Project 365, Week 24

Day 161, June 10

 This was another couple that I didn't know, but I knew I should take pictures of them.  It had been about 5 minutes since the soldiers had been released, and I was walking away from the family I was taking pictures for, and these two had just barely found each other.  There were no cameras- not even a camera phone- with either of them.  So I just started snapping away.  They played along and posed for a few with their baby girl.  I thanked them, and as I left I told them that someone would tag them on facebook in the photos.  Within a few hours of being posted, they were tagged and she now has photos from her husbands homecoming.

I love doing this.

Day 162, June 11

 Noah performed a magic trick today in his school talent show.  It was the only magic trick in the whole show.  I was so stinking proud of him.

Day 163, June 12

 This time it was my friend Mary Anne's turn.  Mary Anne and Dusty have three children, and the oldest is not quite 4 years old.  They have a busy life.  All the kids were super excited to see dad, but the joy in Mary Anne's eyes was priceless.  

Oh, and she happens to be one of the best photographers I know.  It was a bit intimidating taking her pictures.

Day 164, June 13

 Shauna's turn.  Shauna also has three young kids, and they were all very excited to see him, but these first hugs get me teary every time.

Day 165, June 14

 I always expect the wives to get emotional when the soldiers return home.  I don't expect the kids to get emotional, and throughout these homecomings, I am seeing more of that.  These kids have been without one of their parents for a whole year.  It affects them more than I think most people realize.  These two, Sydney and Morgan, daughters of my friend Nicole, were the most emotional I have seen so far.  

It was also one of the sweetest things I have seen so far.

Day 166, June 15

 I took pictures of Jody's kids today, and Enoch refused to smile.  I got so many pictures of him being grumpy or ignoring the camera, but I surprised him with this one.

Day 167, June 16

Melinda's turn.  Her two young girls made the most excited faces when they found their daddy, but the relief in Melinda's eyes tugged at me.  

Project 365, Week 23

Day 154, June 3

 It's a good start to a fun collection...

Day 155, June 4

 Annie is practicing her braiding skills.  Pretty good, for doing it to her own hair.  I was much older than her when I finally figured out how to braid my own hair.

Day 156, June 5

 Right now is Rapeseed season.  It will come again in the fall.  Driving through Bavaria you will see fields full of this stuff, however this one is on a random road up from my house.  This is the plant used to make Canola oil.

Day 157, June 6

 Noah had a blast jumping in the rain.  

His pants were so heavy- he kept pulling them up and asking for a belt.

Day 158, June 7

 I did not know this family when I took this picture.  I have since found them through facebook and Pete met the father shortly after this picture was taken.  It's homecoming season again, and while I was there shooting pictures for a friend, this moment grabbed me, and brought me to tears.  The last time this soldier saw the baby boy he is holding, the baby was two days old. 

Day 159, June 8

 One of these things just doesn't belong....

Day 160, June 9

Another homecoming day.

This time it was my good friend, Chanda.  This picture just makes me smile.

My Mother's Day

My Mother's Day weekend was very busy this year, starting out at 7:00 am Saturday setting up and judging a fitness competition at the gym.  Once that was over I raced home to spend a few hours at Cooper's school for a Mother's Day event.  It was so much fun to just hang out with Cooper at his school, and listen to him converse with his friends in German.  It made me realize just how much of the language he really knows.  

We ate lunch together....

Acted cheesy together....

Did fun experiments with food and toys.....

Planted seeds together...

And I even got a massage- given by Cooper.  

Once all the mom's had a chance to do all the activities, we went outside where the kids sang us a Mother's Day song.  

What a cheeser.

When that was over we headed to a ward talent show for a few hours, and then stayed up till midnight making Mother's Day gifts for our ward.  Phew.

Then on Mother's Day, I woke up to homemade gifts from the kids.  Pete also made me peanut butter cupcakes- from scratch!

Kinda blurry, but I love that cheesy face.

I started to get a little emotional here- Annie gave me a print of her hand that said something like "this is the hand you held on Mother's Day when I was six years old."  That really got to me.

And then I couldn't help it.  I know my kids love to make gifts and cards, and knowing that they spent so much time on homemade things for me was really all the gift that I needed.  Nothing fancy.  Just love from my family.  And I love that Pete spent so much time helping them make the cards.  He sure does love me.

When did this kid get so big?

Project 365, Week 22

Day 147, May 27

 Standing on top of Calton Hill, overlooking the city of Edinburgh, Scotland.

Day 148, May 28

 I only took three pictures today during our trip back home, and they were all dorky.  So I picked the dorkiest one.

Day 149, May 29

 Cooper requested a mohawk today, and after I took this goofy picture of him, he said, "dad makes better mohawks."

Day 150, May 30

Dental check up day for the kids.  This day always stresses me out, not because the dentist stresses me out, but because I am married to a dentist.  I feel like people expect my kids to have clean teeth.  

Luckily they do.

 Day 151, May 31

Annie did her own hair today.

Can you tell?

 Day 152, June 1

I was at the gym at 3:30 this morning for a homecoming.  We actually had four families we were trying to take pictures for, and somehow it worked out.  This is my friend Marlene, fighting back tears of joy as her husbands company walks in, and her daughter Marlee scanning the crowd for her daddy.

 Day 153, June 2

This is Isabelle.  She tried to tell me that she doesn't have pretty eyes like her mom.

I was trying to prove her wrong.  And I did.

Project 365, Week 21

Day 140, May 20

 Cooper provided some sort of dinner entertainment for us tonight, although we're not really sure what it was.

Day 141, May 21

 These flowers are trying really hard to make their way through the fence.

Day 142, May 22

 Guess what we put together tonight?

Day 143, May 23

 And now we can entertain the entire neighborhood!

Day 144, May 24

On a plane... to Scotland!!!!

 Day 145, May 25

 This is Urquhart Castle (a.k.a. the Loch Ness Castle) and Loch Ness.

No, we didn't see Nessie.  But isn't it beautiful?

Day 146, May 26

Standing at the Edinburgh castle, peering across a cannon aimed over the city of Edinburgh towards the sea.

Project 365, Week 20

Day 133, May 13

Dr. Jared Dean.

Jared is leaving us and headed into private practice.  He needed a quick shot for an advertisement back in the states, so we came up with this after church.

 Day 134, May 14

 Does anyone else see what's wrong with these fruit snacks?

Day 135, May 15

 The last day of this Boot Camp we did another PT test- two minutes of push ups followed by two minutes of sit ups, and then a two-mile run.  Those who finished earlier went back for those who were still coming in.

The support these ladies give each other is amazing.

Day 136, May 16

 Cultural night at the church.

This cake is from Denmark- I have no idea what it's called.  It doesn't matter though- it was amazing.

Day 137, May 17

 I ordered some boots from one of our favorite sites- Steepandcheap- and they were too small.  

Bummer.

Day 138, May 18

 A farewell dinner for Jared and some other doctors.  

Day 139, May 19

The sun came out long enough to play in the water today!