Sunday snapshot - snow!

The hard Winters here last until late March,
 sometimes early April

and lately it's been snowing every few days.

So we embrace this beautiful season and have fun.

This week we had a couple of overcast days,
 so the snow wasn't blinding us when we were outside.

Giggles and laughter pierced the quiet of a Winter's day.

And that's such a wonderful sound to me,
my heart is happy when I hear it.

There was a lot of running, sliding, rolling, throwing of snow

and creating.

Grace was making the 'Great Wall of China' and Will was building a pyramid.

The above is Will's (attempt to get the snowflakes

off his nose) face.

For a little boy who hated to go out in the snow and cold in previous years,

he now asks to play outside (pretty much) everyday.
And I love that...
:)

4/52 - green

To say that it's been cold here is such an understatement.

I know it's cold when it's minus 15 degrees during the day and I'm wishing

for a heat wave of
+ 20 degrees.

That's a 35 degree difference.

We only go outside when we have to...

school and running an essential errand or two.

This is the time of year where I want to see something green and growing.

Not just snow, ice and trees vacant of leaves
(pine trees don't count to me, even though they're green).

So this week's picture is a Primula.

I believe it's a variety of primrose.

I shot straight down on it because I wanted to see the darker purple flower

clearly and the rest in the background.

The green are leaves and the square tray the plant's sitting on.

I'm a little envious of those people who live in warm climates now. :)

And Spring is only 54 days away!

black and white Wednesday - milestone

'Children are like snowflakes - no two are the same.'

~ unknown

Will doing the happy dance with all the snow, it looks like he's celebrating something.

Tomorrow he will have been with our family 2 years, 6 months and 21 days.

That's one day longer than he hasn't been with us.

I think it's a milestone, especially because he wasn't a baby

 when we met him for the first time in China.

Will has come so far.
He's genuinely happy and feels like he's an important part of our family.
We can't wait to see what the future holds for him.

The above picture sums him up to a 'T.'

Delightful, funny and joyful.

3/52 red fence

For week 3
I stayed outside again.
There was something about this red fence with the newly fallen snow
 that I loved. :)

2/52 - old barn

My week 2 was taken of this very old barn

 in pretty much the middle of nowhere south of where we live.

 It's actually on the way to the apple orchard we go to in the Fall.

It's really a house with a barn attached and it's a large, imposing kind of a structure.

Grace and Will call it the 'scary barn.'

I don't think it's scary, just old with probably many stories.

I was thinking it would make a great backdrop or background for a portrait or pictures someday.
If I'd been ambitious I could have cloned out a few things in this image,

 but instead was lazy and left them alone.

I like the color and texture of the wood and how it all contrasts with the snow.

It was snowing a little when I shot this.

Post processed with a Florabella action called Velvet and I added one of her vintage frames.

Happy Friday!

black and white Wednesday - Winter

One kind word can warm three Winter months.

~ Japanese Proverb

I am a person who likes Winter

and snow.

The bitter cold part of it

not so much.
Winter lasts so long here and

Spring arrives late.
I do love the dramatic change of seasons.

Monday I shot this Winter 'bloom' that had passed

it's prime.

I loved the snow as a backdrop to contrast the texture
of the hydrangea.

We had new snow fall Tuesday so I'm hoping to get outside

with my little ones for some pictures.

Something tells me we'll have plenty of snow this year.

 

The color version post processed with Florabella's
'Gypsy' action.
The Black and white with her 'Black and White Vanilla.'
I use both often.

project 52 - 1/52

(Looking at this one I need to make a note to myself to get this boy's hair cut...it is getting a little long)

 One of my goals for the New Year with photography

is to continue to learn more and get out of my comfort zone.

I feel like I play it safe and try what's comfortable for me.
There are so many things I haven't attempted to try.

I didn't think I could fulfill a one a day picture but can do one a week for the year.

Last year I worked hard on trying to capture an emotion or feeling in my images.

(Not that I certainly achieved it every single time, by any means).

Whether it was evoking it in the subject or attempting to show a relationship between people.

So here's my first one.

Yesterday, I was watching Will as he played with his Buzz Lightyear toy.

This is no exceptional picture, really just a snapshot of what we do around here a lot (which is play).

I loved his expression of contemplation and maybe thinking

about what he might do next.

I processed it minimally using Lightroom and then CS3.

Removed some of the afternoon snack of an apple he'd eaten previously off his face

 and boosted the contrast with curves.

Also removed some noise in Lightroom because my ISO was up.

I have no idea where this is going to go, other than getting me to take pictures more often.

They may be snapshots, portraits, a landscape, an object in my home, or something silly...who knows.
I may write a little story with it or not.

I will write about how I processed the image. (I think).

Happy Friday! :)

black and white Wednesday - clean slate

What the caterpillar calls the end,

the rest of the world calls a butterfly.

~ Lao Tzu

There is something that's just so great about new beginnings and starting over.
A new year, and new decade where we get to begin again
and write our story.

 I really had nothing for Black and White Wednesday this week.
And didn't feel like going out in the bitter cold to shoot.
So took these yesterday of the flower in an antique bowl.

 I heartily welcome the new year and all the positive changes it will bring.

And hope 2011 is good to you!

Hop on over to Lisa's Black and White Wednesday for many more pics,

and see what she's up to...

(five!)

I don't know how you can look at the above picture
 and not smile,

even just a little bit.

Will is 5!

We officially celebrated his special day on Thanksgiving weekend when our entire family was gathered

at Grandma and Grandpa's house.

With a Christmas birthday, I feel like it's important to try and not let his birthday celebration

get lost in Christmas.

Next year he'll have a party with his friends too.

He's not a toddler anymore, he's definitely a little boy.

At five he loves to build with his TRIO sets,

anything Lightning McQueen, play games on his DS he got for Christmas,
sing, dance, draw,

and (presently) his very favorite thing is to play in the snow with his sister.
(The past 2 previous Winters he's been less than enthusiastic about going outside).

2 months ago I couldn't see that he was anywhere near ready
 for Kindergarten, but

 can confidently say now he

 will be ready in all ways to start

in the Fall.
He's an amazing little guy.

Will is a joy and everyone
 that meets him falls in love immediately

with this special child!