[two twenty four]

 I can't stay away from the forest in the golden hour. It calls to me. Irresistibly.

Shaina

[two twenty four]
4.30.11

[two twenty three]

Took some pictures of our daily staple, provided by
Grandma's chickens! She got almost three dozens the other day!

[two twenty three]
4.29.11

[magical forest light]

 This evening when my family was down in the field below the house, I grabbed my camera because the light in the forest was simply magical. I drug Samantha along to pose for me, and she loves me SO much that she walked through stinging nettles in shorts to humor me. Such a sweet sissy. <3 Enjoy!
Shaina

[two twenty two,buttercups,& muscles]

[two twenty two]
4.28.11

Looking stuck up.

Looking pleased. Which do you like better?

 My brother has big muscles. And he's FAR too tall for a 12 year old. Dah.
Shaina

I shrieked when I saw these outside my bedroom window!! I love
buttercups so much!!

[porch light?]

The boys are giggling profusely in their bedroom as I clean up the kitchen. I notice that the scraps are overflowing.
Flashbackward to about two and a half hours ago: "Micah, take out the scraps please," I say from the kitchen. "Just a minute," he replies. "Micah! How do you ask?" "Can I please finish reading this?" Me: "..yes.. if you hurry."
Flashpresent. Giggling boys. Overflowing scraps. Me: "Micah, come here and take out the scraps!" He comes into the kitchen saying, "I *did* take out the scraps!" "No you didn't. They're overflowing." "Well, I don't remember not taking out the scraps!"
After scrambling around looking for coveralls (he was only wearing a pullup) and shoes, he's ready to depart. But there's a problem. His headlamp apparently has dead batteries, just like everything else in this house. =D He runs over to put it back and look for another one. "Micah? Why don't you use the porch light?" I say. "Porch light?" he repeats incredulously. I answer, "Mmhmm." Looking at me with 'that' look on his face, he says, "No."
Headlamps are apparently much more thrilling than porch lights.

And there he is, the little heartbreaker. Look at him.
Just look at him!

Shaina

[two twenty&twenty one]

[two twenty]
4.26.11

[two twenty one]
4.27.11

 Brand new baby kittens, born on Easter at the farm! Grandma's keeping them and their mother inside because said mother is not a good mother.

Color version.

[two nineteen]

[two nineteen]
4.25.11

This morning I woke up feeling all peppy, motivated, and semi-energetic even though the sun has hidden all day today. I blame it entirely on that wonderful night's sleep I got last night.
To expound on last night's post, when I was probably only semi-coherent, my family went fishing after church and caught around 30 fresh fish. So we had a fish fry. And it was OH so yummy.
Class today was really good. I can't believe we only have two weeks left! I'm going to miss school, but it will be a happy release as well because we have a TON going on this summer. But I'm especially going to miss class SOOOO much! :( *sigh*

Shaina

[family photo]

Our Easter Family picture. I think we look
quite dapper!

 Happy Resurrection day everyone! He is risen indeed!
I am full of fresh fish. Like, stuffed full. :) It's a good feeling.

Shaina

The silly one :)

Micah looking all handsome.

[two eighteen]
4.24.11

[chicken salad]

Step 1: (actually, this is several steps into the recipe b/c
I didn't think to take pictures until this point. Back to the point:
De-seed orange pepper.

 Last night I made Chicken Salad for dinner and for the *drumroll please* FIRST TIME *EVER*, photographed my progress. For my first time.. I don't think I did too badly. I shall do it again sometime and work on improving :) The recipe I used was really good, even though we didn't have a couple of the ingredients.You should try it. Because it tastes good. And is fun and easy to make.
That picture down there of Levi might be my three sixty five of the day. You never can tell.

Last night Samantha was talking to John and she said, "You should be glad you look like Flynn, (from Tangled) John." He looked at her and said, "He should be glad he looks like me." Hahaha! Stay away, girls.. he's only 12! Fortunately he looks like Flynn but doesn't *act* like him :)

Shaina

Step two: cut up pepper.

Step 3: Shred chicken

Step 4: Measure Mayonnaise.

Step 5: Mix together spices with mayo.

Step 6: Slap on a croissant and enjoy!

My little cutie patootie.

[two sixteen]

[two sixteen]
4.22.11

Today we celebrate Jesus' death that paid for our sins. Thank you, Jesus!
Shaina

[two fifteen]

[two fifteen]
4.21.11

Add caption

[sleepy silvers]

[two fourteen]
4.19.11

Today is pretty dreary again.. :( And I have poison ivy. I seem to be attracted to it because I get it two or three times a year. I think that photographers are more prone to it than other people, because I'm always lying on the ground and stuff to get the picture just right, with no heed as to what I'm laying *in*. Haha!
Itchily,
Shaina

[the merits of Dickens]

[two thirteen]
4.19.11

If you don't want to hear me sing the praises of Dickens, you'd better leave right now. Because the singing is going to start in about a second.
Still here? First let me say that Sam, mom and I are watching Masterpiece Theater's "Little Dorrit." But it was Dicken's first :D I haven't read the book (and yes I am ashamed of myself) but I can see little Dickens touches all over the place. Affery and her flightiness, Mr Dorrit and his pride in being the Father of the Marshalsea, Amy and her gentleness and quiet devotion, Tattycoram with her spazzes and her seemingly random placement in the story, John Chivery and his blighted heart, Panck and his um.. just him. Flora too, is quintessentially Dickensish. But possibly my very favorite thing so far is Aurthur. He is without a doubt (so far; we're only halfway through) my favorite hero of Dickens. Let me make sure you understand what I mean by 'hero.' He must be classified as 'the one who gets the girl.' So, much as I love Jarndyce, Mark Tap, (though he does get his girl, it's not *the* girl) Tom Pinch, and all the other 'secondary' heroes, they are not really 'the' heroes. One thing that I do have to say against Dickens is that he has a small tendency to leave his hero's characters undeveloped. Take Bleak House for instance. Esther (who is my favorite heroine of his, unless it would be Florence from Dombey and Son) marries a doctor who shows up midway through the story and spends most of the remaining time at sea and they aren't even acquainted well enough to write to each other yet. So then he comes back at the end and they get married. He *seems* nice enough, but we know Guppy so much better than him! Although Dickens doesn't do that all the time. David Copperfield, Nicolas Nickleby, Martin Chuzzlewhit, and Our Mutual Friend all have heroes who's characters are very well developed. However, I don't remember David Copperfield well enough to judge him, Nicolas seemed a bit of a girly man to my, Martin was a complete *brat* for most of the book, and John.. well John is very good. He still comes second to Arthur for me though :) Speaking of our Mutual Friend, I thought Bella was rather undeveloped in the book. The movie improved upon her immensely in my opinion. And she was one of two heroines.
Dickens was brilliant for secondary characters. And for main characters as well, but sometimes it just seems like he overlooked one of them. And his secondaries are really what makes his books great (besides the plots) They add that touch of reality to the books, because they all have their special little quirks. How I miss the Cheerful Grinder, Mark Tap, Joey B, Guppy, (Guppy's mother..heh) Jenny Wren, Smike, Fanny Squeers, Mercy Pecksniff, and all of them! 
Back to Little Dorrit; halfway through it I'm utterly confused as to what the watch means, who Miss Wade is, why she wants Harriet, and many other things. I have no doubt however, that things will straighten themselves out in the end.
And Andy Serkis pwns creep of the year award. If this has inspired you to watch Little Dorrit.. be forewarned that he plays the creepiest man *ever.* Yes, Headstone is creepy. But at least you know what drove him to be like that. Rigaud is creepy right from the start and well.. you love to hate him.

Shaina

[two eleven and twelve]

Joey made this all on his own and
then wanted me to take a picture!

 Please everyone help my friend out! Here is what she wrote:
"Hey everyone, I need your help! I wrote an essay for a scholarship contest, and the first elimination round is determined by popular vote. My essay is currently ranked 11 out of 3350, and I need to be in the top 10 through May 1st. I would really appreciate it if you would vote for me! You can vote once per IP address (computer, cell phone, ipod, etc.).  Thank you to all who already have and will vote - I wouldn't stand a chance without you!

http://www.wyzant.com/scholarships/v1/essay4703_Overland-Park-KS.aspx

Again, thank you so much!
~Karie"

As you can see, it's a scholarship.. that's a pretty big deal! It just takes a couple seconds and will help her out a lot!

Handsome boy..

Cutie :)

[two eleven]
4.17.11
I normally don't go for this type of shot but this tree
is seriously epic. I've been wanting to
take a picture of it for... forever. And I finally did :)
It almost looks LOTRish to me :)

[two twelve]
4.18.11

[two ten]

[two ten]
4.16.11

Today I gardened! It was lots of fun :) I like to garden. Made a bed around our redbud tree for flowers. And planted some bulbs in it. Plus Aunt Cindy and Uncle David are picking up Breanna's graduation present, a new flash drive (I filled my 16 gig up with photos) and a new battery for the remote that Rachael gave me.. I'm very excited for all.. ok, two of those things :) A new flash drive isn't something to be too excited about, right? Scratch that. I'm excited.

Shaina


Almost forgot! Sam and I finished Les Mis last night; it's three hours long! Conclusion: (1) You have to know the story to follow the play well, (2) there's NO speaking. In other words, they sing EVERYTHING. (3) The last half is better than the first half by FAR. If you watch it, persevere. It does get better. (4) The singing was good (some of it, great) . The play was good. The story is CLASSIC. And (5) After further investigation, it turned out to be Nick Jonas, not Joe. Silly me. He had a good voice, though his acting wasn't much to write home about. Although.. considering as he was playing a love struck 17 year old... I guess he's supposed to be kind of... sappy. Or something. So I'd have to see him act something else to judge well. Overall it was a blast! Although the people that played the Thenadeirs made me sick.

[rainy day]

[two oh nine]
4.15.11

Soo.. it's very soggy out. And so I thought this song was appropriate. :) It actually is raining in the photo.. I was kind of bummed that you couldn't see the raindrops. Today I learned something about our kids. If you leave leftover breakfast things out long enough, they will eat them. All of them. Levi ate three bowls of oatmeal. When I set the third before him he gave an evil chuckle and said, "SANK you!!" Personally, I wouldn't eat *one* bowl of oatmeal.. but to each his own I suppose. 

                                                                                                                                              Shaina

[cold time!]

[two oh eight]
4.14.11

I just gave Levi and Sylvia a bath. After much drama about sitting down in the bathtub they settled down and played together fairly fuss and splash free. When he got out of the bathtub Levi went over to the diaper closet and said, "Coooldd... cold time!!" haha he's so cute. This morning he snagged a boiled egg off the counter and peeled it on the front porch unbeknownst to anyone, rather well, too. I caught him when he came back for a second one though! I haven't been feeling well these days.. and I don't know why. I told Sam this morning when I got up that I felt like a dead toad. She was very sympathetic. *sarcasm* ;)

Shaina

[this was going to have words.. but then I forgot what i was going to say]

[two oh seven]
4.13.11

Fo reals. I was going to write something... and I clean forgot it. So, apologies.

Shaina

[new blog template]

You're wondering, I'm sure. It doesn't seem like happy little me. But I'm sure we'll all get used to it. Right?!? *sigh* I'm really not a b&w person very much.. but I decided that the white background complemented my photos more than a colored one. So there you have it. *weeps uncontrollably*

[two oh six]

[two oh six]
4.12.11
"Little Miss Sunshine"

A redo of the 'muscles' photo I did a while back.