This year we have the pleasure of unveiling our newly
remodeled lower level at the same time.

Here’s a short video of the final results for those
of you that can’t make it to the Par-Tay!

Tomorrow is my sister Anne’s birthday!

Today I’m going along on Anne’s youngest’s
(Amanda) “kid” party at Skateville!

Later today, my neighbors are having their
annual costume party…right across the street!
I’ll post all the fun tomorrow.

I wanted to share a couple shots of Boo.
I don’t think that he’s figured out that he
was neutered a few months back…

Hey, for those of you who don’t visit my facebook
page…here’s a look at some shots I grabbed at the
Hotel Sofitel on Thursday….

It was fun to see Giuliani in person.
I like Norm Coleman…I don’t particularly
like his new teeth. :\

Here’s some of the darlings in attendance.
(sisters Molly and Ellie)…in the ‘secret garden’.

Hey, is that a glass of Cabernet in my hand?

Jenn & Michael are in town from Massachusetts
and are getting married at the most beautiful
church just off Nicollet Island. This is the oldest,
continuously used Catholic Church in Minneapolis.
Our Lady of Lourdes.
Can’t wait to get there. The reception, of course,
will be held at the Nicollet Island Inn.
This will be a joy to shoot! Chloe will be shooting
with me and I look forward to working with her.
She is a fellow NILMDTS affiliate.

I sat with my mom for the majority of the day today.
She is in some extreme back pain due to a ruptured
disc. Her surgery is scheduled for this coming Wednesday.
I’ve never seen her like this and it’s hard enough
sometimes to think of a parent as “aging” but to
see her having to deal with and manage pain is
quite another thing…We had a really nice day together.
After surgery, I’m certain that we will have more
of those and I look forward to them. She lost Tim
Russert and now this…NOT a good week for my mom.

Last night I elected to take a call to go to Abbott
to cover a session for a family that lost a 20+ week
old boy. The gentleman that was ‘on call’ was not
reachable so I went. The baby’s name…Joshua.
When i arrived the Chaplain was coming out of their
room, she wiped a tear and I rubbed her back.
She then started to silently sob. I held her for a
couple of minutes and she thanked me for what we
do at NILMDTS and I told her what a special job
she has and that she was, indeed, an angel too.

God Bless.

Being selected to cover Tani & Bill Austin
on the red carpet the night of the Gala was
a real feather in my cap and I am so grateful
for the opportunity. Thanks Cheryl!

I’ll post the Ultimate Bass Challenge
images another day and more from the Friday
night VIP party at the Austin’s home.

Everything was as fabulous as it looks
and more!

Back to weddings and the upcoming RNC in
August/September!

Anyone interested in taking a look at more
images can go HERE. This was set up by the wonderful Cheryl, Rachel
and Caroline from the Starkey Hearing Foundation.
Be sure to enter “star” for the password.
Nice job ladies…see you next year!

I returned to Jane’s home for her open house
yesterday. It was packed!
The invites that I worked on for her drew
friends, family & colleagues from all over.
Jane even had a banner made of the cover
shot from the invite that hung from the
garage. She had the inside and the outside
all decked out with decorations. Above are name
tags that were provided as you came up the walk.
You made your selection based on how you felt
that day…mine read “I (heart) to socialize”.

The purpose for this soiree was to simply
come, meet people and share the love and
celebrate friendships…that’s all.
A really terrific idea and a perfect day.
Sunny and much warmer than it’s been in a
long time.

Jane, a self proclaimed non-cook, selected
Rodney Davis, owner/operator of LUTREC CATERING
to prepare and serve the most delicious menu.

Here’s her Daisy May with her new haircut!

Ringo was on hand for the festivities as well!!

Had a great time, met some fabulous folks, ate some
deLIcious food and left with a smile!
OH, I’ll be at the next party for sure!!

Leaving in the morning for Mexico with Gary.
I broke the news to him that I was bringing
my laptop! :\

Nothing like blogging from south of the boarder!

Hurry up and have those darn kittens already, Spice!

My Stats:
Your Quit Date is: 5/5/2003 12:00:00 PM
Time Smoke-Free: 1705 days, 22 hours, 28 minutes and 39 seconds
Cigarettes NOT smoked: 34119
Lifetime Saved: 8 months, 20 days, 15 hours
Money Saved: $6,824.00

I quit smoking nearly 5 years ago!
Pretty amazing…Yay me!
On the anniversary day each month QuitNet
sends out a notice of accomplishment that
starts out…”Whose better than YOU today?!”
I like that….I like it ahlat (dumb & dumber)

Well, if you didn’t notice, I posted a blog
late last night so check the one that’s
just below when your done reading this one.

Today, I get to relax.
Gary and I have no plans. Feels so good.
Except that I almost feel like i must
be forgetting something….I MUST have to
be somewhere, right?
Nope, I triple checked. wheeeew!

I may dive into a new book that I got as
a gift from my friend Jacquie (notice that I
am beginning to capitalize for 2008!)
Anyway, it’s called Chazown (pronounced
khaw-ZONE), from the Hebrew, meaning a dream,
revelation or vision…I’m intrigued!

Heck, I may save it for the plane…

My amaryllis bulb that I received from
Gary’s mom on Thanksgiving had opened~
I think about a bloom a day this past week.
I missed the opening of each of them but
now it sure looks lovely… Thanks Bonnie!
I hate it when I’m too busy to even SEE
the flowers, let alone smell them!

Here’s some fun from New Year’s Eve at the
Airport Hilton in Bloomington, MN….

Check out the gorgeous ballroom at the Hilton!

Don Shelby was our Emcee for the night.

This is Kyle…he joined us this year.

Here’s Kyle a couple years back at one of
the MiracleKids Triathlon in Chanhassen.
He was going through treatment at the time
and was attending the event as a VIP!!
I’m so glad you were there on New Year’s Eve!

This is the gal that won the “birthday raffle” bike!

And the balloon drop at midnight!!

here’s a few shots from the other night at
ron & cindy’s for a little get together..

our perfectly prepared welcome drink.
(ron always does some special drink
to hand out when you arrive!)

little will enjoying his thomas the
tank engine gift from r&c

ron doing his version of “solja boy”…

reggie got in the action too..

oh, and i hit the galaria with nicki yesterday
and picked up a little somthin’somnthin’ for
myself…merry Christmas to me!

do NOT get stressed out today!

(HAPPY BIRTHDAY PETE!!!)

i see that meg’s sister, mo, is having a dickens
of a time backcombing her sister’s hair in the
cute bathroom off the kitchen, so
i stepped in and said…”oh, that’s enough!
step away from the bride!” we all laughed
and i think it was a darn good introduction
for me and meg. kudos to stacey and jason
for bringing along a photographer AND a
hairdresser! big points were made!

we shot a ton there at the house and then we
caravaned about 15 minutes south to the most
adorable church on a hill!

(i’ll add images later as stacey & jason shoot
raw so i did as well and need to update my ACR
to identify my mark 3 camera…bla, bla, bla)

as i entered the one room church i could smell
the evergreen garland, it was simply enchanting!
it was then that i met the flower girls all
dressed in their sweet, white, bejeweled
twirly dresses and baskets of gorgeous holiday
greens with berries & bows! DAR~ling!

i pinned flowers on everyone in need and met
their 100 year old grandmother…a real charmer!

jason stationed himself in the front, stacey
in the middle and i headed to the balcony. this
made for some fabulous coverage! 3 photographers
should be an industry standard. we rocked this
wedding!

i cut out in the middle of the reception so i
could get back closer to home and attend a
dinner party at Hazeltine National Golf Club
in chaska. 16 of us all together~this was fun!

here’s mike & jacqi, our hosts for the event.

gary and i (a rare shot of me in front of
the camera as gary hates it when i hand it
off to people…worry wart!)

my brother tim and his wife laurie.
they will be celebrating their 25th wedding
anniversary on april 1st this spring!!

food was amazing, as always!

and the bailey’s cheese cake was a hit too!
(not sure why they brought 2 forks…oink!)

a very long but rewarding day!
i got to work with friends and play with friends.
it was perfect!

nicki will be here shortly to get her holiday
hair do gift…more fun!

vikings play monday night so no football today.
gary went to see the cohen brother’s film…
no country for old men. i asked him to
save juno for us.

i have a bunch of things that i want
to get off my desk top. are ya ready?

first, i went to whcc and delivered
cookies yesterday. that new building is
gorgeous! however, i felt like i was
going to see the great and powerful oz~
there’s this big door in the entry and
they have to come and get you once you
call on the phone on the foyer.
i walked around and gave each employee
a personal greeting and thanked them
for all their hard work! i love white house
custom colour!

here’s my mom’s new bedroom. gary is
perhaps going to fashion a new closet door
for my mom in her bedroom.

here’s my friend dave dutoit. we were
classmates in high school. he is in real
estate and when i was shooting his head
shots for his new business cards we talked
about my mom’s building that she is trying
to sell. they are going to get together and
perhaps do an auction….

my PUG holiday party was held earlier this
week and here are some fun highlites from
the evening. i LOVE the game “apples to apples”!

and jason tried to take everyone’s money
at poker…hmmmmm..baby needs new shoes! )

i’m going to go get ready to drive down to
northfield for the wedding with jason & stacey.

enjoy your saturday!

nicki, are you ready for your early Christmas
present tomorrow??

the recap on cindy’s party last night
goes a little something like this…
i went knowing that i would have fun,
drink some wine, snack on some goodies,
talk to all the gals and even take some
photos~oh sure, i did all that AND i
ended up purchasing 2 rings!!
i absolutely LOATH waiting!
“here’s all the really fun~gorgeous
stuff that you can have…” ….in 3 weeks!

i’ll still love them when they get here!
thanks again, cindy for a great time.

ron & cindy (& reggie)

i forget this little guys name but he tagged
along to the party and stayed pretty darn late!

gary just called. he got three birds yesterday!
not that that excites me any but i told him that
when you go out there every other weekend you’re
bound to get good at it, right?!

the snow that is to hit us tomorrow will, of course
hit them first and so they are considering heading
back early so they don’t have to follow it all the
way back to minnesota on sunday and we are expecting
a PILE of snow. the first big snow of the season.
pretty cool really….on december 1st an all.
that should get everyone in the Christmas spirit!
i’ll be posting images of that tomorrow!

i have several families that are waiting to take
“snow” photos and so this may turn out to be a
very busy weekend for me!

i head to the Hilton later today. 2 families are
checking in for the weekend

Go get ready for the snow!!!!!

(i’m sorry, i forgot to post photos of Uta
and her new “do”! what a treat for me to
meet her and cut her hair. Uta returned to
germany this morning…hope to see her again!@
thanks, ann conrad, for bringing her by!)