First Time Baby Bump Shoot

 Introducing Jayden Hope Messer baby bump

The soon to be daughter of Jessica & Phillip Messer. 

This was my first preggo shoot working with my little camera (until I save up to get my new pet ;). I love the first shot & of coarse we had to get the Power Cat booties in there as mommy is a K-State Alumni (woot-woot!). I'm learning a lot with photoshop & people posing, & I still have a ton I want to learn & can't wait!!!

 I wish the family the very best in their new little adventure! 

Thank you Messer family!

The Rambling Post: May

May. Most people think: May flowers, Cinco De Mayo, Kentucky Derby, & Mother's Day;
Or Taurus, the Lily of the Valley, & Emerald.

However, did you know it is also:
- Foster Care Month
- National Barbecue Month
- National Bike Month
- National Blood Pressure Month
- National Egg Month
- National Family Month
- National Hamburger Month
- National Photograph Month
- National Recommitment Month
- National Salad Month
- Older Americans Month

A few of my favorite days this month are:
1st - Save the Rhino Day
6th - Beverage Day & No Diet Day
8th - No Socks Day
9th - Lost Socks Memorial Day (must have been from not wearing them the day before)
11th - Eat What You Want Day
14th - Dance Like a Chicken Day
To find others click here.

I enjoy looking up to see what 'National Day/Month' it is, even if it's just for fun or serious. I hope you enjoy hearing about them and pay tribute to at least one....
... On Tuesday, the 8th, I plan on running around like a sockless hooligan :)

Red Dirt & Racing

Last weekend I got out of the house for the first time in a long time!

Southeast, Kansas & Oklahoma City

Saturday, we met up with the others in OKC for lunch at a little Mexican restaurant in Brick town. We found the place in a round about way, between the guys' "I know my way" directions & girls' "well the map says here" left it  for a good sight seeing trip around Brick town. Food was pretty good, loved the sopapillas! On our way back to the truck we caught the end of a flash mop.... later on we busted our on flash mob moves! Waaaaay better!
Next stop, drive by rustic furniture stores where we got our dreams on. Second stops: Tener's & Langston's western stores, which didn't leave us empty handed ;) Last stop prior to the hotel, was a very classy, stalkerish liquor store, in an area where white was rare. Nice people just a little to "can I help you?" for my liking.

 That evening we got our glitz on for the races!

Watched & betted on some quarter horses. Good thing there isn't a track near Topeka, this could be my addiction. After all thanks to my skills we went home about $22,000 richer.....

 HA! I wish! I'm still learning the lingo.

After the last horse crossed the finish line we were off to Brick town to see what all the hype is about.

Ended up havin a couple brews at Coyote Ugly. Not a bad bar; cold beers, good tunes, would be better if there were more people & if you're just passing through (the coyote's repeat their sayings quite often). When Eric Church's 'Smoke a Little Smoke' played out we of coarse had to get on the bar. A pretty big deal for me! I'm not one to get on bars... or tables... heck I have a hard time walkin as it is :)

 Sunday, we were back at the track for some people watching. Oh I mean horses and....

 Ostriches and.....

 Camels!

 

 The winner: G.R, a pretty good jockey. He was reining first not only on a camel, but an ostrich & multiple horse races that weekend.

 Relaxation on a Monday evening

Yep, Classy I know. However,  it was a little too early for me to meet Bert.

A little store in Burlington, KS where we stopped on our way back to Topeka. 

I scored my first Tervis cup here... aka: adult sippy cup. Stay tuned for the Tervis travels ;)

All-in-All a great first weekend out.

A Little Contest :)

Today at work we had a site breakfast with a themed photography contest. Theme: Shining the Light.

I entered the following photo.... and it WON The Judges Choice & Warm & Fuzzy award. Yippy! It's not a huge contest by any means but it was fun & nice to show off my photo. There were lots of other great photos too... So, Congrats to them as well!

Photo Contest!

Who doesn't love photography?!?! Through the blogging grape vine I have discovered two things today... an awesome contest and a new website that I plan on using.
The contest is being put on by Crystal.Cattle and The Farmer's Trophy Wife. All you have to do is visit one of their blogs and follow the instructions (which are super easy!). Once you have done so you are entered to win one of Crystal's photos on canvas. Here's where I learned about a new web page, Canvas Stock, a page where you are able to get your photos printed on canvas. This page also let's you preview your art on canvas (my favorite feature) before ordering. I hope you check it out, the contest deadline is approaching!

Traveling Cameras

Mark today in the books! I have mailed out two disposable cameras for my second photography project. These crazy, busywork ideas all started one day when I was in Hastings (one of my favorite stores) and came accross this book, Photo Jojo. In it are all kinds of photography ideas, projects, games and just different things to explore with your camera. Project 365 was one idea that I took, along with this next one. One where you take a disposable camera, and mail it to anybody. Have them take a picture and let them know to mail it to anybody they desire to either far away or nearby. Then the last person to take a photo would mail it back to me. Once I receive the camera I will then post the photos and talk about where it had traveled. The point is to see how far and where pictures are taken. I mailed off two cameras, one to my good friend Kelsey in Nebraska and another to a friend in Prague, Czech Republic that I studied with back in 2006. Lets hope that the cameras make it through all 22 exposures and back to me. I may even send out another... who knows?!
I wished them luck as I paid the post lady and can't wait for them to return!!!

First Print!!!

Yeh! I just sold my first photo today!! horah!!! it's the one on this blog. It was to a friend for her brother, but I still sold it. I am pretty excited about selling my first print. I just had to take a picture!

As for training goes... doing the 4 mile walk tonight....

Can you see me now?

The theme of the last week..... FOG.

I feel like I should be in London having tea. This is crazy.... I mean we have fog not just in the dawn, but all through out the day. My only complaint about is, I just want to curl up in a blanket all day... which isn't very productive. One reason I do love this weather though is sometimes it makes wonderful photo opportunities!!

I guess we'll have to see how long it lasts!

-Untill then...

Happy New Year!

Our New Years Crew!! (yes, and thank you jorge for the hand)

Once again, I have procrastinated on blogging. I will get in the hang of it. I'm sure I would do it more if I actually had internet at my house... Yes, I know we are behind in the times (it's not my choice)

Anyways, to start off the new year I have made some new lists ( as you can see to the right) .... I'm a total lists person. I make them just to have something to cross off! So, check it out.

I will be trying a few new things this year and letting yall know about it. Movies, books, and food are some of my top things. Plus, I'll throw in some photos, drawings (hopefully if I pull my head out of you know where), and crazy dog stories.

Enjoy!

phew! Long time....

Sheesh, It's been a while! Let's see since July......
Not much has gone on. I've taken a lot of pictures (which I posted some of my favs). Cooper is growing like a weed. He's something else that's for sure. Him and Bruiser are "my boys" they are always pickin' & playin' with stuffed animals together. Cooper also likes to follow Dallas on her little "walks" but hopefully he'll listen a little better than her. Cooper comes up to just above my knee now, and he's only 4 months old! He's going to the vet on friday though... he's all itchy & bloodshot eyes... my fingers are crossed that he's not allergic to anything.
August.... not much went on. Oh! started practicing with the women's rugby team again. Won't touch on that in this message.... It's getting it's
own!


September...... Oh! My BIRTHDAY! A whopping 25 years!! holly cow, right? Jorge, our Pomeroy buddies, and myself all went to eat then pre-drank at Pomeroy house, then headed to the bars. Went around to the bars.... didn't drink too hard because I had the Alumni rugby game in the morning. Met up with some of the ruggers.... Steph even came into town from Oregon to play! Gotta love ole Nippy! I was very proud of myself, went to bed at a decent time.
Then Saturday.... ALUMNI GAME!! Woohoo! All the oldies back in town (well, most of 'um anyway). We played, my heels hurt! oh did they hurt... so i was pissed because i didn't do my best. But we got the rookies in for some playing time. Alumni lost. Then we went to the rugby house for the social.... songs, beergames, fun! Dinner then back out for round 2!

Meanwhile I couldn't walk! My ankles were swollen and I hobbled around the whole night. It sucked! So, the rest of Labor day weekend summed up with me hobbling and some fishing up at Kramers pond by Corning (or some little town NorthEast of here).

Rest of September.... Work. Went and watched rugby since I couldn't play. Then mid-month I had planned to go home to CO to visit & see one of my good friends get hitched! However, my feet got worse, I couldn't walk! had to take vacation & sick time (which I don't have much left. So.... needless to say I was unable to take the time to get home... plus I didn't have the gas money. I feel horrible not making her wedding. I'm sure she was beautiful along with the ceremony!!

The last weekend I tagged along with the team to OK for a tourney. (i'll cover later).

October..... feet are getting better. Tried working out some. Still hurt, but I have got to do some kind of working out.... I'm going crazy! Cooper's getting big and being a little nut. The weather is cooling down. OH! last Saturday we went to Ottawa to a friend of our's farm and camped. Supposed to "catch our dinner" only we didn't catch anything. Luckily we brought brauts & other accutramal. Then we sleplt under the stars, next to the fire, like John Wayne. You're prolly like, "shit! wasn't it cold!" and yes it was chilly but the fire kept us more dry than those in the tent. (hehe).

Other than that not much has been going on. Happy Birthday to my Mother!! .... Big 50!! I wish I was there to embarrass her at her work or resturant or something. I will plan something and get her when I do come home.

New Idea!

~Picture of the Day!~

Since I'm just starting this blogging thing, and I love photography, I am going to try and tie a photo into a blog a day(or whenever I write).

This picture. This is my Bruiser. He is special. I love him. He's very simple minded. I compare him to a toddler, we have to kid-proof the house, and he is entertained by the simplest things. For instance, this picture. Jorge brought home a box for him to play with. He drug it around, chewed it, and just chilled in it..... absolutely had a blast! Now if more people today were just satisfied with simple things. I mean, I am, but some aren't. When I was a kid, cardboard forts were the best! They didn't come around often, because how many times did your parents buy a refrigerator, washer, or dryer. Those were the days. It makes me smile to see Bruiser smiling about the simple joys in life..... boxes, buckets, plastic bottles.

-Till then :)