Random Musing

Does anyone else sleep with their feet off the bed? Cause I do and I wonder if this is possibly an anomaly I only share with incredibly tall people.

I sleep on my stomach (soon to change) but I like my right foot hanging off the bed. Like the top of my foot is on the mattress and my toes hang off at least 2 or 3 inches. I mean, I have to scoot down that far, because obviously I'm not a giant. (Obviously).

I read this to my husband and he looked at me like I was crazy. No, I'm not joking that was my blog for the day.

As I watch Grover talk about Cairo on Sesame Street it reminds me I need to tell your our Egypt story. . .remind me. I promise it's slightly better than feet off the bed.

You know what that means.

I’m pretty much bursting with excitement.







We took lots of *this* type of picture during our cruise.

You know what that means.

I was DOUBLY sea sick when the boat was moving.

And THIS has been growing in my belly for the last 13 weeks!

Top 10 of '10

Really. Do you have any idea how impossibly hard it is to pick only 10 of my favorite pictures from the past year? Tell me you feel my pain. My friend Carrie did this and I loved looking back over her handpicked favorites.

Somehow I narrowed it down to these, but it was tough. The decisions were made slightly easier by choosing only pictures with Jackson (and Patton or Bentley). Once I cut out the numerous baby/daddy pictures (read: baby and daddy, not Baby Daddy) it was slightly easier.

I love this picture of Bently and Jackson. Jack is 2 months old and they both share the same bemused expression. Priceless.

Oh. Baby. I miss those sleep-anywhere times. Stretched out with a belly full of milk. It was so easy to get caught up just watching him sleep. The sleep grins turned sleep giggles and the precious yawns and stretches? Baby fever, much?

Ok, I'm cheating. But these pictures were taken less than 2 weeks apart and are so similar, yet I could NOT choose between the two- so you get both. I love his expressions in both pictures. So Jack.

Jackson was 4 months old and I saw a friend post a picture of their baby about the same age sitting. Immediately I wanted to try it so we took off upstairs to our king sized super soft pillow top and low and behold I got this first upright (unsupported) picture of my guy. No matter he could only hold this position for exactly 2.5 seconds, he was adorable. With his bald everywhere but on top head and his heavenly chubbiness. Sigh.

King of Fans.

Pretzels are one of Jackson's favorite foods (living in Germany that's not too much of a surprise). This picture was actually taken in France on a trip we took over Labor Day Weekend. We were at a small sidewalk cafe on the main thoroughfare sipping champagne and snacking before dinner.

We have this beautiful woods behind our house (our street name Zum Spitzberg literally means to the woods). Can't wait until spring when Jackson can really get out and explore.

Favorite cold weather picture taken just before (or after) Jackson's first birthday.

My new 50mm 1.8/f took this picture. This is exactly why I wanted the lens, yet I have no idea how I did it. Must learn.

Just about a week ago I took this picture on our cruise. Our last port was Dubrovnik, Croatia, a city I never knew I wanted to visit. Now, I think I must go back. The views from the city walls were breath-taking.

Phew. So those are my top ten! The good news? Next year I should get to pick ELEVEN! Right?

And in mostly related news, because I likely won't get around to posting my New Year's resolutions here is one. Learn to shoot in manual mode. . . (if you have any tips or resources I'd love to hear them!!) I'm one of those shoot and hope kinda photographers. I'd love to be one who KNOWS they are getting the perfect shot. This has actually been a goal for a long time, but hey, this could  WILL be the year. Need to sharpen my skills for all those precious moments to come!

Merry Christmas

Thinking of all our friends and family back home, while exploring out here!

Love, The Roses

With Love, from Verona

New Lens

Ah. Love.

I bought a new lens for my Cannon Rebel. It's a 50mm 1.8/f and I've only had it for about an hour. . .with a messy baby.

But I love the bokeh, and can't wait to play with it more tomorrow!

SNOW

 

 

The Germans are predicting this winter will be the worst in 100 years.

I feel like they say that every year :) But it IS only December 10th and I'd say over the past two weeks we've gotten close to (edit from last night) OVER 2 FEET of snow.

I loooove it. Jackson, eh, he finds it mildly interesting. (Not to mention my HUSBAND has gotten quite a few snow days and delayed starts from it. More family is ALWAYS a bonus, in pretty much everyone's book, right?)

BEFORE we got all of this snow (think back to Thanksgiving weekend) we drove out to Wald Wipfel Weg. Yeah. Don't ask me how to pronounce it. It was our first big snow outing of the season was beautiful. We loved watching the snow come down in sheets. Catching on hats, hoods and eyelashes. Who doesn't love a good snow?

It wasn't terribly cold, and certainly not cold enough to detract from the beautiful scenery. I love how thick and heavy the snow is- sticking and piling to the branches of the trees- to the extent it looks like it's been shot with a fire extinguisher. . .but prettier because you know it hasn't. Maybe the snow does the same thing back home but there are so many more trees here in Germany it gives it a different effect? Either way, it's one of my favorite things about this country. The trees and the heavy wet snow that beautifully catches on every surface.

WWW has a giant elevated wooden walkway 100feet off the ground. It was MAGICAL walking through the tops (or at least middles) of the snow covered trees. And did I mention little sparkly Christmas lights lead the way? Yeah, double magical.

On clear days they say you can see for quite a ways- but with all the snow we focused on the close up scenery- beautiful snow covered trees- footprints intermixed with stroller tracks. And we went early so we were actually the only people there- I'm all for that.

Ah, I'd love to go back, some clear day in the spring, maybe? We also topped off the day with a little Gluhwine (and Kinderpunch for the smaller guests) in a BIG tee pee with a toasty fire to warm up.

Realizing not everyone knows what Gluhwine is? It's a hot, steamy, mulled, spiced, delicious, usually red wine. Served hot and steamy in mugs (this is important to warm those cold, cold hands) to carry around Christmas Markets and the like. I really like Germans- they go straight from drinking beer in the summer and fall fests into drinking Gluhwine and other tasty 'adult beverages' during the Christmas Markets.

 

And our forecast this week? Looks a little like this. Uh, hope we can make our way down to Venice at the end of the week for our CRUISE! Wish us luck, we may need it!