Flower Beds

Micah and I have been redoing our flower beds. And, it's taken us a little longer that we planned. But, I think we're finally done...for now! Here's the progress. Sorry about some of the pics (they were taken on my iPhone.)

These were our beds before we redid them. Pretty plain without any color, and as you can see,

there was nothing around the tree.

After loads of rock and lots of plants...

We have some new flower beds. Unfortunately, these are the pics with the phone. I'll try to get some better ones soon. But, they still look much better!!!

Mission 412

Micah and I took over as youth leaders at our church in January. The name of our youth group is Mission 412. It comes from 1 Timothy 4:12 which says "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity." We really encourage our kids to do just that -- live life as an example to others. Micah and I are so proud of them. We've loved getting to know them this summer, and become a part of their lives. Just wanted to show off some of our "kids."

My new Hobby

My best friend had a baby about 9 months ago. I asked her if I could make her a diaper cake. She said yes, and suddenly the pressure was on. But, I had a blast, and I think it turned out pretty great!! The little "candies" are baby wash cloths wrapped in tulle.

Anyway, a good friend at church is having a baby soon, and this past weekend was her shower. So, her daughter asked if I'd make a diaper cake for her, and I went for it. This is how it turned out...

She loved it. So, I'm thinking I've found a new hobby. I don't know that I can quit my day job just yet, but who knows...

Splashway

Yesterday, a few of us brave "moms" loaded up 18 kids & youth from church and took them to Splashway, a small water park close to us. Tuesdays you can get in for about $10. We had a lot of fun, but I am burnt crisp!! I honestly put on sunscreen 3 times, but it did NOT work!!! It was worth it though! Here are some of my favorite shots!!

I don't wanna brag, but...

So, I'm taking a photography class online. It's pretty basic, but I've really enjoyed it!! It's mainly teaching me all about my camera settings and how to utilize my camera best. Knowing when to use what settings and how to get the best picture. Each week I have to submit pictures based on certain criteria. Each week she picks 4-5 photos of the week. (out of about 75) And the first week, one of my photos was picked! I'm not gonna lie, I was a little happy!!! It sets the standard high for week 2!!

Photography Class

So, my husband signed me up for a photography class. I'm pretty excited about it. I've been looking for one to take online, but I had no clue what I was looking for. I found a 4 week course that I thought looked pretty good and was fairly inexpensive, so he signed me up. I'm not looking to start up a photography business anytime soon, but I have a great camera, and I wanted to be able to use it to the best of my abilities and capture some great shots. I'm hoping this course helps me do that. However, I am nervous. I can already tell there are some great photographers in the class, and I always feel insecure. But, hopefully this will make me better. So, I'll keep you updated with what I'm learning.