Day 179

There are some new blooms in my yard, so I had to capture them with my camera.

Variegated hosta – the light purple blooms are a little dull in the photo up against the light brick background.  I need to get some close-ups of the flowers to better show off their beautiful color.

Mimosa – we have a gorgeous mimosa tree in the yard.  The pink fingerlike petals of the flowers are a big hummingbird draw.  We usually have a handful of birds fluttering around when the tree is in bloom.  Here’s a view up into the canopy.

Close-up of a few flowers backlit by the sun.

Day 178

I know this is getting a bit redundant, but we just love our new kitten.  And he’s so photogenic.  Here are some shots that I found on my camera.  Since the kids aren’t really allowed to use my 7D, I’m guessing that Crockett took these.  There’s quite a bit of glare as his hideaway playhouse is right in front of the big picture window in full sun.  Also, please pretend that my windows are clean and streak-free.  Much appreciated! 

This evening I had GothGirl sweep the floor near the litter box and when she did, Felix wanted to play.  So I used the video function on my camera for the first time.  The picture quality is a little low (grainy and dark) so I need investigate this feature a little more closely.  It’s still pretty cute.  Almost looks like he’s dancing with the broom at times.

Felix & the broom

Day 177

The only pictures I took today were of the kids playing laser “tag” with Felix.  These were taken on automatic settings due to the low lighting.  Just a candid shot, and a low quality one at that, but it’s all I’ve got for today.

Day 176

Just a lazy morning today as I knew I had to spend the afternoon taking LilCrockett to a swim party in a neighboring town.  It’s about a 20-25 minute drive to the pool so it’s hardly worth coming home when the party is only 2 hours in length.  I decided to take my computer and edit the photos from a maternity session that I did earlier in the week.  Being present there also allowed me to take some photos.  It was fairly dark in the pool area and I didn’t have my external flash, so I made do with what I had.  I have to say that my new 7D does so much better under low light than my Rebel, though I still need to practice with the settings.  I’m not used to having an ISO that can go to 6400 (my Rebel only went to 1600).  Here are a few shots from the afternoon.

LilCrockett doing a front flip off the diving board.  He is such a daredevil like his dad!

LilCrockett & the birthday boy…

I was able to photograph a bumblebee with my new camera this afternoon and the results are SO much better.  So glad to have crisp photos once again (well, except when I don’t get the focus set quite right!). 

And who can end a post these days without a pic of our little kitten, Felix.  LilCrockett wanted to name him Captain, but the rest of us wanted Felix.  So his official name is Captain Felix, but we just drop the first part and call him Felix for short so that everyone is happy.  This photo was snapped by Crockett.

Day 175

We spent the morning doing some cleaning around the house.  Then my dad and stepmom arrived in town to watch LilCrockett’s baseball game.  We got to the ball diamond and shortly afterwards, it started to sprinkle.  Before long the rain came.  We were able to finish 2 out of the 3 innings before they called it.  Here’s a shot of LilCrockett rounding the bases between 2nd & 3rd.

Though we were a little bummed that the game ended early, it gave us more time to grab a late lunch at the local BBQ place.  We ate, opened belated gifts (we had missed a few birthdays and minor holidays), and visited.  Since it was late, we nearly had the restaurant to ourselves.  It was wonderful to spend time together but all too soon, it was time for them to head south to see my stepmom’s mom.  I made sure to get a few photos of the kids with their grandparents first.

And then some by themselves…look at this handsome boy and this gorgeous girl!!  I’m a proud mama (and happy that I got some great shots!).  Have I mentioned how much I love my new camera!!

After our visit, we went home to this cutie pie…

Day 174

I decided to take today off from work so I could get some extra rest.  The day started out restful when I snapped this American Goldfinch outside my window on the coneflowers.  Though he’s a bit hidden by the flowers (I couldn’t move to a better angle for fear of scaring him off), the summer plummage of the male is gorgeous.  The female was nearby as well but she was more skittish and flew off before I could get the shot. 

After that, the day got more hectic and was not at all restful.  My doctor had asked me to come in to his office for bloodwork since I wasn’t getting better.  Turns out the test was to check for the possibility of a blood clot in my lungs.  I figured it was a bit far-fetched, but went through with it anyway.  They sent me home and I thought that would be the end of it.  However, about an hour later the nurse called and said that my bloodwork was elevated and that they were sending me for an emergency CT scan.  She went on to say that they were going to make me stay there until the test results were finalized and that they had to get approval from my insurance, but that I should get over there right away anyway.

My heart started pounding immediately.  I called Crockett at work and asked him to come home so he could take me for the test.  At this point, I’m trying not to panic but not having much success.  While in my head I knew that it could turn out to be nothing, I couldn’t help but think the worst.  And the panic was making me feel like I was having a mini heart attack.  All I could think was “settle down or you’re going to make yourself have a blood clot”.  After several needle sticks to start the IV, getting the actual test done, and being released several hours later after finding out that there were no blood clots; I was emotionally spent and decided that we needed a diversion.

Prior to all the drama of the day, I had planned to take GothGirl out to preview some kittens at the local animal shelter that afternoon.  So I asked Crockett to join us.  We narrowed it down to 3 kittens that we liked and then went for a short drive before making our final decision.  In the end, we picked a male Siamese/tabby mix who was the perfect combination of spunk and snuggle.  Felix seems to be the main name in the running so far.  It’s a play on the genus name for cats….Felis. 

WARNING: cuteness overload ahead!

Day 173

The kids earned a special treat for their good grades during the school year.  LilCrockett had been wanting some Bey Blades, so we make a trek to the toy store last night.  He picked out 2 tops and a fighting stadium.  Not cheap, but we made him pay for part of the purchase.  GothGirl ended up getting a new game for her Nintendo DS….Style Savvy.  She paid for part of her game as well.  Both kids were really happy as it’s not often that they get to go to the store to pick out a new toy.  They usually end up getting most of their toys either at garage sales or during birthdays, Christmas, or other holidays. 

The Bey Blades has actually been fun for the whole family.  It’s pretty cool to see which top will win.  Crockett remembers a similar toy when he was young.  Here are a few shots of LilCrockett and SoccerGirl (our friend’s daughter) playing with them before summer care this morning. 

Please don’t be jealous of LilCrockett’s outfit (Iyou know you are!).  He likes to dress himself and most of the time, he doesn’t match.  It’s something I’ve decided not to fight him on unless we are going someplace nice or it’s a special occasion.

This evening, LilCrockett had a baseball game.  GothGirl and I had to work in the concession stand, but I managed to sneak out for a bit to take a few photos of LilCrockett at bat, getting a high-five from his coach for a great hit, & getting read to run the bases.