Talk about your specific focus...

Have a good week!

This week is starting with the kids going to the zoo with the church youth group. To say they are excited is an understatement. I have to work, but there will be enough older kids from church to help out. The week after next I work everyday, so I plan on enjoying as much of this week at home as I can. 2 weeks from tomorrow (I think) Kate starts back to school.

Didn't she start kindergarten yesterday? HA!

But, first grade is next week.

Thank goodness Brooks still has another year at home.

Kate and Buttercup

This week has been a typical week at our house. Got the typical things finished, the typical chores completed and typical dinners eaten. Sometimes I crave the routine and sometimes it frustrates me. But, I crave it much more.

I am working on perfecting this new camera and the software. It seems that I would choose one or the other to perfect first. Oh well, it just never seems to work out that way. These are some I took outside today. I did a lot of editing on Kate's face, and in the second I seemed fail to correct what looks like a black eye of her right eye in the second picture...

There was a photography class being offered this weekend in Nashville but it just didn't work out to attend. Shoot! :) Haha.

This smile is the best

It has been raining here a lot this summer! The first half we went weeks without a drop, and lately we have had a good shower every day.

Our deck is finished, except for the sealing. Herein lies our problem: our much needed rain is preventing us from finishing the task. So, we decided to tackle an inside project!

This morning we pulled up the carpet in the dining room. There is slab underneath which wasn't a surprise to me. Scott got all the tack board up also. We figure that we can get the walls finished (prep/paint) prior to laying the hardwood. After getting the quote to have it done for us, we decided that we are going to try to tackle this ourselves. I keep watching videos on DIY network about laying hardwood. The room is small and square, so that in itself makes it easier.

I also made watermelon sorbet today - my first attempt. I had made a plum sorbet a few weeks ago and it turned out really good. We cut a watermelon last night after dinner and it was pretty good. I just didn't want the rest to go to waste. It takes 8 hours to set. We'll see tonight!

Brooks ate lasagna last night for supper! He has been so picky his whole life - and here recently I have been able to get him to try some new things (with a threat from the spoon sometimes!) He tried it, said he didn't like it immediately, and a few minutes later asked for some more. :) Made this Mom's day! I reheated it for lunch today, and he said: "Thank you Mama for giving me lasagna again!"

Wow.

Frank

Here is our outside cat, Frank.

He is a good cat. I am glad that we live in a quiet area where he is safe!

Mally

This is Mally.

She almost ended up with another home.

She was driving me crazy.

But, somehow, a light went off in the past 2 months. She loves staying with us now. No more running away when going to potty. No more having to walk her on a leash outside. She loves riding in the car and going to the clinic. No accidents in the house in months.

I am truly loving this dog now. I thought she was a good dog when I got her, but it took some adjusting on all our parts. But, I was right.

We are so glad she is ours!

Manual practice

I am really getting into using my camera manually as I should. I have been reading and re-reading a camera book I purchased over a year ago trying to understand. And, I feel like I'm starting to get it!

So, here is an attempt to take some pictures at low light. (I am talking out loud here if this makes no sense). I used my lowest aperture (f/1.8) and dialed my iso up to 1600 (highest setting). With the aperture dialed high, I am letting more light into my camera, and my increased iso hopefully helped take away some of the grainy look that I usually get with lower light.

What I haven't figured out is how to dial down my iso and increase my shutter speed (I haven't figured out how to change my aperture and shutter speed at the same time - I can just do one or the other).

The pictures are good, I think. They aren't as clear as I would hope. I think if I had gone a little higher with my aperture it would have helped.

I have a great model, don't you think?