365/7 Kalli gets a haircut

Kalli Mae took the scissors to her own hair, so her Mom (Rachel has been to beauty school) had to cut it. We think her new style looks very cute on her. My favorite is the one below this paragraph, her eyes are huge and the pose is waaayyyy cute. So grownup for someone who's just 3 1/2.

365/6 Ashley moves to Mexico

Ashley said "Good Bye" to her sisters at home and then to her Papa in front of the airport. (Yes, Danan came with us to the airport.)

This is a posed picture. I helped her check in the luggage and gave her a last hug goodbye before she went through the metal detectors. She flew to TX and then on to Leon, Mexico. Late that evening we received a confirmation call to say she'd landed and Miguel was there to pick her up. It's about an hours drive from the airport to Miguel's in Guanajuato, MX. Ashley will be teaching at the Guanajuato Universidad in Irapuato, MX this semester. She will be teaching Levels 3 & 4 English to the University students, Miguel teaches Levels 1 & 2.


I managed to keep it together for Ashley's sake until we pulled away from the terminal. It is very hard to say goodbye to your child when they are moving to another country and you're not sure when you will see them again. I've been dreading it for an entire year, another one grown and flown....just wished their wings and hearts didn't carry them so far away. We are so very proud of her accomplishments and her determination to make a difference in the world; not just in her bank account. We will miss her dearly and look forward to hearing all about her future adventures. I'll keep you posted!

365/5 Bobcat

Not everyone can leave their desk at work and in a matter of minutes have the opportunity to photograph a bobcat. Today was a sunny, but cold day and the path to Taz's cage was a bit icy; but I wanted my picture for 365, so I persevered. If you'd like to see this cat up close and personal come to the Nature Center in Howell and visit him in person. Howell Nature Center's web page is here http://www.howellnaturecenter.org/

365/4 Junior Dog Trainer

Who doesn't want to capture a cute photo of a dog and a child together? This is not what I had in mind. I wanted them to stand closer together & both look at the camera and it would be nice if the dog stayed still, while the little girl put her arm around her and smiled angelically. Instead, poor Danan is looking at me like, "do I have to mind her?" I gave Danan the hand signal and told her to "STAY", my granddaughter, Sydney repeated the command "STAY" in her very commanding voice, and gave her the hand signal too. CRACK ME UP! There's a picture worth a thousand words for you.

365/3 Christmas Letter Photo

Those of you that received a Christmas letter from us will recognize this photo. No it's not just blurry and out of focus, it's a special effect I used on Kodak Gallery's website called Watercolor. It's a great way to make that special picture one of a kind. This picture is full of meaning for me.

I took my turn first and was tired out, going up & down a small hill for a roller coaster-effect. Then I convinced Gary to take a turn, so I could get a photo. He took them on a safari tour through the back and side yards of their property. Both Michael & Ava thought that was really cool and kept clamouring for "more".

365/2 Under the Tree on Christmas Eve

Elora Danan, our five year old soft-coated Wheaton Terrier. She's named after the baby princess in the movie "Willow", but we mostly just call her Danan. (The name is pronouned like Dannon, the yogurt.) Can you believe there were four other dogs in this house when this photo was taken? She's such a good dog, and i'm so very blessed to have her.

Be My Little Sugar

My granddaughter, Sydney blessed us with a concert on Christmas Eve. I decided to try to get her to repeat it on Christmas Day. This is one of the three videos I took. She's so adorable, can you believe she just turned two last month? After viewing you'll see that I need to learn how to edit a video; therefore, there will be a slight delay in posting the other two.