End of Summer

We were invited to an End of Summer pool party at a friends and we had a great time. However somehow all I got was pictures of Shane. They are great ones though, I took them with my new lens.  

You know how usually the last child has the fewest pictures, I think it will be the opposite in our family. And some of you know just how many pictures I have of Jared. (Hundreds) It is probably the switch from film to digital. I just don't feel guilty about taking 100 pictures when I don't have to print them at all if I don't want to. The down side is that I rarely print pictures. I will have to work on that. 

Lesson One

I finally got my first lesson from NYIP, I am super excited to be able to learn more about something I have grown to love in the past few years. They say the best way to learn something is to teach it to someone else so I figured that I would post my view on the lessons on my blog. 

So the first lesson is the Eye of the Photographer. 

Basically it comes down to 3 questions you should ask yourself when you take a picture. 

1. Does my photo have a clear subject and theme? 

What is the universal message of the photo? 

2. How do I focus attention on my subject?

3. How can I simplify my photo to eliminate distractions and draw attention to the subject? 

In this photo the subject is Jared, the theme may be growing up. I focused on the subject by using a small aperture and blurring the background. I could simplify the photo by removing the branch sticking out of Jared's elbow. 

In this photo the subject is Shane and the dog in the wagon. The theme could be childhood. I focused on the subject by keeping them focused and blurring the background. And kept it simple by making the subject large in the frame. 

In this photo the subject is Dallin, the theme might be childhood. Keeping Dallin large in the frame makes him a subject. To simplify the picture I could have kept the shadows off his face. I did keep the background blurred however. 

So what do you think? 

ChristyLynn Photography Gallery

I have a Gallery now that you can go to and see all my favorite pictures.  The address is http://gallery.me.com/christina.picker  

I am starting an Online Photography class and I am really excited. I have been told I have a good eye and just need to learn more of the basics. There are only great things to come. 

I already have a paying job to do head shots. Cool. 

I was privileged to be able to take pictures of these sisters so that I could practice. These are just a few of my favorites. I had so much fun. I think they did too. 

It is done! Now on to the next .

It's finally done! The first room in the addition to be officially done is our Master Bath. 

Most all the work was done by Aaron and myself. I am pretty sure the framing and the plumbing were the only things we did not have our hands on. 

The shower was our first real tile job. It turned out great. The window is a glass block window the picture doesn't show the texture really well. We love our shower, I do not know how the rest of the world lives with just one shower head in the shower. :o)

We Painted the cabinets and they look beautiful. First we painted them a chocolate brown and they looked really dull still. So I took a high gloss black and dry brushed them in black. Now it looks like a high end stain. Pretty cool. The shelves above the toilet turned out really great. It took a long time to come up with a plan for that area, we think it turned out great. 

The next project is to get the Master Bedroom done. The fireplace has been tiled it just needs grout and then the room needs the crown and baseboards put in. And a little touchup on the paint. 

Nap Time

Today after lunch I looked over and saw that my Shane was getting a head start on our nap. I had to snap a few pictures of him before I laid him down on his bed. 

They look so sweet when they are asleep. 

10 Fingers and 10 Toes

Aaron and I were able to peek inside and take a look at the new baby. It was fun to see the heart beat and the tiny hands and nose. The baby kept stretching it's legs out as far as they could go. Another one that doesn't want to be bundled up I suppose. 

The official due date is Dec. 1, but if I get my way and am induced a week early like the last two, the delivery date will be Nov. 24th. 

Adoption

We have this wonderful family as our friends who desire to adopt a baby. Kim and her husband Lance have 3 beautiful boys and have tried multiple times to have another but due to health issues have not succeeded. Their desire for another child is sincere and beautiful and I could not think of a more deserving couple. Kim has shown herself to be a most affectionate and patient mother and Lance a most wonderful and loving father. Her boys include Zac, Scott and Brycen. Zac and Scott are challenged with an extremely rare genetic disorder, but their spirits are as beautiful as any young boys. Brycen was a miracle of science and is free from this disorder and doesn't even carry it. Their small family now desires to bring another of Gods children into their loving home. If by chance you hear of anyone who is willing to make this ultimate sacrifice please contact them. 

Following is a link to their adoption profile. 
http://www.providentliving.org/ses/birthmother/viewsingleprofile/0,12272,2133-1-7184,00.html

They also have a blog of their own at http://hopefulfamily.blogspot.com

 

This is a letter from the Jones Family please read it and consider posting a similar blog on your own web page or blog so that the word might be spread. 

Thank You 

Christina 

Dear Friend,

As we sit down to compose this letter we picture you sitting down to read it. Oh the thoughts that must be racing through your mind. We admire you for your courage and pray for you daily. It is our prayer that you will be surrounded with love and support as you make this most difficult decision.

Kim: I grew-up always knowing that I was immensely loved, valued, and cherished. Still when I fell in love with Lance I was surprised to discover an intensity of love that I never knew existed. Even now I find myself glancing at Lance or watching him play with our children, and I marvel that my love for him continues to grow each day. He is absolutely perfect for me and I am eternally grateful that we are together.

Lance: Kim has warmed my heart from the first time I met her. Her sweet smile and fun personality bring a special love into our home. Kim’s incredible love for our children is reflected in the amount of time and effort she puts into creating a happy home for all of us. When I come home from work, I am often greeted by my children who excitedly show me the treasures they have created with Mommy. We would like to give you a glimpse of life in our family and hope to be able to share more with you.

We enjoy spending time together and try to go on a date once a week. In Kim’s spare time she enjoys, visiting with friends, playing tennis, scrap booking, and curling up with a good book. Kim also loves to shop. Although Lance is the civil engineer in the family, Kim is the number one toy train track builder! Lance loves being outdoors, he loves to snow ski, bike ride, and play tennis and golf. He is thankful that a portion of his work involves being outdoors. Lance has a passion for cars and hopes to one day restore a classic as a family. He also makes up the best bedtime stories.

We absolutely love being parents, and we are so excited to welcome a new child into our home and our hearts, and to have the unique opportunity of also welcoming a birth family into our lives. Being parents has taught us that every phase of childhood is a magical and miraculous time. We believe in celebrating this special time in their lives by enjoying it to the fullest. We have three precious sons, Zachary is nine, Scott is seven, and Brycen is four. Zachary and Scott have been given the challenge of living with some developmental delays. We marvel at their abilities and at their desire to do everything everyone else can do. As we have struggled with infertility for the past seven years we have come to understand so profoundly the blessings children bring. Our children have brought immeasurable joy, excitement, and fun into our lives. We have also come to realize that our family is not yet complete. Our desire to have another child has never been stronger; we continually pray for the special child who will complete our family.

Spending time together as a family strengthens our love for one another. There are countless activities we enjoy doing as a family. Simple things like taking our golden retriever for a walk by the river and letting the boys hold the leash. It is an adorable sight to see a small child walk a big dog. The boys love to work on projects with Daddy; they built a fantastic play structure in our yard. We love swimming in our pool, going to visit Nana and Papa (Kim’s parents live about ½ hour away)—Papa built and entire room to run his electric trains with his grandchildren. We love getting together with our families; our boys love spending time with their cousins, aunts and uncles. We also like to launch model rockets at the park, go jet skiing on the lake, and jump on our trampoline together. Our bigger adventures include, our annual trip to Disneyland, vacations to Aspen Grove family camp, weekend trips to the aquarium, frequent visits to Lance’s family in Utah, and going camping as a family, and with friends.

Of course, quiet times at home are also nice. A fire in the fireplace in the winter, summer campouts in the yard or family room, movie nights with popcorn, and game nights are some of our favorite things. We end each day with family prayer, and then we read books with the boys sing them each a song and snuggle with each of them before they go to sleep. On Saturday mornings, our bed usually becomes the family gathering spot. Everyone climbs into bed and we cuddle and tell stories. Sometimes, Lance and I hope they will fall back asleep with us, but that usually doesn’t happen.

We strive to teach our children to be compassionate, and to love others. It is amazing how much children can understand at a very young age. We enjoy teaching them that their Heavenly Father loves them. We keep journals for each of our boys. In their journals we write the important things that happen in our lives from their points of view; we also include all of the little adorable things they say and do. What fun it would be to share our next baby’s journal with his/her birth family!

Thank you for taking the time to get to know us a little bit. We would love to have the privilege of getting to know you. We would be honored to be your baby’s parents and the boys would be thrilled to have a little sister or brother. While we can not comprehend what this experience must be like for you, we do understand how much you love your child. We want you to know that you will always be a welcomed member of our family. Your baby will be fortunate to have two families that will always love him or her. A birth family that gave him/her life and hope, and an adoptive family to help him/her fulfill dreams. Just knowing you’re considering us we feel you are a part of our family; you will always hold a special place in our hearts. We look forward to sharing our lives with you.

With more love than words can express,
Lance, Kimberlie, Zachary, Scott, and Brycen
Adoption blog: hopeful.blogspot.com