Posted on February 22, 2010
Saturday night, tired after a long day of remodeling, I was making dinner for the family, when I heard the front door open. Now, in our large family that is not out of the norm… but I still wanted to know who it was entering without as much as knocking. I peeked out and it was my nephew Slava!
Why was I excited to see him? Well, shortly before Slava got married to his young and beautiful wife Yelena last June he joined the National Guard and had to leave a couple of short weeks after their wedding for his training. I have not seen him since. So, yeah! I was excited to see him come back. 
A quick snapshot was in order [of course]. I pulled out my tiny Point and Shoot PowerShot 780IS and got this wonderful image that I know Mom will appreciate for a long time. Slava and her have a very special bond, as do a lot of her other grankids, including our handsome Paul [on the left].
After I managed to get them huddle up and smile for me I was off to finish making my fabulous vegan pizza and then we had a great time catching up on all things new [and not so new] in our lives.
Welcome back, Slava! Can’t wait until you bring your bride to WA from MN 
And thank you for your willingness to serve our country! [BTW, all service wo/men have a special place in my heart. If you are one of them and are looking for a photographer, contact me for a special offer for you only 
.]
Posted on February 17, 2010
Demetrye and I had a wonderful time together, simply getting away to be alone. Took a walk, and then… ended up in Vancouver WA visiting with my niece and her two little girls. They had to stay home because the girls were not feeling well, while the men of the family went to church. Demetrye and I were happy to keep them company for a couple of hours–we love them all to pieces.
Luckily I had my new PowerShot 780IS on me and I grabbed a few shots that I will be sure to treasure for years to come.
My girl, G*, a little under the weather…
K* was not as sick, so she was more up to have fun.
…and fun we did have:
I was so glad G* jumped in to join us Love you, girl!
And no one can have as much fun as uncle Demetrye with the girls
It was a great day. It was a great lovely family to visit with. And the girls will always have a piece of our heart that no one else can take.
Posted on February 15, 2010
I spent the entire Saturday working on remodeling my Mom’s house. At the end of the night, tired I was ready for a long, hot shower. I grabbed my warm bath robe and headed for the restroom. It just happened that my sister stopped by with her lovely little girl. The moment I stepped out of the room, my little niece M* jetted toward me and… grabbed my robe, pulling it out of my hands, before I could even realize what was happening.
Dumbfounded I looked at my sister. After a second it looked like she realized what was happening. She said that M* has a green blanky that she loves at home, and somehow my robe must have made her think that it was it.
My sister Marina tried to approach little M* to see if she can get my robe from her. Look at her face. Doesn’t she look like she is ready to defend what is hers?
Then Marina tried pulling on the “blanky”, and, boy, was she in trouble! M* was not happy at all and she let her know that.
So, I ended up having to go find another robe to take my shower. It took M* about 40 minutes to get over the confusion and to move on to the next best thing. So, if I learned one lesson this weekend it was not to wear clothes that might remind my niece of her favorite blanky, or yet I might be left without.
I love my life and love the fact that I can photographer moments like these to remember forever.
Your Favorite Longview WA Photographer signing off for the night!
Posted on February 12, 2010
Goals?! I love goals. I am goal-setting all the time, but I am also always reevaluating my goals and adjusting them as my life ebbs and flows.
Some of the goals are very personal and profound, while others are very short term, such as: 1. Pay my bills; 2. Make a meal, etc. There are some that I set out just for personal pleasure: 1. Go for a walk, 2. Take a long, hot bath, 3. Take a vacation, 4. Read a Book, etc.
A few days ago an amazing idea dawned on me… No! it was more like it hit me on my head: I want to Travel Around the World for FREE!
How would someone accomplish that? I have heard of many giveaways, prizes, etc., and I am not sure yet how things are going to turn, but I have a new EXCITING goal and I am going to look for ways to accomplish it.
What do I mean by free? Travel, transportation, accommodations, and hopefully food will be included on my wish list.
How am I going to do that? I have no clue! Not yet!
Do you know of someone who did something similar to this? Do you have any GOOD, VALID ideas you want to share? [No rude funnies, please!] My ears are open. So, go ahead, and help your favorite Longview Washington Photographer reach her goal. She will love you for it. [I know it sounds weird that I am talking about myself in the third person, but I just wanted to do that.]
Signed: Yours Truly--Crazy Longview Washington Photographer
Later!
PS: I am also blogging about this on my Nutrition Site in hopes to get responses from different kinds of people. Who is going to give me better advice: Artsy or Health Minded folks? What do you think?
