More photoshop

Just a quick before and after of Ella Beth from her recital.

Maybe still a little bright. Oh well, I'll figure it out one day.

playing with photoshop

One of the great benefits of creating the yearbook for Will's school is getting photoshop for free. I decided to take a few minutes to play with it this morning. I took a picture of Ella Beth that a took right after getting my new camera and clicked on several buttons - not really knowing what any of them mean. Here's my before:
And here is my after:
A little better, but I still have more playing to do!

Painting and Pink

My mother has graciously taken all three kids to her house for this week. During this time my plan was to paint all the rooms upstairs but the bathroom. Well the game room/guest room (g-room for short) is really big. When we first moved in, it was my daughter's room and bright pink. Now, it is painted "nap sack", a pleasant khaki-green. The boys will be glad the pink is gone from the g-room! The first day, I got it cut in. I hate that part so a break was needed when I was done. The second day I got both coats put on the wall. It is so much more peaceful.

Day three I finished my daughter's new room. It is now pink and teal. I had gotten the teal painted one night while she and the boys were camped out in the g-room, so thankfully one wall was already complete. However, pink is a very hard color to paint. I wouldn't think that is true other than I have now painted three rooms pink. It always takes 3 coats, even if you prime! Three coats is a lot of paint and a lot of pink. I would never like to admit it, but yesterday I was really tired of pink!

I have two more rooms to paint. The kids come back tomorrow. I don't think they will get done this week.

Beach Fun!

Here is a little slide show of our beach vacation. We had a fun trip.

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Painting

I have a new favorite painting in my house. It's this one:
My sister painted it. I really like it on the orange wall. You can see more of her artwork here: http://zinnartstudio.blogspot.com/
Hope you enjoy it; I do.

Swim Team

We have been having a busy summer, mostly at the pool. The boys are both on the summer swim team at the YMCA. They are enjoying it and learning a lot.






Ella Beth also likes the time she is able to spend playing in the pool. And I am excited to say that for the first time ever I am a little tanner than Lee. I know it won't last long though.




Jack got to race against his good friend, Stroud. Jack swam hard, but was defeated in the end. Stroud has been swimming competitively longer. They enjoyed the friendly competition.


Moms from both teams are ask to be the timers for the races. Not a difficult job if your timer works - mine didn't. I missed a race or two, then got a new timer. I was much relieved that the problem was the timer and not the person working it!


Swim team will end in mid-July, but I'm sure we will still be swimming until the summer ends.

Granny Allday

We recently took a trip home to see the family. My grandmother was so thrilled that we came. She always enjoys seeing and spending time with the kids.

I remember spending a week every summer at Granny's house. I had so much fun. There was always kittens, puppies, or baby chicks. We would swing on the porch swing, dig in the dirt with teaspoons, play with animals, gather the eggs, work in the garden, and cook in the kitchen. She also had a big bag of scrap fabric in an old trunk. I would get some of it and she would help me make baby or Barbie clothes with it. She was a hands on kind of grandmother. I am so thankful for her.