Wordless Wednesday.....

Beep, Beep, Beep....... CLICK! Self Portrait..... What my children see...

ALL....

THE....

TIME.....



What I learned? To NEVER AGAIN attempt group and individual portraits of all four of my children without another adult there to help!

Hop on over to Flat Yeast Bread and see what everyone else came up with!

Not Me! Monday

This blog carnival was created by MckMama, as was way to (kinda) admit all those things you did during the week, that you'd rather forget! Come on over, link up, and join the fun! I'll start!

It was Not Me! who stayed up until 1am win an ebay auction for.....HER BIG GIRL CAMERA! It was certainly not me who acted like one of Pavlov's dogs in front of her computer monitor when she first happened upon said auction for a very gently used Canon 50D, 18-55mm lens, 3 batteries, charger, camera bag, external flash, 2 CF memory cards, all paperwork, original box, etc...... starting at $600, being sold by someone with 100%, positive seller feedback for many items. Nor was it me who got really excited when, in speaking to the man selling it, found out that he had bought it for his wife, who apparently really just wanted a simple camera to take occasional photos with. That it's shutter count is 50, and he went out and bought her an I-phone and now everyone is happy. AND... it's most certainly Not Me! who did a crazy little happy dance when I won said 50D set for $700..... I am WAY too mature for that! (Nor is it me who's bouncing around her house STILL this morning, giddy as a little kid in Disney World!)

It's also Not Me! who's still lens shopping.......because spending $700 in a day is PLENTY for me!

And it couldn't have been me who took her children to the park to take portraits this week, only to find herself half gray-haired, and ready to pull her other half a head of hair right out! My kids are ALWAYS well behaved and smile nicely for the camera. I never have surly looks, silly faces, or nose-pickers....NOT ME!





So how about you? Go check out MckMama's blog, and see what everyone else didn't do this past week!

Sometimes, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.......

Macro Friday!

On Friday, no less! Go figure!
Here's my submission, but lots more macro below! It was so hard to pick one!

So, I saved these shots all week for Marco Friday! This ladies garden was amazing..... I say garden, but it is wild...... more like going through a field of wildflowers. She had a few potted plants for sale on her front stairs.



























So, come join the fun with Blogging From Bolivia, and check out everyone else's wonderful close up/macro photos!

Before/After Blog Hop!

It's my favorite time of the week again! Pixel Perfect's Before/After Blog Hop!

Earlier this week, I told you guys about taking photos of an older woman's amazing garden. Well, I've been editing the rest of the photos, and came across this one!



It was one of the first ones I snapped before I knocked on the door and asked permission....these guys are actually well over the top of a 6 foot fence, hanging over the sidewalk!
I didn't know at that moment I was going to spend the next 45 minutes on this lady's property, nor was I even planning on taking photos...... I was on a walk with my kids!

So, when we got home, I kinda thought that one was gonna be a throw-away shot.....but hey, those are sometimes the ones I have the most fun editing!

After:


Even Further After:



So hop on over to Pixel Perfect, and see all the amazing edits! Link up and add your own!

Awareness/Wordfull (with wordless parts!) Wednesday.....and Happiness is!

I'm piggybacking Wordless/Wordfull Wednesday this week, as Diamond Potential has started "Awareness Wednesday....and I thought the two would fit together nicely!



So, for my part this week, I want to talk about Craniofacial Awareness.


I am a Pathfinder for Ameriface. My daughter was born with an orofacial cleft, specifically a wide unilateral cleft lip and palate. My daughter is in good company though.....according to the CDC, orofacial clefts are the most commonly occurring birth anomaly, surfacing in approximately 1 out of ever 600 births.

The thing to keep in mind though, is that at ANY time, ANYONE can become a craniofacial patient! Ameriface not only helps those with congenital anomalies, buy also those of us who have become craniofacial patients due to accidents, diseases, animal bites, etc....

What is a Pathfinder, you ask? According to Ameriface's website, "The Pathfinder Outreach Network is a system of networking families and individuals whose lives are touched by congenital and acquired facial differences...and much more. Pathfinders work closely with medical and other professionals to bring support and information to families of craniofacial patients. Volunteers offer a shoulder to lean on, educational materials, and referrals to local, state and federal services designed to enhance the care they get from their medical teams. Most of all, they understand what it's like to make this journey."



So, are you surprised, with the statistics so high, that you don't know anyone who was born with a cleft? Well, I'm sure there's a few people you might be familiar with!

Stacy Keach
as was Cheech Marin
Peyton Manning
Rev. Jesse Jackson
Carmit Bachar
Tom Brokaw

as well as some people in history
King Tut
Doc Holiday
and Abe Lincoln's son, Tad

The thing with clefts is, the cosmetic aspect is just one part of the equation. Clefts affect speech, eating, and breathing..... things we often don't think about. Our kids have incredible strength, and go through countless surgeries and years upon years of orthodontia all before they are fully grown.

So, with that, let me encourage people to...

Please! Come up to me and smile at my baby. Her anatomy may be different, but she's a little person, and my pride and joy.

Please (kindly) ask questions! Don't just stare at her cleft, her appliance, or her scars! When she has to wear arm immobilizers after a surgery, don't glare at me! I swear, her arms aren't broken....she's just recovering from a surgery and can't be allowed to touch her mouth!

A beautiful older woman in our local supermarket brought me to tears one day when S was laughing at my silly faces. All she said was, "My! What a beautiful smile she has!"

Sometimes a simple act of kindness can mean more than you can ever imagine to someone else.



Thanks to Diamond Potential, Live and Love Outloud, Seven Clown Circus,and A Beautiful Mess for hosting!

Oh yeah, and Happiness? Oh I know what Happiness is!

Watching my children learn...

Seeing them learn to appreciate their Grandparents....

Afternoon sibling giggle-fests!

Random upside-down Spiderman kisses...

and, of course.... PIGGYTOES!