Sunday, August 31, 2008

Labor Day Weekend. It's Fair.

It feels like we've been running all weekend - or maybe it's just that we haven't been home much. Levi helped Dad paint yesterday, we picked up some groceries, and I managed to get a load of clothes in. Woohoo! Today we went to Target for cleaning supplies and then to Bernard's open house for his 97th birthday! Afterwards, we spent some time with my cousin and his family as well as my parents and sis. I really enjoy afternoons like that. Tomorrow I will actually be working (photography stuff and working around the house). Isn't that what you do on Labor Day?


In the meantime, here are some more fair pics and a few from the reunion this summer, too!

Ayv, Ayden & "R" working on some artwork for kids in Africa. This was taken through a hut they had set up to represent their living conditions.

Ayden in the horse barn.One of my new favorite pics of my boy.This is what happens after a day at the fair. The poor girl had just experienced too much excitement.
My cousin and her husband...from the reunion in June.My cousin's eldest......and youngest.I don't think I ever got around to posting this storyboard. I am pretty sure I'll be blowing this one up, too. You can't have too many 10x20 storyboards, right? I love the innocence of the image on the left and the other two show how she looks up to and depends on her "daddy".

Thursday, August 28, 2008

In Full Swing.

The past two weeks feel like a blur. Ayla took a spill and received 3 stitches in her head, we took our annual outing to the Iowa State Fair on the 16th, and school started on the 18th. I'm working on a week with sinus issues now, too. I'm sure it's a nasty cold, but I'm considering the idea that allergies could be to blame. My head, ears, and now chest have been aching all week! Good news for me...I am finally feeling like I have a bit more energy tonight. I haven't slept well the past three nights, but Ayla and I snuggled on the couch this afternoon. That led to an hour and a half nap for me and a nearly 3 hour nap again for her. We are enjoying our afternoons together while her bro & sis are in school. Can you believe Ayv's in Kindergarten now? And Ayden will be starting middle school next year? Sad, really.

Here are a few pics to recap (more to come as I'm working on session edits as well).

Stitches.
She would only look at me when I asked her to show me her "pig".Ayden with one of the robots from BattleBots that was displayed during the show at the Iowa State Fair.Ayv, too.Ayv & her friend. It was great to see our good friends again at the Fair!Random shot from the day.Last, but not least...the first day of school. Ayv looks so little here. Levi caught the shot that morning. I'm already at work by the time they board the bus. Sure miss seeing them off in the morning, but I'm grateful I can greet them when they come home.

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

08.08.08

I'm finally getting around to posting what we did on 08.08.08. Better late than never, right?

Levi had a meeting in Dubuque on the 7th & 8th, so the kids and I went along for the ride. Thursday, the kids & I played in the water at the Grand Harbor Resort. Well, Ayvarie & Ayden did. Ayla was very slow to warm up to the pool and ended up sleeping on me for a couple of the hours we were down there. That night Levi took over while I went out on a photo shoot. I had a LOT of fun! Unfortunately, Levi & the kids had a short-lived visit to the pool as someone pooped in it! Can you believe that? They closed a portion of it, so the slide the kids were frequenting was off-limits. (Growing up, I remember that my aunt had a sign that read, " ool: Notice there is no "p" in it. Please keep it that way." It was sitting next to her hot tub. Too funny!)

Friday, the kids and I took our time getting around...I even painted the girls' toenails. Then, we spent some time riverside while waiting for Levi. It was a beautiful day!!!

Levi finished up and before we left town, we decided to stop at the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium. We spent 3 very pleasant hours there. Besides Ayla wanting to be carried because we disrupted her nap, the kids held up great and the museum really kept their interest. I would definitely recommend a stop there if your travel plans include a drive through Dubuque, IA. There's something there for everyone.

Of course I have pictures from our outing that day...

Don't worry, the bonding moment in this picture didn't last. I would hate for you to believe that my kids act like this towards each other all of the time. In actuality, this shot might have been forced upon them. I can't remember for sure...
The Mississippi.This was taken at the Star Brewery, where we ate lunch. I had the best cod, green beans, and sweet potato fries with chipotle mayo. I'm willing to drive all the way back just for lunch...it was that good.Pics from the museum...I can't remember the type of snake this is, but I know it was venomous since "Venom" is on display at the museum right now. This might have been the one that hides under leaves, can even be walked on, and doesn't strike unless threatened.This is some scary looking guy hanging from the steam engine components of the William M. Black riverboat we toured. The kids thought it was funny finding the "fake" guys.Oh, and Ayla did make an appearance, though briefly. She was so crabby that she was refusing to have her picture taken. I had to sneak some shots to prove she was with us.Not sure which of these I like better. My little model told me I should take some of her with her hair blowing in the wind. That probably stemmed from our photography experiment with the hair dryer.Yeah...another shot of Ayla that turned out! The kids liked looking out from atop the boat. They were captains for a short bit.These are just a couple snapped along the outdoor walkway. Did I mention it was a gorgeous day?It's been a nice week overall with the weather. I don't remember it ever being this cool in August - especially for more than a day!

Saturday, August 02, 2008

Lil' Miss...

I started playing with some pictures of Ayvarie from the Zearing Days weekend. She was persistent in wearing her crown all weekend. She's such a princess (she thinks she is, anyway).
I think she's a monkey!

Friday, August 01, 2008

Mosaic

About me...from flickr.


I got the idea from this blog...although, it looks like this has been going on around the web for a while now. The only problem, is I couldn't figure out how to move my "favorites" around for the mosaic to put them in the right order. I used this site to create the mosaic.

Anyway, here are the questions in the correct order, but keep in mind that my selected images are displayed with #1 being the bottom right and #12 being the top left.


1. What is your first name? Roxanne
2. What is your favorite food? steel cut oats (I don't have a favorite...but I have cravings.)
3. What high school did you go to? Ballard
4. What is your favorite color? brown
5. Who is your celebrity crush? not sure
6. Favorite drink? latte
7. Dream vacation? Europe
8. Favorite dessert? creme brulee
9. What you want to be when you grow up? content
10. What do you love most in life? family
11. One Word to describe you. positive (That's how I feel today.)
12. Your flickr name. bappefamily (I just had to use Bappe.)


This was fun! If any of you take part in this, leave me a comment. I'd love to check yours out!