July Update - Pic Overload!

Yes, I'm aware I've been a horrible  blogger.  I'm sorry.  We have been pretty busy at the Bahn house.  If you check my photography blog, you will understand why this one hasn't received quite as much love lately.  I've been CRAZY busy with photo sessions this month.  It is awesome and I'm loving every second of it, and really feel like I'm improving.  I've even done quite a few seniors, have a few more booked, and have my second engagement session this weekend.  It sure is fun.  Other than that, not too much is new with me.  If I haven't already posted, I got my job back at Chaska for next year.  I was pink slipped in May, with all non-tenured elementary teachers, but found out in June shortly after school got out that there were two openings added back at my building.  I had to reapply and interview, and was one of the lucky ones who got hired back.  Whew!  :)  

As for the rest of the fam, Cullen is pretty busy also with his driving school.  He is in the midst of his second session and has had about 35 kids or so this summer, which is kind of just where he was hoping to be starting out.  He has also been busy with baseball, but with the driving school and pictures for me, he has missed more games this summer than usual.  He also got a new bike and trailer for Avery for Father's Day.  He had a really nice one in college that got stolen, and he finally got a new one. Avery LOVES it!

Avery is 20 months old already..4 more months until she turns 2.  Wow.  She is so busy.  We started swimming lessons this week, which she really likes, but didn't love the going under part today, so we may skip that one next time.  She did blow bubbles though, so we're making progress.  She is also talking a lot more, and repeating, which means we have to be a little more careful with what we say around here!  She goes to daycare 1 day a week, which gives me a good work day for pictures, and she gets to see her "friends" and Lori, and Molly (the dog!).  It seems to be the only dog she doesn't scold regularly!  We had a fun weekend with my family last weekend when we spent the day at Valleyfair and had a picnic.  Avery went on some rides and had lots of fun with Audie (Auden) and all of her cousins.  We also took a trip to Shell Rock to visit the Nieman's and the Garmans.  We went swimming, to Chucky Cheese, and she got to go for a ride on Jackson's gator (she even drove!)  We went up to Chisago for the 4th of July and also watched fireworks over at our friends house and Avery got to play with her friend Orelia!  We also finally went and checked out the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in Chaska.  It's just beautiful.  I can't believe we live this close and have never gone.  Avery enjoyed all the fountains and flowers.  We are headed to the Wisconsin Dells at the end of the month, just the 3 of us and can't wait for a little mini-vacation together.

I guess that explains why it is already July 15 and seems like summer has hardly started.  It will be back to school before we know it!  I hope all of you are enjoying your summers too!!  I really will try to be better about keeping our blog up to date.  (Especially for you Jeff...love you!) :)    Here is picture overload on what we've been up to.  I'm going to tell you right up front that NONE of these are edited.  I want to edit all of my photos now, it's is a bad habit, but I'm biting the bullet and not doing it.  These are also snapshots, so don't judge me.  Go see my photo blog if you want to see good photos!

Getting ready for a bike ride!

Really excited!

A few from the picnic - didn't bring the camera in to Valleyfair

Patience and Kade...so cute!  I don't get to take enough pics of them since they are in Iowa.  Maybe they should consider themselves lucky?!

The girls minus Ans..not sure where she was here!

A few from the Arboretum ( I was practicing full sun pics here..I suck and need a reflector - hence the brightness!)

Avery's new excited face!

This one is funny because it shows how she is growing.  Thank goodness it is summer.  We put jeans on her, and they are way too short, but the next size is way too big around her waist. She is growing up, and the out part has slowed a bit, so....she has floods for jeans for now!

Riding the gator with Jaxon - He is showing her how to drive

Avery Driving - 9 and 3..does her dad teach Driver's Ed or something?!

Working hard on coloring at Uncle Jeff's

Jeff and LoLo at the beach with Avery

She loved the sand

Cullen got her a tube and she loved riding the waves up and down in the ocean.  This is the one pic I got and my mom's camera died.  I didn't bring mine down to the beach.

A Few From Florida :)

We just got back from our trip to Florida to visit Uncle Jeff and Lauren..we had SO much fun!  Here are just a few pictures from our trip.  We started out trip in Tallahassee at Jeff's place.  We hung out, ate way too much, watched movies, and went swimming.  It was so much fun to see him! We also took a trip to the beach for the weekend to Saint George Island, which was GORGEOUS!!  Avery loved playing in the ocean and on the beach.  I have lots of great pictures from the pool and the ocean of our little fish in the water, but they are on my mom's camera, so I'll get those later.  I wanted to get a few pics up right away, or I know it would be too long, so here are a few!

In the airport before Avery's first plane ride.  She loved riding in the airplane and did a really great job.  She yelled Wheee every time the plane would start to descend before we were going to land.  Pretty funny!

Playing at the park..she thought the moss hanging from teh tree was really funny

Jeff and Lauren..they let me take some pictures of them to practice pics of couples..I had fun..don't know if they did..but here is a cute picture of them :)

Avery's cheese face

Nana and Avery at the beach

She LOVED LOVED the waves and the ocean.  This was one evening after dinner we went back out the beach and we couldn't keep the girl out of the water!

Love her face here!

Splish-Splash

cutie pie

I just wanted one family picture..but not so easy with the little one...this was about the best I got.  It was too late and Averyw as too tired.  Thanks to Uncle Jeff for helping!

Playing in the sand

Heading out to those waves again

Love the next two..happy to mad in about .5 seconds...Happy.....

.....mad... :) Love the folded arms too! I think this one may come back to haunt her!

bustin a move in our beach house we got to stay in

1 pic of the main floor of the beach house..more pics to come later

view of our place from the beach

more pics to come soon

Thanks so much Jeff and Lo-Lo (this was what Avery called her)  We had so much fun and it was so good to see you.  We miss you already!! :(

Happy Father's Day!

Avery made Cullen a special project for Father's Day this year.  After 3 years of teaching, he finally gets his very own classroom this next year, so we made him a special frame for his desk. She got to finger paint him a very special painting.  She loved it, as you can see.  I should've taken a picture of the final product..it turned out really cute.  It was  a double 5x7 frame with a picture of her painting on one side, and the painting on the other..super cute!

figuring out it can go on other places besides the paper

hard at work on her masterpiece

all done..our little smurf!

So pretty!

I'm pretty excited!   I've been wanting to try out these very cool gallery wraps and haven't had a picture yet to try out.  I of course want to try one of Avery, as they are pretty spend, but they are AWESOME!  I got this one tonight.  I can't for the life of me get her to look at me and smile, so I have to take one or the other.  I love her face here.  It is cropped out a bit, because the edges of the photo will wrap.  It's pretty cool.  I'll post a pic when I get it.  It will be a 16x20, so pretty large, but it is more like a piece of art.  We have the perfect place for it and I can't wait!  Here is the photo of my pretty little lou-who (Yes, that has somehow totally become her nickname..Avery Lou-Who, or Lou-Who, or now even just Lou. It just fits for some reason! Poor girl is going to be confused what her name really is!) I should also note it will not have my logo on it.  

Daddy's Little Helper

So on my way to take pictures on Sunday..wouldn't you know I'm driving down the interstate and thought to myself...Wow. this is a bumpy road.  I was right to my exit and thought, sheesh, this exit ramp is pretty bumpy too.  Being the bright one that I am, I decided maybe it was more than a coincidence that both roads were so bumpy..so I pulled over.  Needless to say I had a flat tire.  My first one ever.  My dad and Cullen both came to the rescue, since I have no idea how to change a tire.  (Cullen has decided I must have a lesson in this, being the driver's ed. teacher he is.) So Avery was a good helper putting the new tire on when we all got home later that afternoon.  Here are a couple snapshots of her helping.  This has also reminded me that I need to buy a new point and shoot camera for moments like these when I don't want to run in and bring out the big guns.  Such a cute little helper she is.  

Helping daddy..with her golf club in hand :)

Taking a break to watch the sprinklers

Trying to move the spare tire for daddy

Hmm..maybe a little too heavy...need another plan...hence the angry face:)

Cullen Senior Pictures Take 2 :)

So I have about 6 seniors lined up for pics this summer, as practice for me.  This is an area I hope to venture into in the future with my photography.  I ordered a new backdrop and needed to try it out before my first session tomorrow, so when Cullen got home from golfing today, he was SO excited to see it all set up in the garage for me to test it out! :)  Here are a couple. I told him I would only post a few.  They are too cute.  He's kind of big for a senior :)  I love it!  The one of him and Avery is my new favorite picture!!!!!  My two favorite people ever..and I love Avery's cheese face!

Yes, I've Been Neglecting The Blog

Okay, I know I've been neglecting the blog.  Things have been crazy busy around our house, and I've so been meaning to update with pics, but this has fallen lower on the priority list these deays.  So tonight I sat down to do it and have tried to upload pics twice and have gotten errors.  I have a pretty big headache so I'm off to bed, but I promise I will put this on the top of my list for tomorrow.  So Jeff...you will have new pics soon, I promise :)  But for now, I must go to bed and try to make this headache go away.  Check back tomorrow afternoon for an update..I promise.