Big Brother 12 | My obsession

This is a public apology to all of those who follow me on Twitter and did not unfollow  me during the past few weeks. I may or may not have had a slight addiction to the reality TV show Big Brother. I blame Tommy. And the lack of any adult interaction for long period of time while Tommy was gone. (I may or may not have crawled into a hole for most of the time he was gone – does that help explain the lack of blogging around here? I hope so.) I digress.

Big Brother 12! Basically this TV show takes 13 real (non-famous) people and puts them in a house for 3 months. Each week one person is voted out of the house – and the person who is the last to be in the house wins $500,000. Sort of like Survivor except it is set in a luxury home. (And obviously without the wildlife.) The best part is that the house has video cameras and microphones all over the place so anyone in the world can watch the people in the house at any time of any day.

So, Tommy got into season 11 last summer and then when he realized he could watch season 12 in his room in Iraq this summer, I promised to follow along. And then I got a little too involved. I spent an obnoxious amount of time following the live Twitter feeds of the people who subscribe to the actual live video feeds of the house. And then I might have subscribed to the live video feeds, too. In the Big Brother world, that makes me a “Superfan.” In the real world, I am pretty sure that means I have no life.

Don’t worry about me, though. Ever since Tommy walked in the front door I haven’t logged into the live feeds once. :) There is hope for me!

Anyway… it’s a really fun show and it is such a great compromise for Tommy and me. I like to follow the drama and social activity of the show and he likes to analyze the overall social experiment and game strategy of the players. If you have never watched it and you are looking for a great time waster for a long flight or a vacation, I would definitely recommend Season 6 or 11 on DVD.

So! I am sorry for being an obnoxious #bb12 tweeter. I am all done now, I promise. :)

Where do you blog? | Online Party! :)

This is my desk:

This is where I write blog entries, edit images, and email my clients. It's where most business is conducted outside of the actual taking of pictures and meeting with clients in person.

While Tommy was away I spent a lot of time reorganizing and purging things in the house - especially here in the office. So the desk you are seeing is clear and free from as many distractions as possible. While this is a new thing for me, I am proud to say that I have managed to keep the desk in this condition for the past month or so. Overall, it has been super rewarding. I am a lot more productive in here - even Tommy noticed a difference in my stress level (it's low) and productivity level (it's higher) since he has been home.

I love my new work space!

Where do you blog? Join us over at Centsational Girl's blog and post your work space!

My Dada | Personal

A marriage of 61 years ended this morning at approximately 4am central time.

My paternal grandfather, Dada, passed away in his sleep today. My dad was with him in his hospital room for his last breath.

My Dada was a genealogist, a coin collector, and extremely technologically advanced for his age. He was a fan of the original coke, a fantastic businessman, and a grumpy old guy who grew sweeter by the day (if that makes any sense). He collected baseball cards and supported my grandmother's love of all things crafty. He lived in the same house for the last forty years of his life making him "that man" who refused to move while the rest of the town was developing around him. You think I'm kidding? Check it out. Businesses in yellow, Baba & Dada's house in red. I am so proud of them. :)

If there is anything I find romantic about generations before us (okay, honestly I find a lot of things romantic about the generations before us) it is the lasting marriages. It's not a secret that my Baba (Barbara) and Dada (Myron) didn't have the easiest of marriages. But they had the longest in our family so far. And I admire them so much for that. I look up to them both so much.

Dada was a great man and will be so missed. I am so sad that he has passed but I hope that he is in a better place.

Tommy and I will be heading out Tuesday morning to see everyone in Florida and to celebrate Dada's life. I'll be out of the office from Tuesday through the rest of next week. I'll check in soon!

He's home!! | A happy Lynchburg Photographer

Ahhhh... it is SO GREAT to finally have Tommy home again!! Just to have him near me has lifted my spirit a ton. (Whew, being alone is NO fun. Being alone while also being concerned about your husband's safety. Even less fun.) We are enjoying our time together and I'm trying to adjust to having a bit of a messy house again. Juuust kidding... ;) (Okay, I'm halfway serious... haha.) Today we are heading out to get him a haircut and some new clothes for a job interview on Monday! (If you would, please cross your fingers for us... this is the only one he applied for here in Lynchburg.) It's so great just to do normal things again with my amazing partner in life! BIG big thanks to my amazing sister who drove 2.5hrs to capture this whole process (prep and reunion) for us, and Sam Stroud of SSP for volunteering to also capture this awesome moment in our lives. The reunion actually happened at about 9:15pm and both of these photographers have a spouse and children at home. We are so grateful that they took time away from their families just to capture this moment. They are both awesome people that we are so grateful to have in our lives!

Okay I am going to wrap up a few things here and then take off for the day! Happy Friday, friends! The photos below are courtesy of the awesome Sam!

Happy Birthday to my favorite soldier

• Because you take care of me when I am sick.
• Because your face lights up when you see joy in mine.
• Because you love my family.
• Because you let me watch my Tivo'd shows anytime I want.
• Because you cook dinner sometimes, too.
• Because you write me real letters.
• Because your eyes sparkle when you smile.
• Because you let me decorate our home the way I want to.
• Because you encourage me to be healthier.
• Because you work hard.
• Because you buy me flowers on your birthday.
• Because you are patient when I am forgetful. Over and over and over again.
• Because you can't wait to be a dad.
• Because you let me buy the expensive pots and pans and then you admitted they were worth it.
• Because you are humble.
• Because you are not afraid to apologize.
• Because you are committed to us for the long haul.
• Because you are a hero to many people.
• Because I am so proud of you.

I love you, Tommy.

Happy, happy birthday to you...

I'm ready to celebrate with you as soon as you walk in that door. :)