Hello !!!!!

Hi All.
Well let's see.........I'm going to say something crazy right now...but I LOVE SCHOOL!!!
I have to take two rolls for every assignment, which is not as easy as it sounds. Going back to film is just a little different than using my wonderful digital camera.
I got all of my pictures taken on time.
I hiked, I drove to a new town, I took a walk downtown with my husband, and I even woke up early in order to take pictures.
Today I rushed home after work, took a shower, and then rushed to the photo lab to develop my film before class.
It worked! My film turned out great, and hopefully tomorrow we'll get to actually print something! Even though it's unheard of, this girl is finally loving school, and summer school at that.

On Friday morning I'm leaving for Chicago for a shopping trip with the girls!!!! I am so excited! It will be my first solo road trip in a long while.
I'm cleaning my car out, printing maps, getting some junk food, gathering change for the tolls, and getting ready to listen to great music on my ipod!
Most of all I'm looking forward to seeing my family. They are so worth the drive!

I'll try to take some pictures with my digital camera this weekend.

Ahhh...the sweet, sweet smell of summer

Sorry, again, for the delay in posting. It's been a busy week. Jason and I both started our summer classes on Monday. Jason also started his new job as a desk clerk at the Red Fox Inn working the 12-8am shift. The days he has class, which is Mon-Thurs, when he works he leaves at 7am and has class at 7:30am until 9:30am. Then he tries to come home and sleep a little. And I know from experience that figuring out how to figure out your sleep schedule with a midnight shift is very, very difficult. He has to figure out when to sleep, when to eat, when to study, and most importantly for Jason, when to play softball.
For those of you who don't know, Jason is the captain of a softball team for the English department. It's a very eclectic team, but everyone on the team is very enthusiastic about playing softball. Tonight the team they were playing decided that they were going to cancel the game due to rain. Mind you, the rain wasn't anywhere in sight at 3:00, so they other team canceled and Jason's team had a great practice. After practice, the piston's played game 2 tonight and a couple of the team players went out for a couple of brewsikies and to watch the game.

I met them after my class to join in the fun. Speaking of class. I started my Black and White photography class on monday. It's going to be very intense six weeks, but it's going to be very instructive. I know that I will be a much better photographer when I'm done. I have already been asked to take engagement pictures later this summer for our friends Anthony and Molly. Right now I am just waiting for my film and paper to come in the mail. Yes, that's right I have to have my photo supplies shipped to me....oh, man living in the UP is something else.

Summer is finally here in da yooo pee. It's been high 70's for the most of the week and I am working on my tan. It's not hard to do when I'm at work watering shrubs on a black parking lot! I also went to beach on my day off on tuesday, but it was so windy that I grabbed my book and headed over to the pier and sat there and read for a couple of hours with out the sand blowing in my ears.

Other than school and work, we are just enjoying the summer. Our first visitor of the summer is coming next week. Jason's brother Steve is coming for a couple of days. I think that my cousin Joel is thinking of coming up in the middle of June and Jason's parents are coming around the 4th of July, and my parents and grandparents are coming at the end of July for the festival, Art on the Rocks. Yay!!! Visitors!

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I think this picture says everything. Flip flops = summer!

The picture below is something called a photogram. It was my first experiment in the dark room. I tried to explain it to my mom on the phone, but that didn't work, so I took a digital picture of it instead.

When a picture is made in the dark room, light is shone thru the negative onto the photographic paper. And then the paper is put into chemicals that makes the latent image appear on the paper. Instead of using a negative to make a picture, we were told to bring objects from home that either made a creative design or told a narrative about us. It's obvious what mine was about. I used a couple pieces of fabric, my clear ruler, my jar of buttons, a needle and thread, and pins. When the light shines on the paper it turns the exposed parts black and the things the light can't go thru it turns them white.
I loved how mine turned out! I hope that explains it a little more mom!

(if you click on the picture, it will usually open it in another window a little larger)

another great date hike

It never ceases to amaze me, this great city and state we live in. On our hike today it felt like we were the only ones around. Like we were on some resort island somewhere. The sun was shinning and the breeze off of the lake was cool. What a great place we live in!

There was a hole in a tree trunk and we decided to goof off a little!

Jason, testing out his water proof boots.

Flat rock under the water with green streaks on it.

This isn't a trick picture. The shore line corroded and took the tree with it.

lightning video

Just click the play button for some amazing lightning.

For Now....

On Monday night after grocery shopping and 1/2 off appetizers at Applebees, we couldn't resist the light show that was happening over Lake Superior. I set up my camera and tripod and let the show happen. I was unable to take pictures so I took a couple videos instead. I'm still in the process of editing them and as soon as I'm done I'll post them here if I can figure it out. In the mean time, here are a few stills from the video. They are a little grainy, but still very very cool!

my mom

My mom knows everything.

When I was younger, I swore she had eyes in the back of her head.

My mom has a big heart.

She would do anything for anyone if you asked her, and sometimes if you don't.

My mom knows everyone in Grandville.

Seriously, EVERYONE!

My mom sends me care packages just for the fun of it.

Once she sent me two chocolate chip cookies. Just two.

My mom loves to create things.

I've never met anyone who loves crafty things more than my mom.

My mom loves her children with all of her heart, and loves it that we all get along and love each other.

We know this, and we never have to question it.

My mom loves things that are miniatures.

Mostly food that is little, like the half sticks of butter you can buy.

There is much, much more to my mom, but this one thing is for sure: I love my mom, I would not be the women I am today if it weren't for her.

Happy Mother's Day!

(and also to all of you mothers and mothers to be, you are loved by me.)

see what happens when you work at a greenhouse

1. I work at a greenhouse.

2. I live in an apartment building.

3. I can't plant flowers anywhere.

4. I work with flowers, beautiful flowers all day long.

5. I bought this hanging basket of bagonias today.

6. I don't have anywhere to put this hanging basket.

7. I just HAD to have it.

8. So....now I have a hanging basket with no home.

9. And I love it!

10. I wish I could buy everyone a plant.

random things

I started my new job on monday. We weren't open yet, so I helped pull the plants into the greenhouse and rearrange everything. I worked last night and it was so good to be sweaty and dirty after work. After working indoors for a long time, it's good to be out doors. For the most part, we run the place by ourselves. The owner shows up once in a while to give us direction.
On sunday I started cutting the fabric that I bought with my birthday money, and I finished putting it together on Tuesday night. It's a little smaller than I want it, so I'm going to add a border around the edges. I don't know where I'm going to find fabric, the only place around here is walmart and I looked there already. Not a great selection.
Anyway...Off to work.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!!

We love you!

Cinco de Mayo Fun

While playing catch with Jason in the front of our apartment we heard the smoke alarm going off in one of the apartments upstairs. We ignored it for a little while thinking that someone must be cooking, but they guy that lives across from that apartment said that they weren't home and had moved out. So me being the fireman's daughter that I am went upstairs and knocked on the door and no one answered. I could smell something smoldering inside the apartment. So I called 911 and the fire department was in front of our apartment building within minutes.
Turns out that they had their self cleaning oven on and it had gotten so hot that whatever was left in the oven was burning off and causing the apartment to smoke up.
It got all of the neighbors out on their lawns and gave them a good show for the afternoon. I'm glad it wasn't anything serious and I'm glad I called them, it could have been anything and I wasn't looking forward to throwing all of my stuff out of the windows!
Lesson for the day: If you are ever in doubt call. Don't wait for someone else to do it, because they probably won't.
Well we're off to a Cinco de Mayo party! Have good weekend!

I GOT A JOB!

Yes you heard right! After my depressing blog entry yesterday this is really good news! When Jason woke up this morning and our conversation went like this:

Me: Guess what?
Jason: You got a job.
Me: No, we're done with school!

Although this conversation seems very boring and nondescript, not 2 minutes after we finished this short conversation did my phone ring with a 906 number on my display screen (906 is the UP area code) "could this be a job offer?" went through my head as I answered the phone. Sure enough! I was recommended by someone I had interviewed with for working in a parking lot green house! Yeah! I get to be outdoors, I get to get semi-dirty, and work with plants! (since I can't grow any at my own home) I have to meet with the owner tonight to go over the particulars and put a good word in for my husband.

I am excited, relieved, giddy, and just plain thankful that I finally have a job and one that hopefully I will love!

Thank you for all of your prayers.

school is out for summer!

First of all, sorry to all who faithfully check my blog. I do apologize for being such a bad blogger the last couple of weeks. I think what it comes down to is that I haven't really been up to finishing school. Don't get me wrong, I couldn't wait for that last final to be done and to be moving on to something else, but it's the fact that I didn't have any motivation to really finish strong and so the guilt of it all wore me down. I am finally finished with everything! Now I can get down to the good stuff, like sewing, scrapbooking, deep cleaning my apartment, putting all of our winter gear in storage (for the second time), and continue to look for a job. I think that only having 2 interviews and only a couple more call backs, not finding a job has been the biggest weight on me. I'm a good catch, I work hard, I learn new things really quickly and I'm way more mature than any of these high school kids the companies around here insist on hiring over me. To say that it's a blow on the 'ole self esteem is lacking in description. I know that it's mostly the city I live in. Things move very slowly here. Two weeks after I applied at the city for a summer job, I went back to make sure that I wasn't missed in the shuffle. I was then informed that although applications were being accepted in the beginning of April, some areas won't hire until the END OF MAY. Only in Marquette. So needless to say the whole business has gotten me a little down. I am very excited though for summer in Marquette. We only got to experience a little bit of it last year, but what we did get to experience was amazing. Living in a "small" town is very charming in the summer. I am looking to riding my bike downtown to the farmers market on Washington street, taking the bike path all around Presque Isle Park and along the lake shore, sitting by the beach, camping, hiking, and enjoying being outdoors. I don't know when I am going to find time to do all of those, but I am going to try. This summer Jason is a captain of a co-ed softball team, I will be a sub when my night class is over. He is also going to be taking summer classes and he is also currently looking for a job. (Donations can be sent to 2302...just kidding!) In all seriousness though we are happy and healthy and are so excited to be done with this school year and we couldn't be more blessed! YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you for all of your prayers and love that was sent this way! We can't wait to see you this summer. (Hint...Hint!)