Kate's (and mine) new favorite place to swing...

, originally uploaded by Matt Niebuhr.

Sunday we had the chance to drive out to Seaside, OR for a quick day trip to the coast - first time for our cousin Emily... and really only the second time for Miles and Kate... This time we went to a more resort / leisure town which has a large flat beach area. The best part is that Kate found a swing set out on the beach. Well, there just isn't a much better way to spend a few lazy hours watching and listening. Sure is different than the park back in Iowa...

Memorial Day at Mt Hood

, originally uploaded by Matt Niebuhr.

A new landscape to explore and a memorable day adventure for our family visiting Mt. Hood and Timberline lodge. A snowball fight, sun rain, cold and windy, damp and foggy... sunny and pleasurable all in a span of a few hours.... Reminds me of Iowa weather except for the change in view...!

Happy Holidays !!

Here's to wishing you all the best this holiday season ! And soon to follow a Christmas family news letter....!

Preschool Graduate

Preschool Graduate, originally uploaded by Matt Niebuhr.

Miles..... on his way to "preschool graduation"... He was pretty proud of himself... and he should be.... Mom and I sure am... Kate was really proud too. He stood up front with all his classmates and singing songs and walking across the stage to receive his very own ribbons. Made mom and I all teary just thinking back to our little guy no so long ago coming home with us on the front porch.... We only hope to be able to enjoy as fully as possible whatever is to come next!

Congratulations Miles.. today is your day!

Miles [Lord of the Flies]

, originally uploaded by Matt Niebuhr.

Somehow the book "Lord of the Flies" comes to mind with this photo... the ceremonial water totum.... the boy ready and surveying the beach.... searching.....

Gotta love summer!!

Splashing at Saylorville

, originally uploaded by Matt Niebuhr.

2 June 2006. Hot, midday, wonderful time to go shirtless for a little bit.... absorb some sun - but not too much....and splash along the beach. Gotta love summer!

Saturday afternoon bowling

Saturday afternoon bowling, originally uploaded by Matt Niebuhr.

Went to the Plaza Lanes, Saturday... Lisa had some free tickets for a game so we thought what the heck ... We all loved it - 10 frames is just about enough bowling for Miles and Kate.... I broke 100 but just barely... and Miles tied with Lisa.... Kate didn't do too bad herself. I'm sure we'll be out bowling again soon.

Miss Kate

, originally uploaded by Matt Niebuhr.

After supper, we all went out and watched a rainbow... I tried to explain what a rainbow is to Kate... but it was hard... the best we could come to was that the rainbow flies like the birds up in the sky after the rain.... Works for me....

Dinner

Dinner, originally uploaded by Matt Niebuhr.

Kate gets dinner ready - chicken soup and an apple pie (I hope).

She's having a blast with the kitchen stove Grandpa Marv made for her this Christmas - Oh yeah... the stereotypical roles are played out here and it begins at the tender age of two... but I'm sure that its harmless.

Doing the Goose Walk

, originally uploaded by Matt Niebuhr.

Kate, Miles, Lisa and I walked down to the Glendale cemetery to the pond to feed the ducks / geese on Saturday... Kate really got into feeding them... and walking like them...

After we got home, washed our hands and took off our shoes, I began to wonder if someday we'll be afraid to do this for fear of the bird-flu...

Scary to think about and didn't dawn on me or Lisa until way later in the day just how very real and dangerous and potentially small the world is becoming.... Perhaps I see this more clearly now that I realize that the world is not for me alone to inhabit....

Look !

Look !, originally uploaded by Matt Niebuhr.

Miles.. Caught him with a quick "Hey"... A sincere look of "What?"

Lisa and Kate

Lisa and Kate, originally uploaded by Matt Niebuhr.

a brief moment... sending off Miles to Grandpa and Grandma Schettler's for a week away from home.... We missed our little guy a bunch.... Needless to say.. Miles had a blast. Kate kept saying... "where is Miles.."

It was quiet around the house.

Happy Mom...

, originally uploaded by Matt Niebuhr.

Lisa indulges me with some face time and a "photo-shoot".... One of my first attempts at using a handmade diffusion panel in front of the lens. Available light (interior artificial lighting). Diffusion panel made of nylon (white) stretched over black foam core.

Interested in learning how analogue filters effect the digital image for "in the camera" effect.

Adjusted light balance and reduced color tone

Walk on water...

Walk on water..., originally uploaded by Matt Niebuhr.

A great day (afternoon) to just be out on the Ice... Grandpa Marv, Miles, Emily and I had a wonderful time... more pictures posted to my flickr stream...

Grandpa's best knot

Grandpa's best knot, originally uploaded by Matt Niebuhr.

One of my favorites from our visit back to Storm Lake over the holidays... Miles and Grandpa Marv are quite the fishing buddies... Teach him well Grandpa...

Miles

Miles
Originally uploaded by Matt Niebuhr.

This is an "old" snapshot from our visit over the Christmas holiday when we went back home to Storm Lake and went ice fishing with Grandpa Marv... It was fun to lay down on the ice and just watch what happens....

Windows...

Windows...
Originally uploaded by Matt Niebuhr.

We had a wonderful lunch and a mutual "day off" on the last Friday of the year. Browsed around some camera shops (Thanks for endulging me), a new / old salvage architectural place downtown and a lunch at Beggar's Banquet. It's been a good year. Can't wait to see what the next brings!

Another walk in the woods on Christmas Eve day

Originally uploaded by mniebuhr.

Miles and I went to the woods south of the Art Center today. It was cold and rainy but we still trudged through the weeds. We found many interesting things. Like these berries.. "natures ornaments". Of course according to Miles, we were "hunting" for deer... and luckily we did manage to chase up one lone buck, a whitetail deer. Miles was happy. He had his binoculars out and was scouting around the entire time. We had a great time, got wet and muddy... and helped each other enjoy the morning. A great way to celebrate Christmas.

my honey bear

my honey bear
Originally uploaded by mniebuhr.

Life is like a good morning greeting from my honey bear....who always has a smile...

First Snow Fall

Yippie.

National Weather Service
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT
UNTIL 6 PM CST THIS AFTERNOON
Wswdmx

Urgent - Winter Weather Message... Corrected Spelling National Weather Service Des Moines IA 123 PM CST Tue Nov 15 2005

... First Winter Storm Of The Season...

.A Strong Low Pressure System Will Lift Northeast Across Missouri And Illinois Today And Tonight... Spreading Snow Across The Upper Midwest. Very Strong Winds Will Occur Late Today Into Wednesday Morning.

The First Snowfall Of The Season Will Spread Across The Area Today And Gradually End Tonight. Snow Accumulations Of 3 To 6 Inches Are Possible With The Lightest Amounts Over Southwest Iowa To Near 6 Inches In The Waterloo And Mason City Vicinities.

In Addition To The Snowfall... Very Strong Northwest Winds Of 25 To 35 With Gusts As High As 55 Mph Will Develop Tonight. Thus... Near Blizzard Conditions Maybe Possible Overnight... Depending On How Fast The Snow Freezes And Its Depth. Wind Chills Will Also Fall To The Single Digits.

A Winter Weather Advisory Means That Periods Of Snow Will Cause Travel Difficulties. Be Prepared For Slippery Roads And Limited Visibilities.

A Winter Storm Watch Means There Is A Potential For Significant Snow And Or Blowing Snow That May Highly Impact Travel. Continue To Monitor The Latest Forecasts.

Miles dimple in the leaves

Just what might you find in the bottom of a leaf pile... I just don't know - but it's fun digging down to see!

Miles buried in leaves

A little bit of goofing around in the leaves is healthy for the soul!

Miss Kate in the leaves...

Kate and Miles helped rake leaves last weekend...of course more are now in the yard.. but the pile was big and soft and perfect for "Superman dives" !

American Gothic (Revisited)

American Gothic (Revisited)
Originally uploaded by mniebuhr.

On a recent return trip from Eastern Iowa, I discovered this! The house in the background of Grant Wood's "American Gothic" painting. The house was sitting quietly alone under the street light... no one was home.

Milkweed

Milkweed
Originally uploaded by mniebuhr.

From Mom and Dad's flower garden back in Aurelia...on a wet cold fall day. We found lots of great seed heads - purple cone flowers...milkweeds...all sorts of great places for birds and butterflies!

Take a walk in the woods...

Take a walk in the woods...
Originally uploaded by mniebuhr.

We went together, Lisa, Kate, Miles and I for a walk in the woods last Sunday.... Reminds me of Thoreau

"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived."

--Henry David Thoreau

Drain

10-16-05-MBN- 084
Originally uploaded by m_p_h.

Another of Miles' first day of snapshots - he was so excited about talking photos ... he's hooked....

10-16-05-MBN- 084

Miles takes some photos

10-16-05-MBN- 135
Originally uploaded by m_p_h.

Today I gave Miles the old digital Fujifilm camera and showed him how to take snapshots. He went wild and took about 170 or so images.... Lisa and I laughed so hard.. he was running around snapping pictures and a few of them are quite nice I think... Especially this one of his sister Kate at the Art Center's Cairns....10-16-05-MBN- 135

A Lapful

A Lapful
Originally uploaded by mniebuhr.

Enjoying a nice warm afternoon!

I want to ride my bicycle !

Miles took off the training wheels (actually Lisa did that)... And off he went...
He was so proud of himself...and so are we... that you could see that he was trying to not smile the entire time... He was and is absolutely beaming with joy... He started off on Friday afternoon.... And now he's riding all over the place. Growin' up! He was so excited that he called me at work to tell me he had a big surprise and he wanted me to come home and see it... Makes me smile.

Cafe Treats

Cafe Treats
Originally uploaded by mniebuhr.

Miles enjoys a soda in Pella, Iowa

Thresholds....

Miles and Kate
Originally uploaded by mniebuhr.

Miles and Kate - Exploring Pella, Iowa

Lisa and Kate

Lisa and Kate II
Originally uploaded by mniebuhr.

Life is like... sitting around and drinking a soda...Pella, Iowa - Cafe Treats...

Cafe Soda

Cafe Soda
Originally uploaded by mniebuhr.

Lisa, Miles, Kate and I decided to get out and go on a little driving adventure to Pella, Iowa - Why? Because it's there.... It was a good day to sit in an old cafe and drink soda.

Front Porch Impressions

A digital lensless pinhole image - attempting to capture some shadows that caught my eye...

Groucho...

Dog
Originally uploaded by mniebuhr.

Sad news to record... Groucho is no longer with us. He had been having some stomach problems and stopped eating.... Miles and I took him to the vet on Saturday and well.. He had a problem with his intestines that we just couldn't do anything to fix. It was hard to handle with Miles and Kate trying to explain that Groucho had died and is now "up in heaven" we guess... Playing around in the green green grass... Almost 2 weeks later now and Kate will still go to the back window and look out and say "where's Groucho ?" in her own inquisitive 2 year old way...Makes me sad and happy that she cares about him... We'll all miss him in our own ways.

My little paddlers....

I had lots of help loading up the kayak for our trip home over the 4th (Back to visit Grandparents in Aurelia and Storm Lake). Soon enough I see I'm going to have some young adventurers!!

Cold Sprinkles...

Cold water on your face in the summer - nothing better!

Still looking pretty...

After a good slide...it's important to look your best!

The finishing SPLASH...

Ok...once at the bottom just look as if nothing happened and you don't hurt...

The follow through....

After you loose it... just go with it... otherwise it hurts!

Kate's a lttle trooper in the Water Slide...

Whoops....eeeeyyyyyyeeeeee!
Ah - summer, to be a kid again and play in the sprinklers!

The Kiss

"The Kiss" - Miles and Rose get into the act for pictures for Amanda and Jordan's wedding...

Miles and Rose (Amanda and Jordan's Wedding)

Miles was just asked to give Rose a kiss on the cheek - you can see the reaction !
We all had so much fun this last weekend sharing in the wedding event for Amanda and Jordan... My little sister is now all grown up!

Park Shelter - Lonely...

My girls with shades !

Watching the water go by...

Miss Kate absorbed...

Salorville Dam outlet

Miss Kate at the Salorville Dam outlet

One of our weekend outings to the Salorville Dam outlet - the water rushing out of the outlet was fascinating to watch - we all ended up enjoying a short bike ride on the paths near the visitor's center...

Seven Years ago....

Lisa and I on our Honeymoon... Many moons ago. Today was our anniversary - we spent the day with Miles and Kate... Visiting the Zoo.... Not quite the same as our Puerto Rico trip, but that's OK.

Discovering Nightcrawlers

I finally got the chance to go Nightcrawler "hunting" with Miles tonight. We had been talking about trying to find "big" worms for fishing - so far we had just dug up little ones near the compost pile... Well after a couple of good days of rain the opportunity finally presented itself tonight. Miles stayed up way past his bedtime so that we could let it get nice and dark out.... It was a so much fun to go out and show him the "big ones"... They laid out stretched around the grass - lots of them in the dark you could almost hear them moving, pulling leaves and seed pods from the Maple in the back yard. Miles was so excited and was amazed at how fast those worms would slip back underground. We would both wait patiently by the garden and back fence where there was just enough light to see the crawlers... Miles managed to sneak up on a couple and I had to show him how to quick grab the worm near the hole and if your lucky slowly tug on the worm until they seemed to resign themselves to being pulled free of the ground... He was amazed at how big they were and we had to keep a couple in a bucket to show Mom the next day. It was great father / son moment ! It reminded me of all the things that I used to love to do as a kid - fascinating. Miles talked about it for days and still mentions it after it rains... So we're on our way to many more nightcrawler hunts and future fishing expeditions I think!

Here's Trouble...

"Here's Trouble"

Miles and Emily on the Porch

Just what is Miles thinking? And could Emily "appear to not care" anymore...?