• Nov. 6, 2009
Harvest!

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The farmers renting our fields finally harvested them!! I'm glad, because now I get all that land to ride on. Great spot for galloping *grin*.

I think the farmers have dayjobs, because they did most of the harvesting at night. Dad and I had a fun time playing with my camera, getting shots of them in the dark. Tripods are a huge help *nodnod*.

 

 

Fun fun. I was standing out there in the cold- I had been in too much of a hurry to grab a jacket- and loving every chilly second of it ;-)

And then even better-- they didn't finish the fields, so they parked their equipment and went home!! Of course I couldn't pass up a free photoshoot standing in my field, now, could I?

 

Earlier the sky had been a dull, cloudy grey...so I had to wait and wait. But in the meantime I rode Becky, so I didn't mind ;-)

 

 Beans, beans, and more....beans.

 

Yes. It is huge. I felt like a two-year-old standing next to it.

And no- I wasn't laying on the ground to get these shots. Our neighbors were outside in plain view and I didn't feel like making a total fool of myself at the moment. So I was "shooting blind", so to speak- I knelt down, put my camera right next to the ground and shot upwards without knowing for sure what I was getting.

 

 

This was the first time I'd been able to get an up-close and personal look at this sort of equipment. I had a blast with all sorts of odd angles.

 

 

Yes...it's the tires of a John Deere tractor *sheepish grin*. The light was too good to pass up. If it hadn't been for the lighting, it would have been B-O-R-I-N-G.

 

 

And again, I took this more for the lighting than the subject matter. I love how the backlighting makes all the little hairs glow...lighting is definetly a photographer's best friend!

 

4Him,

~Hannah

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• Oct. 14, 2009
A fun tag :-)

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I saw this fun tag over here and decided to do it :-)

 

In Spring my favorite things are the soft sunshine, fresh blue skies and friendly wind. I love shedding my winter coat and pulling out my flip-flops and short sleeves. I love seeing the trees start to bud, the grass brighten, and the daffodils pop up. I love opening the windows, hanging clothes on the line, and laughing at the scruffy appearance of my shedding, muddy horse. I love watching the farmers discing the fields, and watching a haze of green appear over the acres of farmland. 

 

In Summer I love spending long days in the sun playing volleyball with my friends, roasting s'mores, and eating cold watermelon. I love going on lazy bareback rides through the fields, barefoot so I can rub my feet against the slick warm hide of my horse. I love stuffing my shoes in my closet and wearing sandals everywhere, and then laughing at the tan lines on my feet. I love ice-cold peach tea,  watching my brothers chase butterflies, and taking pictures of them doing "boystuff". I like mowing with the lawn tractor, alone with my thoughts and the smell of the freshly cut grass. I love leaving my window open all night and falling asleep to the sound of the wind and the crickets. I love fireworks and going to the Symphony to celebrate Independence Day.

 

In Fall I love the cool, breezy days. I love the smell of woodsmoke, and watching the corn and soybeans turn golden. I love apple cider and historical re-enactments. I love the intense blue of the sky, and watching the trees don their fall colors. I love running my hand over my horse's thickening coat, and being able to gallop her without feeling guilty about making her work hard in the heat. I love working jigsaw puzzles with my dad and curling up under my down comforter at night.

 

In Winter I love waking up on the morning of  my birthday and feeling as excited as a little kid, and watching snow come drifting down out of a fluffy grey sky. I love coming in from the barn and finding a cup of cappuccino waiting for me on the kitchen table. I love the hint of mystery that fills the air, secrets about Christmas abounding, and being the main person that my family brings things to, begging me to "hide this until Christmas- and don't tell anyone". I love watching packages gather under the Christmas tree, and watching the boys pick what ones they think belong to them. I love sitting on the couch with the tree aglow and the lights turned down, listening to Dad read the Christmas Story. I love rolling in the snow, making snow angles and snow forts, and attempting to make good sled paths down our hill. I love the silence of riding my horse when several inches of snow covers the ground, muting the sound of her hooves and giving me the sensation of flight. I love the icicles, and observing how the light hits them in such a way that they glint and glimmer. I love curling up with a good book while a good ol' snowstorm blows, knowing that my family and I are all safe and sound inside. I love...waiting for spring to come again.

 

Now that I've completed this tag...I tag

Nachoaveragegirl

MaidenPrincess

SimplyVintageGirl

 

Even if you aren't one of the three tagged above, feel free to do it anyway with a link back to my blog. Here are the rules of the tag:

Rules of the tag

1. Tag at least three people after your post.

2. Post back to the blog that tagged you.

3. Post the rules of the tag and please don’t post the things you least like about the seasons, but what you like best

4Him,

~Hannah

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• Oct. 13, 2009
How cool!!

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The other night Mom found a really neat site- with a symbol I had never seen before. It is called "The Grafted In Symbol". It was found on a cave wall years ago, and symbolizes how we, as Christians, are joined together with God's chosen people- the Jews, and how we become one with Israel.

 

I liked it so much that I made this icon, and thought I would post it here for fun.

 

I found the symbol itself online, and then merged it with a background that I created. I then added the Hebrew text, which simply says "Grafted In"

 

Another reason I really liked the symbol is because recently I have had a growing interest in the Hebrew language and Jewish history.

 

4Him,

~Hannah

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• Oct. 4, 2009
And the moral of the story is...

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Dad got this in an e-mail...and I thought I would share it :-)

 

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• Oct. 4, 2009
I know...I can find things to photograph anywhere...

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Even in a park and a cemetery. ;-)

Well, my great-grandma's birthday was a few weeks ago, so we took her out for the day, along with my grandma, my aunt, and her kids. It was fun!

GZ (nickname for my great-grandma) had been wanting to show us where some ancestors were buried, so we went to a cemetery. The boys thought that was really morbid, lol.

Then we went out for lunch and went to a really nice park!

And, of course, I had my camera. *grin*

 

 

 

 

 

(note: I have no idea who the person who's name is on that tombstone is... I just liked the lichen ;-) )

The cemetery was way out in the middle of nowhere, and very cool, for a graveyard.

 

 

 

I liked the...stark loneliness of these two photos...I don't know why, but they kind of grabbed me, begging to be taken.

 

 

And this was really fun :-) Great lights/darks, and I loved the repetition. I used a really shallow DOF, I love throwing things out of focus and leaving only one or two things clear.

 

So, anyway...we had a fun time. 

 

4Him,

~Hannah

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• Sep. 10, 2009
Writing...

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If you have never had to write out a skeleton for a novel, you have no idea how completely taxing it can be on your brain. I am at the point now in my One Year Adventure Novel lessons where that is what I am working on. Yesterday I actually threw down my pencil in frustration.

Thing is, when I write, I jump in without a plan. Of course, I have a general idea of where it will end up, but that's it. So this is a new thing for me, because I have to have a basic plan of my story. I imagine it a lot: what goes on, who does what, etc. But not every scene! And it is so much information to take in from my lessons sometimes. Like I had never, ever thought about ideals until I started doing OYAN. Never. The thought about what ideals my characters would represent had never crossed my mind; or about the "Inciting Incident" and theme, or I have never dug deep into why my heroine wants/doesn't want to go after the story goal. Not consciously, anyway.

It is one of the best and hardest things I have ever done. And I love it, even when I throw down my pencil and am tempted to cry from lack of answers to the questions.  

I only have 7 lessons left before I begin the actual writing process!!! I am SO excited!! Yes, I have written some scenes on assignment (and on the side for fun), but have been going through the planning stage, which can get pretty intense.

I've only had it for 53 days...and have already done 32 lessons ;-) I think I will be done a lot sooner than the approximate 9 months.  I am getting highly addicted to writing. I start to go crazy if I have to skip a lesson for lack of time ;-)

 

4Him,

~Hannah

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• Aug. 13, 2009
I've heard the Photography Flu is catching...

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Lol. It's had me caught for a long time :-D

 

 

A beautiful bunch of flowers I came across when I went to Shipshewana with the girls in my family! It was such a hoot- seven people in one hotel room! At least it was only for one night, we got to laughing so loud so many times that my grandma was worried we were bothering other people :-)

 

 

Yep, it's a grain elevator! Also from Shipshewana, and a very common sight in the Midwest!! If you ever go to Shipshewana, you have  to go to JoJo's Pretzels. The best soft pretzel on the planet!

 

 

A hot-air balloon landed in our neighbor's field! It was really neat, and I got tons of photos. I like the graphic look of this one, it's a close-up of the balloon pattern.

 

 

Our other neighbor's Mustang, Dakota. He has a really sweet, friendly personality ( I want to ride their horses :-D ).

 

 

And their fence...*sheepish grin*. I used a wide f/stop, and got a pretty neat picture, at least, I like it! (No, I wasn't trespassing, lol. We had been invited to their house for a get-together)

 

Yeah...shoes. *even more sheepish* Grabbed this shot at a local park. We were wading in a creek (yes, I had my camera with me, and the tripod! I know, I'm bad...but the camera didn't get wet!), and Mom said "Why don't you get the shoes lined up on the rocks?" So I did, and I'm glad she suggested it!

 

 

Pilot Guy :-D I liked his stance, and took several candid shots of him...then found out they were fuzzy. So, I called him back over and made him strike the same pose! He wasn't too excited...but did it anyway ;-) (Thanks, PG!)

 

Well...I need to go feed the animals...and muck a stall.

4Him,

~Hannah

 

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• Aug. 11, 2009
I know I've been a bad blogger...

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I haven't been blogging very much lately....I guess because I've started a writing curriculum and have gotten rather absorbed in that. I have been doing the One Year Adventure Novel curriculum, and it is great!!!

But, I'm back :-D

Things have been so busy here lately! We've been through shingles (my mom), and extremely mild cases of chicken pox (the three little boys), a girls' weekend out (fun fun!!), I got stung by a wasp, Dad smashed his thumb against a metal post with the handle of a sledgehammer...and just our normal crazy life!! Thankfully we have had gorgeous weather up until Saturday. I don't think I've ever been through such a cool July/early August.

I'm really trying to balance out and use my time more wisely. I have a rather bad habit of going gung-ho into something and slacking off on everything else. So, I'm trying to change that.

Photography is still rating high on my list, and I have some fairly recent pictures to post-up next!

 

4Him,

~Hannah

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• Jul. 22, 2009
Your Help is Needed!

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For the past several months, I have been following a website via update emails. This website, hosted by China Aid and Voice of the Martyrs, is doing everthing they can to help free a human rights lawyer in China. Gao Zhisheng was kidnapped by Chinese police and is being held and tourtured somewhere in China.

Gao is a Christian and has undergone several kidnappings before. He has been missing for 148 days.

A petition has been written and over 105,124 signatures have been collected, asking that the Chinese government disclose Gao's location and release him. Recently the petition was delivered after 100,000 names had been signed. The Chinese government refused it, but the man delivering it left it at the door anyway. In China, leaving it there signified that it had been legally served to the government.

How you can help:

If you are interested in helping this persecuted brother in Christ, go here. You can sign the petition (I have signed it three times!), get names and numbers to call/email members of the Chinese government, read the complete story, or make a donation to help China Aid and VOM do their best to free him.

You can also get names/numbers to call/email our own Congressmen, several of whom are taking a stand against what is happening to Gao.

 

Please help!! If the Church doesn't stand up to help, who will?

 

4Him,

~Hannah

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• Jul. 21, 2009
panorama

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I now have gotten 100 comments on this blog :-D

I was going to make an icon for that, but I don't remember who the lucky girl is that left that comment; I delete those automatic emails saying I've gotten a comment, after I answer them.

 

So...instead I will post a photograph.

 

 

I had my photo software "stitch" together a number of pictures to make this panorama. I took the photos at the park several weeks ago, with this end in mind. For my first one, I am pretty pleased with it!!!

Depending on your internet software (internet explorer, firefox, etc.), you might have to maxamize the webpage to see the whole photo.

 

4Him,

~Hannah

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• Jul. 19, 2009
You ARE the 1st Brigade!

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Last night we started Gods and Generals after the boys went to bed. I have seen it two or three times before, but it's always like watching it for the very first time because there is so much to take in. So far we watched the first side of the DVD and I was struck by the character of Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson. I think he is probably one of my favorite generals in the Civil War.

I just love how he was so strong in his faith. Before the battle of Bull Run (Manassas to you Southerners ;-) ) he prayed, asking the Lord to protect his wife, and for the Lord's will to be done if they should fight that day.  After the battle, one of his officers asked him how he could be "so serene with all the shells and bullets whizzing 'round your head?" He answered that his religion taught him that he was "as safe in battle as in bed", and since God already had planned his time to die, he didn't concern himself with it.

When he found out his wife had her baby, he lifted his eyes heavenward and repeatedly said "Thank you, Lord", praising God for finally giving him a child.

Outdoors on a cold winters night he prayed with his cook, Jim Lewis. Lewis was an African-American he had hired, and they prayed for the protection of their families, and for answers as to why slavery was happening.

He told Lewis that, one way or the other, slavery would come to an end. He didn't agree with it either.

And he honestly cared about his men. He didn't view them as just soldiers, but as real people. Later in the movie he cries as he thinks about all the men that had been killed, all the lives, solider and civilian, that have been lost. After Bull Run, as he stood in the middle of the battle field he said he would never forget them.

One of my favorite lines in the movie is when he is taking leave of the 1st Virginian Brigade. He reminds them of the name they have won for themselves, and that in the future he hopes to hear of even more victories won by them. " You are the 1st Brigade in the heart of your general."                                                                                                                                                                        And before he rides off, he raises his saber and standing in his stirrups shouts "You ARE the 1st Brigade. You ARE the 1st Brigade!"

 

 

Lt. Col. Joshua Chamberlain  is also an interesting character. A philosophy professor he signed up- not because he wanted to, but because he knew he needed to.  I am pretty sure he was, like Stonewall, a Christian. He thought he would be assigned the duties as an officer, but didn't expect to be one on the front. He was with one of the volunteer groups from Maine, and it's neat to watch when they drill, learning to change from column of four to line of battle and back again.

In one part he quotes some poem about Caesar seizing Rome, ending in "Hail, Caesar. We who are about to die salute you." A little different...but that's what makes it interesting.

Dad got a book from a library about him, he ran into some friends of ours at the library and one of them recommended it. She was tired of always hearing about the more "popular" Christians like Lee and Jackson, so read the book about Chamberlain. Dad said it was good, I guess I'll have to read it sometime...after I finish the other zillion books I'm reading/should be reading :-D.

I can't wait to finish the rest of the movie tonight!

Note: it is a wonderful movie, and I love it, but there is some language. We have TV Guardian, which blocks out pretty much all of it. So, if you are interested in it, your parents will probably want to preview it, depending on how strict they are about such things.

 

4Him,

~Hannah

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• Jul. 16, 2009
I am so excited!!

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For about two months, I have been stalking two local camera store's websites, looking for an used, affordable "big" lens in good condition. At least, anything significantly larger than the 18-55mm that came with my camera. It doesn't go very far :-D

Last Saturday I found "the one", but when I called...they were already closed until Monday. Their branch store didn't have the information on it,  and I was told I couldn't put it on hold. So, first thing Monday morning (one minute after they opened :-D, lol) I called and found that it would work for my camera!!

A Vivitar lens with a Canon mount, it was a 28-300mm for only....$85!!!! I bought it!

But later that day I heard Mom on the phone. It was the camera shop. The lens had been put on hold by someone else.

I was so dissapointed, until Mom finished her sentence-

They had a ProMaster lens, same good condition, would fit my camera, same focal length for an even better price of $65!! Talk about a God-Thing.

 

I got it yesterday and I love it!!!! Only thing is that it wiggles a lot when I have it zoomed out all the way, so the next thing on my list is a mono-pod. I think one of those would be a lot easier to carry around than a tri-pod because there is only one leg to deal with :-) 

I have photographs on my camera, so I'll have to unload them this weekend and post a few. And take a pic of my lens :-D

It is such fun to have a lot of zoom!!! It'll be a blast at re-enactments, basketball games, horse shows, etc.

 

4Him,

~Hannah

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• Jul. 10, 2009
I love garage sales!

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Okay, I must admit- I love garage sales!!

This weekend is the local Village Fair. The fair (taking up the whole of Main Street in the little town we live right outside of)  lasts only one day, but for several days prior, many, many people have great (and a few not-so-great) garage sales all over town. We went yesterday and today!!

Now I am done (for now, anyways). I'm hot, starting to get a headache, and my feet hurt.

But...I got some cool stuff!!!

Lemme see...I got three shirts, a skirt and slippers. Yarn for crocheting, a canvas tote bag, a camera book (at the Library book sale!) and a cute apron. A bunch of photo mats (they have photos in them, but I'll take those out) to use for my art and photographs-$1 a piece!!! A neat, striped wooden plate and a wooden salad bowl with four small bowls and tongs to toss the salad (those articles are  for my hope chest).

And best of all: two adorable vintage-esque boxes (I got the lady to come down on the price :-D) and...*drumroll*, a nice tripod and a BIG camera bag w/ removable dividers!!! I got both of those for 4 bucks-total!!! The camera bag is kinda dirty and old, and not pretty (yeah...honestly, it's not.), but for $1, I'll make the best out of it!!                                                                                                                                              I've already worked on sweeping it out with the ShopVac and it's cleaning up. Now I'll have more money to put towards a zoom lens, and have something to keep it in :-D I don't think my current camera bag is large enough for a camera and two lenses.

 

 

 

 

Cool beans!! My cute boxes :-D

 

4Him,

~Hannah

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• Jul. 9, 2009
a give-away!

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SuperAngel over at The Daily Planet is hosting a giveaway for some really cool earbuds- Chicbuds, to be exact. They have a retractable cord (exactly what I need...mine are always getting tangled up!) and a clip so you can easily keep them out of the way. And- they are decorated with Swarovski crystals or geometric patterns. How cool.

To enter you have to somehow spread the word (blog, facebook, twitter, etc.) about it and leave her a comment telling her which colors you like the best. There are six ways to enter, and each thing earns you one chance (i.e. you blog it, twitter it, facebook it. =3 chances)

Easy!

 

4Him,

~Hannah

p.s. it ends on the 21st!

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• Jul. 9, 2009
music, guns and fireworks

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Last Thursday, Dad and Mom took Pilot Guy, History Boy and myself to a symphony at Conner Prairie!! It was SO fun!!! They had a lot of re-enactors there, and a group of them carried the flags during part of the program.

I, as usual, had my camera. Yes, I am addicted to photography. And proud of it!! :-D

Well, I took a lot of pictures and had fun playing with the different settings to get the correct one for taking firework pictures. Before that, though, I got some other photos...including some of the cannons that were used for one song!

 

 

I like the canisters/shells that held the blanks they fired. They made for some interesting shots. Pun intended. :-D

Now, those were some big guns!! I hadn't seen "modern" cannons before, so it was neat. Personally, I'd take a semi-automatic .22 over one of those any day. ;-D

 I love reenacting! I think it would be a blast to do some day!

 

 

 

You can see I like the swords...

 

 

For this one (same as first sword photo), I drug the Contrast slider all the way over to the right. I know it would look bad horrible with most photos, but I think it kind of works here. Sort of gives it an old daguerreotype feel, or something!

 

Now...on to the fireworks!

I set my tripod up for these, because I was using 25-30 second exposures. Think of the camera shake I would have gotten if I hadn't used a tripod!! So I wouldn't be in people's way, I set it up at the branching of an asphalt path, behind people. I told Dad I probably sounded like an idiot-I was standing there all by myself giggling with glee when I saw some of cool photos I was getting!! :-D

 

 

 

Wahoo!! I love fireworks :-D

These are two of my favorites I got. I liked using the really long shutter speed - that way I could still enjoy the show! All I had to do was click the shutter button every 25 or 30 seconds and leave it alone ;-)

 

4Him,

~Hannah

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• Jul. 5, 2009
declaration.

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'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among there are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.'

Most people know this quote from the Declaration of Independence, but I don't think quite as many know what is in the rest of the paragraph:

'That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, -That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes...But when a long train of abuses and usurpatations...it is their rights, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.'

That's something to chew on, isn't it?

I am just as patriotic as the next person, and I think that after all our relatively young country has been through, it is definitely worth saving. And I also don't think that we should completely change our government. I think democracy is a good thing.

But I also think that We the People can't ignore the fact that our Government is supporting the murder of millions of children every year; putting their fingers into too many pies; leaning towards socialism; being tolerant of every religion but Christianity; hugely in debt to China; and no longer the Government For the People By the People.

Something has to change. I listened online to part of a talk given by Ken Ham at the Creation Museum. In his talk, he said that one of the problems with churches in America today is that they try to solve problems (i.e. abortion, gay marriage, etc) politically instead of spiritually and politically. What he said made a lot of sense. It is a Worldview problem in our country, not just political. If you believe you evolved from scum and apes and that you have no purpose, how are you going to believe that abortion is wrong? If you believe in evolution and thus the fact that we are animals and there is no right and wrong, how are you going to stand against gay marriage?

Instead, Christians need to not only try to change the course of politics, but go out and spread the Gospel and change peoples' hearts for God.

To me, that made so much sense. I hope it catches on and more and more people will put it into application.

A month or so ago, I read an article in WORLD Magazine about then anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre, and how China is denying it ever happened.

One of the people they interviewed was a Chinese man who was there, but now lives in the States. He said he had studied democracy and came to the conclusion that without God, democracy will not work.

No wonder our government is having major problems. They are trying to take God out of everything. And where is it leaving them? With a crumbling core, corruption, scams, and ungodly leaders.

As a nation America seriously needs to get down on our knees and ask God to help us get out of this mess we have allowed others to create.

Just some of my thoughts...

 

4Him,

~Hannah

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• Jun. 27, 2009
chocolate, coffee beans and...more photos

Note: All photos, posts and stories on this blog are my sole property and copyrighted to myself and My Camera and I unless otherwise noted. They may not be copied for any reason without written permission from me. If you would like to copy something, please ask me first.

Thanks!

 

At the moment I am...uploading pictures to my photoubucket, helping History Boy stamp a letter, and...eating Dark Chocolate Covered Espresso Beans!!!! Yum. A perfect mix *grabs a few more out of the box and pops them into mouth* :-D

I'd better stop eating them or Dad won't let me have more for a few days ;-) It was one of his Father's Day gifts after all...

 

Anyway, I am yet again in a photography-posting mood :-). Bear with me.

 

I just loved the light when I took this one, and the contrast between the green of the leaves and the red of the eggs. I have no idea what sort of bug, butterfly or moth larvae hatched from them :-)

 

Yep. It's a baseball mitt. I think I got laughed at for taking this one, Dad thought I was a little nutty :-). But I think it turned out really well. I don't think Dad's seen it, just saw me holding it up in front of my camera.

 

Becky's saddle and old bridle :-)

 

 

 

 

Race Car Dude's boots :-).

I took these as a possibilities for a photo contest, but entered something else.

I still like them, especially the last one.

 

*Radio Announcer Voice* "Well...that's all for now, folks!"

 

4Him,

~Hannah

 

 

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• Jun. 25, 2009
photography zone: enter at your own risk!!!

Note: All photos, posts and stories on this blog are my sole property and copyrighted to myself and My Camera and I unless otherwise noted. They may not be copied for any reason without written permission from me. If you would like to copy something, please ask me first.

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I haven't entered anything under the "photography" category for a while, have I?

Well, looks like I need to remedy that.

I am learning more and more about how to control how I take my pictures and depending less and less on the Program mode. I hardly ever use the "evil green box", formally known as Intelligent Auto anymore ;-). A photographer friend of mine called it the evil green box. And it is. It is so bossy and is always popping up the on-camera flash :-D. I don't like that either.

My favorite mode is currently the Aperture Priority Mode. I love shallow depth of field in most of my pictures, and am always pushing it to the shallowest depth I can get in whatever lighting I happen to be in.

I absolutely hate bad lighting with a vengeance. It is so annoying. I hate the bad-blur photos and needing to use the flash. I much prefer morning/afternoon sunlight :-). Unfortunately, I usually have little control over the lighting. Unless I shoot "studio" style with some fabric or foam board for a backdrop and an old goose-neck lamp for side lighting :-).

 

Isn't he/she just darling?!?!?! Grandma accidentally found it and it's siblings while weeding around a tree. She said '"If I had thrust my trowel down there and killed them, I would have just died!"'

I got probably twenty pictures of the cute little fellow :-)

 

Thanks again, grandma!

She found this nest in another one of her trees :-). Recently she has been calling me whenever she finds something interesting that I would like to photograph. She lives directly in front of us, so it's really convenient :-)

 

Her front steps ;-D, lol.

What can I say? I love the texture :-)

 

*Sheepish grin*. Grandma's birdbath. :-D

Again, love the colors, pattern, and texture :-)

 

                                                            At the Park     

 Yesterday (despite the heat), we met both my grandma's, my aunt, and her three little kids at a local park for lunch. Arby's had free sandwiches with purchase of a drink, so we just swung through the drive-thru and brought some chips and Oreos :-)

The kids all had a blast ;-)

They had this giant swing that looked like an over-sized Frisbee. I swung on that for a while and could have taken a nap on it :-D, it was so comfortably relaxing.  

(Hang on, had to turn up the radio- a Michael W. Smith song I've never heard before ;-) Who on earth is he singing with?)

*Ahem*, back on topic. There was also this cool thing-a-ma-jig that was like a conical rope ladder, it was over 10' tall and at the base it was probably 5' wide. If you stood on the ground outside of it and grabbed on, you could run it around and spin it. I alternately held my youngest cousin on my lap and let her ride, and helped my brother spin it for my younger brothers, cousins, and other little kids there.

 

The rock wall was also popular :-)

 

My cousin braving the rock wall.

"Hannah, count and tell me how many seconds it takes me to climb to the top!"

[me counting]

[before he gets halfway up, he jumps down and tries again. This time he makes it]

"How long did it take?"

"Umm...I didn't count the second time. Around 10 seconds?"

[he sighs and grins]

"Hannah...I wanted to know..."

[I grin back, thinking either he should have made it up the first time, or asked me to count both times :-D]

 

Well...I gotta sign off.

 

4Him,
~Hannah

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• Jun. 25, 2009
Under my brush, a horse appeared...

Note: All photos, posts and stories on this blog are my sole property and copyrighted to myself and My Camera and I unless otherwise noted. They may not be copied for any reason without written permission from me. If you would like to copy something, please ask me first.

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Last night I just finished my latest watercolor.

It was (as you probably already guessed), a horse. An Arabian, to be exact.

I worked off of a photograph in a horse magazine, but I cropped it in and changed a few things :-).

Artistic license.

 

 

My grandma and great-grandma (both wonderfully artistic and creative people)  are two of my top critics (always nicely and constructive, though :-D ) and are always telling me to get my shadows darker. So, this time I really tried to work those shadows.

I have never had watercolor lessons...so I don't always really know what I'm doing (but I do have some watercolor books, that helps) so sometimes my paintings are flops.

This time, though, I am pleased with the outcome. I purposely avoided getting too detailed and tried to loosen up, which helped, I think. I tried to concentrate more on tones and movement.

And if you wonder what all that white is around the horse's mouth, he is chomping and working at his bit, so that's the foam he's worked up :-).

Hmmm....looking at it again, I think I need to darken the shadows on his neck because the shadow on the side of/under his face are so extreme.

 

Anyways...I've also been working on crocheting a bag. I had bought some pretty blue cotton yarn and had no idea what to do with it, but then I saw a cute crochet bag and had to make my own :-)

It is half-finished, I need more yarn :-). I am working my own pattern into it with the single stitch and double stitch. Those are the only two I know, but they work :-)

 

 

 

It's fun, and I find it relaxing.

Hopefully I can buy another skein of yarn this week and get it finished!!

 

4Him,

~Hannah

 

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• Jun. 20, 2009
colors

Note: All photos, posts and stories on this blog are my sole property and copyrighted to myself and My Camera and I unless otherwise noted. They may not be copied for any reason without written permission from me. If you would like to copy something, please ask me first.

Thanks!

 

Three weeks (or was it four? lol) ago when I went to the airshow, Pilot Guy and I got a compliment. We came downstairs that morning after getting ready to go, and had both put on our Pro-Life shirts from Abort73.

Seeing our t-shirts, Dad said that he was glad his kids weren't afraid to wear their colors.

We, as Christians shouldn't be afraid to stand up for what is right. We need to stand up and be willing to catch some flak if we want to see things change for the better. Sitting on our hands waiting for someone else to act doesn't work.

         "I was wondering why somebody didn't do something when I remembered I was somebody."

That's a paraphrase of a quote a friend sent me. It fits.

 

I am not pointing fingers, that is not my job. But a life is a life. God created it in His image and we should not be the ones to decide if a baby gets a chance to live. It is not our place.

Pro-choice people often talk about choice. What choice? There is zero choice for the children in question. They aren't asked, they don't have a say, they don't get a chance. It is plain and simple homocide.

Given a say, do you think they would say "Yes! By all means kill me!" No! They would say "Give me a chance. I am a human too, I have feelings and thoughts, and most importanly an immortal soul."

I know, because my birthmother could have aborted me. I could have been one of the millions terminated yearly. But she didn't do it. She made the choice. Grant it, it was harder at the time, but at least now she isn't haunted by the echo of a little baby never given life. So many woman choose abortion because they think it is easier, only to be overwhelmed with feelings of guilt, remorse and sorrow later.

 

 ¹ "Shout it aloud, do not hold back.
       Raise your voice like a trumpet...

to loose the chains of injustice
       and untie the cords of the yoke,
       to set the oppressed free
       and break every yoke ...

Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
       and your healing will quickly appear;
       then your righteousness will go before you,
       and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard...

 and if you spend yourselves in behalf...
        of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness,
       and your night will become like the noonday...

 The LORD will guide you always...

 

Sections from Isiah 58 (NIV)

 

 

4Him,

~Hannah

 

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