The Harnation

So, I've noticed that the blog postings have dwindled to the single-digits over the last few months... have you?  I could chalk this up to school, but that's probably not all of it.  I just haven't had the time or interest to keep up with my former posting frequency.  I sometimes think that there's not a whole lot to post about - we're pretty boring as far as married people go, but there are still a couple of things going on in our lives.

We've really enjoyed fostering for Weimaraner Rescue of the South.  Cypress was adopted last weekend.  We went back and forth about 100 times over whether to keep her for ourselves.  I still can't believe we let her go; I hope I don't regret that decision.  She went to a really good home where she will get endless amounts of one-on-one attention and no snotty foster brothers (Ace) who growl every time she comes near.  I feel really good about helping out these dogs and have really come to love the breed.  Weims and dachshunds - what a weird combination of dogs to love!  Anyway, I'd like to get another foster, but with some upcoming track time for Matt and a big trip this spring, I'm not sure that now would be the best time to get the next foster dog.

I am really struggling with time management.  Things at work have been slow lately, and it's starting to get to me.  On the other hand, at home, I'm unable to get everything done that I want.  I want to devote an hour or two every week towards working on a drawing of Matt and his brother that I started two months ago and I also need to find time to regularly sit still and complete more Rosetta Stone Japanese lessons (in preparation for that big trip we're taking this spring).  Plus, I want/need more practice with my new camera.

We're starting some home projects and will hopefully have the first one wrapped up in the next several weeks so that I can actually post photos.  I decided to stop thinking about what we'd like to have in our next house and spend a little time concentrating on how to make the one we're already blessed with more fun for us.  So far on the list are smooth ceilings in a few of the rooms, some crown moulding additions, and tile backspashes and floors in the kitchen.  Matt is very handy in the garage, and I can plant a mean perennial, but larger-scale interior home improvement tasks are a little new to us.  Scraping popcorn ceilings was a mess, but I'm hopeful that it will all come out beautifully in the end!  Those are my goals for this year, so we'll see how it goes.

Matt's been spending a lot of time in the garage, transforming the old white e30 into a beast of a track car.  He's got the roll cage in (thank God!) and fully padded, a new paint scheme, stickers, and all sorts of mechanical revisions that I can't begin to understand enough to list here.  He's really excited about all of the track time he's going to get this year.  After the wreck in December '08, he didn't get much car time last year.  He's already signed up for several weekends this year and will be working towards eventually getting a competition license (to race, which he'll do as a hobby, not professionally).

Our church's yearly missions conference is coming up soon, and I don't have to do a single thing for it!  That's right, I've been on self-imposed sabbatical since the fall and it has been great!  I'm not saying that I don't cherish serving on the missions committee (I really do), but I needed a break from something, and this was the first to go.  I'm really looking forward to attending the conference, seeing all of our missionaries, and just being able to enjoy the weekend without any responsibility attached to it. 

The weather warmed up for a spring preview last weekend and I was able to get out and enjoy the sunshine for the first time in months!  It was absolutely wonderful.  Now I'm getting excited for spring and dreaming of a green yard and lots of colorful blooms!

So, that's us.  What's new with you??

A few weeks ago, I got my very first SLR.  After pestering all of my coworkers and several camera-toting friends, I settled on this - the Canon XSi.  It has everything I need, and then some.  I wanted a nice camera that would last a long time; something I wouldn't outgrow too quickly, but was easy enough to use for a beginner.  I contemplated the Nikon D5000 and D90 models for a while, but was convinced that a Canon was the way to go since I have a couple of Canon owners in the family who have *very* nice lenses that they're willing to lend. 

So anyway, I got the camera in the mail several weeks ago and after fiddling around with it some the very first night, I was a little worried I'd bought a very expensive paper weight.  I had no idea how to use the thing and the photos I was taking (inside, at night) weren't any better than my little point and shoot. 

Well, after reading some good entry-level photography articles and a quick tutorial from 'lil sis, I feel like I'm starting to figure it out.  My Dad loaned me his 50mm EF f/1.4 lens, which is GREAT for indoor shots.  I got some fun photos of my favorite furry subjects...