Random Life

Life is so funny. I am one of those people who loves to be really busy, but it also drives me crazy from time to time. I am VERY happy though to say that I have finished my comprehensive examination questions for my Masters Degree in Human Relations! For my degree I don't have to do a thesis, but I do have to write these two papers. Definitely much easier than doing a thesis, but I am still very happy to have it over with! So happy. I now have one more class, finishing up my internship (at Alaqua) and then I will be done! This was my bright idea that I wanted to accomplish during our time in Japan. It was going well until the school closed the program in all of the Asia locations. Not cool. I am glad that I will have my Masters though and it has been a fun experience :)

I feel weird sometimes about my life and think that I am just one of those people who dabbles in a little of everything; jack of all trades, master of none. If I gave the list of jobs that I have had in my lifetime you would all be quite impressed with my versatility... or maybe unimpressed with my lack of dedication :) I had a nice conversation with Laurie Hood (the founder of Alaqua Animal Refuge) today and got to learn more about her background and how she ended up here. I love hearing people's stories (especially when they have an interesting one). She has a good story, and it's encouraging to know that most people at my age do not have everything figured out and they too have a random mix of experiences. Perhaps someday my life will all come together as Laurie's seems to have. Surely God has some greater purpose for all the randomness in my life and one day all these experiences will be put to good use :)

I love this puppy below. Reminds me of Shugo when he was a pup. I am really just a puppy you know? My life divided by 7 is still practically puppy. Ok, maybe not entirely puppy, but I still have a lot ahead of me and love it when I meet people that remind me there is no mold for life. No rules. No set plan I have to follow. Who knows what my future holds. Everyone always says, "Well, I never thought I would end up here..." That is my one goal. To end up somewhere I'd never imagined I would. And by that I mean somewhere good, not rehab ;)

Six Months

So it has officially been six months (on Feb 21) since my return to America. I feel like Japan was forever ago! It was such a wonderful experience and I HOPE that we can be stationed overseas again. How was it transitioning back to America these last six months? Weird and not weird. The hardest part initially was adjusting to my crazy family. Two years away from them and then getting thrown into the madness was a little overwhelming at first, but at the same time wonderful :) America is wonderful, but being in Northwest Florida I am experiencing a whole new part of it. I am definitely in the South and most people have a special southern twang and speak English a little differently than I am used to from time to time. Despite that, I can understand everyone perfectly so that is one big change from Japan. It wasn't difficult adjusting to the right side of the road, but I STILL have to think twice when walking the dogs and which side cars are going to be on. There was a really odd moment in the first month of my return where I was driving on the freeway and looked over and thought Huh, that's funny. She must have got her car in another country cause her steering wheel is on the wrong side... and then I realized our steering wheels were on the same side.



There are some definite things I miss about Japan. I miss our lovely neighbors. It was always fun to attempt conversation with them. They were the ones who made our stay so wonderful. Always very kind and loved Shugo as much as we did :) I miss the random awesome trails that are everywhere that make you feel like you are not in a city or residential area. I miss the song that played everyday at 5pm to let the kids know it was time to head home. The garbage truck that played Fur Elise when it stopped. The amazing soft serve ice cream and our favorite Indian restaurant Appu Ghar. SO GOOD. I would return to Japan just to eat there again. I seriously miss our shower, because it was basically a room. So much space and it had the BEST drainage system to prevent clogging. I miss how I was so intrigued with everything and I didn't ever have to go far to feel like I was exploring something new. I miss the cool little rice field that was right around the corner from our house. It was fun to watch it grow and wonder when they would cut it. Sadly the day they cut it I had photo shoots booked all day so I was not able to capture the moment with my camera, but I burned the image into my brain so I can at least enjoy it :) Very cool to watch even for the short moment that I drove by. I even miss our wood floors because it was so easy to clean. Sure it got dirty extra fast, but at least I knew it was dirty. AND there was no worry about paws leaving stains. Mopping solved anything.



Things I do not miss... our tiny tiny yard that was not enclosed. The ridiculous recycle system that did not have a category for American trash and the fact that I had to dump half of my trash on base and hope I didn't get caught (because I wasn't really supposed to do that). Exchanging dollars to yen and always losing. I really can't think of much else. I really liked it there. I don't know that I would like to be stationed there again because I would really love to go somewhere new, but I definitely would not be upset if we were sent there a second time.



Below you can enjoy a cute video of Shugo with the neighbor dogs. They would play together almost every weekend. Shugo's best friend Ed (pronounced Edo) always made him happy. We all just loved watching them play together.

Blind

So this lady came into Alaqua today with her mother and I happened to be the only one in the office at the time. They came in wanting to see dogs cause they are looking for a new pup. Sitting in the back office I hear a loud Hellooo... No one was in the front at that moment so I walked out and saw a very excited woman with her mother on her arm. The mother was clearly blind, but they were both quite excited to walk around and see what dogs we had available for adoption. As I walked out the door with them I was immediately grateful for my eyesight. It was clear that the daughter cared deeply for her mother and thought nothing of having to hold her hand everywhere. Steps are coming up. One. Two. Three. Last one. Ok. It was second nature to her. Leading her mother around and describing to her all that she can't see. Oh look at the puppies! They look like little mini dobermans. And there's one brown one. Oh he likes you. He is looking at you and licking the fence. Amazing. Just amazing. If you are reading this you have your eyesight and I think that is something that we all take for granted. I am sure there are some blessings that come with blindness, but for now I am quite grateful for the blessing of not being blind.

Wasn't sure what picture to post with this, but it seemed like a good story for some sad puppy eyes. And for those of you wondering about Brian. We don't really have anything new to report other than he is getting rolled. We won't know when he will class up with his new class until it happens and until then he gets to be a janitor with all the other rollbacks! Go Brain!

Horse Photography - Alaqua Animal Refuge

I went out to Alaqua Animal Refuge again today. There are SO many different areas a person can volunteer in out there, I am finding that I could spend all my time out there working on different things and helping out in different areas. Today I learned more about what is going on with the horses and what they need volunteers to do with them. I am definitely going to be working with the horses more since I am seriously lacking in the horse time now that I sold my dear Almond. If our next stop is somewhere in the states I am absolutely getting another horse. For now though working with the Alaqua horses will have to suffice.

I find it funny that every time we move I am always a little crazy bored at first and then before I know it I have too many things going on. Between photography, school, Alaqua, my dogs, and taking care of the household I am definitely no longer bored :) And due to my busy-ness I am posting a shot of a mini out at Alaqua. A little more of the artsy horse photography. I have a serious backup of images that I need to get through right now so I don't have anything new to post at the moment. Or, I do have plenty new images, but I haven't had the chance to even download them yet. A big thank you goes out to Brian who helped me photograph the dogs out at Alaqua today :) He went out there with me since it's a holiday and he had the day off. I am still working on catching up with all the animals. It's really an endless task, and I will never be caught up with the rate that they adopt out and save new animals. It's a good thing though and I am glad to be helping out the Northwest Florida community in any way that I can :)

Double Tap

Sounds cool right? Not cool. Double tap is what Brian did today. It means he failed a test twice. I figured realistically this day would come, but I was anxiously hoping that it wouldn't. The funny thing is that as I was praying for him to be confident and calm and pass his test this morning, I began to wonder about the "what if's" of him of him failing. I will admit though, I also began to wonder these same thoughts last Friday when we found ourselves in the same place. The thoughts this time seemed a little more haunting though. What if he fails? He'll get rolled. What if the class he gets rolled into sucks? He is with such a good group of people. I hope he doesn't get rolled. What if he gets dropped? One year left in the Navy and then what? Where will we spend our last year? Where will we spend the rest of our lives? All good questions, but ALL so unnecessary. Really. They are. What if he blows up and dies? I mean really, if I'm gonna play the "what if" game, then why not go there? And that right there is exactly why the "what if" game is stupid. There is nothing I can do about any of that whether it happens or not. And I may as well not torture myself by playing that game. Right? Right.

So he double-tapped. What does this mean for us now? Ready.... it means... I DON'T KNOW. Isn't that a lovely answer? Welcome to the military. Apparently it's a three day weekend, so when Tuesday rolls around he is supposed to find out where he goes next. There are no choices on our part, but the possibilities are: a) he retakes the test and gets to stay in his current class (VERY unlikely, maybe 1% chance of this occurring), b) he retakes the test and gets rolled into the class directly behind him, or c) he goes to rollback limbo-land for a couple months until a spot opens up in a class. I am rooting for option a, but planning for option c. Looks like we may be here in Florida a bit longer folks. But let's not get our hopes up, cause you just never know.

Brian was extremely disappointed and upset with himself yesterday for failing, so I was quite surprised that he seemed totally cool with the fact that he failed today. It's good though, cause if he freaked out, I KNOW I would have too. One of us has to always have their head on straight I suppose. So, the long weekend begins, and the annoying part is that I know when Tuesday hits and I want to know our fate immediately... we won't know a thing. Such excitement! Such thrill! Such... irritation. I think to some this may sound intriguing possibly (or not, I don't know you tell me...), but let me tell you that it is and it isn't. Part of me loves not knowing what is next. It keeps me on my toes, and it's definitely not what I would call boring. Yet, it is rather tiring at times having everything undecided. EVERYTHING. I mean, part of me almost wanted to cancel the second half of my internship because, well, what if we aren't here by then? Thank God I decided that scheduling and shooting weddings was a bad idea. I can't imagine how stressed I would feel if I had weddings booked throughout the summer and be sitting here wondering if I am even going to still live here by then. Ugh.

So, my plan? Think peaceful thoughts :) Peaceful like the beaches of Oregon. Deep breath in... and slowly out... Hmmm. I already feel better :) I am just glad to be in a place that I can roll with it. It's a place I have chosen and I am glad I did, because living any other way with this man that is my husband would be torture.

Let me just add a little addition to this post. In case I sounded dramatic (which I am thinking I may have). We are not freaking out. It was bound to happen at one point or another. We will be fine, and Brian will continue on through the school. We are trusting that if God really wants him to be an EOD tech that he will help him through it. So we are continually seeking God for direction and praying that we will have our faith strengthened (which I think he is doing just that!).

Pet Photography - Alaqua Animal Refuge - Cats

Well, I have been posting entirely too many dogs on here and figured I should ad in some felines. Cats are wonderful creatures. Very simple. Don't require nearly as much attention as dogs. However, it is those exact reasons that make them MUCH more difficult to photograph. My barking, meowing, chirping, and any other weird noises I may attempt to make do ABSOLUTELY nothing to these things we call cats. Don't get me wrong, I love cats, but I refer to myself as more of a dog person. Brian is also a dog person, but he is not as kind as me, he refers to himself as a cat hater. Which is why I have vowed to one day own a cat :)

One project that I am working on is getting updated photos of all the animals at Alaqua Animal Refuge. For those of you who do not know, Alaqua is quite a large facility and there are 300+ animals there. So when I say I am working on a project, I really mean that it's a project! Pet Photography, dog photography, Cat Photography, Horse Photography. I am even finding new specialties of pig photography :) I am really learning to branch out and expand my area of expertise.

So, feast your cat loving eyes on some cat photography! All of these cats are up for adoption and they are all quite the lovers. One even climbed onto my back as I was bending over photographing another! The first is my favorite. I call him, the birdhouse cat :)



As I photographed the next cat, I couldn't help but think of Anchorman... "I'm in a glass case of emotion!"

Furry Fanatics - Dog Photography

Well Saturday was a success. We had one pup adopted and a few people who went out to the shelter to look at the other animals available and a couple were adopted out there as well :) Any adoption makes it a successful day. I had a lovely time photographing a few beloved pups for those who donated to Heart Worm treatment. Below is this a sweet little dog who followed his mom everywhere. No leash or bribing required.



Next up is this beautiful Golden Retriever. He was VERY excited to see all the animals we brought and he really just wanted to play with them. We just had to set it up so I was shooting from the direction of the puppies cause he wouldn't look any other direction :) I know they are not super different, but I cannot decide which shot I like better. Votes anyone?





And last pup that was photographed was the lovely chihuahua. Such tiny creatures they are. I just don't even know how you are supposed to pet these dogs. I feel like one pat and I could knock him over! For that reason I am pretty sure I only pet him a little :) So, it was a good day. Thank you to all who came out to support Alaqua!

Furry Fanatics and Alaqua Animal Refuge - Pet Photography

Tomorrow I will be at Furry Fanatics with Alaqua Animal Refuge. Alaqua will be bringing out as many furballs as they can for a Valentine's Adoption Day. If you haven't been out to Furry Fanatics, this is the perfect opportunity! Tim and Julie are wonderful people who are serious volunteers for Alaqua and they just recently opened this cute little shop! There will be treats for the furballs and their humans and even some champagne to sip! Furry Fanatics will be giving 20% of their sales to Alaqua. There will also be a raffle for a beautiful Donna Burgess Gallery animal print - Matted. Every $2 donation gets you a ticket for a chance to WIN!

Also, I will be there doing portraits for anyone who wants them! A $15 donation will get you a digital file to print and post as you please! 100% of the money will go to Alaqua to pay for Heart Worm treatment for some of the animals that come in. Many of the dogs that come in have Heart Worms and the treatment is quite expensive. So come get a portrait done and donate some money to saving the animals :)


So, as you can see there will be a lot going on at Furry Fanatics on 30A this weekend. Hope to see lots of people out there!

Pass/Fail

My phone started ringing and I instantly got a little nervous. That better not be Brian calling. It's too early to be getting good news. Sure enough there was his name on my phone as I nervously answered. Two and a half years ago I got a call in the middle of the day and it was not exactly good news (at the time). Brian failed another test on Monday and I had been praying all morning on Tuesday that his re-take would go well. We both believe that God has brought us through to the point that we are now. There have been too many crazy things going against us (but yet we are making it through) and it is seriously by the grace of God. Will Brian make it through EOD school? I think so. But then again I thought the same about BUD/S. I have clearly learned to not get too set on any one idea over the years. All I know is that Brian is not exactly the world's best test taker. Anyone who went to school with him would know that (and oddly enough I am one of those people). I knew this school would be hard, and I knew that there would be a lot of prayer and faith required. What I didn't think would happen (and am still not too sure will) is that Brian would actually have the possibility of making it through without getting rolled. If he does I would just like to state now (before it happens) that it would truly be an act of God. For those of you laughing, please, do not mistake this for me making fun of Brian's brain. It's just very rare for people to make it through this school without getting rolled at some point, and in Brian's case (because he does not always test well) it would be an act of God.



So, back to the main story. The phone rings. "Don't freak out. I just got off work early," he immediately reassured me. So did you PASS?! Yes. Thank the LORD. I was a little extra concerned, not because I didn't think he could do it, but because when he failed he did so with a very low grade. I don't even remember what it was but I think it was in the 20s. And what did he get on his passing re-take? 100%. Weird-O. It's completely wonderful, but I swear it is quite the roller coaster of emotions. And really, for those of you who know me, a roller coaster of emotions is an interesting ride for me.

Brian's favorite thing to say as he is going through all the testing is What do they call people who get a D in medical school? DOCTORS. Makes me a bit nervous, especially since he is working with explosives. But that just brings us back to the whole having faith right? Right.

Puppy Bowl 2011 Destin Commons - Alaqua Animal Refuge

The Puppy Bowl went quite well on Saturday :) There were lots of people who came out despite the cold weather and few sprinkles. A big thank you to Bark Avenue for being the sponsor :) There were banners and t-shirts and toys and treats for all the players! I have to admit it was my first Puppy Bowl and I was impressed. I personally fell in love with the referee. Brian says no though. Three dogs is apparently too much for him (even if the third one would be small). A Basset mix though? SO necessary to our family! I agree that it would make our lives more complicated especially since we are military and move every couple years. And it would really make moving overseas complicated (and expensive). Not to mention who would we find to watch our lovey pets when traveling... but STILL! She is SO cute! I have not given up, and I just might bring her home despite Brian's protests... unlikely that I will do that... but I'm still trying to convince him! We already have two large dogs (at least we think Chancho will get large). Bassets are the only small dog that I like, and yes, I realize that they are not actually small dogs. They are much smaller than my regular dogs though! Brian's thoughts? No. Where does it end! You will never be satisfied. Get control of yourself! No. Heartless man. I will tell you where it ends. It ends with me getting this dog and a mastiff. That's all I ask for! Is it really too much? Maybe I will wait to get my mastiff in ten years when Shugo dies. But we need the Basset mix now.

Back to the Puppy Bowl. Please. Enjoy the pictures :) We had some hard core players.



Quite a bit of rough-housing around in the beginning. Lots of foul play.



Even against team members





The ref took a lot of heat for some of her calls.



Eventually they started to get tired though.



Really tired.



They all got treats. This is seriously pretty much my favorite shot. This dog would fit in my family! We NEED her!



And everyone got lots of love from the fans :) It was a good day, and there were several applications put in for puppies!

Happy 2011!

Yes, it is February and yes I am still saying welcome to 2011 :) I thought I would post our family picture of the year that we sent out with our yearly letter. For those of you who did not receive one please do not be offended! We had to shorten our list this year as tight as possible due to lack of funding (we are dearly missing our Japan paycheck). So, for those of you who didn't get one, this is for you!

It was an exciting time taking these photos. It was right at dusk and we were rushing to get the shot before all the light was gone. It'd be easy if there were no animals involved cause me and Brain know how to sit still for a slow shutter, but we were lucky to get the dogs to sit still for anything at all. Let me just say that I truly hate self timer. I don't have the patience for it, and I also hate tripods (due to a lack of patience I am sure). Someday maybe we will have someone do the pictures for us. This was shot at ISO 800 (hence the graininess) and it was super dark (cause we couldn't do a slow shutter with the pups) so I brought it up in photoshop. Oh the madness. Brian suggested we just do it tomorrow. The problem with tomorrow is it never comes! What if there is no tomorrow!?! There wasn't one today! - absolute favorite line from Groundhog Day. If you haven't seen the movie... shame on you.



Below was a close second, but Brian's face was impossible though. Smile! I thought about photo-shopping it, but didn't feel like spending any time on it, cause we all know how I truly despise spending too much time fixing any one image (even if it is working on my dear beloved's face...)



Why did Shugo roll over? It literally happened seconds before the shot was taken... I wanted to kill him. He is supposed to be the easy one.



Got tired of the dogs for a shot, but decided we could not send out a shot without them (and I truly think that that thought goes through every person's mind as I am shooting their family photos. Some parents even say that to their children).



And one without Chancho, because he too was being impossible. And Brian, "smiling with his eyes" as he calls it. He has a hard time smiling on cue 99% of the time, and this is his default.

Dog Photography - Puppy Bowl 2011

Saturday Alaqua is having a Puppy Bowl at Destin Commons.  It's basically a Superbowl for puppies. That's right. Puppies. In a Superbowl. I think there may be puppy jerseys and someone dressed as a ref and/or a cheerleader or two (maybe even a pup dressed as a cheerleader). Alaqua people get creative to raise funds for what they do. Real creative. I will be there Saturday and and I am sure it will be tons of fun because really, who doesn't love hanging out with puppies? It will be quite interesting I am sure.

If you wanna see the puppies below and their other siblings in action on Saturday, come on out to Destin Commons for the first ever Alaqua Puppy Bowl!