I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday weekend. I do love extended weekends, my hubby’s extra help around is so so welcomed! We had a fun filled busy weekend full of outside ventures and sweet treats. I had my camera most of the weekend but not all and there were a few moments I will have to cherish mentally for years to come. The twins digging into their yummy ice cream looking up at us with smiles and little chocolate faces…ah yeah, I will have to etch that one in the brain. Yet another was, washing/cleaning out the car with soaking wet kids loving every spray from the hose. I do love my little family, even though there are some really tough times for me and I feel really over-whelmed, I need to relish in the times that smiles grace my face and not frustration.
We went on a hike near town. We had gone earlier this year in March when we were having amazing weather and my has it changed. Completely covered in green canopy and lovely ferns now. The kids enjoyed hopping along the path and I enjoyed stopping now and then for a snap. Below is one of them, I really liked how the composition came out not to mention that cool mushroom.
f/5.6 ss1/25 ISO400 55mm
On one of our wagon walks this week I found this beautiful Calla Lilly and I was struck with the leaves. The light coming from behind helped accentuate the spots and I found myself snapping away. I added a little texture to the photo because I thought it added a little…could be wrong though, jury is still out for me.
f/1.8 ss1/40 ISO100 35mm
We headed to the Iowa River for a few hours this weekend. I did not take my camera…I shudder to think what I would do if I had a mishap 
So here is a shot with my phone of the little miss with her daddy enjoying herself in the sand. The camera phone sure is nice to have peace of mind when wanting to snap in less than ideal places for your pricey DSLR camera and lenses 
Happy week everyone! 
Busy mom with a creative need and a love of capturing 'moments' in time.
Looks it you and your family had awonderful time. I love the lilly shot. The editing was nicely done.
Thanks Kevin, I always wonder about posting pictures when i don’t focus on the image in front…some people are really turned off by photos like that. I appreciate you stopping in
Yeah, I know what you mean.
What a fun weekend you guys had! That first shot of the moss and the mushroom is amazing!! The colors, the composition, the scene is just perfect!
Thanks Grace! I really liked that one best of all the mushroom photos I took, believe me there were many. But that little guy and his bent stem really pushed it over the edge for me along with the texture of the moss and log.
Love your entry this week. Great photos.
And as someone that went through a similar situation with all the little ones (triplets plus 1 more) I will just tell you that before you know it they are grown, and you will look back on all the craziness when they were little as something wonderful.
I always love hearing from you Angeline because I know you feel me. You’ve walked the path that I am currently along and that comforts me. Thank you for the words to look forward to
Like always, your pictures are lovely, Ninali!
Touching on that comment you made about having to etch the memory of your children digging into their ice cream in your brain: as a photographer, I can imagine you must house something like a insatiable beast in you at all times. The desire to “capture” every moment, never taking anything away from the object or subject, but adding a dimension perhaps. I know this because I am tempted in Great moments to wonder how the situation might work on the page.
To my photographer husband, I mentioned the other day when he was trying to get the perfect shot, “I think sometimes we sabotage ourselves by trying to capture what was meant to enjoy and remember in our minds.”
Not to say pictures aren’t incredibly valuable. The art of photographing is one I have deep respect for; I only mean that if we’re trapped behind the lens — or the pen, in my case — we might very well miss the moment completely.
Thank you for continuing to share your gift with us.
Hope all of you are adjusting more and more each day!
~ Cara
Right you are Cara! I love your words “insatiable beast” spot on with that description! There are many many times when I catch myself saying ‘what a fabulous picture this would be,’ and in a perfect world I would have some sort of robotic camera swiveling around the scene and snapping away when I think it ha ha!! Not only would I capture the moment but I would be in the picture too!!
I can appreciate your dear hubby when he is trying to get it just right but like you said there are times we just need to savor the moment for what it is and not push the moment for it to become stale just to capture it….does that even make sense? 
great photos here. in the top one, if you look at the main mushroom and look behind it and see the second one, it looks like a couple of eyes peering over that first one. sometimes i can find things that maybe another might not. second one the greens and yellow are really clear, but in the background with the blue has that mirage effect. cool for sure!! good to hear that you enjoyed your extended holiday as did i.
I see them Don…good peepers you have, I didn’t notice it until you mentioned it
Thanks for the lovely comments, I appreciate you stopping by 
I love the hikes I take with my kids, take as many as you can Nanali and cherish the moments!