Letters from Home

The mind of a seven-year-old is apparently a funny place - a place where the things that matter are candy and show and tell. I can't stop reading this little note and laughing at the line, "you were so sweet when you got me peanut butter cups."Truth be told, I had completely forgotten about putting together that show and tell project more than a year ago.

I'm feeling a little sentimental this week as Sean gets ready to deploy for the year. I know that not everyone is lucky enough to have siblings, that some of you have lost siblings, and that some of you may not get along with the siblings you do have - but I consider myself blessed to have such funny, thoughtful, little brothers.

So tell me, if you have siblings, what is your favorite memory together?

Baby Blues

You'll have to excuse the quiet over the last few days. This sweet girl played me out for the few days that I was in Arizona and it has taken me all week to recover. I'm missing those sweet cheeks and those happy feet, so I thought I would stop in to share a few snapshots from my weekend away as a cure for these baby blues. I've been anxiously waiting to meet Kendall for almost eight months but that wait was well worth it - she's the funniest girl. Her favorite things? People watching at the grocery store, my coat buttons and hearing her mama laugh. It's hard to believe that during my last trip to Arizona my Aunt Sarah was still in her first trimester, now, she's getting ready to plan Kendall's first birthday party. I would be lying if I said being closer to this little one wasn't on my list of reasons to choose NAU.

While I wouldn't have traded a weekend with my aunt and uncle and their beautiful baby girl for anything, I'm looking forward to a quiet weekend at home. Our plans include a whole lot of nothing - a novel to read, a special THON project to finish and laundry to do.

So tell me, what are your plans this weekend?

Christmas Days & Christmas Nights

If it's been quiet here, it's because Christmas has been occupying our time. With it being our first Christmas in the same house - let alone our first Christmas in a different state, far from family - we've been consciously creating new traditions and holiday favorites.

As I mentioned before, one of our ideas was to create homemade ornaments together. With the help of some cornstarch, and Trevor's patience with the dogs, we created clay and gold paw print ornaments of both boys. While Buddy's isn't likely to change, Trevor is hoping that Scrappy is twice this size by next Christmas. On the other hand, I've been quietly wishing for him to stay tiny - though next week's three-month vet visit will probably be a reminder of just how much he is growing. 

Though we have yet to pick a special ornament for 2012 to add to our ornament collection, I'm happy to say that a few more have been added to our collection already. I participated in a blog ornament swap and received a sparkly Santa gnome from Anna, a photographer from Indianapolis. Though Trevor merely "supervised" the decoration of our tree, mostly due to his distaste for glitter, he happens to find gnomes quite funny (then again, who doesn't) and it's safe to say that this little Santa is definitely his favorite.. that or the new, giant, glittery red bow that tops the tree.

Thanks to family and friends back home, we were able to add gifts under the tree this week. With the start of my winter courses, I had been expecting quite a few packages this week, mostly new textbooks. Instead, I was surprised to come home to a stack of gifts (and books) nearly three feet high, yesterday. While some were opened (I can't wait to share what was inside), others were tucked away beneath the tree for Christmas day. 

With being more than two thousand miles away from home, the Christmas activity I have missed most this year is wrapping gifts. Though I'd like to say that I have chosen the perfect stack of presents for Trevor, that couldn't be further from the truth. Instead, the only gifts I've gotten to wrap have been for our work's Secret Santa. While office Christmas activities are usually filled with terrible-scented candles and weird gifts like eggnog mix, I have been spoiled all month long - with perfectly picked gifts (wrapped in paw print wrapping paper, of course) and homemade treats like breakfast pasties and artichoke dip. 

As can be expected, we've also enjoyed a few nights of classic (and not so classic) Christmas movies. Thanks to Diane, Trevor was able to add to his movie collection with his favorite holiday film, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. Not failing to point out that the movie is indeed older than I am. Funny.

With a week until Christmas, I still have cookies to bake, another day of Secret Santa to attend, and seven more countdown cards to be flipped so like I said, I apologize if its quiet here - just assume that Christmas got the best of us. 

Now my life is sweet like cinnamon.

This week, I've been reveling in puppy love and the fun that comes with "Uncle Trevor."

On Monday, Trevor's family arrived from Pennsylvania - his mom, his sister, and as Trevor will always call her, Baby Shay. Having visitors has meant days of big home-cooked meals, drives up the "mountain", RedBox movies, our favorite gluten free pizza, and lunch breaks together at the Montana Club. In between, there has been a lot of giggling, puppy smothering, and episodes of Dora.

Having visitors has also made me appreciate how we've settled into our new home. It's now Andaconda, and god forbid I have to drive to Safeway (it's only two miles away, people.) I've even taken to calling lollipops, "suckers" and making claims about the weather. Perhaps most surprising? I welcomed last night's snow flurries with open arms and this mornings bitter cold weather with my winter coat and an appreciation for the beautiful place we call home. 

It's interesting how quickly a new place with unfamiliar streets, strange accents and peculiar traits can become home. When you no longer struggle to write the correct zip code, when the area code before phone numbers becomes second nature, when a day with both 70 degree sun and snow flurries no longer feels surprising.

How do you know when a new town, a new house, a new state, has become home?

Portraits: Anniversaries and... Dirt Bikes?

For most couples, anniversaries and dirt bikes are probably unrelated but for my cousin? That wasn’t the case. You see, two years (and one month) ago, my cousin Sarah married the guy of her dreams, Curtis, and with that, came dirt bikes (and Jeeps). When she asked me to take their anniversary photos with these prized possessions, I couldn’t help but laugh. You have to understand - growing up, Sarah and I were more like sisters. It’s this  phenomenon when you lack a sister of your own and have a cousin your age. You know, sister cousins. We had sleepovers every weekend, we went to Head Start together, and before I ran off to Montana, we met for lunch every week. But, that being said, we couldn’t have been more different. Sarah loved pink and dresses and hated to get dirty. On the other hand, I refused to wear dresses, let alone much other clothing, and spent my time fishing with my dad or playing in dirt with my brother. In middle school, Sarah shopped at American Eagle. I shopped at.. well, let’s just say, it wasn’t American Eagle. Up until these photos were taken, I think I had written off the idea of Sarah on a dirt bike. I had heard the stories and seen photos of their off-roading adventures.. But then I saw for myself and now, you see the proof... but seriously, aren’t those pink wheels cute?

Homegrown

Though I don’t live at home any longer, I still enjoy the benefits of our family garden none the less. I’ve been meaning to share with you a zucchini lasagna recipe I made last week using only home grown zucchini and spinach but my time has been monopolized with photography jobs, working six days a week, and preparing for my trip.

Despite my busy to-do list, I snuck in a lot of time at my parents house this week since the north east's heat streak has kept my little city home at above 89 degrees (until today, when it finally cooled to a reasonable 83). Tonight, after sneaking in last minute first-year portraits for the daughter of a  high school friend, I came home to enjoy the air conditioning, a home cooked dinner and my favorite part, time with Aiden. (Though he’s now taken with singing clever songs about zombies.. Oh. My.)

Right before the sun finally set around 8:30, we snuck out into the garden for a few handfuls of sweet peas and blackberries. As usual, rows of corn have grown up to shadow the other crops which include eggplant, zucchini, leaf lettuce, cucumbers, and snap peas. Now, I’m snuggled up the living room with a hint of sunburn and apparently, a fever. If it weren’t for the Business and Society exam I need to finish by 8 a.m., perhaps I’d share that lasagna recipe... but for now, here’s a sneak peek to show you just how great a family garden can be. (Check back early this week for the recipe!)

I’ve never liked to follow the crowd.

And seeing how my Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and RSS feeds have been full of Father’s Day posts and expressions of love - I decided to write a blog about... well, moms.

(Not that I don’t love my papa but let’s face it - the internet? It’s not his thing.)

As I said last weekend, I got to spend an evening with my boyfriend’s family - and that, of course, meant meeting his mom. If you’re anything like me, that’s a bit of a nerve wracking situation to begin with but imagine that your boyfriend is 2200 miles away, you’re supposed to be moving in with him in three weeks and, you’ve got plans to take portraits of her while you’re there. Looking back at it now, I’m not sure what I thought would happen. Perhaps I thought I would forget how to operate a camera, or maybe she’d tell Trevor not to let me come to Montana? I don’t know.. but the point of the story is, I had such a good time with his family and the pictures? Well, I didn’t forget how to use my camera. (And the risotto we had for dinner? so good.)

Truth be told, I felt a little guilty since my own mother had been asking me to take photos for her for well, the past few months. I always planned to, but something was always in the way - Aiden had homework to do, I was working, she didn’t feel like it. But somehow, the stars aligned to take portraits of my mother on Father’s Day. I feel like this should somehow make up for my lack of an appropriate Mother’s Day blog.. Maybe even for the missing birthday blog, too. Or, maybe not.

My last nine days in Pennsylvania are shaping up to include a lot of photography projects - this week I will be taking first year portraits, wedding anniversary photos (with dirt bikes involved), and a photo swap with my friend, Lindsey. In between that, I’ve been designing new business cards and client information, ordering prints, updating my website and getting ready for two months of doing photography as my sole source of income. I can’t say that I’m not terrified nervous but I’m also excited about the opportunities that I’ve been given. It’s also been enlightening to look back this week at the more than 7,000 images which fill my Lightroom catalog and to see how my style has evolved over the past year. I can only hope that two months in Montana, and a lot of time spent with my camera, will continue that trend.


What are your goals for this summer? 

Rainy Days

It seems as though the weather only has two options in the last few weeks - unbearably hot, or unbearably rainy. With my trip to Montana drawing closer and closer, I made plans to spend the day with Aiden. Lately, I’ve found myself spending most of my time at home alone, doing homework, tying up loose ends before my trip, cleaning..  So at first, I had an extensive list of options for our day and couldn’t seem to decide on any one choice - the zoo, the swimming pool, the beach. But then, the weather forecast changed and as you know, we were left with a wet, muggy, summer day (just another reason I’m leaving for the summer). Instead of our grandiose outdoor plans, Aiden and I settled for a day of painting at Color Me Mine, followed by a chinese buffet lunch (Aiden’s favorite) and his first trip to Sweet Frog.

Given the extensive options of pottery pieces to chose from - ranging from piggy banks in the shape of baseballs to ruffle edged tea pots - Aiden chose an army tank and me? A coffee mug. If you know anything about my youngest brother, it’s that he loves anything military or camoflauge. Combine it with art and you have a great way to spend nearly three hours on a rainy day. I chose to paint my mug, which will be the host to many cups of hot tea this summer, in a tribal pattern. Looking at the unfinished version, you may question if I ever took art classes - and let me promise you, I did - but an inpatient seven-year old calls for rushed designs. And the best part? When you’re drawing straight lines and he’s constantly kicking under the table. But hey, I’m sure I’ll be missing those kicks and silly never ending stories soon enough. I’m trying to figure out how to safely transport said mug to Montana so that I can think of my day with Aiden each morning. We’ll see.

In other news, I also managed to finally make a trip to the store for much needed makeup and even managed to clean the entire house, tonight. (The rain is good for some things, after all.) And while I’m glad to have accomplished some required tasks and to have gained the well deserved x’s on my to-do list, tonight I’m just feeling thankful for time spent with my own family this week - and Trevor’s.

I’m also feeling anxious (if you know me, you probably realized that when I mentioned cleaning the house) because tomorrow kicks off a busy fifteen day count down until my plane leaves Philadelphia once again. With a more than full work schedule, two summer courses, an internship interview, a newborn babe to snuggle, and multiple photography sessions to do, I’m hoping that these next two weeks will simply fly by.

Better Late Than Never

Though Aiden turned seven on April 5th, holiday weekends, school schedules and chilly weather pushed his birthday party back until this Sunday when somehow, things aligned with thirty party guests, sunny weather and the right amount of cupcakes.

After tossing around ideas for a party at Chuck E Cheese or the roller skating rink, we somehow convinced Aiden that an outdoor party would be a better option. He was more easily convinced when we insisted that a Lego theme could be involved. If there's one thing you must understand about Aiden, it's that he goes through obsessive phases. Firetrucks. Army. I was content to throw a Lego party this time around.

Even if doing so meant creating poster board games and three dozen lego themed cupcakes.. during a weekend already filled with completing a six-hundred page marketing research report and another group project. But like they say, you work well under pressure.

And the cupcakes? They were a hit. 

The lego candy on top? Not so much.

Though Aiden would later admit his fears that no one would be at his party, attendance was certainly not a problem. At the last minute, I found myself counting and recounting cupcakes and ice cream dishes, hoping there would be enough. Then, there was a last second trip for bar-b-que chips. But somehow, at the end of a hot-dog feast (Aiden's only real request), there was still food left uneaten.. and cupcakes, too. 

The real problem turned out to be how to sooth the hurt feelings of the seven year old who lost every party game. Or appeasing Aiden when the Hot Chelle Rae Pandora station played something that simply wasn't by Hot Chelle Rae.. And then there was the real problem of Pandora deciding to play every inappropriate song it could muster for our game of Hot Potato.

Thankfully, we were prepared to handle the challenges of the day with a park onsite, fun prizes for those who did win, and an opportunity for silly photos, too.

 

And in the end, with plenty of friends to share his day with, and plenty of gifts to open afterwards, I don't think Aiden minded the fact that his party was belated by twenty-four days.

After all, it's better late than never.
(Just ask Sean.)