Sunrise Steeple

As I was taking my daughter to her last Grinch Week practice I noticed how the sun was lighting up the windows in the steeple of this church. So, I dropped my daughter off at the Y and came back down the road to take a few pictures (ok, and to get a cappuccino at the gas station down the street). This is what the sunrise looks like coming through this steeple.

Lovin' The Dog Park

It was our puppies' first trip to the dog park. They loved it so much. There were 11 Scotties there, total and about a dozen other small dogs. Izzy found a Corgi she really loved. Here is a picture of Izzy and Livvy really enjoying the freedom of the Dog Park.

The Road to the Y

This week my daughter is participating in a very rigerous practice schedule. This week is known as Grinch Week for the swim team. They have two practices a day. Every morning except Friday is a two hour practice (including Saturday). Friday morning is a three hour practice. Every evening is at least two hours (Monday - Friday). Three of those nights are three hour practices which includes an hour of dry land practice. It is not only intense physically but mentally. At her level she had to be invited by the coaches to participate. So, we have been driving to the YMCA twice a day. Usually when the sun is rising and again when it is setting. So, I made a collage of the sunrise and sunset on the road to the Y.

WWYD 39

 This is a picture I entered into a challenge on 365project.

Burnt

We have a bulb burnt out in our bathroom light fixture

Such a Beauty

Izzy right after her grooming appointment

Football Trophy

My MIL and FIL gave me a light box for Christmas. I've already played around with it some. This is one of the pictures I took of my son's football trophy for this year's football season using the light box.

Where's Our Snow?!

Our town has what they call "Christmas Traditions" every year from the weekend after Thanksgiving until Christmas Eve. Part of this includes Christmas Characters wandering Main Street. They will stop and tell you who they are and the history behind their character. They also give out "trading cards" with their pictures and info on them. This picture is my son having a discussion with Jack Frost about the fact that we are NOT having winter weather this December. It was warm enough to wander around with light jackets unzipped/unbuttoned on Christmas Eve. It's supposed to be COLD and weather people around here told us we'd have snow in December this year, doesn't look like it's going to happen.

Livvy Up Close

Watchin' Youtube

One thing that Scotties are known for is their "arrrooo roooos" (talking). However, not all of them do this. Our Izzy has arrooood a couple times, so I've been trying to get her to do it again. I pulled up Youtube videos of other Scotties arooooing and she was mesmerized by them.

Food Hipstamatic

Ok, this is my attempt at hipstamatic. I have to tell ya'll I had no idea what that meant when I drew that tag for this challenge. This is an entry for Tag Challenge XX. I got the tags "food" and "hipstamatic." I looked at tons of hipstamatic pictures and hope I got the interpretation at least close. This is my daughter making supper all by herself for the first time... no help from mom at all! It was quite nice to not have to make supper myself.

17 Years

This was an ornament given to my husband and I in 1994, our first Christmas as a married couple. It is now 17 years old.

Purple Ornament

Tug O War

Livvy is just now starting to understand the concept of tug o war. She has a tendency to just give up when she realizes her opponent won't let go, but she's getting the hang of it. It's most fun when she a Izzy play tug o war together.

♥

I love this little boy beyond reason. There are no other words that can even come close to describing what he means to me. He is my heart and soul. He is the breath I breathe. He is the reason our house feels like a home. Being a mom to a son is an amazing gift.

At the Turn

My daughter on a turn during one of her events

Mario Cart Concentrations

My Celloist

My son had his winter concert this week. He's only been playing the Cello since the middle of September.

New Old Fashioned McDs

This is the McDonald's my daughter and I had lunch at coming back from her swim meet. It's located in New Baden, IL. It's a fairly new building that has been built to look like the old McD's. It was kind of funny because they had booths like an old diner and some of the old posters that would have been hanging in the older McD's, but yet there was a man there using the WiFi and a Redbox right outside the door.

Centralia Bicentenial Park

Here is another view of the wooden water tower with the pump house in the foreground. I did a little bit of processing with this one. The railroad tracks for IRCC line are across the street and on the other side of a small parking lot from the water tower and it's pump house. They have created a small park here with a few benches and some trees to aid in preserving this part of their heritage.

Wooden Water Tower

Wood and Water
This is a historic water tower. It's capacity is 50,000 gallons. It is one of two still standing built for the IRCC line. I believe the other is in Kinmundy, IL. This one is located in Centralia, IL. We were there this weekend for my daughter's swim meet and this water tower was just across the street from the recreation complex that housed the swim meet. The sign on it says "Merry Christmas." I did not get a chance to get a picture of it at night when the sign was lit up. The old pump house still stands, too. It is located to the side of the water tower. I have a picture with the pump house in it, too that I will share later. I got lucky with this because I've been wanting to do the tag challenge thing and it just never works out. Well, this time it has as the tags I got were wood and water. So, here it is....

Old Farm House

Snowy Lane

The Giving Tree

This stump made me think of one of my all time favorite books by Shel Silverstein.

Birdhouse

I went for a very short walk in one of my favorite parks today. I love taking pictures in this park. I only had my cellphone with me, so my pictures are not as great as I'd like them to be, but still I think most of them turned out pretty good. I just could not get the close ups I would have liked to get. There were so many opportunities for great macros especially with the snow falling, but I have to just be happy with what I got. This is one of them. I love this bird house, it always catches my attention when I'm there, but seeing it amongst the bare trees and the snow, made it even more interesting.

Nap Time

I actually had planned on posting this a few weeks ago and forgot about it. This was taken in the hall way along the windows over looking the pool at our Y during a home swim meet. I think Daddy and Baby were tired that day.

 

Cookie Monster

One of the older swimmers REALLY enjoyed the cookies. Yes, he really did pull the whole platter over in front of himself and was eating one right after another.

VIPs

I have always believed that people come into our lives for a reason. Today, my daughter's swim team had their Christmas Party. We had it at a bowling alley and as I was wandering around snapping pictures, something else occurred to me.

There are those people that show up in our lives in different places. The three ladies in this picture are a few of the people that are a part of different parts of my life. They not only are a part of the swim team (which is a huge part of our lives in our house), but one of them is a part of my church life, has been a part of football life and girl scout life and is one of the girls I go to girls nights out with. Another one has been a part of football life and swim team life and has a few of the same friends I have. The other one is a huge part of my girl scout life, swim team life and is a friend because of her friendship with another one of my friends.

As I was realizing how much of my life is spent around these ladies, I also realized that those people I know from more than one positive influence, also have a huge positive impact on my life and are the ones that really help me challenge myself to become the best I can be. They are amazing women, along with the others that share spaces and times with us. This picture is dedicated to ALL those people that I spend a lot of time with in different spaces of life. Those people who have not only enriched my life, but my family's lives, too. I am not sure any of them will ever truly understand what they mean to me.

Shotgun Shell Santa

This is one of my husband's ornaments. He is a duck hunter and this Santa is made from a shotgun shell.

 

Cillaxin'

Livvy hangin' out with Daddy

 

Waiting for Santa

Izzy has decided the best place to snooze is under the Christmas tree. This being her first ever Christmas, she really does not know what is going on, but if she's anything like her predecessor, Abby, she'll end up loving this time of year.