Can I come in?

This little guy was begging to come in tonight so I let him in. 

So this visitor is begging me to tell you about John's dream Friday night, he'll be mad but don't tell him...... shhhhhh

So we wake up Saturday morning and while I'm wiping the sleep from my eyes here is our conversation

John - "I had a dream there was a talking monkey in our yard"

Me - laughing "a what?"

John - "A talking monkey, he was here when I got home from work"

Me - laughing a little harder because John was so serious about the whole monkey thing

John - "I thought I heard something when I left for work but it was dark so I didn't see him"

Me - "what did the monkey say"

John - "I asked him what he was doing here and he said "I've been here since 1AM"

Me - laughing uncontrollably by now

John - "What's so funny?" "The neighbor Paul and his dog Kesler came down and showed him the monkey but Kesler didn't like him so they fought and the monkey hopped up on the garage roof and hung there"

Me - "He hung on the garage roof?"

John - "Yes I can still see him hanging there"

Me - "I think you may need to talk to your son-in-law about this dream, I'm not sure what it means but it can't be good"

John - "Oh..... I had an Earl's Bar jacket on and I found seven dollars in the pocket"

Me - "You don't even have an Earl's Bar jacket"

John - "I did in my dream and I also had a talking monkey"

I called Lynn and could hardly tell her the story, she asked what color the monkey was and John said he was tan and wasn't a little monkey but a bigger one and had a tuff of hair on his head but he wasn't wearing any clothes.

Who dreams like this?  Certainly not me, I don't dream often and when I do I certainly can't remember any details, like $7 in the pocket of my Earl's Bar jacket. 

Here's our visitor, he may not be a monkey but he's still cute.  Adam will like him, I think I'll put him in his bedroom.

Are you suppose to take those warning stickers off your screens? I was afraid to, kinda like removing tags from your pillows.

Sneak Peek + Family

Great family, great kids, fun location and a couch that I saved from their fire pit. 

Senior Sneak Peek

What a fun gal, she kept me laughing the whole time.  I knew she'd be a fun gal as soon as she screamed at the top of her lungs when I pointed out a spider near her hand.  Good luck with your busy schedule this next school year and thank you for spending your afternoon with me. 

Flower Power

Summer Glow

A weekend of hard work in the mornings and then afternoon into evenings spent floating in the pool gives everything a warm glow or maybe it's my sun burned eyeballs. 

Another Outdoor Wedding

This was another outdoor wedding during our summer filled with rain showers (down pours).  The bride says "if it's raining the wedding is happening outside anyway so bring your umbrellas".  The day started really early for us since we had to decorate the hall and outside for the ceremony that morning. 

The day was beautiful, the bride had tears of joy over the decorating and we love, love love happy brides. 

Fall is in the air

Come back hot weather I miss you and didn't have enough. 

Come back light mornings, come back light evenings.......come back summer!!

Sneak Peek - Senior

Sneak Peak for a Senior shoot.  This young man did not want any photos taken and it was all his mom's idea, he wasn't going to smile at all.  He was wishing for the day to be over, wanting to fast forward through this hour of torture..... I think he did very well.

Hemmerfest 2010

This year Hemmerfest was a bit scaled down from 2009 but was still a really good time.  We didn't really know if we could even have it or not with all the rain we have gotten.  We started on Saturday with a hayride, ate lots of yummy food that was deep fried, grilled, smoked.... and everything else inbetween.  The day was nice and hot (just the way Hemmers like it), the band started and the crowd kept coming.  The 1st rain shower sent a few people running for home but those that took shelter inside and under the porch got to enjoy another set from the band.  The 2nd rain shower we danced right through it.  As I'm loading the Jeep (thank goodness Garrett and Shannon helped us put the top up and the windows in) I looked at the last of the people dancing in the puddles and thought I would take my first and last picture of the day. 

I thought this would be a great Step Back Monday Photo

Zo-e-Shield Windows

I love, love these hot days, it could be like this from May till October and I would be one happy camper.  When we put new windows in our house about 2 years ago they talked us into Zo-e-shield windows.  They were the best, they would keep the heat in during the winter and the heat out during the summer, which would save on the energy bill..... we're talking $$$ here so what the heck we go for it. 

So here's my review.  Today is the first day EVER that we actually closed the windows, we normally open the windows all summer long to let the heat in or our house is cold inside.  I really dislike the windows in the spring and fall, they don't let any heat from the sun in to warm up the house.  I am a big lover of curling up in the window sunshine just to soak up the heat..... that's not happening anymore, there is no heat coming through these windows.  The sunshine is still there but it's difussed, it's like our house is wearing expensive sunglasses.  I don't normally like any curtains on the windows but I bought some sheers because what the heck there is no heat coming through anyway.  (I really like the curtains for summer it's kinda a romantic beachy look..... I know yuck!!)

Wintertime the windows change (or the sun does) and the suns heat can now come through the windows, so every chance I get I'm soaking it up.  The warmth stays in the house and my furniture is not rotting away due to the UV rays.  The windows do have a tint to them so the bright beautiful sunlight house that I used to have isn't anymore, but I am getting used to it.

So my reviews

Spring - Thumbs Down..... extreme thumbs down

Summer - Okay

Fall - Thumbs Down

Winter - Thumbs Up

Would I put them in again?  Probably not because we love the summer heat, there is a lower version called Low-E that I would probably do again but not these.

Do I like the windows themselves?  Yes we love the style, opening factor and cleaning is easy.

Today with the windows closed up letting them do what they were designed for the temperature difference was 8-10 degrees cooler than outside.

Geeze I'm embrassed that my magazine stack is so huge and messy.  Sorry please ignore that, I have a hard time throwing away a magazine.  Now I'm going outside to enjoy the heat  :)

Kiss Me Over The Garden Gate

Kiss Me Over The Garden Gate and Cone Flowers

One more.....

So today we were suppose to stay home while John kept his foot elevated and I did laundry..... well John's foot still fit in a shoe and we all still have clean clothes so off we went.  A 7 hour Jeep ride was a great way to spend the day, I really love this hot weather.  I did take my camera with but never took it out of the bag so here's a Step Back Monday from the weekend.  Love those colors and the reflection in the calm water.

Sites of Vacation

Today we are off to Musky Fest, they can make a fest out of just about anything.  They shut the whole town down and you still have to walk about a half mile from where you can park your car.  John got stung by a bunch of hornets yesterday so by the time we were done walking around and back to the truck his foot and ankle were twice the size of the other one. 

What a relaxing vacation with wonderful friends, we have one more day at home to recover.  I think John will be putting that foot up all day tomorrow while I do laundry.

Sites of Vacation

It's another day of vacation and another day of floating for 8 hours and then Rib Fest. 

We had our own competition of picking the best ribs so we all split up and picked what we thought was the best ribs just by looking at them.  After 10,000 napkins to clean off your fingers the favorite was chosen and the RIB KING from South Carolina was the winner.  Pig Foot took second place and Famous Daves coming in third.  I was in line for Rib King and the lady behind me said it was her thrid night there and she got their ribs every night..... I knew then that it had to be a winner.   Had it not been pouring when we left I would have gotten a "Full Thang" for the ride back to the cabin.

Sites of Vacation

2 days spent on the water...... ahhhhh pure heaven.  Floating around for 10 hours stopping on land to grab a couple fruity drinks and empty the bladders (btw - this boat has a bathroom) it doesn't get any better than this.

We came for a rib fest and so far the first night we missed ribs by 4 people...... yep the table before us got ribs and then she came over to us and they were out!!  Oh the smelled so good and looked fabulous, dripping in BBQ sauce, everyone around us licking their fingers, moaning with the incredible flavor.....That's okay we have all weekend to eat ribs, right??  Did I tell you my favorite meal is BBQ Ribs and we are headed to a 3 day Rib Fest with a competition just like on the Food Channel?  I ordered chicken (surprise!), I'm so predictable, I order chicken sandwich, chicken strips, chicken wraps, chicken.... chicken..... chicken and when I'm really feeling crazy I order a cheeseburger. 

Can we say VACATION

Ahhhhhh it's time for a vacation.  My favorite vacation is staying home and doing whatever I want, whenever I want.  My second favorite is going somewhere fun, eating, drinking, boating, and just doing nothing.  This time I'm getting both.  Funny how spending 2 hours of my morning leads me to rearrange my furniture and makes me not want to leave this clean pretty orgainzed house. 

 I think it's called nesting, I could nest for a few days!!

King Tutt

I have been watching this plant all summer waiting for it to go on sale, it's an annual and it's got a heafty price on it.  I keep checking on it to see if there is a sale that will knock it down in price for me to buy it.  Well after a visit to my sister's house on Sunday I seen King Tutt on her patio..... I fell in love.  King Tutt can grow in a pot, garden or even in the pond.  Monday (I didn't waste anytime, did I) I decided the 50% off wasn't going to get any lower and still have time for me to enjoy him before winter so I loaded him up in the back seat and found him a home in my pond. 

Mom story - So many, many years ago my mom was watching the prices on the plants to see if they would go low enough for her to rescue them from the hot summer heat of the nursery.  This one day we were having a garage sale at her house and she had to go to the bank so she drove off in a rush having to fit lots of stops into a short time.  Well she decided to quickly check on the plants so she drove into the parking lot, hopped out of the car and ran into the store.  Meanwhile a man asked who's blue car was in the parking lot.  It was her's but it was driving through the parking lot, down the driveway and into the highway.  She screams "oh that's me, oh my goodness it's driving away.......I left the car running for a faster stop and was in such a hurry I forgot to put the car in park".  Well the car stopped on a clump of gravel before heading across the highway, mom hopped in and drove away.  Of course she told the story to Gayle and didn't want her to tell anyone what happened but ohhhhh that was wayyyyyy to funny to keep to herself.

Later that night we called the bar (she was working), {we talked to Gayle about hiding her car previously} and asked her if her car was there.  You could just hear her looking for her car out the big window and said "No, but it was right here"....  I said "we just seen it drive by the house with no one driving"  I have to say that is the first and only time my mother hung up on me   :)

The photo I chose tonight to show you King Tutt isn't very good for seeing what he looks like but it's my favorite. 

Beginning of August

It's only the beginning of August and the flowers already look crappy and ready for the compost pile.  Besides the plants looking tired they are drowning in soggy ground causing them to yellow and fall right out of the soil.  But the weeds are growing.....  My Coneflowers are helping to keep the color.

The mornings are dark again when I get up, which makes it really hard to drag myself out of bed, what am I going to do this winter?  I may have to switch to the after work exercise classes, of course it might help if I'd go to bed early once. 

The last week or so on my drive past a neighbors home I say a little prayer for him to find comfort in his last days with us.  Sadly hearing about another family going through this difficult time makes me want those days with my mom back again.  No matter how tough it is or how long they hang on, we on earth are selfish and not ready to let them go. 

This morning I gave a second glace to his home when driving by, not sure why at the time but his yard seemed different.  A few hours later I heard his fight was over, he's no longer in pain.  Rest in peace Terry, and may your family find the strength to hang onto the memories and the support to make new ones.

Engagement Session

Next to the river, in the land of misquitos the size of small birds we managed to get a few shots without them slapping at their arms, legs and face.  

Thank you Tasha and Ryan for a very fun evening.