Breathe f/5.6, 1/500 sec, ISO 1100 Relaxation has not come easy this past week. My dad passed away unexpectedly, so just the simple act of breathing has been something to remember and cherish. My dad's funeral service is next week, so I don't know what the week will bring. But I do know that I need to remember..... He is Gone by David Harkins You can shed tears that he is gone Or you can smile because he has lived  You can close your eyes and pray that he will come back   Or you can open your eyes and see all that he has left  Your heart can be empty because you can't see him   Or you can be full of the love that you shared  You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday Or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday  You can remember him and only that he is gone Or you can cherish his memory and let it live on   You can cry and close your mind, be empty and turn your back Or you can do ...

Swinging crazy f/8, 1/320 sec, ISO 100 This week's theme was Fun . My girls have been on spring break, along with my husband, so I was able to capture lots of fun activities this past week, like going to the zoo, to the movies, staying up late for the lunar eclipse, etc.. But it was our trip to a special park that provided me with this photo that just stood out from the rest. It just doesn't get more fun than this. I will say this week has been lots of fun, but in the middle of all this spring break fun I've been at work as usual. This has me feeling pretty exhausted. So for next week's theme I've decided on Relax . I thought this might be a good way for me to look for and enjoy the quiet moments in my life. And it might help me make room for a little more peace and quiet. And who couldn't use a little more of that? Week Four's theme, Relax

My sunny art studio: f/3.5, 1/50 sec, ISO 800 Family game time: f/3.5, 1/80 sec, ISO 5000 Legos as far as the eye can see: f/3.5, 1/30 sec, ISO 1100 A room full of forts, when a tee pee just isn't enough: f/4, 1/60 sec, ISO 800 Here's a few photos that represent "home" for me. The theme and challenge have been helpful at getting me to take photos on a more routine basis. This week I also discovered the sports mode on the camera and can I say how amazed I am at how many quick photos the camera can take in a row. Crazy! Maybe I'll be able to work in a few examples next week since Week Three's theme: Fun .

As I've written before, I turned 40 last month. And with this momentous birthday has come celebration and reflection. One way I had been considering celebrating was with a special race, even another marathon. But as I searched, I began to realize I needed something different. The special race I really need to concentrate on is life. Now when I'm comparing life to a race, I don't mean it's about speed or winning. That's never been what races are about for me. Races are about finding the courage to start something. Something you might have thought impossible. It's about dedicating time and effort to obtaining a goal. It's about getting out there and trying. And it's about pushing on, even when things get tough. I have set and achieved some really special goals these past couple years, but there's still so much more I want to do. I still have unanswered dreams. Dreams worth chasing. And that takes time and dedication, much like training for a mar...

My girls: f/5.6, 1/15 sec, ISO 4000 Hearts and twinkle lights: f/5.6, 1/60 sec, ISO 1600 Creating: f/3.5, 1/1000 sec, ISO 1600 Imagination and childhood: f/3.5, 1/10 sec, ISO 400 Light and nature: f/5.6, 1/125 sec, ISO 400 So earlier this week, I started my own  weekly photography challenge , and here are my photos from Week One's theme, Inspiration. Each photo includes my inspiration and the exposure details since I am in learning mode. The top photo is my girls peeking out of a tee pee we made the girls last summer. When I was first taking this photo, I was frustrated that I couldn't get them both peeking out the same way. But looking back at the photo, I now see that it really expresses their different personalities. Rebecca is very open, whereas Katherine can often be more guarded. The second photo is a couple of heart ornaments hanging from the ceiling fan in my art studio. I absolutely love hearts and I was experimenting with blurring the twi...

With my newfound passion (i.e. obsession), I've been searching the internet for everything photography: photography books to devour, camera tutorials to learn from, beautiful photos for inspiration, and photo challenges for practice. And as much as I've hunted, when it comes to photo challenges, I haven't truly found one I want to jump into. So I thought why not start a challenge of my own. Back in 2008, and part of 2009, I did participate in a daily photo challenge. And as amazing as it was to see the year end results, it was pretty rough to keep up. So I'm not ready to jump into a daily challenge at this point. But a weekly project could be perfect. Just the right thing to get me practicing with my camera and inspiring me to watch for the magic in everyday. And if you count this week and the week of New Years, we have 40 more weeks this year. And I just entered my 40's! Perfect! My 40 in 40 challenge has officially begun! With 40 in 40, I plan to use a theme each...