My new addiction

I must share with you my newest addiction.  They are photo apps.  If you don't know I am a graphic designer and I work for the Rural Messenger.  The main part of my jobs involves layout of the ads and newspaper.
Photoshop has been a dear friend of mine for years.  It's an expensive photo program the usually only professional photographers or publishing companies have.  I have enjoyed having my own photoshop for years.  Can photoshop do the same things as photo apps?  Sure.  But these photo apps do them at lighting fast speed, and with previews.  LOVE IT! Plus it amazes people.
Here are a few.  My two favorite apps are Photo Lab and Photo Studio.  Please note I got them both from the Amazon App Store.

Before: This is a photo of my dad.  It sits on my grandpas dresser.  So I thought, "Hey I love that photo." So I took out my phone and snapped a picture for my own personal photo file.  You can even see my shadow in the photo. (may need to retake)

1st result of me playing with photo apps.

After #2

This photo was sent to me from an advertiser (Benton's Greenhouse Hutchinson Kansas) to be in one of her ads.  I just love this photo.  The purple and teal hues - are some of my favorite colors.

I made this one for Mothers Day

Horse and Little Girl photos

Addie and her horse Snazzy Two Socks

Allie on a bareback test run - on Goldie

Cousins -Levi, Allie and Weston.

Art Shots

Before (Trees at the feedlot)

After

Allie jumping on haybales

Bridal bouquet

Bridal Bouquet

Riding with friends

We did it! The girls were able to roll out of bed a few more times last week and make it to the end of the school year. Weston woke up and asked, "Where are my sisters?"  I was finally able to tell him they were at home, not at school.
Allie was sad to find out that her good friend is moving to Medicine Lodge.  Her mom is a teacher and has accepted a teaching position there.  Avery came over and the girls played and had fun.
Addie celebrated her birthday this week.  She brought home a few friends on the last day of school.  Her friends wanted to ride horses.  They saddled up and rode even though it was cold and misting.
Then they came inside and made S'mores in the oven.  We totally burned the first batch.  The marshmallows got burned quickly.  The next pan I set on the middle rack and I made the girls sit in front of the oven and watch the marshmallows.  Then we added the chocolate, which melted quickly.  Then we pulled them out and added the top piece of graham cracker.  They were pretty yummy.
The guys artificially inseminated a group of cows on Friday.  Somehow they managed to get it done in between rain showers.
While it seems like we have gotten a lot of rain, I try and remember that it could quit raining and not rain again until August.

Sure Fire, No Fire S'mores
6 whole graham crackers
1 bag mini marshmallows
3 (1.55 ounces) Hershey's Milk Chocolate Bars, split into 2

Recipe courtesy of Paula Deen

Total Time: 6 min Prep: 5 min Cook: 1 min

Split graham cracker into 2 halves. On top of graham cracker squares place mini-marshmallows. Place under broiler for a few seconds until toasty. Remove and place 1/2 of a Hershey bar on top of marshmallow. The heat from the marshmallow will melt the chocolate bar. Place other 1/2 of graham cracker on top. Press lightly to flatten marshmallows. These may be made ahead and wrapped in plastic wrap until ready to heat and eat.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/sure-fire-no-fire-smores-recipe.html?oc=linkback

Allie and her friend.

May birthdays

Have you ever done something by instinct, or just made up your mind to complete a task, and been wrong?  Well that describes our duck right now. Poor Sacha is sitting on about 30 eggs just hoping that they will hatch.  Luke asked me if she was still around because he had not seen her.  I told him that she must be nesting.  I knew where her eggs were and sure enough she was sitting on all those eggs.  The male duck mysteriously disappeared about two months ago, so I am pretty sure none of the eggs will hatch. Poor Sacha.
It's birthday time again.  Addie has a birthday this week.  We celebrated cousin Morgan's birthday on Sunday.  Grandma Hoeme had a birthday on Saturday.  We gave her a lilac scented candle. Morgan got a Frozen Tea set and Elsa doll.
Addie wanted a Minion cake so we made our own marshmallow frosting. The frosting was easy to make, the spreading of the frosting was not too easy.
I refrigerated the fondant over night, but I should have used it right away.  It would have been easier to handle.  I also used my kitchen aid mixer for the kneading part.  Only 2.5 more days of school.  Can the girls make it?

Addie helps cousin Morgan get closer to her birthday candle.