Out and About

I'm heading out to the hospital in about 2 minutes now so I gotta hurry with this one.  ....I'm still getting out and taking pictures! In fact, I think I have a slight issue. I feel like I always have to be taking pictures. I'm not sure why but I just try to think, some things you just have to see for yourself and can't capture it in a picture. But that excuse doesn't work too often.  The top picture, just a leaf off the tree by the dock as you can see. The second one, my aunt found some rocks so I could stack them like this. I saw a picture sort of like that and wanted to try it out... and I like it! The corn field was taken at a friends house while out taking pictures, I like how as it gets farther away it curves down.  We lost my shutter release remote somewhere in this field but I've got another one on the way so I can take my star trail picture ASAP!

Photo shoot with Katrina

We have been planning on taking pictures for a while now and yesterday we finally got to it. It was very hot and humid and we were dying out in the heat but it wasn't as bad as a few days before. Earlier in the day I was out trying to get more pictures for the fair but it was too bright out for what I was trying to accomplish. Katrina was with while I took those ones too. I told her, lets get 500 pictures by tonight. Well I underestimated a little and ended up with over 1000 pictures. These are a few from the pictures I took of and with Katrina, just for fun of course.

More heat and storms!

Monday morning I woke up to the power flickering on and off. Then I heard thunder and looked outside and it was very very dark, and lots of lightning bolts. I had to get up and babysit anyways so I went and watched the storm and got a few pictures of the rain pouring off of the roof! It was really raining! I like storms like these though, they are so entertaining!

Rainy Day!

Its getting closer and closer to fair time, and fair means fair projects. I'm entered in I think about 45 photography projects so everyday I feel like I NEED to get pictures so I have enough to pick from for the fair. Yesterday I got out in the rain and took some pictures of things in the yard. Some of them turned out really neat. I used my close-up filters almost the entire time which didn't make anything easier but I needed them to get pictures of the tiny water drops!

Lost photos

         This summer hasn't been as I would have expected it to be, lets say 2.5 months ago. I've been spending some long, dreaded days in the hospital. And I really really dread having to go back week after week, knowing what to expect but yet never knowing how it will go or what will change. So I sit here with an ice pack trying to find relief but I realized I get the best relief when I keep myself occupied, which is easily done while looking through, editing and uploading pictures.
          As the title says, I found some pictures that I knew I had but didn't think they would work as good photography type of pictures. Those pictures end up in their own "event" in iPhoto and usually aren't looked at again for a few months when I get a chance to go through them. With all the free time I have now, resting and trying to heal, I seem to be finding a lot more pictures that have potential that I never knew of before. I have figured out that these pictures usually take a bit more "fixing up" than ones that I just look at once and see it will make a good picture. Here's a few.

Fourth of July Weekend!

A visit down to the river

Well between Dr's appts and babysitting, I managed to get out and do some fishing/picture taking. Not very much but a little. I saw the orthopedic surgeon's last week and they could not find anything wrong in terms of broken bone, torn ligament, pulled tendon etc. Every single test they took the week before came back completely normal. So now that they can't find anything wrong and have ruled out nearly everything else they have come to the conclusion of calling it Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. Now I will have 5 procedures done starting in July and going into August. I think the worst part is not being able to eat from midnight the night before and then not being able to eat until at least around 3:00 the next day when I'm in recovery. But I am going to eat at 12:01, maybe 12:02 :P

A few more!

 Keagan had surgery a few days ago, which is why he has what looks like a cut on his eyebrow. Its acutally stitches though, poor little guy.

My favorite summer day so far!

Today was the best day of summer so far. Well its a weekend so not sure if it counts for summer. but to say the least, I had a ton of fun! One reason it was great was cause I spent the day babysitting some of my favorite kids, Emerson and baby Keagan. Second reason it was great, I didn't spend my day in a HOSPITAL! Third reason it was amazing, I babysat little Avalee for the first time who was one of the best babies I have ever babysat. She definitely has her spot as one my favorites! She's such a cutie, and smiles a ton. Also she sleeps a lot, but don't all babies? At one point during the day I had both 3 month old babies and 3 year old, but I enjoyed it. Once Tara and Jake got home Avalee and I came to my house and hung out til Heather and Clint came. They could have left Avalee here with me and I would be fine with that! Here's a few of the pictures from the day.

 Makin' cookies! Every kid lovessss to get messy! Especially this little girl!

 Sleepy babies.

 The most adorable baby I know.

 Emerson was such a good helper. If I asked her to get me something she got it right away, well except for the baby bottles that she couldn't reach. hahaha.

 Avalee

 Emerson, "Did you get me in there too!?!?!?!"

Summer's here and I'm busy!

 Today was the first day of summer and man was my day packed full! Today I also started babysitting the girls for the summer. It went well I'd say. I decided to let Alexa have a popsicle though, lets just say more of the popsicle was on her than in her mouth. But its alright. Kids like to get messy. Then lets see, my sisters had to come babysit for an hour while I went to my doctors appt. in town. Once Jenna got home around 1, she dropped me off and we headed to my appt. in marshfield. We got there at 2:00 and I wasn't called back until 2:45. Then they told me a resident dr. (like a student doctor) was going to come in first. He was foreign and a little hard to understand, so I hope I answered all of the 101 million questions, he asked, the right way. After telling him in detail from the beginning what happened, the other actual doctor came in, who was also foreign and she sits down, and asks the same questions, this time I didn't have to answer though, the other dr. did that part, and almost instantly I get the same response as every other doctor, "I think you need to see _____" Her and the other dr left and talked about some "options" I guess. So long story made short, she referred me to an orthopedic surgeon to see if there is any "rare" fracture or ligament tear and also to pain management for some spinal injections. Overall I think we are right back where I started. 

Anyways, I had some of these pictures that I took not really summer vacation.. yet.. but a few that look "summery"

 Ducks at Lake Arbutus

 Knee boarding=concussion

 tubing= a little bit safer

A day in my life

This is just a few of the things I do throughout the day. I didn't take many but I got enough to show what my day consists of.

The two pictures with food could, themselves, describe my day. I eat nonstop. but I haven't gained a pound and I want 5 more. It'll make me tougher!

Then there's my pig. I visit him sometimes. It just happens that the day I decided to take my pictures, I visited my pig. He runs free now and is super friendly! I hope he doesn't find the road while running around!

Next there's Lexa and Ty. I babysit these children a lot. Karli wouldn't take a picture but Lexa and Ty are almost the exact same age, only 3 days apart, and they are cousins. It was pretty difficult babysitting these two and Karli while being on crutches but I managed.

The big picture of me tubing is something I did on the day I took all of these. After sitting on the boat for 2 hours watching everyone else tube I decided it was my turn. I only had swimsuit bottoms so I ended up wearing my shirt out there. I can't believe I actually did this with an injured foot! I tell ya, kneeling for 10 minutes while riding wisconsin waves is not the easiest. I set up my camera for my cousin to take some pictures and he didn't do too bad on some of them!

The last picture of me, well thats just me about to go to sleep. Which is right now. Goodnight!

Cousins and more favorites!

So these are pretty much my favorite pictures I have taken in a long time. My cousins from Iowa were visiting us this weekend for graduation. They are moving to California ... actually TODAY! June 1st! I hadn't seen them in the longggestttt time ever.. but we had a birthday party for Brianna, the second oldest one and I told them that I was going to bring my camera and take 800,000 pictures.. to be specific. I really like how these turned out... I think they adorable!

 This is Abby, she is 3 years old. People say she could look like a "Little House on the Prairie" girl. I kind of see it!

 The birthday girl, Brianna! She's 8 now!

 Here's the four girls, Hallie, Brianna, Bella, Abby.

 This is Hallie, she's 11 and loveeesss getting her picture taken.

 Brianna didn't really like getting her picture as much as Hal but did cooperate!

 Bella was not to happy about getting her picture taken cause she wanted cousin Jeff to be in the picture. But Jeff of course told her no. She had Jeff, who is 21, on a leash! He tried to get up from the couch and she says "Jeffery! Why did you move!" Looks like he's going to California too.

and of course.. Brad and Denise wanted to get there picture together! Denise says, "I need some pictures to frame at our new house!" I like the dandelions in this picture.. blurred but you can still kind of tell they are flowers.. well weeds.