December 2009

Finally got some time to take some pics of my favorite wildebeests...been good times relaxing here at the mansion---well and of course editing photos in the evenings...maybe here soon after finishing up the editing of two weddings, I might have a little break from that as well.






Red Bobo is new for Christmas, Orange Bobo is an old friend...but apparently they travel in pairs and have been a big hit lately...no joke--whenever you see one Bobo--the next one is right beside it...Brinkley can actually fit both of them into his mouth and you find these guys in random places all over the house.




That's a whole lot of dog on one bed...

Photoshoot With Casey and Nikki

I saw a photograph once of a Boston Terrier that was really simple---just the pup on an all white background turned into a black and white picture---I fell in love with it...and recently decided that I needed some of those same sort of artistic, non-cluttered pictures of my own kids. Nikki and Casey were mostly willing subjects---hasn't happened yet with Lucy and Brinkley.

These were my two favorites. Casey always does this when I get a camera near him...so it's very Casey and Nikki is also very compliant, willing to do whatever you want or need her to do...this face is very her. I love these. I might go back later and brighten them up more, still deciding on that.





In college when they wanted us to write about our influences and favorite artists...the two photographers whose work always stood out as my favs were Elliott Erwitt--mostly this picture and Sandy Skoglund--I have way too many favorites of hers...here are some. You've got to click on some to enlarge and see just how crazy and awesome they are. Awesome Art Installations Batman! Of course I can't leave out my old high school favorite, and being obsessed with sunflowers back then, this was my very favorite for a while.

Oddly Quiet

This crazy beast has been at the vet's office since Thursday morning to get spayed...it's been oddly quiet.

It's so strange how there can still be three dogs here, but things are slower, calmer...way more silent. Lucy's body and personality encompass a lot of space. She's not that large in size--but she's constantly moving, playing, investigating or jumping up on me while I sit at the computer while her tail thumps loudly against the side of my desk. Unless everyone is sleepy/sleeping on the sofa, there's some sort of traveling or noise.

Lucy is the one who has a little bit of personality and characteristics of all the others. If dogs were compared to children---in which they often are in my circle of friends---each one here has a certain role they fulfill in the house just like children.

The one who is going to do something to get on your nerves most often--Brinkley (Julie would prob. add Casey to that as well!)
The one who makes all A's and is called the teacher's pet--Nikki
The one who paints his room black and writes emo poems at night--Casey

Barely ever listens to what you are saying--Brinkley...and Casey
Acts offended even if you just brush up against him the wrong way--Casey
The tattler--Nikki (she really lets you know when they are into something)
The neurotic, nervous-nelly--Brinkley
Will follow you to the bathroom to converse while you're trying to "go"--Nikki
Grandma's favorite--Casey (he's so nice to her!) ;)
Hides and pouts when Grandma babysits and Mom leaves--Nikki
Has to be the first one in line all the time--Brinkley

The one who you'd rather take with you someplace--Nikki
Most likely to cuddle up next to you on the sofa--Nikki
Protects you at all costs--Casey
The most fun to play with outside--Brinkley

Gets invited to all the other kid's birthday parties because he's just THAT popular--Brinkley
Gets the most angry at you and tells all his friends how unfair you are and how much he hates you--Casey
Will do something just despite you but gets hurt if you're mad at him--Brinkley
Loves you so much even though you are imperfect--Nikki

But Lucy has a little bit of every single one of those qualities in her, depending on the moment or day.
I think that's why it feels so empty now when she's not here. All those qualities and abilities, they take up a lot of space. We're fine with that.


**And, she's on her way home!!**

Commercial Break

We take this small break in yearbook creation to bring you this blog post...

I feel fragile. Do you ever feel fragile, really fragile? It's a term we use around here when you should tread lightly and be as sweet and caring as you possibly can because the other one is just about to break---it can mean physically (not feeling well at all) fragile or emotionally/mentally tired and fragile.

There's a lot going down at the mansion these next few weeks/month. The ever looming yearbook deadline is March 17th and we all know that once I finish it, I have a day of body crash (sometimes manifesting itself in the "chicken and broccoli" virus). I had someone today ask me why I look so tired and I mentioned the yearbook deadline and that I only make $100.00 a school year to make this thing...he wanted to poo-poo it and say something like, "Oh gosh, it's not THAT bad." No, it's not THAT bad---but to have such crazy deadlines and ridiculous work for $100.00 a year, let me see you throw a party over it. He gets to go home and not have to work on or think about extra school projects...that's not a luxury all of us have. I know I have it easier than classroom teachers, but that still doesn't make this stuff any fun.

There's these stupid place mats that I was "asked" to make by the Queen--was "asked" on Tuesday, they are due tomorrow afternoon for some banquet that the royal dynasty goes to every year--have to create new place mats for this B.S. every year. This year I was "asked" to use our new school colors and our mascot, the Eagle. Fortunately I have two KICK BUTT members on my team that stayed after this afternoon to help me make some headway on them. I would have started them Tuesday or Wednesday afternoon but the Queen had me in meetings both days!!

Julie is SWAMPED over four classes worth of school work this semester and the other stuff is all brought on by ourselves really. These are things I'm NOT complaining about, but am actually excited about, I just know that they are going to take a lot of energy.

Lucy's removal of girly insides is happening this month, my babies being put to sleep for major surgery, cause serious mental instability...and she is THE baby!

There's a ton of photo shoots coming up (extremely excited for)
and while doing all these things, in the evenings we'll be painting a rental house for a friend of ours who recently separated from her husband. She's excited to be free after some years of unhappiness and doesn't want to do any of the work herself. So the awesome part for us is that she is paying us to paint the ENTIRE inside of the house. This is going to be exhausting but SO worth it, seeing as we'll make about half of my monthly school paycheck.

I'm starting on this project alone this weekend while Julie goes to help her mom with some cleaning out projects in Valdosta. I most often than not- feel "not excited" about a house with just me and the pups, this is one of those "not excited" times, but it made more sense for her to go work on that and me stay here and work on some of this stuff.

Don't impending things make you tired before they even happen though because you know you are going to wear yourself out? That's where I am right now.

A funny convo we just had about it all:
M: Oh my gosh, what are we getting ourselves into?! Seriously, why are we doing this?!

B: Girl, you know we will do all but whore ourselves out for some extra money! LOL!

M: Yeah, very true, it's like Meatloaf said, "I'll do anything for love, but I won't do that." I just was never really sure what "that" was. Now I know. :) He'd do anything but whore himself out. Makes total sense.

B: True, very true.

Cute and Sweet:

YEAH for snow days!

Oh what a glorious day it has been not going to work...I'm totally NOT one of those people that can't find enjoyment or plenty of things to do at home. I would choose hanging out at home over going to work any day...except I have to go to work to pay for the home. ;)

She wouldn't get off the top step when it was actually falling, but we finally got her outside today!

Fence posts are automatic snowball makers!

Love the look on Lucy's face! She looks crazy.

I seriously hope I never get senile enough to dress like this in public. Whew.

Merry Christmas!

What The Dogs Did For Halloween 2008

We're not really ones to buy costumes for the dogs--but last year we happened to be in a Target during some serious Halloween clearance and couldn't pass these up for just a couple dollars a piece. Lucy didn't even exist last October---so getting that extra one "just in case" really paid off! :)

I couldn't help but post the many facial expressions of Lucy---that dog=perfection. I love all of them dearly, but I'm truly enamored with every facet of her.
Both Nikki and Lucy were sweet girls and let us bother them with a few pictures...whereas the boys were much more difficult. Casey gave us about 10 seconds and not even a decent 10 seconds! That's Casey. :)






I FRICKIN' LOVE this next one!

Ah...misery loves company

The calmest one of the four!





He graces us with his presence for one small moment