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366 in 52 [2016] ~ Week Forty-Eight

It’s the first day of December people! Holy crap! It’s been a good week. No major issues for the kids at school. I started physical therapy and the doc said keep using the walker for a while. We took the kids out a couple of times and enjoyed the heck out of our last fews days of Thanksgiving vacation. We made approximately 17 different plans for Christmas involving Ohio and none of them make everyone happy so we still aren’t sure what we are going to do. That fall really screwed up so much more than just my knee. I actually did most of my Christmas shopping online on Black Friday and feel in control of this holiday for the first time in my 47 years on this planet. I feel a little bit more optimistic about things in general and that is a very nice feeling, thank you.

Day 330 ~ Try for the Spare, Part 1

Friday, November 25th, 2016

We took the kids out bowling Friday afternoon at Fiesta Lanes. I did not bowl of course. I am trying to get over being embarrassed using my walker in public and just happily sat and cheered for the kids. Anna knocked 9 pins down on her third frame and here she is trying for the spare. (She didn’t get it.)

New Braunfels child family bowling photographer

Nikon D750 | 35mm | f/2 | 1/200 | ISO 1000

Day 330 ~ Try for the Spare, Part 2

Friday, November 25th, 2016

Curtis has been encouraging Dominic to really learn the mechanics of bowling and for the second time ever, Dominic bowled without the bumpers up. That meant a lot of gutter balls and he handled it very well for most of two games. He puts so much pressure on himself to be perfect at everything, it really erodes his self-esteem when he can’t do something the way he wants. I was really proud of him for listening to his dad and applying some simple changes to his approach and release of the ball. Here he is trying for his spare. (He did get it!)

New Braunfels child family bowling photographer

Nikon D750 | 35mm | f/2 | 1/200 | ISO 1000

Day 331 ~ New Tree This Year

Saturday, November 26th, 2016

I have never put up our Christmas tree before Jenny’s birthday (she was born December 6th and I never wanted the two holidays to overlap), but this year she is turning 25 and she hasn’t lived at home in a very long time. Jenny and Chris put up their tree on Friday, so I had Curtis drag down our Christmas stuff from the attic on Saturday. I saved and saved and bought myself a new artificial tree from Balsam Hill last year when it was on clearance after Christmas. It has commercial quality lights that have “ever-on” technology so if one burns out, they stay lit. It will be very pretty once I have it decorated. (Which nearly a week later isn’t close to finished, ha.)

New Braunfels Christmas photographer

Nikon D750 | 35mm | f/2.2 | 1/200 | ISO 1000

Day 332 ~ Hey Got Any Food?

Sunday, November 27th, 2016

The best thing we did this Thanksgiving was go to the Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch. They have a safari-type drive through. It was crazy expensive, but so worth hearing both kids laughing and giggling at the same time. Our first visitor was this impressive elk who wondering if Curtis had anything delicious to eat.

New Braunfels Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch photographer

Nikon D750 | 35mm | f/4 | 1/320 | ISO 200

Day 332 ~ Top of the World Ma!

Sunday, November 27th, 2016

I cracked up when I saw this goat standing up high on a rock in the middle of this field. The sun was shining just perfectly on him, illuminating him from behind. Sorry for the wicked sun flare, I did have a lens hood on, but that’s what you get for shooting directly into the sun! That’s a wildebeest in the foreground.

New Braunfels Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch photographer

Nikon D750 | 35mm | f/5.6 | 1/320 | ISO 320

Day 332 ~ Intense Approach

Sunday, November 27th, 2016

This guy is fierce looking! He was way off on the side of the road and I stopped to get a snapshot. As soon as I stopped, he casually sauntered over. Once we made eye contact, he lowered his head like this and walked right up to my window. Wow.

New Braunfels Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch photographer

Nikon D750 | 35mm | f/4 | 1/400 | ISO 400

Day 332 ~ I’m Friendly, I Promise

Sunday, November 27th, 2016

And there he was! He put his snout right on my hand, sniffed me, then backed up. I barely had time to focus! He was totally friendly.

New Braunfels Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch photographer

Nikon D750 | 35mm | f/4 | 1/400 | ISO 400

Day 332 ~ Here Zebra Zebra Zebra

Sunday, November 27th, 2016

By far the best part of the safari drive through was the zebra area. There are oodles of zebras and they are all very tame. Dominic was behind me and stuck his hand out the window with some feed to lure this one over (can you see his hand in the side mirror?).

New Braunfels Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch photographer

Nikon D750 | 35mm | f/4 | 1/400 | ISO 400

Day 332 ~ Can I Drive?

Sunday, November 27th, 2016

OMG, the best moment of the day was this guy… he was so eager that he stuck his head all the way inside the car (Curtis does have video of this BTW), grabbed my steering wheel in his teeth, turned on my blinker, then turned on my windshield wipers!!!

New Braunfels Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch photographer

Nikon D750 | 35mm | f/4 | 1/400 | ISO 400

Day 332 ~ Say Cheese

Sunday, November 27th, 2016

I swear to God as he walked away after mouthing my entire driver’s cabin, he smiled at me. Yep. Hand to heart.

New Braunfels Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch photographer

Nikon D750 | 35mm | f/4.5 | 1/400 | ISO 400

Day 332 ~ Open Wide

Sunday, November 27th, 2016

Meanwhile on the other side of the car, Curtis made a friend who loved our baby carrots. Shhh, technically we were only supposed to feed them the food they gave us (and not from our hands but by throwing it on the ground) but this zebra loved carrots. I love how Curtis is opening his mouth too just like he was trying to feed a baby.

New Braunfels Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch photographer

Nikon D750 | 35mm | f/4.5 | 1/400 | ISO 400

Day 332 ~ Nervous

Sunday, November 27th, 2016

There were far more zebras on the passenger side of the car but Anna was nervous to hold out her hand to feed one. She didn’t want to pet one either. Curtis gave her a carrot to lure his carrot-loving zebra to the back and Anna conquered her anxiety. She smiled so big!

New Braunfels special needs girl child photographer

Nikon D750 | 35mm | f/5.6 | 1/400 | ISO 400

Day 332 ~ Grabbed the Bag!

Sunday, November 27th, 2016

Dominic was getting a little frustrated with the lack of zebras on our side, so we had Anna trade places with him. No sooner had he sat down than a zebra poked his head inside the car and took the food bag right out of Dominic’s hand! The zebra gnawed some paper off the end and spat it back in Dominic’s lap. OMG, he was DYING!

New Braunfels child boy photographer

Nikon D750 | 35mm | f/4.5 | 1/400 | ISO 400

Day 332 ~ Mini Donkey Grin

Sunday, November 27th, 2016

We were almost through the park when we came upon the ostriches. They are so prehistoric looking, aren’t they? As I was trying to get a shot of one, this little miniature donkey appeared out of nowhere and started begging for food. Hee-haw, hee-haw, it’s Dominick the Donkey… that started us on singing The Italian Christmas Donkey song. If you don’t know, Google it. We torture Dominic every Christmas with it. Oooh, better yet… I embedded it below!

New Braunfels Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch photographer

I love you, Pickle!!!

Nikon D750 | 35mm | f/4 | 1/400 | ISO 400

Day 332 ~ One Last Touch

Sunday, November 27th, 2016

Our car was blocked for a short time by some other cars enjoying the animals so we kept our windows open as we slowly made our way out of the park. I loved looking in the side mirror and seeing Anna reach out her hand to touch one more animal before we left. I was so proud of her! We parked and visited the petting zoo too. My knee was really barking after just a few minutes of walking so we headed out and let Dominic walk over the other side of the lot all by himself to see the giraffes. He is growing up so quickly. <3

New Braunfels Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch photographer

Nikon D750 | 35mm | f/4 | 1/400 | ISO 400

Day 335 ~ Cozy Morning

Wednesday, November 30th, 2016

It got into the 30s overnight and I had to turn on the heater for the first time. Brrr. It was 63 in the house so I turned on the fireplace before the kids got up so they could be a little warm while they ate breakfast before school. You can see an ornament box on the chair on the left and a plethora of brightly colored ornaments adorning the tree. I still have two more boxes to go of family ornaments, snowflakes, ribbons, beads, and garland to use too. It’s going to be such a pretty tree this year.

New Braunfels family photographer

Nikon D750 | 35mm | f/1.6 | 1/160 | ISO 1250

Day 336 ~ X-Rays at the Dentist

Thursday, December 1st, 2016

Both kids had checkups at the dentist today. This is only the second time ever that Anna has done x-rays and she actually went into the little alcove completely independently. There are several success here. One, she didn’t need me. Two, she sat on a moving stool that had no back. And three, she allowed someone to put something in her mouth. WTG, Anna! No cavities either. Nice.

New Braunfels special needs girl dentist photographer

Nikon D750 | 35mm | f/2.2 | 1/160 | ISO 800

Day 336 ~ Nightmare Material

Thursday, December 1st, 2016

Um. A puppet with giant false teeth and weird googly eyes that is as big as most toddlers. Yeah, that’s not scary.

New Braunfels dentist photographer

Nikon D750 | 35mm | f/2.2 | 1/160 | ISO 800

Day 336 ~ Puppet Master

Thursday, December 1st, 2016

Dominic really enjoyed studying puppets last year in theater so he was totally obliging when I asked him to play with the scary teeth monster. I missed the best shot though, when Dominic leaned down and had it try to bite his nose. OMG, that was awesome. No cavities for my boy either. Great checkups today.

New Braunfels child boy dentist photographer

Nikon D750 | 35mm | f/2.2 | 1/160 | ISO 800

I’m hoping to finish decorating the tree this weekend and the rest of the house too. I have PT in the morning and I’m working a custom Christmas card for my oldest client. Jenny and Chris are coming next week for her birthday. My mom is playing in 4 or 5 separate holiday concerts and I’m hoping to attend at least one performance. I hope everyone is healthy and stable at the moment. The holiday crush is upon us already! Thanks for looking.

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