Even Better... September 7, 2010
I'm normally such a home-body. I just wanna be at home. I feel sorry for people who travel, for those who go on lots of vacations. I just wanna be home. But this week has been different. I've been thoroughly enjoying being out and about with my family and each day seems to be getting better.
Just a little friend we met at the beach. We watched as every ten minutes he'd emerge from his hole with another 'hand' full of sand to toss back to the beach, then return to his hole to dig some more. Wow what a life he leads.
Ok, so I'm always critical when I'm in a picture... but I should have followed my own advice and not worn an oversized shirt for a silhouette photo. However, I'm rarely in pictures, and am ever so thankful for this family portrait from last night.
So far, SOOOOO Good! September 6, 2010
It's our first big trip as a family. We've settled on going 3/4 hours away for any family trips as the kids were younger, and this was our first year feeling as if I could handle a drive in the vehicle with them. It took 16 hours to get to our destination, but oh so worth it.
Halfway to the ocean we stopped in the mountains over night. It was the kids first time seeing mountains. Though they've gone snowboard/skiing on Madriving Mountain, it's just a hill. We stopped near New River Gorge, which was Gorge-ous (tee hee). I think more incredible than the magestic scenery for the kids was the Mystery Hole - a little touristy stop/fun house kind of thing. At 6, 7 and 8 years old, it was PERFECT for their senses of humor and maturity level (or lack there of). At the mystery hole, you go under ground to a spot where gravity seems to dissapear. Water flows up, balls bounce the wrong way, and you can sit on a chair on the wall (the room itself is built on a slant, so if you stand up straight, you look like you're standing sideways, and if you stand straight according to what the room looks like, you're actually leaning/laying on the wall). Gravity is so messed up that an old VW Bug crashed right into the building!
If the excitement of the hole wasn't enough, at least we got a beautiful view on the way back to our hotel!!!
Notice the jackets on everyone? We were sooooo cold up in the mountains!
Another eight hours on the road the next day and we finally made it to the ocean. We needed to eat dinner and unpack, but just as the sun set the kids and I went down to the beach. Of course I made them let me get a photo. It was sooo dark, but the kids all three got wet (clothes and all) and built some sand castles. It took us all of about 30 seconds to see our first dolphins from the cabin :)
Today we made it back to the beach. It's hot and sunny and just perfect. Would never guess a hurricane came through a few days ago! While Joshua and I were further out into the water there were more dolphins about ten yards away. I so want to pet one! lol, but I guess I'll settle with being able to say we swam with them.
More pics to come later, I'm sure!
My Kids Are Winners August 31, 2010
I'd be willing to venture that most mothers who are sane and free of major defect believe their kids are amazingly wonderful and all they do. Yes, we do see the flaws, but tend to focus on how incredible these little people are. I am no different. When they bring me a new painting or project from class, I see a work of art. When they bring homework back graded, I see valedictorian material.
So imagine what it must be like teaching my kids the basics of photography. It is a great joy. I hope they keep up the interest. Chris liked it for about five minutes, and I think he just was using it to get away from his siblings and have mommy time (which can be done with other things that he enjoys more). Its Josh and Nataley fighing for camera time now. Yes, it makes me nervous handing my lively hood over and there are rules when shooting with my camera. I also bought a point and click, but the quality of course is a big difference. I like explaining things with the SLR, though f/stops and ISO and shutter speeds just aren't going to be discussed for quite a long time to come. They are, after all, 6 and 7 years old, and those are topics that make grown ups heads spin.
It starting months ago at the botanical conservatory when I was taking pics of butterflies. Nataley loves pretty things, and definately wanted her chance to shoot the butterflies too. The poor gal still had the settings on manual, so I think a good 100 pics were over/under exposed. Then there were about a dozen I couldn't believe how good they were. I showed Nataley my absolute favorite and suggested she enter it to the Bugs contest the local photo club was having.
I love so much about this photo. I love her perspective... it didn't occure to me to get down to 3 feet tall and see the butterflies from this angle. I love how the flower sweeps over the image and brings your eye down tot he butterfly. I love the colors behind. I love the clarity, which trust me, though I can take some darn good pics, is still hard to get for a tiny creature like this. But again... I'm mom. I'm biased.
Nataley ended up taking 2nd place for the bugs contest - $5. She was over the moon. It was also her 6th birthday. Her photo ended up being in the paper several times, and she was so proud. Can't stop there - I nearly forced her to enter her butterfly photo to the fair. It just seems too good.
Well to get to the point of the story/post, Nataley won 1st place under the category of - ''All Creatures Great & Small.'' A nice blue ribbon. Then after juniors judging was over, she was awarded the color divisions Best of Show award. Nataley was so excited when I got home and told her. Two ribbons, AND $15! She's much more excited about 1st place then Best of Show, because she just doesn't understand the significance yet - but when she sees the huge purple rosette Wednesday when the fair opens I think it'll start to make more sense to her how big of a deal it was.
And then there is Josh. He's in it to get rich quick - Joshua wants the money! I know the fellow photographers who read this will laugh at the idea of photography ever being a way to get rich... especially quick. If you can make a living, you're very fortunate. But Josh had his plans and has been clicking away with his ideas of what to enter for the fair.
It's no secret of our shaved ice addition here at the Hattery home, so this entry was an obvious choice. Elisha at CJs helped us pick flavors that would be most colorful, and Josh took pics from several perspectives, asking me to hold him for this photo. He took 1st place for Van Wert County Fair color category. Yeah Josh!
In the Sky's The Limit b/w category Josh won 2nd or 3rd. I know he ended up with two 2nds and one 3rd... I just don't remember which won which, except for his first place win. Sorry. Not much help. I do know he's super excited over the four ribbons, and can't wait to collect his cash.
For Sky's the Limit color category Joshua's moon (with two planets, not sure what they were). Again, a 2nd or 3rd... not sure which.
And finally, Joshua's lion from the zoo took 2nd or 3rd. He is entering this to the Wassenberg show, which of course is quite cut throat and hard to get into. Good luck Josh!!! I'll be holding my breath that day, and you can imagine once again posting my abundant jubilance if they make it in!
I'm Jodi, a military wife,
mom to three, and an
award winning photographer
Jodi Hattery Photography
SPECIALS!!!
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