Shootin' Pool

Some of my favorite memories in the whole world involves dancing on my uncle Gordy's cowboy boots while Grandpa was playing the piano, accordion and/or singing... So I was excited to be able to spend some time with him when I heard that he was coming to visit.

Gordy, my Grandpa's closest brother in age (Gordy is 2 years younger - 83 and 81). Yesterday I just couldn't help but take this opportunity to take pictures of Grandpa and Gordy playing pool.

Grandpa actually did really well and he immensely enjoyed his granddaughter cheering for him!

such deep

concentration!

Mount Rainier, climb every mountain - not so much...

On Saturday, Austin, Samantha and I went to Mt. Rainier to see the sights and go on a hike!

Although the hike up the mountain was only 1.7 miles, it felt like about 10! It wasn't just a nice stroll in the mountains, it was steep!

Samantha ran up that trail like a little mountain goat and one of her favorite quotes of the day: "Loreen, why are you way down there and I'm way up here?!?! C'mon Loreen, hurry up!"

As we got close to the top of the trail, we had to make our way through some sloshy snow and I knew I had reached my end when I fell and threw my bag down! so we finally made it to the top and the view was worth it! we had a great view of the mountains and saw some cool jay birds.

After falling in the snow a few more times, tripping and falling into a little water fall, we finally made it to the bottom. We got to see a couple deer in the field. So I didn't climb every mountain, but the trail I took was fun and entertaining and worth it.

We had a great time!

Why I love taking pictures...

I haven't posted in awhile so I thought I would share some of my favorite pictures I've taken recently. My depth perception is not that great because of my vision, so the majority of the pictures I take are pretty much by instinct. I love taking pictures because it helps me see what I often can't see with my own eyes.

this picture I took in the Congo in March. We were at a hospital in a village outside of Goma. I stood on top of this staircase and thought that the 2 buildings on either would make a good composition. When I uploaded the picture onto my computer I was surprised to see the child at the bottom of the stairs on a straw mat. this is something I didn't see when I was there! It turned out to be a very powerful picture for me.







This picture I took in the middle of December. It was FREEZING cold, but I saw that it would be a nice sunset so I ran down to the beach. While I was taking pictures of the sunset my hands were frozen and I kept trying to walk back home, but everytime I looked back it kept getting more and more beautiful. So I would run back and take more pictures. I did this at least 4 or 5 times. This one was the last one I took before I ran into the house. It took a long time before I could feel my fingers but this picture made it totally worth it!



So these are a few reasons why I love taking pictures!

Blossoms of Hope!

Blossoms of Hope
greeting cards
Providing a creative way to bring hope to the children of Central Africa

I would like to introduce you to my new adventure called Blossoms of Hope greeting cards! This is something I've been wanting to do for a long time, so here goes...

The cards have pictures of flowers that my friend Keith and I took when we are in the Congo. They are blank inside and have a little explanation on the back. They are sold in packs of 10 with 5 different pictures inside and they cost $10/pack.

All the proceeds of these cards go toward sending a child to school in the Congo. To send a child to school it costs only $65 or less. For a high school student around $125. This cost includes uniforms, a small notebook and a few pencils. It also goes toward paying the Teachers.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo where there is still so much violence and poverty, the opportunity for children to go to school gives them hope to provide for their families and communities. It brings hope to those children who have lost their parents or have escaped violence no child should ever have to see - Hope for a future and a new life.

If you would like more information about how to purchase the cards or how to help send a child to school, please contact me: lbell at pacificcrestindustries dot com