Breaking the rules

Tonight since it's crappy cold and rainy I spent hours in front of this screen editing photos. For some reason I like this photo cropped breaking the rule of thirds.

Here is the photo SOOC

Here is the photo following the rule of thirds

Here is the photo breaking the rules

Up North

We spent some time Up North at Dad and Joanne's house. Sharon, Bruce, Jarrod, Ashley and Kevin were spending one more night there and since John and I didn't have to work we decided to take a trip up and enjoy some more time with them. I'm so glad we did, we spent Sunday night looking at old pictures, talking about old times and since Sharon is the oldest and I'm forth from the bottom we didn't really remember each other's stories so we learned a lot about each other. With all the stories and the goofy pictures Jarrod and Ashley really learned about their mother and her brothers and sisters.

Couple highlights - There were lots of bike pictures where we staged bike accidents right by the highway to see if anyone would stop and help us. There were 4-5 bikes piled on top of 4-5 kids with our legs tangled around the bikes and each other. We just laid there until someone got bored. I don't remember anyone ever stopping to help us but Mom must have taken lots of pictures of us. There are pictures of us sitting in the ditch, why did we like to play so close to the highway when we had acres of grass?

There was a family vacation that Mom and Dad took us on.... they didn't take Sharon or Starla. Sharon doesn't remember why and neither does Dad. I told Sharon that she was in her room reading (where she spent all her time) and we forgot her. Can you imagine taking 9 kids on vacation?

I found a baby picture of me, so far it's the only one I have. I am 3 months old.... so I guess I still could have been adopted, they just got me before I was 3 months old. ;) I really look adopted don't I?

We spent today at the rapids and by the sandy beach exploring and taking lots of pictures. We collected a few momentos for Ashley and Kevin to take back home and also a truck box partially full of rocks for Sharon.

It was a great time, I took a couple hundred photos but here's the photo that says everything about Dad and Joanne's home. Don't you just want to come visit.

Another wedding pic

The day after a family wedding is always rough, you feet hurt so bad, your legs feel like stumps, your head hurts, you have food and beer to eat and drink and that's the last thing you want to do. We'll we did it, everything is cleaned up, all food is safely in the fridge or freezer, the decorations are all put back in storage and we lightened the quarter barrel a bit more.

I loved this picture of Sara and Marcus eating the cake. Marcus was not suppose to smear the cake in her face but of course he did anyway. Here's the look Sara gave him..... she's so damn cute.

Marcus and Sara's Wedding

Today our nephew Marcus married the sweetest girl ever. Sara is a wonderful addition to our family and they couldn't be happier. It was a beautiful wedding and a really good time.

Congratulations Marcus and Sara, We Love You

DiAnn's 500 Grandchildren

I've had such a busy week with decorating for Marcus's wedding and helping with the garage sale at Jeannie's, but I made time today to stop and see the 500 babies, they are so stinkin' cute.

DiAnn just happen to get mom and dad out to their summer home and while cleaning up their winter home Tom noticed a couple hundred eye balls looking back at him. They shined the flashlight to get a closer look and sure enough there were babies everywhere. They have grown to more than just eyeballs, now they are specs with eyeballs and really skinny tails.

Meet the 500 give or take a hundred babies, you can only see about 25 of them in the picture since they are so see thru and blend right in with the tank decorations.

As of right now they don't have names picked out :)

Happy Birthday Adam

Adam turns 19 today, seems like just last year we were leaving the kids on this weekend to go to Country Fest, but of course I cried and cried all weekend that I was leaving my baby on his birthday so I couldn't have any fun at all so we stopped going after 2 or 3 years just for him.

The first year I was feeling so bad then we go to the beer tent and I get checked for my ID..... what, you have to be kidding me, my baby is 5 today and you have to card me.... and the rest of them walk right in and leave me standing there with no ID..... Oh don't worry I finally did get in when I showed them a picture of my THREE children. Now he's at Fest and didn't have any problem leaving me this morning.

I hope he doesn't have as much fun as we did back then, the first year I got a seatbelt for my lawn chair because I kept falling out of it. The second year I was much smarter.... I started practicing my drinking weeks before fest so I was good at it by the time it was here... yeah that didn't work so well either. I'm not sure what happened after that since my eyes were so blurry from all the salty tears....

Now really we did miss Adam's birthday those years but we certainly made up for the lost time.

Happy Birthday Buddy we love you very much and hope you have a wonderful time at Fest... be safe, no drinking or smoking and wear your seatbelt!

Delphinium's are starting

The Delphinium's are starting to bloom, I have lots of them and so far the wind hasn't knocked them over. I think this one is called King Arthur, they are blue and purple iridescent. I planted them with Martha Stewart seeds just shaken on the ground, they have come back and spread for along time. I buy different kinds at the nursery's and I can't get them to come back for more than 2 years.

I love how it looks like a spiral staircase to me. I remember two of them when I was a kid, one inside my brother-in-law's parents house (next to Julie and Patty's house) and the other was in Deb's apartment?? I think.... somewhere that Julie, Patty and I used to hang out when we didn't want to go home. Deb always covered for us.... I mean.... we spent a lot of time with Deb.

What's growing in my garden

I thought this would be harder than what it was. I'm not completely satisfied with it but I have a busy week so I'll have to perfect the mosaic technique later.

It's Summertime

I love this hot weather, the hotter the better. I know some people don't like the humidity but I don't mind at all. This afternoon John and I went for a Jeep ride to Lynn's and I was wearing a sweater and we had the top up. When we left John had put the top down and we drove home the back way, I didn't even have my sweater on, that's a miracle for me. It was so nice and warm and the breeze was even warm, sounds like we have more days of the same coming.

Summertime

Great Grandma

Great Grandma Fran was holding Mallory yesterday. This is great grandchild number 10 for the Hemmers and number 13 for the Emmerichs. That's pretty amazing that they are so close since Gilbert and Fran had 5 boys and Earl and Lea had 6 boys and 5 girls.

The Hemmer side is still growing with another baby on the way but the Emmerich side is done..... for a while anyway, I'm sure that some day the 13 will double.

Great Party

Today is party day, I haven't sat down in the last 4 days, one drink and I'll be done, D_U_N done (famous words of Tom Henke, many, many years ago). Here is the one picture I took the entire day. I had so much other stuff to think about that I forgot to take pictures, I also forgot to cut the cake and about 11:00 PM Jeannie mentioned the word grapes...... crap I forgot the grape salad in the house fridge!

Great day, good food, family and friends, great party

Free Box

Even though I had tons of stuff to do I made time to go garage saleing with a friend on Thursday. We had so much fun laughing at people's junk. I bought tons of clothes for Elly, my friend and her daughter were helping me find the cutest stuff. She should be set for school with brand name stuff along with knee high brown boots with heels. Elly was so excited to see all her stuff she went through everything making piles of shirts, skirts, pants, sweaters and swimsuits. I should have taken a picture of that, there were piles.

I did get the best deal ever for myself. It was in the FREE box, gotta love that and I had to have it because I envisioned the treasure. My friend got one too, hers was a different shape and a little newer model, so she had to pay a quarter.

Check out my steal, I'm thinking this might be traveling to the wedding next weekend.

I got the chair below it too that day for $2.00, it's perfect in the garden, but it mayt be a little to good for the weather to ruin it just yet so I might be bringing that in and giving it a facelift.

Don't try this at home....

Daddy's helmet was still all sweaty and muddy from his last adventure but that didn't stop us from sticking little Mallory inside. She slept so good through the whole thing and then, this is the part we didn't think about. How do you get her out? There's not enough room to put your hands down her back.... you can't push her up from the face opening.... you can't get a hold of her anywhere to pull her out.... she can't slide all the way through. So now what, she's stuck in the helmet, my potatoes are boiling over, I have to pick up Elly and Garrett from daycare. Stress!!! But we got her out, don't fear she slept through the whole getting out process and daddy has his helmet back, mud and all.

Daddy's little girl

Soccer Game

Elly's first soccer game was tonight. She was so excited to play a real game, I picked her up from daycare and took them to the school playground until it was time to play. I hauled the cooler with El and Garrett's supper, the car seat, El's soccer ball, the blanket and my water bottle to the playground.... it's a long haul with all that stuff and Garrett is no light little baby any more. El plays for about 2 minutes and then she has to go potty..... WHAT??? We haul all the stuff back to the truck and find a porta potty by the ball diamond, thank goodness it was clean and there was sanitizer stuff in it. Now we drive back to the playground area and haul all the stuff back out but this time I make her sit closer to the truck and eat her supper. She loved the soccer ball I bought her and she was playing in her flip flops so I try on the cleats that Shawna gave her and they fit so she ran around the parking lot dribbling the soccer ball while eating her sandwich.

Shan just gets done working 15 minutes before game time and El has to change into her stuff yet, she is a nervous wreck waiting for mom to get there. She changes in my truck and flies to the field. I hope John doesn't look in the truck.... it's got shoes, shirts, socks, carseats, supper remains everywhere.... he doesn't like it when I leave a gum wrapper in there.

The game starts and believe it or not the kids looked great, they acted like they knew what to do, why were they so confused Monday night? They were awesome and it was so fun to watch them. El is more of a cheerleader than an aggressive soccer player, here she is showing her delight for their team's goal.

Here she is getting a shot at the ball, it's hard for her to get in there and play, but she's learning, must be the new shoes...... Thanks Shawna Now I just have to try to explain it to her that these shoes she can only wear for soccer, you know her and her shoes.

The favorite part of the game...... high fives!!!

1st year Soccer

Last night I went to watch El at her soccer practice. I picked her and Garrett up from daycare, did a few errands and then went to Subway (her choice) and she ate an entire 6" sub..... ham and cheese with very little mayo, that's it nothing else. While she ate she sang the "Five dollar, five dollar foot long" commercial. So now it's off to practice and she is so excited that she has a real game on Wednesday. Oh these little guys are so fun to watch, they kinda get the idea but not really. Sometimes they forget what goal they are suppose to be heading for, they are tired and just lay down on the grass, they would dribble that ball all the way to the next town if the coach didn't blow the whistle. I always wanted to take sports pictures to practice my fast shutter..... I'm thinking I might have to wait a couple years yet :)


El is number 3, one of the little boys said the team name was the Green Beans, it's really the Green Dragons. hee hee hee

I did a Photoshop Panoramic experiment, photos not at all related to sew together but it worked.

Sneak Peek

I took photos today for a wonderful family. They had such fun humoring me with all my nonsense photo's, even though Dad grumbled a little I think he even had a good time. Poor guy with all those daughters.... Here's a sneak peek girls, they really are fun looking and show your true personalities.

When I asked them to walk the plank they thought I totally lost it.... but look how cute this is.

Same Pic with a little sepia tone.

Tough girls on the tracks.... do you know how hard it was for them to stop smiling for these poses? I needed the hard edge mood here.

I guess I didn't edit any with Mom and Dad but it's late so that may have to come another day.

Won a Bet

John won a bet with his brother Ed today. He bet Ed on Thursday that it would be at least 75 degrees on Sunday and Ed said..... "I bet you a 12 pack that it will not hit 75 on Sunday" So since today hit over 75 degrees brother Ed and wife Jeannie pulled in with a 12 pack paying his bet. John grinning ear to ear with victory, however he didn't know that Ed would help him drink his winnings along with brother Ken and nephew David. It was a wonderful afternoon of laughs. The container that I emptied on Friday was filled by the end of the day. What a wind down Sunday.... oh look out early morning Monday, it could be a long day. Those Hemmer boys and their Miller High Life.

Bonus Saturday (3 pics) P'sOTD :)

Mallory with her new Mommy and Daddy

Elly with her new little cousin, she loves this little girl even though she wasn't real excited about another little girl coming into this family. She held her for a long time and filled her with kisses. Love those eyelashes.

And he's our little man Garrett, you have to love those eyes. He is such a handful now, he's sitting up by himself and also creepy around wherever you don't want him to be. He puts his arms out to come to you and waves bye-bye. I couldn't get a picture of him with Mally cuz all he wanted to do was chew on her like one of his toys.

Sunset in a hayfield

What a beautiful day and a gorgeous sunset. More friends came for flowers today and I am finally getting ahead of the Poppies and Kiss Me Over the Garden Gate. However...... if you want more Kiss Me (hint, hint Laurie) you need to come over next week otherwise it will all be pulled up and thrown away. I will save it for the end but the paths need to be mulched and walkable by Adam's party next weekend and right now they are not!!

We had a fire in the pit tonight but while the sun was setting I'm sitting in the hay field (and I'm very allergic) taking pictures of the weeds, what am I possibly going to do with all these photos that I think I need to take??

Take goodness for digital.

Here's my favorite of the night.

Stream of blue

My garden in the spring has lots of blue. This creepy blue tiny flower stream I got from Starla lots of years ago has no name, she was trying to get rid of it since it will kill everything else in it's path. I have the perfect spot for it so I've let it go crazy and when it blooms it's worth it.

Snowdrop and it feels like it....

Here's my Snowdrop Anemone and it feels like snow could drop.... isn't it June? I did get some gardening done today, I swear the weeds are growing while I sleep at night. All this rain and cool weather the plants are liking it, we're not but they are.

I love the photos I take from under the flowers but I'm sure I look really stupid out there laying on my back with my head under the plants.... oh well the photos are worth the drive by crazy looks. Too bad the skys were so gray, this would have been fabulous with blue skies.

First day home

Photoshop Tuesday has been delayed for a more important event.

Today Mallory came home from the hospital, she is so beautiful I had to take some fun photos of her. Jesse, Lynn and Mallory are all doing well, she is very comfortable in her home with all her new things. Maggie has even taken to her after a few sniffs.

She's so much easier to snuggle at home than in the hospital, I could have stayed there all night.

Fiber Optic Grass

I love this Fiber Optic Grass. Hopefully they like lots and lots of rain......

She's here.... (pictures added)

Mallory Rae Frey has arrived. She is 8 pounds, 21 inches long. We are going to see her this afternoon so I'll update with pictures when we get home.

Daddy was pretty excited this morning when he called and Mallory was in the background telling Grandma and Grandpa hello for the first time. We haven't talked with Lynn yet but Jesse said she is doing well. This having grandbabies is stressful, I hardly slept last night and this was the longest morning in history. Thank goodness this little girl wasn't born in Oregon.

Update:

Lynn looks great for having 12 hours of labor, she was getting tired by the time we left. I was sucha bundle of nerves until I seen Lynn, I wasn't worried about Mallory or Jesse, I just wanted to see my little girl and make sure she was okay. There's something about being a mom that makes you worry about them forever. Jesse and Lynn now have their own miracle.

Jesse, Lynn and Mallory Frey - Their first family photo

Here's a bonus pic of Mallory in Grandpa's arms. I thought she looked like Jesse at the hospital but now in my pictures I think I see Lynn's lips and nose. She is very fine featured, she doesn't look like a 8 pound baby. Lynn says it's all in her thighs, Shannon says "we like babies with chubby thighs, their easier to give shots to".

Inside honey-do list

Since blueberry did not come today and it's rainy and cold outside we decided to stain the columns. We were going to do this when we did the windows but since we can't seem to get a warm or dry weekend we tackled them today and we'll have to do the windows at a later date.

They look fantastic and they still need a couple more coats of poly in the morning.
Check them out all stained warm and yummy brown...

I liked them before here without stain, now I love them and when looking back at pictures without them here the house looks naked. What a great improvement... good idea I had huh John?

After looking back I haven't given you an update of the house in a long time so I'll do that when the newspaper is off the walls and the furniture is all put back in place.

What 5AM looks like

Everyday my alarm went off between 5:00 and 5:15, I pushed the snooze 2 times before getting up. (a little useless information about me.... I have to get up and walk across the bedroom to hit the snooze and I do that at least two or three times climbing back in bed and sleeping within that 9 minutes) This morning when I don't have to go to work I am awake at 4AM with John and I can't get back to sleep. My mind is spinning with everything from work to no work, what is going to happen, how will I get through this, what did I do wrong.... I know there isn't answers for any of these questions but when you let your mind run wild it seems to answer them all with a lot of negative responses. I'm not willing to let that happen so I got up and started my day.

This is what 5AM looks like.

By the end of this weekend we should have a Miss Blueberry, she went to the doctor today and they thinks she's moving along quite well and expect her back before the weekend is up. Don't hold your breath but keep checking back and I'll keep you updated.

New

I have a new direction, I have a world of opportunities, I have lots of wonderful friends and a loving family, I have a beautiful home and I have lots of free time on my hands for awhile....

John thought since I had a horrible day he would buy me a present. It was the sweetest present ever. I love it thank you honey. I'll have this done in a week with all my new free time, what's the plan for the next 3 months?

Did I hear anyone say......Spoil Ellyn, Garrett and Blueberry, I thought so. Here's my present and he even unloaded it for me.

Not gonna be good

Tomorrow I have a feeling is not going to be a good day. I've meet a lot of wonderful people with having to expand my co-workers into another city and they came to visit me at home Tuesday night and we dug up lots of flowers. They were the funnest group and you could just tell that they have become a work family and I am now feeling like part of their family. But today we've been given sad news that some have had to take a long-term layoff. I'm feeling very sorry for whomever it effects today and I have a bad feeling it will effects many others tomorrow.

Until then I hope this guy makes you smile, this world has got to turn around soon.

Momma is waiting (Photoshop Tuesday)

Today is due date for Blueberry..... this momma is still waiting for her babies to hatch. She doesn't look happy!!


And so is Momma Robin, she is right by my garden gate and she does not like the traffic by her nest and of course I have to torment her by trying to get a picture and not just a picture but the very perfect photo so 30 shots later and I still don't have the one that I really want. Every time I get there and the camera beeps she hops up or her head is the wrong way, if she would just cooperate with me I would leave her alone. And no this isn't the perfect photo, I never did get it, but I'm not done trying either.


SOOC

Cropped, added lightness to the center, added a border, added scratch texture.

Trash to Treasure Coffee Table

Found a couple of steals at the Garage Sale I visited on Friday. First I found this huge round mirror, heavy duty with a old frame and the best part..... $2.00 I didn't know what I would do with it but I just needed it 1) it was a steal 2) it was round, old and big and 3) if I couldn't use it I'm sure we could use it for decorating. Well I brought in the stand for our patio ice/beer bucket and used the mirror to make a coffee table. I love it!

See the yellow chair in the background? That's my other steal of a deal, same garage sale, mint condition, freshly cleaned, cute, annnnnnddddd it was $5.00 aaannnndddd there were 2 of them. I wasn't sure if I needed both of them but for $10.00 for the pair I could easily sell them at our garage sale and double my money or Lynn needs a chair in blueberry's room and it happens to be yellow. So far I have them both in the livingroom, Adam wants to know where the old people chairs came from. Friday night him and Michelle sat in them reading the paper, fighting and bickering back and forth.... now who's chair's are they?