Authentic expressions

Since graduating, I'm enjoying my new found freedom and am finally getting onto some long anticipated projects. Project one: learning how to use my camera. I don't expect my photos to be professional, but I hope understanding my camera will improve my shots. So, I've started a photography workshop book. At the end of each chapter there is an assignment. My first assignment was to study a person and catch an authentic expression. I hate to say it, but the old student came out of me when I read the assignment. I thought I would just use an old photo I'd taken and check something off my to do list. Then I realized this is all for fun and I didn't have to use the old recycling papers tactic. Whew, and what a relief that realization was.

So, since I spend 99.9% of my time with Little Bug, I don't even know who I spend the other .1% of my time with, she seemed the perfect candidate. In fact I'm pretty sure she will be my main subject throughout this endeavor. While Little Bug was still in her PJs eating lunch, that's right lunch, I pulled out my camera and got to work. I also ended up having fun using some different colored filters and monochrome affects. Without further ado, I present Little Bug and some of her authentic expressions.

My favorite

Andrew's favorite

And honorable mention. In truth I almost deleted this one right off my camera. In fact, I still don't understand why I like it so much. I'll have to keep looking at it to figure it out.

"Chair"

I should have been suspicious by all the noise I was hearing and certainty when I heard a determined voice stating "chair" over and over again. I just never thought she'd think to clear out our food storage and make herself a nice little perch out of canned tomato sauce. She was pretty pleased with herself as seen by her face here. And honestly, I was impressed by all those hefty cans she managed to toss out of her newly acquired space.

We had a fun weekend where...

We finally got to attend an A's game together. Little Bug once again loved all the clapping, screaming, and music. We just now need to teach her to only cheer when the A's have made a good play.





And where we went to the zoo. Little Bug decided she wanted to watch the elephants for at least half an hour. She actually scrambled up Andrew's arms when she first saw them. I do agree they are pretty intimidating animals. Here she is making sure we see where the elephants are.

Annual trek

If you can call a two hour plane ride a trek, than that's what we did. We recently got back from a much anticipated trip to Utah. We did all the usual fun stuff...stock up on candy, go swimming, water ski, and lounge around. The only thing that made it different was Little Bug being old enough to enjoy more of the festivities. We are also pretty sure she had fun ordering around everybody in the house with her "pleases" and "comes."

Papa saved planting the beans for Little Bug's arrival. This is where Little Bug discovered her love of rakes. There was only one catch, Papa had to have a rake at the same time. I literally mean that every time the pair went outside, they had to have their rakes in hand. That's devotion on both accounts.






We made an afternoon stop at Wheeler Farm. Papa showed us all around his old stomping ground. We also stopped in and saw a live cow milking. Little Bug happily exclaimed "milk!", while I on the other hand was a tad bit disgusted with the reality of where milk came from.

What a treat, swimming with grandma. We were glad to have her company in the water and Bug was grateful for her helping hand up to the slide. You might notice we accidentally put on a pull up diaper instead of a swim diaper. It would be helpful if those two didn't look so similar. And believe me, diapers will keep expanding as long as your in the water. We eventually left as Little Bug began pulling at her ever increasing diaper. Did you know when diapers are overfull they explode when you take them off? Believe us, they do.

Little Bug was excited to be on the boat this year.


She was not as excited to be on the inner tube. However, she was all ready to jump in the water right after daddy.




And finally, a nice trip to the park.




What a life...

Disneyland

My brother and sister-in-law won 4 free tickets to Disneyland off the radio! Seriously, who actually wins stuff like that? Since they offered us two of their free tickets, I guess in a way we did!

Little Bug's favorites were 1. The tiki room, 2. Its a small world and 3. Dumbo. We all had a great time, but Andrew and I discovered that we are now old. Shoot. Since when did two roller coaster rides make your head spin for an entire day? Maybe we could blame it on slight dehydration, but neither of us want to try that again soon. We are now having serious discussions about who has to ride roller coasters with the kids.

It took her some time to warm up, but she definitely became a fan of the carousel.

Third time around on Dumbo.

Just to prove I was on the trip too.

Our mad buzz lightyear skills.

Probably the cutest thing from our trip. Little Bug would only hold Cousin Z's hand.

Thanks for such a fun filled weekend Greg and Katy! How about you use your luck again next year and get us some more tickets?

June 19, 2010

I sat in reflection on an old familiar couch in that small Hong Kong apartment. I was in shock my journey was coming to a quick close. I'd been planning on a serving a mission for so long, how could it be ending? I thought about all the hilarious, sad, happy and sorrowful moments I'd shared with people. It was in such a thought I realized how much I loved listening to people and their stories. At that moment I felt like everything was at my fingertips and all I had to do was reach out and grab what I wanted. In that moment of amazement, I decided to get a maters degree in marriage and family therapy.

Once again I find myself sitting on an all too familiar couch thinking back. It is interesting to see how my goal unraveled and how life continued rolling along while I was attending graduate school. I am grateful for the support of my family. In particular, to a mother who joyfully watched, loved and cared for Little Bug while I was in class. I am also grateful for a husband who always happily rearranged his schedule when needed and who never treated his educational goals above my own. It is unfortunate that I am the only one who ended up with a degree because in reality this accomplishment reflects the support and love of so many.

Now in the words of a very wise sister-in-law, "I am retired."

Dwelley Farms

I am not to sure when I learned about the 'U-pick' at Dwelly Farms, but I was pretty excited to take Little Bug berry picking this year. And really what an ingenious idea on the farmers part. They grow the fruit and people come pick it for them! A few weeks back we made it out to the farm and Little Bug did surprisingly well. I tried to tell her the berries were candy so she would try them, but alas, just like any other food, they lasted a fraction of a second in her mouth. While she didn't like the berries, she did have fun picking them off the stems, plunking them in a box, and of course frolicking amongst the bushes.

Picking the berries.

Said frolicking.

Andrew has definitely instilled a love of trucks in Little Bug. You can imagine his pure joy when Little Bug spotted some big trucks and tractors and made a mad dash over to them to take a peek.  So did Andrew actually. Check out that face, pure amazement. Andrew's I mean.

Is it just me, or doesn't every kid need a picture of them by a tractor?

Girl time with daddy

Little Bug is a big fan of painting her nails. There is only one catch, as soon as you paint a color on she wants it wiped off. Way to be a good sport Andrew.

Sick days

I am really not a promoter of tv for kids. However, sick days call for it. I remember as a child that when we were sick we got to watch a lot of tv/movies. This totally back fired on me one time in 5th grade when my grandpa was watching my siblings and I. I went to school as usual and came up with this grand idea that if I pretended to get sick I could go home and watch as much television as I wanted. Too bad when I came home "sick" my grandpa told me sick kids only got to sleep. Well, the sleeping only lasted a half hour when I humbly walked downstairs and told my grandpa that I was actually feeling much better and wanted to go back to school. I can still remember the surprise of my teacher and friends as I opened the door to my classroom and took a seat in my chair.

So when Little Bug was sick last week we let her watch some "shows". It is just too bad kids are such fast learners because now she is waking up in the morning requesting "shows, shows, shows..."

Another oopps

Somehow I managed to break another one of our bathroom sinks. If you need a refresher on the first one, go here. In my defense, there was already a big crack in the bottom of our sink. Unfortunately, I was the straw that broke the camels back. While washing my hands I accidentally knocked our glass soap dispenser over into the sink. Suddenly there was a nice newly formed hole. Luckily I'm married to the apartment manager and it was fixed in a few short hours . Little Bug thought it was the best think ever to be "helping daddy"replace the sink. I thought it was the best thing ever that our new sink has a cupboard underneath it, creating badly needed storage.