Houston, We Have A Problem...

The last few days around here have been COLD. Like, jeans and a sweatshirt cold. Rainy, terrible, blanket cold. This cold front required me to dig up some cold weather outfits for Lizzy, and in doing so, I came to the realization that my poor child is going to suffer from PANTS TOO SHORT syndrome, just like me.

Seriously. Even though my kid is almost 8 months, she's still wearing 3-6 or 6 month clothes. I pulled out a pair of 6 month pants, and they fit her in the waist, but were a good inch too short in length. I tried a pair of 9 month pants, and they were long enough, but just fell right off her non-existent butt.

I'm not exactly sure what my cutie pie is going to do come fall when wearing capris is probably frowned upon. Maybe I just need to get her an awesome pair of boots and let her rock the boots and leggings look all winter, because if the leggings are tucked into boots, you won't be able to see that they're an inch too short. Or don't they make skinny jeans for babies? Maybe that would solve all kinds of problems.

I'm sorry in advance baby girl. Being tall kind of sucks--good luck finding wedding dresses, prom dresses, jeans, sweat pants, etc. At least you have a momma who can sympathize!

Thankful on a Monday

One would think that in being a SAHM (stay-at-home-mom), that Mondays would be no sweat. But I still find myself hating them big time...so Monday Thankfulness is a good exercise in me being positive!

01- My sweet sister bringing me home Caribou Coffee from the mid-west (I have never had it!).
02- That Justin has a stable job with ample opportunity for overtime, even if it meant not seeing much of him last week.
03- For Lizzy, who gives smiles so readily, and is developing such a sweet personality.

04- Library books.
05- For Pastor C, who prayed a prayer of Thanksgiving yesterday that we live in a country where there is freedom of religion, and for those of ALL religions to be able to worship without obstruction. It was good for my soul.
06- For our softball team, even though we lost. Again!
07- For great organizations like CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) that do much needed work with children.
08- For a weekend spent with family.
09- That my sister in law Renee is able to spend some time with her dad this week.
10- For warm quilts made by family members on a cold morning.

Too Funny Not To Share

Lizzy got to taste some ice cream the other day. She loved it, but also kept making the most hilarious faces:

And PS- Yes, I know that I forgot all about In the Photo Friday yesterday! I will try to get on it, I promise!

Let's Talk About Religion and Governement.

I want to talk a little bit about religion today. I think I've been pretty clear on this blog that I'm a Christian, specifically attending the Lutheran Church. Not all of my friends--either here on the internet or in real life--share my beliefs, and that's totally okay. I daily try to walk the line between being transparent about my own beliefs and how they tie into the way that I live my life, without being condescending or judgmental towards others who believe differently. As a Christian, I don't believe that it's my duty to "save" others who believe differently than I do, but rather to carry myself in a way that demonstrates Christ's love as I know it, to the best of my imperfect ability. I am certain that sometimes I fail at this, but I try daily.

I don't know if anyone else has experienced this, but I often feel frustrated within my faith in that there seems to increasingly be an expectation that all Christians share (or should share) a particular political worldview. And the fact of the matter is that I don't necessarily believe that there is a relationship between religion and politics. In fact, I'm not even sure that I believe that religion has a place in politics, except within the personal lives of those involved.

For example, I have often heard the war in the Middle East be justified through Bible scripture, and it always makes me pause. For a long time, I felt like I was one of very few Christians who took issue with this line of thinking. It was a hard place to be for me, especially since any time I vocalized this opinion, I felt like others believed that I was disrespecting the men and women who serve in our military. I have always felt like respecting those who serve, and taking issue with the way that the Bible is being used to justify the war are two separate issues. However, it's been my experience though that for many in my faith, they are completely entwined. Sometimes, I felt like I was one of the only ones who felt differently.  However, I recently read a passage from a book by Rob Bell, and I wanted to share an excerpt, because he summed things up better than I ever could:

"The Roman Empire, which put Jesus on an execution stake, insisted that it was bringing peace to the world through its massive military mights, and anybody who didn't see it this way just might be put on a cross. Emperor Caesar, who ruled the Roman Empire, was considered the 'Son of God,' the 'Prince of Peace,' and one of his propaganda slogans was 'peace through victory.'

The insistence of the first Christians was that through this resurrected Jesus Christ, God has made peace with the world. Not through weapons of war, but through a naked, bleeding man hanging dead on an execution stake. A Roman execution stake. Another of Caesar's favorite propaganda slogans was 'Caesar is Lord.' The first Christians often said 'Jesus is Lord.' For them, Jesus was another way, a better way, a way that made the world better through sacrificial love, not coercive violence.

So when the commander in chief of the most powerful armed forced humanity has ever seen quotes the prophet Isaiah from the Bible in celebration of military victory, we must ask, Is this what Isaiah had in mind?


A Christian should get very nervous when the flag and the Bible start holding hands. This is not a romance we want to encourage."

-From Jesus Wants to Save Christians: A Manifesto For the Church in Exile, page 18. 

This passage was like a light bulb for me. It put into words so many things that I have been feeling about my faith and recent political events. For me, the last two sentences rang especially true, and have encouraged me tremendously.

But I'm interested to hear from you--if you're a Christian, do you feel like you're "supposed to" subscribe to a particular set of political beliefs? Regardless of your religious beliefs, what role, if any, do you think religion should carry in terms of Government? What are your thoughts, in general?

PS- It's 100% okay if you express opinions that differ from mine in the comments. I will not delete ANY comment for that reason. However, I WILL delete comments that are blatantly disrespectful towards the beliefs of others, so play nice.

Update to Breastfeding

Well, we've pretty much come to the end of the breastfeeding road. For almost two weeks, Lizzy has refused to breastfeed. Before, she would latch on, but pull off and scream. Now, I can't even get her to latch on--she kicks, screams, hits, and throws a hysterical fit any time it's time to nurse. The ONLY time I can occasionally get her to nurse is first thing in the morning if she is still half asleep.

We tried most of the things recommended by La Leche League for nursing strikes, but haven't made much progress. And quite frankly, even if it was just a nursing strike opposed to weaning, when you have an almost 8 month old who weighs only 12 pounds and has a tendency to lose weight easily, you can't wait as long to see if the strike resolves itself as you might be able to otherwise.

So, we're basically done. I have mixed feelings about it. I don't have a high-quality double sided pump, so if I were to pump enough to keep up with Lizzy's demand, I would literally be pumping all day long. So on to formula it is.

BQOTD: Gross Foods

Do you have any foods that you just CANNOT stand? Maybe foods that you wish you liked, but you just don't no matter how many times you try? 

For me, there are three things:

-Eggs. I'm moderately allergic, and even the smell of eggs makes me want to vomit.

-Cilantro. I would LOVE to like cilantro. I love everything that it's in. But the minute it hits my mouth, it triggers a major gag reflux, and out it comes. {PS- Anyone have any good cilantro free salsa recipes?}

-Anything with soggy bread. Sloppy Joes. French Dipped Sandwiches. Biscuits & Gravy. The second the bread gets soggy, I'm done. I can't handle that texture at all.

What are yours?

Blackberry Jam

I have big, and ambitious plans. I am going to make jam. No, I've never made jam before, and no, I don't have any canning equipment. Which is why I think I'm going to make freezer jam for my first endeavor. Anyone have any good tips or recipes for blackberry freezer jam? I've had a couple people suggest adding some lemon zest or lemon juice to the mixture...

We picked quite a few blackberries after church on Sunday, but I'm thinking that I need to go back this morning if I want to make cobbler AND jam.

This time though, I'll wear pants. And tennis shoes!

In the Photo Friday

I'm really excited about In the Photo Friday this week because I have not one, but TWO photos. And I actually LIKE both of them. This is a major accomplishment people!

The first is a photo of all three of us from a wedding this past weekend. It's so nice to have a picture where all three of us were dressed up. If only I had remembered to pull the pacifier from Lizzy's mouth! 

The second is also living proof that I have fulfilled number #36 from my 101 in 1001 list (introduce Lizzy to Kaitlin and Jesse).  I'm sure I've mentioned before that Kaitlin and I are long-time friends in real life, who usually have to keep up with each other via blog/internet/phone right now, since Jesse is in the Air Force and stationed out of state. Nevertheless, they are great friends, and we love spending time with them when they're here! Our kids don't know it yet, but they are betrothed (mostly kidding), and they were not quite as thrilled about their first official picture as we were, but they will learn in due time.

In all seriousness though, Lizzy loves Jaxon. I think she thinks that he is a toy. The love seems to be unrequited, but if I were Jaxon, I probably wouldn't be too thrilled about Lizzy trying to stick her fingers in my eyeballs either (I heard that I missed that somehow today Kait--I'm sorry!)...

BQOTD: Restaurant Wars

 Last night, we went to dinner at Outback with my parents. Lizzy was way overdue for a nap, and I thought for sure she'd fall asleep in the car, but she didn't. Once we were seated, she started whining a bit. Not screaming or even really crying, but she'd let out a vocal whine/protest every couple minutes or so as I swaddled her arms up and tried to rock her to sleep. I was able to shush her pretty quickly each time she made any noise, so I didn't think much of it, especially since I tend to think of places like Outback as being pretty kid-friendly.

I usually try to be really conscientious of other patrons whenever I go out with Lizzy, and take her outside if she gets loud or if I feel like she is interfering with the experience of other patrons (not necessarily on the first peep though). I really {honestly} didn't think that Lizzy's few whines had risen to the point to take her outside. Until the couple next to us asked to be moved to a different booth.

Then, I felt terrible. Because like I said, I really do try to take Lizzy out if I feel that she is disturbing anyone else. Justin assured me that she really wasn't being loud, but I still felt badly.

So today, my question is two-fold:

1. When you're out and about (say at a restaurant) and encounter a whiny kid or a kid making noise, how do you respond? Does it not bother you at all, or do you ask to be moved?

2. If you're a mom, at what point do you remove your kids from the situation--at the first peep of noise, or at the first signs of impending meltdown?

One to Thirty-Two

One to Sixteen:

Seventeen to Thirty-Two:

Lizzy Snippets

-The other night, Lizzy was eyeballing Jaxon, who was asleep in his swing. She started to crawl over to him, and I calmly but firmly said, "No Lizzy." Much to my surprise, she stopped mid-cry, sat up, looked at me, and cried. A few minutes later (I think she thought that I wasn't looking), she made a break for Jaxon again. We repeated the process with a firm "No," and again, she stopped, sat up, looked right at me, and cried. Seemingly overnight, Lizzy understands what the word 'no' means. I was amazed.

-Also, I was surprised yesterday when Kaitlin's aunt told me, "Oh...she has some top teeth that just broke through." Sure enough, her top two eye teeth have just broken through the skin. I guess baby girl has also observed the vampire craze lately and wanted to join in the fun! Her teeth are much higher up than I expected though...not right down on her gum line, but actually a bit higher up. I'm not sure if that's normal or not, but I guess we'll see.

-Also, even though I know I'm technically not supposed to be swaddling anymore, doing so has made the difference between not napping ever, and 2-3 hour naps. This is one of those situations where mommy intuition overrules traditional parenting advice is my book.

-In the past few days, Lizzy has gotten really vocal. She says "Ba-Ba-Ba-Ba", but uses inflection in her voice like no other. Sometimes I think she's mimicking what I've said. It is too cute.

-Lately, Lizzy loves to stick her fingers in my mouth, especially if she is tired. The inside of my lip is totally torn up right now from her scratching it--I need to find a way to break this habit!

In the Photo Friday

Snuggling with not one, but TWO babies yesterday. Just call me the baby whisperer ;)

I was holding them both and realized, 'Holy COW, this is exactly what it would be like to have twins!'

A Ramble about Breastfeeding...

I think I've mentioned before that when I was pregnant, I was excited to breastfeed. I had researched it. I was so excited that this was something that I could do for Lizzy to help prevent allergies and asthma down the road {although, I was breastfed and have the worst allergies of anyone I know!}. I felt confident. After our birthing class, Justin was excited about me breastfeeding. He kept talking about all the benefits of breastfeeding and how he was so happy that I was going to do it. I knew of a doula that did breastfeeding support if needed. Don't get me wrong...I knew it wouldn't be easy, but I felt like I could do it.I felt like it was what God had made my body to do, and that it was a beautiful thing.

And then Lizzy arrived. I had a terrible experience with a lactation consultant at the hospital. She would grab Lizzy, and shove her on my boob while saying, "Don't touch her!" Then, after having Lizzy "nurse" for six hours straight in the middle of the night, it became apparent to me that Lizzy just wanted to suck for comfort. I asked the nurse for a pacifier, and she brought me one. Later, the same lactation consultant came in the room, and yelled at me that Lizzy was a bad nurser (she used to press her tongue up to the roof of her mouth when she was trying to latch on), and that if I was going to give her a pacifier, I might as well give up breastfeeding right then and there. I ignored her, and Lizzy and I both slept. The next morning, I had a new lactation consultant who was more helpful, and had me participate in the process more, but was also very condescending.

A few weeks later, we had the nursing down a bit better. But, Lizzy was extremely active from the start, and would often pull off to look around the room, even if I was nursing her in a dark and silent room. Breastfeeding was not enjoyable for me, at all. Lizzy didn't lay there and look up at me lovingly...she'd pinch, and kick, and keep trying to turn her head to look around the rest of the room. I asked my mom, "Is this normal?" and she said that none of her kids had been nearly that busy and active while nursing.

We talked to the doctor about it, who did weight checks before and after nursing, and concluded that she WAS getting enough each feeding (i.e. no apparent supply issues), she was just apparently very active. They suggested swaddling her to nurse. That didn't help much.

And then, after working out and working out, but not losing any weight, I started having a number of conversations with friends who said that they weren't able to lose any weight until they stopped breastfeeding. And that became ANOTHER reason, albeit a selfish one, that breastfeeding wasn't enjoyable. In some part of my brain, I saw breastfeeding as the roadblock to becoming "me" again after having Lizzy. But I banished that thought from my brain, and promised myself that I would NOT stop just because I wanted to lose weight. I would not stop until Lizzy was showing signs that she was ready to stop. 

Breastfeeding became something that I did, because I had the supply and the ability. I believe in the benefits of breastfeeding. I felt that it was important, but I didn't enjoy it. I haven't ever enjoyed it. So why not switch to formula?

For one, because money is tight. Don't get me wrong, we could afford formula. But in my eyes, there was no reason for me to justify not breastfeeding--I had the supply, Lizzy wasn't having stomach issues or latch issues, etc. So for me, switching to formula would have been an unnecessary expense. Let me be clear--I'm not saying that everyone who chooses to give a baby formula when they are capable of breastfeeding is spending unnecessarily. Just that for me personally, I couldn't justify switching in my mind--I felt like I needed to do what was best for Lizzy, even if that wasn't necessarily what was best for me. And I wanted to be absolutely sure that I wasn't stopping just because I wanted to lose weight.  Plus, I had set the goal of breastfeeding until Lizzy was at least six months old, and dammit, I was going to meet that goal.

Now, Lizzy is seven months old. And I'm still mostly breastfeeding, with the exception of a formula bottle for the last feeding each day, which came about for a variety of different reasons. It is the one feeding each day that I enjoy. The rest have become extremely difficult--every feeding, she'll latch on for five or ten seconds, then arch her back and scream. Then she'll latch on for five or ten seconds, then kick and hit me repeatedly. Then she'll latch on for five or ten seconds, arch her back and try to throw herself out of my arms.

When I do pump, I've been pumping the same amount. It doesn't appear to be a decrease in my supply. I am 100% convinced that she would simply rather take a bottle, because she can hold it herself and look around the room while she is eating. This has been going on for nearly a month, and I am really beginning to think that Lizzy is trying to wean.

But for some reason, I am still trying to nurse her. I don't enjoy it. I dread it, but I am still trying to do it. I feel so guilty about even considering stopping, and I'm not sure why...I have nothing against formula. I hit my goal of breastfeeding for six months (and then some). It clearly isn't a good experience for either one of us, and it isn't just about me wanting to lose weight...she clearly doesn't like nursing any more than I do. The important thing is that she's eating, not whether it's breastmilk or formula, right?! So why do I still feel so guilty about the idea of stopping?

I'm not sure where I'm going with this...I just kind of had to get it out there.

How I Spent My Summer...

Or the last few days of it at least....

-On Monday, we got to finally see Kaitlin, Jesse, and Jaxon! Since before they were born, we have joked that Jaxon and Lizzy are betrothed, so that we could all actually be family. So we about died when Lizzy kept trying to pet his face and hold his hand. She's been around a lot of babies and hasn't done that before, so it was hilarious. I'll have to try to get a picture of it soon.

-I have officially completed Level 1 of the 30 Day Shred ten times, and even with actual weights instead of canned food. I didn't quite do 10 consecutive days, but I was close. Today, I move on to Level 2, and I am nervous! I've done it once or twice before, and it is KILLER.

-I finished reading The Help, and it was fantastic. I loved every second of it, and would recommend it in a heartbeat. I'm now reading a book called The Girls, about conjoined twins. It is really interesting!

-We've had a couple of weeks off from softball, and we're going to start the fall league here pretty soon. We were hoping to move down to the C league, but we're still in the B league. Here's hoping we actually win a game, and not just because the other team doesn't show up! 

-For my birthday, one of the things my parents gave us was a gift certificate to go to the movies. Any suggestions? I hardly even know what's playing right now...

-The band has been busy this summer. A couple of weeks ago, they had the opportunity to play at an old rock quarry that has been renovated and turned into an outdoor amphitheater for concerts. It's a really beautiful setting:

 The band has several more concerts coming up in the next few weeks--it's a busy (and fun!) time!

Burning Question of the Day: Alarm Clocks

When your alarm clock goes off in the morning, do you get up right away, or hit snooze multiple times?

I get up right away, whereas Justin could hit snooze for hours. Well actually, he could sleep through his alarm for hours. Seriously, I am always waking him up to turn off his stupid alarm clock. He doesn't even hear it, but the second it goes off (at 5:30 am), I am WIDE awake!

Letter to Lizzy- Seven Months

Dear Lizzy,

Tomorrow you will turn exactly seven months old. I have to confess that around month three, I was very concerned that you would be walking at this point. Thankfully, you are not, but considering how quickly you can pull yourself up and "cruise" on furniture, I'm willing to bet that you'll be a pro at it before you're a year old.

The other day, I finally put some shoes on you. You tolerated them, but could NOT figure out how to get around. Normally, you can pull yourself up on the couch with ease. With your little shoes on, I had to help you stand, and you never did how to figure out how to crawl with them on. The moral of the story--when I need to keep you confined for a couple of minutes, all I need to do is put some shoes on you!

So far, you still only have two teeth. However, you are still drooling and chewing on EVERYTHING. You also manage to chew your food pretty well, and are now almost exclusively off  baby food, and eating real food for the most part. This past week, we went out to dinner for your Uncle Kev's birthday, and several people commented on what a good eater you are. They mean that you never stop eating. Seriously. That night while we were at dinner, you ate an 8oz bottle, followed by two cups of black beans, two cups of rice, an a small tupperware container of peaches. Since you hadn't gained weight again at your weight check (but you'd grown a half an inch in height!), your pediatrician tells me that I should let you eat until you don't show any interest in food. But even after eating everything I mentioned above, you were STILL trying to pull things off my plate.

It still continues to amaze me how much you love animals. You chase our cat around the house all day, and luckily she puts up with it. Even when dogs jump up on you, you squeal with delight. You'll sit in front of the dog gate at my parent's house for hours and "talk" to their dog. We actually may be looking at getting a dog here pretty soon, and we already plan to take you with us and see if any of the puppies like you chasing after them all the time.

Since you've learned how to stand up, sleep has been an interesting thing. Even if you are completely exhausted when I lay you down for a nap, within minutes, I can hear you standing up in your crib and playing. We've finally lowered your crib mattress to the lowest level, so I've let you just stand and play, hoping that you'll finally fall asleep. So far, that hasn't happened, and the only way you've been napping lately is if I turn on the TV, lay down on the couch, and let you "watch" it with me. You fall asleep that way in no time! I try not to do that a lot, because I don't want to start a bad habit, but sometimes you just need a nap so bad!

Even though you have a huge temper and throw tantrums when you don't get your way, you are mostly just a lot of fun--easy to laugh, and quick to smile. I love you more than anything baby girl,

Mom

In the Photo Friday

It's been a long week, but I still kinda forgot it was Friday. I didn't have a photo, so I snapped one really fast, straight out of the shower and all:

Even though I love photography with the best of them, life doesn't always come with perfect lighting and a studio set-up. Sometimes, we're lucky just to have the point and shoot and a stolen, unposed minute. 

And goodness, The Lizard's eyes sure are blue!

A Funny Thing Happened At The DMV.

Yesterday, I headed to the DMV to renew my driver's license. I was seriously crossing my fingers that I had enough appropriate documents to do so because I still cannot find the folder of our legal documents. Anyway, I arrived, and checked in at the front desk. The front desk then filters you either to the "Take-A-Number" line or the "Express" Line.

The Express Line is about the biggest joke ever, because it is slow as molasses, and almost always out the door of the building, which means that I have to stand by the crazy lady who has been protesting the DMV for the past eight years (no joke) because she failed the vision portion of the driving test, and she feels that the state is taking away her civil liberties and infringing on her personal rights by not letting her drive even though she cannot see. Basically, the Express Lane = Bad.

So, the lady at the front desk tells me that I have to wait in the dreaded express lane, and then also adds, "Cute baby. She looks like a preemie. How early was she born?"

"Oh, she's not a preemie. She's just small."

"No, I'm pretty sure she was a preemie. You must have your dates wrong."

"Nope. If anything she was overdue. She's just small, but she's perfectly healthy."

I then proceeded to the Express Lane, where I waited for the next two hours. Once I got to the DMV representative, she said, "Your baby is so cute! How old is she?"

"Oh thank you, she's almost seven months."

"How much does she weigh?"

"Just twelve pounds two ounces--she's a petite one."

"Oh, my daughter was like that too. We had to do all sorts of tests because having an underweight baby puts them at all sorts of risks for having a genetic disease. Have you done the DNA screen yet?"

"No, her pediatrician isn't really concerned because her dad didn't pass the 15 pound mark until after he was a year old, and she's active and eating well."

"You really need to do the DNA screening. I know it's expensive, but you need to know if she has a genetic disease."

"Thanks for the advice," I responded as calmly as possible.

I sat down to wait for the dreaded photo, stewing a bit at the things people say to new moms about their babies. Then, I saw another new mom approach the desk with a baby in tow. Along the way, a couple people asked her how old her baby was (5 months) and how much he weighs (17 pounds). Their comments to her ranged from "What a chunk!" to "You need to stop feeding him as much" to "I hope he's not this overweight his entire life". I watched the mom smile pleasantly, duck out of each conversation, and roll her eyes.

I felt such solidarity with her! I mean, I don't wish any mom be told that their kiddo is anything less than perfect, but it was nice to hear that it isn't just me....and that if Lizzy were on the opposite end of the weight spectrum, people would say things that are just as ridiculous. Silly comments have just become a part of my world as a mom, and knowing that I'm not alone makes it just a little bit easier to handle!

And now, a message from Lizzy:  nmidfry8i  xe vcnobufkjburmlkffewyi tbxwd yui7

If you aren't a native speaker of Lizzy language, that roughly translates to "I will never blink...or sleep!"

Snippets

 -Lizzy is seriously on the move--she's wanting to hold hands and walk around, and she's constantly pulling herself up on things. She is trying to climb out of her crib, and knows how to tip herself over in her bouncer (time to retire that, I think). The other day, she stood up on her own, but I actually thought she was falling and grabbed her before I realized that she was actually just standing.

-I have somehow misplaced the file folder of ALL our legal documents. Mine, Justin's, and Lizzy's. I KNOW it is somewhere in our house, and I feel like I have looked everywhere but I CANNOT find it. This is especially frustrating because my driver's license expires on Sunday, and I need all those documents to get a new one. Awesome!

-I've been faithfully doing the 30 Day Shred for the last little bit. I'm bribing myself to do it every single day this week--if I do, I'm going to buy a new dress and shoes for an upcoming wedding. Truthfully, I need a dress anyway, but I'm trying to convince myself that I will only buy one if I follow through with the Shred plan.

-I'm in the middle of reading The Help, and I can hardly put it down.

-I wanted to use ShowIt sites to make a new photography website, but it appears that now none of their sites are free, even with a referral. Bummer.

-I am thinking about getting some sort of teething necklace. Lately, Lizzy has been grabbing at everything--mouth, nose, etc., when she is tired. And it hurts. I even have a cut on my gums from her scratching me. The only way I can keep her from doing it is my swaddling her arms to put her to sleep. It's frustrating!

-In less than a week, Kaitlin and Jesse (and JAXON!) are coming to visit! I am so excited!

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

Ashley over at Ramblings and Photos hosts a weekly photography scavenger hunt. Since I don't blog on Sundays very often, I'm posting this week's items (Wide Open, Clock, Junk, Shiny, and View From Below):

1. Wide Open

2. Clock

3. Junk

4. Shiny

5. View From Below

Next week's items are:

1. Shadow or Silhouette
2. Motion Blur
3. Magazine
4. Ten
5. Glass