center"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kbzjPxQUC8o/SyFyT2c161I/AAAAAAAAF3Q/57Jf0oqOxbQ/s1600-h/100+with+grain.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413733912435616594" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 286px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kbzjPxQUC8o/SyFyT2c161I/AAAAAAAAF3Q/57Jf0oqOxbQ/s400/100+with+grain.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><br /><br /><div align="center">Two clicks, then the after:<br /></div><p align="center"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kbzjPxQUC8o/SyFyTulSDRI/AAAAAAAAF3I/4ypZKFq0YFA/s1600-h/100+with+noiseware.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413733910323531026" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 286px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kbzjPxQUC8o/SyFyTulSDRI/AAAAAAAAF3I/4ypZKFq0YFA/s400/100+with+noiseware.jpg" border="0" /></a></p>LOVE IT! Here's the link in case you are interested. <a href="http://noiseware-community-edition.en.softonic.com/">http://noiseware-community-edition.en.softonic.com/</a> It really is worth the download, even if you just take pictures for fun.<br /><br /><strong>**Edit: DIRECTIONS: </strong>(Because apparently saying click twice was misleading, I suppose I should have said WHERE to click...) Click on the drop down menu next to the word DEFAULT and pick one of the choices that best describes your picture. If it's really noisy, click full suppression. Once you've made your choice, click GO. And it's done. Save it if you like it. **<br /><br />6) <a href="http://coffeeteaphotography.blogspot.com/">http://coffeeteaphotography.blogspot.com/</a> So many freebies. Such good stuff.<br /><br />7) Rainbow flip-flops. Boo cold weather. I miss my rainbows.<br /><br />That's all for this installment. I'm sure I'll think of more, but these are just the ones that struck me today. What are your favorite things?Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11096956587784336808noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8555640056946046106.post-63718180248757973612009-12-10T00:01:00.003-05:002009-12-10T00:11:39.994-05:00Hey Patrice!Happy Birthday!<br /><br />You asked for more posts. So there. Now don't expect a present.<br /><br />P.S. - Check the time-stamp. BOO-YA!Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11096956587784336808noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8555640056946046106.post-508356806757267292009-12-09T10:21:00.004-05:002009-12-09T22:30:11.868-05:00High-Pitched Quinn<p>Patrice, this video is mostly for you. I just wanted to share Quinn's version of the "squeal". Sorry about the hair-dryer noise, but when I turned it off and tried to get video, the little booger stopped completely. Crazy kid.</p><p align="center"><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwdHT42TognyGvuM7b_P-EEdptylDQJwBeFwv-3oVw7aVQ0s0XUsrQ2eWH39T4KrZ7AU1_pqzkDU7IgyxS2iw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></p>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11096956587784336808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8555640056946046106.post-64855291415928726602009-12-08T10:42:00.003-05:002009-12-08T10:51:08.535-05:00I Heart Faces: Sweet DreamsWhy, oh why, didn't I know more about my camera 6 months ago when Quinn was born? I would have loved to have done photos of her beyond the basic snapshots that I got. I guess all that moving and chasing a toddler got in the way. Such is life. :P<br /><br />On the bright side, I got to take some pics of a sweet 10 day old little girl last week. Those first few days of life are so sweet. I love watching a sleeping newborn. They make the cutest little expressions. I have no clue if babies start dreaming that young, but I always wonder what is going on in that little-bitty brain to cause all those adorable expressions. I loved this shot, and it seems to fit the theme so well.<br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kbzjPxQUC8o/Sx50iKiGZtI/AAAAAAAAF24/zEzcIBJ_iO8/s1600-h/bucket+7+-+bw.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412891932437669586" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 282px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kbzjPxQUC8o/Sx50iKiGZtI/AAAAAAAAF24/zEzcIBJ_iO8/s400/bucket+7+-+bw.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><br /><div align="center">Check out more sweet dreams at:</div><p align="center"><a href="http://iheartfaces.blogspot.com/"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412891937274459746" style="WIDTH: 178px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 53px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kbzjPxQUC8o/Sx50icjR9mI/AAAAAAAAF3A/IN8k_EfDEOg/s400/button_-_photochallenge1.jpg" border="0" /></a></p>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11096956587784336808noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8555640056946046106.post-5522762920789801982009-12-06T15:18:00.006-05:002009-12-06T15:47:22.459-05:00Happy Birthday Jackson!Birthdays for kids are always fun. I wish that they stayed that exciting as we got older. Thankfully, we get to live vicariously through our children. :) Yesterday, we visited our friends Sandy and Victoria to celebrate their son Jackson's second birthday. It was great to spend the day with friends and Rory had a blast <strike>hanging out with Jackson</strike> playing with all of Jackson's new toys.<br /><br />Here's the birthday boy with his fun new ribbon. I mean... R<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">ambo</span> headband. It kept him occupied until it was time for presents.<br /><p align="center"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kbzjPxQUC8o/SxwUDhYhctI/AAAAAAAAF2Y/4Xhbs82a9lo/s1600-h/rambo+jackson.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412222902925882066" style="WIDTH: 286px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kbzjPxQUC8o/SxwUDhYhctI/AAAAAAAAF2Y/4Xhbs82a9lo/s400/rambo+jackson.jpg" border="0" /></a></p>The theme of the party was Thomas the Train. The invitations were cute little train tickets, the cake (which you'll see in a minute) was train themed and the big present from mommy & daddy was an awesome train table. Jackson was ALL OVER IT. Then he got his arm stuck in that mountain you see in the left corner. But it's all good. He's fine and still all about that table.<br /><br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kbzjPxQUC8o/SxwTqRGbLjI/AAAAAAAAF2Q/fE1n--HeBnM/s1600-h/077.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412222469058276914" style="WIDTH: 286px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kbzjPxQUC8o/SxwTqRGbLjI/AAAAAAAAF2Q/fE1n--HeBnM/s400/077.JPG" border="0" /></a></p><br />This was my favorite part of the cake. The circus car. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Hehe</span>. Victoria did a great job making it. And the Mickey Mouse in the foreground is sitting on a rock and fishing in a little pond. It was such a cute little cake.<br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kbzjPxQUC8o/SxwTpzBRFtI/AAAAAAAAF2I/8GSWGXP5coc/s1600-h/animal+train.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412222460983580370" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kbzjPxQUC8o/SxwTpzBRFtI/AAAAAAAAF2I/8GSWGXP5coc/s400/animal+train.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><div align="left">Jackson liked the cake. But he REALLY liked the ice cream. I think he got 2<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">nds</span> and 3<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">rds</span> (maybe 4<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">ths?</span>) of it as people kept getting their own ice cream. I watched it all go down as I took his pictures, but I didn't tell mommy. It was his birthday, after all. And if you can't have too much sugar on your birthday, then it's just not much of a birthday.<br /></div><p align="center"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kbzjPxQUC8o/SxwTpQlkrzI/AAAAAAAAF2A/lHqoKQheXcE/s1600-h/cake+face.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412222451740618546" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 286px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kbzjPxQUC8o/SxwTpQlkrzI/AAAAAAAAF2A/lHqoKQheXcE/s400/cake+face.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><div align="left">Jackson's other big gift was a Power Wheels Jeep from his grandparents. He liked that a lot, too. When they took him outside to drive it, they kept telling him "push, push" to try to get him to push down on the gas pedal. Apparently, my daughter thought that meant it actually needed to <em>be</em> pushed. So helpful, she is. (Talk like <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Yoda</span>, I do.)<br /><br /></div><p align="center"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kbzjPxQUC8o/SxwTo1zOqoI/AAAAAAAAF14/K8SaGJmC1E8/s1600-h/push.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412222444550138498" style="WIDTH: 390px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kbzjPxQUC8o/SxwTo1zOqoI/AAAAAAAAF14/K8SaGJmC1E8/s400/push.jpg" border="0" /></a></p>Jackson was great about sharing his toys. He even let Rory drive his Jeep. And she loved it (and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">coincidentally</span>, making it go as fast as it would). It was a good day.<br /><p align="center"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kbzjPxQUC8o/SxwTobHOBPI/AAAAAAAAF1w/TSYXJ-NkQ4k/s1600-h/woah+rory.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412222437386224882" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 286px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kbzjPxQUC8o/SxwTobHOBPI/AAAAAAAAF1w/TSYXJ-NkQ4k/s400/woah+rory.jpg" border="0" /></a></p>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11096956587784336808noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8555640056946046106.post-41974732539878328462009-11-23T21:31:00.004-05:002009-11-23T23:12:33.754-05:00An editing lesson(Janet, this one's for you.)<br /><br />Layers are pretty much the bread and butter of photo editing. If you want to do much of anything in photoshop, you've gotta understand layers. And there is A LOT that you can do with layers. I'm still learning it myself. So, since you were wondering what you can do with layers, I thought that I would show you. I'm going to start with something super simple. And I'm going to tell you the easiest way to do it (because the more I learn about photoshop, the more I realize that there are like 30 ways to do everything).<br /><br />Selective coloring. (Black and white pic with a splash of color) Yeah, it's a bit overdone, but it can still be pretty and is a good way for you to actually SEE how two different layers interact. So that's what I'm going to tell you how to do. I'm doing this in Elements 6, but if you have the big guns (CS), it's the same concept.<br /><br /><strong>Step One</strong>: Pick the image you want to play with and open it in photoshop (elements).<br /><div align="center"> </div><p align="center"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kbzjPxQUC8o/SwtSoIvN1HI/AAAAAAAAF1o/Qy6Ap-38e4E/s1600/print+screen+start.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407506627082179698" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 250px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kbzjPxQUC8o/SwtSoIvN1HI/AAAAAAAAF1o/Qy6Ap-38e4E/s400/print+screen+start.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><br /><strong><br />Step Two</strong>: Go to your layers bin. It is over on the right side, toward the bottom. Click on that little black and white circle. (This allows you to add an adjustment layer. Basically, this creates layers that do some of the most common edits.) You will be choosing <strong><u>Hue/Saturation</u></strong>.<br /><br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kbzjPxQUC8o/SwtSaWQ018I/AAAAAAAAF1g/e6ezNqPaoRI/s1600/step+3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407506390194640834" style="WIDTH: 286px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 337px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kbzjPxQUC8o/SwtSaWQ018I/AAAAAAAAF1g/e6ezNqPaoRI/s400/step+3.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><strong>Step 3:</strong> To turn your picture black and white, you have to desaturate the picture. You do this by moving the little slider under saturation (it's the one in the middle) to the left. If you want it totally black and white, go all the way to the left. Then click okay. (Don't worry about hue or lightness.) Your picture should be black and white.<br /><br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kbzjPxQUC8o/SwtSaPAUIbI/AAAAAAAAF1Y/rFZPN3WdphU/s1600/step+4.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407506388246340018" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 283px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kbzjPxQUC8o/SwtSaPAUIbI/AAAAAAAAF1Y/rFZPN3WdphU/s400/step+4.jpg" border="0" /></a></p>Now we're going to bring the color back. (I swear I'm not singing that to the tune of Sexy Back...) Here's where you get to enjoy the magic of layers. That adjustment layer you created put a "mask" over your picture. It's like dressing up for Halloween. Your picture is still the same picture, it's just hiding under a hockey mask, so it looks a little different. What we're going to do to get the color back is erase a part of the black and white layer, so we can see the color underneath. (Imagine you had two copies of my pumpkin picture--one color, one black and white. If you lay the black and white picture directly on top of the color one, you can't see the color one at all. But, if you cut the pumpkin out of the black and white one, and lay it back on top of the color one, the pumpkin is in color. That's EXACTLY what we are doing... just digitally!)<br /><br /><strong>Step 4:</strong> (all of these things are labeled on the pic below)<br /><strong>a.</strong> Select the eraser tool. <br /><strong>b.</strong> Pick the brush you want to use from the "brush type" drop down menu. (You'll probably want to use one that has soft edges. They are more forgiving. As you bring your mouse over the brushes, you'll see a name come up if you pause for a second. Just go with one that says "soft round....:) <br /><strong>c.</strong> Then pick a size that will work for what you are trying to colorize. If you aren't sure what size you need, just move your mouse off of the slider and a little circle will appear - that's the size of your brush. If you need it bigger, move the slider to the right, smaller, move to the left.<br /><strong>d. </strong>The last thing you need to set before you bring your color back is the opacity of your brush. This basically decides how much of the color you want to see. If you want to see the full color, then set your opacity to 100%. (That usually looks funny, though, if I'm being totally honest.) If you want it desaturated some (more faded so it blends better with the black and white), then pick a lower opacity.<br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kbzjPxQUC8o/SwtSZ5Z073I/AAAAAAAAF1Q/qiW5Gi5CnSU/s1600/step+5.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407506382447767410" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 354px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kbzjPxQUC8o/SwtSZ5Z073I/AAAAAAAAF1Q/qiW5Gi5CnSU/s400/step+5.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><strong>Step 5:</strong> Color over the part of the picture you want to bring back to color. I did this one at 100% just so you can clearly see where I was using the eraser tool.<br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kbzjPxQUC8o/SwtSZh3qxfI/AAAAAAAAF1I/WB2A75xF55U/s1600/step+6+copy.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407506376130479602" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 321px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kbzjPxQUC8o/SwtSZh3qxfI/AAAAAAAAF1I/WB2A75xF55U/s400/step+6+copy.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><p align="left">Viola! An orange pumpkin and desaturated background. Selective color. You did it. You cut (erased) a hole in the top layer and you can see the orange pumpkin from the bottom picture.</p><p align="center"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kbzjPxQUC8o/SwtSZT5cloI/AAAAAAAAF1A/MiUwIviO8YM/s1600/finished.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407506372379842178" style="WIDTH: 267px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kbzjPxQUC8o/SwtSZT5cloI/AAAAAAAAF1A/MiUwIviO8YM/s400/finished.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><p align="left"><br />The only other thing you need to know is that you will want to save your picture as a JPEG if you want to open it anywhere else. (Click FILE, SAVE AS, then choose JPEG from the drop down menu.) Oh, and I always do all of my work on a duplicate layer so that my actual image is hiding safe and sound underneath it all. But you don't have to. It's just something I do to be on the safe side.</p><p align="left">I hope that made sense to you and you were able to follow it to do the same. Keep your eyes peeled. I'll probably do a tutorial on how layer masks work and how you can do [a lot] more with them. :) </p>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11096956587784336808noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8555640056946046106.post-49764600984455526872009-11-23T21:28:00.002-05:002009-11-23T21:29:54.760-05:00WooHOO!I've got a real post coming in a bit, but I just had to share...<br /><br />I went to pick up a couple of prints and I HAD TO SIGN A COPYRIGHT RELEASE!!!!<br /><br />*grin*Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11096956587784336808noreply@blogger.com1