You Capture ~ Light

I'm learning to take pictures using just natural light.  I really, really need to get a tripod.  Since I don't have one right now though, I had to make do.  And honestly, I'm pretty happy with they way these pictures turned out!

I love everything about this picture except for that crazy green glare by the shepherd's staff.  Anyone know how to keep that from happening?

The true light of the world...

That's it for me!  For more "light" visit I Should Be Folding Laundry!

P.S.  And with this post I have successfully completed Goal #90!

Gift #108 - the soft glow of a candle

Gift #109 - the twinkle of lights on a Christmas tree

A Christmas Party

Our church's youth program is called Jive, and last Wednesday was the Jive Christmas Party.  Our youth director, Shelley, did an amazing job creating a fun learning experience for all of the little kiddos!

When we walked in, we were greeted with a set of instructions.  We were to go to each of the nine stations and complete the activity.  When each child had completed all of the nine stations, they received a Christmas gift!  Here's Logan and Gavin's journey from station to station...

And, as you've probably noticed, Gavin is now missing from a lot of the pictures.  See, he lost interest in the provided activities and raided the nursery for more interesting activities to pursue...

Okay, now back to stations...

And while Logan was eating cookies and listening to the story, Gavin was doing this...

And now onto the last station...

Gavin decided to get in on this station too....

And then we were all done, and it was time to see what the was in the present!

The most popular items in this little goody bag were the candy can stripped straws and the jingle bells!

It really was the perfect little Christmas party!  So, hats off to Shelley for doing such an awesome job putting this whole experience together!

Gift #107 - a church home and family that cares about my children

How to spend a rainy afternoon

Saturday could have been a disaster.  I was zonked still from a work Christmas party the night before.   Justin was at the movie theater for an all day marathon showing of the three Lord of the Rings movies (directors cut, may I add).  Oh, and it was rainy.  And cold. 

But, I am a creative genius.  Or maybe just crazy.  Logan and I have been reading the book Nicholas St. North and the Nightmare King which happens to be the book the new movie Rise of the Guardians is based on.  In a stroke of genius (or craziness) I decided that the three of us (me, my five year old, and my TWO year old) would go to the movies.  Logan was on board, and Gavin was agreeable enough after I mentioned the word "popcorn." 

The movie was at 1:50, but we arrived at the theater at 1:10.  You might be thinking that was a little crazy of me to get there so early, but I had a plan.  I bought popcorn and a drink, and we headed into the theater where my two little boys got to pick any seat their little hearts desired (because of course we were the only ones there at that point).  I got them settle into seats (with me in between cuz there was no way I was letting those two sit next to each other) and started passing around the popcorn.  While scarfing down popcorn and chugging my soda (oh well) we watched those not-so-entertaining screen shows they run before a movie starts.  Hey, the boys thought they were great so who am I to complain?  And, by the time the movie started, they were done with popcorn and my soda was drained dry.  Just like I planned.  And boy was I glad I did it that way when half way through the movie I heard the thump and slosh of a spilled soda and a desperate mother trying to calm a very upset child!  (See, I am a genius!)

I didn't limit my kids to the seats either before the movie.  I let them move around and check out the theater a little, so by the time the movie did start they were ready to sit still and watch.  Yes, even Gavin, my two year old!  Logan sat next to me in his seat the entire time without making hardly a peep.  Gavin ended up crawling into my lap and lodging himself there for the duration of the movie, but guess what?  He didn't make a peep either!  Both boys just sat in awe watching the movie.  And, you know what, so did I!  I thought it was a sweet and funny movie with a heartwarming message about life and faith and purpose.  When it was over, Logan asked if we could go see it again!

Going to the movies seemed like the perfect way to spend a dreary afternoon with my boys.  I not only got to share a fun movie with the both of them, but I also got to witness Gavin experiencing his very first movie theater movie!  Talk about turning a could-be-disaster of a day into an awesome, fun experience for all of us!

P.S.  Oh, and I now get to cross off Goal #12!

Gift #104 - buttery movie theater popcorn

Gift #105 - snuggling my little one in a dark movie theater

Gift #106 - Seeing the delight on my Logan's face as he watches a movie on the big screen

Couch to 5k ~ Take 3? or 4? or 5?

Really, I should probably just cut straight to it and title this post "Couch to 5k ~ Take 500" since the number 500 is probably closer to the actual number of times I have started (and quit) a running program over the past five plus years.  But regardless of the number of failed attempts at running I have in my past, I am here, vowing to try it once again.  Because really, I do like running!  I swear I do!  At least once I get about ten minutes into it I do...

And there's the kicker.  I do like running, but only after I've gotten started on an actual run.  I do not anticipate going on a run.  I do not get excited about going on a run.  In fact, I get darn right crabby about it and dread sinks in.  I get so crabby in fact that I try very hard to come up with all sorts of reasons not to run (and I can be very successful). 

I don't like running until I'm a good ten minutes into a run (sometimes not until I've made it well past the first mile).  It's only then that I finally feel good.  That's the moment when I really start to enjoy myself.  My muscles have loosened up, and I've found my stride.  In fact, at that point I like running so much that I could even do it with out music!  (I know because I have been in the middle of numerous runs and had my iPod die because I forgot to make sure it was fully charged.)

Generally, after I have finished a run, I love running even more!  I mean first, the job is done so Yay!  And second, I generally feel awesome after I've finished a good run!  At that moment I can't wait for the next run.  Unfortunetly, that feeling quickly wears off.

Basically, I have a love/hate relationship with running.  I love it while I'm doing it and when I'm done.  I hate it the rest of the time.  That makes it kind of hard for me to motivate myself to keep at it since getting started is the most important part!  That's why I have started (and quit) running 500 times. 

Okay, long winded explanation over.  The point is that I have started running again (on Tuesday in fact).  And I really, really want to stick to it this time for a lot of reasons.  Mainly, I just want to be healthy, and I see running as a fun and effective way to do that!  So wish me luck because here I go - again!

You Capture ~ Shoes

This is another You Capture that basically fell into my lap just when I was giving up hope of finding an interesting way to take a picture of shoes...

I'm a teacher, and on Friday we took twenty-one awesome teenage girls out for a "girls day out."  The goal of the day was to talk to the girls about the importance of having self-confidence and it's link to making good life choices.

Now, I know what you're thinking.  "Kassandra, what does a field trip on self confidence have to do with shoes?"  Well, the answer is simple:  everything!  At least it has everything to do with shoes when you make the girls do a team building activity that requires them to walk blindfolded through a minefield of mouse traps...

Yes, that is a mouse trap that that poor blindfolded girl is nearly stepping on.  Let me tell ya, I'm really glad I was the "photographer" and got out of being blindfolded and sent through that particular maze!

My only real regret is that I didn't capture that moment when a girl stepped on a trap...now that could have made an interesting capture!  Good thing it's winter and no one was in flip flops...

Needless to say it was an awesome day out with the girls, and this particular team building activity was a bunch of laughs!  Not to mention it got me my You Capture for the week!  Happy capturing everyone!  Hope you enjoyed your visit!

 

Gift #102 - my job with all of it's ups and downs - especially the ups like girls day

Gift #103 - You Capture hosted by Beth - a place to practice my photography and gain inspiration and insight from others