Dear Santa

I know you won't be stopping by the Homburg household tonight and I'm totally okay with that. I don't need anything under the tree this year. I've waited years for my very special gift, so I'm happy to wait six more months.

Just remember, this time next year there will be one more stocking on our mantle.

Mission Accomplished

Nothing was set on fire, the cookies are all edible, and my kitchen may permanently smell of peppermint.

I think that makes Bake-a-palooza 2008 a rousing success!


I am so thankful for these girls and their friendship. Here's to many more adventures in 2009. I know it's going to be a big year for all of us!

Counting Down

Just about a year ago, December 15th to be exact, Barb and I started an annual tradition. We called it Bake-a-palooza, and it involved eight hours of non stop baking, candy making, and general holiday fun.



Tomorrow, that tradition continues, but this time with the addition of two more of my favorite people. Em and Josie are coming up from Chicago to hang at Chez Homburg. It's been way too long since we've all been together...August to be exact when we gathered in Milwaukee for Josie's birthday.

This time around we've got quite a list of things to do ahead of us. In addition to getting a better photo of all four of us, we've got new recipes to try, old favorites to repeat, and at least one cookie we'll pass on this year after the great flop of 07

(RIP Spritz cookies. We will not make you again. )

More on this year's adventures on Sunday!

SEC Forever

I live in Wisconsin, where it sometimes snows in October, and asking for sweet tea is met with a blank stare. I don't have a Sonic, or a Chick-fil-a, and I cannot buy my groceries at Publix (where shopping is a pleasure).

But no matter how long I live "up north," I will forever be an SEC girl. Nobody does college football like the schools of the South Eastern Conference. (Sorry, Em. I'm sure you disagree). There's just something about the history, the rivalries, the school pride.

As I sit here watching the SEC championship game, cheering on my Florida Gators, I can't help but think back to my Gainesville days. I remember moving into my first apartment in Gainesville on a 100 degree day in June. I remember getting drenched while walking across campus in a summer storm. I remember the first time I walked into The Swamp (the stadium, not to be confused with the bar across the street that bears the same name). I remember wearing sweatshirts and peacoats when the weather turned colder (back when cold was 50 and freezing was 40!). I remember packing my life into a Uhaul just a few days after graduation to begin my life as a tv news producer in Knoxville, TN.

I've never lived among Florida fans since I left Gainesville in May of 2001. I spent my 3 years in Knoxville trash talking with all of my Rocky Top friends. Then I moved to the U.P. of Michigan where they were obsessed with this sport called Hockey. And now I live in Northeast Wisconsin where the majority bleeds green and gold. But I still cheer, watching every Florida football and basketball game I can up here. Karl looks at me funny when I scream at the tv and he laughs when I dance around after a touchdown. He tries to support the Gators, but it's just not the same.

My life as a solo Gator fan ends in 6 months. Monkey has no choice. He will be raised a Gator fan from day one. He will learn to respect the SEC. And someday, I hope he makes his home in Gainesville. Hey, maybe he'll want to play football. :)

Thankful

All the heartbreak, all the needles, all the crazy hormones and related nervous breakdowns, all the early morning doctors appointments, all the bills for treatments insurance doesn't cover.

Every last moment is worth it today, when I finally get to share with the world that Karl and I will welcome our first baby in June.

We have so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving.

For more on our little monkey, you can visit his/her blog: http://babyhomburg.blogspot.com

Random

Poor poor neglected blog. I've been doing the doggy paddle to survive these days and so this blog has taken a back seat to important things like sleep and work. Unfortunately for me, and those around me, the sleep has happened a lot less than the work. Oh well.

So, since I don't have time to write much...here are a few random tidbits to take up space until I can devote time to a real entry.

• It took almost four years, but Walker has finally discovered the joy of the dog bed. I am not afraid to say it took Karl laying on said dog bed to get Walker to understand that it would be more comfortable than laying on the floor.
  
• Said dog bed is currently in use because we've banned Walker from the new couch. There are few things in the world that make me feel more guilt than Walker's sad eyes.
  
• Thanksgiving is my favorite time of year to watch the food network. Such yummy ideas. Like the mashed potato recipe I caught from Tyler Florence the other night. The taters are boiled in milk and cream instead of water. That sounds excessive right? Excessively YUMMO!
• My husband is a rockstar. A home improvement rockstar. Thanks to his handywork, my inlaws will be the first to sleep in our brand new guestroom. Thankfully they're not staying long, because as of right now the only thing in the room is a bed. But at least it has flooring, and electricity, and a door. Baby steps.
• I am also a rockstar....of the photo editing variety. It is my plan to be completely done with all of our outstanding sessions by the end of this week. And then, with the exception of card orders and print orders, I will do nothing business related until New Years Eve when we'll ring in the new year with a wedding.
  

That's all I've got. Well there's more. But it can wait :)

Um, what?

• I arrived at the polls at 6:45 this morning. The line was already around the building. I was ballot number 157.
• I went to Walmart to pick up pop. I was greeted by a giant Christmas tree and the sound of Frosty the Snowman
• I received an email this morning that the Starbucks Red Cups are out again.
• It's going to be 70 degrees today. Last week it was snowing.

What a weird day. Also to be filed under weird: I'm going to "unretire" for a few hours tonight and head back to work at the tv station. I will be paid in pizza. For a news junkie, which I am even though I don't work in the industry anymore, nothing is bigger than election night. It's so much work. It's touch and go, all night long, never knowing what's happening and where we're going next. I've never jumped out of an airplane before, but I think the rush might be similar.

I'm walking into a tornado tonight, and I'm looking forward to it. What a weird day.

Oh, and P.S.: Please vote. Please don't be deterred by long lines. Chances are you've waited in line for things that are far less important before. I know I've spent more time waiting to ride Space Mountain than I did waiting to cast my ballot. The wait will be worth it.

Overheard....

While picking out our candy in the Halloween aisle at Walmart:

3ish year old boy: Hey mommy....
Mother: yes?
boy: We're in the halloween aisle.
Mother: yes?
boy: And I'm not scared. I'm not scared at all you know why?
Mother: why?
Boy: Because I'm a big boy and big boys don't get scared in the halloween aisle.

It kind of made my day.

Oh and in case anyone cares...M&Ms and Reeses Peanut Butter Cups.

The Weight Loss Stops Here

I'm in trouble. My relationship with Weight Watchers will never be the same. No longer can I go to the Starbucks drive up and pretend that I want a tall nonfat no whip mocha. I have been seduced by a new menu item.

Salted. Caramel. Hot. Chocolate.

Now, I try not to take sides in the best drink at Starbucks debate. I believe there is something on the menu for everyone. But this little piece of heaven should be experienced by everyone. But don't get greedy now...because if a shortage arises I'm going to demand everyone back off so I can make sure to get my fill!

Could fall get any better?

Shoot, Edit, Eat, Sleep, Repeat

My life is *s0* exciting these days. As we're nearing the end of the wedding season, the peak of fall colors, and the beginning of the family portrait Christmas Card rush, my life is like something out of Groundhog's Day.

The good news is we only have two more weddings left before we have a couple of months off. The bad news is by the time we're done shooting, we're likely to spend those two months fulfilling orders, designing holiday cards, and creating albums all in time for holiday delivery.

But instead of dwelling on my lack of a life, I thought I'd share what I see every waking moment when I'm not shooting....my current office. In just a few weeks this office will be dismantled and moved downstairs into the "real" office. In other words, my office will no longer double as a guest room! This is the most exciting thing ever in my world right now. We'll be able to organize how we want without having to work around a queen sized bed!

So without further ado...here's a look at our current office setup. Please overlook dust and general disorganization. I've been essentially living out of this room all summer so it's looking a little rough...

Walker has also been living in this room all summer. Here he is enjoying his morning chewie on the bed that will no longer be a part of the new office. It will be replaced with a couch, which I'm sure he will find equally as comfortable. You'll notice the rope toy nearby. When he gets bored he drops that in my lap repeatedly as a signal that we need to take a break.

To your right you'll see the window with blinds drawn. You might think I do that to avoid glare on the monitors. Um....no. I do it so Walker won't bark ALL DAY at the construction crews working on the house next door. The blinds also serve as a barrier when the window is open to keep him from going through the hole in the screen. I wonder who put that hole there?? Additional bonus to the new office: It's downstairs, and the windows are too high for Walker to see or jump out of.


And this is a wide view of my home base. The messy, completely ineficient desk. You can see a messy in box and file tray, binders full of paperwork, label printer, postal scale, and shredder on the left desk. We've also got our foam finger from Nick and Karyn's wedding on display. The big bulletin board has our monthly google calendar. Unfortunately I have not kept on top of keeping those printed and updated. Maybe next year? Oh, and you can also see just a little bit of the portrait my cousin Kristine had printed for me of my aunts and uncle that was taken before my dad was born some 55 years ago. It has to be custom framed because it's an odd size. It will go in the downstairs hallway when everything is painted.


Another view of the desk wall. File cabinet serves as a tv stand for my older than dirt television. No kidding. That thing has been with my family since 1989! It's made every move with me through college, post college, and then married life. Good old magnavox. Sometimes it turns itself off, and sometimes it won't work for days in a row. It's mainly just for background noise anyway. Closet to your left houses all of our gear in a less than organized fashion. New office closet will not have doors and will have built in organization designed to work for us. Frame on the wall is my going away gift from WBAY with pics from my work friends and messages from everyone. Printer below the desk really needs to be dusted.

Here's my within arms reach stuff. To do list for this week, lots crossed off but still lots to do. Also in that notebook is my grocery shopping list, which is why I have a stack of cooking magazines under the notebook. Excedrin for headaches. Chapstick and Vicks Vapor Inhaler left over from last week's illness. My phone on the charger. CDs for burning. Thank you card from my friend Steph. Direct tv remote. Album company deadline post it note to remind me to get on brides about choosing their album images.

Look at my pretty desk top (x2 because my husband is a gadget freak and demanded two monitors). The photo is courtesy of a photographer friend of mine based in North Dakota. I LOVE Aspens and we don't have any around here. You can also see my weekly dose of Starbucks, and the water bottle ready for me when the nonfat no whip Mocha is gone. Tissues on the ready from last week's illness. Mousepad with stupid wireless mouse that hates me and Wacom tablet.

And finally, my zip up fleece waiting for me when I get chilly. For those that don't know, "sisu" is a Finnish word that for lack of a better term translates to something like "cajones" or "gumption" Sisu is my favorite thing I learned in the U.P. I also have a mug that says, "Got sisu?" It reminds me that if I survived 2 years in Houghton, I can handle anything.

So now you know what I see just about every day of the week! Look for pictures of the new office by Thanksgiving!

Happiness is...

• Waking up wrapped in new sheets and a new quilt, resting my head on new pillows.
• Seeing a smaller number on the scale this morning. Yay progress.
• Spending the better part of my Monday hanging out with NE Wisconsin's cutest 3 month old and his fab mom, also known as Luke and Angie.
• Walking through the botanical gardens and enjoying the amazing colors that are sure to be gone in just a few weeks.
• Pretty orange toes thanks to pedicure time with Barb.
• Another week of yoga and just a little bit more bendy.
• News that my guest room will be full for Thanksgiving. That means we'll have company for both Thanksgiving and Christmas
• Knowing that even though Karl isn't home tonight I will stay warm because the dog is a good cuddler.

Hope everyone had a wonderful Monday!

Monday Mania

Ah....Monday. When did I become the person excited about Mondays? Oh, right...when my "weekends" turned into two 14 hour plus days of work with six hours of fitful sleep in between. Mondays involve lots of work too, but I can do that work barefoot and I can delay taking a shower and I don't have to be *nice* to anyone. Score one for the hermit.

So in honor of the fact that it is Monday. I'm going to bullet through a list of things making me ri.dic.u.lous.ly happy today.

• Fresh Basin: This is the color I picked for the new office walls. For my scrapping friends, it's almost identical to the blue green Hambly uses on their dots overlay. For my non scrapping friends, think aqua with a little more blue. It is VIBRANT. I was SCARED TO DEATH. But it looks AMAZING!! I'm going to be making (gasp...MAKING) some corally red pillows to go on the cream colored sofa that will be making its home in the new office. I am so pumped about this color combination. I may just take up residence in the new office and never leave! Pics coming soon!
• Three Weeks: Three weeks today I will begin the proofing process on our final wedding of a 13 week stretch. We have one more wedding, but that's not until New Year's Eve. For the record, agreeing to a 13 week stretch was a very bad idea. Next year I've set our schedule to include at least one weekend off every month. I believe this will make me a much happier person. Love.
• Mama Claus is coming to town: My mother, Florida resident for the past 16 years, will see SNOW on Christmas. She's coming HERE!!!!! Of course this means she's going to whine whine whine about how COOOOOOOOLD it is, but that's okay. I haven't spent a Christmas with my mother since 2003, and before that I hadn't spent a Christmas with her since 1999. That's what happens when you work in television. No holidays off. No travel. So yeah, excited!
• Quilts!: I have a new love. I've been a comforter girl for a long time. I always thought quilts were too "country" for my taste. And then I began looking for something for my new guest room. And I became obsessed. So thanks to my good friends at Overstock.com, two beautiful quilts will be arriving at my door in 5 to 10 business days. One will adorn my guest bed. The other will go on the master bed. Along with new sheets and pillows. Yes, I spent too much money this weekend.
• Fall: It's here. The leaves are amazing and make me happy to be alive. It's chilly in the morning but warms up during the day. The air smells different. Now, I know there are some fall haters out there (cough...Sara Smith...cough) because it means an end to flip flops and the fast approach of winter but to them I say....just embrace it. Seize the day...and the pumpkin spice latte....and the hot apple cider. We'll tackle winter when we have to, right?

Now I'm going to go make the to do list for today. And since it's Monday, I get to look forward to yoga. And when I say look forward to yoga, I really mean look forward to the last five minutes of yoga that involve laying on a mat in the dark.

Happy Monday!

Um, yeah...

So it's been a while. Life is busy. And it's going to get busier. Lots of good stuff going on, but still. I kind of want to say, "Can you just wake me up in November?" but the truth is I know November will be busy too. And December. And January. In February it will be too cold and snowy to do anything.

So yeah, busy.

But I have been taking pictures. Lots and Lots of pictures. Many of which you can see on the photography blog. You know about that, right? I don't feel like linking here. But if you don't know where it is...let me know :)

I should share some pics here, no?

Here's a few images soon to fill the pages of my september 2008 album:

9/6/08: Yes it is possible to spend 7 dollars on tomatoes. But they're worth every penny when they come from the tomato people at the farmers market.

9/10/08: I should have taken a picture of the look the postal employee gave me when I walked in the door with this stack of boxes. Luckily, they were all prepaid and good to go. I don't think she planned to be very nice to me.

9/15/08: Yoga. Week 2. I'm still not bendy, but I'm working on it. And I didn't laugh this time, even when one of the guys in our class was breathing like Darth Vader.

9/16/08: Lunch date with Luke and Ang. Near death experience involving acorns. While I was happy to see Luke and I were color coordinated...I must now buy him some orange and blue attire to make up for the clear presence of garnet and gold here.

9/17/08: I have a thing for the moon. I mean not in an, "I want to be an astronaut" sort of way. Too much science involved in that. More like, "Isn't it cool that everyone sees the same moon?" kind of thing. So I was super pumped to see the moon hanging out over my backyard when I let Walker out to pee yesterday morning.

So that's that. Today's picture is likely to be my new hair cut. Provided it isn't awful. But I love my hair guy, so I have high hopes.

Happy Thursday all!

Postcards from the Edge: Midweek Edition

To whom it may concern:

There are several issues of late that require prompt attention in order to prevent the total and complete loss of my sanity. For the sake of time and easy reference, I will list these issues in bullet form.

• Issue 1: Personal Accountability: When did it become socially acceptable to make your poor decisions someone else's responsibility? What purpose does this serve? Nobody is made happy when this happens. Nothing is corrected. So let's all put our big kid underwear on and act like grownups.
  
• Issue 2: Weather: Why must it be so lovely outside when I have 500 images to edit? Likewise, why must the forecast call for rain ALL WEEKEND when I am scheduled to drive 4 hours to shoot an engagement session.
• Issue 3: Packers Coverage: They won on Monday. Number 12 didn't suck. It's now Wednesday. I have heard about how he doesn't suck now for 3 days. Tomorrow we will begin the coverage about whether or not number 12 will suck against the Lions on Sunday. Is it possible to have one day a week where we're not talking about Aaron Rodgers? And while we're at it, I don't think he's cute. Please don't perceive this as anti-Packers. It's more that I am tired of the SAME STORY every. single. day.
  
• Issue 4: Window Screens: Can we make them stronger? Because I'm on the verge of putting bars on my windows to prevent the dog from jumping to his death. If stronger screens are not feasible, I'll take stronger drugs for both myself *and* the dog.
  
• Issue 5: Using Your Words: A personal note to the yahoo currently on Hannity and Colmes: you sound stupid when you call the show host an idiot and a fool and spout phrases that involve the words "g-- d----" I may never agree with your point of view, but I will respect you more if you can express your views using an educated vocabulary.
  

Thank you for your time and attention.
Sincerely,
A girl on the edge, who is still sore from Monday night's yoga torture, but looking forward to next week for the relaxation benefits alone.

Bring on the Bendy

I will start by saying in theory, yoga is contrary to just about everything I am.

Yoga promotes peace and stress relief. Dude, I worked in television news for more than 5 years. You will find no peace there. Now I follow brides around all day trying not to loose my mind when I'm herding cats for formal portraits. It's even better when the cats are drunk. Stress relief? What's that?

The idea of me, totally unflexible stressed out ME, taking a yoga class...well, let me know when you're done laughing. But last night, I did it. I walked into the Y with my mat over my shoulder and took my first yoga class. You can blame Barb. Or rather, blame the sleep deprivation that inspired me to say this would be a good idea when she brought it up.

What can I say about the yoga experience? Well, I had a couple of major fears going into it. First, the laughing. I laugh when I'm uncomfortable. Which reminds me of the time I started cracking up when one of my best friends in high school puked in the parking lot. I felt terrible for her, and yet I couldn't stop laughing. So knowing that I was going to be a fish out of water in said yoga class, I was very very worried that I was going to bust a gut. I told Barb I would be unable to look at her throughout the class because it would contribute to the laughing.

My second fear involved bodily functions. It's quiet in there. There is lots of stretching and contorting and "relaxing every muscle." I live in fear of being "too relaxed" in the yoga studio. You know you know what I'm talking about.

I am happy to report my bodily functions fear was unfounded. I kept it all under control. Now the laughing. Well. I couldn't help it! Somehow Barb and I wound up facing eachother. In a pose that involved standing on one foot and touching the ground with your hand and the other one was up in the air and well...it was ridiculous. And it started off as a quivering lip that I bit really really hard. And then it turned into a giggle, which I tried to disguise as a cough. I don't think anybody bought the coughing. I calmed myself down with thoughts of how humiliated I would be to be kicked out of my very first yoga class for being a disruption. For the remainder of the evening I was very conscious of making sure Barb and I were never facing eachother.

Perhaps next week we'll have to stay on opposite ends of the room. Yes, there will be a next week. If for no other reason than for the last five minutes of the class you get to lay in the dark and breathe. And if I ignore the instructor talking about floating on a raft and I forget about the guy with the hairy armpits laying just a couple of feet away from me, that five minutes is worth 55 minutes of yoga torture.

So, bring on the bendy. A little downward dog never hurt anyone right?

Report Card Time...

Now that it's September I thought I would go back and evaluate my progress on my August Goals...

Oh, and I decided giving myself an F on anything would be too harsh...hence the incompletes. :)

Food:I want to track my points every day this month.

Grade: B+

I've been really good about tracking. The only exception was Angie's little get together this weekend. It's hard to track those snacking type evenings.

I want to get all of my water in daily, at least 6 glasses

Grade: A

I am a water drinking queen. I am also almost entirely pop free!

5 fruits or veggies every day.

Grade: A

I think summer really helps me get the fruits and veggies in. I can't resist fresh produce!

Try one new recipe a week.

Grade: B

I think I tried 3 new recipes...pretty close to one a week.

I'd like to lose 2 pounds a week for a total of 8 pounds over four weigh ins.

Grade: A

Made it, with a little extra.

Exercise:Four trips to the gym every week.

Grade: Incomplete

This goal is being carried over to September. I didn't make it to the gym last month, at all.

Walks after dinner with the dog 5 nights a week.

Grade: Incomplete

Poor Walker. I had good intentions.

Edit 200 photos a day Monday, Tuesday and Thursday to keep up on weddings.

Grade: B

I was doing really well until we got towards the month. I'm hoping to keep this up through September.

Blog at least 20 times in August.

Grade: D-

6 blog entries. Not quite 20.

Plan a fun date night for Karl and I.

Grade: Incomplete

Planning a date night would involve my husband actually being in town. September is looking better though. So we'll carry that one over too.

September goals to come this week...

5 Reasons Business Trips aren't all bad....

5. My music, my tv, my schedule: Without Karl here I can listen or watch whatever I want without considering his tastes. No sharing the remote. And I tend to stay up later when he's not here too. Sometimes that means increased productivity. This week...not so much.

4. Shrimp: Karl hates shrimp. I love shrimp. So you can pretty much count on some shrimp dish being on the menu when Karl is on the road.

3. Sleeping on the correct side of the bed: When Karl and I got married, we were both used to sleeping on the same side of the bed. I, being the amazing wife I am, gave up my side so he could sleep there. But when he's gone...I totally sneak back to my preferred side of the bed.

2. Walker the hot water bottle: When Karl is home, Walker sleeps at the foot of the bed with his head resting on my legs. When Karl travels, Walker assumes the water bottle position. He sleeps just like a person would, with his back against my back and keeps me warm all night.

1. They don't last forever: Karl is home tonight and it looks like it could be a month before he has to hit the road again. I'll gladly trade shrimp, late nights, and even my favorite side of the bed to have my husband home again!

You know you've got a good friend...

When she'll get up at 6am on a Sunday and spend all day standing around talking about weddings for you :) Barb rocks...and looks very good in In This Moment Photography Blue :)

Karl whipped out the self portrait to capture the three of us ready for yesterday's bridal show. You can see our booth in the background. A couple of minutes after he snapped the picture, Karl left to go home and pack for yet another Minneapolis trip, leaving Barb and I to manage the brides of 2009.

The show went great, due in large part to having Barb around to help keep me sane. We're off to celebrate with pedicures this morning. My poor worn out feet will definitely appreciate it!

Today

• Is Monday. Again.
• Karl is travelling. Again.
• It's still August, which is sad because I'm ready for this month to be over.
• Because I'm feeling a little like I'm living Groundhogs day and I'm ready for a change of season to snap me out of it.
• Plus, the grown up couch comes in September.
• And I have fondue plans with some of my favorite girls who still love me even though I don't work in a newsroom anymore.
• And Karl and I are going away and staying in a fancy hotel just blocks from Millenium Park in Chicago.
• Because he's turning 30. And he's doing so before me.
• Like I said, I'm ready for September.
• And October. My month to host the dinner party.
• And our 4th anniversary.
• Come to think of it, November sounds pretty good too.
• No weddings.
• No travelling for holidays
• Day after Thanksgiving shopping with Trish...the only one crazy enough to get up at 4am with me.
• Does it seem like I'm rushing life along?
• Or is this just about having something to look forward to?
• Groundhogs Day. I swear.
• This entry makes no sense and the bullets are only making it worse.
• Bring on 2009.

Remember when I said I was going to post here more?

Yeah, I remember too. Apparently I set my August goals not taking into consideration exactly what this month entailed. Weddings, engagement sessions and bridal shows OH MY!

So now, while I have a few minutes, a few random observations and recaps from the past few weeks.

• Recap: We bought a new tv. Or shall I say, Karl bought a new tv and I stood around stressing about the bill for said new tv. While I know we can swing it, apparently my subconscious didn't feel the same and I went on to have anxiety dreams about the tv for the next several days.
  
• Observation: Why exactly did we buy new tv when we don't have a free weekend between now and Halloween to actually enjoy new tv?
  
• Recap: Karl is wrapping up week one of three weeks of business trips. I'm lucky to have him home for the weekend, but come Sunday afternoon he'll hit the road again.
• Observation: Signing up for Netflix just before said business trip was the best idea ever. Also, watching a tv series on dvd goes very quickly without commercials! I am now hooked on Weeds. Ha! That sounds funny.
• Recap: This past weekend's wedding was amazing. The couple did a sports themed reception complete with foam fingers, thunder sticks and noise makers. I had a blast and shot way more than we normally do.
• Observation: A day of lugging camera gear followed by three days parked in front of the computer in a less than comfortable chair is bad news for the back.
  
• Recap: By yesterday morning my back was in one heck of a spasm.
  
• Observation: Muscle relaxers make for really weird dreams.
  
• Recap: Walker is doing his best to keep me company in Karl's absence.
• Observation: He's not going to be happy when he has to give up his spot on the bed when Karl returns.
  

And that's that. I am giving up my plans to hang out with Angie and Luke in favor of another day of editing to make up for yesterdays drug induced slacking. Hopefully I'll blog again sometime before the month is over.

The Luckiest

Every wedding Karl and I make sure to get one slow dance in. Often it's late in the night and the party goers who have had a *very* good time, get quite a kick out of seeing the photographers on the dance floor. For us, it's a couple of minutes to be together after a day of working seperately. A couple of times we've been lucky enough to dance to our own wedding song, "When you say nothing at all" by Alison Krauss. That one always makes me tear up a little.

This particular Saturday night our dance almost did me in. I'm a lyrics girl and we danced to "The Luckiest" by Ben Folds.

I don't get many things right the first time
In fact, I am told that a lot
Now I know all the wrong turns, the stumbles and falls
Brought me here

And where was I before the day
That I first saw your lovely face?
Now I see it everyday
And I know

That I am
I am
I am
The luckiest

There is no doubt in my mind that I *am* the luckiest. Lucky that five years ago this month Karl became my very first Eharmony match. Lucky that just a few weeks later he gassed up his car and made the 16 hour trek to visit Knoxville. Lucky that we made it through a year of long distance dating. Lucky that almost four years ago we promised each other forever.

Lucky that I get to wake up next to him. Lucky that we can talk about photography with the same passion. Lucky that when we're shooting we communicate without words. Lucky that others comment on our teamwork. I couldn't have asked for a better partner in life and business.

My dream of motherhood may not be a reality yet, but my dream of being a wife has been more than fulfilled. Yes, I am *definitely* the luckiest.

Happy August

I can't believe August is here! I'm off to bed for some rest before tomorrow's wedding. I can't believe we're about to start 12 weekends straight! What a wild ride this will be.

So here's my list of goals to get me through the next month. I made this list for a little weight loss challenge I've got going with a few friends. After way too long off the wagon, this challenge has inspired me to hop back on the Weight Watchers plan. It's been good to have some structure going into such a hectic time.


Food:

I want to track my points every day this month.
I want to get all of my water in daily, at least 6 glasses
5 fruits or veggies every day.
Try one new recipe a week.

Weight:

I'd like to lose 2 pounds a week for a total of 8 pounds over four weigh ins.

Exercise:

Four trips to the gym every week.
Walks after dinner with the dog 5 nights a week.

Other:

Edit 200 photos a day Monday, Tuesday and Thursday to keep up on weddings.
Blog at least 20 times in August.
Plan a fun date night for Karl and I.

A Few Brief Notes

Dear Pierce Brosnan,

Because you are still hot, I will forgive you for your horrible singing in Mamma Mia. I mean really, it was so painful I actually hid my face to keep from looking at you. I know they cast you in the film because you're nice to look at, so me hiding my eyes was clearly not the producers intention. When you're considering your next film roll, please take my words to heart. I will gladly watch you be mysterious, or brooding. Heck, I'll even go for some humor. But please, for the love of Raisinettes and movie theatre popcorn, NEVER SING AGAIN.



Dear Hu Hot,

Thank you for existing. Mongolian barbeque just may get me through my chinese food cravings while I'm on a diet. Now, if only you could find a way to make that s'mores dessert diet friendly. I was doing so well until I saw the little flaming plate headed to the booth next to us.


Dear Walker,

I love you. I really do. Right now you are the closest thing I have to a child. But if you don't stop your antics I am going to sell you to the gypsies. Thanks to you, my day began with stepping in something too gross to mention, thereby destroying my favorite summer shoes. Not going to get on my good side that way my friend. And now you're barking slash howling out the window at random passersby. You are the reason our neighbors look at as funny. If you could stop making noises like you're being killed that would be great.

Dear Lee Ann,

You've been to the cheese shop and posed for a picture wearing a cheesehead hat. I think this means you are ready to move to Wisconsin. Thanks for coming to visit. I love you.

My bestest!!

It takes a special kind of friend to be willing to drive 12 hours to come hang out for a few days with no special occasions planned. But that's exactly what my friend Lee Ann is in the process of doing. She left from Knoxville yesterday and stopped overnight in Indianapolis. Now this morning she's making the second half of the trip and I CAN'T WAIT!!!!

The picture above is circa August 2004 on my last night living in Knoxville. It's a good thing I'm squinting because you can't see my bloodshot eyes. There were a lot of tears when I left Knoxville because I really felt like I was leaving my family and Lee Ann is a huge part of that.

Only a bestest friend would get up 2 hours early every morning to go to the gym with me, even in the winter when it was cold and the bed was warm.

Only a bestest friend would know that sometimes a chinese buffet is the only thing that will cure a broken heart.

Only a bestest friend would answer the phone at 1 in the morning and then drive to come get me after I found out my mom had a heart attack and I didn't want to be alone.

Only a bestest friend would then drive me three hours to Nashville the next day so I could fly home cheaper to see my mom.

Only a bestest friend would let me sleep on her couch more times than I can count.

I'm sad that Karl is again in Minneapolis this week, but I'm so glad to have three uninterupted days with my bestest friend!!

Hate Mail: Monday Edition

Dear Mosquitos:

No offense or anything, but what purpose do you serve? Nobody likes you and all you do is cause trouble. I was just trying to do my job at Saturday's outdoor wedding, but you would not leave me alone. I didn't want to resort to DEET, but next time I will be prepared. You will not live to bite again!

Love,
Steph

Dear Mom in the Woodman's parking lot:

Maybe you missed this day in preschool, but it's not a good idea for kids to run unattended in parking lots. If you don't trust your kids to keep an eye out for cars trying to back out of spots, perhaps you should hold their hands. And the appropriate response after your children RUN behind my car is *not* to laugh and wave. In the future, please stop reviewing your receipt long enough to ensure your kids make it safely to your car.

Sincerely,
the driver who now has 10 more grey hairs thanks to you

Dear Woodman's produce bags:

WHY??? Why do you hate me? Why do you make me look like a fool when I'm just trying to put my broccoli in you and move on? Did you see the way that little old lady looked at me while I was vehemently shaking you open? She was judging me. I don't like that. So please, if you don't cooperate a little more I'm going to be forced to stop eating vegetables all together. You don't want that do you?

Thanks for your cooperation,
Inept in Aisle 2

Dear Hormones,

You suck. And that's all I have to say.

Yours truly,
Woman on the verge of a breakdown

Business Trips Stink

He's been gone for just 24 hours and I miss him. I missed him as he was pulling out of the driveway. Business trips are a part of our life, but this one seems longer than it should be. I actually got a little teary saying goodbye yesterday afternoon. Just like I used to when we lived 16 hours away and only saw eachother once a month. Lucky for me, Thursday night is right around the corner.

As silly as it sounds, Walker misses him too. He goes into guard dog mode when Karl is gone. He barks at everything, and sleeps very close to me on the bed. Except when there are thunderstorms (like last night) and then nobody gets any sleep. Barking, pacing, barking some more. And it looks like more storms tonight. Maybe I should just plan to scrap all night and sleep all day?

Thankfully I have friends like her to keep me busy in Karl's absence. We'll be getting our grill on this evening. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little nervous about the two of us tackling the grill. That is totally guys territory and I am much more content making a tasty dessert.

And just for fun, because I'm feeling nostalgic:

Karl and I circa July 4, 2004. Karl came to visit me in Knoxville for some wedding planning stuff. We met up with friends of ours to watch the fireworks on the river. Side note: I really loved that dress. It went to a new home (read: someone who could actually fit into it) at the yard sale last month.

If I didn't have a husband....

Sometimes I like to pretend I live in a Pottery Barn catalog. Love the furniture and this color palette is so me. And the pattern would make an amazing patterned paper, no? Too bad my husband isn't big on florals. Oh, and too bad Pottery Barn is so consistently out of my price range.

But not as out of my price range as Restoration Hardware. We won't even talk about that....

Five on Friday: Ingredients for a great 3 day weekend

First, Happy Independence Day!!! And a special thank you to all the special people and their families who have made sacrifices in the name of our freedom. We have so many things for which to be thankful!

I am SO happy to have a three day weekend with limited plans. I think it's exactly what my body, mind, and spirit needs. So without further ado, the five ingredients making up my great three day weekend:

• Drugs. Poor Walker has a horrible fear of those loud booms that come from the sky. Thunderstorms equal bad times in the Homburg Household. Fireworks are even worse. Last night we didn't drug him in time and we spent most of the evening trying reassure the panicked pup that his world would not end. Hopefully tonight will go better.
• Grilling. My husband rocks the charcoal. I love everything about grilling out. The smell, the taste, the side dishes. Oh, and bonus points for not heating up the stove to cook dinner!
• Babs, Brad, Baseball, and Booms. How's that for illiteration? Our only real *plans* of the weekend involve a Timberattlers game tomorrow night with Barb and Brad. The game will be followed by a fireworks display, which will satisfy my need to see fireworks without crowds of people or a crying dog.
• Home Improvement. Karl and I will be taking a trip to Home Depot at some point this weekend to take advantage of 12 months no interest/no payment. We're in the market for flooring! Which I am happy to report means we are closer to having the downstairs look more like living space and less like construction disaster!
• Creative Time. With Karl heading to MSP Sunday afternoon, I'm planning some quality time with my scrap goodies. And maybe some girl time with Barb if she's up for it. I'm going to miss that husband of mine, but I am looking forward to getting the creative juices flowing.

I love that three day weekends allow for so much fun, while still having time to get the "need to do" things done. After all, it's not even noon yet and I've finished proofing a wedding, downloaded some new slideshow music, started laundry, and began the great bedroom cleanup of 08.

Here's to a happy and safe weekend for all!

Fun Summer Wednesday: ANTBM Edition

ANTBM= America's Next Top Baby Model...and my new friend Luke is ready to take the title! Barb and I spent this Fun Summer Wednesday in Green Bay for a new baby photo shoot and a fun visit with the new parents Mike and Angie.

I have a *ton* of editing to do before I should even look at the photos I took today, but I can't help it. I had to pick just a handful to play with and share.

So I present Baby Luke's modeling debut:

Sharing a quiet moment with his dad. They're conspiring to take over the world I think.

Good thing he's got a great mom to keep him in line!

Look how comfy he is in Mom's arms!

It's clear Luke has a growing fan club, with his parents as charter members.

And just to prove I do have some cool color images...


Luke shows off his *fierce* face. He totally listened to Tyra in utero.

While Barb and I have some great adventures planned for the summer, I'm not sure any of them will quite live up to our day playing paparazzi with Luke!

My Middle Name is *not* Grace

So I had an interesting wedding weekend. Really though, all wedding weekends are interesting. But most weddings don't involve injury.

Now, I am not graceful. I am an admitted clutz. I trip over my own two feet at least once a day. And when I'm lugging camera gear, and wearing the shoes I shoot in, that incident rate rises dramatically. But most of the time I just laugh it off as the bride and groom watch in horror as I almost drop a few thousand dollars in camera gear into a creek.

This weekend was different in two ways. First, my moment of clutziness happened during the ceremony. Second, I really hurt myself.

Here's how it all went down:

For most weddings, I spend the ceremony shooting from the choir loft. I get to pull out my super stealth and crazy heavy zoom lens. I love the cool perspective I get from back there and Karl is always sitting up front, so I know he has those shots covered.

For this particular wedding, the stairs to get up to the choir loft were inside the actual sanctuary. So I stayed back with the wedding party, taking shots until everyone had made their way down the aisle, and then I snuck in to go up the stairs. This loft was set up a little different than I am used to. It had stadium seating so to speak, with each row of chairs elevated higher than the other. So I had to be careful to climb down the big steps to get to the ledge where I could prop my camera and get to shooting.

I got several good shots of the hand off, and the opening prayer before deciding to switch positions to get a better shot of the lecturn for the first reading. And at the moment I went to move, I forgot that I was standing on a good sized ledge. Are you seeing where this is going? In the middle of the quiet church, as the reader begins his, "A reading from First Corinthians..." comes a huge crash! I fell backwards, caught my shoe on a step, and rammed my left shoulder, hip and wrist into a nearby wall.

I can't tell you if anyone turned around to look, as I layed there on the ground for a few seconds before catching my breath and getting up. I do know that Karl heard the commotion and wondered if it was me. Happily, my camera gear and bag were on my right side, so none of that got damaged. And after moving my hand around a bit, I concluded nothing was broken. I resumed my post in time to catch the soloist for the responsorial psalm.

Remember that super stealthy zoom lens I was talking about? Bad news. It's also wicked heavy. My wrist was screaming at me by the end of the ceremony! Thankfully, my husband is a rockstar and ran out to the car to grab an icepack out of our cooler. I was able to direct the formal shots with my wrist on ice and maybe scored some sympathy points in the form of cooperative family members.

So yeah, my middle name is definitely not Grace. But nothing is broken, and my bruises are easily covered by sleeves and pants. And best of all, there's no wedding to shoot this weekend so I get some time away from my stealthy zoom.

By July 12th I'll be as good as new and ready for my next self induced injury!

Five on Friday in Bullet Points

• I met more new neighbors this morning. It's funny to me that I can say, "Oh your house is cute inside!" because I've been through all of them during open houses. But really, her house is cute inside, and my mother wanted to buy it. Sorry Mom.
• I just had a pickle wrap for lunch. It is possible I am trying to cut back on my carbs once again. In 2003 I lost more than 60 pounds by doing Atkins and working out. I felt amazing and was the poster child for the low carb lifestyle. But alas, I love bread. And pasta. And Ramen Noodles (yes I really do like them!) and so all the weight came back and then some over the past five years. So now I'm not going back on Atkins, but I am trying to cut back on all the carbs I eat in the hopes that I might see some changes in the scale. It has become way too common place for me to turn to carbs for any meal. Need a quick breakfast? Toast is easy. Karl's not home for dinner? That's okay I'll just eat Ramen Noodles. Not good.
• The reason for the diet change: being fat during the summer sucks. I sweat. A lot. And trust me, sweating while lugging camera gear and following a bridal party is not fun. I spend the day climbing and squatting and crawling around to get the shots I want. And the sweatiness is just nasty. Plus, I think my feet, knees, and back would love me a lot more if I were lighter.
• Oh, and the timing of the weight loss attempt also coincides with the first time since September that I'm not taking drugs that make me gain an average of 5 pounds a month. Fertility meds are great like that. They convince your body you're pregnant, so you gain weight. Except at the end of the month you're not pregnant...you're just fat. Awesome. So since we're forced to take this month off of the drugs (a long story), I might actually have a shot at making some progress.
• And because I need to make sure all these bullets aren't about my eating habits: after this weekend's wedding.... we begin our *easy* month. Only one wedding in the entire month of July!!! How awesome is that? And it's a good thing because we go six weeks straight through August and early September. Then a week off, followed by five weeks straight. Oh Wisconsin wedding season, why must you be so short. If anyone wants to get married in February, I promise you my undivided attention :)

Fun Summer Wednesday: Warrior's Debut

I'm not sure any future Fun Summer Wednesdays will live up to this one.

It had all of the elements of a perfect day.

• A good friend:

• Good photo ops:

• Awesome food:
• And the much anticipated arrival of Warrior, now also known as Luke:

Yup, I'm pretty sure it doesn't get much better than today. I may not understand everything that has happened in the past couple of weeks but I do know that God doesn't give us more than we can handle. And I think when we're having a really really crappy week, He gives us Fun Summer Wednesdays.

Another Angel

From Emily's family last night:

It is with great sorrow to inform you that Emily Barger has gone home to be with the Lord.

Your prayers were not in vain. She is eternally healed. The family was all with her.

God Bless, and please hold them in your prayers as they begin life without little Emily.

For such a little girl, you touched a lot of lives sweet Emily. We'll miss you.

Prayers for Emily

7 years ago this summer I began working at WBIR, the NBC affiliate in Knoxville, TN. I was fresh out of school, and while I had gained a lot of experience working in Gainesville, this was my first *real* job. I was informed I was the first producer ever hired by the station straight out of college, and I didn't want to disappoint anyone.

At the time I arrived in Knoxville, all the other producers were pitching in on what would become *my show.* They would each fulfill their responsibilities during the week, and then come back overnight on the weekends to put together the weekend morning show. So I'm guessing they were all pretty happy for me to be there, and pretty eager to get me trained so I could do it on my own and they could return to their normal lives.

Among those producers responsible for making sure I didn't screw up too bad was Brian Barger. Brian was the only guy among the gaggle of girl producers. In fact, now that I think about it, I think he might still be the only guy on the producer team there. I remember my first impression of Brian was that he was the most laid back newsroom employee I had ever met. Relaxed is not a word often used to describe producer types. High strung is much more likely. But not Brian. He cracked jokes, and managed to answer all of my questions without making me feel stupid. He made me feel more confident in my abilities without throwing me completely into the fire.

Anyway, this entry isn't about Brian. Well, not really anyway. It's about Brian's daughter Emily. The past couple of years have been really hard on Emily and her family. She was diagnosed with a really rare form of cancer, and after finishing her treatment last year, they learned recently that the cancer has returned. At only 7 years old, Emily is fighting for her life for the second time.

While I don't live in Knoxville anymore, a large part of my heart is still there. I think often of the friends that became like family when I lived in East Tennessee. Tonight my heart is heavy thinking of the Bargers and their struggles. I wish there was more I could do for them, but from so far away all I can offer is prayer.

So if you're the praying type, please pray for Emily and her family. They've been granted a miracle before, and now they need another.

Emily is the adorable little one front and center.

You've got to kiss a few frogs....

This might be my favorite silly candid of this wedding season. I was shocked when one of the bridesmaids scooped this guy out of the grass. I was even more surprised when the bride leaned over to give him a peck.

It all worked out though, she kissed her prince a few hours later.

I'm feeling about 100 years old on this Monday. An outdoor wedding in the heat and the humidity does that to a girl. Thankfully I have a prince of my own who kept making me drink water to keep the heat stroke away.

Weekend in Review

So we made it back in one piece from the Upper Peninsula. It was touch and go there for a while with the black flies and mosquitoes I thought were going to carry me away. I am one of those people that attracts bugs of all sorts. I must taste good.

But all the bugs were worth it when we got to see these guys:


I've never seen a fawn this young before. I love that Mom is totally aware of our presence, but the little one is more concerned with getting lunch! And look at those wobbly Bambi legs! It doesn't get cuter! Now if we could get rid of the bugs I might really be a fan of nature :)

I am already a fan of weddings, and not just because they're normally bug free events. It was great to attend Karl's cousins wedding as guests, but we couldn't resist bringing our cameras along to document our view of the day. We got some strange looks from the hired photographer. I don't think he liked me very much. Oh well. We stayed out of his way and got some great shots...



On our way out of town Karl and I stopped at the pasty shop to fill up a cooler with frozen u.p. goodness. And I'm now the proud owner of a mug that says, "Got Sisu?" which makes me insanely happy. I think only one person who reads this will know what Sisu means, but I promise to write all about my mug and the meaning behind it tomorrow.

For now I'm off to bed with this guy....