Kingdom Jewels

Love Thursday

2010-03-11T05:00:00.001-05:00

If you live in our family long enough...

you just might get one...

of your very own.

John bought this 1988 Volvo 240 Station Wagon from a music professor in East Grand Rapids. It came complete with this bumper sticker. Peace.

What to do on a Warm Sunny Day

2010-03-10T05:00:00.001-05:00

Leo meows to get out

Sometimes the best time to get a shot of him is when he's waiting to get in or out.

Oh my!

2010-03-09T05:00:00.000-05:00

She is the "baby" of our family and she's starting driver's ed next week. Gulp! Yesterday, after school she very seriously plunked right down on the couch and her fingers very seriously plunked away on the keyboard. A paper about maturing moments. I guess she's not a baby anymore.

Feel the Brown, Hope for the Spring

2010-03-08T05:00:00.000-05:00

“It's spring fever.... You don't quite know what it is you DO want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!" - Mark Twain

We have had bright sunny days here and warm-ish temps for the past few days. The 40's!! I had to shed my coat yesterday when I went on a walk if that tells you anything. The snow is beginning to melt revealing the brownish-ness underneath.

When the sun comes out, the brown can be actually quite beautiful!

On my walk, I heard a rushing stream which came from the melting snow.

And then, to top it all off, I saw a neighbor who told me proudly of her daffodils sprouting through the earth. I wanted to see it for myself.

What to do on a Cold Sunny Day

2010-03-06T22:47:00.002-05:00

Leo waits patiently at the back door while I get my tripod out a minute.

Flash Back Friday 153

2010-03-05T05:00:00.001-05:00

“If there ever comes a day when we can't be together keep me in your heart, I'll stay there forever” - Winnie the Pooh

Bridget with Pooh & Piglet, May 1997, 2 years old

Ping & Pong's Three Cheese Birthday Celebration

2010-03-03T05:00:00.003-05:00

Last evening, I met my dear bright and shining star of a friend Cathy at Olga's Restaurant to celebrate her Birthday Eve. This is the third year in a row that we have celebrated by having a delicious 3-cheese Olga (so appropriate for 3/3) and it was time to capture the memory in photographs. We had a very sweet waitress named Treonna who was happy to help us celebrate! She brought us a tiny bowl of curly fries since we didn't need a whole one.

Then she happily tried her hand at my big old camera to take the Ping and Pong 3-Cheese Birthday Celebration Portrait.

Then, bless her heart, she brought us these wonderful chocolate mousse cups. Just the right ending to a perfectly wonderful birthday celebration!

Sunshine on the Deck Makes Me High

2010-03-02T05:00:00.000-05:00

Sunshine, sparkling snow, slanted shadows... what's not to love?

Celebrating 4 Years of Blogging

2010-03-01T05:00:00.000-05:00

Some of the highlights lately...

This past February 17 was the 4th anniversary of Kingdom Jewels and this is post 1334. When I look back to first post, I remember having no idea where it would lead, but soon it became a photo blog. I love having a place to share my photography and even more, I love meeting people from all over. Thanks for the comments, it's fun hearing from you!!!

Stalking

2010-02-27T05:00:00.001-05:00

Leo Amid the Chair Legs, February 2010

Flash Back Friday 152

2010-02-26T09:55:00.000-05:00

Bridget thinks Opa is pretty funny, June 1997

Love Thursday

2010-02-25T05:00:00.002-05:00

This past Monday, the girls were off for winter break and Bridget found some time to experiment with her hair. The result was this fun, fun style which was begging to be preserved in a photograph. It was night time, so I played with some lighting techniques - I have a ways to go on that, I know, but we did have fun together!!!

Go Eddie, Go!

2010-02-23T05:00:00.000-05:00

This past weekend, Edward ran in his first Dutch 10K race... the Jagerspalsloop! It was quite fun to find these photos of him running in the Netherlands and to know he's doing what he loves. "Go Eddie, Go" is the phrase used by the Aunties when they see him run by and also is like his favorite childhood book, "Go Dog, Go."

I found these photos of Edward on a Dutch race website that he sent us the link to. He finished 3rd in the race.

The Ping Pong World Cup

2010-02-22T05:00:00.001-05:00

This past Saturday morning, I met Cathy, aka Pong, and her son Ben at Boston Square since I had heard through Facebook that they were sponsoring the "Ping Pong World Cup"! We signed up to be part of the action and I'm very happy to say that Pong advanced to the Golden Paddle Round and Ben was the semi-finalist in the Silver Paddle Round. I did ok too.... had some extremely long volleys with Won Lee who was the 2nd place finisher.

Ben & Cathy participate in the funnest game in the whole world.

If you go to Google and click on Images at the top, the type in Funnest Game in the Whole World in the search box, you will find an amazing thing!

Leo's Senior Portrait

2010-02-20T05:00:00.000-05:00

Hahahaha!!! February 19, 2010

Flash Back Friday 151

2010-02-19T08:34:00.003-05:00

Edward, 1993

When Edward was little he loved maps and globes. When he was in Kindergarten, his teacher told me about one day when they were branstorming M words. His hand shot up and he said, "Madagascar." So the teacher asked Ed to come up front and show everyone where that was on the globe... he was happy to do that!

Love Thursday

2010-02-18T05:00:00.001-05:00

We are trying to love the snow! I asked Bridget to stand with the snow as a backdrop the way I had done with Maria a couple of years ago.

Bridgie, Feb 2010

Maria, Feb 2008

Then, I went out and watched a drip from an icicle for awhile and thought how nice it is to feel the warmer (33 degrees) temps.

Then I just admired some snow and the way it sat on this step so geometrically.

Happy Love Thursday!

Of Icicles and Exercise

2010-02-17T05:00:00.000-05:00

We are in the depths of the cold and snow this winter, and regretfully, I have given up my 9 year practice of walking 2 miles per day outside (almost every day). It has been a gradual giving up over the past year with knee trouble and anemia to contribute to the cause and also a general desire not to fall on the icy pavement. Thankfully, in the past month, I've found an indoor walking routine which I've been doing, new excercise pants and all!

Check it out here (parts 1 & 2): Walking

Greetings from the King & Queen of Smilde

2010-02-15T05:00:00.000-05:00

May 2003

This is just to ease the letdown of the Monday after Valentine's Day. I love the green in this one!!!

Happy Valentine's Day/Kitty For Sale

2010-02-14T05:00:00.001-05:00

This weekend, My Valentine and I made a lightbox to take photos of things - like objects to sell on ebay or something. It was fun! We bought 3 10 foot PVC pipes and the elbows and T's. etc. Then John awoke me Saturday morning to tell me Leo was posing in it albeit somewhat timidly. I got up (Early for a Sat. morning and took his pic):

He wouldn't give me a graceful Leo pose for anything because of the paper underneath him.

Have a Happy valentine's Day all!

Flash Back Friday 150

2010-02-12T05:00:00.001-05:00

John & his brother Dave, Three Rivers, California, mid 1970's

75% Dutch

2010-02-11T05:00:00.000-05:00

I found the above photo of Edward on his Facebook wall walking through the town of Delft with 3 of his classmates. He's on the left of the 4 which is in the middle of the picture. Each time I look at it I think how he looks right at home there. The joke always goes, in our family, that our kids are 75% Dutch because John is all Dutch and I'm only half Dutch. Well, I do think I walked in that exact spot about 7 years ago.

Two Teenage Daughters and a Homecoming Dance

2010-02-09T05:00:00.001-05:00

This past Saturday evening, Bridget & Maria both went with friends to the Homecoming Dance at South Christian High School. I went to the mall with them last month to get their dresses, but they did the shopping and picking out themselves. They both did allow me to come to their friends' houses for the pre-dance photos with their friends. I was so happy to oblige.

Bridget, on the right side in front, went with a group of 15 of her freshman friends who were very happy and excited.

Maria went with Frick and some of their other friends.

Or should I say, she went with Mr. Darcy?

Embarrassing Bridget from This Far Away

2010-02-08T05:00:00.000-05:00

Bridget, 5th row from top under the "H".

I just waved in a big way and took a picture. Then I got a phone call, something about, "Can you be any more embarrassing?" Cute.

John & I went to the Homecoming game this past Friday night where Maria was honored in South Christian's version of a homecoming court.

Maria is in the exact middle here.

The kids gave flowers to the person who influenced them most, so Maria chose BOTH John & me. What a good girl :)

Flash Back Friday 149

2010-02-05T05:00:00.000-05:00

1950's: Uncle Alan, Uncle John, Oma Boyer, Mom & her friend Mary Jo