My Daughter's Hero

At the end of last school year, my daughter had to make a newspaper with personal details. She was required to write about her favorite book, favorite tv show, and draw a photo of her favorite cartoon. Along with these instructions she had to fill out a section titled "My Hero". When I finally got to see the newspaper, this is what I found:

She chose me! Of all the people in the world, I got picked. Now, if I can only live up to it............everyday. I am certainly trying. 

Fireworks Fun!

Chester City Park in Chester, WV, is my family's annual Fourth of July fireworks spot. Just across the river from Ohio, Chester Park is a pretty little park, spanning 4 acres, and their fireworks display never disappoints. Here are a few pics we took on my iPhone while we listened to The Clarks and sipped slushies.

Mr. Locke in red, white, and, blue. 

The kid doing her best Statue of Liberty Impersonation!

She's a fantastic photographer!

My favorite photo of the night. can you guess what this is?

We had such a great time waiting! Happy Independence Day!

Let Freedom Ring!

Last week my family and I visited Historic Philadelphia. We took a few tours, including the Liberty Bell Museum and Independence Park which is the home of Independence Hall. 

The temps were near 100 degrees on our chosen travel day, yet we were very excited and honored to visit these awesome sites. Our tour guide put a few things into perspective for me during the Independence Hall tour. She said the men who sat in Independence Hall suffered the same blistering temps for 2 months that we were dealing with that day. They had no air conditioning. Our clothing options now are way cooler than what theres were. But they certainly had one thing: PASSION. Great men like George Washington and Ben Franklin put their lives on the line for a new country. If we would have lost the war, every man that signed The Declaration of Independence would have been considered a traitor and hanged without question. 

It makes me consider my passions. Family first, of course. Writing, dancing, baking. Travel, yes. Happiness. I shall strive for happiness everyday of my life. I will make every attempt to make my family happy as well. The great men that We, as Americans, honor today made huge sacrifices for all of us. So, I will make sacrifices for my family for their happiness. Even the smallest of them add up. I will cook and clean, do laundry and dishes, and make everyday a happy one!

On that note, I wish you all a Happy Fourth of July!

Meet Vex!

Vex, aged 9, is our oldest kitty. She is a rescue, as is the story with all of our cats. Vex is absolutely my husband's cat. She follows him around like a sweet, little puppy and sleeps at his feet at night. I've lived with cats my entire life and have come to realize that each of my furry babies definitely has a favorite person in the house. Do my fellow cat lovers out there agree?

First one Up!

I'm certain there are tons of night hawks out there, but I am not one of them. I love to wake up early and be the first one awake in the house on summer mornings. I can head out on the front porch without the constant buzzing of mosquitoes, and I can listen to the birds in our yard without the traffic noises. Have I mentioned how much I love my yard? Ahhhh..........

The first morning hour to myself gives me enough time to realize how much I miss the chatter of my family in our house, how I miss my husband plucking his guitar strings. How I miss my daughter's giggles from a Youtube video she found on her iPod. 

Time to go back inside and hope they are awake. 

Meet Pickle Buddy!

Our of our 4 kitties, Pickle is one of 3 black cats that we have, and the only boy. My husband found him when he was only 2 weeks old abandoned by his mother. Since he was bottle fed and "hand raised", he is the calmest, sweetest cat that we have.

Pickle, or Pook as we call him, will be 5 years old this coming August.  How could you not adore this sweet face!

Photo Session!

I absolutely LOVE to take photos of my family! I am not a pro photographer in any way, so I have been using iphone apps to help with my success. 

Last autumn I took my daughter to a local mansion that was under renovation and received permission to take on-site photos while it is still in disarray. 

I just love how this one turned out. I used an instagram filter to soften the area around her. 

This is a great shot as well. An antique filter on with instagram really brought out the shining sun. 

Instagram filter as well. I chose to keep the light post in focus and soften all the other areas. 

We had so much fun! Since then I have blown up a few shots and framed them. They look great in the dining room. Now, if I could only get Mr. Locke to sit for some photos..........