Curt Coffey: blog

Emma ~ Psalm 139

2010-06-24T22:35:00.002-05:00

The Princess Party 2009

2009-04-24T23:26:00.005-05:00

It's that time of year again.

Tuesdays with Coffey

2008-12-23T00:05:00.002-06:00

For me, 2008 was about new music. I was the first year in a long time that I sought new music with fervor, and then completely devoured it. My 2008 mix is a representation of this. These are not necessarily my favorite songs from the year, but more like my favorite new songs from the year.

Life in Technicolor II
Coldplay - Viva la Vida Prosekt March (November 25, 2008)
When I engulfed myself in Viva la Vida I wished that Life in Technicolor had lyrics. Apparently Chris Martin felt the same way and remedied that with a remake on Prospekt March.

You Don't Know Me
Ben Folds (featuring Regina Spektor) - Way to Normal (September 30, 2008)
A perfect marriage of two unique artists.

Dream Catch Me
Newton Faulkner - Hand Built by Robots (April 29, 2008 - UK July 23, 2007)
This is the track you've heard at the mall, but the whole album is great!

Love Remains the Same
Gavin Rossdale - Wanderlust (June 3, 2008)
What can I say...guilty pleasure.

You Are the One I Love
Jon McLaughlin - OK Now (October 7, 2008)
His first record was better, this one has a more refined pop sound. The lyrics are thin, the music is great.

Perfect Symmetry
Keane - Perfect Symmetry (October 14, 2008)
This should have been Keane's second album.

Be OK
Ingrid Michaelson - Be OK (October 14, 2008)
This song is fun. If you liked Boys and Girls, you'll like the whole album as well.

When I Dream of Michaelangelo
Counting Crows - Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings (April 15, 2008)
Is the following statement heresy? Saturday Nights and Sunday Mornings is my favorite Counting Crows record. It started off ahead of This Desert Life and Hard Candy and quickly made it's way past Recovering the Satellites (all albums that I love). Somewhere in mid-June I realized that it had passed August and Everything After for me. When I saw them live this fall I realized they are my favorite band as well.

On a Night Like This
Dave Barnes - Me + You + the World (April 1, 2008)
I've liked Dave Barnes for awhile. I really love some songs, some I could totally do without.

How Lucky We Are
Meiko - Meiko (August 5, 2008)
This is a good record to spin while you work.

Up and Up
Reliant K - The Birds and the Bee-sides (October 6, 2008)
I'm not a Reliant K fan. At all. An acoustic was refreshing though.

Washington Square
Counting Crows - Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings (April 15, 2008)

Reasons to Love You
Meiko - Meiko (August 5, 2008)

Viva la Vida
Coldplay - Viva la Vida (June 17, 2008)
OK...so I'm not a Coldplay fan. I think Chris Martin is pretty lame. I also think he humps his keyboard when he plays live and that totally detracts from the music. I bought this record in an effort to get more new music this year. I have not heard such a symphonic rock album since Radiohead's OK Computer. I also don't care that the track Viva la Vida is overplayed, it is still an amazing song. I have listened to this album beginning to end literally hundreds of times. I guess I am a Coldplay fan.

Human
The Killers - Day & Age (November 24, 2008)
Why have I not been more into The Killers before now?

Yes We Can
Will.i.am (featuring Barack Obama) - online only (February 2, 2008)
My wife stumbled across this video the day after the election. Everyone should watch this video (you can find it on YouTube) no matter who you voted for. It is inspiring and to me, restores pride in our country.

Death and All His Friends
Coldplay - Viva la Vida (June 17, 2008)

Seniors 2009

2008-10-20T14:04:00.002-05:00

Seniors 2009 ~ Lesley

2008-10-09T12:01:00.003-05:00

Seniors 2009 ~ Caitlin

2008-10-09T10:01:00.003-05:00

Seniors 2009 ~ Cody

2008-10-08T12:59:00.004-05:00

Seniors 2009 ~ Daniel

2008-10-07T13:32:00.005-05:00

Seniors 2009 ~ Macie

2008-10-01T13:17:00.003-05:00

Seniors 2009 ~ Sarah

2008-10-01T13:10:00.003-05:00

Seniors 2009 ~ Dylan

2008-09-30T09:37:00.004-05:00

Seniors 2009 ~ Blake

2008-09-29T08:54:00.004-05:00

Seniors 2009 ~ Linda

2008-09-26T13:55:00.003-05:00

Seniors 2009 ~ Heather

2008-09-24T09:37:00.003-05:00

As I Stood There, Counting Crows...

2008-09-12T08:20:00.006-05:00

I’m driving down the road in my baby blue 1983 Mercury Lynx (it’s 1995 by the way) dealing with the perils of High School life. Questions plague my mind like, “Did I pass my Geometry test?” “Will I have a date to the Band Banquet?” “Are collarless shirts still cool?” Mr. Jones is playing on the radio and I’m singing every word.

I’m running up the stairs to my third floor dorm room in Jennings Hall. I’ve just sat through the most boring class ever, but it’s all ok because I’m about to hook up with my friends and go have some fun. I walk into the doorway to the sound of A Long December, my friends look at me and give me the quick upward head jerk that means what’s up in guy body language, and I know I’m home.

Chilling with Tripp, Matt & Ernie in the Booker-Beaver Mansion playing Playstation (the first one). We mute the volume on the TV and sing along with High Life.

I decide it’s time to attempt a movie with the kids. We buy our tickets, get our drinks and popcorn, and find our seats. We get settled in as the room goes dark. I was expecting the movie to be entertaining, but it’s still a cartoon. As the opening sequence begins, all of a sudden I hear that familiar voice. I think to myself... “This is the Counting Crows. On Shrek 2. And it’s a good song.”

The Counting Crows have been an integral part of my life for about half of my life. I own all of their albums, studio and live, on CD. I have one on vinyl. I have seen them live three times. I know every member of the band by name. Not only do I know what instruments they play, I know what instruments they play on most of the songs. David Brown and I have sat around for hours discussing songs, stories, and other minutiae. I really don’t have a hardcore fan personality. I’m not obsessed. I just love really great, emotional, and vivid songwriting expressed through incredibly clean, creative, and inventive music. There are not many groups that accomplish both of those, much less do it as well as the Counting Crows. Another thing I love about this band is that they are always evolving. I don’t mean evolving from album to album (although they do that too), but constantly. I have heard Round Here performed live at least twenty times from various concerts and it was never the same. Each version is completely different, but at the same time totally familiar.

Recently I had the opportunity to shoot their concert in Dallas. It was a great show (I wasn’t surprised), and it was a lot of fun to enjoy it from that perspective. I’d like to thank David and his friend Alicia for the “hook up,” I hope we can do it again sometime.

On to the images.

We'll start with one of Charlie rocking the accordian on Omaha.

Adam.

Charlie playing accordian, Adam playing piano, Immy on mandolin during A Long December.

I got some nice shots of Dan.

Dave and Adam.

The World Will Never Be the Same

2008-09-08T08:53:00.003-05:00

The assassination of JFK. The fall of the Berlin Wall. The invention of the Internet. These are events that have shaped our world and forever changed it. An event or individual does not have to be so huge to make an impact in our world. Sometimes you don’t notice the impact they had until they are gone.

I believe that the heart of America is our diversity. Our country is a fusion of many different cultures and lifestyles that have entwined together to form a melting pot of ideas, technology, sports, art, and music.

LeRoi Moore passed away on August 19 in Los Angeles, California. As a founding member of the Dave Matthews Band, he has been a great influence on music and pop culture over the last twenty years. Moore died from complications due to an ATV accident in late June. He was 46 years old.

Moore started the Dave Matthews Band with Matthews in 1991. He was already an established jazz musician in Charlottesville, VA., and used his connections to recruit drummer Carter Beauford and violinist Boyd Tinsley. Leroi Moore brought a jazz and blues feel to Matthews alternative-rock sound and was integral in establishing DMB as the “ultimate jam band.”

The band announced Moore's passing at their show on August 21, at the Los Angeles Staples Center, with Matthews saying, “It’s easier to leave than to be left. Though LeRoi is gone, we still have his music, and that will live on forever.”

Though many people may not know Leroi Moore by name they have undoubtedly heard his music and probably been touched by it. Moore made a huge impact on music in America, and he will be missed. The world will never be the same.

Princess Party 2008

2008-05-04T22:02:00.006-05:00

Saturday, May 3 was the fourth annual Princess Party at the Coffey house. The Princess Party is a time honored tradition in our family. It is in honor of our two princesses and is the one night each year when I encourage them to enjoy all of the fun (and messy) stuff that I pretend doesn't exist the other 364 days of the year. In addition to messy fun (which was glitter pens this year), it is a junk food extravaganza. The appetizers are pez and ring pops, followed by a main course of frito pie and cheetos with root beer, followed by snack cakes for dessert. My stomach hurts just looking at all this junk. There is usually some kind of water games after all of that (it's fun and it cleans them up a little), and we end the night with a princess movie of some sort. I always document each Princess Party and make a DVD slideshow so the girls and I can watch it from time to time. They really enjoy seeing how much they grow from year to year. So, for your viewing enjoyment, the Princess Party 2008.

Not Another Group Picture

2008-05-01T10:23:00.002-05:00

It seems like I am constantly taking group pictures. Football Team, Tennis Team, Golf, 4H, Choir, and on and on...and on. I try to be as creative as possible, but I'm running out of options. Here is a shot I took for the school newspaper last week of next year's cheerleaders. The girl in front is the Captain and had an extended interview in the article. I can't wait until I have to pull another idea out my hat for the next group shot. I am so glad we don't have a chess team.

I Love My Job

2008-03-10T20:17:00.003-05:00

The Perfect Little Model

2008-02-13T21:19:00.003-06:00

Emma is a natural in front of the camera. I don't know how much of that is her or the model training she has had from Amy, but she is super easy to shoot. She does what you ask and always seems to understand just what you want her to do. She always wants to see the shot right after you take it. She makes it fun. Here are some shots from the a couple of weeks ago.

Mr. Ray Goes To Austin

2008-02-02T12:45:00.000-06:00

Tripp is one of my best friends. We are fraternity brothers (along with David and Michael, who are also best friends), we were roommates in college, and he was the best man in my wedding. We have been friends for over a decade. We always seemed to understand each other, and our friendship has grown over the years. We are still close friends, but living over 100 miles apart and both having families and careers makes it difficult to see each other very often.

On Friday I went to Austin to take some pictures for a school event. Our school participates in Youth and Government, which is a statewide program sponsored by the YMCA. Students qualify at a district meet and then proceed to State in Austin. They get to meet as a real Senate and House of Representatives in the official Senate and House chambers at the State Capital. It's a really cool extra-curricular for kids that are at all interested in government.

So earlier in the week I called Tripp and asked if he'd like to tag along. Tripp is a lawyer and recently opened his own practice, so now he is the boss. He moved his schedule around and we were off on a road trip, just like the old days.

Ok, maybe not like the old days. We made a few more pit stops, and instead of searching for import music stores, we searched for a Japanese market trying to find bento boxes (a nifty little lunch box with dividers) for our kids. Most everyone we saw called us sir instead of looking at us like we were about cause trouble of some kind, and the booth at Chuy's seemed a little more cramped as well. I guess we still need to shake off some baby weight.

All in all we had a great time. I made Tripp stand in front of the State Capital so I could get a picture to stick on the blog, so here it is. I wanted to take this opportunity to take some really artistic pictures in Austin. Instead we just hung out all day. I guess we'll have to go back to Austin again sometime.

Tonight I’ll Take What I Can Get

2008-01-27T21:24:00.001-06:00

So tonight we had the Cuellar family over for dinner. When our families get together there are more kids than adults (although Summer might argue that point). Heather and Jimmy have four kids; Summer, who is 13 and a full on teenager, Ryan, who is ten and totally into video games, Camden, who is two and until recently been quite mischievous, and Kyden, who is one and still very mischievous (but in his defense gives the best hugs ever).

Tonight I want to talk about Camden. Camden has always disliked me…or feared me…or something. For his first year of life he would scream wildly if I got within three feet of him. We’ve made a little progress, but I still think he would prefer if I were not around. So I wasn’t too surprised tonight when they arrived and Camden refused to give me five, leaving me holding my hand out like a moron (traumatic memories of elementary school came rushing back…at least he didn’t point and laugh). I came in to check my email while the whole group went out front to shoot some pictures. When I got out there Amy was trying to get some shots of Summer and Ryan together. Camden was perched next to them (but not in Amy’s picture), so I sat down right next to him and began shooting away. I was shooting with a Sigma 30mm f1.4, so for these shots I was basically sitting right next to him. Not only did he not run he really interacted with me, laughing at me and being playful in general. This may not seem like much, but we have a history. I thoroughly enjoyed our couple of minutes on the curb together, and look forward to a future where we might be able to ride in the same car, or maybe even watch an entire movie together. Seriously, Camden is a great kid with a great little personality and I do look forward to getting to know him even more.

This first shot has Summer and Ryan in the background, and Maya in the far background. You can hardly see Maya, she looks like a little rainbow blob (she picked out her own clothes tonight).

Later when they were leaving I went for the goodbye hug, only to be denied, but hey, tonight I’ll take what I can get.

Maya's Birthday Extravaganza

2008-01-26T14:07:00.000-06:00

Last Saturday was Maya's fourth birthday party. It was quite an extravaganza. She chose pizza from CiCi's and a Dora the Explorer theme. Amy made her cake as always, and we had a piñata filled with treats. All in all it was great birthday fun. I juggled hosting duties and photography duties so the shots aren't great (it was a mad house), but there are some pretty decent snap shots in here. On to the pictures.

Look at the birthday girl. She's all decked out!

Amy helped Maya open her presents, which means she made sure Maya was aware of who gave her the gifts she so voraciously tore into.

Maya loves dress up dresses and princess attire. She received two princess night gowns and was quite proud of both.

Emma had fun watching Maya. I think she knew she would get to enjoy the new stuff as well.

Ryan and Luke took a break from playing the Wii to join the festivities.

Camden and Kyden also added alot to the party...alot of volume. I think the boys had a good time.

Rob, Robert, Alison, Noriel, and Josie also made the party more fun.

Amy took a picture of my sisters and I. Sorry Caitlan, you've been replaced.

Amy puts the finishing touches on the cake. She's such a great mom!

These last three show Maya blowing out her candles. She turned four in style!

My Little Papaya

2008-01-24T20:25:00.001-06:00

No matter how old Maya is she will always be my little Maya papaya. It is incredible how different she is from Emma. Everything she does is full of her little personality. Maya brings pure joy into my life.

You should know that cleaning or picking up after herself is not Maya’s strongest quality. She can literally get distracted while walking across the room to put one thing away. The other day I asked her to pick up all the things that belonged on her bed and put them there. This consisted of one small pillow and two small blankets. This task was completed in a record fifteen minutes with her asking me at least three times “What was my job again?” Emma once said, “God didn’t make Maya to clean, only to play.”

Maya has a very active imagination. I have been privileged enough to attend multiple “weddings” this year. These usually consist of her dressed up as a princess marching down our living room rug (which is red…I’ve determined she thinks it is her red carpet) and then dancing a special dance with her two-foot tall Diego doll. Maya also loves her dollhouse and can spend hours making up her own world in her room. The detail that she puts into her arrangement of the dollhouse is amazing. I have a project that Maya made in pre-school that is now on display in my office. It is entitled “The Burning Bush” and is a green piece of construction paper with twigs and red and orange paper glued to it. Each twig is carefully and artistically placed in the right spot. That picture always brings a smile to my face.

Also, Maya is one of the most giving people I have ever met. She will literally give you anything if she thinks it will make you happy. She is always willing to share with her sister, and always wants to make sure her sister gets whatever she does. What kid does that? If Emma is upset, Maya will offer her most prized possession to try to make it better. Her attitude inspires me.

This is a picture I took of Maya at her birthday party.

Whether she’s making a joke and laughing hysterically at herself or simply walking across the room in her newest favorite princess dress, she makes my cares melt away.

Cody and Curt go to Comic-Con

2007-11-18T01:34:00.002-06:00

Today I did something new. Something different. Something that I wish I felt a little more uncomfortable doing than I did. I embraced my nerdy side. I went sci-fi. I went to Comic-Con.

For those of you who do not know about this artistic expression of pop culture (a.k.a. nerd-fest), Comic-Con is a convention for the world of fantasy entertainment. It is short for Comic Book Convention, and is primarily dominated by comics but includes various other collectables such as action figures (both new and vintage), fantasy art, anime and other pop culture and sci-fi memorabilia. I’m not going to try and justify this. It was a freak show and I was in the middle of it. I grew up reading comic books (mainly Superman and Batman) and have always been a huge Star Wars fan, so I understood much of the chaos around me. This genre, like any other, of course has a contingency of fanatics (I try to maintain a certain cool about myself so as not to become one of these) that attend these events regularly hunting for memorabilia and celebrity autographs, and yes they often come in costume. I have never been to Comic-Con before, so when my friend Cody invited me, I was definitely in.

Amy has been giving me a hard time all week with phrases like “You know I love you no matter what,” and “Don’t try to pick up any stray Princess Leias,” but I have to admit, I was a little excited about going. I took my camera (but I only took one lens and it was so crowded I had to shoot in a hurry…so the shots aren’t great, sorry) so I could share my experience and educate you all on the phenomena that is…Comic-Con.

We arrived around noon and paid our $23 for a ticket (which got a stack of bad comic books and the privilege to spend more money at the booths) and were greeted a the door by the following:

Cody pulled the “Jedi mind trick” and he allowed us to pass and enter the world of Comic-Con. After stopping by a couple of booths and checking out some extremely expensive comic books, we found a small “arena” that housed this guy:

Yeah…he’s serious. He wasn’t laughing (or even cracking a smile), he was like those guards with the furry hats in London. This guy played the part. For a couple of bucks you could enter the “arena” with a foam sword and try to take this guy on. I didn’t do it because he was beating the crap out of a little kid when we walked up and I thought “If he’s doing that to a little kid, what would he do to me?” I wasn’t necessarily afraid of getting hurt…but I do have a shred of dignity left. I couldn’t allow myself to get mauled by a guy in a loincloth.

After shopping a few more booths we stumbled onto the following artist:

I thought this was pretty cool. I don’t know what a guy would do with this, but it was pretty impressive. He was looking at a comic book cover and reproducing it large scale. I don’t think this shot really does it justice.

Next came the highlight of my day…the celebrity autograph tables. Ok, the lower level celebrity autograph tables. You had to pay another $15 to enter the room with all the “upper level” celebrities, and frankly I thought $23 (plus the money I spent on a few random items) was enough money to spend at Comic-Con, so I opted not to go into that room (you still had to pay for autographs and photos when you got in there). There were a few celebrities out on the main floor. I saw Dermot Crowley (he portrayed General Madine in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi; sorry, no pic, he was charging $20 bucks for a Polaroid), and I shook hands with Lou Ferrigno (the Incredible Hulk from the 1970’s television show; again, no pic, he was also charging $20 for a Polaroid). I also saw Noel Neill. Ms. Neill portrayed Lois Lane in 78 episodes of the original Superman television series that aired from 1953-1958. She also played cameo roles in the 1978 Superman movie with Christopher Reeve, and the 2006 film Superman Returns. Ms. Neill is almost 87 years old and was the sweetest little lady. She let me pose with her for a picture, and this was truly the highlight of my day.

I feel as though I learned some important things today. One of the things I learned today is that people should be taught in school that it is simply never appropriate to dress like Princess Leia from Return of the Jedi (yeah…the coconut shell bikini outfit). I also learned that yes… there is someone for everyone (these nerds had girls on their arms…some of which were dressed up as well). I learned that even 30 years out of his prime, the Hulk is still a scary guy. I also learned that maybe I’m a nerd too…and that’s ok.

What do I have to be Thankful For?

2007-11-13T15:13:00.000-06:00

3…2…1…it’s go time. I step out of the car with my covered dish, deviled eggs. These are not just any deviled eggs, they are my secret recipe, and have been requested at the highest level. Is it the only dish I am trusted with not to make a disaster of…maybe. I begin my journey, dish in hand. A mere two steps from the car I encounter my first obstacle. “Hey Curt, you wanna throw the football?” Luke asks, nerf ball in hand. “Maybe in a minute,” I reply as I place another protective hand over my prized eggs. The assault continues as Robert meets me at the door with the following greeting, “Ah Curt…have an eggs-ellent Thanksgiving.” I laugh heartily as I inch through the door and wonder to myself, did I laugh to hard or not hard enough. Did he believe I was laughing at his joke, or does he know that his joke is not really funny? As I am pondering the comedic endeavors of my uncle I am spotted by Camden. Unfortunately I am so wrapped up in my thoughts that I make eye contact with him for a brief moment. This is a mistake of gigantic proportions (Camden is afraid of me, and only tolerates my presence as long as I never look at him). Camden runs away screaming for his Daddy while Amy gives a ‘what the heck did you do to him’ look. As I am trying to defend myself for my “eye contact infraction” I almost step on Kyden, who smiles and greets me with what in most cultures would be considered nothing less than a scream. I jump (from the volume of the scream), roll to the right to avoid creating another crying child situation (which would also be considered my fault) and come face to face with Ryan. “Hey Curt, you wanna play Madden with me on PS2?” he asks non-challantly. I respond with, “I need to get this to the kitchen, bud,” because getting schooled by a ten year old on a game that is beyond my understanding is not how I want to spend the day. The next three things all happen in less than two seconds and require no more than simple explanations. A random flying object hits me in the side of the head, Sally (a dog) runs past me knocking me into a side table, and Maya blows her nose on my jeans. I see an opening into the kitchen, so I make my move (without wiping off my jeans…I don’t have time for trivial luxuries like removing the snot from my clothing). Holding the eggs high above my head I turn sideways and squeeze through the kitchen door. As I do this I hear Uncle Rob (who is actually an Aunt, but her husband’s name is Robert so everyone calls them “The Uncle Robs”) yell, “Who hit Curt in the head with that toy?” I find the last free space on the counter and deliver my eggs to their rightful spot, I’m almost home free. As I make my way back into the living room I see Josie jumping up and down on the recliner, Emma approaches her…this is my chance. As they both go running off together giggling I slide into the recliner and throw back the lever. I close my eyes and everything fades to black…my work here is done!

Work Can Be Fun Sometimes

2007-11-02T23:07:00.000-05:00

I had to shoot something work related again tonight. The good news is I have some shots I can share. Our Ministry team put together a DNOW (which used to stand for Disciple Now, but now I'm told stands for Discovery Now) and they brought in a band to lead worship. I took this opportunity to extend my photographic duties to including the band as well. I think I got some pretty decent shots, and I definitely had a little fun.

How Long Has It Been Again?

2007-10-07T20:08:00.001-05:00

It’s been over a month…I know, I know. I’m a loser on the blog. I’ve been really busy. What is even more frustrating than how busy I’ve been, is that I’ve actually taken a ton of great pictures since my last blog, and no one has been able to see them. Guess what…you won’t see them on this post either. Part of my duties at the Academy is teaching Yearbook/Journalism, and because of that I’ve been busy going to sports games and different functions and activities, taking pictures at every one. I can’t share any of them because I don’t have model releases on any of the kids, and I just don’t feel right about putting the shots up without those. Anyway, I’ve been waiting for some great (and postable) picture to come along to blog, and it just hasn’t, so here I am, swallowing my pride and blogging anyway. Since I have no great shots or witty words, I’ll just bore you all for a couple of minutes.

I went to see Dave Matthews in concert a couple of weeks ago. I’ve wanted to see DMB for years and was really looking forward to it. One of my best friends was flying in from Ohio, and my sister (who has never been to a good concert) was going to. I’ll just tell it involved a ton of people, most of whom were smoking reefer (not my particular brand of fun). To make up for this I am going to see Dashboard Confessional on Wednesday. I just picked up their new album, and I am really digging it. I’ve seen Dashboard before, and this is a much smaller venue, so I’m hoping this one will be better.
I’ll try to be better about blogging, even if I don’t have great images to blog. Oh yeah…here’s a fun one I took while I was taking senior pictures. Not a great shot, but kind of fun.

You Gotta Dress the Part

2007-09-07T22:16:00.000-05:00

Going out to ride your bike around the block? You gotta dress for it. The outfits my girls chose for these shots show their little personalities. Emma, wearing a dainty little dress, even to ride her bike. Maya, rain boots, diva sunglasses, and her helmet...backwards. These shots are not really good shots, but how could I not share them?

Sunrise, Sunrise

2007-08-30T22:04:00.000-05:00

I don't know about any of you, but my girls rarely get up before sunrise. That's a good thing! This morning I was not fast enough to turn off my alarm and they woke up with me at 6:30 a.m. I made them some breakfast and turned on the television, but then I realized...we have taken a ton of sunset pictures of the girls, but have we taken any sunrise pictures? Have we documented how they look straight out of bed, with crazy hair and sleepy eyes? I think not. I think I have reached uncharted territory here. You should know that I didn't intend for the sunflare to happen, and I was shooting without my contacts in...I know...excuses, excuses. Just thought you should know. Here are the images.

They're Cute, Those Two

2007-08-22T20:09:00.000-05:00

I've been really busy since school started, and I've almost completely ignored the blog. So...a quick post for tonight. Here are a couple of shots I took last night. I have myself a couple of cuties don't you think?

Treehuggers

2007-08-13T20:42:00.000-05:00

I am blessed in many ways. One of these is how much my girls love each other. They are not only sisters, but best friends as well. I absolutely love that they are so close (although at times it is difficult because they present a unified front). They do fight, like all siblings, but it is minimal and they play together very well. They have their own games that they have made up and their own jokes that they think are hysterical. They really seem to get each other. These are some pictures of them playing and acting silly in the trees by the side of our house.

She was only in this tree long enough for me to snap this shot.

Maya having a good time in the tree.

After closer inspection of how high the tree is off the ground.

Five is a Little Hard to Swallow

2007-08-08T22:18:00.000-05:00

It is hard for me to believe that a mere five years ago Emma was not a part of my life. Now I cannot imagine what life would be without her. It seems like we’ve been through so much together, like she’s been around forever. At the same time I can’t believe that she’s five and about to start Kindergarten.

Emma reminds me daily of how old she is about to be. I have been informed that when she turns five she will be a schoolgirl, she will no longer need rest time, and there are certain toys she will be “to old” for. We went through her closet and dresser yesterday and she was elated to be getting rid of clothes that were “too little” for her. This one is a milestone for her as well as us. She is embracing these changes…me…not so much.

Amy told me when she was pregnant with Emma that I would love her so much I wouldn’t be able to express it in words. She was right. Any words seem feeble compared to the weight in my chest.

Almost every day I have the following conversation with Emma and Maya both:

Me: Do you know how much Daddy loves you?

Emma or Maya: Ughh!! YES!!!

Me: Just making sure.

I don’t want there to ever be a doubt in their little minds.

I know change is good. Growth is good. Life is all about these things. Knowing this to be true doesn’t make it any less heart wrenching that my baby girl is now my little girl, and that those days are numbered too.

Here are some shots I took of Emma this evening.

Facing Her Fears

2007-07-05T22:32:00.000-05:00

So much about our lives is determined in our first few years. We establish our favorite smells (the candle scents we will buy in the future), our least favorite foods (that we will avoid like the plague for the rest of our lives), and our fears…of course we establish our fears. It is somewhat frightening that we make so many lifelong decisions before we can possibly know the ramifications of those choices. I take a deep breath and wonder what my life would be like if I caught a whiff of incense as a child instead of chocolate chip cookies. Would I be fiddling with my incense burner now instead of lighting my hazelnut jarred candle. I look at a pile of sautéed mushrooms on top of a steak and think to myself… “I really wish I liked mushrooms.” When I see construction workers a couple of floors up on rickety rafters I still get a tense feeling in my chest. I can’t remember making these decisions, but I’m living with them.

I’ve seen my girls go through this as well. Emma is convinced that her one time consumption of scrambled eggs caused the eczema that appeared on her hands (eczema = eggs-Emma), so every time we get up late on Saturday morning and make breakfast she passes on the eggs, no matter what form (scrambled, fried, or omelet). I don’t see this changing anytime soon. Emma is serious about her choices. Emma is also our more reserved and careful child. Maya (the wild child) is up for anything as long as she’s totally decked out in a princess dress (complete with crown and high heels). Emma…not so much.

Two of Emma’s biggest fears are water and fireworks. We went to a water park last year and she totally freaked out and would not get in the water at all. She wouldn’t come to us when we called to her, she wouldn’t talk to us. She was in total freak out mode. We ended up leaving after about fifteen minutes (and twenty dollars). Emma has always been afraid of fireworks. Her first Fourth of July she spent the entire fireworks show in Grandma’s arms (who I might add stood in the hot garage with the door closed so Emma could still see the show through window and not hear the explosions). Last year she evacuated herself to the house and paced around nervously while crying uncontrollably. Emma is very strong-willed, if she doesn’t want to do something, she won’t.

Well, our plans this week included the water park on Tuesday and of course fireworks on the Fourth. I’m thinking to myself…great couple of days ahead. Emma had other plans though. At the ripe old age of four she decided it was time to face her fears. At the water park she went down the kiddie slide and swam the lazy river with me. Then yesterday, at the fireworks show, she sat on my lap and we discussed our favorite firework colors and predicted which color would be next. She covered her ears for a while, but never complained or whined. I was so proud!

After this wave of pride and happiness for Emma, I then had a somewhat depressing realization. As I sat there enjoying the fireworks with Emma sitting on my lap and leaning back against me, her little hands on top of mine, I realized that when it comes to cuddling up to Daddy there are probably more years behind us than ahead. My little girl is growing up.

I Went To A Show Tonight

2007-06-29T00:15:00.000-05:00

So I went to a musical tonight. I'm not really into musicals, but tonight I had to go to one to take some pictures for work. I entered the opera house with a plan to take my shots as quick as I could and sneak out after the lights dimmed. Well...the musical totally grabbed my attention. I was also having a great time taking shots of the show. Here are some of the best ones.

Life Is Full Of Influences

2007-06-26T21:01:00.000-05:00

I learned many years ago that the best way to become good at something is to find someone who is great in that area and learn their tricks. Sometimes this is as easy as applying a few new tactics, but often times it is the general approach, mindset, and spirit.

I have had many influences in my life, some of which taught me many things, and others who simply taught me how not to do things. One of the greatest influences in my life has been Gary Wood. Gary was the Music Minister at my church growing up. I first met Gary as a fourth grader in his Children’s Choir, and as I grew up, I grew through his programs. I went to countless camps and mission trips, as well as participated in dozens of musical programs, all of which Gary coordinated and directed. I learned a lot about music and it’s place in my life from Gary.

I also learned a lot about life from Gary. I find myself doing and saying the same things with my students that he did and said with my friends and I. Gary seems to be able to balance the perfect amount of instruction, with friendship and humor. I can only hope that my students will someday think of me as I think of Gary. He has been an example and an influence to me.

I see Gary often, sometimes seeking advice, sometimes just to catch up over a hot meal, but it is always a fun time. Most recently I saw him at his son’s (my friend Randy) wedding. I snapped this shot of Gary and his wife Kaye at the reception.

Thanks Gary, for being a friend, teacher, and mentor, you are much appreciated!