My life...just not on the road I expected (but it's still dang good).

Y.M.C.A.

Coley's Grandma Bev signed him up for swim classes at the Y last week (Spring Break).

All the kids were jumping to the instructor quickly and quietly, one at a time.

But (of course) every time it was Coley's turn, he had to spend 30+ seconds filling the instructor in on what kind of jump he was going to do (I'm sure they don't pay those instructors well enough to have to listen to kids like mine).

And (of course), I couldn't manage to get even one of his jumps in focus (really bad lighting in the Y, so my shutter speed was too slow).

Back to school for everyone this morning.

Now on stage...

Performing their latest hit; Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.

Annie Bannie bo Fannie.

1. She likes to pray (with her eyes open) at dinnertime.  I tell her what to say, she repeats it and whenever she feels so inclined, she blurts out "AMEN!" and starts clapping (I really want to get a picture of it, but I'm not sure what God thinks about taking pictures while people are praying).

2. She's a Mommy's girl, so sometimes when she asks for something I'll say "Go ask your Daddy for a cup of milk.", or "Go tell Ross you want help.", to which she almost always replies, "Noooooooooo, Mommy's turn."

3. One of her favorite things to say is "Let me be!" (usually when one of the kids are bothering her).

4. She finally likes her rubber boots again.

5. Her favorite new song is Where is Thumbkin (substituted with "Where is Yannie") and she sings it constantly.

6. Just a few weeks ago, she was the lightest sleeper ever, but now that she's sleeping in a big girl bed...she is the best sleeper ever (crazy).

7. She just came in, pointing at her belly, asking "Yannie eat more applesauce?"

8.  She's ridiculously cautious (I was secretly hoping that she would be a daredevil-tomboy...but it's not really panning out for me).

I should restate that...a daredevil-tomboy who dresses in really girly-cute clothes all the time.

9. She thinks that anyone with the slightest bit of gray in their hair is her Grandma or Papa (she runs up to complete strangers hollering "Grandma" or "Papa" and hugs them).

10. There is a big figurine at her school of two kids sitting on a bench, reading a book and every day that she goes to school, she runs up to the figurine and says "Oh, kids reading a boot (book)", just like it is the first time she's ever seen it.

11.  She calls Coley, "Toley" and thinks it's hysterical to torture him by singing "Toley-Wholeeeeeeeey" (he doesn't t like being called Coley-Woley anymore).

12. She also calls him Bubby.

13. She knows her colors and her ABC's and can count to 12 now.

14. She thinks that the word "birthday" means "cake" and says "Berfday peaz!" if she sees anything that remotely resembles a cake.

15. I could eat her up for breakfast.

A few things...

First of all, my Aunt Kelly is at home and doing good (thanks for all the comments and prayers).

Now, if I could just stop all the "What if's..." that have been swarming around in my head, I'd be a much happier girl.

I scrapbooked on Sunday and loved it.  Unfortunately, this is the only layout I've done so far this year.  So sad.

   

I need to take a better picture of it - but I'm just too swamped to make the time.

The "at the park" thing is an old flashcard I found at an antique shop. 

I ended up using it as the cover of the album that I made.  I just cut cardstock to size for the pages, folded them and then used my sewing machine to stitch the spine of the album together.  The last page of the album is glued to the back of my layout to hold the album in place.  The layout itself is inside a page protector, but the album sits on the outside of the page protector.

Hope that makes sense.

I think "Interactive Scrapbooking is the coolest thing ever.  It's just a perfect way for me to include as many photos as I want and gives me plenty of room for journaling (the album on this layout has 5 pages and holds 20 photos, but I could have easily added more).

And a few more things:

1.  Speaking of Interactive Scrapbooking, I'll be in the UK next week (April 4-6th) teaching a couple of classes on that very subject.  Shimelle Laine is teaching too (can't wait to meet her - I think she's fabulous).  There are still a few spots left if you want to sign up.  I can't wait!

2. Check out these (I got one for each of the kids for Easter).  The are handmade and quality made and lovely.

2. Do I recommend buying totallyradactions?  All I can say is that I love them, but I think that actions are a personal preference sort of thing.  I think it's also important to remember that most actions are not intended to use at 100% opacity.  I use a lot of actions at very low opacity (5-15%), so make sure you are experimenting with the opacity (it's in the layers palette).  I use their "Vignette and Blur" action to create the dark edges around a lot of my photos.

3. Yes, I do shoot in RAW (I started shooting in RAW about 8 months ago).  I will try to get some information posted about it here in the next few weeks.

4. I shoot in both manual mode and aperture priority mode (just depends on what I'm shooting and what kind of mood I'm in - my goal is to eventually shoot fully manual all of the time).

5. If you are having problems getting your photos the size you want on Typepad, when you go to insert a photo, a dialog box will open up.  Choose "set image options", then "use custom settings", then under the "create a thumbnail" dialog box, insert your pixel width (I use 400 for vertical photos and 600 for horizontal photos).  You can also click on the "save settings to default" box if you want either of these dimensions to become your new default (since most of my photos are vertical, I have 400 pixels set as my default).

And answering a few more questions in regards to my online classes:

1.  What is the difference between my online photography course and the photography course that I teach in stores?  The photography class that I teach in stores is a 7 hour whirlwind of information.  It's meant to introduce/review the fundamentals of photography and to get you familiarized with a lot of the buttons on your camera.  Although I cover a lot of the same topics in both my in-store workshops and my online course, the online class will definitely be much more in-depth and will be a huge benefit to students who want photo critiques, assignments, direct feedback and one one one help. 

2.  Can you take both classes (my in-store workshop and the online course)?  Yep.  A lot of gals have emailed me about this.  They took the in-store class, got themselves familiarized with a lot of the terminology and information, are seeing better results in their photography now, but have more questions, want to learn more and want the benefit of 8 weeks of one on one feedback with me.  I think it's a great combination.

3.  How much one on one time will you be getting throughout the course?  I limited the first class to 50 students so I can make sure everyone is getting as much time as they need.  I will be available Monday-Friday to answer all questions that are posted on the Q&A board.  Students will be able to post up to 20 photos on the Photo Critique during the 8 weeks session which I will review, comment on and offer feedback.  I will also review and offer feedback on all weekly assignments.  I really want to take a very "hands-on" approach to this class, so if you're signed up for the class, you can feel confident that I am going to be there to help you.

4. What if I'm not available to get online everyday because I'm working or on vacation?  The course is designed to work around your schedule.  You do not have to be online at specific times in order to take the course.  There will be a new lesson posted each weekday, Monday-Friday (40+ lessons total).  You can review those lessons anytime you want.  You can even print them up to read them at your convenience.  You can ask questions about past lessons and assignments (it doesn't matter if we're on week 8, you can still ask questions in regards to week 1).  You can complete assignments and turn them in for review at any time during the 8 week course.  I know that a lot of people have busy summer schedules in particular (but I can't think of a better time of year to be practicing your photography skills).

5. Is there any sort of payment plan available?  I've thought about this a ton and decided that it would be too hard to be constantly trying to track who is paid in full and who is not.  And of course, if a student was unable to complete payment for their course, then I would be scrambling to fill their spot in the class at the last minute.  My hope is that with a new course offered every 8 weeks, that people can figure out which 8 week course would work best for their checkbook.

6. Can I take this course if I have shoot film?  Heck yes.  Almost all of the information in the course translates to both film and digital cameras.

7. Will you be discussing photo editing during the course?  While I think that photo editing is an important part of my photography, there just won't be time during the course to cover it.  And because this is going to be a fast-paced, information filled 8 weeks, I don't want to stray off-topic with photo editing questions.  I've thought about offering a photo editing class in the future, but am still undecided.

And lastly...

I am so behind on emails, that I don't know if I will ever get caught up.

A lot of the emails I get are photography questions, which I've been filing in a specific folder (so that I don't lose them) in hopes of getting the time to answer them all.  And while most of the questions that I get seem like simple enough questions, once I start to respond to them, I realize that there is paragraph after paragraph of "foundational" information that I have to cover before I can even begin to answer what seemed like a simple question.

I've been tracking how much time I've been spending per week answering photography questions, and it is averaging about 6-8 hours per week, which is killing me (and it's killing my regular work schedule too).

The problem is, I'm a pleaser and not having 6-8 hours per week to answer all of these questions makes me feel like I am letting people down.  The other problem is, I LOVE PHOTOGRAPHY and I want everyone else to understand it and love it as much as I do too (which is exactly why I've been spending 6-8 hours per week responding to photography questions).

As I am getting ready to launch this online photography class though, It is important to me that I give a lot of time to the students who are signing up for the course and I also don't feel like I can be charging students for information if I am giving away that same information via email.

Anyhow...that was hard for me to write and I hope everyone can understand my intent.

Ok, back to work for me (I've got at least 14 bazillion class CD's that I have to copy - one by one - to take to London with me).  And I need to figure out where in the heck I put my passport.

Life.

It seems like I have been surrounded by constant little reminders of just how fragile life is lately.

I talked to someone who's husband is dying.  I talked to someone who's granddaughter was killed by a drunk driver.  I talked to someone who was just diagnosed with cancer.  I talked to someone who just had an aneurysm.

Little reminders everywhere.

I actually have to be pretty careful about not letting my mind ponder on that kind of stuff too much, because I have a tendency to let it overwhelm me.

But it's all around me lately.

I was sitting at my computer the other night, looking through pictures from the party we had at my Mom's house last Saturday.

And I started thinking about how lucky I am to have grown up with such wonderful, crazy uncles. 

My Uncle Brad used to lock me in chicken coups and cattle shoots.  He hurdled fences and could run fast enough to catch a fawn.  I used to sit on the back of his tailgate on the way to the market for a couple of Orange Crush sodas.  He used to take me for crazy rides on his motorcycle.  He stopped by our house one day when I was in the 5th grade and gave me a $50 bill for no reason at all.  He used to hide Easter Eggs in his mouth.

My Uncle Donnie taught me how to make snowcones out of snow and grape Shasta soda.  He used to take me to the toystore and would walk up and down the isles with me, no matter how long it took me to decide what I wanted.  He took me to the Enchanted Forest more times than I can count.  He used to let me watch him while he would draw pictures.  He helped me learn how to read.  He always told the same bad jokes (and still does). 

They've always been a big part of my life.

And now, they're a big part of my kids lives too.

And while I was looking at all those pictures of my Uncles playing with my kids, I had the most horrible feeling settle in my stomach, that life really is fragile and someday, one of my Uncles might not be there for one of my kids birthday parties.

It's the kind of thought that you just want to push out of your head because it makes your stomach hurt so bad, but really, heart problems run in my family.

So it's just been hanging over my head like a little dark cloud for the last couple of days.

My Mom called me yesterday and told me that my Aunt Kelly had a heart attack.

She's the funniest, most light-hearted, wonderful person I know.  I grew up with her (she's only 7 years older than me) and I adore her.

She used to let me drive my Grandpa's pickup truck when I was 10 years old.  I think she was still playing Barbies with me when she was 15 years old (she was always really immature).  She's always been able to make me laugh until my face hurts.   She used to ask me for serious relationship advice when she was 18 years old (which means I was only 11).  I used to have to make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for her, because she couldn't make them herself.  She used to walk by my classroom when I was in the 1st grade and make faces at me when my teacher wasn't looking (which got me in trouble on more than one occasion).  She taught me how to play basketball.

She's only 42 and she's healthy and she's got three daughters at home (the thought just never even entered my mind).

She's in the ICU in Utah, getting ready to be flown to a hospital in Salt Lake City.

And although it looks like everything is going to be ok...it's another reminder of how fragile and unpredictable our lives are.

This is one of my favorite pictures.

That's my Aunt Kelly, with her baseball cap on her dog Gigi in the upper left hand corner.  That's my beautiful Grandma next to her, who passed away almost 13 years ago.  That's my Sister next to her with her arm around my Grandpa.  That's my Uncle Brad's arm in the bottom left hand corner with my Uncle Donnie sitting next to him.  And me, sitting on my Dad's lap, wondering why Gigi is wearing a baseball cap.

Love you Kell.

Photography course information (and a few shots of Ross).

Ok, I have to admit that it scares the daylights out of me to actually put a date down in writing, but here it goes...

My first online photography course will start on:

Monday, June 2nd

And if everything continues to go smoothly with the website, registration for the course will open up on:

Thursday, May 1st at 6:00pm PST

Sign-ups will be on a first-come, first-served basis on the Snapshots of a Good Life website.  I will be limiting the number of students per class in order to offer each student individual attention, answers, critiques and feedback (the first class will be limited to 50 students - if I find that I can comfortably add to that number to accommodate more students in future classes, I will).

There are currently about 400 people who have expressed an interest in signing up for this class, which means that registration day might get a little crazy.  Please do not be discouraged if you do not get into the first class.  My plan is to start a new class every 8 weeks so there will be more opportunities.

The course will run for 8 weeks and the fee is $250.00.

This is not going to be an easy course, it is going to be a pull up your sleeves, study hard and practice even harder type of a course, geared for beginners to intermediates (it's funny though, I've even been learning some new stuff as I've been putting together the lessons).

It is strongly recommended that you have a film or digital SLR for this course, or be interested in shooting with one in the future (if you have a point-and-shoot style camera and are interested in taking the class, please email me at karencrussell@charter.net so that we can discuss whether or not this course would be a benefit to you).

There will be a forum available for registered students.  The forum will have the following sections:  Daily Lessons, Assignments, Q&A board, Picture of the Day board and a Photo Critiques board.

There will be a new lesson posted in the forum each weekday, Monday-Friday.  Lessons will be available in both written and audio formats (both formats contain tons of visuals).

Assignments will be posted each Friday and reviewed/commented on by the instructor (that's me).

Course outline (the outline I have is four pages long, so this is a drastically simplified version):

Week 1 - Composition

Week 2 - Aperture (my favorite subject in the world)

Week 3 - Shutter Speed, ISO and the Exposure Triangle

Week 4- Exposure

Week 5 - Focus

Week 6 - Additional camera settings

Week 7 - Lighting

Week 8 - How I shoot and why I shoot that way

You do not have to be in the forum at specific times, you can access the lessons and assignments at your convenience.  In addition, all students will have access to the forum for 1 year following the class.

I will keep you all posted of any changes (please keep in mind that there are some things that are out of my control...like website development).

Ok, I hope that covered everything.

If you have additional questions or feedback, please post it in the comments section.

And a few pictures of Ross (more post processing than I normally do on a few of these, but I liked the results).

You can see my reflection on his guitar.

And my favorite.

Celebrating.

ETA: shot everything with my Canon 50mm f1.2 lens (I probably have that lens on my camera 90% of the time - have to force myself to use my other lenses sometimes).  Also, I shoot everything in RAW and do the vast majority of my editing in Adobe Camera Raw and then add a few actions (my favorite actions right now are totallyradactions.com and my favorite combination right now is derelict at about 10-15% opacity, Oh Snap at about 30-60% opacity, Boutwell's magic glasses at about 15-50% opacity and Vignette and Blur at about 30-60% opacity).

We spent Saturday celebrating Courtney's birthday and Easter over at my Mom's house.

Coley and my Mom.

An Easter ducky from Grandma.

Annie's Great Grandma & Grandpa and cousin Shelley.

Annie just made her rounds from Grandma to Grandma all day.

Love this one.

Courtney getting love from Grandma and Grandpa (which is my Dad and Step-Mom) and I think Grandma Bev was announcing dinner.

And I should say that my Mom and my Step-Mom have really blessed our entire family with their good relationship.  I've never had to have separate parties because my parents are divorced.  They hug when they see one another, they sit by eachother, they laugh and they genuinely like one another (sometimes they even sit around and crack jokes about my Dad).

And my kids get the benefit of lots of Grandma's at every party (thanks Mom and Misty).

Josh and the kids played hide & seek tag (Courtney Lee was "it" this round and that's Ross in the tree).

The stairs were base.

Courtney, safe on base, Annie watching all the commotion and Ross (in the gray shirt) trying to get past Josh (in the red shirt) to get to the stairs.

In my defense...I did not stage that pose (it was Ross's idea).

Uncle Brad and Courtney.

 

Uncle Donnie and Cole.

I grew up around these crazy uncles who used to do this exact same thing to me over and over again until I was dizzy (but begging for them to do it again).

Wonky lighting, but I love their faces (they just saw the birthday cake coming their way).

Must have been a good present.

And a few birthday spankings from cousin Sammy.

Happy Easter.

(Easter egg hunting this morning at 7:00am).

How old?

 

The birthday girl.

Courtney is 6 today.

I was out buying organic, whole wheat & flaxseed waffle mix at 10pm last night (my kids love it, I swear), for birthday waffles this morning.

I don't make waffles though, I just buy the mix.

And then Josh Downs graces us with waffles, mixed fruit and real maple syrup every Saturday morning and on anyone's birthdays.

Unfortunately, he has a tendency to oversleep though.

And since he overslept until 6am this morning (he's usually up at 4 or 5), leaving no time to prepare birthday waffles, I had to make an emergency run to the coffee shop for birthday muffins.

Going to mine & Courtney's favorite place for dinner tonight, Bella Union (they have the best Mud Pie) and then having a big Birthday/Easter party at my Mom's on Saturday.

Happy Birthday Courtney Lee...I love you like crazy.