Friday, February 27, 2009

Slacker

So... I didn't do this weeks photography challenge... let the slacker jokes commence ;~)

There was a lot of freedom in this assignment and apparently I don't do well with freedom. I had some trouble narrowing down an idea or concept. It just wouldn't come together for me.

I was also a tad distracted this week. The entire week has been figuring funeral arrangements, going through paperwork and photos and getting ready for tomorrow night. It seems that every time I would have been working on taking pictures was consumed with all that and cleaning the house.

Anywho... I am a slacker... that's not new information... sorry to disappoint my adoring fans. Hopefully I will be back on track next week!

Thursday, February 26, 2009

My Guy

I stole this from my friend Amy Jean. I was excited because it wasn't 'me' focused... it was husband focused... and believe it or not, I like focusing on him ;~)

1. He's sitting in front of the TV, what is on the screen? this can be taken 2 ways... if we are in fact talking about the TV screen, then it has to be Lost... not much else captures his attention. more likely though, even if he is sitting in front of the TV, he is looking at his computer screen. in that case something techy and geeky... Reader, Digg, Reddit, ect...

2. You're out to eat; what kind of dressing does he get on his salad? Parmesan Peppercorn if they have it... usually they don't so Ranch.

3. What's one food he doesn't like? raw onions... oh and baked potatoes

4. You go out to eat and have a drink. What does he order? water or a soda

5. Where did he go to high school? Saint Maria Goretti

6. What size shoe does he wear? 11

7. If he was to collect anything, what would it be? Apple computers... and all related paraphernalia... and the collection has already started.

8. What is his favorite type of sandwich? Leftover meatloaf sandwich... with mayo ;~)

9. What would this person eat every day if he could? WANGS (aka Buffalo or Baltimore wings ;~)

10. What would he never wear? a dress... well maybe on a dare. he's definitely not afraid to have fun. as far as men's clothes, he is pretty open. if it looks good on him and he feels good... he wears it.

11. What is his favorite sports team? hmmm, I am actually blanking here. he really doesn't 'follow' sports. I will say NY Yankees but that's more because I like the Yankees ;~)

12. Who did he vote for? Obama... but I know who he really wanted to vote for ;~)

13. Who is his best friend? Honestly... me. then Spencer.

14. What is something you do that he wishes you wouldn't do? get so worked up about inconsequential stuff. ie. when chase has a bad nap day... I generally think it's the end of the world and go to a negative place. I know he wishes I wouldn't do that... that I would just roll with it. I am with Adam on this one... I wish I would just roll with it too.

15. What is his heritage? 50% Luxembourgian... there is even a town named after the G's! The other 50% is a mix... too many to list.

16. You bake him a cake for his birthday; what kind of cake? Hmmm, couple possibilities here... Carrot, Red velvet, Molten chocolate. He's pretty easy to please!

17. Did he play sports in high school? He played baseball all his life... and he wishes he played it now! He was extremely good baseball player ;~) He also played basketball in high school but baseball was the real passion.

18. What could he spend hours doing? It's a toss up... playing on the computer or playing video games.

19. What is one unique talent he has? The ability to weather storms with grace and dignity. He consistently impresses me.

20. If he could vacation anywhere, where would it be? Tahiti... that's been a dream of ours for a long time now ;~) One day we will get there!

I love that guy!


Sunday, February 22, 2009

He's Always Here

After Adam's dad died we quickly realized that if a funeral and burial were going to happen, we would have to pay for it. Unfortunately in our circumstance, that just wasn't an option so Adam was wrestling with a few different ideas on how to handle the situation.

As always, God was at work in the background.

Adam's mom and dad (Joe) went to Rest Haven to speak with them about cost and options. Oddly enough, since our family is known so well at that cemetery (scary right?), they offered a highly discounted price which includes cremation and a service. Even with the extremely generous offer... seriously, they discounted it by 70% for the cremation alone... even with that, we just couldn't swing it.

Background = God still working.

On Friday Adam decided to break from all the rhetoric of death and go to his regular AA lunch meeting. Pretty much as soon as Adam sat down, the other men pulled out their checkbooks and started writing. 3 men had given him more than half of what he needed for the basic cost. They also told him that another friend, who was out of town at the time, had more money that was collected on Adam's behalf... just like that, the cost of the funeral was covered.

It really was more than money that these people gave him... they gave him the ability to treat his father with respect and dignity. It truly amazes me how selfless these people can be... maybe it's because it's Adam or maybe it's because none of them are far off from where Pete was. No matter the reason they gave, they did... and because of that, a man can be properly laid to rest. It makes me tear up even still.

All in all, the donations were above what we needed for the funeral so we are going to try to rent out a room at a local restaurant for after the service. Our hope is that family and friends can congregate and mourn together and also to repay the men and women who donated so generously.

I tend to forget that God is always here. He is always watching over us and always has our best interest at heart. This is just one more shining example of his love and power.
________________

In other unrelated news... this is what happens when you get my MIL and I together for a trip to Target.

That would be Chase's new bucket hat (courtesy of Grandma) and Grandma's glasses. Literally so cute I could eat him up!

Friday, February 20, 2009

Weekly Photo Challenge #5

The theme is Anatomy and the Human Form.











Shockingly I used Chase as my subject... gasp, I know. Enjoy.

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Update

I don't really have a lot to say other than I probably am not going to say much. I am almost certain that doesn't make a lick of sense but at this point... I really don't care. I am just tired and worn out.

First and foremost... thanks to everyone for your thoughts, prayers and well wishes. Adam is doing as well as can be expected. For anyone that knows him, you know how calm and reasonable he can be in the face of trials. I try to take lessons on his attitude, love and restraint. He is amazing.

Currently he is taking care of some business in St. Mary's county... paperwork, securing the house and figuring out what's next. Luckily he has a boss who always has his best interest at heart and went with him to help out. He is still in the sorting phase so we don't know how easy this will be wrapped up or if it will be long and drawn out. There are many factors at work and it's a delicate and complicated situation.

As far as any other details... I am going to avoid talking about them on my blog... at least for the time being. There may come a day when I need or want to share (after all, I am all about the therapy ;~) but for now... I really can't. With that being said, tomorrow I will post my weekly photography submissions and then resume normal posting.

Thanks again for all your prayers... they are greatly appreciated and always welcome.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Stunned

Please keep us in your prayers. We just found out that this afternoon Adam's dad Pete shot and killed himself. We are all still processing the news and haven't really been able to feel anything yet.

To be clear... Pete is Adam's biological father who lived in St. Mary's County, not the father that we live with.

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Absent on Valentine's Day

I purposely didn't post on Valentine's Day because Adam and I agreed to ignore it completely... which we did for the most part. No cards, no gifts, no eating out... just a family day enjoying each other's company. I've never been a big Valentine's Day fan anyway and now with trying to save money... cards - waste of paper... gifts - waste of money... eating out - not worth it... flowers - HUGE waste of money. Not to say that I don't like flowers... I do... lots... but you are in the position that we are in... saving for emergency funds and a down payment... flowers that last a week... just to say I love you... not practical. Anyway, have I depressed or angered anyone yet? Sorry... this is just our philosophy... you are entitled to your philosophy ;~)

The one thing we did was make cookies. Spent maybe $5 in total for ingredients, decorations and some tinfoil and we got to express our love for each other.

Here is one of Adam's expressions. Hint: I am the "U" in that statement ;~)


This one was mine...

Using Christmas cookie cutters for Valentine's Day = getting creative with your messages.


I do... I really do heart A G


As it turns out... A hearts J too! Lucky her!

Unfortunately Chase hasn't been sleeping the best this weekend. It's his MO... sleep well for a few days and then destroy mom and dad with a few days of sleeping poorly. Hopefully we are heading back into the sleep well stage. This is what sleeping poorly will get you...


For no reason other than he is grumpy and nothing is to his liking. Fortunately for Chase, he is still cute when he looks like this... it really is what saves him. Seriously, I cannot look at this picture without laughing. I love this kid... grumpybutt and all.

And now a few other pictures of my sweet fun loving boy...

Still loves Dozer!


Lately when we ask for kisses or huggins he runs down the hall and hides at the door for a moment... then comes running back and throws himself at us. Tons of fun for everyone involved.

Friday, February 13, 2009

Weekly Photo Challenge #4

This week's theme is Rhythm and Repetition





I had a difficult time with this challenge. It wasn't the challenge's fault... it was more mine. Nothing popped into my head immediately so I kept putting it off... hence the 2 pictures instead of 3. Actually, now (of course), I have more of a theme in my head but it's a little too late... maybe it will come in handy for a future assignment ;~)

I definitely went with more of a repetition theme. Just tried to look around and see the multiples around me. Enjoy!

Thursday, February 12, 2009

New Camera...

Last weekend Adam, Chase and I took a road trip to State College to buy a DSLR... thank you Craigslist ;~) It's an entry level Pentax camera which is the brand I used all through college. The previous owner took immaculate care of it and sold it with everything it originally came with... 2 lenses, camera bag, wires, charger, manuals, ect... Also, since I used Pentax in school, I had a really nice lens that is compatible with this camera body. Added bonus!

I thought since I have a degree in photography and spent a good portion of my life taking pictures with an SLR that I would jump right back into the mix and know what I was doing.

Raise your hand if you know where this is going?

Oh boy am I out of the loop! It's a whole new beast and it is definitely going to take some time to get used to. Luckily Adam and I share an interest in photography so I have someone to learn with ;~)

Here are a couple shots of my favorite subject:


First... just look at that smile... I could so eat him up! Second... clearly I have not learned about lighting yet ;~) We are at Little Gym and I think they have fluorescent lighting (anyone for banning that lighting all together, does it ever look good?) I definitely need to work on the tone and achieving a more realistic color.


Seriously... this face is SO beautiful... I could just kiss it all day long... wait... I do kiss it all day long ;~) Here we are at Port City Java waiting for some friends. There was tons of available light so I didn't need to worry about overhead lighting or a flash (the dreaded flash!) I like how true to color this image is.


This is probably my favorite picture so far. We are still in Port City Java but he is facing the window more so his face gets all the available light there is to offer. I love how the light makes the blue in his eyes stand out. Not to mention I love the way he is posed... he loves chewing on his jackets so this is a regular occurrence... and I get a lovely shot of those beautiful baby fingers!

P.S. I know Nancy... the hair... it's a mess but I can't do it... not yet ;~)

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

My growing boy!

Chase's 15 month appointment was last Friday and boy is he growing!

He is 34.5" tall and weighs 28 lbs! Doc said he is off the charts for height and around 97% for weight... that's my boy!



Developmentally he is pretty much on track... everything but the talking... which is weird because talking was never a problem for me (wink wink)! The doc wasn't too concerned yet but noted that he would be paying close attention to what words he can say at his 18 month appointment. So far "Uh oh" is the only word he uses with precision... and he says it often ;~) I am really not worried about this but I have been trying to prompt him to say certain words more... mama, dada, hi, doggie, juice, ect.

Otherwise he is doing well! He knows about 8 signs which definitely help his frustration levels. One of the best signs I taught him was 'help'... he uses that sign with frequency! He can follow directions... you know, if he wants to ;~) He gives huggins, kisses, waves hi and bye. He is still extremely clingy but there are signs that he is opening up a little. He will walk toward and give huggins to grandma and grandpa if I ask him to... which is a small accomplishment but I will take what I can get ;~)

All in all, my little boy is growing up!

Sunday, February 08, 2009

Rough day

It's been a rough past few days. I may elaborate more in future posts but for now, please just keep us in your prayers. It's nothing extreme or horrible... just been a little up and down ;~)

I will leave you with an image from an unseasonably warm day here in MD.



Friday, February 06, 2009

Weekly Photo Challenge #3

This week's challenge is to take UP TO 3 photographs featuring the color RED.

I hope you enjoy!





Thursday, February 05, 2009

Bad Bad Day

I woke up and couldn't speak my throat hurt so bad. Chase woke up grumpy. Chase spent the morning whining and hitting. Couldn't go to Little Gym because both of us are still sick. Had to get out of the house one way or another so we went to Target. Whined on the way there, whined on the way home (both of us). All the while my nose and throat feel raw. Tried to feed him lunch but he chewed up pieces of sandwich, took it out and then threw it at me. Tried grapes, he threw them. Tried carrots, he flat out refused them. Decided we both needed a nap regardless of the lunch we had. Put him down for a nap. Tried to curl up in a very uncomfortable chair to 'sleep'. Cat started whining outside the door. Would not stop so I let him out. Watched an episode of friends while I tried to get tired enough to pass out. Finally closed my eyes. Woke up with a start 15 minutes later. Chase was awake after 45 minutes of sleep. Decided I didn't care. Closed my eyes. Cat started whining from outside the window to be let back in. Again, would not stop so I went to back door to let him in. He wanted in through the front door. Decided I will NEVER own a cat. Chase is still awake. I have not been able to go back to sleep. I have also not been able to bring myself to get him.

I hate being a sick.

Tuesday, February 03, 2009

Weekly Challenge

2 friends of mine (Diana and Em) have started a weekly photography challenge to help flex and stretch their creative muscles. I have been hemming and hawing about getting back into photography so this seemed like the perfect answer.

I have already started on this weeks challenge... it's amazing how quickly the drive comes back. I started looking at the world in photographs again and that felt amazing. I actually forgot what that was like... to see something and know art is there.

Friday is the date we post our results so you will be seeing my results here weekly... I hope you enjoy!

Oh and to any of my fellow photographers (ahem *rose* ahem), the challenge is open to new members... just say the word ;~)

Monday, February 02, 2009

Super Bowl Fun

So we spent the evening at our friends house and had a great time.


This is Lexi in one of her favorite hiding spots... moments before sadness happened.


I think very shortly after this Chase decided to close the door (as he likes to do) and Lexi's thumb was caught in the jam. This is all conjecture and Chase is only charged with the alleged crime but I can't imagine what else would have happened. Luckily her thumb seemed to take shape again and the nail (while bruised) seemed be in tact... it was a very scary few moments though ;~( Chase apologized to Lexi (one of his new signs) and I think all was forgiven ;~)


Chase was way too interested in his surroundings to concentrate on eating but...


Lexi loved her mini-burritos!


Adam, Dave and Kari trying to enjoy the 3D effects at halftime... in reality, we couldn't get them off soon enough. IMO... they created more of a headache than anything ;~) Big build up, big disappointment.


This was a gift from Chase to Mr. Dave. If you refer to this post where Chase was caught smooching on his little girl... he thought it only appropriate to apologize and offer to stay 12 inches away from Lexi ;~)

Every notice how now that we have children, all the pictures are of them? They are the cutest!

As for the game... exciting but I thought the Steelers were big bullies and very unsportsmanlike... I would have rather seen the Cardinals win for that reason alone. However, apparently the winner is determined by points, of which the Steelers had more. Oh well, I don't like football anyway ;~)

Sunday, February 01, 2009

I'm ready...

for the Super Bowl!



I figured since I don't favor a team, I may as well sport the team I love ;~)

We are heading to our friends house to watch the game... re: play with the kids, eat yummy food and perk up when the commercials are on! It should be a blast... and I am sure I will have pictures to post! I hope everyone is having a great day of relaxing and game watching!