Isaiah Meets Science Heaven

This Saturday Ryan & I took my nephew Isaiah up to Portland to OMSI, the Oregon Museum of Science & Industry. It was my Christmas gift to the smartest, cutest, funniest 4 ½ -year-old I know. It was such a blast, the entire time he was dodging from one thing to the next, soaking in every dinosaur fossil, slithering snake, bear cave, earthquake house, spaceship...I think he was in heaven!

Portland's about an hour drive, and 5 minutes into the drive he was wondering if we were close. I figured we better play some road games to keep his curious excited mind occupied, so I-spy was our first route. Then he wanted to play his own game called doodle doodle. Every time one of us saw something interesting, we yelled, "Doodle," and to find out what was so interesting, we had to respond with "Deedle." I would highly recommend you try this; it's amazing what you can convince yourself to get excited about!

such a classic Isaiah face! haha.

He kept throwing this 'yoyo' at me, sooooo sick! It's one of those creepy stretchy toys that just look like a germ mine. Lovely!

I love seeing his curiosity and excitement, in fact, I'm a bit jealous of how much he admires and appreciates every-day little things. At one point he was crawling around in the little cave with some other kids, and they were pretending to be squirrels, throwing toy acorns in the air yelling, "Acorn!" I began to wonder at what age we become conscious of ourselves and how others perceive us. Here was Isaiah crawling on his knees, yelling ridiculous words, and bumping up against all these kids he'd never seen before that cave encounter.

What I'm getting at it I'm jealous, jealous of his abandonment, constant awe at life, and curios sponge-like mind. Isaiah, I wish I could be more like you!

gotta love the environmental shot by the men's bathroom!

looking at all the snakes, bugs, turtles!

I love this one above!

After their magnificent puppet show of ferrets!

(this doesn't look like me, it's weird.)
And here we are in all our nerdy glory about to do a science project!

What a fun day!~

A Carrot Nose & Sheets Of Ice

Last year I experienced the coldest, snowiest winter since I lived in Poland as a child. I was in western Massachusetts, attending photography school and struggling through four months of bitter cold and piles of dirty snow that towered my 5ft 2in frame.

I grew to hate that parking lot at our apartment more than anything else, it's slick sheet of glistening ice awaiting me with each coming and going. I remember loading up my inadequate little shoulders with that huge camera bag that weighed nearly half of me filled with the $30,000 of camera gear we had entrusted to us. Then I'd grab the two bags of props, be it classic clean-cut wine glasses, rich fabrics, crusty breads with knife & cutting board, or noise-making toys, there was always something else to drudge around. Oh and my books, my lunch, my purse...it was rather overwhelming! But I usually managed to gather it all up in one gallant swoop, and then came the challenging part: the ice! I did my little granny walk, slowly, carefully mapping out each step, at a painfully slow pace. You see, I hate falling, I HATE FALLING! Definitely on my list of most hated things!

I was alone the one time I did fall, and my knee went out of place for a split second, a little injury that to this day gives me some aching in my knee.

With the parking lot conquered, there were the stairs, and a set of 5 doors, or was it 4? I think it was 5. 5 heavy doors that were on tightly wound hinges that shut fast behind you, almost as if to try and push you down the stairs. I hated those doors. Come to think of it, there wasn't much about that apartment that I liked. It had a very large pantry! That was nice.

In the four months of heaping snow, not once did i go and play in it, or photograph it! What a grump! I think I was so irritated by it that I refused to see or partake in any good of it.

- - -

Saturday of last week was when it started. Snow. First it was little bits here and there, sometimes sticking, sometimes melting into the warm asphalt. Then the weather made up it's mind, and a constant front of snow has defined the last couple days. This year I embraced it, as best as I could. My previous two posts attest to this! Me, camera, and snow become one. : )

We snatched up my grandma on Sunday who's power went out, and she spent three days and two nights with us. The second day my grandma, mom, and sister Tieren went for a brisk walk through our neighborhood. I shot some photos, you can see them here!

Ruby!




Me, "Mom uncover your mouth."

She's sooooo beautiful!

I don't look too excited do I?

Farley's first snow with me.

Later that day my dad coaxed me into making a snow man with him. With care, precision, and heart, we made the cutest, stout little snowman ever, complete with coal eyes and a carrot nose!

Did I mention today is Christmas Eve Eve? Well it is, and the wonder of christmas is close at hand. Tomorrow I work, after which I will be joining my mom and sister for coffee downtown, weather permitting, and wrapping the few gifts I have and baking a fresh caramel apple pie. I can't wait!

Here's wishing you a warm, cozy, white, and wonder-filled Merry Christmas!

Look At That Ice!

I'm looking out my window and realize the snow hasn't subsided for 8 hours now. Wow, not the norm in the Mid-Willamette valley of Oregon. But at least the ice from yesterday has melted! Check out these photos from our back & front yard.

The last photos are of Farley (my beloved Volvo) covered in ice!

ohhhhhh snow

It snowed, I took photos. Had no one to photograph, so I made myself the model. Yay tripod and self-timer!






A look at our street, such pretty snow.















































































































love these two!!!