another weekend done

We had the karate tournament in Pittsburgh this weekend and I was a nervous wreck for Gabrielle. I should have realized that there was no need! That is girl is getting good!!!! She was so much fun to watch both in forms and in sparring. She didn't take anything this time. Last time she went, the girls were really aggressive and she didn't even place. I think that was three years ago. This time none of the girls even got a point in on her. She took first place in both divisions! She even competed for the junior grand championship at the end of the day, but lost against one girl (judging by the scores they both got) She was really really good and that girl did a form that we don't do. SaBomNim told us that their forms were developed specifically for tournament, to look good. She was really happy though. Now she wants to go train all the time :)
It was really funny from the beginning of the day. We were to meet this group of friends half way to  Pittsburgh at a diner and we were texting back and forth trying to figure out where we all were until they asked us for our license plate number and told us to wave out the back. They were right behind us! What are the chances? Too funny. The breakfast was a riot! We laughed so much, they were all crying.
Anyway, we had a good time and Gabby went home with 2 large trophies. Of course we spent something like 12 hours in that place.
Then they suggested we go to Hooters afterwards for dinner. You have got to be kidding!!! Like I would take my 14 year old to Hooters. I don't even go there. I couldn't believe they told us they took their daughter there. I don't really care, I am not! So we settled on Applebees and it was good. It was so late though, we didn't get home til after midnight!
Sunday was Church and then I entered some photos in a local competition. That was such a pain to get them printed, mounted (to follow their guidelines) and posted. I didn't win anything, but it was fun anyway. I also joined the camera club, don't know what for yet, but I'll see what it's like.

this mural was on the wall in the gymnasium we were in. Isn't it awesome?

Master Kim giving his usual speech at the beginning. The following are a few from Gabrielle's form

this last picture is actually at the end. The girls are all lined up to do their forms again for the Grand championship and that girl standing to the right of Gabrielle, wearing the black top, is the one who won. Kind of cocky if you ask me, everybody is standing at attention and she acts like she already owns the place. Anyway....

This is a little backwards. The trophy is for sparring and the sparring pictures are just coming up now. They are pretty bad, taken with my big zoom from high up in the stands and I was shaking, because I was so nervous. If you can see that foot in the girls face, that is Gabrielle's :)

Well, it was an exciting day for sure! :)

The rest of the past week went by in a blur. Lots of training for Gabrielle, she wanted to go every day she could, so we were really busy with that. Here are some pages I did

that was Gabrielle at the play, just a few pictures

Want to see her as an avatar? :)

I found this cool tutorial in Photoshop magazine, she thought it was pretty cool too!

Our backyard where I grew up, that's for the Heritage challenge

the latest 365 page I got done,  I am still a week behind...

this one is for the latest Heritage challenge, about the books you used to love as a kid. I loved Enid Blyton, nobody around here knows her, I guess she is from England. Loved her adventure books.

this is the one I couldn't post the last time, because it was for that AAM challenge. Boy it would seem that there should be more pages, but that's it!

Well, the sun is out all of a sudden, it was pouring down rain all morning but now it's like summer out there. I should be pulling weeds and what am I doing? Sitting at the computer. I really wanted to get the Karate pictures done, so I can put them on Facebook for the kids. There were quite a few people who wanted to see the pictures I took of them. I wish they were better, but it was really hard to get them.

Anywho, I need to do at least a little work around here, I'll try to update a little sooner next time, so you won't be subjected to all this information all at once :)