more, more, more

by now i am sure you are getting sick to death of seeing all my photoshop edits... i know {remember i have an addiction to it} it's probably not healthy to spend your free time messing with pictures when there are so many other productive things one could be doing. but i hope these tickle your fancy and inspire you to be creative in your own world and create some happiness in your life too .

buckets of fun?

yesterday the girls and i went out to pick pears for us to can and dehydrate. as you can see we have our work cut out for us... i'm super excited about it though! nothing like having tons of pear sitting on your backporch in kitty litter containers to keep one busy. i'm not too sure about my need to grow, can, save, and create lately, but it feels pretty good to be able to do all of these things for my family.

one cool chick

i am just a little too proud of this picture i took of jessica this weekend. not only is she absolutely beautiful {i can brag, remember i'm her mom} but i took a pretty cool picture too! {hold on while i pat myself on the back...} okay, i'm back! have a happy monday!

a very grateful person with a blessed life

so i 've been kinda a grump lately with most in my life. i've been taking on the world's problems and holding on to them for dear life. i tend to be a "principal" kinda girl and a little hard headed when it comes to most things too. but after reading my friends blog about the 10 things she was grateful for it made me stop and think about the things in my life i too am grateful for. i need to learn to let things go a little and "lighten up" as my dad would always tell me, but it's so stinking hard for me to do!! i have always been quick to judge and i don't forgive easily either, two traits that aren't that great, but hey no body's perfect.... so i sit here on this sunny sunday morning and am truly grateful for.....

1. that i woke up to greet a new day
2. that i have vision in my eyes to see the sun and all the beauty that surrounds me
3. that i have a wonderful husband who provides for our family so well
4. that i have three of the most wonderful, beautiful, thoughtful and respectful girls a mom could ask for
5. that i have an endless supply of food in my pantry, freezer, fridge, garden and stomach so that i will never feel hunger
6. that i can walk without pain caused from my arthritis
7. that i am able to spend my time how i like because i have a great life
8. that i am able to be a stay at home mom and spend everyday with the girls
9. that life is really good for me, even though at times i totally take it for granted
10. that i have all i could ever want and am content with what i have, no more, no less
11. that i was able to read that post and take this very moment to appreciate this day and those around me

may you and yours have a wonderful sunday, filled with love, hope, respect, kindness and blessings of all kinds.

last batch {for now}

i'm sure the cheesy quotes aren't for some, but i like and that's all that matters, right?

photoshop edits

pacific city oregon

lighthouse with it's reflection

since i purchased adobe photoshop elements i have been going thru my "collection" of pictures and messing with some of them. i have to admit, it's kinda become an addiction {but hey, admitting it's the first step, right?}. i love it. since i'm not a super creative person in real life, i can be here with all my billions of photos. so, get ready for a over load of them now and then and hope you are able to enjoy them as much as me!

more of our trip

i think at one point during the day we were actually at a higher elevation, but can't recall where

headed back to eastern oregon

how i spend my life, looking through a view finder

my honey telling me to "rock on" as were driving down the road!

day trip to bend

just a couple of shots from the back {heated} seat of the goldwing. it was an absolutely beautiful day, especially for a ride. i have be honest and tell ya that {for once} i listened to mark and didn't get my camera out before we went though the breathtaking part of the mountains so i didn't get any shots of those with the nikon, those are on my "mental memory card" taken with my "mental camera" as mark likes to tell me to use! argh! so i informed him will have to make a return trip :)! anyway, hope you enjoy the view from my point of view.

mack & his many expressions

yesterday i watch my new real life friend, lindsay's son Mack... let's just say this ones a keeper. we had alot of fun watching him and hope that he had fun hanging out with us. i thought i would attempt a couple of pictures of this little man since my kids don't like to cooperate when i take out the camera. i do have to admit though that i am a little crazy to be posting pictures i've taken when you consider his mom is pretty much a pro and takes the most amazing pictures of her kids. i have to say that i do feel a little intimidated about posting these, but what the heck you only post once! thanks for a great day mack hope you come over again sometime!

480 in one day

that would be 480 miles in one day on the back of mark's goldwing. we headed out this morning about 7:30am and headed to bend for a day ride. we made several stops along the way and ended up at our friend's corey and krista's house and then headed out for lunch at red robin. we also went to the cemetery to visit mark's dad, the nike outlet store to get jordan some shoes, janet's house to drop off a card and out to a place called brasada ranch {where we will be staying in a couple of weeks} with the thompson's for labor day weekend. it was an awesome day full of fun and amazing views {more of those to come tomorrow} from our long ride. we finally pulled in the garage at 7:45pm tonight, it was a long day but i am thankful i was able to spend it with my honey!

balloon torture

as usual things start out good, but quickly turn into...

this, then....

tears and more of .....

this.

poor josie, she thought it was going to be an innocent ride in the balloons, little did she know that it would be complete and utter torture at the hands of her sisters. to say that she disliked this ride would be an understatement... the look on her face is of complete terror however if you happen to notice the smiling and laughing faces that belong to her sisters, you'll know who really had fun on this ride. meanies....

it's fair time

the ladies and i headed to the fair on saturday and for once we got smart and left mark at home. you see, mark dislikes the fair but what he dislikes more than that is crowds {not just at the fair, anywhere for that fact}. so we used him as our transportation service for drop off, sweatshirt delivery and of course pick up at the end of the night. the girls had a great time and josie decided that she too has a dislike- for any ride that happens to go in 1. a circle and 2. up in the air {more pictures of that to come soon}. overall it was a lot of fun and of course we capped off the evening with an elephant ear, you can't leave the fair without standing in line {again} for like 20 minutes to get a brown paper grocery bag of cinnamon sugar happiness.

loveable indeed

i was just looking through old pictures and came across this one of jo last october. for some reason i just love this one of her....

missing this one

so our jordan has been gone since sunday at her friend bobbi's {dad's} house. i have to tell ya- my heart is really aching for my jordy to be home. it sounds horrible to admit this but it is nice at times to only have two kids in the house. i mean one less to feed, answer, order around, wash clothes for and other mom jobs, but it also kinda empty. i'm feeling a little lonely without her here. the house just isn't the same without her presence. her voice. her personality. her humor. her laugh. her help. i know that her sister's are missing her too. she is coming home friday and i tell ya it can't come soon enough for me. i can't imagine what life will be like when she is moved out and on her own. or even when they are all gone and on their own. it will be too quiet, i'm sure. although jess told mark she was never moving out {i'll get back to you on this one}! can't wait to see your smiling face jordan michele.... love, mom