Sunshine

Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy
Sunshine in my eyes can make me cry
Sunshine on the water looks so lovely
Sunshine almost always makes me high

If I had a day that I could give you
I'd give to you a day just like today
If I had a song that I could sing for you
I'd sing a song to make you feel this way

Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy
Sunshine in my eyes can make me cry
Sunshine on the water looks so lovely
Sunshine almost always makes me high

If I had a tale that I could tell you
I'd tell a tale sure to make you smile
If I had a wish that I could wish for you
I'd make a wish for sunshine all the while

Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy
Sunshine in my eyes can make me cry
Sunshine on the water looks so lovely
Sunshine almost always makes me high

Thank you John Denver for this music... and thank you to my Dad for always singing it when I was a kid.  A sunny day doesn't pass without this song playing in my head....

This post isn't about the song really but I couldn't get past this topic without a 'replay'.

I have a question (or numerous interconnected questions) in regards to taking photo's in sunlight!

Is it always pretty much bad to be in direct sunlight?
Will the photo's always look over exposed?  or can I adjust my settings to fix them?

Most of these photos I already had to adjust the exposure so they weren't so bright but they were SUPER cute and I was disappointed they couldn't just come off my camera without editting.  It is unfortunate that they look fine on your display screen, until you upload them onto your computer.

So camera friends with DSLR's, please enLIGHTen me ;)

I have been shooting mostly in Av mode. I usually don't change much on the settings except for the light source option (which is probably the problem?)  I know everything is automatic except the aperture which has to do just with what part of your picture is in focus right?  Maybe I should just go back to Auto!!!!

But if I had used Auto in those same lighting circumstances would those photo's still have been over exposed?  I really just need to sit down and read the whole manual!

*I know that white blanket sure didn't help the problem.... it was really only there because Quinn refuses to touch grass!

Here are some more cute pictures!

Photo Challenge

I'm behind already on my photo's so I will try to catch them all up over the next week.

April Week 4 - Eyes

These girls are my everything!  They bring out the best and the worst in me.

5k Run

A friend of mine arranged a 5k run for our branch in Lloydminster.  She did a great job.  It was a good challenge for me and we all had fun.  I definitely need to continue to shape up.... but it was easier then I thought it would be (especially with forgetting my inhaler).  Ian kept up a good pace as well and was ahead of me into the 4th lap (don't worry, I beat him :).  I look forward to doing it again next year and plan to improve on my time (which was not great so I am not divulging it).

Cora also came for the weekend and did all the work pushing the girls around the course.  It was fun to have Hailey cheering me on when I ran into the finish!

it's just hard!

I have a really hard time listening to people say things are 'so easy' when I find them SO hard! 

Our life experiences are all so different.  No 2 people experience this life exactly the same as another and we also have all come to this Earth with different skills, talents and abilities.  I remind myself of this everytime I hear about someone experiencing things really easy, or really hard.  I hear daily of families struggling with loss, illness, accidents and evils inflicted by others.  My heart breaks for them.... and I know I couldn't even begin to cope with such tragedies (though I know I can't escape them forever).

I'm sure my 'issues' with hearing of others 'easy going' lives all have to do with pride (or most likely jealousy).  I'm working on it.  I'll try not to hate you for your happiness ;)

Potty Training

Uhg....

You're right!  Keeping Hailey is diapers was easier ;)  Potty training is NO fun....

Hailey is fairly co-operative and has been pretty good 'training'.  She has wanted to go potty and wear panties and (once she was ready) hasn't refused to go.  Yes there have been accidents of both varieties (which I would rather clean up than puke) but that isn’t the frustrating part.

It is the constant back and forth to the toilet, no matter what you were in the middle of.  It is the waiting and checking and reading and waiting.  It is the running out of the bathroom with poop on her bum/hands telling me that she pooped and I should come see…. Most of all it is the new ‘excuse’ to get out of bed that I can’t refuse her because she is learning to control her body (even if she really doesn’t have to go and just wants out of bed).  That is what makes me snap!

I am so proud of Hailey!  She tells me when she needs to go (most of the time), she stays dry through naps and nighttime and she loves her big girl panties!

We aren’t past accidents yet and that is okay.  She will get there and in the meantime I am trying my best to remain patient with the 300% increase in daily bowel movements.

Photo Challenge

April Week 3 - Easter

Our Easter was pretty hap-hazard this year.  Our family was all sick, both the girls had croup and I had whatever they would call the adult version of the same thing!!!  We were in Edmonton visiting my parents for the holiday and we ended up with our baby Quinn at the Children's Hospital in emergency.  She was really struggling to breathe Saturday night and needed some immediate assistance.  Luckily we didn't have to wait at all (5am) as the emergency was empty.  We got in quick but were there for 6 hours as Quinn recieved steriods and a couple breathing treatments.  Amidst it all we did manage a little easter egg hunt for Hailey (of which I snapped some really lame 'egg hunt' pictures) and made Hailey's first snowman ever (with Edmonton's most recent dump of snow).  I was still glad we went.... if for no other reason but to be able to take Quinn to a Children's Hospital instead of the Lloydminster Emergency.

Here is our snow family!  I'm apparently the large chested one with the pink scarf looking the other direction (it is a very false representation now since I stopped nursing a few weeks ago).

Photo Challenge

April Week 2 - Dad and kids

I'm a bit behind so I will post 2 today.

Ian loves to be out working in the garden (he gets this from his Mom).  Since it is only April and we won't be planting our garden till it's warm enough (May long weekend probably) he has started from seed some tomatoes and zucchini's in the house.  They have been growing crazy fast and have already been re-potted 3 times.  Hailey just loves to help out and care for the plants.  "More growing" she says.

Quinn desperately wants to be a part of everything but is still too young for planting.