Friends

Well, this is the last in my series of catch up pictures; friends. Now technically, some of people in here are more acquaintances than friends, which is why I like the quote above. It reminds me of one of my favorite songs from my Girl Scout days. You all know where I'm going don't you? "Make new friends, but keep the old; one is silver and the other gold." I apologize to you if you now have that song in your head and will struggle to think of anything but that song for the next four hours.

My first picture is of my friend, Roxanne. She had patiently been waiting for a part to come in for her water heater and had just about enough of cold showers so I invited her over to use mine. Of course, had her water heater held out until today, with our temps reaching 101° she might not have been quite so desperate, but this was taken in the end of April. I can't have my friends freezing to death!

You may have heard me talk, in other blogs, about Bridging the Gap, the women's ministry that I work with. At our conference in April I had the incredible privilege of working with Paulette Kutlzer (on the right) from Praise FM radio doing a couple of interviews with the conference speakers. The truth is that PK is FAR more qualified than I am to do interviews but we always have a blast together.

Our first interview was with author and speaker, Shaunti Feldhahn. Shaunti's newest book is The Male Factor. If you want to understand men, I'd highly recommend it. And, truly, it's not a slam on men. Turns out, they just don't think like women do. Go figure!

Saturday morning I ran into my friends, Beth and Deanna, at the conference. As we were moving to a good spot for a picture I heard them whispering and laughing behind me. Normally, that isn't something you want to hear when someone is behind you but I quickly realized that they were wondering if perhaps they would be the subjects of my picture of the day. So, of course, they were!

Anthony told me early on in this 365 project of mine that it was his goal to be a subject one day. On May 1, I thought it would be fun to include his sweet wife, Beth, and son, Park. Hopefully, next year Park won't need a winter hat on May 1. It's hard to believe this was just over a month ago!


I suppose it had to happen eventually. Paul and Erin were bound to need a sitter on a night I wasn't available. I was, however, in the area and stopped by for a picture of Amelia and her first babysitter, Emily.


These are the girls that I used to teach at the Mom's group at our church campus in Faribault, MN. Well, technically some of them are new since I was teaching. I made a surprise visit on a Wednesday morning because I knew it would be one of the last times my friend, Lisa (lower left), would be teaching before she moves to Texas. Getting a good picture of six moms and four kids is quite the challenge!

I met Pam at the Bridging the Gap conference. Something (or Someone) told me that we should connect. I happened to have a meeting in her neck of the woods just a few days after the conference so we met at Caribou and hardly had enough time to fit in all we had to say. Imagine that!

My friend, Joanne, is the pastor at a little church in Wisconsin and invited me to speak for their Mother/Daughter brunch on Mother's Day weekend. Joanne and I have been friends since 1992 when she came on staff at the church we were attending at that time. I had hoped to get a picture of Joanne with her daughter because I was a labor coach for Joanne when she was born 16 years ago! But, as it goes with teenagers, she slipped out and went home before I remembered to pull out my camera.
My daughter-in-law, Erin, had clued me into the fact that Hannah had it as her goal to be part of my 365 project. She's not always easy to find at church because she so often helps in the nursery or in one of our many kids areas. She even lovingly takes care of my little granddaughter some days. She's the best! Not only is Hannah "super-volunteer" at our church, she also works and goes to college. And, she is one fine photographer! I get exhausted just hearing about what she's doing.

Tania probably had no clue how special she is to me (until she read it on my 365 project page.) She works at the Food Co-op where I started shopping last year after finding out I have a soy and lactose intolerance. Tania was there on my first visit and not only did she not laugh at my tears (yes, there were tears) but she also found the perfect person to help me find things on the approved food list. Because of our schedules, I don't run into her very often anymore but it was fun to see her today. As it turns out, her husband is one of the band directors in our town (16 miles from the city where the co-op is) and her mother-in-law was my son, Scott's, high school German teacher.

I took this picture of our Global Project Switzerland team after our first team meeting. We are excited to be a part of the team going to Switzerland in September. Since that time the girl next to John had to drop off the team but another one has been added. And, there's another couple going on the trip, also, so John won't be the only guy. I think he's relieved by that!

I first met Jackie when we were in Russia two years ago. This picture was taken at their going away party. She and her husband, Matt, have now moved, with their three Russian born children, back to Russia to offer hope to orphans there who are "aging" out of the system. When a Russian orphan reaches the age of 15 or 16 they "graduate" from the orphanage but really have nowhere to go. Ten percent of them will commit suicide in their first year "on the streets" and another 80 percent will get involved with drugs and prostitution. Jackie and Matt plan to help more of the orphans succeed by providing a place for them to live and the opportunity to get a job or go to school. If you are interested in reading more about their hearts for the orphans or watching a powerful video go to http://change30.org/. I'm very proud of my friends.

Every year our church has a volunteer appreciation night. This year's theme was "Back to the Prom" with somewhat of an 80's theme and we were to dress accordingly, if we so desired. I desired, but didn't really manage to pull it off. My friends, Cindy and Martha, made themselves prom queens for their respective graduation years. So cute! They are pictured here with their husbands, Mark and Allan.

Laura falls into the "acquaintance" category of my friends' post but she is a girl with a big dream. Laura was one of the Rotary exchange students in Japan when the earthquake/tsunami hit there in March. Though she wanted to stay after the earthquake Rotary Club International pulled all students out once trouble arose at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. Since that time Laura has made it her goal to help purchase Shelter Boxes for the people of Japan. She is pictured here inside the tent included in a typical Shelter Box. Great cause! Check it out.

I am blessed that my daughter-in-law, Erin, is not only family, but also a friend. And, it goes without saying that Amelia is always the best part of my day when I see her. She's just so kissable and lovable!

So, this catches me up to May 28. Wow, I'm already behind again. Stay tuned for further updates! In the meantime, as always, As always, keep making memories, taking pictures, and most importantly, spend time with the ones you love.

Flowers Make for Easy Subjects

Again, I'm catching up on my blogs about my 365 project. Today's feature is flowers. I love photographing flowers, especially following the longest winter EVER! Flowers are great subjects; they don't squirm, cry, close their eyes right as you push the button, or complain. And, as an added bonus, at this time of the year, they are as close as my backyard (or front yard as the case may be.)

In April, this crocus showed up unexpectedly in our yard. What a fun surprise!

O.K, this isn't a flower. It's a picture of the buds on the maple tree in our front yard. It was taken on a very rainy, nasty day and I was desperate for a picture that didn't require a lot of effort.

We usually have some interesting flowers blooming in our woods this time of year. On May 3, I took a little walk to see what I could find. I discovered this plant that had taken over some huge areas in our woods but I had no clue as to its name. I called my horticulturist neighbor who was unable to identify them from my description. Though he'd promised to come check the next day to see what they were, I decided to investigate a little further. I saw an online ad for a book about Minnesota Wildflowers and then it hit me; I HAVE that book! So, about one minute after picking up the book I was able to identify it as a Cut-leaved Toothwort. I should have been a detective. Oh wait, I'm a mother. That's probably where I honed my skills.

I was once told that a weed is simply a wildflower out of place. Well then, this violet would qualify as a weed. A pretty weed, but a weed nonetheless. It's growing between the slabs on my back patio. I'd prefer moss, I think.

It's easy to miss the blooming of the bleeding heart in the spring, but since I'm on this "picture a day" kick, I'm always in search of a subject, and like I said, flowers make such nice subjects.

It has been fun to watch my Coralburst Crab tree bloom this year. It's the first year we've had it. Here it is as it's just starting to bloom.

Though this picture didn't make it into my 365 project, I though I'd share it with you anyway. Think of it as a bonus - because I love you. It's my crab tree in full bloom. Is it not gorgeous?! But then again, the blooms haven't fallen all over my yard yet.

A visit to the garden center gave me a few minutes to click a few quick shots of some very cooperative flowers.

Lilacs are always in vast supply this time of year so a picture of a lilac isn't really all that special. BUT, this particular lilac is the first bloom to grow from a shoot I planted over 10 years ago. I'd given up hope.

And now, to conclude the flower series (and most recently - purple flower week) . . . a wild geranium. We transplanted this into our yard from the woods behind our house about 15 years ago. Technically, it's a wildflower but, since it's not growing in my patio, I don't consider it a weed (though it does have the tenacity of a dandelion!)

Spring is my favorite time of the year. I'm always amazed at how flowers just come shooting out of the ground after a winter with temperatures dipping below zero. Good job, God, is what I like to say!

Take some time to enjoy the flowers in your corner of the world. Spend time with the ones you love, grab a camera, and gather some memories; especially if you get a dandelion bouquet.

Catching Up

Well, clearly my mother and my friend, Leslie, have not been bugging me about my blog. There's a lot going on (when isn't there?) and I realized tonight that my most recent 365 project update was over a month ago. So, instead of putting all 30-some pictures up at once I'll break them down by types. Tonight, surprise of surprises, I will focus on my two sweet grandchildren. I try to make them my picture of the day as often as I can without being totally annoying. This could get to be more of a challenge once they catch on to my craziness.

Easter Sunday - and little Amelia was over-the-top ADORABLE!

Amelia, again, (thank God they aren't dressing Charlie like this) all dressed up for her daddy's birthday. We got to babysit while they went out for an evening alone. Love the tutu!

Amelia's first time with a sitter. I had my small group that night otherwise I'd have been there. As it so happens, my small group meets about a mile from Paul and Erin's house so I was able to stop by for a picture before my meeting. Amelia is looking at her parents with an "I hope you aren't planning to leave me with this person" kind of look. Emily took good care of her and she did fine.


28 hours with Charlie - certainly not enough time but I made a quick trip to Wisconsin because I simply could not go another day without seeing him. Oh what fun to kiss those sweet cheeks!

Don't you think he looks like the Gerber baby; perhaps with an Elvis kind of smile?


Sadly, five pictures is all I have of my adorable grandchildren in the past 30 days. Wait, that's not right. I have many more pictures than that. These are just the ones that made it into my 365 project. There will be more soon. If you want to view my entire 365 project, click here.

As always, keep making memories, taking pictures, and most importantly, spend time with the ones you love. If you don't get them up on your blog - that o.k., I'll totally understand.

And Life Goes On

Here we are. Another two weeks have passed since I last updated my 365 project pictures for you. My apologies . . . again.

April 9 - If you remember, my last 365 project post included a lot of pictures of our newest grandchild, Charlie. And, while I wouldn't give up ONE minute that I spent with Charlie, it did mean that I hadn't seen Amelia for a bit. Erin must have sensed my intense need and desire to see her and offered to bring her down. It had actually been two weeks since I'd seen her and the change was dramatic. Wow, they do grow up so fast! Smiling and adorable!

April 10 - On Sundays we often go out to lunch with Erin and Paul (and Amelia) after church. On this particular day, Paul was working so couldn't join but we still had fun with Amelia and Erin. It appears that Amelia is keeping close track of her mom's whereabouts as Boppa holds her during lunch. She makes some of the best faces!

April 11 - Every year this Lungwort plant in our backyard is nearly done blooming before I even notice it's spring. This year, I was prepared. I started checking early. I love the purple and pink blooms. Turns out it's called Lungwort because it is believed to cure some lung illnesses. Crazy, huh?
April 12 - As I was taking the Lungwort picture on Monday, I turned around and caught a glimpse of some purple in an area I'd never seen it before. It seems that during our major re-landscaping project last summer, my scilla plants hitchhiked to new destinations all over the yard. Good thing I like them so much! I'd been inside all day and hadn't realized how nice it was, so,after taking this picture I put on my summer clothes and worked in the garden for two hours. It was fun at the time! Later, I was a wee bit sore but I think it was worth it!

April 13 - One of our favorite pastimes is babysitting sweet Amelia. And, being the full-service babysitters that we are, on this particular night Boppa brought along some equipment to give Amelia her first eye exam. It only lasted about three minutes - long enough to know that she has great eyes. If you want to know how John does eye exams on babies, call him. I know he'd LOVE to explain it to you.

April 14 - Sooner or later, the car has to be washed. And yes, I did feel stupid taking out my camera for a picture; but, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.

April 15 - I titled this photo "Pokey Woman." Not because Fiona is slow, but because she is the doctor who administers my acupuncture. I willingly admit that I was VERY skeptical as to whether or not acupuncture would work but I'm happy to say it has, along with a major diet change, changed my life! I highly recommend it!

April 16 - Remember that picture just a few days back of the scilla? Well, this is Minnesota and as you can see, the weather can change in an instant! I took this on my way to a breakfast at our church on Saturday. Beautiful, but crazy!

April 17 - It seems like just a few short months ago I saw this sweet girl put her hand on her teeny, tiny, tummy as she helped lead worship during church. That instinctive touch that mom's do when they are pregnant was my first indication that Liz might be expecting. I can't wait to meet her little guy in a couple more weeks. (Maybe he'll make it as one of my "pictures of the day.")
April 18 - This has got to be one of the lamest pictures in my 365 project. I had a busy day and kept forgetting to take a picture so I quick grabbed my camera on my way out of Nordstrom, where I'd stopped to return a couple of things. I ALMOST made it out of the store with a net gain on my credit card. Maybe some other day.

April 19 - I met my good friend, Debbie, at her office in downtown Minneapolis on Tuesday. We needed some time together to share pictures and stories of our new grandchildren. Her granddaughter was born on March 31 and our grandson was born on April 1. I absolutely love going downtown, but not as much as I love spending time with my friend.

April 20 - Julie has been my hygienist longer than I can remember. She's the best! The only problem is that when I go there, we get to talking and I'm sure she has to allow extra time to clean my teeth! A few days after my visit I got a handwritten note from Julie telling me how it's always nice having me on her schedule. How sweet is that?

April 21 - This picture was sort of an experiment. I'd read on this blog about the blue hour. It seems there is a time, about an hour after the sun sets, that you can take pictures and the sky is this amazing deep blue color. You need to use a tripod to get a good shot and I'd started by going to the lake but ended up with some rather drab photos. It seems a key component to a "blue hour" picture is some sort of lights, of which there were none at the lake. Once I got home, and realized how bad my pictures were, I quickly went out to the front porch. It was raining at the time so my vantage point wasn't exactly what I wanted; but it was dry. Thus I ended up with this picture, which I titled "A Rainy Night in the Hood."

April 22 - I love watching my garden bloom in the spring, even on a rainy day. It always seems like a miracle. I transplanted these Blood Root plants from the woods behind our house into the garden a few years ago. This seemed a fitting picture for Good Friday.

And so, here it is, the end of April already. Keep making memories, taking pictures, and most importantly, spend time with the ones you love.

Catching Up

With all the excitement of adding a new family member I didn't get my "365 project" post done in a very timely manner, but well, I don't care. Grandbabies are WAY more exciting than 365 projects, even though said projects include some grand baby pictures. Anyway, here's what's been going on.

March 26 - John and I took a Saturday drive to see what we could find. The rivers in the area were swollen from all the snow melt and rain and had produced some interesting sights as a result. This "ice seat" was found in a field - not a river - where the water had apparently been quite a bit higher than it was when we found it. Crazy out the ice froze and stuck to the side of the tree like that. And, this wasn't the only "seat" we saw!

March 27 - Every year the Como Conservatory in St. Paul has a magnificent spring flower display. Being as this winter was particularly challenging it drew quite a few visitors. Going on a Sunday probably wasn't our (o.k., my) brightest idea because the crowd was immense but I think everyone was so excited to breath in some spring that they were on their best behavior. In other words: no one annoyed the daylights out of me. I had too many good pictures to choose just one so I made a collage.

March 28 - As it so happens, Trader Joe's is right on the way home from the Conservatory so I wasn't about to drive by without making a quick stop. And, well, Trader Joe's always has some great flowers at some pretty decent prices so I was forced really, to pick up some red and white tulips. And, since they were sitting there still on Monday looking so pretty they became the "photo of the day."

March 29 - Tuesday night our local Rotary Exchange student shared about her country (Sweden) at a special evening function. Generally, Rotary Club meets at 6:45 in the morning which always leaves me wondering how they get any members. But, apparently some people like that time of day. God bless them. But, I digress (so unusual for me.) My friend, Karen, was one of the host moms for the Rotary student this year so, of course, was at this Rotary event. I've been wanting to take her picture for my project for a long time because not only is she my friend, she is also the person who cleans my house. I LOVE Karen. And yes, I know I'm spoiled. I figured she'd rather have her picture taken when she's dressed up for an evening out rather than when she's dressed for cleaning.

March 30 - If you read this blog post you'll know that Wednesday was the day I headed to Wisconsin to await the arrival of our new little grandson. I took this picture as a "back-up" in case he didn't arrive before the end of the day. (Good thing, since I needed it.) This little lake (which is actually a dammed up river) is right behind the hospital and accessed from the lobby by a little path. It's quite a lovely area, really.


March 31 - At 10:10 on Thursday night I told Jane (mother to my daughter-in-law, Heidi) that we needed a picture of the two of us at the hospital as we headed into our second night of waiting for baby to arrive. It was another "back-up" picture even though we were still expecting a baby by midnight. Please note, if you are ever planning to "wait things out" in a hospital think about packing a toothbrush - at the very least. I don't really think it's fair that Jane, who had even less sleep than I did, looks way more rested.

April 1 - If you read my previous blog about Charlie's birth, you've already seen this picture taken shortly after he was born at 4:29 Friday morning. But really, it's worth another look I think. In fact, pretty much the rest of the week belongs to Charlie. I knew I'd have to go home eventually, so I dedicated the week to pictures of him. Besides, he is pretty cute, don't you think?

April 2 - On Saturday, John was able to drive over to visit his newest grand baby. As you can see, he's a proud Boppa!

April 3 - I decided on Sunday that it was Nana's turn to be in the picture with Charlie.

BUT - I have to throw this "3 Generations" picture in as a bonus. It wasn't part of my project, but it's just too precious not to use.

April 4 - Charlie and I were hanging out on the couch together on Monday while his Mom and Dad slept a bit. Clearly he was NOT tired and who can resist those big blue eyes?

April 5 - During my first week of 365 pictures I posted one of this bear waiting for his buddy to arrive. Well, buddy is finally here but, on this particular day, wasn't in the mood to play. Don't worry Mr. Bear, he'll come around. If John had his way, I'd never post a picture of a crying baby, but hey, they do that sometimes. In general, Charlie is a pretty easy going guy.

April 6 - On Wednesday, I knew my time with Charlie and his parents would soon be drawing to a close (for a while at least.) I was not going to leave without a foot picture and I stole the idea of adding mom and dad's wedding rings from my friend, Renee Johannesen. It's just a good thing their rings aren't any heavier or poor Charlie's toe might have been dragging the floor!

April 7 - When I came upstairs on Thursday morning I found Adam, Heidi and Charlie hanging out in the living room. Heidi didn't really want to be a part of the whole photo shoot that day (poor girl had hardly slept in a week - I can't blame her) but I loved the way Charlie was laying on Adam's legs. They'll have some fun family times, I'm sure. To say that this Nana was sad to leave that morning is an understatement. Were it not for that "middle of the night feeding business", I might have tried to sneak him out of the house!

April 8 - Friday night we went to a wedding reception for our friend's Jesicca and Matt. Matt is the son of one of my good friends, who also happens to be named Nancy. (How could we not be friends?) We had a great time celebrating a great couple.

One thing about doing this project is that it sure brings home the fact that time is flying by. As always, I encourage you to make some memories, take some pictures, and spend time with the ones you love.