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  • My Kids

    June
    24
    2008

    Sunday was a busy day. After Church, we organized and packed the girls for camp. We ran errands, picked up the last of the items on their lists, and then I got busy on Chickeymonkey’s head.

    The last thing I wanted to subject someone to at camp was having to wash her hair. She hasn’t quite learned how to do it herself yet, so I decided to (hopefully) make it easier on everyone and put tiny braids all over her head.

    How I love this child of mine – she sat patiently (watching the clock and updating me every 4-7 minutes) for an hour and a half while I put about 30 braids in her hair. She only whimpered a couple of times as single hairs kept finding their way into the braids halfway across her head. What I thought would turn out to be a giant headache, turned out to be a very cool head of hair.


    I love this photo of her. LOVE. This is my Chickeymonkey.
    This is Catybugs 3rd year at camp. Chickeymonkey? Well, this is her first year. We spent 2 weeks with the “I don’t wanna go’s” and the last two days with the “can I go the full week?” And me? I’m trying to pretend they’re just at school all day long, and sleeping over at a friends house at night. Because I’m a sap, that’s why.

    * * * * *

    Catybug: “Mom you should be excited that we’re going to camp! Now you can do all the stuff you wanted to do without us around!”
    Me: “Yeah, okay, Catie, do you know what’s on that list?”
    Catybug: “No, what?”
    Me: “Nothing. There’s NOthing I want to do without you around. I had kids because I want kids. I WANT you around.”

    * * * * *
    And this is how my week is going to go. I’m working, yes, but there’s seriously nothing on my list of things to do that I wouldn’t rather do with my family in tow. That time together doesn’t last very long, before stuff like this happens – and they’re going off to camp, going off to a friends house – going off to school, then going off to get married. I’d rather soak up every moment I’ve got before those moments are farther and fewer between.

    Sigh. Back to work. *misses my kiddos*

    20
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    Filed under: Home n' Hearth, It's Personal.

  • Wild Turkeys. Seriously.

    June
    23
    2008

    wild turkeys drinking turkey photo leanne wildermuth
    We’re not exactly city folk here, but not entirely country, either – so it’s not often you see a sight like this!

    Two turkeys sipped water from the tray of the flower pot this morning as we drove by after dropping (sniff) the girls (sniff) off (sniff sniff) to go to church camp (sniffle, sob, sniff).

    My hubby (Happy Anniversary, Hubby!) spotted them and thankfully they really didn’t care about having a car pull up beside them. They were busy getting a drinky drink. I thought you might like to see a little more detail, since they’re all wild and stuff – here you go:

    wild turkey close up photo leanne wildermuth
    Isn’t his feathering just beauuutiful? I want to print this photo and have cans of paint made to match his feathers.

    It’s odd though, I’m guessing if you’re not familiar with wild turkeys you kind of have this preconceived notion of how they look based on all those “Tom the Turkey” images from childhood. I know I do – so when I see them I’m always thinking they must not be for eatin’, ’cause turkeys meant for eatin’ look like this:

    Photo: KCKPLYS.com Miss Ima Turkey Goodie Can (linked to source)
    Hm. Part of me thinks I should adjust this perception, and the other part of me thinks “nah, those wild turkeys probably taste all gamey.”

    12
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    Filed under: Birdwatching, Chit Chat, The Great Outdoors

  • Hummingbird Wannabe

    June
    22
    2008

    house wren on hummingbird feeder
    house wren on hummingbird feeder photo leanne wildermuth

    house wren on hummingbird feeder photo leanne wildermuth

    I walked into my living room to put my camera into Standard Hummingbird Photo Op Positioning when lo and behold, there was a stranger on their feeder. Good timing, I thought.

    This cute little House Wren hopped around, posing for me in several positions. I wondered why he was there. Did he just enjoy the reflection in the window? Did he really think he was going to get nectar? Or maybe it was just a convenient and safe place to land while he’s still a little wobbly on the wings.

    Who knows – I’m just grateful for the timing. It’s certainly not often you see something other than Hummingbirds – and ants – on a Hummingbird feeder.

    8
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    Filed under: Birdwatching, Chit Chat, The Photog in Me

  • Three Hummies and a Pair of Nuts.

    June
    21
    2008

    I live for creative post titles.

    where\'s waldo hummingbird perched photo leanne wildermuth
    You know you’re a birdwatcher when….
    You can spot the bird in this photo in 3 seconds or less.

    hummingbird hover photo leanne wildermuth
    ssh. Don’t move.

    hummingbird hover photo leanne wildermuth
    If you hold really still and be quiet,
    you can watch the hummingbirds as they perch and drink.

    nuthatches photo leanne wildermuth
    And in between Hummy visits, this Nuthatch duo will delight and entertain with their upside-down tree climby antics.

    8
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    Filed under: Birdwatching, Chit Chat, The Photog in Me

  • A Day at the Zoo

    June
    20
    2008

    lissing lory rainbow lorikeet photo leanne wildermuth
    Kissing Lorikeets. Awww.

    giraffe splits photo leanne wildermuth
    As we came upon the Giraffes, this guy was, well, trying to do the splits.

    giraffe close up photo leanne wildermuth
    And then he asks “does my butt look big in this enclosure?”

    harris hawk bird photo leanne wildermuth
    A gorgeous Harris Hawk (I think he’s got Red Tail envy.)

    red tailed hawks male female photo leanne wildermuth
    Mr. and Mrs. Red Tailed Hawk – don’t they make a stunning pair?

    12
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    Filed under: The Great Outdoors, The Photog in Me

  • Lorikeet Love

    June
    18
    2008

    You know a Lorikeet loves you when …
    he sticks his nectar-loving tongue up your nose.
    Moments later, Catybug snuggled him up to her chest and rubbed his head until he made teenie tiny squeeks of joy. This is a hand fed infant Rainbow Lorikeet that we met at our local zoo in Lorikeet Landing, an aviary with a couple dozen Lories flying around.

    11
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    Filed under: Chit Chat

  • Reaping What I’ve Sown

    June
    17
    2008


    garden may 10
    May 10th
    garden may 25
    May 25th

    vegetable garden after 41 days
    June 17

    Just 41 days after planting (more like 39, since I harvested broccoli, spinach and a couple of green peppers on Sunday), we’re eating fresh organic food from our own vegetable garden. From the left in this photo we have tomatoes (against the fence), broccoli, cauliflower, beets, beans, peppers and spinach, and along the garden fencing I’ve got musk melon and cucumbers that are flowering.

    fresh steamed broccoli from garden
    Fresh steamed broccoli from our own vegetable garden. Whoodathunk it?

    10
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    Filed under: Chit Chat

  • A Weekend Wedding

    June
    16
    2008

    wedding ceremony photography leanne wildermuth

    The beautiful couple is my Godson and his new wife. The wedding was sweet, and short, and their adoration toward eachother was so apparent throughout the day.

    wedding ceremony photography leanne wildermuth

    The flowers were simple, but beautiful, they were just right.

    wedding ceremony photography leanne wildermuth

    The exchange of vows was romantic, and sincere, and yes, of course I cried.

    wedding ceremony photography leanne wildermuth

    They lit the unity candle in perfect synchronization.

    wedding ceremony photography leanne wildermuth

    The flower girl offered rose petals for everyone to throw as they exited the church.

    wedding ceremony photography leanne wildermuth

    And we danced.

    * * * * *

    It was a weekend of remembering, of smiling, laughing, hugging, and eating. It was a weekend of meeting people again that I haven’t seen in ages. And on the way home, it was a time of reflection.

    In my 19 years away, look at all that I’ve missed. I’ve missed watching the childhood of my Godson – going to his baseball games, birthday parties, and graduations. I’ve cherished a photo of him when he was just a toddler and it was as though my mind didn’t think of him as a person who would grow up, fall in love, and get married.

    I’ve missed my cousins being born – and met one of them, an adult, that I’ve never met before. I’m on the outside of the inside jokes. I’m loved, yes, from a distance and with casual yet formal hugs and smiles. I am the one they thank for traveling a distance (though it’s not a very big one) to visit.

    It’s amazing to me how much life happens in 19 years. How not being nearer to your family means you will miss it, unless you make it a point not to. I spent some time mourning the things I missed, but also being so grateful that this realization hit me when it did. I won’t be the one who sits idly by and waits for an invitation to be with my family. I need to be the one to call, to remember, to make the effort – because if I’m not, no one will.

    What a wonderful, beautiful, emotional weekend.

    How far do you live from your family, and how often do you see the ones you love?

    24
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    Filed under: Home n' Hearth, The Photog in Me

  • How Great Thou Art

    June
    13
    2008

    illinois storm high wind tree blowing photo leanne wildermuth
    illinois storm high wind tree blowing photo leanne wildermuth

    illinois storm high wind tree blowing photo leanne wildermuth

    illinois storm high wind tree blowing photo leanne wildermuth

    illinois storm high wind tree blowing photo leanne wildermuth

    The storms that passed through lastnight were remnants of what hit Kansas. Still, they packed a punch and brought my girls to huddled piles of blankets. I watched out the window as the winds took control, saw the clouds as they swirled to form tornadoes that touched down in farms miles away. I stood in awe, humming this song as I watched, thinking that as terrifying as it is, it is equally beautiful and wondrous to watch.

    I held my camera to the window, pointed it at the top of the tree in our front yard, and snapped in burst mode (they’re about 2 seconds long each). I opened them up this morning and was in awe all over again. The whole series is about 10 seconds worth of our tree blowing – it clearly shows the power of the storm. The movement is captivating to me – slightly blurry, but crisp where they need to be.

    The hail came after the wind – quarter sized, but it didn’t do much damage that we could see.

    I stayed with the girls as another storm moved in and counted “one-one-thousand, two-one-thousand” with each flash of lightening, and fell asleep when the storm was about twelve-one-thousands away.

    17
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    Filed under: The Great Outdoors, The Photog in Me
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