Friday Fill In

**this is one of my favorite photos I have ever taken,**

1. On vacation, I like to relax, enjoy the sights, see the kids laughing

2. i love sitting on the sand in the ocean and let the waves carry me just a bit.


3. One of my favorite vacation spots the beach, any beach.


4. During the full moon, i can feel the crazy in the air.


5. Up, up, and away, the balloon floated away


6. Bananas go into my protein shake almost every day. my latest favorite is strawberry, banana, blueberries with lots of ice.


7. As for the weekend, tonight I am looking forward to cooking out with the whole fam damily, tomorrow my plans include birthday party for nephew J, and Sunday I want to take a wild guess......ding ding ding, did you say "sleep in"...my all time favorite thing to do on a Sunday.

Friday Fill-In is hosted by Janet of Fond of Snape

ps. i've blogged about the photo before. most recently here

Thematic Photographic-shadow

Carmi at Written Inc has a Thematic Photographic of shadow

I have a huge belief that kids need to be outside. They need to be outside at least once a day. Run around, not tethered to a TV or a Leapster or a million other little electronic devices available these days. When we lived in TX, this was fairly easy to do 11 months of the year.

Claudia of On A Limb asks, "Why do you bother with kindness?" Being outside, getting to know your neighbors is all about kindness. It is nice to let the kids play, catch up with the neighbors, have an impromptu pizza night on the driveway, and all those things that make a neighborhood great!

Here in KY, there have been the rare few days where it is getting quite chilly. I can definitely foresee some need to bundle up and still get out. Even this afternoon, Will and I put on rain boots and raincoats to take a walk in the rain. Granted it was just to the end of the street to gather his daddy's plane. (that is another story!) anyhow.....

But being outside in the harsh afternoon sun often results in some severe shadows. Here are some of my favorite shots that had a tag of shadow from my files.

This one reminds me of so many times I hollered at the boy, "Get your shoes on....you are going to stub your toe!" But I am just glad he had clothes on....more often than not, he is in pajamas if he didn't just get home from preschool!

One of the many from our beach trip the year Husband was deployed.

I love this shot....I even had one enlarged for our wall of family photos. But that shadow on her dress has always bothered me! Finally, another shot from outside....obviously he is swinging....being outside, getting sunshine, having fun. Doing things kids need to do every day.....EVEN if I have harsh shadows!