Thanksgiving and Getting Ready for Christmas

When we first arrived in Colorado Springs several months ago we met the Tuft family invited us over for Easter dinner at their home. Once again we were invited to their warm home where we had an excellent Thanksgiving dinner with several others of their family that had come into town. It is wonderful to be surrounded by friends during holidays. During desert we played two rounds of charades, which is a Tuft family tradition. Tricia did not know how to act out, "keep the lighting consistent," but neither did anyone else.

I took Jeffrey to Manitou Springs Indian Cave Dwellings for the morning to give Tricia a much deserved break. The best part about the Manitou Cave Dwellings is being able to go inside of them. I had a delightful time following Jeffrey around as he explored the rooms. I let him lead the way most of the time and hung back to let him play, but stayed close enough to keep him out of mischief.

Since I may not be here to celebrate Christmas on the 25th we got a jump on the holiday season and put up the tree. I had to get the tree and decorations out of the crawls space and return the Thanksgiving ones in their place. Tricia put on Christmas music while I helped Jeffrey hand some ornaments. I do not think he ever quite figured out that we were using wires to hold the ornaments in place. He kept setting ornaments on branches and seemed confused when they did not stick like Velcro, but he never gave up and stayed with us while Tricia and I decorated the tree.

Now that the Christmas tree is up in the corner of the living room and dressed in its array of ornaments collected over the years, most being from Germany, Jeffrey has appointed himself as the light man. He does and army style low crawl under the branches to reach the dangling light cord and plug it into the wall.

I have noticed that lately Jeffrey has begun to eat with greater dexterity when using a spoon or fork. Not long ago he would hold the utensil at its and loose more food on his lap than he put in his mouth. Just a few mornings ago he ate two bowls of cereal without dropping a single corn puff on the floor.

Tricia purchased a gingerbread train for us to put together for family night. Jeffrey was pretty excited to help us and kept making choo choo sounds all night. He even jumped out of bed and ran down stairs to get one last look at the train before going to sleep.

I have started to read the scriptures in a new way that I am finding is making my daily study very interesting. I have gone back to reading in Spanish and start each chapter I read by highlighting in the heading the events from the chapter that are most outstanding, or the types of things that I would likely return to later to look for. Next I read the chapter in its entirety and then go back and read each reference given in the footnotes. This sends me to all places in the standard works from any single chapter in any book. I am finding the references I look up in the Guide to the Scriptures or Bible Dictionary very helpful in explaining unfamiliar terms, clarifying doctrine, or better defining a term that I thought I already knew. I use the church website to look up talks and articles about the main themes that I am finding in each chapter. I conclude the study of the chapter by reading it in its entirety once again. This is of course a slow method, but it takes me deep into the meaning and significance of each chapter.

Tricia and I took some time this evening to talk about our future goals as a family. Our conversation covered our monthly finances, what we want to save for in the future, reenlistment, officer candidate school, my bachelors degree, Irish dance and the pursuit of a photography business. By the end of the discussion we each had a cemented idea about our goals that we all want to work toward together.

Oireachtas!

One of my teachers, Cynthia and me after I'd finished the first two rounds.

So Cory ALMOST got the spelling right, it's a funny Gaelic word, so just add a few odd vowels and you're good to go. Oireachtas (Oh-ROCK-tus) is the regional qualifiers for Irish dance. When I found out that Cory was deploying this year I set my goal to compete at the O. It was a challenge I won't lie to you. There was the dancing itself, after three years off of competitive dancing getting back into training kicked my butt, especially at 6,000 ft. Then I had to figure out something for Jeffrey. I won't get into my whole parenting philosophy, but I really don't like daycares and so my teacher Molly Bennett asked around and found me a babysitter who would watch Jeffrey at the studio while I danced. Jeffrey LOVES Dani (his babysitter) and though at first he didn't like going to dance where he couldn't go where Mommy was, he loves it now. He'll ask if we're going to Dani's House (the studio) sometimes.



Then came the Bronchitis plague of 09. My mom and I both got it and I'm pretty sure we both felt like dying at the worst of it. So then I had to dance with crappy lungs. Bottom line, I am still not 100% health wise but I competed. I also didn't have a dress that fit without being several inches too short in the arms or stuck out in the back like a duck tail. Molly made this dress (which we call the miracle dress) in literally NO TIME at all and I was pinned into just minutes before dancing.

The top will be embroidered more and the lace collar that's in the front now won't be included but in the back is a lace collar we found in Gram's closet that I wanted to use. It's totally different but I love it!

All of the dancers dance two rounds (hard shoe and then soft shoe) and then they recall the top half of dancers to dance a third round alone for final placing. I didn't recall this year because I almost passed out in my hard shoe round from lack of oxygen. But I did better than I thought even with everything I had to go with. But I was pleased with how I did. I am going to keep working and pick a few more competitions to do in the next few months to see how I do. Anyway I love Irish Dancing and I had a great time at the Oireachtas this year! Whee.

Oreachtis, 2009

It is big hair time. Oreachtis, 2009, in Denver, CO. I will leave Tricia to tell you more about the dance experience.

Jeffrey and I had two days of our own adventures running around with each other through the building where the competition was being held.

I get the best photos of Jeffrey while he is distracted with something else. Here he is watching a dancer practice in the hall way out of frame.

I tend to enjoy the detail photos that tell the story of the small things. Here Tricia is lacing up her hard shoes with a brand new accoutrement. I masked in a second layer set to screen to brighten up the rhinestones.

All of the dancers dresses are very vibrant in color. I wanted to show this off by contrasting it on a black and white floor. This makes for a very strong figure to ground relationship.

Lab made the highlights of these dresses pop on screen as they do in real life.

I softened up the light in this moment to match the mood with a Gaussian blur at an opacity of about 6%.

Jeffrey took a ride on the elevator every time he got a chance. He made a lot of opportunities for himself.

I knelt down in front of him to get the view of what it is like to ride on this attraction from a Jeffrey point of view.

The next most interesting thing to Jeffrey was the bank of pay phones. He stayed here for a long time and gave me a lot of opportunity to get the right shot. At first I kept calling to him to look over at me, but then in reviewing my photos I realized that his greatest interest was in the phone and so showed excitement about it. He did look over to me once in a while, but instantly the excitement would leave his face as he gave me the what do you want look. It was not nearly as engaging or genuine as him and the phone alone.

I did not initially intend to line up the fountains this way, but I found it pleasing when reviewing the photos and selecting the best.

This was just a fun kid moment, though I did not let him lick the fountain for long.

More escalator ride. I removed a color cast on the stairs by desaturating a layer and masking it in.

Jeffrey is watching a movie about things to do in Colorado that mesmerized him. Each time we would walk by he would shout, "Colorado, Daddy!"

Rear Detachment

Rear Detachment (rear D) is a pretty relaxed place to work. All of the soldiers from the brigade back here are here because they have some kind of ailment or illness that keeps them from deploying. Our main mission here is to meet our doctors appointments and get well. That does not take up a lot of time during the day. I have been taking my laptop to the library where there is free WiFi Internet which I use to do my homework.

Jeffrey fell asleep in his seat while Tricia and I ran an errand. I stayed in the car with Jeffrey while Tricia went in and used the opportunity to have some fun with Tricia's Canon G10. The difference between the level of light in the car and that outside was so great that any framing containing the window caused the window to blow out and become complete white. I tipped my drivers seat all the way back to the back seat and leaned on it to recompose. Since Jeffrey is much shorter that us adults, our usual way of viewing him is to look down on him. Taking this camera to a new angle let me reveal Jeffrey from his own height.

Jeffrey is a big Mickey Mouse Club House fan. He sings along, answers questions and acts out what is happening on the TV screen. Here again, I got down to Jeffrey's level and let him watch the TV above and behind me. If you were a little kid sitting across from Jeffrey at breakfast, this is what you would see. I left the bottle and bowl in the foreground to add depth to the composure (foreground: bowl and cup; middle ground: Jeffrey; background: cabinets). Leaving the bowl in the scene tips you off to an early morning scene so that you do not think that Jeffrey lounges around in his PJ's all day. I turned the temperature up to warm to let you know that outside of the frame the golden sun is just coming up.

I learned from Joe McNally that in composing a scene you should ask yourself, what is the story. For this the story is: two brothers in an uninterrupted intimate moment; they are moving froward in space, but the place is not important. From Scott Kelby I learned not to walk up and shoot. I took my time in choosing the framing and this is the result of moving my camera to five distinct locations, heights and depths of field.

The Last Few Days

We awoke this morning to a snow covered Colorado Springs. We have not yet purchased a snow shovel to clean off our own driveway and side walk. Poor planning on our part.

Jeffrey had a cough this morning that begged for medicine, but Jeffrey himself made great protest. I had to hold all four of him limbs and his head down while Tricia inserted the dropper deep into his mouth. To keep him from spitting it right up we had to hold his nose until he swallowed.

This year Tricia and I will continue our tradition of making Christmas gifts. Tricia is putting her sweet sewing skills to work and I am finding ways to help out. We have our iPods playing Christmas music while we make dinner and clean the house. Tricia makes the holiday season fun by making sure that we have the festive spirit in our home.

Linda Grandma gave Jeffrey a toy camera when she came to visit. It is a pretty tough made camera, and it takes real digital photos. Jeffrey gets it out when he sees me with my camera around the house taking photos. It is interesting to review his photos and see how Jeffrey sees the world.

It does not take long at all for Jeffrey to tear up the house. It is a little frustrating to look back at a room we just cleaned as Jeffrey spills out his toys, carries all manner of odd items around the house to set them down as soon as he loses interest and generally gets into everything. I just have to keep in mind that the house does not have to be spotless all the time to make it a nice place to live, and I should only clean one room per day, otherwise I would do nothing else but clean. In cleaning the kitchen every few days a pile of earrings, rings, necklaces and bracelets accumulates on the island counter. It is just a reminder to me that we live in a house and not a museum.

I have been listening to Jesus the Christ on my iPod while driving to and from work. It makes my short commute pleasant as I use the time well.

Jeffrey is no longer satisfied sitting in the cart while we shop at Target for food. He insists on pushing the cart while Tricia insists that I stay next to him to keep him from turning the cart into a rocket and blasting off into the salad dressings. When Tricia picks and item off of the shelf he is quick to grab it from her and then throw it into the basket of the cart. On our way out we spend .99 on a bag of popcorn, which is his treat for being good.

Tricia is hard at work getting ready for the Oreachtis. There are only a few days left to get costumes sewn together, steps practiced and final plans made. I am glad to be here while she is a part of this very important event.

Things to consider...

Life has given us a lot to deal with in the last few months. Our move to Colorado has been as eventful in six months as our time in Germany all together! We have had lots of opportunities to reflect on our relationship as a family and learned to enjoy every minute (even the ones that make us CRAZY!) I have learned that I am not Wonder Woman (though I did want to be her for Halloween!) and that I have no desire to, I need help and I am blessed enough with family and close friends who make sure I have that help. I've got a way to go before I'll be sporting wrist bands and a cape but I'll get there. We have been humbled at the things we've been through and been a witness to, and it will be a long time before I take life for granted anymore. I have learned that lesson. I have also learned to stand up for my family and myself and the things that we believe in and the things we are doing.

On that note, there is a really good possibility that Cory will be deploying again before the year is out. Possibly even before Christmas, which we are fine with. Cory is a Staff Sergeant in the Army, in this current world deployments for him are inevitable. His purple heart wasn't a get out of deployment free card. We've come to accept this and we're doing the best we can with the idea. What is hard for me is when I hear people say, "Oh, not again" or "That's not fair, he should be able to stay back". Cory's been deployed ONCE (now once and a quarter) which among his peers is really unusual. His unit and his squad have all been working 18+ hour days the entire time he's been in Texas and now Colorado. He is ready to go back and finish the mission.

His arm is recovered, except for the scars you wouldn't know anything had happened to him. The only reason he was sent back to the states was because of the surgery to repair his artery. They needed to make sure with an ultrasound that it was an effective surgery. He had and has no pain, lost no mobility, and very little strength. His body is fully recovered from the incident.

So if we tell you that Cory's going back, please just take into account that it's something that none of us can control by complaining about it and that we just don't need the negativity. We love you all and would very much love to have support from everyone!

WALLE

I sat down and watched part of Jeffrey’s favorite movie, WALLE, with him. He loves to repeat what characters are saying, and acting out small scenes along with the movie. When WALLE went out into space with a fire extinguisher Jeffrey flew his hand around the room. When a countdown for a rocket ship was initiated he counted from ten to one with it. Of course he sang along with the Hello Dolly music whenever it was a part of the scene. The only thing he did not do was bounce on the couch in suit of the Pixar lamp at the beginning as Tricia has informed me he often does.

A few nights ago while Tricia and I were relaxing on our bed Jeffrey came in and began acting out a scene from a Mickey Mouse Club episode. He had in his hand a square shaped mirror and he looked away from Tricia and me out into a pretend audience. He asked his audience “Is square?” Then he paused for a moment to give the audience a chance to think and respond. “Is square!” he shouted suddenly and waved the mirror to his audience with exuberance.

Jeffrey is a dedicated Little Einstein’s and Mickey Mouse Club fan. He reacts to many of their inquiries and plays along with their games.

Back Home In Colorado

I was able to catch one of the first flights of the day from San Antonio, TX headed toward Colorado Springs, CO. I stepped out of the secure area just as Tricia and Jeffrey arrived to pick me up. This time Jeffrey greeted me with a hand full of American flags on short plastic staffs. He happily exchanged them for my carry on suit case which he pulled all the way back to the car.

I brought a match box die cast steel air plane as a gift. He loved all $2 of it all the way home making sound effects and flying it through the open air of the back seat of the car.

We drove to Loveland, CO for Tricia to attend the Irish dance feis. I spent most of my time outside with Jeffrey watching him play and retrieving him when he wandered too far. At one time he found a brother and sister to play toss the ball with him. I could see that Jeffrey found it hard to realize that if he would give the ball up by tossing it to another he would soon receive it back and have the pleasure of throwing and catching to go along. He would toss and catch several times, but then lose faith in the return of the ball and run away with it. Jeffrey is very much in the stage of thinking that anything he can put his hands on becomes his personal possession to call mine and protect with righteous anger from anyone who would take away.

Notre Dame VS Washington

I have never been to a football game, so I jumped on the chance to see the famous Notre Dame play Washington at the Alamo Dome. Our seats were decently close, 30 rows back, but I was not satisfied to sit in my chair. I was up walking around with my camera half of the game.



The people that you see at sporting events are half the reason for going. They way that some people get into sports you would think that they were on the team.



As I was walking around looking for a great shot a beam of orange light suddenly struck this man as I was walking by. After I took the photo I looked around to see who had turned on a spot light in the ceiling and find out where it was located. After a few seconds of searching I discovered that across the Alamo Dome a door to the outside had been briefly opened and it let in the last golden rays of the sun which lit this man up like a tightly focused spotlight. If you go to the light, the photo will present itself.




This man was also hit with a beam of last sun light, again just as I was walking by. Light. It happens. It is hard to capture the act of a person watching something and make it into an action shot itself. Had this man just been watching the game we would all wonder what he was looking at outside of the frame. By raising the binoculars to his eyes this man becomes the doer of the action and not simply the observer of it. He was in a perfect position high above the tier of people below him allowing my fast glass lens to turn them into a blur of bocha. That creates a strong separation between my subject and background and leaves not guesses as to which person in the crowd of Notre Dame fans I want you to see. Luckily, no one was sitting behind this man so I was able to get off many shots without disturbing him or anyone else.




I thought about purchasing a small Notre Dame jersey for Jeffrey, but as you can see this vendor sold out quickly. I took this shot on the way into the game nearly half an hour before the game actually began. I shot this quickly as I walked by. I have learned to keep the lens cap (aka never ready cap) off. Even when I put the camera back in its bag, unless I remove the lens from the camera body, I leave the cap off. I could have to pull it out quickly next time and be ready to shoot on the fly.



I rode to the football game with CW5 Burnside in his van. After the game the streets were so crowded with cars leaving the game that we decided to take an hour to visit the famous San Antonio River Walk. This was a pretty wise move considering that we asked one car of people exiting the parking just before they pulled onto the street how long it had taken them. As soon as we heard the response of 45 minutes we turned around and gladly went for a night walk.




Halloween is a fun time to be on the River Walk. We saw police officers, robbers, wrestlers, monsters, mummies, devils, ninjas, Spartans, nurses, sailors, Dracula, Darth Vader, and a zombie horde.

Other San Antonians dressed up in costumes for Halloween.




We did leave the river walk long enough to visit the Alamo. This is like Mecca for Texans.

In all it was a fun night, but I did miss out on taking Jeffrey trick or treating door to door in the neighborhood.