It's my Birthday and I'll cry if I want too....

The reason I am crying is because today is weigh-in day over at The Sisterhood of the Shrinking Pants. So I had to weigh-in Yippee, not.

Starting weight - 185 this is not good folks and I really hate typing this number in, but I need to be honest with myself.
Goal for this challenge is to lose 10 pounds, I would be happy with more but I don't want to set an unreasonable goal. Plus I am leaving for vacation on Friday. ((Yikes))

This morning I Shredded, boy that Jillian can kick my butt.

Here's to a fit and fabulous life and a happy birthday to me!!!
*a*

I ♥ Faces - Pets

This week at I ♥ Faces they want to see pictures of your pet. So here is our Otto: Just being himself, taking a nap out in the yard, now that's a good life.

Don't forget to go check out all the other cute animals over at I heart faces.

*a*

A chubby mama.....

Lately I have been so discouraged about my weight, it just seems that I can't lose anything or I try for a little and then eat ice cream (do you know how much I love ice cream) My birthday is coming up in a few short days and once again I am hating how I look and feel. So I am going to do something about it I joined The Sisterhood of the Shrinking Pants challenge. My goal is for my 35th birthday next year, to be the happy about me, to have energy to run and play with my kids, to not have a muffin top when I wear jeans, to not have my favorite pair of pants be yoga pants (though they are so comfortable)and not to dread vacation and my bathing suit. I need to take time out for me, I only get one life and hating how I look and feel is not a way to live.

So please join me on this journey, I need all the encouragement I can get. Since I am a photographer-wannabe I will include pictures throughout my journey to a fit and healthy me. Wednesdays are weigh-in days, so on Wednesday, I will blog about my week, trials and accomplishments, and weight loss. Maybe even some healthy recipes I stumble upon.

here's to getting fit one day at time,
hugs *a*

I ♥ Faces - Fix it Friday

Here is the original picture posted up at I ♥ Faces
Isn't she just a doll...

Here's my edit, I working in PS.

My Steps....
I ran it through Noiseware
defog
curves
adjusted the levels
and then converted it to BW and adjust the contrast and brightness, till I liked it.

If you want to see more fix-it's on this photo go check out I ♥ Faces.

*a*

Rain, Rain....

You know the song, but there is something about spring rains that I love, maybe that everything is green and after a rain the outdoors just seem so refreshing. Or the sound of the rain hitting the roof, peaceful. Last evening we had a thunder storm, after the storm past it was just so beautiful outside I couldn't resist taking a few pictures.

See what I mean, refreshing, there is no other word to describe it.



Maybe a little singing in the rain too, she was dancing around alittle, but of course I didn't have my camera ready. This was all taken in front our house. We decided to go out back and this is what we saw....
Breath-taking!!!! It's so wonderful to see God's beauty right out your back door!!!

hugs
*a*

I ♥ Faces - Silhouettes

This week at I ♥ Faces the focus is silhouettes. I have tried for the last week to get a decent shot, but I haven't had much luck. My problem is that we live in the mountains, and it's really hard to get on the same plain as the sun. Today I was going to try to one with a window, but it rained, now I am not going to complain about the rain because we really need it. So here is my shoot, not the greatest of silhouettes, but it will have to do.

In two weeks we are headed to the beach so hopefully I will get some good silhouette shoots of my family. Make sure you go check out I ♥ Faces for some awesome shoots.

out for now
*a*

A camping we did go...

Our first trip of the season, and it went pretty well. Last year we only went on one trip, because camping was not Bitsy girl's thing. This year, though, she did pretty well, so I do believe more trips will be in our future this summer, which everyone is really excited about.

Our Memorial Day tradition is to go camping with my parents, it is really nice to spend a few days with them and the kids had a blast.


We took the bikes, so they had fun riding all around...

and then they played a little whiffle ball

But it wasn't all fun and games, daddy had to do a little studying


and no camping trip would be complete, without playing in the dirt with your bestest buddy in the whole wide world

then after a full day of playing and getting filthy, a basin bath was in order

it was also really nice to cuddle with meemaw
Bitsy girl was just eating up all the attention, but I am pretty sure Meemaw was lovin it too.

Now if you think I wasn't there, you are sadly mistaken, no I have no actual pictures of myself due to fact that I am the official picture taker, but I did manage to get in one picture.
Look closely in my dad's glasses, see that shilloutte, yep that's me. I was on a family camping trip after all.

After all that fun, food, and family it was time to pack up and go home. Can't wait till next year....

hugs
*a*