As I See It

New Blog

2010-08-26T15:07:00.002-05:00

Hello all,

I've moved my blog. Hopefully, with the new blog, I will be more faithful about updating it - fingers crossed.

http://amberknecht.wordpress.com/

Cousins

2009-09-02T06:59:00.004-05:00

These cousins were the so much fun to photograph. I had a great time. We took these back in July when it was warm and sunny - pretty much the complete opposite of what it is like right now.

Testicle Festival

2009-08-25T05:15:00.002-05:00

You read it right - the title of this post is "Testicle Festival." Lest you forget that I am a small-town Nebraska girl, I thought you'd appreciate some photographic documentation of the blessed event known as the Testicle Festival.

At some point this summer (the exact date is escaping me), the husband, my mom and I journeyed to Round the Bend Steakhouse in South Bend, Nebraska to partake in some testicles (aka bull fries or mountain oysters). This wasn't my first time sampling this cuisine. Back in high school, we fried up some testicles in biology class. I told you I was from a small town. I didn't particularly care for them - they were a bit chewy. The texture of my food is very important to me.

The testicles at the Testicle Festival were pretty good. They were thinly sliced and fried, adding further support to my theory that anything deep-fat fried is automatically pretty tasty.

Now for the photos. This first one may not seem very special to the unknowing reader. It looks like a typical photo of my mom and the husband under the Testicle Festival sign. Really, this picture is iconic. My mom rarely - I mean rarely - appears in photos. If she is in them, she is usually holding something up in front of her face or hiding behind the nearest tree, pole, small child, etc. Not only is she in this photo in full view, but she actually wanted me to take the picture. Miracle of miracles!

In addition to the testicles, there was some extremely tasty funnel cake. I love me some funnel cake.

And now, the photo you've all been waiting for...the testicles. See, they don't look so scary. The husband says they are especially tasty with hot sauce. I'll let you all think up the jokes for that one. Keep it clean - this is a family blog.

The husband and I both got koozies to commemorate the occasion. Mine is pink - of course.

The Girls

2009-07-10T07:02:00.003-05:00

For Father's Day, one of my dear friends wanted to give her husband some close-up pictures of their twin daughters. Close-ups are what I do best. One afternoon, I went over to their house for a quick mini-session. I've known these girls since they were in the womb and am amazed at how quickly they are growing and learning. They are funny, adorable and unique beings with so much love to give.

Thanks for spending time with me Franny and Elliot. I look forward to watching you turn into amazing women some day.

Baby Owen

2009-07-09T07:12:00.002-05:00

Once upon a time, we had some great friends that lived here in Omaha. Then, they decided to move to Sioux Falls. We couldn't blame them. They had no family here. But, we miss them dearly. Luckily, we had a free Sunday back in June and opted to drive up to Sioux Falls for the day and visit.

Not long after they moved, they welcomed baby Owen to their family. Naturally, I took my camera along for some pictures of the new baby and big sister Emma who seriously grew at least a million inches since we last saw her (that might be a slight exaggeration, but she grew a lot people).

Cuddling with big sister.

I love the squishy lips. Sleeping is hard work.

So peaceful. Wouldn't it be great if we could sleep this soundly for all of our lives?

Of course, Emma had to get in on the action. I am way jealous of her dress.

Brent, Heidi, Emma and Owen...Thanks for letting us come visit. We miss you so freaking much and cannot wait to see you again. Hugs from Nebraska.

P.S. Lola says "Ruff!"

CWS 2009

2009-07-07T05:49:00.005-05:00

The 2009 College World Series has come and gone. Sigh. The husband and I made it to two games this year. Mother Nature decided to smile upon Omaha during that week and bless us with mild temperatures. Usually, it is hot. Really hot. Sweat streaming out of every pore on your body hot. Want to pour a five gallon bucket of ice down your pants hot. Her good graces only lasted until the championship games though. We opted to watch those games from the air-conditioned comfort of our family room.

The next time I'm at a loss for what to write, remind me to tell you the story of how I kinda sorta ran over the husband's leg while attempting to parallel park. Really, I just pinned his leg between to cars. The wheels never went over any part of his body. This is an important distinction.

The night before the first game, we headed downtown for a barbecue with some good friends.

Carly decided that Cheetos were much better than any of the other food being offered.

Mallory (Carly's big sister) had a lot of fun. She starts kindergarten in the fall. Go Mallory!

Here are some random shots from around Rosenblatt (the stadium). Next year will be the last year that the CWS is at Rosenblatt. They are building a new stadium.

We always, ALWAYS park at St. Rose Catholic Church. They treat us well and I feel much better about giving $10 to a church than to some random schmo who pimps out his/her yard for extra beer money during the CWS. Maybe the church uses the money for beer, too. I like to think it is used for a greater purpose - like maybe buying fancy beer. Oooh...or Diet Pepsi (aka, the nectar of the gods).

Ready, Set, Improv

2009-07-02T19:55:00.004-05:00

Two posts in one day...did you know it was going to be your lucky day?

In early June, the husband and I met my super fantastic friend Merri (Hi, friend!) at The Pizza Shoppe and Pub (and yes, that is how they spell shoppe) in the Benson neighborhood. Not only does the place serve some pretty good pizza, they also support local artists, musicians, comedians and the like by providing a performance space. Being a local artist myself (or at least an aspiring local artist), I like to show some love for places that welcome artists with open arms.

There were all sorts of fun tchotchkes (dude, I totally had to google that one) around for my picture-taking pleasure. We also caught the improv show of The Weisenheimers. This was pretty adventurous for the husband and me. We don't venture out of our West Omaha comfort zone all that much. It isn't that we don't love all that Omaha has to offer. It's that we are boring...and predictable...and kinda lame. Here's the crazy thing...we had...wait for it...FUN. So, we must give many thanks to Ms. Merri. Thanks for helping us expand our entertainment horizons. You are cooler and neater than us.

I want a t-shirt that says, "Do Not Touch Me. I AM ART!" Not that I get a lot of random people touching me. It would be good to have the t-shirt, just in case.

If I had a bike, I would want one like this, except it would need to be pink and have a basket on the front. Oh...and a bell. I would definitely need a bell.
See, I told you it was called the "Pizza Shoppe and Pub."
The Weisenheimers rocked the improv casbah. I have to be a fan. One of the members is a former Weasel. Once a Weasel, always a Weasel.

We're Going to Kansas City, Kansas City Here We Come

2009-07-02T05:40:00.003-05:00

Actually, we went to Kansas City. Back in May. I know. It's been awhile. No guilt trips please. I'll promise to post more and you'll promise to keep reading and we'll all move on like this never happened.

So, back to Kansas City...We headed down at the end of May to watch the White Sox play the Royals. The husband is a HUGE - make that freaking HUGE - White Sox fan. It was a great little trip. While there, we got to spend some time with one of my good friends from college, his wife and their baby, Hannah. Alas, I have no pictures of Hannah. I know, I know. First, I don't post for somewhere near forever and then I spend time with a super cute baby and have no pictures to offer you. Please, reach down deep, maybe somewhere near your kneecaps and find the heart to forgive me?

I do have pictures from the game! They'll pale in comparison to super cute baby pictures, but remember how we talked about you forgiving me?

First up is the husband.

K is for Knecht. That's us! We didn't really sit in row K. I think we were in row I or something.
We did sit in seats seven and eight of whichever row we were in.

We've had a crazy busy summer thus far, which means my camera has also been crazy busy, which also means there are many, many more posts to come - including some with super cute babies. Stay tuned.

Willow

2009-05-03T16:15:00.002-05:00

My mom, brother, niece and I went to a wedding together this weekend. We had just enough time before the ceremony to take a few pictures of Miss Willow.

Spring!

2009-05-03T15:44:00.004-05:00

I don't want to jinx all of us Nebraskans, but I think spring has finally arrived. All of the trees in our yard have bloomed and I love all the amazing color. There is one major perk to buying an older home - we have all of these amazing, full-grown trees. That does mean we have an older kitchen, but I think it is a fair trade.

Can you see the bumblebee?

And, our tulips! I am in love with our tulips.

Just a random picture of Lola. She had to get in on the action.

Sisters

2009-03-30T07:05:00.004-05:00

Last weekend, I had the pleasure of photographing Delaney and Avery. They are two very photogenic sisters - they made my job very easy.

First, meet Delaney. She has the most striking eyes and definitely knew how to work it for the camera.

Of course, we got a few smiley pictures, too.

Delaney is already an awesome big sister.
The beautiful girls.

Now, meet Avery. Avery was just three weeks old. She already shares some of Delaney's striking features.

Gotta loves those baby toes.

Thanks E family for letting spend a Saturday afternoon with your girls. They are beautiful.

Lola is One!

2009-03-18T05:39:00.005-05:00

Our puppy is one today! We don't have any big plans. Maybe a nice long walk and a new collar.
Things were crazy in our world for a while. My grandpa had a mild stroke and was in the hospital for a month. If you have to have a stroke, I highly recommend the Methodist Hospital rehabilitation floor for recovery. They were awesome and we are very grateful for the great care my grandpa received.
In other news, we painted our basement this weekend. Instead of bright yellow, it is now a nice brown color called burnt almond (I think).
Our friends the Kruses have officially moved back to Sioux Falls. We already miss them a lot. Before they left, they came over for dinner and I took some pictures of Emma. She is going to be a big sister in June.

Something New

2009-02-11T07:36:00.002-06:00

I was finally able to install my inherited version of Photoshop 7 which means I could finally play around with some actions! Woohoo! Pretty much, I am in love with them. These are from Actions by Brenda. There are several more with which I need to experiment, but here are a few.

This one was done using the "urban" action.

Some "vintage" action on this one.
More of the "urban." I think it is my favorite.

More Charlie

2009-02-04T07:42:00.002-06:00

A few more of Charlie. He was really working it for the camera this time.

Quickie

2009-02-03T06:40:00.003-06:00

Just a quick sneak peek of Charlie. He is so freaking cute!

Omaha Children's Museum

2009-02-02T05:39:00.005-06:00

A couple of weeks ago, I went to the Omaha Children's Museum with our friends the Kruses. They are moving back home to Sioux Falls soon and we will miss them...a lot.

Still here...

2009-01-22T05:19:00.004-06:00

It has been a while, dear blog. I think I'm finally on the mend from the illness I've been battling since Thanksgiving. Until recently, I've been too tired to do anything but go to work, come home and take care of Lola. Luckily, I have the best husband ever. He took good care of me.

On Sunday, I was able to go to Elliot and Franny's second birthday party. Here are just a few of the pictures from the event. We are heading to the Chicago area today. After I get back, I hope to post more from the birthday party plus some pictures of my morning with the Kruses at the Children's Museum.

Miss Elliot rocking a killer milk mustache.

The girls got a toy ice cream cone set. It was a huge hit with both of them. If anyone is looking for a gift for a two-year-old, I highly recommend this toy. It is even educational!
I told you they both loved it.

Miss Franny is very intent on something. I'm not sure what it is, but it is probably that ice cream cone toy.

And of course, little cousin Charlie. He has gotten so big and has so much hair now.

How can you not...

2008-12-30T18:31:00.001-06:00

Love this face?

The Girls

2008-12-29T05:34:00.002-06:00

We celebrated Christmas with my family on Saturday. Everyone came over to our house. I cooked successfully cooked a prime rib. Go me! After lunch, we all opened presents and spent sometime chatting and catching up. Here some pictures of the three little ones - all girls.

Miss Willow is getting so big. She was pretty content chilling in her Dad's arms.

This is Miss Kya. She is Willow's big sister. I am definitely digging her funky specs. All the cools girls wear glasses.
And of course Miss Mia. She is entering what my mom calls the "trying threes." She is still pretty freaking cute.

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T12:18:00.002-06:00

A few holiday images from Louisville, NE. I hope all of you are having a wonderful holiday week.

Louisville, NE_Part Three

2008-12-16T05:33:00.004-06:00

I really like windows. Maybe I'll do a whole series on windows.

Louisville, NE_Part Two

2008-12-16T05:26:00.006-06:00

We found the little park in town and it had some great light. I've been trying to focus on finding the light.

Louisville, NE_Part One

2008-12-16T05:21:00.003-06:00

On Saturday, it was unseasonably warm here in Nebraska. I'm talking almost 60 degrees. On December 13th, people. That is freaking awesome. A fellow photographer buddy and I decided to go on a little field trip to Louisville. It is a small town with some really cute little shops. The locals were all, "Why on earth would you want to take pictures in Louisville?" And we were all, "Why not?"

L-O-L-A Lola

2008-12-16T05:17:00.002-06:00

Lola has had her bows in for over a week. Normally, they don't last a day. It isn't because she has suddenly decided she likes being fancy. They are just really tangled in her fur. I've tried several times to get them out, but she just gets all huffy about the situation and tries to bite my face off.

Family Photos_Sneak Peek

2008-12-11T05:52:00.002-06:00

Charlie decided he needed some pictures taken again and this time, he let his mom and dad in on the fun. Mr. Charlie had a bad cold, but he was still so happy and cooperative. I hope your feeling better, Charlie.

The whole family.

Charlie's first Christmas.

We did have to take a little break.

My favorite of the day.

All smiles.

On this day...

2008-12-09T09:04:00.000-06:00

THIRTY years ago...I was born.

Family Photos_Sneak Peek

2008-12-08T20:35:00.002-06:00

You'll remember Spencer and Avery from one of my first photo sessions. This time, we hung out at their house and they even let Mom and Dad in on the fun.

Spencer needed a half-time break during the session. After a juice box and fruit snacks, he was ready to work it for the camera again.

Avery was very focused on opening the Advent calendar. There is just something peaceful about this picture.
Some Avery and Daddy time.

And some Mommy and Spencer time.

I think this one epitomizes your average family - Mom and Dad are being proper grown ups and posing perfectly for the camera while Avery is giving her brother a little tickle and Spencer is giving his silly face version of a nice smile.

On this day last year...

2008-12-04T19:55:00.006-06:00

Those of us that worked and shopped at the Westroads Von Maur were shocked by a senseless tragedy. If you are reading this, please take a moment of prayer or silence or something and remember those that were injured and lost. Then, tell your friends and family that you love them.

A night in the life...

2008-12-04T19:35:00.002-06:00

What happens when it is early December and you have one bored, aspiring photographer with a husband that works retail? Random pictures. Lots of random pictures.

First, Lola had to show off her sassy new haircut. Now, she is actually able to see the bacony goodness with which I am bribing her. She just oozes focus.

Or, maybe she is just annoyed. Regardless, she is painfully cute.

As I opened a fresh twelve-pack of Diet Pepsi (aka, the nectar of the gods), I was surprised by the new design. Really, they should warn a girl. For a split second, I feared that someone had put the wrong soda in the Diet Pepsi box. Those of you that know me, know this would have been a problem. Diet Pepsi is quite possibly my favorite...thing...ever. Now that I've recovered from the initial shock, I'm giving Pepsico, Inc. two thumbs up on the rather festive design.

Finally, we put up our Christmas tree this weekend. Any of you that are also married to Star Wars fans can probably relate to this next pic. Christmas isn't Christmas without a slave Leia ornament.

Brr...

2008-12-03T17:52:00.002-06:00

Here in the great state of Nebraska, it is cold and dark this time of year. It will continue to be cold and dark for several months to come. Really, as far as weather is concerned, we move between two extremes - suffocatingly hot and freeze-your-nose-hairs cold. While we aren't quite to stiff nose hair weather, we are definitely on our way.

Given that the weather will not be conducive to outdoor pictures anytime soon, I decided to bribe Lola with some treats this evening and play with my new flash and diffuser. She is really quite cooperative as long as she knows there will be a reward of bacony goodness at the end.

First, a little black-and-white action. Lola wanted to wave "Hi" to everyone.

Then, she rocked her America's Next Top Model profile pose.

Family_Sneak Peek

2008-12-01T05:45:00.002-06:00

These kids were great! They were very patient and humored me even though we were taking pictures at the end of a long day and Monday Night Football was about to start.

Mallory_Age Four

2008-12-01T05:40:00.003-06:00

Happy Birthday, Mallory!

Today is Mallory's fourth birthday. Last Sunday, we spent some time together, just the two of us. Mallory loves everything relating to Disney princesses.

Tag!

2008-11-29T14:21:00.003-06:00

I've been tagged by Alison Bickel. She is an Omaha photographer and has been my unofficial mentor for my photography journey. I love her work - especially her pictures of her three boys.

Here is how the tag works:

1. Go to the fourth folder in your pictures folder.
2. Post the fourth picture in that folder (no cheating).
3. Explain your picture.
4. Tag four friends to do the same.

The fourth picture in my fourth folder is my favorite senior picture. This is Kyle. We hiked all over downtown Omaha for his senior pictures. We took this one outside of Spaghetti Works.

I am going to tag Dede, Merri, Jeffrey and Jess.

Jackson_Sneak Peek

2008-11-18T19:54:00.003-06:00

This is Jackson. He will soon be turning three and he has enough personality and energy for at least three three-year-olds. We had a lot of fun looking at all the trains at the Durham Western Heritage Museum this past Sunday.

Day at the Durham

2008-11-18T19:46:00.002-06:00

On Sunday, I went to the Durham Western Heritage Museum to take pictures of Jackson. I decided to get there a little early for some photo therapy - just some time alone with my camera. Usually, when I am taking pictures, it is with people. Every so often, I need some time to be alone and find beauty in the inanimate.

Charlie_Sneak Peek

2008-11-14T05:39:00.002-06:00

Charlie is back! You may remember him from his debut appearance on the blog. This time, he had to get all ready for his first Christmas.

This one makes me want to sing, "All I want for Christmas is to eat my toes."

Carly is One

2008-11-02T20:15:00.002-06:00

Miss Carly turned one a couple of weeks ago. She is rather petite, but makes up for it in personality.

The whole cake thing was a little overwhelming for Carly. She still did a great job of smearing the frosting all over. She even got some on her ear.

This is Carly's big sister, Mallory (aka, Toots). Mallory epitomizes the word spunky.

Elsie, Sneak Peek

2008-11-02T20:08:00.002-06:00

This is Elsie. She has the most beautiful blue eyes. And, I love the outfit her mom picked out for her. The burgundy tones complemented her eyes perfectly.

Twins at the Pumpkin Patch

2008-11-02T12:08:00.002-06:00

One of my good friends and I took her twin girls to the local pumpkin patch on Thursday afternoon. It was a beautiful day and we had tons of fun touching all the pumpkins and riding the train.

Fall

2008-11-02T12:03:00.002-06:00

We've officially entered fall here in Nebraska. I went to Wenninghoff's the other day a photo shoot and took the opportunity to capture some images of fall.

Family Photos

2008-11-02T11:57:00.002-06:00

A few weeks ago, I took some family photos for a co-worker of mine. She wanted pictures of all of the grandkids and great-grandkids for her parents for Christmas. These are just a few pictures from the day.

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T17:06:00.003-05:00

Lola says...

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

She may be blurry, but she's still pretty cute.

Kyle, Sneak Peek

2008-10-21T05:42:00.002-05:00

Sunday was Kyle's senior session. We journeyed downtown and wandered all over the Old Market looking for great settings. It was a ton of fun!

Too much...

2008-10-15T07:27:00.003-05:00

My sister, brother-in-law and niece (Mia) were all in town this weekend. As we were saying good-bye on Sunday, Mia and I had the following dialogue:

Me: "Mia, do you know how much I love you?"
Mia: "Too much."

We got to do a photo session on Saturday. Miss Mia is such a ham for the camera. I just want to squeeze her.

Check out those eye lashes.
Mia is the queen of silly faces. My sister wanted some "nice" pictures and Mia humored her, but not for long. In the series of photos leading up to this one, you can see her sneaking in some silly faces until she goes all out and gives me one of these. She's right...I love her too, too much.

Haircut

2008-10-14T05:47:00.004-05:00

Miss Lola got a major haircut this past Friday. She was one shaggy dog. Now, her fur is super short. These are not the most amazing pictures, but I still think she looks awful cute. And...in case you were wondering, that is in fact "Grey's Anatomy" on the TV behind her.

Senior, continued

2008-10-12T17:00:00.002-05:00

Here are some more pictures from my first senior picture session. Ryan wasn't too keen on the whole notion of smile, but I convinced to give me a few.

Ladybugs, continued

2008-10-07T20:40:00.002-05:00

Just wanted to share a few more of the ladybugs.

While I prefer most of the pictures from this session in color (due to the red of the costumes), there was just something about this one in black and white that struck me.

This is Miss Elliot making her silly face. How great are those dimples?

This one makes me miss my grandmother. So sweet...

And...in case you were wondering how to tell if a toddler is tired of getting her photo taken, this is a good sign. Roughly, I translate this as, "Lady, if you don't stop taking my picture right now, I will show you the mother of all meltdowns."

Race

2008-10-06T05:51:00.002-05:00

Sunday was the Race for the Cure here in Omaha. This is my third year participating. I am always amazed at the sheer number of people that turn out for the event.

Senior

2008-10-06T05:45:00.004-05:00

On Saturday, I had my first senior session. We met at his grandparents' farm and wondered all around finding some neat little nooks and crannies for pictures. I have a lot more photos to edit from the session but wanted to do a quick sneak peek.

Ladybugs

2008-10-06T05:43:00.001-05:00

You may remember these twins from a previous post. This time, they were all dressed up in their Halloween costumes. Just a little sneak peek.

Farm

2008-09-28T18:18:00.003-05:00

Every year, in late September, members of my grandpa's family host a picnic. Everyone gathers at Roger and Linda's farm. They have a bunch of animals and love to let all the kids interact with them.

There were some baby goats, perfect for cuddling.

This turkey was not afraid of me or my camera.
What is a trip to the farm without a picture of a red barn?
I even found an old-school Radio Flyer wagon.
Another very brave animal - this time a deer. I think he wanted a snack.

In other news, Lola is feeling much better. She is back to chewing up Mike's shoes, sitting guard by the window and being her usual puppy self. She thanks all of you who expressed concern for her health and sends you lots of puppy kisses.

Sick puppy

2008-09-22T20:42:00.002-05:00

Miss Lola is sick. Basically, she has a puppy cold which is surprisingly similar to a human cold. She sneezes and coughs a lot. No fever though. She has some drugs to take now. Hopefully that will help get rid of the very disturbing cough she has had.

Charlie

2008-09-22T06:58:00.003-05:00

On Friday, I got to spend some time with Charlie. He is three months old and such a happy little guy. Even though we disturbed him from his nap, he was happy and smiley for us - especially when he heard his mama's voice. Becky and Gary...hope you enjoy the pictures.

Nieces

2008-09-22T05:40:00.005-05:00

So, my nieces are pretty much the cutest little girls...ever. You may disagree with me, but you'd be wrong.

Inspired

2008-09-17T22:01:00.003-05:00

Last night, I attended a lecture by Jeannette Walls author of the memoir The Glass Castle. We had read the book in my book club before we knew the author was going to be speaking in Omaha. Several of us journeyed to the Joslyn Art Museum for the speaking engagement.

I was very inspired by Jeannette's lecture (I feel if we had talked, we would be on a first name basis because she's cool like that). It reminded me of some things I've forgotten this past year. I've always viewed myself as a very strong person and have never been angry or bitter about any of my past because it has shaped me into the woman I am today (and I pretty much rock). With all of the drama of the past year, I had lost that perspective. Jeannette helped me find it again.

She had several messages, but the one that touched me the most was that we all have a past and perceive that past in different ways. Whether rich or poor, there are hardships in life. The lucky few are, "able to pick ourselves up" from those hardships and if we are really lucky, we are "able to pick up others." That is when the light bulb went off for me. I can pick myself up. I've done it before and I will certainly have to do it again in the future. Only after I pick myself up can I pick up others.

Thanks, Jeannette. I needed to hear your message. Thanks for coming all the way to Omaha to find me.

Watchdog

2008-09-17T22:01:00.002-05:00

Lola's new favorite activity is to look out the window by our front door. She puts her front legs up on the ledge to get a really good view of the neighborhood kids playing, the other Lola dog across the street and any other important events. Most often, she assumes this position when either one of us use the hall bathroom. Part of me thinks she is watching for us to appear outside to "go potty." After all, in her mind, that is where all potty business takes place.

Wilson

2008-09-11T18:22:00.003-05:00

Over Labor Day weekend, Mike and I dog sat for two of our really good friends, Heidi and Brent (parents of Emma). It sounded simple enough. Stella is a very well-mannered, well-trained dog. She doesn't have accidents in the house, doesn't attempt to bite your face off and goes into her kennel with little to no urging. We were even hopeful that she would teach Lola a thing or two.

Lola decided that Stella must be a new toy and tortured Stella relentlessly. Wherever Stella went, Lola was almost literally up her butt. Even when Stella was taking care of her business, Lola had to be right there. Stella would look at us with what can only be described as utter and complete disdain. How dare we allow this vile little creature near her?

Sunday morning arrives and I head downstairs to let both dogs outside for their morning constitution. As I walk into the kitchen, I smell the rankest poo smell of all time. Poor Stella, whether out of stress or revenge, had thrown up and had multiple bouts of diarrhea in her kennel. So, Mike and I clean up the mess and Stella and she seems fine for the rest of the day.

I wake up Monday morning, head downstairs and am once again greeted by the same awful odor. This time, Stella was kind enough not to vomit, but instead she threw some blood into her diarrhea for good measure. I let her outside and she attempts to poo again and trots back up to me with her whole hiney covered in blood. Poor, poor Stella.

I take her to the emergency vet and they keep her overnight and run several hundred dollars worth of tests on her.

What was wrong? She was stressed. Lola had literally tortured Stella into such a state that the only way for her to express her outrage was to attempt to crap her entire digestional tract out of her butt.

This brings me to Wilson. Wilson is a two-month old basset hound puppy that we adopted for my uncle. We aren't taking him to my uncle's house until Saturday, so Wilson is staying at casa de Knecht.

Wilson is the same size as Lola and just as insanely rambunctious. They are at each other non-stop.

Dear Lola - you are learning a very valuable lesson that you should carry with you for years to come. We humans are very familiar with this little thing call payback. And guess what, Lola. Payback is a bitch. And at the moment, its name is Wilson.

Victory!

2008-09-08T12:10:00.003-05:00

My husband is a superhero. He battled the dreaded hinges and won. That means we finished painting the kitchen cabinets this weekend. Because we are nice people (and believe in karma), we opted not to paint fourteen coats of shellac over the new hinges. After I make a few touch-ups (because I am freakishly anal), I will post some pictures of our pretty, shiny, white kitchen.

Since a post is not a post without a picture or two, here are two more of my afternoon with Avery and Spencer.

Mailboxes

2008-09-03T21:29:00.002-05:00

These are two different shots of the same line of mailboxes. In the first, I tried to focus on sharpness. I think this is something I struggle with in portraits, so I thought I would start with an inanimate object first. For the second, I wanted to try and get some sun flare.

In other news, I finally got Lola to go on a walk with me! We walked for blocks and blocks. Until this point, she has made it to the end of our block and just sat down and stared into space. Tonight, she pranced all around the neighborhood like she owned the place. I am a very proud momma.

This past weekend we painted our kitchen cabinets - most of them anyway. Mike is still fighting with some of the hinges. Actually, the hinges aren't so much the problem as the 30+ years of grease and shellac that has settled peacefully into the hinges. We've tried multiple screwdrivers and drill bits, WD-40 and several explicit words all to no avail. These final hinges are stubborn. We will win. We will not be beaten by inanimate objects.

Avery and Spencer

2008-08-30T20:53:00.003-05:00

On Friday afternoon, I did my first official photo shoot. The subjects were Avery and Spencer. They suffered the heat with me as we roamed around the park in my neighborhood. I won't lie...they made me work for it, but it was worth it (at least in my opinion). Merri and Tim...here are a couple of the photos of your beautiful children.

This is Avery. She wasn't feeling the whole picture taking thing at all, but she humored me.

Here is her younger brother, Spencer. He has the most amazing eyes. I promise that I did not do anything to enhance these eyes (cross my heart).
Thank you, Spencer and Avery, for being patient with me when there was a whole park just waiting for you.

Anniversary

2008-08-26T07:46:00.002-05:00

On this day two years ago, Mike and I became husband and wife. This past year has been an intense one for us. We bought a house, got a dog, and went to more funerals than weddings. Through it all, we had each other and that is what made the year exciting, memorable and bearable all at the same time.

Dear Husband...Thank you for loving me through it all. You are my best friend, true love and soul mate.

The picture above was taken by the lovely and talented Megan Hammond.

Picnic

2008-08-25T20:45:00.003-05:00

My department picnic was on Friday. I took the opportunity to practice taking candid photos of children. Luckily, there were quite a few available subjects.

This is Anna. She wasn't going to give up a photo very easily. I had to catch her as she peeked around her father's leg.

This little one had a lot of fun with the frosting end of a cupcake.

This is Jackson - a very photogenic young gentleman.

Go pigeons?

2008-08-19T20:16:00.003-05:00

Mike and I went for a walk tonight and lo and behold, we saw a trailer solely dedicated to the purpose of transporting the Omaha Racing Pigeon team. Who knew Omaha had its very own team of racing pigeons?! I've chosen to ignore the fact that the trailer was rather dilapidated and didn't look like it had been used in several years.

Good practice

2008-08-15T07:02:00.002-05:00

For the first time, we gave Lola a bath at home. As a result we learned that Lola does not like baths. We had to do it though. Her fur was very long and she was having some issues...with pooing. Long fur plus poo issues equals a dog with a stinky butt. After her bath, I proceeded to clip the fur around her hiney to remove the offending remnants of poo.

Amidst all of this, I kept hearing the phrase "Oh! A puppy! That is good practice for having a baby!" and I was silently cursing every person that has uttered that phrase to me since Lola joined our family.

First off, who said anything about having a baby (apparently everyone can hear my biological clock ticking except for me). Second, puppies and babies are so not even close to the same thing.

Let me elaborate...

Babies wear diapers. Moreover, babies are immobile for a fair portion of the first year of their lives. Puppies do not wear diapers. Puppies are mobile. When a puppy needs to relieve itself, it does so, wherever it pleases.
Puppies have teeth - sharp ones. And, they assume that everything within their reach was put there for their chewing enjoyment. This includes human flesh.
Puppies can jump. While you are laying on the couch, enjoying the Food Network and feeling quite pleased with yourself that you have found a non-human chew toy that seems to be occupying your puppy, you are suddenly attacked by a flying ball of fur. Amazingly, the ball of fur always...always...manages to land directly on your face. As a result, you now huddle in fear when anything with your peripheral vision makes a sudden movement.

But, there are similarities...

Both babies have puppies have the cutest, roundest tummies that just beg to be rubbed and tickled.
Both know how to love unconditionally.
Both amaze you as they learn new things about their world.
Both necessitate setting up multiple baby gates resulting in bruised shins and knees (we have three).

Finally, if Lola were to become too much for us, we could find her a new home and no one would judge us for it. Well, some might, but at least we wouldn't be thrown in jail. Luckily, we love our little flesh-chewing, face-landing, bath-hating little ball of fur.

Shooting blind

2008-08-15T06:51:00.002-05:00

As I was doing my daily viewing of my favorite blogs, I stumbled upon a post by photographer Melissa Rawlings in which she talked about "shooting blind" so I decided to try it out. Instead of looking through my camera, I put it on auto-focus, aimed it in the general direction of something and took the picture. These images are the result of my little experiment.

Odd

2008-08-11T07:29:00.004-05:00

If you want your neighbors to think you are odd, take off your shoes in the middle of your driveway and then lay down on the cement and take a picture of them. These are my sparkly shoes. They make me smile. The neighbors are just jealous they do not have sparkly shoes.
I rented a lens from rentglass.com. It is a 50mm/f1.4. I tested it out on some flowers in our yard. The shallow depth of field is very nice. The hard part is getting used to the fact that it is a prime. That means I have to move instead of letting the lens do the work.

In search of peace

2008-08-06T21:35:00.004-05:00

Do not stand at my grave and weep;
I am not there. I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn's rain.
When you awaken in morning's hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft starshine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry;
I am not there. I did not die.

-Unknown Native American Author

I captured the flower images this weekend and then tonight, I saw the butterfly. It was perched on the leaf of a tree in our backyard, right by the house. I've seen several butterflies of late, but this one seemed special - like maybe it was a message from grandma, telling me that she is happy and beautiful and at peace. Maybe she is trying to send me and my mom and all of us some of her peace - peace we are all trying, and struggling, to find.

Twins

2008-08-06T12:25:00.003-05:00

The two little cuties are the twin daughters of one of my good friends. Franny has made a blog appearance before, but this is Elliot's debut.

This is Elliot. She is the lover. Doesn't she just have the sweetest face?

This is Franny - aka Yoga Fran. She is in her downward dog pose. She absolutely loved the camera.

New life

2008-08-01T05:30:00.004-05:00

Will Bethylyn joined our family yesterday afternoon. She weighed 7 lbs. 8 oz. and was 19 inches long. It is very nice to have some happiness grace our family right now. Miss Willow, we are very glad you are here.

The new parents - my brother, Aaron and his girlfriend, Kayla

Willow Bethylyn
Tiny little baby toes
My brother doing his part in giving Willow her first bath

Grieving

2008-07-26T10:24:00.003-05:00

My grandma is gone. She passed away suddenly on Friday. As most of you know, we were very close. She was like a second mother to me. She went instantly. And, quite fittingly, her last words were "Oh, shit." For those of you that know my grandma either from meeting her or through my stories of her, know that she went exactly as she would have wanted to - without hospitals, suffering or lingering. This photo is the last one taken of the two of us. It was taken by Megan Hammond, our wedding photographer.

To all of my friends and family, please take this as a reminder to tell the people in your life that you love them. We never know when life will be taken away. Please, live every single day to its fullest - like grandma. She lived so fully and vivaciously.

Grandma - I love you with every fiber of my being. I miss you terribly. Tell grandpa I say hi.

The burbs

2008-07-24T06:59:00.002-05:00

I took these two shots while visiting Mike's family in the suburbs of Chicago. The dog is their neighbor. He was very curious about what I was doing and why I wasn't playing with him.

Lucas and Leah

2008-07-23T11:18:00.003-05:00

These are pictures of Mike's cousin's kids. Miss Leah is a dream child. She knows the rules...and follows them all while using perfect grammar. Sigh...

Lucas so did not want to smile. He had to study me first to decide if I was cool enough for a smile. After we played a game of nose touching, he decided he would show me some love.

Stump

2008-07-21T07:23:00.003-05:00

This tree stump is in our backyard. It has all of this moss growing on it and all sorts of weeds growing through the cracks in it. Just thought it had some interesting textures and I like the contrast of the bright green with the old wood.

Abstract

2008-07-18T08:11:00.002-05:00

This is one of the sculptures at the Joslyn Art Museum. It is freaking huge. I like the bright yellow against the blue, blue sky.

I got a text message at 4:00am from my brother. His girlfriend is in labor. I will be heading to Fremont after work for the event.

Lola the Destroyer

2008-07-17T18:26:00.003-05:00

I haven't posted a picture of Lola for some time. She is getting bigger and bigger. Her new favorite thing is to chew on empty water bottles. She has already destroyed one and is working on number two. The way I see it, we are reusing it (as a dog toy) and when she is finished, we recycle it, so we are doing our part to save Mother Earth. Who knew we would have such an eco-minded dog?

In addition to trashing one water bottle, she has managed to tear two of my shirts and rip up a decent portion of the carpet in our basement. Luckily, the shirts weren't good shirts and we are wanting to replace the basement carpet.

I've said it before and I will likely say it a few thousand more times...it is a good thing she is cute.

Franny

2008-07-16T08:05:00.002-05:00

This is Franny. She is the daughter of one of my good friends. We were actually taking pictures of Franny's cousin and of course, Franny had to get in on the action. I will get to spend more time with this little one and her twin sister next week. Gotta love those eyelashes and lips.

Lunch

2008-07-15T07:08:00.002-05:00

This was a complete accident. A friend and I were having lunch at a pizza place yesterday and she showed me how to take black and white pictures using the settings on my camera. Neither one of us was looking through the viewfinder. I just pressed the button to see how the black and white worked and this is what I shot. This one's for you Dede...thanks!

Yellow

2008-07-14T07:31:00.002-05:00

Normally, I'm not a big nature photographer, but I was coming out of the photography class I took on Saturday and decided to practice some of the composition tips I picked up. I like the composition, but do wish I would have focused on the center of the flower more.

The photography class was really good. I learned a lot about my new camera and the cool stuff it can do. Saturday morning, I took some pictures of a friend's little girl. They are going to enter her in a modeling contest.

On Sunday, Mike and I worked very hard around the house. We cleaned up all of our flower beds, put down fresh mulch, cleaned the bathrooms and kitchen and put away about a month's worth of laundry. It feels good to have our house put together a little bit more. Mike heads to St. Louis this evening for a leadership training session for Build-A-Bear. At least I will have Lola to keep me company. My mom and grandma are coming to visit on Tuesday.

When pigs fly

2008-07-11T21:29:00.002-05:00

My mom and I went to the first Jazz on the Green of the season last night. This is one of our favorite summer activities. Lots of fun, food and people watching. I found this delightful pink pig flying around in the summer breeze and had to take a picture. It makes me smile.

On another note, while I love my new camera, I am frustrated with my editing software. I've been using free web version of Photoshop but the pictures that come directly off of my camera are not supported by this site. Instead, I've been trying to use the software that came with my camera without much success. I will have to add Photoshop to my ever-growing wish list.

Tomorrow, I am taking a photography class at our local community college. I don't think we will take any photos, but I should learn a lot more about the different features of my new camera.

Three little monkeys

2008-07-10T06:49:00.002-05:00

While back in Illinois for the wedding this past weekend, I snapped a few shots of our nephews and niece. These are the three little monkeys with whom we went to Disney.

This is Drew. As soon as you turn a camera his way, he puts on the cheesiest of smiles. In this one though, you can see it his eyes that the smile is genuine.

Here is Quinn. This guy can fall asleep anywhere - whether in the middle of a wedding reception or even in line for Splash Mountain at Disney. All he needs is someone to lean against.
This is Claire. She is all girly girl. We spent some time in the backyard taking pictures together. She found an old camera. She would "take" a picture of me and I would take one of her.

Husband

2008-07-08T16:17:00.002-05:00

This is my husband, Mike. He is kind, funny and my biggest supporter.

Thank you, dear husband, for believing in me, loving me and making me laugh.

Details

2008-07-08T08:01:00.006-05:00

I was finally able to upload some of the pictures I took at Mike's cousin's wedding this past weekend. My goal was to capture the little things - the details. Many, many thanks to the bride and groom. We had a blast!

I found this little sign hiding in a corner of the room.

Because now they are the Swansons.

Each of the tables had a candy for the centerpiece and each guest got a little bag to fill with their favorites.

Since there was candy aplenty, the bride and groom also gave us toothbrushes to keep away the cavities. So cute!

The toss bouquet. I saw it sitting there, just waiting to be thrown and couldn't resist.

The cake - probably my favorite part of any wedding - both to eat and photograph.

Home again

2008-07-07T07:15:00.003-05:00

We're back. The wedding was loads of fun! My feet are still a little sore from all of the dancing.

While I took a bunch of photos, I sadly have none to post today. I am working on them, I promise. I am in love with my new camera. While I will always enjoy shooting with film, the immediate satisfaction of digital is hard to beat. I really, really, really hope to spend some time with this weekend's photos this evening. Unfortunately, there is also a great deal of laundry to be done...sigh...

More travels

2008-07-03T11:54:00.002-05:00

Soon, Mike and I will be heading to the Chicago area for a wedding. We'll be back on Sunday.

In other news, I am the proud owner of a digital SLR! Mike picked it up for me this morning and I cannot wait to use it. Be ready for an onslaught of new pictures when I return. I finally thought of something for J!

Bingo!

2008-07-03T07:09:00.001-05:00

You know that Bingo is taken seriously when it has its very own entrance.

A few from the College World Series

2008-07-02T06:28:00.005-05:00

I found this roll of film in the bottom of my purse. These are pictures I took as we walked around before the first game of the College World Series. For those of you that have never been, the neighborhood right around the stadium is full of atmosphere during the CWS. There are beer gardens, vendor stands and lots of people. We had lunch at Goldberg's prior to the game. They set up in this great old building with tons of photo ops.

J is for just a few more of Mia

2008-07-01T07:30:00.004-05:00

Okay...I know these don't really count as J, but they are just too cute not to post. I am struggling coming up with a good J picture. The good news is that I already have one in mind for K.

Happy Birthday, Mia!

2008-06-30T15:59:00.009-05:00

My niece, Mia, had her third birthday party this past weekend. Here are some of the pictures that I took. She is so much fun to photograph - very expressive.

We're back!

2008-06-30T10:25:00.010-05:00

We had an amazing time on our trip. We managed to hit three parks in two days - Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios. The cruise was very relaxing - especially after such a hectic two days at the theme parks. Here are a few pictures from the trip.

Cinderella's Castle

Tree of Life in Animal Kingdom

Mike sporting his 3-D bug eyes for "A Bug's Life" in Animal Kingdom.

Neat picture of Mickey on one of the floats during the parade in Magic Kingdom.

Our cruise ship.

The Flying Dutchman from "Pirates of the Caribbean" - this is the actual ship used in the movie.

When we were in Nassau, I saw this boat called the Amber Jack. Of course, I had to take a picture.

Leaving on a jet plane...

2008-06-18T08:15:00.003-05:00

We're going to Disney World!

Soon, we will be heading to the airport for our adventure to the land of Mickey. We've been waiting for this trip for over a year. I must thank Mike's parents, Barb and Rich, for taking all of us on this fabulous vacation. They are very kind and generous and I am lucky to have such great in-laws.

Since a post isn't a post without a picture, this one is for you, Heidi. Thank you for checking in on our house while we are gone. You and Brent are great friends. Mike and I are lucky to have you!

I will pick up with the letter J when we return.

I is for interesting shadows

2008-06-17T07:00:00.002-05:00

I love finding interesting shadows. Believe it or not, this is a picture of the light coming through our deck and shining on the support beam underneath. I am really excited that it turned out this sharp. I had to use a pretty slow shutter speed and actually held my breath so that I wouldn't move at all while taking the photo. Definitely an interesting photo.

H is for hole

2008-06-16T07:45:00.003-05:00

So, I know this one is a bit of a strech for H, but I could not think of anything. Even if I had thought of something brilliant, I would have had to find it, take a picture and wait for my film to be developed. Given that, you all get H is for hole.

G is for gate

2008-06-15T13:56:00.003-05:00

I am pretty much a homebody. This one is again from the park in my neighborhood. After we get back from our trip, I hope to venture outside of my neighborhood to find some new subject matter.

F is for fire hydrant

2008-06-14T18:23:00.002-05:00

We just got back from the College World Series (CWS). Even though I am not a huge sports fan, I really enjoy going to the CWS. The atmosphere is awesome and you can't beat a Goldberg's burger.

The fire hydrant isn't CWS related. Just another photo from the park.

First haircut

2008-06-13T18:28:00.005-05:00

Miss Lola got her first hair cut today. Even though she looks very pretty, she still doesn't like to sit still for the camera. However, these pictures do a good job of capturing her personality. She is a little silly, a little sassy and very sweet.

E is for Emma (of course).

2008-06-13T07:31:00.002-05:00

Naturally, Emma had to make another appearance for the letter E. We had some fun playing with bubbles.

D is for door.

2008-06-12T06:56:00.003-05:00

Another one from our journey to the park.

Now for something completely unrelated to photography. Mike and I leave for our Disney trip on Wednesday! We are both very excited and in desperate need of a vacation. Lola will be staying with my mom.

C is for caution.

2008-06-11T06:38:00.002-05:00

There is a street that comes to a dead end by the park in our neighborhood. I tried to play with angles to make the picture a little more interesting. I like it when people ask, "What is that?" It means I have made an everyday object something special. That is my favorite part of photography. It makes you find beauty in the ordinary.

B is for bench.

2008-06-10T06:57:00.001-05:00

Working my way through the alphabet. This is at the park in our neighborhood. I love the moss.

Even more Emma!

2008-06-09T20:39:00.007-05:00

Emma and I had more picture time Monday afternoon. She is such a good (and patient) subject. How could you resist those cheeks, amazing blue eyes and red hair? Thanks again Emma...you are my muse. Also thanks to Mr. Erickson for the use of his camera. Enjoy your beautiful granddaughter.