Day 235/365- Open

School is now open.

Everyone survived the first day

although we are all exhausted.

What is up with all of these forms

we have to fill out?

I felt like I wrote my name, address, and telephone number

14,684 times.

How many times do they need to ask

for heaven's sake?

Enter the digital age, people...

put it in a data base for the

office, nurse, teachers to share

and then file *one* hard copy in case of

catastrophic power or computer failure.

Geez.

I already have information home

about starting to plan for Ty's 

high school career.  

Day 1 of 8th grade and they 

are already having me think about high school.

Can't I get used to the idea that he is 

in 8th grade before I have to begin

worrying that in one short year

I will be the parent of a high schooler?

The thought makes me nauseous.

On a funny note...

Ty does a rockin' imitation of his 

"80 something year old English teacher."

Hysterical.

If he wasn't so shy I would have him do it for

you on video tape...but no can do.

And Ladybug?

She hasn't stopped talking about her day yet...

including the cute boy she met.

*sigh*

Day 234/365- The Dump Ain't What It Used To Be

I recently took a trip to the dump with visions of

getting really cool, gritty images of seagulls 

circling the fields of trash with large

bulldozer type machines crushing and 

burying the landscape...

smells smoldering in the summer sun.

No such luck.

I have not been to the dump in years

so I was so surprised to find that now they have you 

load the trash into dumpsters. 

No more driving up a dirt road

to the crest of a hill and throwing your stuff 

into a field.

Besides the smell, it is one of my fond memories

of doing something with my father growing up.

I think it fascinated me so much because it looked 

like a different world.

The good news is we got rid of another truckload

of unusable trash, much of which we could recycle.

Now we have more room for basement construction

to continue in the near future!

Day 233/365- Summers in the Summer

This is our favorite place to eat

ice cream and snow balls.

It is located in a small, quaint town 

in Pennsylvania called Stewartstown.

This sweet shop, called Summers,

is the hot spot for summer afternoons and evenings.

Everyone wants to be there for the 

homemade ice cream and delicious snowballs.

They open their doors every year on the first day of spring

and close down on the last day of summer.

The winter seems long and sad without it.

Summers is located across the street from 

the Stewartstown Railroad that is currently

raising money to save and renovate the

historical building and railroad tracks on the property.

Some of you may remember me posting about it before,

as it is a favorite spot for my family.

That tree you see in the shadows in the foreground

is huge and ancient.

There is no doubt in my mind that it has

been there since the railroad was in its heyday.

I love that tree 

with all of its finger like roots.

I wish it could talk and tell me

about the good ole days when

ladies wore dresses and hats and 

gentlemen wore suits when they traveled.

If you are ever in this part of the woods during spring or summer, 

be sure you stop in and have a treat.  

You won't be sorry.

(Psssst...they have Whoopie Pie flavored ice cream.  Yeah, I. Know.)

Day 232/365- Last Weekend With the Kids...

The kids enjoying ice cream while we chat. Taken with self timer.

...before school starts.

We will have to make the best of it!

Today was spent in last minute orthodontist appointments

(Ty got rid of his bite expander!)

and visiting the middle school's open house

(Ladybug is very nervous, but she will do fabulously!)

Two soccer games tomorrow...

One for Ty and one for Ladybug

(Ladybug scored her first goal of the 

season in her first scrimmage game the other night!)

Sunday will be spent with family 

for a crab feast 

(Yum!)

and then back to school Monday

(sniff).

It flew by so fast!

Hoping you and yours have a great weekend!

Sending lots of love...

Day 231/365- Rising Storm

This week has been a wash...

with the toddlers sick in the beginning

and then me sick the past few days, 

well, nothing has been accomplished.

That is not entirely true.

Brian has been busy working in the basement

trying to finish up our new bathroom 

before school starts.

Since Ladybug and Ty will be going to the same school this year

and riding the same bus, that means there will be a

competition for the bathroom at 6 AM every day.

So, another functioning bathroom is crucial at this stage.

When all is said and done, I will share pictures

of the new bathroom as soon as it is finished.

Thanks to all of you who have not packed your bags

and abandoned this ship for the past two weeks 

while I have been no where to be found.

And for those of you who did...

I don't blame you!

Day 230/365- Ice Luge

The other day Brian and I went to a neighbor's pool party

for some end-of-the-summer fun.

Our neighbors decided to get an ice luge

and were partying down while I was there to document

the whole ordeal.

For those who have never seen and ice luge, it is pretty funny...

It is a 300 lb block of ice with trenches blow torched into it

so that someone can pour down shots from the top

which the people catch at the other end.

Me, not being much of a drinker, had more fun

taking pictures and watching everyone have a good time.

That is, until I got pushed into the pool with all of my clothes on.

I was smart enough to have a bathing suit on underneath,

and pack dry clothes, but it was totally out of the blue and unexpected!

At least I didn't have my camera or my cell phone on me at the time!

Since I have a pretty good sense of humor, I wasn't angry

at the guy who sent me head first into the pool...

I laughed about it, despite losing the brownie I had in my hand

at the time to the chlorine enriched water.

Good times, good neighbors.

Hope you are wrapping up your summer with a bang!

Blow torching some new trenches in the ice

After night fall, they lit up the luge with a flashlight

Day 229/365- Summer is Ending

So, guess who is now sick after taking care

of sick babies all weekend?

Yup, that would be me.

I am miserable.

Can't swallow my own spit.

*sigh*

This week has to get better, right?

Day 228/365- The Tree House Loft

Some of the best moments

are those spent alone in

quiet reflection.

The tree house loft

is the perfect place to spend

the dusk hours of summer.

Day 227/365- Toddling

Toddler 1 finding her way to the rope swing.

Country life is good.

Day 226/365- The Vine

Brian in his pumpkin patch

Brian and I try to be as green as we can be.

We started composting shortly after we got horses

to have the manure "ripen" and then use in the gardens

around the house.

As the years went by, we would add

yard clippings,

flowers that are cut back in the spring,

and pumpkins after they rot away from Halloween.

Last year we had a few pumpkin vines sprout up

in the compost pile and we ended up with a few

small pumpkins from the deal.

A few years back, we ended up with some

sunflowers from the seed the birds had dropped.

This year, we ended up with a GIGANTIC pumpkin vine.

Not only is the vine gigantic,

but several of the pumpkins are of the variety that can 

grow to be over 100lbs.  

Gigantic vine = gigantic pumpkins.

See that orange thing in the middle of the leaves...

that is one of the HUGE babies growing.

We will have some serious pumpkins to decorate this year.

I just don't know how we will get them up the hill to the house...

I am taking a break for a few days

so I have set up to prepost some Project 365 pics 

while I am MIA.

I hope everyone has a fabulous weekend!

Day 225/365- New Kicks

I can't believe it is almost time for school to start again.

In one week my son and daughter will have their

open house at school to get their schedules

and find their classrooms.

Then, a week from Monday they are back to school again.

Where did this summer go?

We are busy getting school supplies and clothes.

I still need to go through the winter clothes I packed away

this spring to see if anything in there will fit from last year.

With the way everyone has grown, I highly doubt it.

What are you all doing to wrap up the summer?

Have a fantastic Friday, everyone!

You made it through the week

and that is something to celebrate.

Day 224/365- I'm Falling To Pieces

 What am I gonna do when the best part of me was always you
What am I supposed to say when I'm all choked up and you're ok
I'm falling to pieces, yeah
I'm falling to pieces, yeah
I'm falling to pieces
(One still in love
while the other one's leaving)
I'm falling to pieces,
(Cuz when a heart breaks
no it don't break even)

~Breakeven

The Script

When I saw this flower,
I immediately thought of this song...
No worries...the title of the post
only has to do with the song
and not me ;0)

 

*********************



Remember I asked you all what kind of flower this is?

Well, here is what it looks like when it blooms.

Now, does anyone know?

Hugs and lovin' to everyone
on this Thursday.

Day 223/365- Playtime

Rainy Day Activity

We all know that Play Dough

is great for kids of all ages...

Here we have 13 years old down to 2 years old.

There may have been an occasional 30-something

person joining in as well...just sayin'.

Hours and hours of fun...

Taken with Lensbaby Fisheye Lens

Day 222/365- Fostering a Love

As many of you know, we are a foster family.

While I can't go into detail about 

what our particular situation is, 

I can discuss fostering in general.

I plan on answering some common questions

that I get when people find out that we have foster children.

I hope this gets you interested in the fostering system

and at the same time answers some of your questions about 

what it is like to be raising children that are not your biological children.

Question 1- (typically when we are out as a family):

Are they all yours? (Referring to the four children)

My answer:

Yes.

Explanation:

They are all ours, 

not because I gave birth to all four children

but because for this moment we are responsible

for their well being, health, and emotional stability.

I have a philosophical/religious belief

that all children are God's children, not ours,

and we as adults have been given the 

responsibility/blessing of raising them the best we can

while they are here on Earth.

So, yes, they are all mine.

And besides, do I owe any sort of explanation

to a stranger in the Wal Mart who is nosy enough to ask?

Question 2:  Is fostering difficult?

My answer:

Yes and No.  

Explanation:

Yes, there are many difficult parts to fostering, but for me

the blessings outweigh the downfalls in the long run.

That is not saying there never days when I feel

like throwing in the towel and giving up.

I am human and I have bad days and 

I make mistakes.

There is a lot of hurry up and wait while fostering...

you are dealing with government and laws.

There are many hands in the pot,

so to speak, so getting the different parties to communicate

is a difficult thing.

There is  also a lot of uncertainty.

We have no say what happens to the children in the long run.

Their fate lies in the hands of Social Services and the Master

in charge of the case.

So, when you are a planner and a control freak, like me,

it becomes difficult  waiting for

all the people in charge to make the decisions 

that will affect your family for the rest of everyone's life.

With that said,

the things that make it worth it are:

the hugs,

the kisses,

watching the kids grow and learn,

watching my bio children learn service to others,

and creating a bond with two other humans 

that will last a lifetime.

Question 3:  Are you adopting them?

My answer:

I don't know. 

Explanation:

As I said earlier, we are not in charge 

of the foster child's future.

We have no say in what the plan will be for him/her..

I can say, that whatever that plan is,

we, as a foster family, will be there to support 

the children along that path.

Those are three of the most common questions that 

I get on an almost daily basis, so I thought

maybe some of you may be wondering too.

Just so you know, if you have any questions 

about anything in the future,

anything at all...photography, fostering, farm life, 

I now have an "Ask Tracey" button 

on the top navigation bar.

Feel free to ask questions there as you think of them

and I will either answer you directly or blog the answer.

Have a good one.

Day 221/365- Yellow Things and My High School Reunion

Once again this picture has nothing to do with the post content.  I am crazy that way.

I am so glad I went to my 20th class reunion last night.

I was so nervous about going...but it turned out wonderfully.

I had a chance to meet up with some ladies that were dear childhood friends

and some men who I had grown up with since kindergarten.

I must say, I was pleasantly surprised at how wonderful every looked.

I was a little worried about having to lie to everyone

about how amazing they look for being 20 years older.

I was worried about nothing, as most of us have aged gracefully

and I didn't have to lie to a single soul about how beautiful/handsome they looked.

I was also worried about the awkward silence you have

after discussing marriages/births/work accomplishments.

You know, the kind of quiet tension 

when you suddenly run out of things in common 

with a person?

Thanks to Facebook, that turned out well too.

Since many of us have been in contact via Facebook

for a few years, we had a lot more to discuss

compared to our 10 year reunion.

Out of 300 plus people in our graduating class,

we have unfortunately lost seven classmates

for various reasons ranging from murder to illness.

Hopefully we will be able to brag that at the 30 year reunion

we have lost no one else.

It is so strange to look at those seven

in their graduation pictures, showing off their caps and gown,

only to realize that none of them made it to the age of 40.

It breaks my heart.

As I was thinking about this,

I came across this song, posted by Jess from Wrong Week on Facebook.

It seemed appropriate for the mood of missing those seven classmates.

The following pictures were posted on Facebook

by various members of the class,

so I hope they don't mind that I stole a few ;0)

I did not have my camera...long story,

so I had to rely in others to take pictures for me!
And...get this...
I did NO RETOUCHING!
What you see is what you get.

Me with The Crazy Indian (our high school mascot) drink!

 A high school friend, his wife, and dorky  me

Jean and me...silly, silly

We don't look a day over 18, do we?  Don't answer that.

My girl, Kathy.  She is a hot mama!

Thanks to everyone who encouraged browbeated me to go.

I am slowly learning to set my worries and anxieties aside

and seize the moment of the day.

Love you all!

Day 220/365- On Alert

This picture has NOTHING to do with the following drivel.  Just so you know...

Guess where I am going tonight?

My 20th high school reunion.

I would be lying if I said I was not nervous.

I wasn't going to go...

But peer pressure on Facebook is a powerful thing.

And, I read this article, which was recommended

to me from one of the more pushy members of the

peer pressure group ;0)

(Karen, that would be you...xoxo)

And then I was told there would be 

"award winning" food at the venue...

Slainte Irish Pub and Restaurant.

I guess the question became,

is it worth the time and money to see people

that I have no desire to see again?

Of course the answer was an easy, "no."

But after awhile I came to

a second conclusion.

It WAS worth the money and time to see

the few people I DID want to see...

namely those few ladies who stuck with me 

through the roughest times of my life.

So, I am going.

I am nervous.

But, I have my party shoes on and camera in hand.

I will report back later.

Wish me luck.

Cheers...

Day 219/365- Beauty

I had the chance to shoot a set of three beautiful daughters

and their mother the other day.

They are friends of ours and wanted some updated pictures 

for their Dad's new office.

We headed out to Cromwell Valley Park

and had lots of fun shooting.  

These girls are so sweet and kind with each other.

Seeing them with each other made me wish I had a sister.

To see more of the shots from this session,

please see my Nine Acres Designs blog.

Just a quick reminder that time is running out to sign up

for Nine Acres Designs Natural Light Portrait workshop!

Head over to sign up now!

Have a great Friday!

How many of you have a sister or sisters?  Are you still close with her?

Day 218/365- Pony Trick

At the barn where Ladybug rides,

there is a pony that is in training.

One of the more experienced riders 

was determined to work with her this day,

but all did not go as expected.

She was bucked off the pony while using the saddle,

so in true cowgirl style, she picked herself up,

took off the saddle and jumped on bareback.

The pony is still being bit trained, 

so she wasn't very cooperative, 

but I have no doubt this rider will have her lesson ready

in no time!

On another note,

it is pouring this morning!

I am thankful for the rain,

but the roads are a mess...

the dirt roads are all washed out

and the paved roads are covered in rain.

At least it will force me to stay inside 

and get some editing completed!

Have a great Thursday everyone!

The Ravens play a preseason game tonight,

and I am so darn excited to 

be seeing some football again.

☂☂☂☂☂☂☂☂☂☂☂☂

Day 217/365- Running on Empty

Today is a Wordless Wednesday for me.

The title and the picture do all of the talking.

Have a good one!

Day 216/365- Flutterby

I am super excited.

My husband just told me he renewed my 

birthday gift from last year.

He bought me season tickets to 

Broadway Across America

at the Hippodrome Theater in Baltimore.

Last year we saw:

 Fiddler On the Roof 

Dreamgirls 

Young Frankenstein

 In the Heights

 Stomp

and

 Alfred Hitchcock's The 39 Steps

This year the show schedule is:

Cirque Dreams

Blue Man Group

Rock of Ages

Jersey Boys

Shrek

and

West Side Story

I think I am more excited about this year's 

schedule compared to last year

and I had a blast last year...

I have been working like a dog the

last week, so I apologize for

not being around to everyone's blogs.

I think I may be able to 

see everyone today crammed in between editing.

I miss you!

Have a great Tuesday!

Day 215/365- Vogue

This Saturday, Ladybug and I went for a drive

to Cromwell Valley Park to check it out 

since it will be the location of my 

upcoming Natural Light photography workshop.

I was so impressed with just how many different backgrounds

that could be used and how many great lighting situations

there were at the park that I ended up changing my 

mind about the content of the workshop.

Ladybyg had not done her hair,

nor did she dress for a photo shoot,

but she was kind enough to stand in

as my model so I could test out the light.

Can I just say her eyes kill me?

I know she is my daughter, so of course

I think she is beautiful,

but those eyes...

wow.

Anyway, if you would like to see the full

lighting test, you can head over to 

Nine Acres Designs to see more pictures

including some black and whites.

I hope you like them!

xoxo

Day 214/365- In Sync

Ladybug attended camp this past week

at the stables where she takes lessons,

Muddy Creek Meadows Stables.

This is her fourth year attending and

she loves it more and more.

This year she was assigned to a new horse

for the week of camp, Dime.

Dime was bought at auction and 

is the sweetest horse...

Ladybug really fell in love with her immediately.

The theme of the camp was Knights on Horseback

so for the parent show on Friday they had 

the horses draped in cloth that represented armor.

It was very cute.

Ladybug just started riding English style

in the beginning of summer and she is 

already successfully jumping.

I am very proud of her love of animals,

horses in particular,

and her persistence in learning new skills.

I will have more images later to share

from this day...

I hope you have a blessed Sunday!

Day 213/365- My Life is All About Poop...

Between having two toddlers

and animals including

a Clydesdale, a Tennessee Walker, 4 goats,

2 rabbits, 4 cats, 1 dog, 

and 3 fish,

my life sometimes feels like

it is all about poop.

Despite riding the high of shooting

glamorous people like John Mayer,

my life always returns back to reality quickly.

Today I am scouting new photography locations

at Cromwell Valley Park in preparation

of the upcoming Nine Acres Designs

photography workshop.

Only two more weeks to sign up!

I hope you all have a wonderful day planned!

Hugs,

Tracey

Day 212/365- The John Mayer Concert

Sean Hurley

Robbie McIntosh

David Ryan Harris

The John Mayer Concert was an amazing experience.

This is the second time I have had the privilege

of seeing him in concert thanks to knowing

one of the band members, Sean Hurley.

Sean has been so gracious as to ask us to come

see him play the bass in John Mayer's band...twice!

Of course we were delighted to go!

Sean is one of the most delightful, down to earth people

I have had the pleasure of knowing and he makes

you feel like you have known him forever.

He is that easy to talk to.

The first time we went to the Mayer concert, back in February,

I was not allowed to take my professional camera in

the venue.

I, however, was able to get a press pass this time

and was allowed into the pit area below the stage 

for the first three songs.

John Mayer's people, whoever they may be,

only allow media there for the first three songs.

So, I found myself elbow to elbow with

two other photographers and two videographers.

I was trying NOT to be in awe so I could concentrate

on my camera settings to be sure to get some good shots.

Three songs is not a ton of time to get the shots,

so I had to be sure I was working quickly and correctly.

People...my elbows were on the stage.

I could have reached out and grabbed John Mayer's shoe.

I was that close.

But, I didn't have time to take it all in because once the 

songs started, I just started shooting like a crazed person.

See the image below?

I am the the person in the purple

and just on the other side of that speaker

(I wore earplugs!)

is John Mayer.

That is Sean Hurley you see in the background.

The guy sitting next to Brian in the audience 

snapped this image on his phone and then realized 

that I was Brian's wife...so he texted me this image

from his cell phone.

It was the most exciting photography experience

I have ever had.

I was a bundle of nerves until I snapped the first shot.

I am excited to wrap up the editing and

burn the images to a disc and get it sent to the band.

I hope they like them!

If you haven't seen the other pictures,

there are more over at Nine Acres Designs...

there are a few posts, so scroll down to see all of them

if you are interested.

Thanks for taking this journey with me

and thanks to those Facebook friends who

encouraged me along the way.

xoxo

Day 211/365- A Bit of This and That

Does anyone know what type of flower this is?

It grows in my garden and it spreads everywhere.

It is just now budding...I can't remember what the open flower looks like.

Thanks for all the healing thoughts for my tooth.

I am not sure why this tooth was so bad,

as I have had root canals before that weren't this painful.

But it is getting much better already!

On another note (pun intended),

have y'all heard of David Garrett?

He is an amazing violinist that brings

cool to the string section.

He is not bad to look at either.

I happened across him on MPT last night

and was so impressed.

He was performing Rock Symphonies

and it was so cool listening to rock songs

"sung" by the violin.

Here is Smooth Criminal by Michael Jackson:

He is not to be confused, however,

with Richard Cheese...

the dude who changes rock songs into lounge songs.

You have to listen to this...

if you don't crack up, something is wrong with you.

That's all.

A little bit of this and a little bit of that.

Have a wonderful Thursday.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Get Classical/Rock Violinist David Garrett's Rock Symphonies Album for $3.99 Today on Amazon (thecontrapuntist.com)

Day 210/365- Curly

Pumpkin Vine

Do you ever feel like you spend your life

waiting on other people?

That's how I am feeling today.

I try not to let other people have control over my happiness,

but sometimes you do all you can do

and the rest lies with other people.

Frustrating.

I am not a patient person...

anyone who knows me well knows I want things

to be done yesterday...not today, not tomorrow.

I am also a control freak.

I like to be in control of all things in my life,

and when I am not, it is difficult for me.

So, I sit here today waiting for other people.

Waiting, waiting, waiting.

******************

Sorry I didn't get the concert pictures I promised up yesterday.

I ran out of time due to an emergency root canal.

(Joy!)

Pictures of the Avett Brothers are now up.

Hopefully more John Mayer and band images will be up soon.

I won't promise a time, so keep checking back.

(I don't want you waiting on ME!)

Last, I want you all to know how much

I truly appreciate all of my true friends 

and blog readers. 

You bring true joy to my heart.

xxoo

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Day 209/365- The World's Worst P365 Picture

My model was not cooperating.

It was VERY late, thus pitch black outside.

The only light was a dim porch light from above.

That is my excuse and I am sticking to it.

All of that adds up to the world's worst Project 365 image.

I knew there would be those days.

*sigh*

Today is looking bleak.

Whenever you have a dentist visit for a sore tooth

and an MVA visit for license renewal

in the same day,

it is going to be a bad.

So, actually the photo fits the mood for today.

From,

Trying to look hot for my license picture

P.S.  There MIGHT be some more concert pictures up

today over at Nine Acres Designs ;0)

And no, the pupil in yesterday's image was not John Mayer's.

You can stop fainting now.

Day 208/365- Eye of the Beholder

There is a road

from the eye

to the heart

that does not

go through the intellect.

~G.K. Chesterton

I found the heart shaped pupil interesting.

Do you?

Still catching up with Project 365 images.

Thanks for hanging in there with me!

Day 207/365- Balancing Act

Rontu is getting bigger (and more spoiled!)

Luna Moth

I am about a week behind in posting 

Project 365 images,

so I will double post for a few

days to catch up.

Maybe by then, the John Mayer images 

will be edited!

I can honestly say that was the most 

amazing experience I have ever had.

Can't wait to tell you all about it!

Trying to balance being a mom,

a wife, and running a business

and a home

is catching up with me again.

*sigh*

I did want to let you know

that if you were interested in the 

Nine Acres Designs photo workshop 

coming up this month

and you live out of town,

I do have a free place for you to stay...

right here with me!

I have a few beds to offer 

for any out of towners that would like to spend the night

and hang out with me for the weekend.

Just let me know!

(Just be prepared to help with the goats and horses ;0)

Oh, and by the way,

there might be a sneak peek

of the John Mayer concert images 

over at Nine Acres Designs today ;0)

Have a great Monday, y'all!