Diary of a Saturday

   
          View of autumn from our new deck.

          Duncan playing alone (which he does so well).  He actually made fake blood with those berries and
          came inside pretending to have cut himself.

          Off to my parents to watch the boys build a new fence for the orchard.

          My favorite brother.

          Seany hard at work.

          Break time.

           Us.

          Tia had a porcupine quill in her tongue that we tried repeatedly to remove.  Suffice to say, she was not
          crazy about our attempts.  In the end we all held her down and Natalie pulled out the quill.    

          Butchie digging the holes for the fence posts.

          Pears in the orchard.  Now safe from deer.

          My father lovingt his new fence.

   
          Duncan in motion.  Love this.

          Cooper and Duncan at my mom's kitchen counter.  It's blury. I don't mind.  This is a famous spot in
          my mother's kitchen.  I have sat there hundreds of times...nice to now see my children sit there.

     

          My mother's hands.  Strawberries and apples from the garden.

          After a long day, curled up in front of the bonfire.

          Light.

          Butchie and Mathew hosing down the fire.

I am blessed

because I have a niece who not only loves the camera as much as I do...but she takes beautiful photographs in the process. I finally got around to downloading my photos from the holidays and was overwhelmed when I came across these lovely pictures. She was at my house watching the boys a few days before Christmas - I love that she just picks up my camera and snaps away.

Love love love this one of the stockings and the tree. Awesome Kate.

But this one is particularly special. And this is the other reason I love my niece's photographs. She takes pictures of life happening. Of moments. She captures a feeling.

This is a photo of Duncan creating a book for me. On this particular day, Duncan got a little sad and missed me...so he called me and we talked for a bit and I suggested that maybe a nice way for him to express his feelings would be to make me a book. (1. I know he loves anything having to do with art/creating and 2. I figured it would be a nice way for him to convert a little sadness into happiness). My niece told me he got off the phone, went up to his room and came down with his arsenal of tools needed to create his book. Katie told me of how he diligently worked and colored on his masterpiece...he even made his own wrapping paper, wrapped the book and it was waiting under the tree for me when I got home.

Needless to say...the book was...well...perfect. Duncan's Luv Book. And not only did it help to make Duncan's day a lot brighter, but can you even imagine how it made me feel? I'll admit it...I cried (don't EVEN say you wouldn't have too).

Here is the page that Duncan was creating in the photo above...

The book itself is obviously a keepsake...but having the photograph of him creating the book and the story that goes along with it is an overwhelming added treasure. I love that someday I will be able to pull out this book and share it's story with Duncan. It's a simple story of a couple hours that took place on December 23rd, 2010. But it's also a huge story of an amazing event that occurred on December 23rd, 2010. Simple and amazing. Life.

*Thank you Baby Kate for the lovely gifts that I so often find on my camera. Thank you for your vision. Thank you for documenting. I love you to pieces sweetie.

Pittsburgh

Thank you, thank you, thank you Grammy K and Pop Pop.

Thank you for the weekend.

Thank you for the memories.

Thank you for the baseball.

Thank you for the zoo.

Thank you for the Uno.

Thank you for the hotel.

Thank you for the Kettle Corn.

Thank you for the Cotton Candy.

Thank you for the Lollipops.

Thank you for the Sting Rays.

Thank you for the Bumper Cars.

Thank you for the Race Cars.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you for your love.

Thank you for driving...the VW, the bumper car, the race car.

Thank you for coming in first place.

Thank you for the moments, that will become the memories, that will shape our lives.

Boootchie

Ten things you might not know: 1.) This is my brother, Ira Nathan aka Butchie 2.) He turned 36 yesterday 3.) He is single...(and looking :-)) 4.) Cooper thinks he WALKS ON WATER 5.) He thinks Coop (and Dunc) are pretty darn cool too 6.) He builds kick ass stone walls 7.) He loves to talk (it's an Adelson trait) 8.) He made the bracelet I wear everyday 9.) If you are lucky enough to be his friend/family he will do almost anything for you 10.) He is an awesome advertisement for our father...is that a killer smile or what?! Happy birthday dear brother...I love you.

Quick catch up - 4

So I think I mentioned Star Wars. Star Wars Legos. HUGE hit. (Thank you Uncle Richard). Every single set was put together by the 27th. I loved loved loved watching him put everything together. He was so organized and followed the directions page by page...so very Virgo...strange I would find that so appealing I know.

Uncle Butchie came to help...

Hard to tell who had more fun.

Quick catch up - 1

Okay here is the 30 second recap... Chanukah...thanks to my sister and the boys we remembered I think 5 of the 8 days...not bad for 2nd Jews once removed. Cooper's teacher told him that people who celebrated Chanukah did not have Christmas Trees...CLEARLY she has never been to the Adelson's/Larson's/Engel's house around the holidays. Candy dreidels we had at our CHRISTMAS dinner. John got a little carried away with the Hebrew letters...1 o'clock is Santa I believe and 7 o'clock is Sponge Bob.

The cousins...just as cute as ever.

Ah and the FOOD...the glorious food...the food that just kept coming and coming and coming...ALL month long. Isn't family the BEST? Duncan and his Aunt Carla.

Where have we been?

We've been eating cake! Happy birthday to my lovely sister Jess:)

Yesterday & Today

I recently embarked on something new and exciting. I am taking an online scrap booking class titled Yesterday & Today. I have never before taken a scrapbook class of any kind (online or otherwise). I steer away from most of these classes because they seem to focus on a bunch of stickers and glitter which is just not me. What I love to do is take photographs...I know, surprising...and I love to tell stories...again, I know you're stunned. Well this class focuses on just that...taking your photographs, old and new and telling your stories. As part of this class and the process of getting ready for the class I have had to collect a bunch of photographs from my childhood and before. I am so incredibly lucky to have a father who enjoys the camera and loved documenting our lives growing up. Almost all of the stuff from the 70's and early 8o's is in the form of slides though; which has meant that over the past few weeks (and over a few bottles of wine) my family has traveled down memory lane and watched NUMEROUS slide shows. So far I have pulled 377 slides to have converted into digital format. Along with documenting my life and my childhood I plan to document the lives of my parents, grandparents and great grandparents - at least as much as I can. So...the journey began to collect even more photos...even older photos...memorabilia...stories. I have really enjoyed this process and loved some of the stuff I've come across. This is my grandmother (on my mother's side) when she was young...

and this is her at her baby shower when she was pregnant with my mom.

And this I just LOVE. This is a letter to my grandmother from her brother, congratulating her on the birth of my mother.

And the bill for my mother's delivery... So loving uncovering and learning the history of my life....

4th annual

Pop Pop diligently chalking the field...and do you notice the mow lines too?

Totally authentic field we play on each year. What am I going to do when next year, he will have officially out grown the last of the 8 Gymboree baseball shirts I have bought him over the years? Maybe dress like his idol? Otherwise known as Sam (his cousin).

The clothes may have to change...but the Lego phase I believe...is just beginning.

Thank you once again to Grammy K and Pop Pop for hosting the 4th annual 6th Birthday Baseball Party. He had a blast (and so did I).

09/09/09 & 39

What a lovely evening with friends and family.

Thank you all.

Me and my brother and sister.

Coop and Grammy K reviewing Cooper's photos.

A nice one of Tex.

And good old Pop Pop. Love you all. Love 39. Love life.