Wings that WOW!

Yesterday Michaela attended a birthday party in Belton, Mo. The entertainment was provided by Yvonne Patterson of Wings of Love. She gives live presentations to help kids understand the connection between the rainforests, our personal survivability, and the preservation of our global natural resources. Yvonne has been a birdkeeper since she was two years old, and she brought 16-17 birds to share with us. I highly recommend her as a presenter for any function you might be hosting. Learn more at http://www.wings-of-love.com/

Getting ready

Tonight Michaela had her final practice leading up to her next gymnastics competition. Sunday afternoon she'll participate in a Kansas City, Mo., event. Tonight they spent a lot of time working on balance beam. She will also do bar, floor and vault rotations.

I'm so proud of her. She never gets discouraged. She just keeps trying until she masters each new move.

First shots

Back in the Swing

Thanks to Mike, I'm back in the swing with a new camera. I'm so excited to have the camera I've been dreaming about for the past six months -- a Nikon D40X. It's wonderful!! I can hardly wait to see what kind of photos I'll get at Michaela's next gymnastics meet!

Watch tomorrow for samples of my first images!

Crashed and crushed

Nicholas participated in his scout troop's Pinewood Derby last night. His car did great. It was my camera that crashed and burned. I wasn't there when it happened, and I don't know if it can be fixed. And this, after having spent an entire day scrapbooking with friends. I clearly treasure my photos and enjoy taking them. No problem, just get another camera ... right?

I'm afraid the end of this story won't be as happy as the mini-van story -- where I ended up with a better vehicle than the one I started with.

I'm crushed.

This is one of the last photos taken with my beloved Fuji S5100.