Foot Ta Bing

As I sit here waiting for the ball to drop, I can't help but reflect on the year 2009 ended up being. I reread my post from January 1st, 2009 to see how close the year came for the hope I had come in to it with. There were ups and downs this year, but overall I'm pretty happy with the way things turned out. We cleared the hump on the recession in good shape. We planted a lot of seeds to make the future flourish both economically and personally. We've made new friends this year and reconnected with old ones. I've developed a spiritual awareness this year that I've never had before. The inner comfort that has resulted I hope makes me a better person to those around me, especially as a father and husband.

On a way more superficial level, in 2009 I discovered the iPhone, quite possibly the greatest toy I've ever owned. I even have a new word in my vocabulary because of it. "Foot Ta Bing". This is the noise my phone makes when I receive a text message. It's one of those noises that must be followed by everyone in my family saying "Foot Ta Bing."

It is on that note that I wish you all a great new year. I hope you live your life with a lot of friends, a loving family, and a smile. May you be carefree enough to say "Foot Ta Bing" out loud in a crowded elevator.

got milk?

A few weeks ago we did a team building event at the studio with Sarah's teammates on her 14U girl's hockey team. Because we were giving the finished photo to her coach for Christmas, I couldn't post it. Now that Christmas has past I can show you the end result. Coach Post is always telling the girls to drink milk and chocolate milk instead of soda, so we thought it fitting to create a "got milk?" ad for him. The girls each made milk mustaches with vanilla shakes before being photographed. It was torture for them. :)

Here are a few more images from the day.

Unto This Night A Child is Born

The beauty of being in an interfaith marriage is that we get to share in both of our religions and family traditions. Although I'm not Christian, Christmas is a magical time to share with my family, seeing the joy and excitement in my kids eyes. For my wife, it's a time to celebrate her faith and for us sharing in that celebration brings us closer.
Over the last few weeks, I've had the pleasure of being able to photograph several newborn babies. The miracle of birth is incredible any time of year, but it holds even more significance this time of year. To share not only in the birth of a child, but the birth of a new family is amazing. It is the ultimate gift.
Whatever your faith may be, have a Merry Christmas, and enjoy the magic this time of year brings.

Pond Hockey

There's nothing quite like skating outside with the wind in your face and hockey with no rules. We went to Coach Armstrong's house yesterday after the Mite A game and skated on their backyard rink. We were even treated to see a few deer walking by to eat near the backyard bird feeders. It was like a scene out of a Currier and Ives Christmas Card.

Misty and Jeff

I Can Hear My Neurons

Some people think I'm crazy, especially a doctor or two, because I can hear my neurons firing in my left ear. If I get a tickle or itch on the inside of my right thigh, I hear what sounds like Morse code in my left ear. It has happened for as long as I can remember. So to prove I'm not crazy, it was happening today, so I had Sue put her ear up to my ear to see if she can hear it. So what does this prove? Well if you walked into the room and saw my wife and I connected by the ear and our explanation was that we were listening to my neurons firing, I think it would only prove that I actually am crazy. I'm going to invent a device that can hear what I'm hearing and record it.
It could be worse though. At least I don't involuntarily shout out "Cuckoo!" every time I get an itch on my thigh. Now that would be embarrassing.

New Albums

Our first shipments of leather Platinum Series albums are starting to come in. With the combination of contemporary styling and the classic look of leather, these books are finished with a custom photographic box adding to it's appeal. Here is a sneak peak.

Remembering Dad

Eight years. It doesn't seem possible that my Dad has been gone eight years. His presence is still so palpable. The memories are still there. They are not fading, but they are morphing into a ball of happiness. Instead of millions of individual memories, they are mushing together and the general thought of Dad is just a warm fuzzy feeling remembering all the happy and quirky moments. He definitely had quirks, but they are what made him he was. If you didn't know my Dad, no words can illustrate how great he was. If you did know him, no words are necessary.

We lit a memorial candle for him today and took turns telling a Dad memory. Mine was from our trip to Wisconsin when I was 15. It was just the two of us on the open road, exploring the state. We initially went there for the EAA Air Show in Oshkosh, but after three days of it, we got restless and went out exploring. Our adventures took us many places, including becoming a pit crew for a low budget stock car team at a local speedway one night. We learned how to do emergency brake turns with our rented Camaro at 50 mph on the open farm roads. (Sorry Hertz) He would wake me up in the morning by sneaking up on me (not hard to do with someone who is sound asleep) and launching me out of bed with one quick push.

He may have died at 62 years old, but he wasn't a day over 12. Some people never grow up and we're all better people for it. I miss him so much.