Cameron. . .then and now!

A very happy birthday today, to my brother-in-law who is 14 years old TODAY! Happy Birthday, Cameron!

THEN . . .
When Aaron and I starting dating, Cameron was only 3 years old. This first picture was Christmas of 1997 (he was 4 years old then) and absolutely loved this outfit that Aaron and I got him for Christmas.

and Now . . .
Wow! Cameron is now taller than me and looks like Aaron more and more each day. This picture was taken this summer when Cameron stayed a week with us.

Hope you have a really good birthday, Cameron! We'll celebrate this weekend!

Happy Birthday!

Happy 19th Birthday to my dear friend, Jaleesa Ford!

We have so much fun working together - (probably a little too much)!

I took this in the fall when I was setting up for a family portrait - she let me test my lights on her. Thanks, Jaleesa! You're the best!

Blue Friday - even at GBS!

Yes, we had Blue Friday at GBS (unoficially declared by me!) :-)

Some wore blue and didn't even really know why, but I told them it was for a good cause! :-) A few other staff members were already gone when we did this picture.

Dave Frederick is in the back covering his face with his tie - he said he wore blue "by accident" but I told him I knew he was a true Colts fan at heart!

GO COLTS!

Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.

We had a really good time during our "D-Group" session tonight. D-Groups (discipleship groups) are what we have on Wednesday nights here at GBS in place of the regular prayer meeting. Volunteer staff/faculty leaders take a group of students into their home and discuss different topics or lessons to help us grow spiritually. Since Aaron has class on Wednesday night, I have a group of 8 girls and they are a wonderful bunch!

Tonight was a different sort of night, but I really felt like we should talk about this so we did. The topic: self-confidence. We discussed what self-confidence is, why it is important, and how to obtain it if you have none or yours is low. Then we played a matching game where each girl was given a paper with two different behaviors associated with either self-confidence or low self-confidence. They had to read them aloud and determine which category it fit into. This brought up lots of discussion points, which were very good. Before they left for the evening, I distributed 8 papers with each girl's name listed individually at the top. We each wrote one positive thing about that person and then passed the papers around until everyone had written a compliment about everyone else. The compliments were not shared with the group, but it appeared everyone really liked this idea and enjoyed learning more about self-confidence.

Self-confidence is extremely important in almost every aspect of our lives, yet it's amazing how so many people struggle with it. I loved this quote I found online and shared it with the girls tonight at the end of our meeting:

"Be yourself; everyone else is already taken." -Oscar Wilde

Hittin' the Slopes!

Yes! We finally did it! Aaron and I went skiing today!!! Kevin Moser has been asking us for a few years now to give skiing a try, and so this year we finally did. We loved every minute of it - well, maybe not all the falls. We both fell more times than we can count, but so did all the other beginners! That's just part of it - you have to get out there and do it.

I was only really scared at one point - and I think it's only because of what someone was telling us. Aaron and I had gone through the lessons, practiced for quite a while on the bunny slope, did the beginner's hill a couple of times, and felt ready to go on to the next step. So, we did. Matt and Tara McCasland were with us and were great coaches. They had been watching us and said we were ready. We rode the lift up and at the very top of the hill we ran into a guy we knew. After chatting for a few minutes, he asked if we had done that particular hill before. When he discovered it was our first day skiing and our first time on that hill, his eyes got really big and said, "Oh, no - you're going to have problems!" We were thinking, "What!?" He went on to say that I would probably be okay, but since Aaron was bigger, the momentum he would pick up would make him go too fast and he would probably "run right into the line of people at the bottom of the hill." I am not kidding - those were his words exactly. We quickly said goodbye to him and were like, "Great! Here we are at the top of this "nightmare" hill and there was only one way to get down!" I was about ready to shove the guy off at the top if he wouldn't have stopped telling us all these horror stories. I'm not kidding - he was very serious. I "suppose" he meant well, but the damage was already done. Grrr! Matt and Tara told us to just forget what he had said, but that was a little bit hard to do. I was scared and there was no where to go but down. But, I told Aaron, the worse thing that can happen is . . . we'll fall! And we did! :-) But, we got back up and continued down the hill and had a blast! We ended up skiing that hill about 3 more times before it was time to go. We really enjoyed skiing and plan to go again. Thanks, Kevin, for insisting that we try! Here's some picture to prove it really happened!

What a fun day! I'd do it all over again!

Actually, getting off the lift is kind of difficult. Aaron would ride up with Matt so he could help him, and Tara would ride up with me to help me.
For non-skiers, the lift does NOT stop, you have to ski off of it - yes we both fell getting off of the lift. :-)

An "action" picture of Aaron!

Kristin and Mark Foster also skied for the first time today
(not many pictures of them since they had to leave early).

I would like everyone to notice the sign above Aaron's head.
We were advancing - whoo hoo!

This is a little far away (I wasn't about to get that close with my camera), but from left to right is Matt, Kevin, and Aaron.

It was VERY crowded on the slopes and in the ski lodge. We didn't know any different, but Kevin said it was the biggest crowd he had ever seen out there - at least 9,000 people!

Bless Tara's dear heart! She helped me so much and was very patient. She even waited for me while we laughed hysterically after my pitiful fall so she could help me get up. Honestly, the hardest thing I did all day was getting UP after a fall. Try doing that with 6-foot feet that are very slick on a hill!!!

Flu Bug

I love this picture (courtesy of Dr. Farmer). It seems like so many people have been sick lately - this bug must be working overtime!
Thankfully, I have NOT had the flu this year (knock on wood - I'll probably be punished for posting this) . . .

Putting It All Together . . .

I'm in the middle of putting Dorcas and Matt's wedding album together and decided I had to take a break. (What better way to break than to blog!)

When I put an album together, I have to see ALL the pages together before I start so I'll make sure it comes out even. (Getting it even is harder than it sounds with horizontal and vertical photographs all having to match together to fit on a page as well as the album pages ending on the left.) So, I do all this "seeing" by laying it out - all over the floor! I don't have the luxury of my own "studio" with a work flow table, so everything in my home becomes my work space! Here's something of what it looks like.

And the winning caption is . . .

"Little Flyer"

Thanks to Matt Deuel for this great suggestion!

Thanks for all the suggestions. Yes, Nancy, even Dr. Farmer game me some great ideas. I couldn't decide what to use and after asking several others, this one got the most votes.

Caption, anyone?

I need your help!

I just found out today that I won 2nd place in a photo contest - hooray!!! The contest is through IUPUI (Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis), which is where I completed my photography training. The funny thing is, I didn't even remember which photo I had submitted (I barely remembered entering the contest since it was last April). However, the kind lady refreshed my memory and I instantly knew which photo she was referring to. This is my nephew, Kaden Burley, and was taken in March of 2006.

This photo will soon be on display in the Union Building on the campus of IUPUI and they asked me to submit a caption - that's where I need your help! If anyone has some ideas for a cool caption, please help me! I'm kind of stuck as to what to submit.

What a Saturday!

I was here . . .


And Aaron was here . . .




Two very different events, but we both enjoyed our respective places very much (although I worked hard today)! Sandra Holden and Zane Hatfield's wedding went really well and the Colts won! We'll both sleep very well tonight! :-)

Christmas at the Inlaws

Since our parents live so far away from each other, Aaron and I rotate holidays with our families. When we have Christmas in Missouri, we celebrate Christmas with his parents on New Years, which was the case this year. Here's a few pictures from the occasion!

A Sonicare toothbrush for both of us (don't worry - there are 2 separate heads). When your mother-in-law is a dental hygienist, your teeth must be on their best behavior!

Fondue - a Herring family Christmas tradition! Takes a while to eat, but very yummy, indeed!

We only use this green table cloth for this meal because it's old and fondue splatters easily. :-)

Cameron got a leather jacket for one of his Christmas gifts - he loved it!
Cameron is growing like a bad weed - he is only about 5 inches shorter than Aaron now and only 1/2 size behind him in shoes. One thing I don't get, though - people have actually asked if Aaron and Cameron are twins! Come on, now! They do look similar, but they are 16 years apart!!

Living High on the Crab!

Wow! We had the most incredible supper tonight - Jeff came by before he had to go to work and brought crab! Jeff cooked it while I watched and learned - as this was a first for me. I also learned how to clarify butter - never heard of that before tonight either (remember, I grew up in the country). The crab was extremely delicious!

They were huge as you can see!

Just giving you another idea of how big these things were!
(Actually, Aaron was talking on his cell phone after we were done eating, so I grabbed the one remaining crab and pretended I was too! He didn't think it was as funny as I did, but he did snap a picture for me.) :-)


That's all!
Thanks for a great supper, Jeff!

Really Cool Christmas Gifts

Don't you love unique Christmas gifts? Here are some really cool ones from this year.

All of us kids got these candy canes. I've always liked things that were personalized, so this was right down my alley.

This book is incredible. I haven't read it all yet, but here are a few of some really neat tips I already like:

1. If you're always a mitten or a glove short at your house in winter, try this: Hang several pant or skirt hangers in the hall closet. Ask family members to clip pairs together on the hangers when not in use. -Liz Grove, New Carlisle, IN

2. To get rid of the leg dents that heavy furniture leaves in your pile carpeting, place an ice cube in each dent and let them sit overnight. The water from the melted cube causes the fibers of the carpet to swell. The next morning, use a towel to scratch and fluff out the dent until it's the same level as the rest of the nap. -Sally Clark, East Bradenton, FL

3. In your bathroom, keep those odds and ends of pins, clips, rubber bands, etc. in a plastic silverware tray. -Rachel Siegrist, Lititz, PA

4. Use a meat pounder instead of a fork to make a pretty design on your cookies. -Ann Z., Coon Rapids, MN

All the kids with their stockings!

Makin' Memories

Christmas really is my most favorite time of year! Aaron and I sure made lots of memories this year as we had the privilege of "parenting" our nephews/niece (ages 10, 7, and 5) on a 10-hour trip to Missouri. We were planning on riding along with Vicki and the children, but when her grandmother unexpectedly passed away, we took the kids with us so she and Jeff could go to the funeral and the kids wouldn't have to travel 8 hours to PA, 8 hours back to OH, then 10 hours to MO. It really was a fun trip, but very different from how we normally travel. We hadn't been out of Cincinnati for more than an hour when Kaley was asking how much longer to Grandma's. :-) Then, we discovered what Caleb had received for a Christmas gift - a recorder! Before he started in on it, he did kindly ask, "Let me know if this is disturbing you." We rode along for a little while listening to him shrieking out "Hot Cross Buns" when we finally asked if maybe he could wait until we got to Grandma's house so there was more room for the sound to escape. It was so funny! They were really good and we did enjoy it, but we were ALL ready to be there when we finally turned into the drive about 9:30 that night.


The trip home was much different as it was just Vicki, Kaley, the baby, and me. (Jeff and Vicki had flown out to MO on Christmas Eve.) Jeff flew Aaron back to OH a day early for work and the boys both wanted to go to. Here's Caleb and Drew getting all settled.

Before they left, Jeff took Mark and Phil for a plane ride. They flew over the house and we all went outside and waved as they whizzed by. Yes, the plane is rather small, so click on the picture to see it better.

O Christmas Tree!

Since everyone else has posted a picture of their tree (except me) - I didn't want to be left out. Here's two pictures - one for the "lighting" effect and the other so you can see the ornaments. :-)

Finally - a good investment from all those school fundraisers! Cute little Christmas place cards.

It is Finished!

I have just completed the hardest class I have ever taken!! I submitted the last project and promptly shouted "Hallelujah" rather loudly (literally), which Aaron said was not necessary. :-) I cannot tell you how glad I am that this class is over! It was beneficial and I did learn a lot, but financial management is not something I really looked forward to studying. I will be putting the textbook on the web very soon to sell to the next student as I can hardly wait to get rid of it. Any takers?

Joy!

This is such an adorable Christmas card - that I had to blog this!

Michael and Shawna (my cousins) have 3 beautiful girls - what a neat idea for Christmas cards!

Christmas Parties

I love parties! Isn't it fun to get together with others and just talk, play games, and eat some really yummy snacks?! We went to Mark and Kristin's Tuesday night and had a great time with many people from our church. Here are some of our "actors" from a really fun game we played!

You know how hard it is to try to get people to guess someone's name when you can't say anything! Kristi and Emily both were good at this!

Not many people's names I know are associated with clothes,
but the team knew who it was when Kristin did this. :-)

Heidi and Jenny
("Hello, Buddy the Elf - What's your favorite color?")

A Sneak Peek!

The GBS Christmas Program is this weekend! I always take pictures at the dress rehearsal, so here's a sneak peek of what's in store!

Go Reds!

OK - yes it is winter, and the Reds are not playing right now. But, we wore our red on Saturday and went downtown Cincinnati to enjoy Redsfest 2006 with Matt and Erika. Although I am a big Reds fan, I really don't "know" the players. Erika and I definitely "went along for the ride" and just to be together. However, it was kind of funny what happened. The 4 of us were standing in this l-o-n-g line to get Joe Nuxhall's autograph and Erika and I were getting slightly bored, so we decided to go strolling on our own and have the guys call us when they were done. We went to get something to drink and saw a group of people started to make a line in the corner. We didn' t know what it was for, but the line was short, so we got in it! We were really close to the front when we realized it was a "photograph opportunity" with Bronson Arroyo and Brandon Clausson! I didn't even know what position these guys played (although Erika did), but we also knew Matt and Aaron would wish they would have been with us. It was so funny to think Erika and I were totally doing this!

Here's proof of what we did!

I also got my picture with Snappy Tomato - he/she/it was more fun than the baseball players. What gender is a Snappy Tomato?

They were selling everything there (of course) - even chocolate Reds hats!

Can you imagine a room like this?

The highlight of the day for Aaron and Matt was getting Tom Browning and Mario Soto to autograph their hats. (Yes, I did have to ask Aaron, "Tell me again who that was that signed your hat?") I got their autographs too, but had no clue who they were or what they did or why SO MANY people waited for ever to get their autographs.

The world's largest baseball bat.

Even the Kahn's pig came to Redsfest!

It was a fun day and we made lots of memories (along with the 11,000 other people that were there)!