Why are these people so happy?




Because they are together. That's why.
They are together and they adore each other.



We are sisters.



And brothers and sisters...




and twins....





and guardians.... our young, noble, guardian angels....




It has been 36 years since our parents died and we have held on to one another's hearts gently and with joy.





Somehow they passed on their amazing love of life and their love of family to each of us.
It was important to them.
We were important to them.

We live with joy and thanksgiving and love for one another because
it is what they would have wanted for their seven beautiful children....

And so we honor them by living joyfully and loving one another the best we can.

It was a great wish they had for their children.
It was the very best sort of wish.

How I miss them.




Encourage one another,
Donna

Hey! All you coffee lovers!
Guess who has a job at Starbucks in downtown Chicago?

Emma Jeanie Jelly Beanie!

Yep. She is one hard working girl. She nannys for a family with two pre-teens three afternoons a week and now has added Starbucks to the mix. She loves both jobs and is keeping up with her studies quite well.

Hebrew. Did I tell you she is learning Hebrew?
It is challenging her...but she is digging in and working hard at it!


Katie has started going to bed at 7:30 since she told me she is always tired during math class.
It seems very early, but it is dark already by 7:30 so it is not hard to convince her.

I have started teaching Katie piano. She told me she is liking that better than she thought she would!
I can handle to beginning books but will have to find a knowledgeable teacher for her in a year I suppose.
Today we sign up for basketball at the YMCA with her Blessed Sacrament classmates. She enjoyed that last year!
And tomorrow I am going as a chaperone to the Dairy Expo with her class.

Moo ;o)










Last weekend Patrick and I went for a drive and ended up in Paoli.

The tiny town with my favorite shops.



I love this pink couch.
The woman at The Cottage Goddess recovers old couches she finds.
They are quite reasonable and adorable.











Paoli School House Shops



The School House is the most beautiful place in the world...

You really should visit Paoli, Wisconsin.
They have cheese curds too :o)


Happy, happy Tuesday!


Encourage one another,
Donna

It was my birthday so I got the lobster.

But it was the whole lobster and finding the meat with a whole lobster is like a treasure hunt I wasn't prepared for.

Patrick and Katie took me to a wonderful restaurant called johnny Delmonico's in downtown Madison for my birthday.
It is rat pack cool.
The menu was wonderful.

I was all set to order the 8oz tenderloin when I spotted the lobster on the menu.

We asked about the market price and the waiter pushed the surf and turf.

When we were kids, we went out to eat a lot. We got lobster a lot.
Nice big white lobster tails with butter bubbling in candle lit ramekins.

This is what I expected.

So I ordered the 6 oz. tenderloin and the Maine Lobster.



And when it came with it's body split in half and it's big red claws, I thought I had the crab on my plate cause it sure didn't look like any lobster I had eaten before.

I quickly ate the four bites that were in the tail and they were sweet and lovely. Probably the sweetest lobster I have ever tasted. Sadly, that was about it. I dug some out of each big red claw and was extremely thankful that I had a delicious piece of meat to enjoy.

The lobster alone would have been a dieters delight, I imagine.

One and a half pounds for a lobster may sound like a lot...but it is very small.

Now I know.

I also had wonderful hash browns with onions and Katie and I shared a Key Lime Pie dessert.

All in all it was a great birthday dinner. (Patrick liked his steak more than any other he has had in Madison.)
With a lesson in lobster thrown in.




My sister Cindy and her boys were stopping by on their way from Minocqua to Columbia Mo. They went up for the Rump Roast Run. I happen to be right on the way so I was delighted to have a birthday visit.
I also told Cindy I would take pictures of her and her big boys.
They weren't able to be in on the big photo extravaganza in Florida last July.

So. I tried out the light in the front yard with Katie.

It was lovely.

But by the time Cindy and the boys arrived it was cloudy. Not the best for sparkly eyes....but good enough, I hope.

The boys were GREAT sports and smiled and smiled...and Cindy was her happy, goofy self.



Proud Mom




All grown up!







Kiss your mom!~




She is the funny sister.



This is Steven. It could be a picture of my father's eye.
It is an amazing thing to see such a resemblance!
Our dad's eyes were more brown, but it is really uncanny!



***

How about that Amazing Race?

Eat the Wasabi!!!



****

Hope you all had a great weekend! Thanks for making mine extra special with all the birthday wishes!!!


Encourage one another,
Donna

Let's see now....what did I do yesterday?

Oh yes. I remember now. I sat at my new facebook fan page and watched you all sign up and say the nicest things!!!

My heart is full and so are my sinuses. I have not been feeling well this week so I didn't have the energy to do anything but sit. Yesterday's bombardment of love and kindness distracted me from my stuffy nose and aching neck and just blessed my socks off.

I have a friend from Marinette who use to say, "Oh my achin'". Just that. I always thought it was so funny.
Couple that with a nice strong northern accent and well...cracks me up.

So THANK YOU for the support and encouragement, it was the best early birthday present a girl could every get!



****




Wendy posted her nursing picture and it is so calm and pretty and lovely I wanted to let you have a chance to see it.
Her comment wasn't linked...so here is the link!


Wendy in Hawaii...for now...nursing

Don't worry....this is an extremely modest and tasteful picture :o)



*****






I am going to practice shooting at higher ISO's. This was taken yesterday afternoon. It was cloudy outside.
The ISO was 800. That is not very high. But it is high for me.
Next stop. 1000.


****


Since Thursday is a crazy busy night for watching television I was not able to watch Flashforward.
It was replayed last night and I watched it.

It seems like a cross between Lost and Life on Mars and it feels like a movie.
Many actors from Lost are on the show. Penny and that Hobbit guy.

I can't wait to see what happens next! Excellent!

It better not be a dream.


Did anyone else see Knowing this summer?
Oh! We were blown away by how awful this movie was!!!
We can't stop talking about how bad it was....


Patrick and I just watched Lars and the Real Girl this week.

It was very interesting. Was this taken from a book?
I really want to understand more of what was going on in Lars' mind.
I just couldn't put together what Bianca did for him.
Just couldn't figure it all out and wished I was a psychiatrist so I could
understand the movie a little better.

But it was still a unique and interesting movie.



Well...that's all for this morning.

Have a wonderful Saturday.

Encourage one another,
Donna

How's that sock coming along?



I knit thru Survivor.



And I knit thru Grey's Anatomy




knit. knit. knit.


That's the thing about knee socks.

It's a lot of ribbing :o)
Knit three, purl one.
Size two double pointed needles.
Vesper-Spooky


How do you like them stats?









Josie. Our neighbors new dog.






She wears her heart on her sleeve. In a way :o)

And wow! I have to congratulate those of you who photograph pets, cause if you think children move a lot...
try a puppy some time.

This is what I learned yesterday. You must be very patient. Expect NOT to get a shot for ten/fifteen minutes.
Let the doggie get tired out and use to you and your camera.

Then you might have more success :o)



*****


I have been asked why I didn't have a photography fan page on Facebook....now I do.

donna boucher photography fan page

All I know is....I will die of humiliation if I am my only friend at the end of the day...



I love to see what my wonderful clients order....which pictures they loved the most.

This was chosen by a recent client.

How I wish I had such a tender sweet moment like this with my babies.

I have asked a few mom's of newborns if they would like a nursing shot.
No one has been comfortable enough to do that yet....

Would you be comfortable with a nursing picture of you and your baby?

I would.

In a heartbeat.

I miss it.

Is that weird?




Encourage one another,
Donna

Our beautiful babies.

Who is who?


A.




B.




C.




D.






Here they are a year ago.

Patrick, Emma, Katie and Matthew.

Match them up.


A few things. Sisters....I know you know....don't give it away too soon.

Mom-photographers.

Take note. Stand closer to your children.

Ninety percent of the pictures I have of our children are from a distance. I even had to crop these to get nice shots of their faces. Fill the frame with their bodies....and even just fill the frame with their faces.

Why I didn't figure this out until they were almost all grown, I just don't know.

***

Fun facts.

1. All four of our children had eyes that stayed blue for quite a few years. Only Patrick's eyes are still mostly blue.
2. I have an aversion to shoes.
3. Blanket Sleepers rock.
4. All four children were under the 25% in weight at One...yet they have chubby faces.
5. I think being a young mom is the best thing in the whole wide world.
6. Being an old mom is pretty darn great, too.

"I looked on child rearing not only as a work of love and duty but as a profession that was fully as interesting and challenging as any honorable profession in the world and one that demanded the best I could bring to it." -- Rose Kennedy

Grown don't mean nothing to a mother. A child is a child. They get bigger, older, but grown? What's that suppose to mean? In my heart it don't mean a thing. ~Toni Morrison, Beloved, 1987

Youth fades; love droops; the leaves of friendship fall; A mother's secret hope outlives them all. ~Oliver Wendell Holmes

Encourage one another,
Donna

p.s. all baby pictures taken with canon Sure Shot point and shoot canera.

Over at Rechelle's blog, she is giving away a book.


Daddy Long Legs.

I have never read the book but am so very fond of this dance from the movie by the same name.

I remember seeing this way back when I was in high school.
I think it was on a black and white television.

I loved this dance then....and love it still.





My very favorite part is the hold when they dance together.

That one arm relaxed at the side is just the coolest thing I have ever seen!





Do you remember when you could not watch your favorite movies again and again?
In the days before video and dvd and Tivo and movie channels?
'member that?

Remember when The Wizard of Oz came on every spring at 6:00 on a Sunday night and it was the most special thing?

Or you discovered a movie by accident (like Daddy Long Legs) and you couldn't and wouldn't see it again for ten years?

On a morning that I have felt frustrated and upset by technology and my lack of control. (my comments box)

I am also thinking about how much I love getting to watch my favorite scenes from a movie right here on the internet...on youtube.


Like this scene, my favorite, from Jane Eyre.

Have you seen it?





"My best earthly companion."
What a line.


Now, I want to know what were the very first videos you owned when they first came out back in the 90's?

I got Singing in the Rain and The Princess Bride as a Christmas gift. VCR.


Encourage one another,
Donna

Hey!

The Emmys were on Sunday night. Did anyone watch them?

I have my top three dresses...

Here we go.

Number Three.



This is Anna Torv. I don't know who she is.
But I like the sequins and the color of this dress. (It looked a little more orange than this pic represents.)
I don't mind the plunging V on her. A dress needs one thing.
I think that V is the one thing.

I do not like her clutch. It is way too long.



Number Two






I think this is Jennifer Love Hewitt. I want to call her Jennifer Jason Love Hewitt or that other girl with a lot of names that she reminds me of.

But this night. She looked radiant. The pretty yellow has wonderful beading on it that you can not see.
I love this dress and would wear this dress if I was famous and thin and going to an award show.

I do not like the clutch either.
In this case. I would have matched it.


The winner is....



Mila Kunis. Who ever you are....you are perfection.

You know I love a blowing skirt and for that, you win.
The color is modern. Had this dress been black or mint green it would have looked vintage, don't you think.
But this is best for Mila, for 2009.

She should be dancing.

Yeah.

I like the length. She has pretty ankles.



Stunning.


****


So Dancing with the Stars.

What did you think?

I thought the Carter kid was a natural but he is too frenetic. Hope he can settle down.
Donny Osmond was my favorite but he needs to stop hooting and hollering so much.

Lots of the men were painful to watch.

Tom Delay in his sweatpants was....well....let's just say....the funniest sight gag of the night.


***

Did anyone watch the return of House?

Pretty touching. But a bit shallow.

Thoughts?


***



Look at this! It came in the mail yesterday!
I plan on making Katie a pair of striped Halloween socks.
Knee socks.

I better get started.



Vesper Sock Yarn.
Spooky.

Found at Knitterly Things


Sign up for the emails if you want to get it before it sells out.
This stuff is fabulous and HOT.
Certain colorways are very hard to acquire.
I don't know of any other hand dyed striping yarn out there.
The striping is hard to do and not many artists are willing to keep at it.

I'm glad Julia has not moved on...and continues to produce her wonderful stripes.




I love these skeins of yarn so much I almost hate to cast on.

Is that weird or what?


Wishing you all the best Tuesday in the world!!!

Encourage one another,
Donna

We went to a wedding Saturday afternoon.
Our friend Anita's son's wedding. It was so lovely.
It was a celebration full of faith and love and friends and family.
I can't imagine it wasn't their perfect day.

It was a glorious almost fall day and as we walked to the car I turned back to say something to Katie and this is what I saw.



The light. In this spot. In our two car garage. Was perfect.




I called to Emma. Come on out and let me take some pictures.



The look.




Sisters!!!



And me.
Taken by Emma.

You can see the cars. I don't need no stinkin closeups.

Heavens. My eyelids are so heavy, it shocks me.

But all in all, it's not a horrid picture.




I can only take the posing so long. Like five shots worth.
This one is straight out of camera for those of you who are interested in that sort of thing.
Here are the stats.

Camera: Nikon D700
Exposure: 1/2500 sec
Aperture: f/1.6
Focal Length: 50 mm
ISO Speed: 400


Now go out there and find yourself a sweet garage like mine!

Seriously. I think I need to get a simple backdrop and take advantage of my sweet natural light garage studio.



Encourage one another,
Donna

Maggie and Me





I went all out and bought Maggie three sparkly cat toys.
Can you say...impulse item?

Maggie is not much of a player.

But the balls were so colorful and how could a kitty cat just not love sparkly balls?




But she was not impressed.

Licking her behind was much more interesting.





She is a master at ignoring me.

And my sparkly little balls.




Come back, Maggie.
Here, kittykittykitty.....

I miss homeschooling....





Oh kitty. You are so pretty.
Please come play with me.




I am her slave.
She is the master.

I can not please her.

Someone send me an adoring dog.

ASAP.




Encourage one another,
Donna