it’s a new challenge at iheartfaces this week. the theme is “contemplative”. i just love this photo for a couple reasons.

it was a total mistake that it came out. i had the ISO set to 1600 for some indoor photos i was taking, and forgot to check the settings on the camera before snapping away at the park the next day. i wanted to cry when i realized what i had done (the kids were really cooperating and letting me take loads of photos.) this was the only photo i was able to salvage. a little work in photoshop on the levels and this is what i ended up with. i couldn’t be happier. i just love stella’s expression. she looks like she’s in deep thought. in my humble opinion, it’s a beautiful mistake!

here’s this weeks post for iheartfaces. the theme is “my story in photos – summer edition.” be sure to click on the button above to check out all the other great entries!

for relief from the heat, i try to take my kids to the sprayground at least a few times during the really hot summer days. it’s a favorite for us, and the best part is that it’s completely free! how can you beat that?!

we pack lots of snacks and drinks and splash for hours. warning: if you bring your sandwich into the sprayers, it gets a bit soggy.

we bring water toys and buckets to fill.

it makes for a great day. and very tired kids when all is said and done.

my idea of a perfect activity for a hot summer day.