R is for Ronnebeck!

When I booked my trip to South Dakota, I keep thinking about how fast traveling goes, and how I forget the little details by the time I get home. This time I want to be vigilant about remembering the little snafu's and good things that happen. So you're going to get to be part of it so I can come back here and read it for myself. So, a few snippets from today. - I arrived at the airport with plenty of time to spare. I walked through the doors to find a two part line to the service counter to get checked in if you didn't have your boarding pass already printed. Oye. I tried to look up my ticket using my credit card, but apparently the machines can't look it up that way, so I resigned and got in line with the 80 other travelers who didn't pre-print boarding passes. Then, I remembered that my phone has e-mail capabilities, so I quickly looked up my ticket number and in moments I had my boarding passes in hand. God Bless technology. -The line to the TSA was horrendous, ...

TGFFWF??? T hank G OD F or F REE W iFi! Cheesy... I know, but it's the best I can give you right now. Here I sit... Sea Tac Airport. Waiting. Waiting for the plane to come in to take me to Minneapolis... that will eventually take me to Watertown. Eventually meaning tomorrow morning/afternoon. I am not angry, upset, or even frustrated. It's just the way things go sometimes, expecially when you're flying into a midwest area in January. I'm totally antsy, however. I am so happy that Sea Tac has free wifi... FREE!!!

I get really sappy when I look at these photos... of her wedding day. I feel like an old lady who says "When you were this big". Laurel has been a beautiful part of my life. Last year on New Years Eve the love of her life Jon proposed to her in Kerry Park in Seattle. A few months later, I took their engagement photos, then her bridal shower photos... and today... her wedding photos. Laurel was my 14 year old girl who found things I said fascinating, and I was a college kid who loved to hear herself talk, so we meshed well together. Our talking developed into a beautiful friendship that I treasure. Tonight, Laurel, on your wedding night... I am so thankful for the gift you've given me of shooting my first wedding as a photographer. I click through the photos one by one, and each one tells a story in a beautiful and funny way. I hope you love them. I learned so much tonight. I learned a lot about myself as a photographer, and my skills with people, you gave me a wonderful w...

From the sounds of all the text messages, phone calls and facebook messages I've gotten in the past 24 hours there's a lot of antsy people in South Dakota waiting on me... I am totally antsy too!

We got home this evening from running a few errands in South Center and just as we pulled into the garage it started to Hail... HARD! Eric and I ran outside Aquaman in tow to check out the new fallen precipitation. It was about pea sized. And it came down hard, and is still on the ground... But shortly after our adventures outside we came in to finish up packing for my trip, and there was some major thunder, which was really cool to hear! I am off to bed now to get my rest before my "big gig" tomorrow. In other news, Gracie must have appreciated the piece of string in her stocking that Santa gave her because she's being nice today and making me feel like she'll actually miss me when I go. Truth be told? I think her food dish is empty.

I feel like I've fallen off the blog bandwagon. I have tried to blog, but feel a little unmotivated, even lethargic about it. I can't think of anything to write... though I haven't had an issue writing my "To Do" list in 20 different ways to make sure I don't forget a thing. Sometimes I wonder how I keep myself so organized when I spend time organizing and reorganizing lists. I digress. I am trying to get ready for Laurel and Jon's wedding, which is Thursday night. It's my first wedding as a photographer, and I won't lie... I'm a little nervous about it. Okay, I'm a lot nervous about it. I know I will get shots, I just hope I can produce shots that are as magical as the bride wants them to be. I am a total amateur, but as the tag on my tea bag said today "Every artist was first an amateur" - Ralph Waldo Emerson I needed to hear that today. Thanks Good Earth Tea! I leave for South Dakota on Friday... FRIDAY!!! I couldn't be m...

We are a couple kids come Christmas Day. We wake up early, get some coffee, put on some music, and then spend the morning opening gifts. We let Aquaman open his first this year to keep him occupied all morning. We gave Gracie a nice piece of string, and she was so enthralled that she spent a lot of the morning being part of the family! We normally start out by checking out our stocking loot. Santa was very good to both of us this year, and our snowmen were fat! Then we open gifts, one by one, slowly enjoying every moment! It gets rather messy, and I'm glad we kept Aquaman occupied. And yes, I got Taylor Swift AND Eclipse , and no, I'm not 16, I'm 26... just for the record. Eric also got me this beautiful tea kettle. I love that you can see the reflection of the tree in the kettle. I found this fun pop up book for Eric... It has all the DC Superhero's, it's pretty cool. And I bet you're wondering what kind of present get's that kind of reaction.....

Every year I submit my family to a Christmas Eve photo. I never regret it. Each year has it's own story, and each year I love what turns out! Of course it ends up with me spending quite a bit of time with the tripod and then the timer, and testing the right settings before I force Eric, Gracie and Aquaman in to cooperation. I love my silly family... And their willingness to humor me on Christmas eve... every year. Merry Christmas!!!

It's "that" time of year... and even the kid's are treating each other well... and even though Gracie has been driving me crazy, and I feel she's unhappy here... she's been soaking it up under the tree, and perhaps doesn't HATE it ... She's still the prettiest Orange Kitty in the world! This morning as I was headed out the door for work I decided that I needed to take my camera with and capture images that I think of when I think Christmas... How fast it goes... (that's our "town tree" in Des Moines) How pretty Westlake center looks... Macy's amazing star... Egg Nog Lattes!!! And Seattle's "Town Tree" Nordy's Holiday window glory... My fabulous Snowman hat... And then, when I got home we BAKED COOKIES!!!!! We had to get ready for Ivan and Dawn's visit tomorrow night ... and get treats baked! We normally build a house... but we didn't think we needed all the added sweets (M&M's ... etc) Like my apron? ...

So... I'm Merry Merry Holly Jolly... and maybe it's because I've been listening to Christmas Music ALL DAY LONG!!! I'm not sure how to "Embed" a video... but I "elfed" Mom and I today Click HERE ... and it made me laugh... you should try it too! http://www.elfyourself.com/ Merry Christmas!

I never have a hard time going to work in the morning; I almost always have a hop in my step. But this day... for the past two years... it's been hard for me to walk in the door at work. This day the 22nd of December is when we found out that we lost the Vice President of Information Systems to Suicide. He had taken his life on the 19th, but on the 22nd is when it shook our world here at work. His face hasn’t faded, and some of the systems that he’s created we still occasionally curse, but ultimately each system is a piece of him, still working in our lives in a weird way. We miss you Cai, Truly we do.

Mom sent us our Christmas gifts in the mail last week, and they arrived today! Just in time! Though, it looks like Santa may have sat on the box! They were all okay though, and I'm still in awe that Santa knows how to get gifts to us even when we live so far away! Thanks for visiting Mom early so she could get them in the mail big guy, you're a smart one! Thanks Mom! I can't wait to open them! Love, Eric and Abby

I'm sorry Julie... I had to show these three faces off. I "borrowed" the photos off of my Sister in law's facebook... because they're sooooooo freeking adorable! Carter the King in Red! And Who doesn't need a Shepherd with a little bit of 'tude. I wish I was closer to see this in person... but the pictures bring me right back to South Dakota, and a proud aunt I am!