Photography Class - Final Project

I haven't updated in a while, but today I finished up a 8 week photography class.  I learned a LOT about my DSLR and am feeling pretty comfortable manipulating settings.  I'm super lucky that Mr. Lucky Brown is such a good subject.  Enjoy!


Mirrors

Exploration

Newborn Photoshoot & Lucas at 5 weeks

Lucky is now 5.5 weeks old and it is amazing to see how different he looks from his newborn photoshoot!  We loved our photographer Sarah Severson and are thrilled with how the pictures came out.  Check out more pictures on Sarah's blog, Lucas 7 Days New.  (Can I add how much I love "7 days new"?  Why didn't I use that before!)

7 Days New

It is so much fun to watch our string bean develop.  He changes so much each day.  He is gaining weight like a champ and is very healthy.  Lucky is currently in the 12th percentile for weight, but 84th percentile for height! 

 

When Alan and Jenn came to town to visit, Jenn took some amazing photos of our little family down by the lake.  

 Jenn even captured some amazing shots of us taking our selfies. 

Here is the picture that we captured (we accidentally had the camera on sepia mode.) 

First Spring Run

Today it was a warm day of 39 degrees, and I decided that it was time for my first run of the year.... with Indy.  (Not that I've run without him, but Indy and I haven't run together since last fall.)

The process started with dusting off my running shoes, literally.  Have I mentioned that it is shedding season? Indy picked up that something excited was about to happen before I even touched my shoes.  I think it was my running shorts that was the clue for him to start whining.

It took Indy to get back into the swing of running with me (i.e. walking quickly for Indy.)  With Keith they sprint across the park really fast, or if they're going for a run, Keith runs much faster than me. (Hello sub 2 hour half marathon!)

The weather was near perfect.  And it almost even felt like Spring!

 

After our 1.5 miles, I didn't quite live up to my standard sprint to the finish end (Indy's favorite part) since I slowed down before the finishing corner.  However, I am very proud of myself for even doing this in the first place.   I am also proud of Indy for sitting patiently at each street corner before we would cross the street.  

Let's just say that I think we both deserved naptime today!  

Family day at the beach

When Mom (Bev) was visiting us, we went for a walk and discovered the amazing ice piles created by Lake Michigan.  I couldn't wait to take Keith back there to show him how awesome it is!

While the beach was closed (no lifeguard on duty), there was NOT a sign that said no dogs... so we were able to bring Indy with us!  

Indy was having a blast climbing on these snowy mountains that are actually on top of the lake.  At some point, he must have been sick of the wind or was getting cold, because he suddenly started resisting the romp.  (It also could have been my nervousness while climbing down that caused him to dig in his heels.)  

On the way to and from the beach, we found some really fun snow forts left behind by some of the local kids.  Indy LOVED jumping around these big snow boulders.  

More Flat Jackson

When Flat Jackson was with us this Spring, he had a few more adventures than made it into our letter.

Flat Jackson was pleased that he finally tamed Indy:




Flat Jackson is still with us in my computer!




Flat Jackson and Keith and Rebecca's House



We sent Flat Jackson back to his school with some new flat friends... Flat Keith and Flat Rebecca!

Evanston Public Library

I finally took the time to join the Evanston Public Library. The library is located in downtown Evanston so I walk by it every time I have an errand in town. I have been meaning to do this for MONTHS. The best part? I didn't have to jump through hoops to prove my residency, I only had to show my driver's license. There are so many benefits to have your legal address be where you are actually living!

I found the COOLEST book, Knit Your Own Dog. There are fairly accurate representations of many common breeds. (Unfortunately, no American Eskimo, Newfie or Golden Retriever...) I haven't looked at the book options online yet, but I am excited to be able to request books online again!

My friends Caroline and Alan are running the Boston Marathon in April to raise money for the Museum of Science Traveling Programs. Please support them as they train to run for such a worthy cause by donating in honor of Alan's birthday!

Birthdays

Today Indy is 6 months old (and Rebecca is 28 years old, no big deal.) We did a lot to celebrate both of these milestones. Rebecca got tastes from home with a Legal Seafood delivery (Thanks, Keith!) Since we're going to celebrate Christmas in Boston, Keith gave her her big Christmas present on her birthday.... a Chromebook! (Rebecca is just a little excited about her new toy...)

For Indy's celebration of 6 months, we had been giving him a treat a night (a la Chanukah even though it hasn't started yet. ) For his 6 month celebration, we gave him his two holidays presents that Rebecca had knit. Like his Schadler cousin, Indy is proven himself to be a destroyer. Within minutes, Indy destroyed both of his new knit toys. (Somehow the ball he received months ago is still intact... we think the lesson is to only give Indy FELTED knit toys.)

Rebecca thinks she will felt these toys so they will still be fun to play with... even if they will no longer have their cute shapes!

As Indy gets older he is learning many impressive things, like how to quickly destroy knit toys or ring the bell to go outside. One thing he recently learned was how to jump onto the bed. Its pretty impressive considering the bed is taller than him. However, he has not learned how to get down. Frequently he is overzealous and leaps up only to immediately realize that he doesn't want to be there. It is a common occurrence to hear him barking from across the apartment and enter the bedroom to find him stranded on the bed looking expectantly for us to carry him down. Or perhaps he has just trained us very well in getting him down.

At 6 months, Indy is pretty well behaved. He isn't biting at us as often, and he is having less accidents in the house. His biggest issues are loose leash walking (he will pull and start breathing funny from the effort) and jealousy. Indy gets along well with other dogs, but does NOT like it when another dog tries to get into Rebecca's lap. The two times this has happened, Indy has let out the only real growls we've ever heard. The first time happened with Ella from his class, and the second time happened with the new 10 week old puppy in our building (Kasey just put a paw on her leg, and Indy freaked out.) Thankfully, Indy didn't scare Kasey, and they seemed to be totally enamored with each other... as long as Kasey stays away from Indy's mommy.

One of Indy's favorite new toys is a frog. He has been carrying it around everywhere!

Rebecca made Indy a "cake" (it is really more of a pudding) to celebrate his big day:

• Layer of pumpkin and bananas
• sprinkled with dog food (he needs his nutrition after all, and he is getting this instead of dinner)
  
  
• more bananas and dog food
  
  
• Stripes of peanut butter and pumpkin
  
  
• More bananas
  
  
• Topped with whipped cream and chereos
  

Of course Indy loved this treat, but this is the first time we have combined many of his favorite things all in one bowl.

Many good things have been happening in our lives, but this week has been a hard one for Rebecca. This past weekend, her Grandma Julia passed away. Julia had a long life, but it is still hard to say goodbye to someone you loved so much. It is much easier to think back on fun times. The following picture is 10 years old, but it is one of Rebecca's favorite pictures with Grandma:

Rebecca and her female cousins in 2002.

ChemKnits has had some exciting news. Rebecca was invited to contribute some of her molecule knitting charts to an exhibit running at Williams Center for the Arts Gallery at Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania between Jan 8 - Feb 5, 2012!

In the new year, we will be sharing more adorable Indy videos so you can get your cute fix.