29 Doesn't Feel All that Different

So I'm now 29.

The big birthday before the BIG birthday.

To be honest, I've been having some issues with this birthday. The kind where you evaluate where you are in life and where you think you should be. By the time my mother reached 29, she had two kids and was on her second husband. Kind of strange, right?

Anyway, despite all the internal dialog and thoughts about the future, things really aren't much different.

Here are a few pictures to walk you through my birthday week...


We spent Wednesday through Saturday in Minneapolis, where Karl and I attended a workshop with one of the best wedding photographers in the world. The workshop was amazing and really really challenging. The techniques we explored were so out of my comfort zone! It definitely gave me a lot to think about.

We shot all around Minneapolis, including a trip to the sculpture park to see the famous spoon and cherry. Karl and I had to take a cheesy picture of course!

Here's some evidence of our hard work in Minneapolis:




So you can probably gather from those shots that the workshop was very much about working with cool light and architecture. As a photographer who likes to get in close and capture emotion, I was definitely *not* in my element, but I learned so much and can't wait to play some more.

Saturday was my actual birthday and we celebrated back home after picking up the dog from the kennel. Karl grilled delish steaks for dinner and we had Dairy Queen for dessert. Then I got to open my present!

Aren't they adorable? Walker has a thing for eating my slippers (he leaves all other shoes alone!) so I was in desperate need of a new pair. Karl and I aren't doing birthday presents for each other this year in an attempt to save money for medical expenses, but these were a perfect little treat! I don't care that I'm 29... I can still wear fun slippers right?

Sunday was a day of productivity around here, which included watering my pretty pot of annuals on the front porch...


I'm not good with plants, so we'll see if I can keep these guys alive for the summer. I was going for a red white and green theme but it looks like some pink snuck in there.

So that brings us to today (yay for long holiday weekends!) We took a break from the long to do list to visit with Barb and Brad who had Emily and Justin over for a breakfast pit stop on their way back to Chicago.

Doesn't that look yummy? Thankfully only my muffin was sacrificed when I tripped on the way outside. We won't talk about the tripping...or the muffins for that matter.


While we were eating, Maddie and Memphis were getting to know eachother. This consisted of Maddie trying to make Memphis play with her and Memphis responding by moving just out of her reach. They are clearly BFF in the making!

Speaking of BFF...I made Karl take a picture of the girls since it's not often we're in the same city.

Apparently when I told him to take a picture, I didn't specify a picture that doesn't make us all look exhausted! Not even black and white could save this one :)

So that's it. I'm 29. Here's to a good journey to 30!