Chicago

I finally scrapbooked one page from our one week trip in August. It was half business - Tyler had an LPL conference in Chicago and then we wanted to visit Nauvoo. We flew into Chicago and out of St Louis. Super fun trip. I'll tell you more later!

update and instructions

First of all, Tyler is home and doing well. He is more sore today, he ate mashed potatoes and gravy yesterday, and can't even look at them today without his throat hurting. I'm keeping him on top of his pain meds and things are progressing the way the doctor said they would.

And onto How to Photograph your garden harvest just like this:
First of all, pick your veggies. I placed them on a table on my porch, and area that was in the shade. Shade is a great place to photograph. I had light coming in from the side and from behind the veggies. Do you know that when lighting food, most places light from behind to add texture and depth?



Photograph in RAW mode - my favorite! I photographed using a 12- 24 mm (wide angle), lens at f4.0, white balance shade.

Setting things up, I walked around them and looked at them.
#1 I didn't like how the white table took the stage
#2 bad angle, clutter in the background
#3 better angle, but boring - needs more color, still a little clutter
#4 better angle, less table, dang bbq grill!
#5 hmmm, too low. oh, where are my chilies?
#6 that's better, almost there, I don't want the focus to be on the pumpkins
#7 up a little, over a little to get rid of the bbg grill. ah hah, focus on the carrots (a low f-stop like 4 can provide this kind of depth of field - the chilies out of focus and the beans out of focus) - We have a winner - use the vignette tool from camera raw photoshop settings, increase brightness - all done

he's finally getting his tonsils out on Wednesday

Tyler, my husband, is getting his tonsil out tomorrow. After 4 cases of strep in 3 months and giving it to the whole family, the doctor finally consented to cutting those puppies out. I had mine out at 21 and well, it was like swallowing barb wire for about 2 weeks and then a bad sore throat for the next week after that. But he had his appendix out while I was undergoing chemo two years ago and he did amazingly well. He bounces back super fast and feels very little pain. He gets that from his mom I think. Lucky him! I'm a total wimp when it comes to surgically induced pain. Anyway, the one major risk with tonsillectomies as an adult is excessive bleeding. He's had a priesthood blessing, but it always adds to a blessing when prayers of faith are offered as well. So if you think of him Wednesday August 27th and wouldn't mind offering a little prayer, we'd appreciate it. We'll be up early, he's the first one in line!

Back to School

I'm still fighting with the colors on this layout, to me, there is something that is just not right but I can't put my finger on it. But I don't have time to be that fussy right now. And Hk will be wondering why I haven't posted her back to school photos yet. So here it is: My little First Grade Ladybug:

I made the flourishes and flowers and Pattie Knox of Designer Digitals made the little felt bear.

You know, after a fun and busy summer, getting back to school is a break for me. Hk loves riding the bus, taking her own lunch, and socializing a whole lot more than at home. And CJ is more at peace. He loves having more one on one time and I love getting to know him a little better.

our harvest

Last night we harvested some of our green beans and then we had to thin the carrots again. At least this time, we can eat them. They are small and delicious. My pepper plants are laying on their sides because the peppers are so big and I don't have stakes for them. It looks like I might end up with a few tomatoes after all, but they are all still green. The corn will be done fairly soon. And each of my little kiddos wanted a pumpkin and luckily we had 2 baby pumpkins that were ready. The kohlrabi was ready two - we've harvested 2 others. I need to make stir fry tonight with the beans, kohlrabi, carrots, etc. I bought some cabbage the other day and sesame seeds. We'll see what we can come up with!

Where have we been?

Tyler had a business conference in Chicago this year along with his Dad and Uncle. Sharla and I shopped the Magnificent Mile and had a blast (although I didn't buy much - still not much in the way of petites). I'll tell you more about it later, I have to get Haeley ready for school shopping and her first day of dance class!
Chicago

The Magnificent Mile

With one of my mission companions (trainer in fact)

Did you know the Ferris Wheel was invented for Chicago for the World's Fair? This is a replica.

John Hancock Building

The American Girl store was on the same block as our hotel - what a crazy busy place!

Abraham Lincoln's Home:

Iowa Corn:

Nauvoo Temple:

Tyler making rope with a missionary in Old Nauvoo:

St. Louis Temple:

St. Louis Arch:

Me leaning over to see out the windows - crazy!

Both of us inside the arch:

County Fair

I entered 3 photos in the County Fair this year.
This is what I won: Director's Choice


The kids and I had some fun walking around the fair yesterday afternoon, but since I was wearing the wrong shoes we only got a peak at the cows and we didn't get to see our neighbor's lambs. But we did pig out on cotton candy.

Last night we photographed a bride and groom at the Logan Temple. As we were out by the large front gate someone came up and photographed them from behind us. We realized since it was 8/8/08 it was someone from the newspaper, but it was sort of weird at first. Funny thing is that they are getting married today. We photograph at night to reduce the busyness of the actual wedding day and we get better light, their hair and makeup is fresh and their flowers and hair and tux, etc. It makes for a much better wedding day. Tyler will be busy all day with them as they bought the Diamond Package. And I will photograph tonight at their reception along with Tyler . But they are a great couple to work with and it will be fun. I love weddings, what can I say?

Hk's Accomplishments

I have to record Hk's Accomplishments before I forget how great she did this summer. She's not been in a pool since she was 2 and I really wanted her to take swim lessons this summer. So I paid for 8 weeks (4 sets, 4 days each week) of swim lessons this summer. Even Cj and I got in the water together for the mom and tot class for 8 days - hence the kidney infection - I am just not ready for public places yet I guess. Anyway, she started out in level 2. Her teacher was really great at technique and she excelled. The next teacher I had to tell him to give her a chance and see what she can already do because he was treating her like the 3 year old class. Things got much better after that. Level 4 she had a female teacher and an all girl class. She moved to the deep end. She could now swim all the way across instead of just half way. She learned to breath on her side but still really struggled. For her las set, she had Michael again from her first class and again he was a pro at technique. This time Hk was the only girl in an all boy class, Level 5, and they were all at least 3 to 4 years older than her. And she kept up totally. We talked about turning like an airplane to breath instead of a teeter totter but still, she struggled with breathing on her side. It took me a while to breath on my side during the front crawl (freestyle stroke). Anyway, being the persistent little fish that she's become this summer, she did very well and on the last day, her last time across the pool, I watched her swim across and breath on her side perfectly. It literally took my breath away to watch her. I was amazed. In junior high I was on the swim and dive team (then I moved to a place that only had a pool in the summer months). Then I was a lifeguard for 7 years and swim instructor for 3, so this feat of hers was really amazing for me to watch. And then as we left, they gave us stickers for her Certificate and said that she passed Level 5 and 6. Good job Hk! Great work!

good news, bad news

Good News - 18 months and counting...
That's right, it's been 18 months and I am still cancer free. Had my test last Wednesday. Got the results today.

That leads me to today. Why would I get my results on a Sunday?

All 4 of us headed into the Instacare today instead of church.

It was $100 to check in and $100 for meds. That doesn't count the deductibles we haven't met yet - although Tyler is getting pretty close. He has had strep 4 times now this year (the last 3 months to be exact) and he is having his tonsils out the end of August.

BUT TODAY ALL 4 OF US TESTED POSITIVE FOR STREP!

So Tyler is on a new type of antibiotic. Lucky for us he doesn't have mono which they tested him for. The kids are on amoxcil and I am on a very strong broad spectrum antibiotic because I have strep AND the kidney infection is NOT gone even after all those strong antibiotics I took a little over a week ago for 5 days. We celebrated tonight with large glasses of homemade milk shakes after dinner.

I would love to be able to catch up with my laundry, dishes, and chores in general. But that is going to have to wait a few more days...