Nephews @ MindSay 
family
I now have photographic evidence to prove I am loved. Check out the following (click to see images full size)...
I can never seem to take a photo of my nephew Nick without him making a funny face or moving. He's so full of beans! And look at that tough guy smirk!
The nephews and I went for a more "retro" look with this photo. We should be cartoons.
I love the way Josh looks. He hovers over me like a bad angel.
Now for something a lil' different. The boys and I took time out to chill out at Bukolt Park. Josh was also taking pictures and video. We got a bit dramatic. Here's Josh with a very interesting tree. I like how his young hands look against the rough texture of the tree bark. I might use this image for a future painting. When I told Josh that, he got really excited!
Who doesn't want to be a model for a fantasy painting or drawing?
Here I am against the same tree. The wind did a lovely trick with my long hair that day. My hair is like a sheet of gossamer. Neat, eh?
This is the tree trunk we posed with. Doesn't it have a creepy yet beautiful shape? It's like you could stick a hand in there and pull out an elf!
An even better picture of me with my bejewelled ringed hand over the tree trunk and hair blown to the side.
Nick tumbling (but not quite) into the Wisconsin River! He's not really falling in, but the angel I took this photo at makes it seem that way.
Looking out into the river... There's nothing better to do on a beautiful, sunny, breezy July Sunday afternoon!
Nick was feeling a bit moody when I took this photo, but he soon cooled off once he dipped his feet in the river.
My brother hates it when I take photos of him, so I have to steal his image every now and then. I especially like this one. The wind is in his face, he's got his eyes closed, he's tired, but there's something about the way his face is juxaposed with the background. Mark's nose and those stone arches remind me of his personality -- very pragmatic yet also very emotional. Mark is full of contradictions. Guess what astrological sign he is. Go on. *waits* Okay. Yeah, he's a Pisces.
This is where the river touches the land...
And where my family stands.
More photographic evidence I'm loved by my nephews! This was an accidental photo, one taken while Josh and I were checking our cameras and then, click! Too cute. We had to save that one. We're not on the ground either, we're just tilted back.
I told Nick to give me his best hero face. He did a fabulous job.
When I asked Josh to do a hero pose, this was the result, but Nick interupts the scene to prove that there's room for more than one "hero" in the family!
Of course Josh was also going to sabotage Nick's hero stance! Yes, this is my influence on them. I ask them to pose as superheroes for me for comic art purposes. Do you know how hard it is to get children to pose? Almost impossible, so you gotta catch them being themselves!
Here's a series of our shadows over the water. It's the three of us: Josh, Nick, and I, against the world.
By mid month, my brother and I saved a snapping turtle from a slow death. It was caught near the train bridge by the paper mill. We don't know how many days this little guy suffered, but we made sure to take out the fishing lure that was stuck in its beak. Here is the turtle resting in a bucket waiting for the wildlife rescue folks to come pick him up.
The last time I had take out, I ended up getting some tempera chicken in the shape of a heart! I love it when I notice my food is "talking" to me... it's like the cook left me a secret message. Like someone (or two) is out there letting me know, "Yo, Val, you are loved!" So, yeah, can't beat that.
Next time it would be great to get an Elvis or Virgin Mary in my meatloaf or something!
And I can't end this without showing off my cat, Mr. Snuggles, again! Just before my camera ran out of battery power, I took these two fuzzy photos of the kitty beast.
Snuggles has the biggest eyes...
And I just know he's going to throw a tantrum when I get back home. He hates the days when I leave him all alone. I think I better get him a kitten someday...
It's a rainbow over downtown Stevens Point! Say what you will about summer thunderstorms, I like what comes after a good one -- when the sun shoots out from the big clouds and the blue sky is fractured by rays of color.
The DH's brother and his wife have just welcomed their third child. :) Enhorabuena! Congratulations!
On the DH's side: 4 nieces, 1 nephew
On my side: 3 nieces, 1 nephew, 1 unknown (my sister is expecting her third)
Last week my nephews got new bunk beds, so we had to take pix of us doing the "killroy" pose but when I look at myself, all I see is me looking like one of the demons from "Evil Dead" peeking out from beyond the basement door...
My nephews are definitely getting older and bigger. They are really becoming young men now. I'm proud of how smart they are getting. We have a lot of fun. And, as evident in these photos, we can't take a decent photo of ourselves together without being silly.
My nails have gotten longer, too, to the point where I have to trim them every two weeks. I'm telling ya, "Nail Envy" by OPI is the best product out there if you want strong, long nails.
My brother thinks I take waaaaay too many pictures, but he will thank me later in life for capturing cute moments like the one pictured in the 9th photo where his kids are desperately trying to wake him up... in vain.
My nephews tend to attack me a lot as well. I can't tell what set of siblings are more childish -- me and my brother Mark or Josh and Nick. No matter what age, I think I am still very much a kid at times. These guys keep me young.
One thing I've taught my nephews: to be very photogenic! They know how to get really silly and pose for some funny moments in front of my digital camera. We got really bored tonight while waiting for my brother to get off the phone. My brother's television is being repaired and, after playing outside, we had little to do inside. For some reason no one really wanted to play any board games, so besides taking pix, we watched "Spy Hard" on the smaller, less interesting older TV -- the boys didn't get all of the parodies so I had fun trying to explain to them what was going on. In any case, we had fun. Now... all I need to do is get these kids into some acting classes. They have such talent, you have no idea. And what was with my nephew Nick sticking that toy in his mouth? He really tried hard to convince me that it was going to be really funny and, after I showed them my blog page, they wanted to be showcased for all my Mindsay pals. Well, there you have it!
I tried to upload this video to Mindsay, but couldn't do it! What gives? Oh, well. Next time I'll try to do one at my brother's house.
Because I'm bored, here's some results to a few quizzy things:
| You Are 88% Intuitive |
 You can learn a lot about people and situations, simply by listening to your gut. And you've even wondered if you can predict the future at times. Just be sure not to always listen to your intuition... someday it could be wrong! |
| You Should Rule Jupiter |
 You are perfect to rule Jupiter, because you are both dominant and kind. You have great strength and confidence, but you never abuse your power. You are always right. Even if you make mistakes, you compensate for them... before anyone knows it. Headstrong and ambitious, you always have a goal in mind. You are optimistic and believe thing things will always work out. |
| Your Love Element Is Earth |
 For you, love is all about staying grounded and centered. You attract others with your zest for life and experiences. Your flirting style is defined by setting the scene, creating a unique moment in time. Steady progress and stability are the cornerstones of your love life. You may take things too slowly, but you never put your heart at risk. You connect best with: Fire Avoid: Wood You and another Earth element: need each other too much to build a good foundation |
| Who Should Paint You: M.C. Escher |
 And even if your painting turned out a bit dark, it would be honest. |
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