eagerly await

L - Nikon / T - Nikon

Presents still unwrapped at both houses - ours and my parents - awaiting the arrival of my older brother and his family from Maryland. We will spread the Christmas celebration out by opening gifts at my parents house and then another night opening more gifts at our house. In addition, there will be a birthday dinner for my younger brother's tomorrow and a belated birthday breakfast at our house for the twins who were born on Christmas Eve 9 years ago. We are so fortunate to have time off from work and school for a whole week of fun and to be able to bring in the New Year together as a family with a display of fireworks.
What will you be doing for New Years Eve?

Family Fun

L - Nikon / T - Nikon

listening to: Santa Claus Party

Taylor is home for the holidays, my brother is in town and the Christmas fun has begun. Tonight we gathered around my parent's table and made paper ornaments. Taylor created a Christmas CD for us to work to and completed 3 ornaments long before the rest of us finished 2. Here Oma glues the last seam of her second ornament. It was a fun night. Tomorrow night we may make a different kind of ornament together.

warmth / frosty

solo post - L

I may have been without internet this past weekend but, you know what, it was ok because I had a much better way to spend my time. T gave me a surprise visit Friday night. She came back to get her winter coats – but who cares the reason. I had no idea she was coming home and was so excited to see her. So I built a fire – the weather was unseasonably cold for the south. I fixed her some soup and we caught up on favorite tv shows that I had Tivoed for her. Saturday we woke up to a chilly house, I built another fire and we baked Chocolate Banana Monkeybread for breakfast. Of course I knew she would want to go shopping, so we did that. We shopped all day and got hungry wondering what my dad would cook for dinner that night (my brother happened to be in town as well). She thought of her favorite dinners and then we both decided that we hoped it would be spaghetti. But we were too afraid to request it – it being so late in the day. Turns out he was cooking spaghetti! We ate dinner, T told stories that had us all laughing, we ate apple pie and then we went to see Bright Star in the theatre. (the movie was a little slower than we anticipated but we enjoyed it still – the cinematography was beautiful.) Sunday we got up and went to church and then she had to get back to school in time to submit two photographs into a juried show. What time was there to miss the internet?

fail / succeed

L - Nikon / T -Nikon

The last 30 min. before leaving the grounds of Shaker Village we discovered what we had been looking for all along – a wonderful field of wildflowers within easy reach and out of the view of others. The family had all left us but we were determined to try for it in the few minutes we had left – we would catch up later. I quickly searched for some sticks, while T changed into her dress – hoping no one would walk up on us – and then there was a dress malfunction. Not as you might imagine. The dress she had wanted transformed into a short bubble dress had been quickly modified with elastic before we left on vacation and as she was putting it on the hem I had created came undone, leaving her hem hanging all lopsided. No matter, that part was hidden in the wildflowers, but the stick "antlers" did not look as we had envisioned so I only snapped a handfull of images and then we left, frustrated that we had not found this location earlier on in the trip. As we drove down the road, trying to catch up with the others, we were upset that we had not done this and had not done that. So many ideas. oh well... another failed attempt but there is always another chance. / These are T's photo, but my words because she is not here and I want to post tonight.
The reunion was extended by an evening with my immediate family (my younger brother; my older brother, his wife and their twins; plus my mom and dad) staying at my cousins river house. T was more than ready to come home but some of us wanted to stay over so she made the best of it. She got excited when we went down to the river and saw a very rustic little cabin – perfect opportunity for another photoshoot attempt. SO she searched for the woods and found a perfect branch that created a full set of "antlers", she had my niece change into her little white dress and my dad had some medical tape that served to attach the antlers to her tiny back. And they went to work. She kept giggling, saying, " this is funny. i'm a deer. " She was such a good sport and I think she had fun with it. T took so many photos that we had to run to the nearest Walmart (15 miles away) to get another memory card. By now the time was running short, the light fading away and we had to stop. Some photos were good, some not so great, but the memories... fantastic. I'd call it a success. But once again as we drove home we thought of so many missed opportunities in that location. Well, it's my cousin's river home, so there are chances to try again right?

little lamb / young girl

L - Nikon 200mm / T - Nikon Sigma 30mm

It was such a joy to visit the little lambs each morning and in the evening before bed, to hear their little baa-baas, to watch them play and feed and feel their soft wool. They lived right outside our dwelling place – that's what the homes where called there at Shaker Village. The reunion was such a success. We had 29 out of 36 of our family members attending - the children played ball while the senior adults sat in the cool air (temperatures not exceeding 70) and told stories, the young adults like myself (actually I can't really call us that anymore I suppose) went off together, hiking and shooting photos, touring the grounds, etc. . We ate together and talked in the evenings with our cups of coffee and homemade desserts, then walked the steps to our humble sleeping quarters. And on the last day we said our goodbyes and went our separate ways once again - til next year. The last day is always frustrating to me – there is always someone I regret not spending enough time with or things I didn't get to see and do. I realize that I spent too much time taking photos of scenery instead of the people that mean the most. Thankfully my brother took photos of family and sent a slide show of his images soon after I returned home. It really was a nice time. Aren't photos the best – you can once again hear the children's laughter, you can remember his wise words... you can feel the warmth of family. And isn't all that more important than trying to capture a field of haystacks at sunset? / i took over 100 photos of her. i taped tree branch "antlers" to her back and photographed her in an old river cabin. you may have seen the ones i took of her last year in a wildflower field with a bunny mask on - she is a true sport, so willing to please - a great little model.

city / country

L - Nikon, 200mm / T - Nikon, sigma 30mm

We're back. We traveled straight city highways and winding country roads, seeing more beauty than we could possibly share. The trip had its up and its downs, as most trips do I suppose, but the family reunion was a huge success. We visited a very cool vintage shop in Knoxville, called Nostalgia and a beautiful cemetery in Lexington, but the country proved to be the most pleasurable – no surprise there. Shaker Village in Pleasant Hill is one of the prettiest places you can imagine, so peaceful and relaxing and the weather could not have been better - temperatures were in the 60s most of the time. We had a great turnout for the reunion - lots of great fellowship. After uploading my photos and trying to select the best I have to say I'm too tired to write more. Maybe later.

blue grass / blue glass

L - Nikon / T - Nikon

I'm getting excited about the family reunion this year. Well, actually I always look forward to it. I have a great extended family of Aunts and Uncles, cousins and second cousins – and everyone gets along! There's always great stories, lots of laughter, sharing of travels and photos from the past year, good food, some games – just a lot of fun. Ages range from 85 to 8 and there is usually about 30 of the 38 to show up each year.

This year we are meeting in Kentucky at Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill – America's largest restored Shaker community – is located in the bluegrass region of Kentucky. I have always admired their ideals of equality, peace and love, the purity, the quest for simplicity and perfection in the shaker lifestyle, the clean lines of their furnishings and buildings... and to experience all of this and the beautiful country-side of Kentucky makes for a wonderful relaxing vacation. After the weekend reunion, T and I will then travel to Lexington – the Horse Capital of the World. We look forward to a driving the rolling hills of central Kentucky where Seabiscuit was filmed. It may seem strange but T and I usually try to find an interesting cemetery in the cities we travel. Lexington happens to have one that is actually listed as one of the things not to miss, especially for garden enthusiasts so I am pretty excited. It has gained national reputation as one of America's most beautiful cemeteries and arboretums, including more than 200 species of trees, lovely flower gardens and 3 lakes – I'm pretty sure there will be some interesting statues that will catch T's photographic eye as well. I know we will find much to photograph throughout the trip and I'm looking forward to time away from Atlanta and catching up with family. / this is almost the most fun part of having a house in athens- getting to decorate it! i'm so excited about some of the things that i've found to furnish the kitchen. like this blue glassware bowls i found yesterday to add to the amber glasses and rose tinted plates i already had. i really like the vintage look that i'm guessing our house will have [:

family love / togetherness

Today was a whirlwind of Christmas merriment. This afternoon my older brother and his family arrived from Maryland and it seems the minute they walked in the door the activities began - we heard a few tunes on the piano from the twins; there was a gathering in the kitchen for snacks; opening of birthday gifts (today was my younger brother's 48th birthday); what we called our 1st phase of Christmas - opening gifts at my parents house; dinner and dessert; 2nd phase - opening gifts from T and me at our house... and more to come tomorrow to extend the Christmas cheer. It's nice to have the entire family together and I'm so lucky to have the time off from work to spend with them. / my twin cousins were born on Christmas Eve, 8 years ago. they are such fun to have around - really great, sweet kids. since they were babies they have been receiving lady bug and bumble bee things. i think it started when M was dressed as a lady bug and C was dressed as a bumble bee their first halloween. my oma found these cute german ornaments for them. how perfect and cute.