Sunday Smile

Seeing that this is a family blog, I want to make sure to keep up with our newest edition and how fast he is growing!  He is almost 6 months! (does this mean puppy stage ending soon?)  In case you wondered, Nelson is a wire haired dachshund.  He is starting to look more and more like one each day with the little legs. When you brush his hair and smooth the curls, you can really see the dachshund in him (only with a beard).  I am kind of hoping he won't loose these little curls. If you look really close, he has one big strand of solid black right by his eye, he is marked so uniquely!

Eric's work camera was giving him some problems, so he wanted to test a few things outside in a rare second of sunlight and no rain! He captured this adorable pic of Nelson.  Eric rocks at taking these types of photo's!

In another strange Ronda moment, I could never figure out what I loved so much about Nelson's little face. Other than the obvious cuteness, there was just something about him.  I finally realized after seeing this photo that Nelson's eyes remind me of my Grandpa Walker. I know that is strange, but maybe its the beard with the eyes, I don't know, I just smile cause I think about him when I look at Nelson. (he may or may not appreciate that, lol)  I AM WIERD!

Friday News

Nelson made the news!
http://www.stripes.com/military-life/travel/commune-with-birds-and-animals-at-german-nature-reserve-1.268652#  Check out Eric's pictures and you will see him!  My foot made the paper (lol), what a great shoe shot!

Eric made the paper front page last week, awesome!

Congrats to Nicky, he made the Quarter Honor Roll!! Congrats to Zachary for an excellent score on his SAT's! Congrats to Avery for being a good student! (her school doesn't do honor rolls because they have way to many kids)

I can't believe in two weeks I will be 41.

I CAN  believe that in 2 weeks I will be out of German 1.  It can not come soon enough! #German is hard

The week of my birthday, the boys don't have school for two days! Avery gets to "skip" a day.  We bought some ICE tickets and we are headed to Paris for the day on the fast train!

Georgia is on my mind. We are flying home for a visit soon, just.can't.wait.  We all love coming back to our house.  Nelson gets to visit a doggie hotel while we are gone. Little worried on that one about separation anxiety. Cats= house to ourselves! Meow!

++Prayers every day for the Mayer family++

So far, Avery and I have taught Nelson the commands SIT, LAY DOWN, COME. We are working on STAY.  He is so smart, it really is amazing how quick dogs pick up on things.  He is pretty much house trained, as long as we keep him on a schedule. THIS is awesome!

Nelson is attached to Eric, seriously licking his ear attached. Funny because Eric actually has very little patience with dogs. He is trying with Nelson and loves when he sees some growth in his puppy ways. I konw he has reached his max when he claps his hands loudly and yells ZIP IT! #puppy learns howling (human ears can only take so much)

I totally get it, and secretly thank him for clapping so loud. Puppy books say startle to stop, and it works!

Nicky is busting it out in Tae Kwon Do, trying to make his yellow belt!  Avery was also hoping to make her yellow belt, but now is transitioning to Soccer and will hit Tae Kwon Do back up again in the fall. Tonight is her last practice.  Master Seo speaks no English, so the kids are never quite sure when he will test them, they are hoping for tonight!  Zachary starts track in two weeks, he joined the Enviromental Club and is setting up college visits for the time frame we are home.

Avery sold so many boxes of Girl Scout Cookies, thank you to everyone who supported her!

What's been going on.....

A quick photo drop of some things that have been going on in our life since we last posted.....

Eric got Avery and I white roses, our favorite.
 I have never been a fan of red roses, but white, oh so pretty and pure!

Avery and I made these adorable Valentines for her class. Each one had a marshmallow, 2 chocolates and graham crackers. I found the printable on pinterest, but can't remember what site it was.

Large chocolate chip cookie for 5th grade class, ummm, yumm!

Nelson, in his winter jacket.  He is starting to look more like a dotsie and less like a puppy!
(Please don't mind the font, I didn't have time to fix it on the picture!)

A quick ride in our neighborhood (see the German stairwell housing behind)

I just love this picture of Avery for some reason! Potato soup and carrot cake, that was her birthday dinner choice!  

Eric taking pics for his next Quick Trips story

We were behind this car, and LOOK!  It's ERB!

Graphic Design Class

This post is about just me, which feels weird!  I will actually be done with my BA this year. It has taken me 7 years (since we moved to GA in 2006) to complete it. I took about 4 years off and I did classes here and there, but first and foremost being a Mom and Wife always have meant more to me.  I still have dreams of finishing Le Cordon Bleu and I will someday, but until that door opens for me, I will continue to work towards bettering myself and for me, that is completing this degree.

My Major is Graphic Design.  In the bigger scheme of things....everything that I enjoy, cakes, cooking , decorating and baking all comes together in a big melting pot because I just like to create.  I can't do cakes here because of the German laws in our state we live in, so I might as well keep using my brain to figure new stuff out. Along with this class, I am taking German and Adv Bus Writing.

So some wondered what this class is about and what I am doing in it.  Here is my first assignment. This is not a picture you would put in your house. This was an exercise in creating what is called a Matte Painting. Basically, taking more than one photo, and creating a picture that looks as if they all belong together. We do this by using the Photoshop brushes and textures. It really was about everyone learning how to move around in Photoshop.

Luckily for me, Eric showed me the basics along time ago, but this was a fun assignment that ended with an A.  I took two photos (as labeled below) two stock photos from the Internet and combined them to be the end picture. Enjoy!

Stock Photo

Photo I took while visiting Lake Konstanz on the Germany/Switzerland border.

Another stock photo

This was Westminster Catholic Church in London, love this picture because the kids are sitting on the left hand stairs and the old car is pretty neat looking.