Fall Festival

10-1-11

When Mommy was little she went to Altoona Elementary and every year they had a Fall Festival with games and food and fun.  The school closed down for a few years but then re-opened as a charter school, and they kept a lot of the things that we always associated with the school like the 4-H program, fall festival, and fish fry.  There used to be this cool dome thing on the playground when I was there, I doubt this is the same one, but Dani thought it was as cool as I did.

 There used to be one super tall metal slide, it's gone now, but there's a cool fort/slide thing that Dani had fun on.

 She did great on all the games, even the ones she seemed too small for, like the hula hoop toss.

 The "fishing game" was always my favorite, it seems I passed that down to her.

 She got a sticker, which she thought should go on her head...

 

 

 When you do that well, it calls for a victory dance...

 And a celebratory cookie :)

Week 1 Assignment

 So I took an online photography class that was incredible.  It was called Snapshots of a Good Life and the instructor is Karen Russell.  The first assignment was all about composition, point of view, and taking you out of your comfort zone (up on a ladder, lie on the ground, etc).  My willing subject, of course, was Dani.  Although, using a happy meal to bribe her may have helped.  I spread out a sheet in Grandpa's yard and snapped away while she ate.  I got some of my favorite images when I least expected it!  I developed a love/hate relationship with laying down to look up at her, it made her look bigger which was cool but that also means she looks more grown up.

 Zena has to be wherever Dani is and this is no exception!

 

Then Daddy showed up!

 

I'm still a sucker for her little toes!  And how long her hair looks.  And BJ the shelter kitty.

Kiersten's 5th Birthday Party

9-25-11

For her party Kiersten had a big water slide!

Chris being the good daddy that he is took Chloe and Sydnee down the slide.

 

Kiersten wanted a guitar cake and that's what she got!
 

 

What says rock n roll better than sunglasses?
 

 

After the kids were done playing the grown up kids got to play.  On the first time down Dani got soaked, I'm sure you can tell how she felt about that.  I took a lot of pics of the adults but I promised I wouldn't post all them...however... ;-)
 

Grammie's Beach Vacation Part 4

9-22-11
Thursday

I can't seem to find any pictures from Wednesday and this looks to be the last day of pictures I took on this vacation.

I started this day a little different.  There was the coolest sunrise and a cute little shrimp boat on the horizon (you can just barely see it in the top right). 


Even though it looked rainy and gloomy Dani still got PawPaw and Josh to build sand castles.  But this time they found a bigger shovel and dug a trench around it.

 

The trench was just deep enough for Dani to sit on the edge with her feet in the bottom.  Which led to another sandy bum pic :)
 

Josh got buried in the sand.

 

Dani liked getting tossed around in the surf.
 

 

Family picture time!  Even though it's not a great pic I just love the way Dani is sitting in the top left.
 

Grammie's Beach Vacation Part 3

9-20-11
Tuesday

So how do you think we started our day? If you guessed that it was by Dani and Josh playing in the ocean and building sand castles... you would be right!


I love her little faces in the bottom two pics.

Sandy toes and a sandy tush.  And Dani telling the waves to stop before they get to the castle.

 

When they were done did she leave the castles for others to admire and enjoy?  NO!!!! She butt bombed them!

Then it was a race up to the room.

We took everyone to Sugar Mill Gardens and on one of the paths there was this pretty green and silver confetti.  Of course I took lots of pictures!

And Dani posed for lots of pictures :)

 

 

And that bottom right face is ALL JOHN! :)

Grammie's Beach Vacation Part 2

 9-19-11

We started the day with more beach time and sand castles.

Pause for a sandpiper pic!  I love sandpipers, I always have.  When I was little I believed I could catch one if ran just a little faster... now I just like to watch them, and watch Dani try to catch them.

I can't help but take a picture of those little sandy cheeks!  Yes, she'll hate me for it in a few years, but I still can't resist.

 There was also some pool time which caused those tired, chlorine bothered eyes.

That night we had ham for dinner.  Ham that Dani helped Grammie make.