ari ella turns two

An extra post today to say: Happy Second Birthday, Ari Ella! My daughter was born at home just after 2pm on July 18, 2006. :)

A couple of weeks old:




About 3 months old:




One year old:




Just last month:

window to the sky

Clouds yesterday formed a window - nice view too. :)

the soul of flowers + a visit

Another from the gardens / park over the weekend. I know some people don't care for floral and nature photography - but I love it. Being with the flowers summons a deep calm and awe for me. It seems one can see the whole world in the simplicity and complexity of the natural world - each piece having a voice as strong as human counterparts.

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My journal has been less than daily and my replies / comments less than prevalent because my mom-in-law is visiting from New Zealand. I'll catch up with everyone soonish, promise.

Kai (my son) with his ouma and their "fish gardens":

fading rose, vibrant rose

Many of the remaining roses at Will Roger's Park are no longer at their height... yet, they still have a beauty to them.

lovers in the gardens

We went for a walk through the gardens - I wanted to take some photos of my mom-in-law with my kids in the pretty setting too (she's visiting from New Zealand). It was incredibly hot. These two have the right idea - frolicking in the water. However, just so you don't get too tempted to shed clothes and hop in, they've dyed the water blue. Being a smurf isn't so cool after all, I guess.

july rain

July in Oklahoma means lots of intense sunshine and 90-100 degree temps. However, we received a wonderful gift of soaking rain yesterday afternoon, yum.

music trapped in collage

And, yes, another collage from the Oklahoma History Center. :)

another collage

This is an up-close peek at another collage from the Oklahoma History Center. These were made by highschools, by the way. :) The full view is:

Speaking of closer views, I zoomed in on a couple parts of yesterday's collage. Here they are:

oklahoma collage

The Oklahoma History Center is a very neat place. You can check out their website here: http://www.okhistorycenter.org/. It states, "An architectural masterpiece, a decade in the making, the Oklahoma History Center is an 18-acre, 215,000 square-foot learning center exploring Oklahoma’s unique history of geology, transportation, commerce, culture, aviation, heritage and more..."

This photo is from July 2007, a beautiful collage about Oklahoma. Thought it was appropriate for today with the red-white-blue theme.

July Theme Day: No, No, No

First photo - no alcohol in gas - becoming more popular because it's supposed to be better for the longevity of the car and gas mileage. Gas prices from yesterday.

I guess it's tempting to park by an old dumpster behind these buildings, even though I saw things like 6 inch screws strewed around, so much so that they made this official notice, ha.

No to the yucky stuff! A bag from one of the local heath food stores here, Akins.

And this? My sweet (really she is) daughter getting mad with a great big NO. (From April.) I know it was naughty to snap a photo, but I already had my camera out, and I promise I did it quickly. :o (grin)


One other notable mention that I couldn't snap a photo of (busy) - signs that said "No Parking Or Standing". Are they common elsewhere? I'd never seen them before. My son had a good giggle - "but how will people walk to get places?" ;)


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Others around the world are having fun with NO too, take a peek? :)

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

American Fork (UT), USA by Annie, Anderson (SC), USA by Lessie, Ararat, Australia by freefalling, Arradon, France by Alice, Ashton under Lyne, UK by Pennine, Aspen (CO), USA by IamMBB, Athens, Greece by Debbie, Auckland, New Zealand by Lachezar, Austin (TX), USA by LB, Avignon, France by Nathalie, Bandung, Indonesia by Harry Makertia, Barrow-in-Furness, UK by Enitharmon, Barton (VT), USA by Andree, Belgrade, Serbia by Bibi, Bellefonte (PA), USA by Barb-n-PA, Bicheno, Australia by Greg, Birmingham (AL), USA by VJ, Bogor, Indonesia by Gagah, Boston (MA), USA by Cluelessinboston, Brantford (ON), Canada by Nancy, Brighton, UK by Harvey, Brookville (OH), USA by Abraham, Bucaramanga, Colombia by Fernando, Bucharest, Romania by Malpraxis, Budapest, Hungary by agrajag, Budapest, Hungary by Zannnie and Zsolt, Canterbury, UK by Rose, Cavite, Philippines by Steven Que, Chandler (AZ), USA by Melindaduff, Château-Gontier, France by Laurent, Cheltenham, UK by Marley, Chennai, India by Ram N, Chennai, India by Shantaram, Chesapeake (VA), USA by ptowngirl, Christchurch, New Zealand by Michelle, Cincinnati, USA by Erik Laursen, Cleveland (OH), USA by iBlowfish, Coral Gables (FL), USA by Jnstropic, Corsicana (TX), USA by Lake Lady, Delta (CO), USA by Bill, Duluth (MN), USA by Sun Dog Press, Durban, South Africa by CrazyCow, East Gwillimbury, Canada by Your EG Tour Guide, Edinburgh, UK by Dido, Folkestone, UK by Piskie, Forks (WA), USA by Corinne, Fort Lauderdale (FL), USA by Gigi, Gaia, Portugal by m+p, Geneva (IL), USA by Kelly, Grenoble, France by Bleeding Orange, Gun Barrel City (TX), USA by Lake Lady, Hampton (VA), USA by ptowngirl, Haninge, Sweden by Steffe, Hanoi, Vietnam by Jérôme, Helsinki, Finland by Kaa, Hobart, Australia by Greg, Hyde, UK by Gerald, Jackson (MS), USA by Halcyon, Jefferson City (MO), USA by Chinamom2005, Jerusalem, Israel by Esther, Katonah (NY), USA by Inkster1, Knoxville (TN), USA by Knoxville Girl, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia by Edwin, Kyoto, Japan by 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(FL), USA by OrlFla, Palos Verdes (CA), USA by tash, Paris, France by Eric, Pasadena (CA), USA by Petrea, Pasadena (CA), USA by Can8ianben, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia by Murphy_jay, Petoskey (MI), USA by Christie, Phoenix (AZ), USA by Cheryl, Poplar Bluff (MO), USA by Tricia, Port Angeles (WA), USA by Jelvistar, Portland (ME), USA by Corey, Portsmouth (VA), USA by ptowngirl, Posadas, Argentina by Lega, Pretoria, South Africa by Sam Ruth, Quincy (MA), USA by Cluelessinboston, Ramsey, Isle of Man by babooshka, Reykjavik, Iceland by Vírgíll, Riga, Latvia by Riga Photos, Rotterdam, Netherlands by Ineke, Rouen, France by Bbsato, Saarbrücken, Germany by LadyDemeter, Saigon, Vietnam by Simon, Saint Louis (MO), USA by Strangetastes, Salem (OR), USA by jill, Salt Lake City (UT), USA by Eric, Salt Lake City (UT), USA by atc, San Antonio (TX), USA by Kramer, San Diego (CA), USA by Felicia, San Francisco (CA), USA by PFranson, Santa Fe (NM), USA by Randem, Seattle (WA), USA by Kim, Seattle (WA), USA by Chuck, Selma (AL), USA by RamblingRound, Sequim (WA), USA by Norma, Sesimbra, Portugal by Aldeia, Setúbal, Portugal by Maria Elisa, Sharon (CT), USA by Jenny, Silver Spring (MD), USA by John, Singapore, Singapore by Keropok, Sofia, Bulgaria by Antonia, Springfield (IL), USA by Aubrey, Stanwood (WA), USA by MaryBeth, Stavanger, Norway by Tanty, Stayton (OR), USA by Celine, Stockholm, Sweden by Stromsjo, Stouffville, Canada by Ken, Stratford, Canada by Barb, Subang Jaya, Malaysia by JC, Suffolk (VA), USA by ptowngirl, Sunshine Coast, Australia by bitingmidge, Sydney, Australia by Julie, Sydney, Australia by Ann, Székesfehérvár, Hungary by Teomo, Tamarindo, Costa Rica by David, Tel-Aviv, Israel by Olga, Tempe (AZ), USA by angie, Terrell (TX), USA by Jim K, Terrell (TX), USA by Bstexas, The Hague, Netherlands by Lezard, Tokyo, Japan by Tadamine, Torun, Poland by Glenn, Toulouse, France by Julia, Trujillo, Peru by Giulianna, Turin, Italy by Livio, Twin Cities (MN), USA by Slinger, Victoria, Canada by Benjamin Madison, Vienna, Austria by G_mirage2, Virginia Beach (VA), USA by ptowngirl, Wailea (HI), USA by Kuanyin, Washington (DC), USA by D.C. Confidential, Wellington, New Zealand by Jeremyb, West Paris (ME), USA by crittoria, West Sacramento (CA), USA by Barbara, Weston (FL), USA by WestonDailyPhoto, Williamsburg (VA), USA by ptowngirl, Willits (CA), USA by Elaine,