Take Me Out to the Ball Game...

...Matt came home the other night from work with free tickets to the Cleveland Indians game!  Neither of us are Indians fans, in fact I know so little about baseball that I had to ask him where the scoreboard was located!  I know embarrassing... but there were so many numbers every where.

Minutes into the game, Matt asked me if I was okay and I said, " Yeah sure...why?"  He said, " You don't look so good, you look like you are in pain."  I looked at him and said, " Just trying to focus."

After my few moments of what looked like painful watching of the game, I quickly found these subjects which brought a huge smile to my face!

Their outfits are so cute!!!

Matt just laughed as I waited and waited for these candy cane pin-striped men to come up and down our row.  He also laughed when I told him that I wanted to see a bat crack!  He told me that he didn't think it would happen, but sure enough CRACK!!!! They cracked a bat for me, at least that is how I would like to look at it.

I also liked this fuzzy purple version of Barney with a mustard mustache and tail.

The game was so exciting! It was my first pro game.  Purple dancing mascots, pin striped hotdog sellers, bats cracking, the smell of roasted peanuts.  It was great!  I mean I missed 3/4 of the game, but that is okay I was entertained and before I knew it the game was over. There is so much that they don't show you on tv.

 Were you nervous? Biting your nails?

saying... Where are all of the pictures?

Well... pull out the drums...trumpets please....

Because the computer is setup...it's a beauty... and the blog is back and running!

So many pictures to come including more of this little guy!

I know....just too hard to believe.

As Long as it Takes

This song steals the words from my mouth right now...

Where are all of the pictures?

So, there haven't been very many posts around here lately. That is because I am getting a new computer!!!  The laptop with the dead screen hooked up to a 1 foot by 1 foot cube monitor we found, just was not cutting it anymore! 

An Unexpected Gift

Church had just ended when I spotted a very beautiful little girl across the room pointing at me.  She wore a lovely dress and had big blue eyes and blond hair.  She came running to me and handed me a cluster of pink flowers.  She said, " Hi Miss Cassie! I picked these from our garden for you."  Her thoughtfulness filled me with so much joy.  Her love reminded me of Jesus.

Great Movie!!!

I had the best Elementary Mentor Teacher during my student teaching experience!  Claudia absolutely loves children and they love her in return.  She is one of those teachers that you go back and visit when you are teenager; her students think she is that cool! Side note: for those that may not know me, I still have a passion to become a teacher, but I also have one to be a children's photographer. The best part is that in both fields I get to be creative and work with children. And I know that God has all of my dreams and His all worked out in his timing!
Back to Claudia....Her passion for learning and excitement is so contagious. So, when she told me that I had to see Planet Earth...I knew it must be good. 

A little overdue, but my husband and I just watched the first disc of Planet Earth and it is AMAZING! Amazing as in you have to see it! It doesn't matter what age you are.  This movie is so cool.

I won't give too much away, but here were some moments that made me laugh so hard:

• Baby Elephants, blinded by  sandstorm, were walking head first into trees repeatedly
• Birds whip lashing their heads back and forth and dancing jigs to attract a mate- you really won't believe this till you see it!
• Surfing Seals
• and my favorite: monkeys wading through water with such soar faces on because they were getting wet. Holding their hands up in the air as if they just had their nails painted!

It is really very good and I am going to stop here before I say to much.  Definitely a must see!

Join Me: One Day Without Shoes

 It’s Hard Without Shoes  

(All Pictures and Information taken and quoted from Toms.com) 

Through everyday encounters with domestic poverty, we are reminded to appreciate having food and shelter, but most of us all but forget about our feet. Food, shelter, AND shoes facilitate life’s fundamentals. Imagine a life without shoes; constantly aware of the ground in front of you, suffering regular cuts and scrapes, tending to infection after each walk, and enduring not only terrain, but heat and cold.

The problem is large, but the solution is simple. Wearing shoes and practicing basic hygiene can prevent both infection and disease due to unsafe roads and contaminated soil.

The Founding of Toms Shoes

In 2006 an American traveler, Blake Mycoskie, befriended children in Argentina and found they had no shoes to protect their feet. Wanting to help, he created TOMS Shoes, a company that would match every pair of shoes purchased with a pair of new shoes given to a child in need. One for One. Blake returned to Argentina with a group of family, friends and staff later that year with 10,000 pairs of shoes made possible by caring TOMS customers.

  Since the beginning in May 2006, TOMS has given over 400,000* pairs of shoes to children in need, through the purchases of caring customers.

More on why they need shoes:

• A leading cause of disease in developing countries is soil-transmitted diseases, which can penetrate the skin through bare feet. Wearing shoes can help prevent these diseases, and the long-term physical and cognitive harm they cause.
• Wearing shoes also prevents feet from getting cuts and sores. Not only are these injuries painful, they also are dangerous when wounds become infected.
• Many times children can't attend school barefoot because shoes are a required part of their uniform. If they don't have shoes, they don't go to school. If they don't receive an education, they don't have the opportunity to realize their potential.

 What you can do...

• Next time you need a pair of shoes head on over to the Tom's website
• Join with Me and Go...
  

By imagining a life barefoot, we can all contribute to the awareness of these conditions. On April 8th, communities, campuses, organizations, and individuals are banding together to walk barefoot for One Day Without Shoes. 

So let's do it...one day without SHOES!

~ Cassie

P.S. To learn more visit http://www.toms.com/

Cassandra Plummer Photography has a WEBSITE!!!!

It is finally here!!! Check it out and tell me what you think!  I have gone from design to design and theme to them and here it is nice and simple straight to the point. My creativity was definitely biting me in the butt on this one. I have tested and mulled over ideas for months.  Some just didn't look like me...others looked more like a circus website.  So without further ado....take a look!  Eeek!

My Website(click here)

Spring Time

Spring is here!!! I really am a girl that loves the snow, but I am also a girl that loves flip flops, loose clothing, running barefoot and I am not missing bulky sweaters, hats, mittens, puffy winter jackets that make me feel like I am being swallowed whole. In fact, they are tucked away deep into the bottom of my closet, not to be seen even if it decides to snow again. 

Making Salsa in a Jeep

Welcome to our Jeep. 

It is ruggedly beautiful! Sometimes having one car complicates things, but sometimes I secretly love it because that means more time spent driving with my husband or getting some time to simply walk.

So we started our day early...him needing to get to work...and me needing to tag along for an after work picnic.  Problem one- our refrigerator was empty the night before and I need to bring a side dish.  Problem two-I will be in the car all day.

Problem solved!

Recipe: Tess's Corn and Bean Salsa Trunk Style

1 cutting board
1 knife
1 bowl with lid
1 can opener- I forgot this one
cooler of water to rinse hands and cans


2 cans petite diced tomatoes (drain)
1 can white corn (drain and rinse)
2 cans black beans (drain and rinse)
1/2 red onion
1/2 bunch cilantro
2T red wine vinegar
1 T olive oil 
2 limes 

I prepared the red wine vinegar and oil in advance.

So Good and so Healthy!

 Normally squeezing these is Mat's job because I honestly can't- that weak I know. That is the problem when you grow up playing no hand eye coordination sports.  Yes I throw like a girl, I can't do a pull up without a chair, and I can hardly squeeze a lime, but God gave me some favor on this special day.  Look I destroyed it!

...and the FINALE!  Eat by spoonfuls or with tortilla chips.

There you have it...cooking out of a trunk! Enjoy!

Don't worry this isn't turning into a cooking blog, but I do love to cook.  Now that it is warmer more photo shoots to come.

Have you noticed???

Cassandra Plummer Photography has a new logo!!!!

Check it out...

My friend, Angela, did an awesome job! I love it!

Next up...

Cassandra Plummer Photography is on Facebook! Click on the button to become a fan.

and...
Cassandra Plummer Photography is on Twitter! Just click on the button to follow my tweets.

I love...

...weddings!

This past weekend, we made a long, fast trip back to New Jersey to see family and Matt's cousin's wedding!

I absolutely love weddings!! If Matt and I are ever out driving and we pass a bride and groom getting their pictures taken....I yell, "Look, a wedding!" Matt knows right away to turn the car around so I can get a better look at the bride in her dress.  Before I even open my mouth, Matt says, " I know you think she is so pretty."

I love the details about weddings and the way each bride, and possibly the groom too, design their wedding to reflect their personality.  Most of all I love the hugs, kisses, and the celebration amongst family and friends.

Here are a few of my favorite shots.  I had to be careful not to jump in front of the videographer and photographer at the wedding.  It's a bummer, but I didn't come back with the best shots of the bride and groom. My clicking and the photographer clicking during the ceremony turned into the sound of paparazi... so I, with a sad face, put down my camera.

The flowers were beautiful...

This is one of my favorites of the day, Matt's grandmother.  It was such a blessing to see almost all of our grandparents during the trip.

We are a little bit tired, but we are back and feeling very blessed by the loved ones we are surrounded by.