The 4th

Once word got out last week in church that there would be fireworks on Saturday, that's all we heard about the whole week. And one the actual day and hour grew closer, he could hardly contain himself.

And Chloe, she thought they were pretty cool, too. It's good to be an American.




Here's Chloe in a bouncy castle saying, "cheese!"



And riding on Papa's shoulders.



Noah got a ride on a four wheeler. Well, because that's what they do here in the South.



Silly face #1...



...and silly, messy face #2.



Waiting....



...and waiting...



As I sat watching the fireworks, it made me think of last year. Last year when we had been back in America for just a few days and Michal was an ocean away. Back when I thought the world would soon get very easy for us if we could survive a few bad months. Back when I had no clue a photography business was on the horizon. I'm still not sure what to think of this past year. I think because we're still in the middle end of it.

I wonder what I'll be thinking about next year as the kids cover their ears and gaze up to the sky in wonder.

This week at I ♥ Faces, it's patriotic week. No contest, just for fun. Join in as well!

Fix-It Friday

This picture is from Katelyn from The Bird's Nest. It's so cute from the start that really, it could be used as is and be just fine. But it's FIF, so let the editing fun begin!

Before:

After:

Steps:
1. Adjusted the highlights/shadows
2. Adjusted the color balance juuust slightly
3. Added a bit of contrast
4. Punch Out (TRA) at 50%
5. Boutwell Magic Glasses (TRA) at about 40%
6. Crop to move her more on a third.

Have a go yourself! Click below.

JumpStart Giveaway

A few weeks ago, I was contacted by JumpStart.com about reviewing their educational games on this blog. I got this email roughly two weeks after school ended - just when the insanity of "this summer is going on foreeeevvvveeerrrrr" feeling was setting in. I went over to their website and checked it out and knew right away it would be a hit.

The first day Noah and I played with it, he was able to create a character and go to different educational worlds. By playing games, he can earn coins to buy things for his character. The graphics are amazing and it really is a cool design and layout. In fact, he learned the word "launch" from sight after just playing it two times. He loves to launch the game!

Needless to say, he didn't want to stop playing it and he's enjoyed daily doses of JumpStart ever since. In fact, the first day Amanda came to visit, within five minutes of her arrival, he was anxious to show her his "new website."

JumpStart also has content for parents, like discussion boards and a blog.

JumpStart officially gets my stamp of approval, and what's even better is that they're giving away a free three month subscription to a reader! All you have to do is comment with your favorite summer/school's out activity.

And please be sure to stop by JumpStart to check out their very cool website. Make sure to check out all the awards and awesome reviews their educational site has received. There's also a free level of membership if you'd like to check it out first. There's also a Wii game of JumpStart in the works.

Contest will be open until Wednesday, July 8th at 12pm EST.

Beach Babies

Amanda has been visiting this past week. Since she had never been to NC before, we decided to take an impromptu trip to the beach.

We were gone just 27 hours including travel, but it honestly felt like a few days. We enjoyed playing on the beach, swimming in a gorgeous pool, sipping on pina coladas at a late night outdoor showing of Charlotte's Web on the beach and working on de-whitening our legs.

The kids of course, enjoying getting sand in every available body crevice, staying in the "hotello," playing in the ocean waves, and swimming "all by myself." Yes, both of them, even at 19 months. Chloe never ceases to amaze me.

We had such a relaxing time and feel re-energized. It's amazing what a beach can do.

(There's a very good chance these two pictures are on their way to becoming canvasses. They totally capture the essence of my kids' personalities!)

Dirt

My busy bee husband, hard at work.

Mowing dirt, in my opinion.

He's informing me as I type that it was certainly more than dirt.

Certainly.

And the socks? He was trying to look extra sexy today.

What happens when...

A few days after the horrific Air France crash, I decided to take some time to learn about the different possible scenarios of a plane falling out of the air.

You know, just to be prepared. Or something?

But that's not where this post is going. I found it interested the different things that the google search box offered as I was typing in my query: "what happens when a plane crashes".

After tying in "what" it was suggested that I possibly might be interested in "what is twitter" or "what is my IP". Good questions (do people still not know what twitter is?) But I kept typing.

What happens...

"what happens when you die"
"what happens when you quit smoking"
"what happens when you lose your virg1nity"
"what happens after death"
"what happens in Breaking Dawn" (right up there with death, I'm sure)

Hmm. Good questions, google users. But I kept on going.

What happens when....

"...you die"
"...you lose your virg1nity"
"...you sallow gum"
"...an unstoppable force meets an immovable object"
"...you crack your knuckles"
"...you have a miscarriage"
"...you file bankruptcy"

It got me thinking. About all the millions and billions of google users, each with a query, turning to google for answers. Each with a story, a situation. Needing answers.

What happens when a...

"...dog eats chocolate"
"...volcano erupts"
"...girl loses her virg1nity" (really? again?)
"...bank fails"
"...stock is delisted"
"...star exhausts its core hydrogen supply" (apparently google users are much smarter than me)
"...girl gets turned on" (apparently google users are much smarter than me or just teenage boys)
"...girl takes viagra" (okay, enough of the googling. Get back to your homework already.)

So I was now curious enough to change "when" to "if"...

"...you don't pay your credit cards"
"...you take birth control while pregnant"
"...you miss jury duty"
"...you eat mold"
And there were varriations of the same questions. Apparently, a lot of people are worried about skipping jury duty.

All this is to say, sure I might be neurotic in my plane crash obsession, but there are a whole lot of neurotic people out there. Thank you, google!

I ♥ Faces: Wedding Bells

Here's my chance to be judged by the fabulous Jasmine Star. Eek!

Join in!

Fix-It Friday

Just for fun, here's another edition of FIF from I ♥ Faces.

Before:

After:

Steps:
1. Shaddow/Highlight
2. Clareify @70% (TRA)
3. Punch-Out @ 50% (TRA)
4. Contrast- Luma @50ish% (TRA)
5. A better web sharpen (TRA)
6. Crop

And after/BW:

Conversion was milk & cookies, TRA

Join in - what can you do to this little cutie?

A Good Day

I wasn't going to post any of this, but then I got to thinking that a lot of posts have been kinda downers lately, and you all have been so encouraging, I want you to share in our good day.

Amongst all the sadness and death yesterday, our little corner of the world was having a good day. Michal was offered a job! It's in a town not so far from here in a suburb of Raleigh. It's not exactly our first choice, but it's so encouraging to have an option for next year. He was offered the job on the spot which was a pleasant surprise. But of course the catch is, the county is on a hiring freeze until their budget i worked out. So although he was offered the post, in theory, it might not even exist next year. He's off to another interview in Winston-Salem today. Send get-the-job vibes that way!

And secondly, my new site went live yesterday. I've been working on this one for a few weeks and it was amazing to see it finally live on the web! I've switched servers to Showit, so all the design was up to me, not a template. It was a lot more work that way, but it feels really satisfying. I know this is the third (technically forth if you county my last in-between layout) design, but I think I've finally settled into something I'm really happy with.

There are still a few little kinks I'm working out (like the videos) but hopefully all that will be finished soon. If you'd like to check it out, go on over to http://www.savorphotography.com.

And finally, I got a new haircut yesterday. Just in time for the lovely visit from Amanda Slakes, which I imagine will be full of picture-taking.

Hope my Class of '99 has a good dinner tonight. I will miss you all!

Gabriela and Gerardo

Yesterday, I got some mail that was particularly interesting and a welcome break from the incessant magazine subscription advertisements.

Last Fall, Michal and I started supporting two children through World Help. They came to our church during mission week and I simply could not not do anything. The images were compelling and so was their message. We can't pretend these children don't exist just because we can't see them.

So for the first time in my life, I went home and sent out to sponsor two children wherever the need was greatest. I was surprised when the two children we I sponsored weren't exactly children. We got a boy and a girl, both from Guatemala and both fifteen years old.

Meet Gerardo and Gabriela.

Yesterday, we received the yearly report of how they're doing. Most of the information is still the same, but the pictures were particularly striking.

I can't help but notice Gabriela. She looks like a woman who's lived through a short sixteen years full of more than she can bear. Her face looks old and tired and such a fresh, young age.

Gabriela is shy. She likes to read and wants to become a teacher. Her favorite food is fish and one of her chores is to make tortillas for the family. I'd love for her to teach me how. I bet she's good at it.

But those eyes. She has such sad eyes. I just wonder what her daily reality is. Oh, how I wish I could hug her. And do more for her.

Say a prayer for Gabriela and Gerado.