Where did my babies go?

I am starting to sound like a broken record, but where are those babies I held in my arms? What happened to all the noise and rough housing. Yes even with three girls there was rough housing. I can't remember how many couches they destroyed jumping on them. How did they all grow up with no broken bones?

Where is the silliness that never seemed to end. Or the fighting over who's turn it was to use the computer.

What happened to the weekly trips to town for piano, gym and library?

My first born. I can remember the day she was born-well actually I can't I was pretty drugged, but I remember the first time I gazed at her sweet little face and wondered; who is this little person? Who is she going to be. It was amazing to watch her grow. Her personality firmly in place the day she was born. She was determined, smart and beautiful. There was no prettier person on the earth than my dear little baby. None smarter! No other baby could compare.

By the time my second one came I had this mothering thing all figured out. (read here still didn't have a clue). She was my Tom boy, my explorer the one who hated school in the traditional sense, but loved learning if she could get her dirty little hands on it. Cattle were her passion. She loved anything having to do with them and spent her teen years with cows instead of boys. She was my shadow when out in the barn. The one who loved anything animal.

Oh my baby, my last. She could light up a room just walking into it. Everyone was her friend. She loved people. I used to worry that she would just go away some time with a stranger. She arranged secret signals with the librarian, because I had forbidden her to ask for candy. "Conny pease", I think was her first spoken words. She would ask everyone. Her other passion was old men. We used to tease that she collected grandpas. She never really knew her own so she adopted all the grandpas she could.

Her drum beats to a slightly different tune. Shooting sports and hunting in a family that doesn't hunt. Adventure, travel and people; she is ready to try anything at least once.

So where have they gone? Where is the noise, dirt and mess?

My precious babies have scattered to the wind to start their own families and find their own brand of adventure.

It time for me to embark on my own adventures.

More on that later.

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Same spot 22 years later

Here we are in the same spot as the previous post only 22 years later. The cattle have been replaced by the sheep and two donkeys. The little girl filling the tank has grown and has a little girl of her own. The tank has long been gone and an automatic waterer now delivers water to the livestock.

Original
Edited version

I edited this photo again using Kim Klaussen's History texture and Photo Shop Elements.

I have included the recipe for anyone wanting to try this on their own photos. Kim's Skinny Mini course is free and gives a good basic understanding of PSE. Here is the link to Kim's website. http://www.kimklassencafe.com/

I am going to try and keep warm and enjoy the sunshine here in Sunny Michigan

Playing with PSE and Textures.

Wow has it really been over a year since I posted anything. I will have to do better in the future. In the last few months I have become intrigued by Kim Klaussen's textures. You can see some of her work on http://www.kimklassencafe.com. She has a free class called the skinny mini that is well worth taking. I have also subscribed to her Test Kitchen where I have learned so much.

The photo above was one that I took when my middle daughter was just three. It seems like yesterday, but was actually 22 years ago. I wanted to warm it up a bit and sharpen it up. The photo, if I remember right, was taken with a point and shoot. I used Kim's nutmeg texture to give it a warmer look and add a slight frame. I also did some color fills and a gradient fill on it, as well as a high pass filter. I learned how to use all of these in Kim's Skinny mini class.

As you can see I am finally learning how to get all that I can out of my Photo Shop Elements. I will show you more of what I am learning in future posts. Hopefully sooner than next year.

Now I am off to finish the laundry.