MNU Basketball

This is as good as it gets for today.  MNU was playing in the conference tournament at Cook center.  I have to keep reminding myself that this project is all about what represents my day and everyday isn't going to be a work of art picture.

iPad

I FINALLY got an iPad after talking about it for weeks.  Been thinking about it for a long time now. I don't really know much about it and what all to do on it but between my son, Nick, and my friend/photography mentor, Molly, I'm sure they will get me going on it fairly quick. I love the little size comapred to my mamouth laptop that I lug around.  Thanks honey for getting it for me.

Easter Candy

This is by far the best part about my desk, all the candy. Can't get by with just one kind though, you have to have a variety.  Always have to have chocolate and of course you can't go without peanut M&M's.  The Easter candy is out so we threw in some jelly beans. Not pictured is the pastel candy corn.

Granny Hunts Oatmeal Cake

After getting all the house cleaning done I decided it was time for some oatmeal cake.  This is one of our familys favorite recipes and it came from Brian's Mom.  This was the first recipe of hers that I ever tried after Brian and I were married.  Been making it ever since.

Pops & Granny at basketball

This was the reason for Pops and Granny to come visit for the week-end. They came to watch Noah and Carter play basketball, and to watch Brooklynne cheerlead.

I was going to get a picture of all of them together but when we sent Brooklynne to find Carter, Carter came back but Brooklynne never did. We were in a hurry because Noah was leaving for a birthday party so Brooklynne missed the picture.

Brobeck BBQ

We usually try to get over to Brobeck BBQ while Pops and Granny are here. In our opinion, its the best BBQ in Kansas City. We have been eating Doug's BBQ for a lot of years now. Doug is the owner and we have known him a long time.

This is our favorite waitress, Dani. She usually waits on us and even if she doesn't, she will come over to talk or give Brian a hard time. Brian usually starts it but she knows how to give it right back to him.

I wanted a picture of Dani and Doug but they were short handed in the kitchen so Doug was having to work.  At least I got him in the background while he was working. He's the one in the green shirt .

Lots of Papa Murphys

This is the pile of pizza it takes to feed 8 adults and 7 kids. Pops and Granny came up for the week-end and we got Papa Murphys pizza for dinner. There are 3 family size pizzas, 2 cheesy breads, and of course my favorite, the smores dessert pizza.

Grandma's Crochet Hook

This picture really has alot of meaning for me. The quality of the picture isn't that great but the significance of the crochet hook is monumental.

The crochet hook belonged to my Grandma. When she moved to the nursing home, we had to label all her belongings so thats the reason for the piece of paper that says Grace L.
I have decided to start crocheting for our prayer shawl ministry at my work. I know how to crochet but haven't done a whole lot of it. Haven't picked it up for a very long time.

When I got my stuff out to start, I got out the crochet hook and the memories started flooding my mind. I sat there for quite some time just remembering my Grandma.
She was the sweetest, most gracious, patient, loving person ever. I was lucky enough to grow up in the same town as her so I spent lots and lots of time at her house.

I looked at the hook and wondered how many hours it had spent in my Grandma's hand. How many afghans, hats, scarves, mittens and baby things she had created with it. She was always busy making something. She would be crocheting, doze off, wake up and start right back where she left off. We use to tease her about it and she would just smile at us.

Sure wish she was around today for me to share my sewing, quilting, embroidery and crocheting projects with. I'm sure my love for these things came from her as she was the one that taught me some of them. She would have loved every minute.

I was so blessed with a very special Grandma in my life. If I can become half the person she was I will have accomplished alot.

I miss her often but today it was very near to my heart as I held her crochet hook and rememered her so fondly.

Dinner at On the Border

Brian got an email that told about On The Border's two for $15.00 so we checked it out for dinner. It was really good and quite the bargain. Chose to take the picture of the appetizer part of the deal. One of these days when my "mentor" teaches me how to put more than one picture together (she has already told me once but I can't remember) then I could post the whole meal.

Beginning the process of living room remodel

We are taking our updating to the living room now. We spent the day shopping for furniture, paint colors for the wall and carpet. We decided on the furniture. We picked a big sectional set that is a solid color and then an accent chair in this print. Haven't settled on a wall color yet. We looked at carpet but didn't bring any samples home.

Bath Remodel

The finished look of the guest bathroom that we painted and updated over the week-end. Still have to get some stuff to put on the walls but the work is all done. We took down wallpaper border, painted, changed mirrors, changed out the faucet to brushed nickel and put up a new light fixture. Now time to shop for decorating.

Carter playing basketball

Carter playing Upwards basketball. He is really concentrating on his dribbling. I love the position of his cute little hands. We have spent the last several Saturdays at the church watching basektball and cheerleading and we really enjoy it. Just a couple more weeks.

New Vacuum

I have struggled with our old vacuum for a LONG time. It hasn't worked good and smells like something is burning up. Friday when I started cleaning house and got the sweeper out I decided I was DONE with it. Went to Sam's and bought a new one. It was exciting to vacuum the house. I'm sure that excitement won't last.

Funny Haircut Story

This is probably gross but its also funny. I knew I wanted my picture for the day to have something to do with my haircut. At the end of the year I will be able to see how many hair cuts I had. I decided I wanted the picture to be of the hair she cut off. Stephanie (my hair stylist) is so fun and she is very excited about my 365 project.

When she got done cutting my hair I went to change my shirt and she said she would sweep up the hair in a pile for the picture. When I got back she was down on the floor shaping the pile of hair into the letter J. She was laughing and I was laughing and we took the picture. When we looked at it we thought it was kinda gross but we were both laughing at what we had done. I knew that even if it is digusting I was going to keep it. Not just because of the hair, or the haircut but because we had fun being goofy creating the picture.

Thanks Stephanie

A Fire

Boring I know but this pretty much summed up our whole evening. We built a big fire and watched TV.

Valentines Day

Happy Valentines Day!  Brian bought me a new bead for my bracelet. Its the gray one with white hearts. Just to the right of that bead is the cruise ship bead he bought me for my birthday and gave to me on the ship. 

Didn't really like the lighting on this picture at first but the more I looked at it the more I kinda liked it.

Snow on MNU Campus

Snow on MNU campus.  We finally got enough snow to cover the ground.  The campus is so pretty with snow so I went out on my lunch hour and took some pictures.

Go Chicken Go

My first trip ever to Go Chicken Go. Brian loves the gizzards there but I have never wanted to eat there. I agreed to go for lunch today. I have to say, it wasn't as bad as I expected and the place was very clean.  Guess thats why they have been in business in Olathe so long.

Brooklynne Cheerleading

Brooklynne at Upwards cheerleading.  Still haven't figured out how to take good pictures in this gym.

Candy Hearts

I buy these candy hearts every year and I think I am the only one that likes them.  But I buy them anyway.

Still playing with the AV setting on my camera and also working on getting good close ups.

Antique Dishes

These are the antique jewel tea dishes I have been collecting over the years.  I have a china hutch full of them.  Pops has bought alot of them for me.  Some pieces were from from Brian's Grandma and my Grandma and aunt.  Grandma Grace told me a man would go door to door to sell the dishes.  She said if she saw him coming she would go hide and not answer the door.

Experimenting with depth of field and getting in close.

Houlihans

Met Geoff and Molly at Houlihans for dinner. A very enjoyable meal and conversation., and we didn't even talk about photography.

Cross Stitching

Got out a cross stitch piece that I started several years ago.  I don't have much to do to finish it so thought I would work on it again and hopefully finish it.

Trees Beginning to Bud

Didn't really have anything to take a picture of today so thought I would capture the bare trees in the front yard that are just beginning to bud.

Junk Food City

Brian and I stayed home to watch the Super Bowl but we did a pretty good job of having an assortment of football snacks. Can you say "pig out"

Noah playing basketball

I really struggled with taking pictures in a very poor lit gym. I tried a bunch of different settings but ISO was too high and the picture is too grainy. At least Noah is in focus.  I will keep trying. Basketball last a few more weeks.

Barnes and Noble

Still working on composition and lighting. One of our favorite things to do is go hang out at Barnes and Noble. I pick out and look through a whole pile of books while Brian sits down with one book and reads at least half of it while we are there. It usually takes 2 visits for him to finish a book.

Lunch at Panera

Met Molly at Panera for lunch and some more photography learning.

Diet Pop

Got so sleepy about 3:30 at work that I got a Dr Pepper to see if it would wake me up a little. It didn't really help but I did make it until 5:00.