The Peterson Clan Year Two

For the second year in a row we took pictures of our dear friends the Peterson's!  You've seen them grace the posts of our blog before...they've got two adorable boys who are often the objects of our camera's affection.  Last year the difficult boy was Dainen.  At the ripe ol' age of 2 Dainen did not want to cooperate with the photographers.  This year though Dainen was a dream...saying cheese...smiling really big...guess if you photograph a kid enough you just train 'em.  This year the difficult Peterson boy was our little Caleb.  Caleb was a perfect baby, never cried, barely ever made any sort of fuss.  He's been making up for lost time since he turned 1, and today played the part of "trouble" like an Oscar winner.  Even with squirms and fussing we still got some great pictures and I'd like to share a few with you all...

How cute are they?

The Angel Child (how unusual for our "I need more bacon" boy!

Good giggles

The Pullman Wheat

A little Caleb attitude...

Some playful mom and dad time...

Okay and here's my favorite shot of the day...it was not posed just a random shot Brian took when he told Elise and Jaaron to center themselves in between giggles and poses and this is what came out.  I call it the Super Model shot... (oddly enough I think Elise looks kinda like my mom in this one)

So there's some of our latest work.  We have another couple that we're friends with who take pictures too, so hopefully in the next few weeks we'll take a day and do a photographer swap and we can finally get some pictures of Brian and I up here!

Love you all.  Sorry we're boring but things have been absolutely insane here.  Had a little "I don't want to be a MIT student" melt down this week but things are getting better.  We'll try and keep you all posted whenever we can!

A Week in the Life . . . Hubby

By popular demand . . . here's my 'typical' week, or at least what I'd like to be 'typical'. I mean, this is what my week should be like, but due to projects, church responsibilities and field trips to Portland I haven't had a 'typical' week since the semester began.

And next week doesn't look any better.

Monday: Wake up around 7:30 am by wife's alarm. 'Nudge' wife lightly with foot to wake her up because the alarm doesn't cut it anymore. Repeat every 9 minutes until 8:00 or 8:15 when Kelly gets out of bed 'nudging' (a.k.a. kicking) me as she leaves as if I was the one snoozing the alarm repeatedly. Go back to sleep while wife leaves me alone as she eats, works out, and showers. Finally wake up to glares from wife as she tells me to really get out of bed. Glare back. Get up, shower, dress and eat breakfast of dry cereal drowning in milk (it only gets gross if you don't eat it fast enough). Grab books and drive to Moscow. Finish up weekend's homework in studio until class starts at 2:30 and something is usually due. Finish class at 5:30 and scratch head figuring out what just happened and wondering what 'archiTECTONIC' really means. Continue to work on homework due on Tuesday until work. Work from 9:00 to midnight at the Library. Go home to passed out wife, tell her I love her, try to figure out grunted reply, and go to sleep.

Tuesday: Wake up at 4:45 am. Perform morning alarm ritual (see Monday) until 5:05 when wife runs out of room leaving me to sleep in peace. Wake up at 7:30, shower, dress, eat (only if I didn't actually wake up at 8:30) and drive to Moscow. Go to class from 9:30 to 1:30, eat lunch then work on homework (usually reading for class at 5:00 that should have been finished over the weekend). Go to class at 5:00, discuss philosophy and architectural theory regarding modernity and post-modernity until 8:00. Scratch head and try to figure out what mimesis means as I drive home. Eat whatever I can find for dinner, watch TV and proceed to fall asleep on couch. Wake up and go to bed around 1:00 am when wife drags me in there.

Wednesday: See morning ritual for Monday. Hopefully ride bicycle to Moscow instead of drive, 'shower' again with baby wipes in bathroom of architecture building, dress, work on studio homework until 2:30 when class starts and something is usually due. Finish class at 5:30, scratch head . . . . Ride bicycle home, shower (yes, again) because Kelly tells me I stink and won't get close to me. Spend time putting off homework, watching TV and discussing what to do for dinner. Go to bed.

Thursday: See morning ritual for Tuesday. Go to class from 9:30 to 1:30, eat lunch and . . . oh yeah, I haven't had a normal Thursday . . . work on homework in studio until work at 4:30. Work at the library from 4:30 to 9:00. Go back to studio and work on homework until midnight (Kelly's not home anyway). Go home, fall asleep on couch . . . see Tuesday and console Kelly while she cries.

Friday: Wake up at 8:00 to wife's alarm, repeat alarm ritual until 9:00. Get up realizing wife is 'feeling wild' (a.k.a. dead tired), shower, dress and eat. Hopefully, ride bicycle to Moscow, 'shower' in bathroom, change, work on homework for studio until 2:30 when something is usually due. Studio from 2:30 to 5:30. Forget about scratching head because it's the weekend! Ride home, shower, see wife (remember her? She's the one that keeps kicking me in the morning). Hang out with wife, friends or whatever, the whole time feeling guilty because I should be working on homework. Go to sleep around 11:00 but probably more like 12:30 because I refuse to be old.

Saturday: Wake up at 6:00. Hit snooze button . . . oh how the tables have turned. Jump out of bed at 7:00 because I slept through the alarm or snoozed it saying, 'five more minutes,' and so did Kelly. Throw clothes on, forget about showering and breakfast, tell Kelly goodbye as she sleeps peacefully, and speed off to work. Unlock library door apologizing to Ian, my morning shelver, because I was 5 minutes late. Work at library until 1:30 (a.k.a. do homework, who wants to check out books that early on a Saturday anyway?). Go up to studio and work on homework until I get sick and tired of school, usually around 8:00 or later (Kelly's not home anyway) depending on amount of homework that needs to get done, or can't be put off any longer. Drive home, eat whatever I can scrounge up in the kitchen. Make a dent in the heaps of dishes that have been piling up all week, of which I've used very few. Watch TV, hopefully soccer that TIVO wonderfully records. Fall asleep before halftime, wake up when Kelly gets home and gets mad because the house is a mess and I was just sleeping on the couch. Go to sleep around midnight.

Sunday: ('The boys' only come over about twice a month so this account is what happens the other half of the month.) Wake up to 10:00 am 'nudging', (usual morning alarm rituals apply). Shower, dress, eat if there's time. Go to church until 2:00, come home and take nap with wife. Jump for joy because we are going to Elise's for dinner (she actually cooks) or 'happily' eat the 'adventure' Kelly prepared ('I don't care what it tastes like, it smells like feeesh'). Watch the rest of the soccer game from last night, unless Kelly wants to pay attention to the TV in which case watch something she likes to see. Go to bed.

Lather, rinse, repeat . . .

Like Kelly, this isn't a pity post. We choose to do this. It may seem like a lot, but usually we can handle it. One final note: Kelly's semester is much busier than what she's used to taking on, mine is intentionally less busy than I'm used to . . . the idea is that we still balance the equation out. I think Saturday night illustrates that this probably isn't the case.

A Week in the Life...

...of Kelly Henry. Wife, Daughter, Manager, Apartment Coordinator, Tutor, Student, and Chemistry Teacher Extraordinare!

So my mother wanted me to write down my weekly schedule...to amaze people, to explain my both physical and mental absences from society lately or to shock people....I'm not entirely sure but I figured since I had a few minutes sitting here in the theater late at night I would oblige her. So here it is a week in the life of me...Kelly Henry.

Monday: Wake up at 8:00am. "Nudge" husband lightly with foot to get him out of bed too. Eat a breakfast of dry Rice Crispies ('cause with milk they get too gross). Talk to self and mutter to the workout DVD ladies about doing the DVD. Work out and sweat like a pig. Take a shower to feel like a real human being. Go into bedroom and tell husband to really get out of bed. Get dressed and ready for the day. Go to class from 10am-1pm. Learn about teaching high school science classes and try not to get slapped by people for your opinions. Go home, eat a quick lunch of...who really knows. Go to work at the movie theater at 2:20pm. Work until 7pm. At 7pm, rush to Stephenson complex and tutor chemistry students until 9:00pm. Drag self back to car and drive home. Say hi to imaginary husband as you walk in the door so as to confuse the creepers in the parking lot. Work on homework until 11:30 or midnight. Go to bed. Wake up at 12:45am when husband crawls into bed and grunt some sort of goodnight.
Tuesday: Wake up at 4:45am. Snooze alarm until 5:05am. Run into shower cursing self for using stupid snooze button. Shower. Eat breakfast of dry cereal again. Put on makeup (hopefully the full face not just half but who knows...). Attempt to dry and do hair to be presentable. Get dressed. Grab a lunch, typically peanut butter, banana and honey sandwich and some dry cereal to snack on during school. Get in car and blast the music to keep self awake. Drive to Safeway parking lot. Sit in car and wait for Gage and Tony (the other poor saps heading to student teaching in the lovely Clarkston, WA "the slums of Lewiston...which is saying something"). Get in respective car for the day and drive down to Clarkston. Listen to music and chat with boys about the ridiculous-ness of the MIT program. Still driving, cause it's a freaking long way to Clarkston. Start singing to the music with the boys and giggle inside at how we've all become so close in such a short period of time! 7:20am arrive at CHS and walk through the halls waiting for Mr. Snook. 7:30am, Snook arrives. Ask him if you can help in any way. He tells you no. So you wander the halls feeling both like a student and a teacher (don't ask how). "Teach" (right now that consists of helping students with worksheets and labs...soon it should be more;) ) Physics, Chemistry, Physical Science, Consumer Chemistry ("real life" chemistry, aka. chemistry without the math), LUNCH (FINALLY!!!!), and Chemistry. Gather self together and meet the boys at the car. Leave Clarkston at 2:45pm. Drive and drive and drive, fighting sleep and talking about our days. Arrive in Pullman around 3:30-3:45pm. Then at 5:00pm (*for the next week thank goodness) go attend a Housing BBQ. Feed and serve strangers for two hours and pack up food. Leave BBQ at 6:45pm trying not to think about hamburgers or hot dogs. Drive down to the theater again and pull in. Rush into the manager's office and change quickly into something more work appropriate. Work at the theater again until closing, which happens to be 12:30am to 12:45am for the past few weeks (stinking Brad Pitt movie!). Try and do some homework after all the employees have gone home. Get home around 12:45am and eat a snack while watching TV over the sound of husband snoring on the couch. Drag husband and self to bed around 1:00am.
Wednesday: Wake up at 8:00am. Same as Monday but school until 12:00pm (whoo! one hour less). Get home and take a cat nap. Do homework until 5:00pm then go to the next BBQ. At 7:00pm come home and see husband. Spend time together doing homework, watching TV and fighting over who has to decide what to do for dinner. Go to be around 11:30pm after doing homework and realizing it will never get done.
Thursday: See Tuesday. Then cry.
Friday: No class. Sleep in to 9:00am or 9:30am if feeling wild! Get up and get ready, doing work out video again because that stupid skinny, buff girl keeps taunting you from the cover of the DVD. Clean around the house (as it has been horribly neglected all week). Do errands that have been put off all week. Do some homework. Then at 2:20pm go to the theater again (aka. second home). Work until 7:00pm. Head home to see husband...who is he again? Hang out with friends or hubby and eat dinner and enjoy self for a brief amount of time. Go to be around midnight or earlier cause you're old.
Saturday: Sleep in a little again...oh what sweet luxury! Try to tune out noises of sad husband as he leaves for work at 7:00am...that was you all week! Do work out. Shower and clean more around house. Do much needed homework and any extra errands. Maybe see...what's the word again?...oh...friends! At 5:00pm go to the theater and work until 10:30pm or 12:30am (depending on how generous Stephen is feeling...normally he's pretty generous...love that guy!). Go home and spend time with hubby. Go to sleep around midnight.
Sunday: Wake up around 8:45am and get the house ready for "the boys" to come over. Help out best friend by taking care of her two little boys (3 and 1) until church. Try to get ready with little boys following around and asking to share your cereal (even though they already had there own...I'm totally NOT selfless enough to be a mom yet!). Leave to go to church and be grateful for helpful husband and the fact that these boys, while precious and wonderful, are only a part time deal. Get home from church. Take a nap with hubby. Next, either go to Elises' for dinner...'cause she actually cooks, or eat something from home...depending on if feeling adventurous or not! Do homework. Watch some TV with hubby (tragically some soccer is usually involved). Go to bed.
...Rinse and Repeat!

I hope that that "brief" (cough!) explanation of my week helps you to see why this blog hasn't been updated and why I look a little crazy. This isn't a pity post, don't feel sorry for me. I chose this and therefore cannot complain. I just wanted to update you all on...well me!

Champions

Let me present the 2009 University of Idaho Intramural Men's Rec-Indoor Soccer Champions. They even captured the score in the background. I'll be signing autographs later this week. (Left to Right, Back: Brian, Brooks, Dustin, Dane, Trevor; Front: Harmon, Conrad, Ryan)

The Me Monster

So Brian Regan has this really funny bit (and I totally won't do it justice) but it's about how some people can become or already are "me monsters". Whenever there is a group discussion going on they always have to chime in with something that they themselves did in order to some how "one-up" the other person.
Anyway...long story short is that I've been meaning to blog about this for some time but haven't had the chance to do so and will now do it. However, timing isn't perfect and so now I look like a "me monster". I in no way want to detract from Brian's photography success...I just want to inform everyone of my big news.
So here goes...
drum roll please...

I recently found out that I have been accepted into the Washington State University Masters in Teaching Program!

Wahoooo!

Some of you may respond as many have already with a "well, duh". But in reality this is not the case. What with the recent economic upheaval that has been going on around the country the university has had to make some serious budget cuts (like turning off the heat in Fulmer (and all other buildings but I only care about Fulmer) after noon every day in an effort to save some money. Personally I think not having the lights on at all hours of the night would save some money too and maybe the heat could be left on until say 5pm after labs are done...but what do I know). Anyway, sidetrack finished. Well what with major budget cuts they ended up cutting a large section of the education program targeted specifically at the Masters in Teaching Program making it a much smaller program. So while some of you may have had total confidence in my abilities...I did not. And so when I got in I was both relieved and super excited. So much so that I told everyone I came into contact with that night about it...even relative strangers. So long story short I got in and I'm super excited because this is what I've been busting my butt for for the last few years and its just a huge relief to know that it wasn't all in vain.

So now that I'm done with my "me monster" bit I apologise as always for the relative cyber silence that has been going on on my end...it will probably continue for a few more months (I believe Brandon said it's something like 85 more days). I am not your typical senior and have quite a heavy load for myself this semester and so am backlogged with posts. One day I know I'll make a better contribution. But until then know that I'm thinking of you all, either while I'm working or while I'm freezing my butt off in Fulmer (I'm always here after noon!)

Gallery Update

Tomorrow I'll pick up my photograph from the gallery. No, not a typo, I did say photograph...singular. I got an e-mail today from the University Art Collections Manager asking me if I would be ok having my photograph of the Moon and Venus over the Kibbie Dome on display in the University Provost's office suite in the Administration Building. Apparently, Provost Doug Baker went to the exhibition and chose about 10 projects he wanted to display in his office for the rest of the semester and through the summer. I sat there staring at the e-mail, with a deer caught in the headlights look I'm sure, for about 2 minutes before I replied saying that I was extremely honored and that I was more than happy to oblige the Provost. I hope I didn't come across so giddy in the e-mail as I am here.

Photographs in Gallery

Last week I entered two of my photographs into the College of Art & Architecture's Juried Art Exhibition. I found out on Monday that both of them were accepted into the Gallery. I was pretty amazed that I made it in because when I dropped off the photos there was some pretty good work already turned in, and not just photos. All I did was set up the shot and click the button, some of these are large sculptures, paintings, etc.

This first one is the Ira Keller fountain in downtown Portland. I took it while I was there on an architectural field trip during the fall semester of 07. The longer exposure, half a second, creates the effect with the water but also makes it difficult because any movement will show up blurry in the final photo. The thing that makes me the happiest about this is that I didn't have my tripod with me when I went to Portland so I had to support the camera on the ground, try to frame the shot while laying down, eyeing it through the viewfinder, propping the camera up with little rocks, the shoulder strap, etc. and setting a timer so I wouldn't shake the camera when I released the shutter.


This photo is of Venus and the Moon just last week. I took it on the 29th, the night before the entry deadline for the exhibition. The night before I had seen Venus and the Moon very close in the sky but didn't have my camera or the time to set up and take a photo. I planned to come back the next day and just hoped that they would still be fairly close. They were, but by the time I got outside to take the photo they were too close to the horizon to get a good image from where I was planning on taking it. I walked around campus a bit and took some different pictures but had to scramble to get this one taken before they "set" behind the Kibbie Dome. This time I had my tripod and remote switch for the shutter release so I didn't have to mess around with the ground and rocks. It was a good thing too because one, the angle from that low wouldn't have worked for the photo and two, I probably wouldn't have had enough time to do it. The exposure was for 8 seconds and you can actually see how far the Earth rotated in that short amount of time if you zoom in on Venus. There are also a few stars that are in the image as well that you can see a short streak as the Earth rotated.


Finally, I put these on my Flickr page, so if you want to see a larger size you can check it out. Also, if you happen to be in the area tomorrow (Friday, February 6th) between 4 and 6 you can come to the gallery opening, or stop by anytime next week as they will be up until Friday.

More on McCall

I know most of you already read the Idaho Business Review, but in case you missed it back in December there was an article written about last semester's studio and the McCall project. Check it out.

McCall Design-Build Models

I've been meaning to put this up for a while now but keep putting it off. I took photos of all of the models we built as a studio for the McCall project this last semester. If you want to check them out they are on my Flickr page http://www.flickr.com/photos/henrybriank/. The sets that you should see on the right side of the page will give you a better idea of the progression of the design throughout the semester.