Friday, October 12, 2012

Cooking in the Sandbox

We recently visited Eric's hometown for the birthday party of his triplet niece and nephews. I love weekends in Eric's hometown. It's small, quiet community and we always leave feeling renewed and refreshed.

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My kids, of course, love visiting grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles but I love that they spend most of their time outside in my in-laws wonderful backyard. Tree swings, sandboxes and pogo sticks are the main sources of entertainment. Sunshine and fresh air abound.

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And simple toys. Like old pots and pans in the sandbox. The kids absolutely love them, much more than the plastic shovels and pails in our own sandbox at home.

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The way kids' imaginations explode after being handed a pot, a pan, a serving spoon, and a big pile of sand blows my mind. To find such joy in simple things . . . such a blessing.

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And a sun slowly sinking in the autumn sky with delicious, soft, golden light . . . more beautiful blessings.

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There are some moments in life when your heart just about bursts with gratitude and all you can do is savor the moment by expanding your lungs with a deep breath and then exhaling a most sincere, "Thank you, Lord."

3 comments:

Melissa said...

I love your pictures Colleen! What lens did you use to take these pictures? I have a Nikon D5000 and still learning...having some focusing issues. Mainly using P mode but having some focusing issues. Need to get more comfortable with Manual mode soon. Did you use external flash for these or simply natural light? Your children are beautiful.
Melissa

Colleen said...

Thank you, Melissa!

I have a Nikon D80 and I used a 50mm lens. I almost always shoot in A mode with my aperture wide open. I have not yet learned to shoot in manual mode myself. But, I think when you're shooting kids who move so quickly and you only have a fraction of a second to catch the shot, it's easier to shoot in A or P mode. I did not use an external flash for these photos, just the gorgeous natural light that God provided!

I struggle with focusing issues as well. Some lenses are just tougher to get good focus with than others. Keep practicing and I'm sure you'll get the hang of it!

Jill said...

Awesome light! You got some cool lens flare. :)
Great photos, great memories of a lovely evening.