New fun blog photo contest!

So, I was reading a blog I follow and found another site that does weekly photo contests. I love contests like these because I love seeing others people's entries and I love getting the feedback from others so I decided to join in on the fun.

This week's theme at Trendy Treehouse is summer fun. I have tons and tons of pictures of my kids enjoying summer activities ranging from eating melty-sticky popsicles to playing on slip and slides, or hanging out at the beach which makes my choice a difficult one.

In the end I chose a new edit of a picture I took last summer which still stands as one of my favorite beach shots. This is a picture of my oldest, Jesse heading out into the ocean with the boogie board for his first time.

I Heart Faces "Pets" Week

So, I didn't think I'd enter this week but decided to share an animal picture anyway. We don't have any pets (well, not since Magic the beta died last week) and even then he was very camera shy. I know because he'd always hide behind the plant when I stuck my camera up to the bowl. lol

I really like this squirrel picture and I decided that since I kept him quite fed and happy through the winter of blizzards, that he counted. :)

I actually took this picture one snowy day this winter as he was sneaking down to steal the bird food I'd put out. I guess he was waiting his turn.

More Editing Fun

The Pioneer Woman is having one of her photo contests this week and this time the theme is bugs and creepy crawlies. They are always fun to enter (one of mine was even featured once!) so I decided to go back through some old shots and find a new one to play with and enter.

I love taking a second look at my shots after some time has passed because I always seem to find shots that I didn't notice before. I never even looked at this butterfly shot twice when I took it, but today it inspired me to play with the edit, upload it and enter it into the contest.

Before and After

This afternoon I was bored and decided to go through some of the pictures I have taken recently and find one to edit. I decided on a pic of Claudia in the pool this weekend. (Yeah for summer weather!)

I decided to share the before and after because I like how it turned out and because I used Paint Shop Pro Photo X2 and not photoshop or lightroom like the majority of photographers and enthusiasts (I got it cheap and it's very easy to use so I've stuck with it. I've used Lightroom and love it but would rather put the $ towards a new lens or other item right now.) :)

I'm still learning and exploring all the changes I can make and what looks good and what doesn't, but I don't think I do too badly.

BEFORE:

AFTER:


I will probably go back and make more adjustments sometime, but for now I am happy with it.

Play!!

I had a hard time deciding on a picture to enter in this week's contest at I Heart Faces. Of course, having five kids, I have tons and tons of pictures of them playing. In the end I picked this one:



I love the expression on his face. And there's those green stripes he painted on his face. Because you can't really be a super-ninja-jedi-warrior without green stripes on your face. :)

Opening Day continued

At the end of the parade, the kids all lined up on the American League field for the opening ceremonies.

Anakin's team lined up.

We were lucky that Anakin's game was first up for the day so we went straight from opening ceremonies to the field. Anakin got in the dugout and got his stuff togehter.

We had to tighten his ball cap so much and every time he puts it on without brushing his hair back it pushes his ears out and his hair hangs down and he looks a little elf-like. Oh, and of course he's like the tiniest kid on his team. lol

In t-ball, they have two innings and all the kids on each team get to bat each inning. There are no outs and no score taken.

Anakin's Opening Day (Picture heavy!)

Last week was little league opening day. Anakin was so excited to be in the parade through town that morning. We had to be up and at the high school at ten minutes to eight in the morning for team pictures and to line up for the parade. We got him there and settle on his teams float and left to meet him at the end of the parade route where they'd be having the opening ceremonies.

Of course I had my camera and tried to get decent shots all the teams. I loved seeing how excited the little ones were and laughed at the less than enthusiastic older kids that were too cool to smile and wave.

A town cop led the way through town followed by Little Miss and Miss Sesquicentennial (we just celebrated out towns 150th birthday this past fall).

After that came the town's volunteer fire department vehicles.

And the marching band playing kung fu fighting. lol

And then the teams! First up are the tball teams, followed by coach pitch on up.



Here comes Anakin's team!
















Of course the kids on the fire dept team really get to ride in style.

Our neighbor's team! He has befriended Anakin and even let him come play catch with him and his brother. :)




Love this one girl! lol


cont in next post!