Summer Scenes

Joel graciously took all three kids fishing this afternoon which finally allowed me some uninterrupted, quiet time to catch up on my editing.  We’ve been having so much fun this summer that I just haven’t been able to keep up on my editing and blogging.  I’m not complaining, though, because I’m thankful for all the fun family time we’ve been able to enjoy so far this summer.

Here’s just a brief snapshot of what this last week looked like for us…

1.  Lots of swimming … with temperatures in the upper 80’s nearly all week, we spent a lot of time in the water, staying cool!

2.  The fair parade … for the 2nd year our kids got to participate in the parade thanks to their Grandpa who pulled all the grandkids on a wagon behind his tractor.  They threw candy and waved to the crowds and loved every minute of it!

3.  Play time … Katelyn has been super imaginative with her play this week, which I love to watch and listen to!

4.  More imaginative play in the form of the Harstine hair salon … Katelyn set it all up on the deck … Andrew got his hair done first and then the boys took over and not only did Katelyn’s hair but also gave her a shoulder massage!  It was super cute to watch Andrew try and manage her long, tangly hair and to see Matthew gently rubbing his sister’s shoulders.  So sweet!

5.  Pottery camp for Katelyn … She is definitely our artsy, creative girl and so this four day morning camp was a perfect creative outlet for her.  Her creations will be on display in a few weeks when the pottery place hosts an end-of-the-summer art show!  We can’t wait to see what she worked so hard on.

6.  Visiting a local flower garden … We’ve driven by this garden, which sits right in the middle of our town, countless times but had never gone in and walked around until this week.  It was gorgeous and I got lots of great flower shots, which I will share this week sometime.

7.  County Fair … It just wouldn’t be summer without a visit to our local fair.  And it wouldn’t be a visit to the fair without fair food for supper, a stroll through the tractors and a walk through the midway rides.  We’re not really fair rides people (we prefer to look at the animals, exhibits, etc.) but they do make for fun pictures!

So that was our week in a nutshell.  Lots of fun summer activities and even more fun summer memories!

Psalm 116:5

I think I’ll just let the scripture do the talking for today…

The sky’s the limit

Our local fireworks show was supposed to take place last Saturday evening.  But around mid-evening the skies darkened and a huge storm rolled through.  We kept watching the radar hoping that the storm would pass in time to still watch the fireworks.  They eventually did postpone the show until the following night but we didn’t know that until we drove into town to investigate.

On our way into town, the skies were just incredible … yellows to the north and purples and pinks to the south.

We may not have been able to see a man-made show last Saturday night, but we sure did enjoy the show put on by the Creator of the Universe!

Kissing Kitties

I am not a huge cat fan, but seriously could this be any cuter?

Every so often we are visited by stray cats.  We’ve learned the hard way … unless you want them to stick around and pretty much take over the backyard, do not feed them!  But that doesn’t mean we can’t let them entertain us for a few minutes.  Last week we were visited by a momma and four of her kittens.  They promptly made themselves at home on our deck for a short time and I couldn’t help but catch their playful antics with my camera.  The tan one was always the instigator and even though these two were rolling around and wrestling like true siblings, I love how it looks like they are giving each other a kiss.  So sweet!

Thankfully, they went on their way a short time later and they haven’t been back since … which in all honesty, is fine by me!

Think Pink!

With the exception of the first shot of a gorgeous sunset that we were blessed to enjoy over the weekend, this post is all about flowers.  If you’ve followed my blog or my pictures for any amount of time, you know that besides taking pictures of my kiddos, flowers are by far my favorite subject.  (And sometimes I even prefer them over my kids because they always cooperate and never talk back!)

My macro lens has quickly become my favorite because it almost never fails me and it allows me to capture the details of a flower that I would not otherwise be able to capture.  I love getting really close and seeing things through the eye of my lens.  A friend of mine recently posed this question on facebook … “What is something that really makes you happy or passionate for life?”  Flowers and being able to capture them with my camera is one of those things for me.  I love me a good flower shot!

Without further adieu, I present to you my take on pink…

I’ve really enjoyed this color series and I thank those of you who’ve taken the time to take a look at my pictures and even, at times, leave comments!  You are all a blessing to me!  It’s such a gift to be able to see and enjoy all the colors of our beautiful world!

Blue

After a few days of absence from blogging in exchange for a few days of spending time with family over the holiday weekend, I am back to resume my color series.  Today features one of my favorites … blue!

Blue has always been one of favorite colors … it represents peace and calm … the sky and the sea (or lake as is the case here).

These shots span a period of a few weeks and are a representation of our visit to Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park as well as several outings on the boat at a local lake.

Today is also Sweet Shot Tuesday at Life With My 3Boybarians.  To see more sweet shots, click HERE.  Tomorrow I will conclude my color series with the color pink.  Hope to see you then!

White

Isaiah 1:18 … “Come now, let us settle the matter,”  says the LORD.  “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.”

Revelation 20:11 … Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it.  The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them.

Revelation 19:14 … The armies of heaven were following him, riding white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean.

Revelation 19:11 … I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True.  With justice he judges and wages war.

Revelation 14:14 … I looked, and there before me was a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was one like a son of man with a crown of gold on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand.

Revelation 6:2 … I looked, and there before me was a white horse!  Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.

clean …

pure …

without blemish…

perfect…

White!