K. & B. Dallstream

Christmas Break

2012-01-15T12:55:00.000-08:00

Ok, I know its the middle of January.

Riley was home pretty much from December 22 to Jan 3rd, so we had lots of family time.
He helped me make cheesy bread, I think his favorite part was sprinkling the cheese.

For Christmas this guy got soooo much cool stuff.

See this neat ramp thingie, that all of the cars work on?

Apparently, it's not as cool at the laundry basket ramp (that is also a slide)

Cruise 2011

2012-01-15T12:35:00.001-08:00

Since I'm super behind in posing pictures, I'll try to get a bunch up today.

So the 2nd week in December, we went on a Cruise, on the Norwegian Spirit. We left out of New Orleans, and went to Costa Maya (where we just shopped a little bit), Belize (we went on a river boat tour, then to some Mayan ruins), Honduras (we went snorkeling and sea kayaking) and Cozumel (where we just shopped a little bit). We had a great time, and it was super relaxing, we spent a lot of time on the sundeck just reading...maybe a little napping. On to the pictures.

In Belize, we went on this river tour and ruin trip. We got off the ship, it was pouring, took a 15 minute boat ride to the port, then another 15 minute boat ride to the mouth of the river. The trip up the river was awesome. We got to see lots of wildlife (in the picture is a group of howler monkeys), and had a great tour guide who taught us about the culture and history of the country. Then we had a local lunch, and on to a bus to take us to Altun Ha. It was misting a little bit when we got there, but not too badly. We walked around the grounds for a while and even got to climb to the top of this ruin.

In Honduras, we went on a snorkel/ kayak tour. The snorkeling was probably some of the best that we have seen. Lots of coral, and tons of colorful fish. The only downside was that since it was in a cove off the ocean, there were quite a bit of waves, so we definitely worked off some of the calories from the ship. We had lunch there, and then went on a Kayak trip to another cove. The guides then showed us some of the local fauna, and even picked fresh coconuts for us. No pictures, but we were on Roatan, West End. The tour was run out of the SeaBreeze Inn, and we had lunch at the Cannibal Cafe (food was fantastic), and they offer the same tour to people saying at the inn.

When we finally made it back to New Orleans, we decided to walk around the French Quarter, instead of sitting at the airport. We had beignets at Cafe Beignets, and looked at all of the neat architecture.

Bat MAN!!

2011-11-27T11:18:00.000-08:00

The other night, Riley decided that he wanted to be Batman, so one blanket later he was "flying" around the living room.

Family Pictures

2011-11-13T11:23:00.000-08:00

So, once again a friend and I got our families together to trade family pictures. Riley had a great time and did so well for the camera, but of course got a little silly.

Pumpkin Time

2011-11-13T11:14:00.001-08:00

So, one night after work we drove over to the Pumpkin patch in Liberty. Riley had a great time giving me grain to feed the goats (he didn't want to, because they kept nibbling on him), and running around.

We get on the wagon to go to the "pumpking patch," which is really a harvested corn field that has pumpkins in it. He picked one out and brought it home for Dad to carve.

Riley even helped Brian design the pumpkin face, and helped me pull out the pumpkin seeds, (apparently the inside feels like "eww". After the pumpkin was carved, Riley kept asking if it was going to fly away (!!). Who knows.

Tractor Daze

2011-07-16T12:33:00.000-07:00

Well last weekend at the Agricultural Hall of Fame here in KC, they had an event "Tractor Daze." I have to say the Ag Hall of Fame seemed like it is pretty interesting, they have a blacksmith shop, a building devoted to the art of raising chickens, a 1 room schoolhouse w/ teacher, a little train, and more.

Riley loved the train (of course), so he and Brian had to take a ride.

They watched the Tractor Pull.

Looked inside old trucks.

And looked at all kinds of tractors. Riley mostly patted on the front, but was able to sit on some of them.

Camping

2011-07-16T12:22:00.000-07:00

Over the 4th of July weekend, we drove up to the Bolfing family resort in Cold Spring, Minnesota. Along the way, we stopped in Boone, IA where they have a train museum, and lots of train stuff to walk around / climb in.

Riley got to go on his 1st boat ride, he loved it. Yes I know the life jacket is pink, Riley isn't too manly for safety.

However, he wasn't too fond of the Lake part. Riley refused to touch the water with more than a hand. Oh well, it'll work out. I think over all he had a good time. There were lots of boats to watch, and he ran everywhere.

One of the most interesting parts was the camping. We brought our tent, and camped with Brian's parents. I think Riley enjoyed the tent part of the trip, I know he liked climbing into our bed whenever he wanted. Packing camp was a little challenging. It rained a good part of the night, and in the morning there was still some light rain. We managed to get almost everything out of the tent without waking Riley. Here we are with the last piece to go, the sleeping bag he was on. The trip home was great. Riley was so tired from the last 3 days of being up from 6 am to 10 pm, that he slept at least 1/2 the way home.

May

2011-05-23T16:48:00.000-07:00

OK, so I have no idea what to post as a title for this, so lets just get to the pictures.

Riley and Brian at B's grandparents 60th wedding anniversary reception.

Riley and his cousin Bobby at the church playing.

Two!

2011-02-09T06:35:00.001-08:00

Well, its been two years since wonderboy came into our lives, and what a crazy/fun journey it's been so far.

Riley loves lining his cars up in a line.

And the face after pushing his little "train" of cars off the table.

Dallstream Christmas

2010-12-28T03:56:00.001-08:00

As soon as we were done opening presents at our house, we loaded up the car and headed to Grandma and Grandpa D's house. Grandma had a full house, and Riley got to play with all of the cousins.

Riley was super excited about his "bike."

Thanks Grandma and Grandpa!

Merry Christmas 2010

2010-12-28T03:48:00.000-08:00

OK, ok, it's a few days late, but better late than never... right? Christmas was sooo much fun this year. Riley has finally gotten the hang of opening presents, and seems to love everything he got, to the point of getting upset at the dog when she goes to sniff a toy, "noooo, mine."

Hope everyone had a fun and safe holiday.

Duplo Man

2010-12-23T13:06:00.001-08:00

It's so funny, if dad will help him build a long base, this kid will just keep stacking until he is either out of pieces, or its too unstable.

Westhoff Christmas

2010-12-23T12:57:00.000-08:00

Last weekend was the 2010 Westhoff Christmas. Riley had lots of fun leading his pawpaw around to play and explore.

Our little peter pan

2010-11-03T17:03:00.000-07:00

Riley was a little Peter Pan for Halloween.

He didn't quite know what to do at the first house, but then was a pro.

When we got home, he had to examine his loot.

As a bonus, he then built a giant DVD tower.

October Photo Round-up

2010-10-28T14:34:00.001-07:00

It's been a busy, month but I'm not going to try justifying not putting any pictures up, so here goes:

Riley and Grandpa discussing the finer points of pumpkin picking:

Obligatory Pumpkin Patch Picture:

Would you believe this went on for about 20 minutes?

I don't think there are words that describe this:

Time Flies

2010-09-07T17:55:00.000-07:00

I can't get over how fast the summer is going.
Riley and Pepper have gotten to an understanding, most of the time. I think it has something to do with the fact that Riley likes to share his goodies with the dog.

This kid and his box. He just likes to sit in there, and has figured out how to hold on to something else so he can climb in. Weird.

And one last picture. Apparently, no one likes to eat alone.

Dancing with the Baby in the Mirror

2010-07-26T16:30:00.000-07:00

Riley loves playing with the baby in the mirror.

Road Trip Antics

2010-07-26T16:27:00.001-07:00

This weekend we drove down to my sister's and met the whole family for lunch. On the ride home, Riley got a little silly.

And then started playing peek-a-boo

Neat cloud on the edge of a big storm (taken out the window as we drove).

Ding Dong the Shed is GONE!

2010-07-26T16:24:00.001-07:00

We finally tore our shed down. My friends at work wondered why.

Industrious Guy

2010-07-26T16:16:00.000-07:00

It is too funny watching his mind go.

He sorts the shoes.

He decided that the bottles all needed to go on the chair, 3 times.

TP is interesting.

Busy boy

2010-05-17T17:59:00.000-07:00

Riley has been busy lately.

He helps unload groceries.

He sorts the plastic-ware.

And walks all over the house, keeping mom and dad on their toes.

It's not the same chair....

2010-05-17T17:56:00.000-07:00

See... the new one is red.... and has legs....

So we finally found a chair that we like to replace the 1970's wonder.

Forgotten pictures

2010-04-07T17:11:00.001-07:00

After Riley's haircut, I took some new 1 year pictures, but forgot to post them.

Ahh, the midwest...

2010-04-07T17:04:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, it was 79 F. Today when I left work, it was a balmy, sunny, mid 70s day. Then the cold front moved in. Right now it is 45 F, with a wind chill of 23 F. (thanks weather dot com!)

No that's not snow, its hail.

Although, that really wouldn't surprise me. After all, it's only April, and we live in the midwest.

1st Haircut

2010-03-02T17:56:00.000-08:00

Riley was getting pretty shaggy, so I decided that he needed a hair cut.
Before

After

I think it looks pretty good.

Fun Video

2010-03-02T17:34:00.000-08:00

Riley was being super silly a few weeks ago.

He was happily destroying a catalog and giggling like crazy when I would say "boo."

goofy boy

2010-02-08T18:07:00.000-08:00

This kid is so goofy.

Of course bowls go on the head.

He likes to play peek-a-boo in the curtains.

Happy Birthday Riley

2010-02-08T18:02:00.001-08:00

I can't believe that its been a whole year.

He wasn't too sure about the cake, but figured it out after a few pokes.

I even got pictures taken!

Surprise!

2010-01-27T09:07:00.000-08:00

Riley loves his little house. Especially going in, closing the door, and then busting through the door, like we didn't just see him go in. And of course the whole time he is laughing.

So, apparently Riley has decided that he is going to start crawling on his hand and knees (he has been army crawling), as well as trying to walk. Weird...

Merry Christmas, photo roundup

2009-12-25T17:19:00.000-08:00

Today was a really nice day, despite the piles of snow outside our door.

Riley loves his new house, he likes using the light switch, door bell, and of course the door.

Pepper got a new toy, and loved on it all day. However, she seems to think that she can do a toy swap with Riley's toys.

Some holiday cookies...

Ever wonder what happens when you set the shutter wrong, while taking a picture of the Christmas tree? This...

Fun New Games

2009-12-17T17:59:00.000-08:00

So, Riley has found a few new games.
#1 Wandering Trash Cans.

Riley has long been fascinated by the trash can. The little foot is fun to play with, and it makes noise too. Now he pushes it around the kitchen.

#2 Laundry Basket Lounging.

He has figured out how to climb into the laundry basket, and then lounges around in it.

#3 Coffee Table Gymnastics

Once he climbs onto the little shelf, he scoots around doing laps. Then usually ends up crying because he either A: is stuck and can't get out, or B: bonks his head.

Good times.

(That isn't dust on the coffee table, I swear)

Christmas Card Rejects

2009-12-13T19:21:00.000-08:00

Taking pictures for the Christmas card this year was super fun. It was hard to pick just one so here are a few more.

Nine Month Pictures

2009-11-24T13:50:00.000-08:00

Last weekend I finally got around to taking Riley's 9 month pictures. I can't believe how big he has gotten. He loves to clap-clap.

Time Flies

2009-11-23T17:50:00.000-08:00

I can't believe that it's almost Thanksgiving.
Riley is ready for his feast.

(Those are green beans.)

Random Pics

2009-11-01T15:57:00.001-08:00

Almost packed and ready to go to Grandma and Grandpa's house.

Halloween

2009-11-01T15:54:00.000-08:00

Mr Riley was Dr Riley for Halloween. The neighbors thought he was cute, and should have some candy. Maybe next year.
Brian had fun carving the pumpkin, but made sure it wasn't scary.

Laundry day and turtle boy

2009-10-23T18:00:00.000-07:00

Riley is a big help on laundry day. He will gladly hold hangers and loves to pat the basket.

Pepper has a cushioned basket that is her spot to sit in. As such, Riley is very interested in it. The other day, he managed to flip it up over himself, and then crawled around the living room like a turtle. I only wish I had gotten video, but Brian and I were laughing too hard.

Acorns

2009-10-23T17:56:00.000-07:00

So there is a huge oak tree that hangs over the deck, and it is dropping the biggest acorns I have seen. They sound like golf balls. Please excuse my slightly out-of-focus picture.

Family Pictures

2009-10-23T17:52:00.000-07:00

One of my friends and I got together and took pictures of each others families. Jaime did a great job! I can't believe how big Riley is getting.

Peanut Pumpkin

2009-10-17T14:55:00.000-07:00

Oh, while we were there, they also grow all kinds of pumpkins. The Peanut Pumpkin caught my eye.

My little pumpkin

2009-10-17T14:44:00.001-07:00

So, we went to the pumpkin patch today.

I've decided that B and I are in the wrong business. I know it was not freezing today, and the sun made it out for a while, but holey moley that place was packed.

He's on the move

2009-10-17T14:32:00.000-07:00

So, the last few weeks have been eventful around here. Riley is starting to crawl. The first indication? -->

I finally caught him on video.

So B and I have been trying to get things more baby-safe around here.
Also, he is up to 8 teeth now. 8!?!?

Silly baby

2009-09-05T07:44:00.000-07:00

Ok, I know 2 in a row, but...more video. He is trying so hard to move forward. He can pivot on that belly, and is really good at scooting backwards, but forward is hard. Oh well.

Also, here is one clean little guy. Look at all of that blond hair.

Chatty little Riley

2009-09-05T07:18:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy couple of weeks. School started for Brian, even though he is done with classes, the first week is a little crazy. Riley has been having fun at daycare, all the other little kids love to play with him, and show him pictures in books. He has been a chatty little guy, and I finally managed to get some video of him.

He has also been trying all kinds of fruits and vegetables. Carrot, sweet potatoes, bananas, pears = great. Peas? no thanks.

6 Months

2009-08-08T11:54:00.001-07:00

I can't believe that its been 6 months already.
I took some pictures today with his new friend. Riley was getting bored, so he started blowing bubbles.

Slimey

2009-08-01T04:28:00.000-07:00

So, apparently I bought Riley a sleeper that makes him look like Slimey the worm from Sesame Street. You be the judge:

In other news, my child is brilliant:

Lil' blue eyes

2009-07-18T17:44:00.001-07:00

I can't believe this weather. It is July and we have the windows open.
I had to put a jacket on Riley this morning.

Crazy.

Little Firecracker

2009-07-05T06:42:00.000-07:00

Gotta love that cheeseball grin, and yes his shirt says little firecracker.

Riley tried cereal this weekend, and it went well.

Riley is doing great. He rolls over pretty well, he only gets stuck every once in a while. Now he is trying to figure out how to get those little legs underneath him, to try and move more. He is having fun at daycare. There are little kids to watch, and show him picture books and talk to him.

Work for me is fine. I changed jobs when I came back from maternity leave, to a brand new position. So it has been a challenge to figure out exactly what my duties are, as well as getting a new boss.

Brian is busily working on his dissertation. Hopefully (fingers crossed) in December he will be Dr. Brian.

1st Playdate

2009-06-22T16:56:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, we went over to grandma and grandpa Dallstream's house. Riley's cousins were there for a sleepover. We had lots of fun playing, and Riley liked to watch those crazy boys. And we actually managed to get a picture of all three of them together

Craigslist = awesome

2009-06-22T16:49:00.000-07:00

So, I started seriously looking for new to us clothes for kiddo last week, not having much luck at the garage sales. I did well earlier in the year, mostly because of the neighborhood sales. Lately? nothing. So I was on craigslist.com on Friday, and I came across an add for 12/18/24 month clothes, in a suburb not too far from here. We loaded up the family and drove over, and this is what we got: 8 grocery bags full of clothes - nice brands, not stained, for much less than I would have paid at any garage sale. I was so happy, I took a picture of our loot.

June is here

2009-06-04T05:38:00.000-07:00

Riley has had an exciting week. He is working on rolling over from his back to his tummy. The only problem, he keeps getting stuck on his shoulder, and that is apparently very upsetting. He is also pretty good at scooting around in circles on the floor. On Sunday, he finally laughed. And I think he is working on pushing some teeth out. On that note, here is a picture of Riley with his little cow, his current favorite toy, and a short video of him, with bonus background sounds of Pepper trying to get attention.

Time Flies

2009-05-19T18:15:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how fast the last 2 weeks have gone. Riley is doing great at daycare. The other little kids "read" him books, and he comes home absolutely tired.

We got this carrier, and Brian loves it. Here they are walking the dog. Riley likes it too, as when we go on walks at the park, he can look around, and then take a little nap on Dad if he wants.

And I found him a little hat, so his noggin wouldn't get sunburned.

Time to go back to work

2009-05-04T11:24:00.001-07:00

Well I have to go back to work on Wednesday, but Riley is at daycare right now. On friday, we went to a few garage sales and picked up some clothes for kiddo, and we found a brand new high-chair, in the box. So here is Riley in his way-too-big high chair.

Family Pictures

2009-04-26T13:36:00.001-07:00

So, we took some family pictures today. It went pretty well, although Riley wasn't smiling. I didn't even try to get Pepper in for the whole family one, with me running to the camera to hit the timer, I could see myself falling over her.

Rolling over

2009-04-18T12:03:00.000-07:00

So Riley started rolling over a few weeks ago, but I finally got it recorded. I know it looks like I'm helping, but I had to stop him from rolling until I got the camera recording. Everytime I would put him on his tummy, the little stinker would roll.

Easter

2009-04-17T14:28:00.000-07:00

For Easter weekend, we took the whole family to my dad's. I think that Mr. Riley overpacked. But he did look super cute in his overall's.

It seems like everytime I pick up our little camera, Brian has taken a bunch of pics of Riley cheesing out.

More Pics

2009-04-17T14:23:00.000-07:00

So when Riley was about 6 weeks old, I took some more pictures (my hobby is finally paying off, i.e. I don't have to pay for these).

2 Months

2009-04-03T08:13:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how fast the time is going by. It seems like Riley is changing everyday. He is getting really good at holding his head up (who knew that a person could be so excited for that), and is really good at grabbing onto items on his play-gym. The first time he really grabbed on to that ring, he started crying. I don't think he knew what to do with it. Pepper is getting bolder about sniffing him, and one day, Riley touched her, she made a bee-line for my lap, almost as if saying "mom save me, he touched me." Right now, Riley is on his play-gym, talking to the sun on the top.

New Pictures

2009-03-19T09:00:00.000-07:00

Riley is doing great. He topped 9 pounds, I think he finally decided that he was going to gain weight, and really concentrated on that. Brian and I are doing well, I think we finally have a routine at night that we can handle. Hopefully, Riley will get with the program and actually sleep when he is supposed to soon.

Pepper is adjusting to her new place in our family. She is doing a great job about not barking at night when Riley cries. I think she has just resigned herself to the noise.

One of my friends was complaining about the lack of new pictures, so here you go. And yes, that hand is hovering in the air, not touching the little headrest.

1st Bath

2009-02-25T11:13:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, Riley got his first real bath. He did really well when we got him in the sink. He was fine sitting in the warm water. It got more traumatic after that.

1 Week Today

2009-02-15T15:04:00.000-08:00

So, Riley was very mellow this afternoon, so I had to take some pictures.

Introducing Riley Ellis

2009-02-12T07:33:00.000-08:00

He was determined to enter this world with a bang. Riley was born on February 8, 2009, at 3:34 AM after an emergency C-Section. Everything is fine now, he was trying to come out shoulder first, and the doctor was a little worried about his vitals. He was 8 lbs, 1 oz, and 20 1/2 inches long. I'm fine, just a little sore from the surgery, and Brian is being super dad. All of the nurses at the hospital were amazed at how much he wanted to do/help, and of course, they were all charmed by my little man. Ok, no one wants to watch me ramble, here are some pics.

Almost There!!

2009-01-31T09:32:00.001-08:00

So, there is only 1 week until my due date. This last week, I have been working on finishing up any last minute things, making sure kiddo has clean clothes, sheets, that kind of thing. Oh, and I finally packed some things for the hospital. I think I have hit the point where I am ready to not be pregnant anymore.

Today, B is putting up the last door (we painted trim/doors). Its been a while since we had all of the doors attached to the house. Maybe now Pepper will stay out of the closets.

Happy New Year

2009-01-03T06:56:00.000-08:00

So, its the new year. I have heard a lot of people saying that they are happy that 2008 is over, and I have to admit. Our 2008 wasn't that bad. We had a great trip in April, we found out about the baby, and otherwise the year has been pretty uneventful (not that I'm complaining). 2009 will be better though.

My vacation is almost over, and that makes me a little sad. I've been on vacation since 12-17, and have been working on going through boxes, making piles - trash, Salvation army, 1/2 price bookstore, just trying to get some of the clutter out of the house. B is going to start getting mad, I keep moving stuff around, I think it must have taken 10 minutes to find the coffee filters. oh well.

Alien baby is doing fine. I'm 35 weeks now, (out of 40), so only a couple of weeks left. B and I took some pictures, Pepper thought she needed to help. On wednesday (the 31st) we took a tour of the maternity wing where I am going to deliver, and filled out a lot of the paperwork to "pre-admit" me.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-20T19:13:00.000-08:00

To all who found our little spot on the web from the Christmas card, welcome.

This year has been quite a year. We celebrated our 5 year anniversary in January. We went to Hermann, MO, and stayed in a B&B for the weekend. It was really relaxing, however there was an ice storm a few days earlier, and when we were leaving, the weather was questionable. Thankfully we made it home ok. In April we visited the beautiful country of Ireland. If you scroll down, you will see pictures and be able to read stories. To sum, it was great, and I would recommend it to anyone.

In June, we learned that we were expecting a new little person (still a surprise baby). February 7th is coming faster than I thought it would. Brian and I have been working on the house, trying to get all of the little home improvement projects done. It's getting close, we may just make it. Right now the baby's room looks like a disaster area, with boxes and stuff sitting around. I have time off until the end of the year so, I suppose I will try to get stuff straightened out.

Work for me has been crazy. As I am pregnant, I'm not working in the lab, so I've been writing reports....for the last 6 months. We had a huge project that got finished up the end of September, and then its been smaller projects with tight deadlines. Brian is working on finishing up his Ph.D. (hopefully in May). He finished up all of the course work, but is now working on his dissertation, and teaching a few undergraduate classes.

Brian and I hope that you have a great holiday season, Merry Christmas.

Pepper vs. The Wrapping Paper Tube

2008-12-16T06:10:00.000-08:00

So, last year, we noticed that Pepper really enjoyed playing with the wrapping paper tubes, along with pretty much anything you gave her, egg carton, random collapsed boxes, paper towel tubes....

Ireland, Day 7

2008-12-04T10:50:00.001-08:00

Well, it all had to end sometime, and I think we were both ready to come home and sleep in our own bed. We got up early, and before the Innkeeper's kids were on the bus, we were eating breakfast. As we drove to the Shannon Airport there was this lingering thought "do we have enough gas?" Most of our vacation, we had only put a few euros in at a time, as we got to drop the car off empty, so we didn't want to put any more in than we had to. About 2/3 of the way to the Airport, we stopped and put 2 L in (gas was about 1.22 euro/L, 4L = 1 gallon). When we pulled into the car drop-off, our little meter said we had 15 km left in the gas tank, so I think we did pretty well. As we were driving, we were on the highway, we passed this beautiful castle, and of course there wasn't any time to stop/pull over. So I did what anyone would do - rolled down the window. We made it to the airport, and had time to check in, do a little bit of shopping in the Duty-free store, and change any euros we had left back to dollars. The flight home was pretty un-interesting, which I'm ok with.

Ireland, Day 6

2008-12-04T10:39:00.000-08:00

We didn't drive near as much this day as the others, as we were staying Doolin another night. So we drove up the coastline a little bit, and visited the Burren, which is a piece of Ireland that is so rocky, I was amazed that anyone could raise anything, but sure enough when we were out hiking, we saw a man and his dog moving some cattle. Most of this day we stopped at another castle (imagine that) and went to more little church/cemetary combinations. So most of this trip, we have been using this map, that often has a little star and some sight to see, but no real direction as to how to get there. I managed to get B to turn down this little "road" that frankly, I'm surpised didn't rip the oil pan off of our little car. We turned in a little early this day, mostly as we had to pack and clean out the car a little bit. Our flight left pretty early, so we had to leave for the airport first thing in the morning.

Ireland, Day 5

2008-12-04T10:14:00.000-08:00

We continued up the coast of western Ireland. To save time, we hopped on a ferry that took us across a small bay, where the Shannon goes to the sea. We then hugged the coast for a while. The view was fantastic, however, there was one slight problem. There are remarkably few public restrooms. And I'll just leave it at that. The big sight for the day was visiting the Cliffs of Moher. Which is I think the one place that every tour bus stops, but it was...wow.

We stayed that night in Doolin, which is a little town that is known for having lots of Irish music. Since it was pretty early in the season, only one of the pubs was open, and when you walked in the door, heat from the fireplace could almost push you over. The music was great. There were 3 guys, with a total of probably 6 instruments, ranging from the accordian, pipes/flutes/clarinets, and the bodhráns (traditional irish drum). And could they play. It was interesting to watch them play, they would just be talking/drinking, and then one would start up a new song, and the other two would just hop right on in.

Husband's can be cute sometimes

2008-10-16T06:22:00.000-07:00

So, I'm almost 6 months along with our little tater-tot, and B has been trying to feel the baby move/kick. The other morning when I was getting ready to leave for work, he said "I think I felt the baby move last night, but I'm not sure", when I asked when, he looked away and says "well, I couldn't sleep...." So this morning, I woke up a little before the alarm, and all cuddled up w/ B, felt the baby moving, and put B's hand where I felt the baby. The first kick, B made this surprised noise, then another one. Then said "Hi baby." Too cute.

Ireland, Part 4

2008-08-25T10:26:00.000-07:00

On day 4, we drove over this mountain pass on the Beara Penninsula. It was so pretty. The whole way up, we just kept stopping in driveways, and anywhere the road was wide enough, to take pictures.

There were also sheep.
Once we made it through the pass, we went to the Killarney National Park. There was a neat waterfall (Torc waterfall), and found some students to take a pic for us. There was also the neatest monastary (Muckross Abbey) When the most recent structure was built, they planted a yew tree in the center of the cloister. The tree is doing great, the abbey is getting a facelift. To round out the day, we visited the Ross Castle, which had been remodeled (many times) most recently to depict 16th century life. It was interesting to see the layout of life in a tower house.

So... it's almost the end of August

2008-08-25T10:18:00.001-07:00

And I haven't updated this thing for a while. This summer has been crazy.

BIG NEWS - Brian and I found out in June that we will be having a baby around February 7, 2009. We are so excited, but trying to get the house put back together before the baby comes is tiring.

We found a dresser at an estate sale that B refinished. It looks awesome. Anyway. I guess I'll add some more posts, with pics from the latest photography gig, and more Ireland shots.

More baby Pics

2008-06-06T14:03:00.000-07:00

So the last few weeks have been super busy.

On May 18th, Jaime and I took pictures of our friend Randy's little girl for her 3 month pictures. We took her newborn pics, in February. She was awesome, she kept making goofy faces and sticking her tounge out. It maybe doesn't make the best pictures, but when I went through the files, I couldn't stop giggling.

On May 19th, I went over to Brian's cousins place to take pictures of her newborn. He was being a little fussy, but I think they turned out well.

Ireland, Part 3

2008-05-15T13:46:00.000-07:00

So, on day 3 we drove the southern coast from Kinsale, to Bantry. We stopped at a fort (James Fort) just across the bay from Charles Fort. And then started down the coast. We stopped at a Friary at Timoleague, which was just fantastic. The interesting thing is that among the graves inside the church, they noted what part of the building it used to be, ie chapel, sacristy...

Then at the other end of the religious spectrum, we drove to a stone circle. We were using this map that came with the car, and it had some extra sights on it that I hadn't heard about before. So we would just drive towards this star on the map, and hope we found it. More often than not, we would be driving (a little lost) and then see a sign. This is a view from where the circle sits, it was just so picturesque, and ireland-ish.

One really neat place we went to see was the lighthouse at Mizen Head. It's the southwestern-most point of Ireland. To get there we drove down the peninsula, and almost got run off the road a couple of times by people driving on the wrong side of the road. Once we got there we had to walk across this bridge to get from the mainland to the little piece of island that had the lighthouse on it. It was so windy up there, but the sun was shining, and the ocean was so blue. If it would have been warmer, I would have thought we were in the carribean.

Ireland, Part 2

2008-05-12T10:03:00.000-07:00

On day 2, our B&B hostess talked us out of taking the highway to Cork City and driving the scenic route (and not taking the Toll road). We ended up driving over the mountain behind the house, and I am so happy that we did. We just started winding up this huge hill, and passed many sheep. This really doesn't do it much justice, but I think the mist adds to the ambiance. The drive down to Cork City was really pretty. When we finally got to Cork City, we went to the Cork City Gaol, which was a Jail. It had a really neat audio tour, and we got to go into the cells and wander around. It was worth getting really lost for.

So, the roads in Cork City? Not labelled so much. The nice lady at the petrol station got us going in the right station. Side story, so, when we decided to visit Ireland, we knew we would probably be getting manual car. Well, I can't drive a manual so Brian and I had our roles. He drives, I navigate. So before we left I printed out lots of maps of the area. The one we used the most? The one that came with the car.

We drove down to Kinsale, which is a little resort town. It has this massive fort sitting on the hill over-looking the harbor. We had so much fun wandering the grounds of this fort. http://www.dochara.com/play/all/charles-fort.php

Ireland, Part 1

2008-05-12T09:32:00.000-07:00

So, we went to Ireland for vacation in April, and I'm finally getting some of the pics up on the net. We flew out of JFK to Shannon, Ireland. The flight wasn't too bad, I even got some sleep. Well as much sleep as you can get sitting up, or twisted around to sleep on a flying partner. We rented this little car, a Ford Fiesta, and it was a party. A tiny party, with a surprising amount of trunk space. The first hour of driving was an adventure. Brian did really well with the manual, but getting used to the turns was tricky. When a traveler lands in Shannon, which is an airport straight out of the 70's, there are 4 round-abouts, and then you hit Limerick. Limerick is a fairly large town (in Ireland), and the streets are very narrow. For someone who had only been driving on the left for about 10 minutes, this was crazy intense. When we finally got to open highway we were so happy, and for me, I think it was the point when vacation finally started. The flights and picking up the car were still part of the planning process.

On the first day we went to The Rock of Cashel, which is a huge fortress on a hill, which is putting it mildly. And here's a neat view from the top of the hill.

http://en.wikip edia.org/wik i/Rock_of_Cashel

After we wandered around for a while, and took way too many pictures, we drove down to Cahir. There we went to Cahir Castle. This was so interesting because they had alot of the building open. We could climb up on the walls, and climb the towers, and basically run free. It was fantastic.

We stayed that night in a B&B near Cahir, called the Ballyboy House. It was fantastic. The room was huge, and very quiet. Breeda pointed us towards a lovely pub for dinner.

http://www.dirl.com/tipperary/cahir/ballyboyhouse.htm

Whew!

2008-05-12T05:50:00.000-07:00

What a busy weekend. Saturday morning was the Kansas City Corporate Challenge 5K. Let's just say that I'm happy that it will be another year before I have to 'run' 3 miles. My awesome friend Carrie got married on Saturday afternoon, and I am so happy for her. For Mother's Day, we went to The Husband's Grandparents house for a little BBQ. The Nephew picked some flowers, and everyone got some.

Wow 2 months

2008-05-02T12:05:00.000-07:00

I guess I should really try to update this more often.

Ireland was wonderful, more on that later.

But last night, we had this horrible storm. It's not fun, waking up at 2AM thinking a tornado is outside. Some of our shingles blew off, our apple tree is no more, and a branch fell on The Husband's car. Thankfully, once we cut a few of the branches off, we could move the big branch part off, and there was only a small dent on the roof. yay.

What a Awesome Weekend.

2008-03-03T10:49:00.000-08:00

This past weekend was absolutely, fabulous. I took a 1/2 day on Friday, and enjoyed the high 60's and all of that beautiful sun. We went for long walks at the park, and sat on the deck just soaking it in. Too bad that went away, and it was 30 F this morning, with a chance of snow. grr. I guess it is good that its monday, and time to go back to work. Funny thing happened. So I took pictures of a friend's baby last week (see today's other post) and needed to wash the backdrop, (babies and dogs). My dog thought it was the best smelling spot in the house, and just fluffed a little nest for herself.

Newborn getting her picture taken

2008-03-03T10:43:00.000-08:00

One of my friend's wife just had their first child. Being such a good friend I offered to take newborn pictures. :) My cohort in photography fame went along, and we took many, many pictures. Only when we were almost done did I realize that I had taken all of the pictures in Shutter Speed priority mode. EEK! They seemed to turn out pretty well, but I need to work on taking pictures of more than 1 person. Oh well. Enjoy.

Taking pictures of small children

2008-02-16T09:12:00.000-08:00

Last fall I took some pictures of the nephews and Family, I think they turned out pretty good.

We call this guy "Mr. Serious:This guy is super chubby right now, and will be walking soon.
One thing I learned taking pictures of a 2 year-old. At the park, the slide is infinitely more fun than taking pictures. Image that

Look at me

2008-02-16T09:00:00.001-08:00

So I finally decided to do this 'blog' thing, mostly to have somewhere to put pictures, and ramble on and on about things no one else cares about. wheee.