New life...but not the kind you think

The following picture is not a major announcement.

No, it is a) a really embarrassing demonstration of what results when you spend the whole week at the beach eating so much that you can't suck in your food baby stomach, even on the occasion of a charming sunset pose wherein your picture-shy husband is even smiling; and b) a brag on the admirable and excellent skills of my photographer friend Jenny who graciously edited it for me after I shared my photographic anguish.

And just like that--I've been on a healthy diet all beach week!

As another friend put it, it's not that I want to look like what I'm not; I just don't want to look like what I'm not.  

Ie, you don't have to make me look like a supermodel, just prevent the erroneous congratulations that might start pouring in if I post the unedited photo.  

Which I would never do, because it's too embarrassing.  

Except I just did, because, how 'bout those Photoshop skills!

After a few weeks of near-freezing swim practices in May and June, the kids' first meet rolled around.  I had just decided to leave my camera at home, because how can anyone take decent photos of a swim meet? when whom did I run into from the opposing team, but my same talented friend.

She's the official team photographer for the other team, but she took these of Lizzy gratis.

And thus, I was simultaneously grateful, wowed, and inspired to try it myself.


Though--I repeat--there is no impending birth expected in our family, we did celebrate the solemn and joyous occasion of Ada's and Liz's baptisms, signifying their new spiritual birth.  Praise God for his work in our family!

At swim meet #2, I did bring my camera, in the hopes that if I just pressed that button enough times, I'd get a couple decent shots (this hope was bolstered by the fact that Jenny told me the exact camera settings she used in the first meet).

Triumphant swimmer after her race. 

Here's to more summer days of enjoying God's goodness, splashing around in the pool... and possibly some healthy eating.