baby jordan

Got to take pictures of this sweet little bundle yesterday... more pictures later over at Capture Me Photography by Nicole :)  


Off to the dentist... what was I thinking when I booked appointments for me and my kids all at the same time?  Praying that it goes well! :)

wps!

Bet you're wondering what WPS stands for, eh?  Well it's a common phrase down here in Arkansas, especially during Razorback football season... Wooo Pig Sooie!! :)  It's the call of the Hogs and it's LOUD today! The Arkansas Razorbacks take on the Kansas State (aka K-State) Wildcats tonight in the Cotton Bowl. We haven't been here long enough to be "die hard" fans yet but the hype is pretty fun!  We still wave the Maize and Blue flag strong around our house and are still stunned & excited that Michigan was able to pull out a win in the BCS Sugar Bowl Tuesday night!  As for tonight... Go Hogs!!  WPS!! :)

It doesn't quite feel like the end of football season with the unseasonably high temps around here.  I'm  not complaining... its very exciting to still be able to wear short sleeve shirts without a coat in January!  We stayed out front after the boys got home from school this afternoon and enjoyed the beautiful weather.  I tried to "pan" some shots while the kids were riding their scooters.  That's when you are able to focus the moving subject but the background is blurred and appears to have motion.  It's one thing to pan when you have a still subject in the foreground and movement in the background (person looking at a train and the train blur behind).  It's a whole different challenge when the subject is moving too!  One of the techniques I'm going to keep working on this year.  

closes to "panning" I got today... 

Ready... set... go! :)

MCP Project 52 Recap | NW Arkansas Natural Light Photography

I took this picture last spring for a photo challenge I had started through MCP Actions Project 52.  To read more about my experience click here and visit my photography site.

Also wanted to warn you that this site will be under construction soon!  I need to update the header and the sidebar  - phew! things are getting old & dusty around this site :)

happy new year!!

 Wow!  2012 already??  I know I'm not the first one you've heard say "where did 2011 go?" but I really mean it!  Where did it go?  I guess when you're chasing around 3 kids, time just flies by quickly!  I've been looking for the brake pedal to stop time all year but can't seem find it.  At last, we are looking at a new year and a chance to make some adjustments.   I feel bad that this blog has taken a back seat to life, but it had to.  One of my New Year's resolution is to post more often to my blogs (this one and my Capture Me Photography blog click here ).   I don't think this year will be any slower for us here in the Pawlaczyk house.   I will just have to "schedule" some blog time on the calendar to make it happen.  Where else will I find the info I need when I actually do get back to scrapbooking?  Exactly... hopefully nice and neatly kept here on upsidownosis.

We spent our New Year's Weekend in Dallas, TX... actually Addison, TX.  It was a gorgeous 75 degrees there on New Year's Eve so we were able to find a fun park for the kids to play at in the afternoon... after we hit up Perani's hockey store and 3 Costco's!  Felt good to be back in some familiar surroundings! :)

If you've been following me on facebook, you know that I got a new little point-n-shoot camera for Christmas from Steve.  It's small enough to stay in my purse full time and give me better pics than my blackberry could ever dream of capturing!  It's not a replacement at all for my dSLR, but at least I can take some decent pictures with this new camera and not have to take the big camera everywhere.

I will sign-off with some straight-out-of-the-camera or SOOC pictures from my new little Canon Elph taken on New Years Eve.  It's decent in low light and fun to use in fish-eye mode... certainly not the clarity of my 7D but all in all not bad.  I plan on doing some before and after pics soon on my photography blog as well as other tips, tricks, and inspiration... so stop back again soon!  :)



with my fisheye mode -

with program mode no flash...

Yes - Steve was able to blow his shot in for a hole in one!

With the help of the street lights... still no flash!

Totally fun race track... Nathan was tall enough to drive!  :)

Indoor shots... loved all the neon lights everywhere!

using the fisheye mode again

All 3 of my boys racing...

 

crystal bridges

Just wanted to share my latest article for the FAN [First Arkansas News] online newspaper... click the link below.  Special thanks to my husband for helping me with his awesome editorial skills!!  Thanks Babe!! :)

 
http://firstarkansasnews.net/2011/11/crystal-bridges/

sacrifice.

Here's the article I just posted on the FAN.... (or click here to go to the actual article)

One week ago today, I attended a memorial service for a complete stranger.  He was a stranger to me but not to his country, his family or his friends.   He was a warrior.    He was killed on August 6, 2011 when his elite special operations team was engaging in a helicopter assault in Afghanistan and their helicopter was shot down, killing everyone on board.   Our country lost 30 of the "best of the best" soldiers that day, which has been labeled the "deadliest incident" in Operation Enduring Freedom.

This particular soldier, Technical Sergeant John W. Brown, was a Para rescue man (PJ), and grew up in Siloam Springs, Arkansas.  I didn't know him.  I didn't go to school with him.  But, two of my good friends did.  In fact, Tech Sergeant Brown had carried the casket of my good friend's late brother.  

So, why did I go to the memorial service if I didn't know him you ask...

Well, I have never been to a memorial service for a US soldier.  I have family members who served, and thankfully they have all come home safe and sound.  I wanted to go and pay my respects.   I wanted to pray with the family as the pastor prayed over them.   I wanted to find a way to say, "Thank-you!" for serving our nation in such a great and selfless capacity.   I thought I might be able to use my camera to capture memories to help comfort the family.

With all these expectations in my head, I just sat there frozen in my seat.   My camera was lying in my lap the whole time; therefore, I have very few pictures to even prove I was there.  It was clear to me that pictures and words could not even begin to epitomize the sacrifice of this soldier and the others that perished on August 6th.   The slightest noise was detracting from his due respect, and the shutter of my camera would be much too loud that evening.

So I sat there that night and listed to speaker after speaker testifying to the strong, godly character of this man.  He knew God.  He knew his calling.  He knew his Savior Jesus Christ.  He knew God's word.  He knew how to treat and care for people.  He loved his wife and family.  He knew and lived out the Bible verse, "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends." - John 15:13 NIV.  He bled for this county.  He died for this country.

WOW!  That's still overwhelming to me.  He was a stranger to me, and yet he went and fought for me.  I really don't know how to say thank-you enough to ALL the US service men and women, both past and present, for their daily sacrifices for my freedom.  They deserve our daily sacrifice of living in a manner worthy of their efforts to maintain the freedoms we have in this country.  They don't serve in vain; they don't die in vain... but too often I see stories in the news about citizens living in vain.  Unfortunately, I am one of them at times.

I can only hope to inspire others to take time and reflect about what it means to be a citizen of the United States of America.  The cost of our freedom has never been free.  We have responsibilities.  Tech Sergeant Brown knew his calling - live for God and country.  Do you  know yours?

 

pandamania!!! :)

Well, we are half-way through VBS week!  Our kids are absolutely loving it and I couldn't be more greatful for such an awesome program!!  Thank-you so much First Baptist Church of Bentonville for putting on such a top-notch program for all the kids!!  I was seriously in tears this morning watching the sea of kids worship God together in one accord!  They are getting record breaking numbers for attendance... HUGE ministry there!  Our kids are so excited to go - in fact Nathan couldn't sleep Monday night because he was so excited to go back on Tuesday!!  I captured these on Monday and thought you might like to see into the "Pandamandia"!! :)

Hope - Joplin, MO one month after tornado

Hi Everyone! 

I know a few of you out here follow me on this blog but not on facebook... so I'm posting the link to my article I wrote this week for First Arkansas News.

http://firstarkansasnews.net/2011/06/hope-joplin-mo-one-month-after-the-tornado/

Hope you enjoy it! :)

© 2011 Capture Me Photography by Nicole, LLC

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hot off the presses!

So, I got to have quite a fun day yesterday with my new friend Karrie!  Her mom was so sweet and watched the girls for us so we could have a kid free day- yippee!! Thanks again Alice!  Karrie's little girl Savannah is Karlie's new bff!  Anyways, we set out early in the morning and decided to do a little photowalk around Bentonville.  Downtown Bentonville is basically a large square with a park in the middle of it.  I probably could have walked around and taken pictures ALL day, but we did have other plans... which included having one of the yummiest hamburgers I have ever had (you've gotta go to The Station Cafe and get a burger if you are ever downtown B-ville!).  Anyways, here's what I saw thru my camera... enjoy!