229/365

Vanity License Plate

I used to go to Hawaii for the winter and  I stayed with a friend.  It was glorious.  The people in Hawaii love their vanity license plates and there were plenty of them to photograph.

It was always fun to try and figure out what they meant.

This one made me think that the owners had 3 children and they thought that was enough.

It made me smile.

 

074/365

Jungle Bounce House

This afternoon the weather got really beautiful so I decided to make another trip to the zoo.  I didn't realize that there was some event going on there. There were a lot of families there with their kiddos and presentations happening throughout the zoo grounds. It was so good to see all the kids having such a good time.

This bounce house was right inside the entrance.  I've never seen one like it before, so of course I had to make a few images of it.  

66/365

Kids on a Trampoline

I have permission to post this image.  I saw these 4 littles playing on the trampoline and I asked them to stand in a line and jump when I gave the signal.  The littlest one kept landing on her bottom as the others were jumping.  She didn't seem too upset, and the others were having great fun showing off for me and my camera.

143/366

Pickle Ball

I don't understand the appeal of this game.  It's been the fastest growing American sport for the past three years.  Why?

To be honest, I've never played it so maybe I don't have the right to judge it like I do.  My game of choice is racketball.

I knew two people who were playing this morning so I couldn't resist making some images.  They were having great fun, but I'm not even tempted.

Each to his own I guess. 

My heart is grateful that:

there seems to be something for everyone

138/366

Hopscotch on the Bridge

This hop scotch design is painted on the walkway of the pedestrian bridge that goes across the Chena River in downtown Fairbanks, Alaska.

What a treat for the kids as they walk with their parents.  Maybe a treat for the adults too.

241/365

At the Splash Pad

My town has several of these fun splash pads scattered around.  My daughter takes the kids to them pretty regularly, but this is the first time I was able to meet them this summer.  The huge bucket (in the upper right corner) fills with water and then dumps out.  The kiddos aren't brave enough yet to stand where the water cascades down, so my daughter was giving them a demonstration.  

My heart is grateful for:

how kid friendly my town is

204/365    

Brand NEW Pencils

Around here, school will be starting in a couple of weeks.  The grandkids will be homeschooled.  One will be in Kindergarten, the next will be in a gentle pre-K.  The Pre-K girl has a birthday this weekend, so I got her a fun workbook, and some brand New Pencils.  

What in the world is more exciting to a kid than brand new pencils and a completely blank, fun, workbook?  Well....maybe a brand new box of Crayola Crayons!

Maybe I should get a box for her~~I'm also going to look for pencils with her name on them. 

The Kindergarten boy will get some pencils with his name on them, but not for a couple of weeks. 

My heart is grateful for:

exciting new beginnings

99/365

Partial Silhouette

I was out today enjoying the incredibly beautiful weather and looking for a photo op.  I was at the local park/lake when I saw this scene.  The people were spaced apart nicely and when I saw the image on my camera it looked like a great partial silhouette.

So there ya go.

My heart is grateful today for:

ice cream

8/365

The Toybox

The toys in the basket are a few that I brought with me when I moved and a few that I purchased at Goodwill after I got here. 

The grandkids don't come here too often, but when they do they head right for the toys.  It's so much fun watching them re-discover the items in the basket.  The toys aren't as creative as the ones they have at home, but when they're done the living room looks like a hurricane swept through.

 8/366

 Family Portrait Session

Yesterday I had the chance to do a portrait session with this fun family.

After making some images with their pets, we did a few with just the humans in the family. 

I'm so glad I decided to do this session in the studio~~it was a great way to contain the pets and the kiddos. 

3/366

Random Thoughts

So...this virus has done a number on America (and other places I'm sure).  My opinions about it and the measures that have been taken shall not infringe on my posts, but it needs to be said that I haven't been taking the kinds of photos I would have, had the virus not happened.  Also...living in West Texas doesn't help.  It's ugly here. Finding a prettier place involves traveling for hours, and right now everyone is too leery to travel, which I find annoying, but that's the way it is.

So here is a random collection of photos:

An barrel-racing event at a mini-rodeo called a PlayDay

     So sweet that this little guy was guiding the horse for the littler girl.

 

Senior photo of a recent seminary graduate.

A group of us were out for a day of shooting practice at a gun range.

A Christian University graduate.