No blog time for me today (except this quick post). I am spending my birthday with my family. Have a great day. I know I will.

fPhoto Friday

The Washington Monument and the National Mall.

I Introduce To You...

Lens Flare. Have you met him yet? I have just recently been aquainted with him and he and I are becoming quite chummie buddies. Allow me the honor...

This was a shot I took while on our trip to Washinton D.C. We had the opportunity to visit the National Cathedral. Well, let me back up. With a over stimulated, hungary, don't want to sit in the stroller toddler, we were able to touch our feet to the floor and that's about it. And get this quick shot.

OK, back to the introductions. This first shot is the straight out of the camera shot. Very blah and very boring and just all wrong. The only editing I did was to resize it for the web.



This leds me to my next visual for today's post. Here is my edited version and do you see that bright light in the distance? That, my friends, is lens flare. Kinda adds an angelic feel don't ya think?

There are so many things you can do with this filter. Let me also state that I am opporating in Photoshop CS3 so if you're in another editing program it may be in a different location. To access this fun little trick go to filter>render>lens flare. I used the 105mm prime lens and adjusted the opacity however, you can use any effects you'd like.

Take this next picture as an example. To the regular eye this is a plain garden but with Photoshop (and Lens Flare) I have created an enchanted garden. Fun, huh?

Go ahead. Don't be shy. Introduce yourself and you'll be friends for life.

Vietnam Memorial

Surprise Souvenir

We are back and I must share the souvenir I got from our trip. Yes, it is a rare blue diamond. Isn't my husband so thoughtful? He was so patient with me to stand in line to get a picture of this rare beauty. My souvenir...a color copy photograph of the Hope Diamond.

My tangible trip souvenir was a $6 Christmas Ornament.

fPhoto Friday

Out and About

Out touring our Nation's Capital. To be continued...

Zinnia Sprouts

This was taken ONE WEEK after planting the seeds. Can you believe it? It's been longer than a week since I've planted them, I'm just late posting about it. Very soon they will be ready to transplant outside!

fPhoto Friday

I've gone green. Have you?

Childproof Drawer

Anyone know where I can purchase one of these?

The Perfect Love Story

I recently did a children's message in worship service about love. The kids named off all the wonderful things they love: families, puppies, ice cream, etc. Even though those are wonderful things to love, I wanted to share a true story with them about a Perfect Love. This illustration was shared with me by my wonderful Nana and I wanted to share it with you, using all but one piece of paper.

The Perfect Love Story Begins...

It all began with three crosses. The middle cross was marked with a sign that read, "King of the Jews". The soldiers gambled, taking bets, on clothing articles. Even one of the soldiers pierced the side of the man with a spear. The man we Christians call Jesus. Although this did not seem like a happy story, we know that a few days later, Jesus was raised from the grave. What a joyous hope for all followers that we may not be ensnared by death, but through Jesus we have Life. Eternal Life! We can now follow Jesus' example to love others just as He loves us. That is the Perfect Love Story!

Before you watch the video:
1. Turn your computer volume on mute! I didn't have a place to rest my video camera so that it would be forward facing, therefore, I had to hold the end in my mouth! Go ahead and laugh. But if you leave your volume on high, I'll have the last laugh. The speaker is right, literally, beside my mouth, and there was no way I could hold my breath for 3+minutes. And no, I do not suffer from sinus congestion.

2. If you have a weak equilibrium, please take a sea sick patch and proceed with caution. Again, because I was forced to hold the camera in my mouth, are you still laughing about that, the picture is not very steady. I have impeccable hand-eye coordination, but my camera-mouth coordination is lacking greatly.

3. If you are wondering why I did not commentate on the video, have you already forgotten I had to hold the camera in my mouth? How many times are you going to make me state that? Make sure you read the written video commentary above. If not, the video won't be as powerful. The highlighted print in the story above are the focused points in the video.

4. This is my first video, please be patient. I hope this can become a powerful witnessing tool you can share with your friends, family, and children!




Side Note- You can also spell out the word, h**l, to illustrate the place for those who reject Jesus' teachings, but for the sake of the children's sermon and this post, I chose to leave that part out.

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to my loving, precious mother AND my loving, precious Mother-In-Law!

To My Mother,
Thank you for giving me life and raising me to be the person I am today. I strive daily to exhibit the forgiveness, gentle hand, and dedication you showed to me.

To My Second Mother,
Thank you for giving life to my loving husband and raising him to be the person he is today. Your love, forgiveness, and gentle hand have translated from his life to mine for which I am so blessed.

I am so thankful for not one mother, but two. I love you both dearly, each in individual ways.

fPhoto Friday

Day at the park.

River God

I can't get this song out of my head. I love it.

fPhoto Friday

Raindrop on the Tulip.

Camera: Canon XSi
f/7.1, 1/60 sec., ISO-100