Kyle refused to let me take a picture of him and his friend so I got stuck with a stupid flower from the garden. I will try to remember to ask Jeanine what kind it is and update the posting. 

As much as Maya loves the dog, there is little question that Jeanine is enjoying the puppy more than anyone. This is how I found them when I returned from work. 

Unfortunately, I did not have enough time to dial in the right shutter speed to get a clean shot of her leaping through the air when she decided I had gotten close enough. 

On the way home from work today I drove past this white-tailed deer. I pulled over and walked back for a closer look. 

Of course my very favorite has to be of Maya and our new dog. After a very interesting process of elimination and consensus building, we have settled on the name Nala. For family night, we all watched a DVD about the care and training of puppies. Ten minutes after finishing the video, Maya and Nico had Nala sitting on command. 

This afternoon, after my soccer game (a very disappointing 3-2 loss to the top team in our division) the team gathered for a pitch-in/pool party. Each year when we do this, I take portraits of all the children who come. Here are a few of my favorites. 
 
 
 

Today it rained most of the day and all soccer games were cancelled. There was a nice fog over our field most of the day. Jeanine and I managed to get away for a date night. We did a little shopping (something we rarely do together) and had a nice dinner out. 

Jeanine has been nurturing this rose bush for several months and it continues to produce blooms which brighten our kitchen. 

To say that Maya is in heaven would be an understatement. Nico and Kyle are also very excited. All three asked for photos of the dog to bring to school today. Jeanine is trying to conceal her pleasure in having another baby and all day companion but is fooling no one. Despite my initial reservations about getting a dog, I have to admit that I like this one. If anyone has name suggestions, we would love to hear them. Under consideration at this time are Charlotte (nick-named Charley) and Chloe. 

Meet the newest, as yet to be named, member of our family. Last night Jeanine, Maya, and Nicolai wnet to the adoption center and came back with this little girl. We do not know what kind of dog it is, but we think it will grow up to be medium sized. Her fur is a reddish brown and her tail has a black ring and white tip. 

Maya found this little frog on the deck this morning. I am going to have to do a little research to find out what kind it is. 

It is important, as circumstance ocassionally warrant, to remind myself what an idiot I am. This weekend, in a rush to meet up with some other photographers, I backed my car into the stone wall that borders our driveway. Having forgotten a piece of gear, which I never wound up using, I returned to the house and parked in an unusual place while I retrieved the item. When I went into the house, I was distracted by some miscommunication with one of the kids about how many guests they could have while I was out. Later than ever, I returned to my idling car, jumped in, and drove 15 feet before quickly coming to a stop accompanied by a sound that could have no good outcome. Does anything look strange about the placement of the wheel in the well? Yeah, that is what mechanics like to call suspension damage and you can add that to a bent rim, gouged tire, and paint abrasions resulting in mucho financial damage for the owner, who although uninjured, is clearly brain damaged. Kyle reminded me that my last crash was when I backed my Mercedes into a tree while rushing him to the hospital after he stepped on a bees nest and got stung multiple times. From this I must learn that backing up when my adrenaline levels are high leads to costly consequences. Adding insult to injury, our insurance covers damage to a neighbors stone wall but not ours. The morale of this story. Do not drive into big piles of rocks with a car unless they belong to someone else.  

Nico take a turn at the ring toss. Kyle and Jeanine are still in Amherst at a soccer tournament. 

These girls are best friends and it will be fun watching them grow up together. 

Maya and Sarinaugh behind bars (where they belong) at the Willard Fun Festival. Earlier in the day my soccer team was content to earn a 0-0 tie against a team that had beaten us soundly earlier in the season. I got 80 minutes of playing time and am totally exhausted. 

This evening, after a day of shuttling kids all over the planet I enjoyed some night photography. I joined a group of photographers, led by a friend I met at Ferry Beach, on a tour of Lowell. Here are a few samples (best viewed in dim light). 

After his referee assignment, Nico had diving practice followed by a soccer game. Here he winds up for an awesome score on goal. He volleys the ball into the back of the net before the keeper can even blink. 

Maya was in action today and she held her own against the big dogs helping her team to another win. 

Nicolai officiated his first outdoor soccer match today. I used to shovel snow and rake leaves to earn money as a youth. He blows a whistle and tells everyone what to do. If you argue with him, he can throw you out. I’d say he is off to a far better start than I in the working world. 

My brother sent me this photo to let me know that I was going to be an uncle for the ninth time and we could not be more thrilled. I have placed my order for a neice despite Marie’s instinct that it is a boy. On the home front, we took the first steps to add another member to our family as well. After work, I joined Jeanine and the kids at a local adoption center (for dogs). There was near agreement, but not family consensus so we decided to return next week when 70 new puppies will arrive.