Rainy Morning

I woke up at 5:45 a.m.  this morning.
(This is NOT supposed to happen on a Saturday).  After going to the little girls’ room, I tried to go back to sleep, but Eric was already awake and we could hear noises from the room next door.   The alarm was set for 6 a.m. so Eric could get up and head for BoSa.  (If you live in the Phoenix area and haven’t had BoSa donuts, you are missing out.  They taste better than Krispy Kreme and they are cheaper!)  Our EQ is in charge of delivering 300 metal chairs to the Mesa Temple this morning, rain or shine.  Eric left with the 3 older kids at 6:45 and headed to the church.  Brayden had climbed into our bed and gone back to sleep, which is exactly what I would have liked to do, but I was wide awake.  (I guess that means I’m officially over the sinus infection that has bested me for the last 4 weeks.)   
So I decided to break out the tri-pod and figure out how to take pictures of moving water.  I’d read some blog tutorials on the subject, but haven’t had the opportunity to practice it.  The above picture is SOOC (straight out of camera) on the "auto" setting.  Just by manipulating the shutter speed, look at what I got next:

This could have been better if I had remembered to check the white balance and ISO.  Both were off, I later discovered.  Oh well, just goofing around this morning anyway.  Here are some shots I thought turned out kinda neat… I was limited to what I could shoot from my front door.  Didn’t have anyone to hold an umbrella so I could venture out into nature.



And when I came into the kitchen to put my camera down, this is what I found waiting for me.  (I’m hoping Brayden won’t want his… then I can have both!)
Today is the kind of day I really wish I had a fireplace… I feel bad for Eric and the kids… the rain is getting worse and they are out hauling chairs around in it.  I think I better have a nice big hot breakfast with hot chocolate waiting for them when they get back.

The Big One

It's FINALLY raining... we are getting it all ---

the crazy wind, the lightning and thunder and the rain... oh the rain! :)

I went to Curiculum Night at Taylor's school and came out to stormy skies. I then jumped into Target to enjoy a quick shopping trip ALONE! (Something I haven't had since school started!)

When I came out it was raining... sideways!

I ran to my car... getting absolutely soaked the whole way. I didn't mind getting wet, I was just worried that I would fall and kill myself duing the sprint through the puddles in the parking lot. And of course, I had my favorite Gap flip flops on, which become super slick when they are wet! But, I survived and jumped across the road to Sprouts. We really needed fruits and veggies. The parking lot here really took a beating. Four trees were downed just outside the front door!

Things calmed down once I got home and I took this shot from my back porch. It doesn't seem like an amazing picture, but keep in mind that my flash was turned OFF and I was pointing the camera at the blackest sky. I think my neighbor's house blocked the view of the actual bolt, but it lit the sky so long that I could press the shutter button on the camera after the sky lit up and I still caught it!

I'm so grateful for the rain and the break in the heat. My car thermometer went from upper 90's to 73 degrees in about 30 minutes! Ahhh... sweet relief! Tomorrow morning is going to be WONDERFUL!

Rain....

It's hot outside.... it's muggy... the cicadas are driving me crazy... the pool is almost the temperature of my parents hot tub...and the skies are blue.... and I'm depressed.....

We've been in "monsoon" season for almost a month now... but it's been like 3 weeks since we've had any rain.... I'm having withdrawls! We haven't even really had more than one thunderstorm this season and the last one we had, was in the middle of the night, so we slept through most of it! Even just a cloudy, blustery afternoon would be a welcome relief!

Please, Mother Nature... show us some wet stuff... we're melting out here!