Lakeview Tourney

Just a quick post before I head off to bed. Recently I (Jodi) have been working with video footage from the 2011 Lakeview Softball Tournament. I really like to make videos using both motion and still photography and although I would not claim to be excellent at it, I learn a bit more each time I work on a project. Usually when I have a task like this I jump right to it and work until its completed. This time was a bit different (more about that in my next post). I struggled to compose the video I envisioned and had a hard time deciding on music, which is VERY unlike me. I did eventually end up with four videos. Two are just uncut footage because I like to add it to the completed DVD. The one I will share tonight, er...this morning, is a video done from a preset that I used to get the creative juices flowing. Though I don't totally love it, it has some fun elements. Okay, enough talking...here's the video:




I promise I will post again very soon and post the other video, explain a bit more about this project, and talk about why it was hard to get these videos put together. Lots on my mind and in my heart but it will need to wait for a more awake time!

Family Vacation

My parents decided that our whole family should take a little vacation together this summer to celebrate Jon's separation from the Marine Corps. They decided to take us to Minneapolis for a Minnesota Twins game (we are all Twins fans except George). The Twins are now in their new stadium, Target Field. We had a wonderful weekend together and I'm so thankful for a great family! So, here's the trip in pictures:

We walked to a local Irish Pub for supper...we didn't want to deal with parking but we ended up having to deal with cabs because it began to storm, and I mean STORM while we were eating and continued to rain (we sat in the pub for quite awhile trying to wait it out). We got to see the stadium as we walked to the pub though so it was fun (and the pub became absolutely crazy after the Twins beat the White Sox 3 to 2 on Saturday night).

We spent Saturday night at Normandy Inn...and had milk and cookies at 10 p.m. Jon had a buddy from the Marine Corps. that lives near the Twin Cities that met up with us (his father came too) for supper at the pub and then came back to the motel to visit.


Sunday we got up and headed to the stadium early for the game. It was great walking around and then just hanging out before the game began!

We ate lunch at the stadium...here the rest of my family is sitting in their seats eating/getting their picture taken! We had GREAT seats...right behind the Twins Dugout close enough to see facial expressions on the field. It was awesome!

Here I am in my Twins gear...including my new Joe Mauer t-shirt (Jon couldn't resist being a bit immature and giving me "bunny ears").

Joe Mauer himself :o)

The game was wonderful with the Twins winning 7 to 6 in the 9th inning. They led at the beginning, trailed by 3 from about the 5th or 6th inning on...and then won it in the 9th...super exciting! It was the first walk-off win at Target Field so we witnessed history!

We converted George into a Twins fan...

It was a great weekend! Thanks Mom and Dad :0)

Brothers

Today we spent some time with my brother Jon. We drove to Winner, SD to obtain some awesome fireworks for our 4th of July party. For those that don't know, my brother Jon is a Marine and just recently returned home on his final leave time before he separates from the Marine Corps. I am awfully proud of him and SO happy to have him home again. Anyway, George and Jon never really had a chance to get to know each other before George and I got married so they've been spending some time together getting to know each other and get along quite well! So, we drove to Winner and bought fireworks.

While in Winner we also spent quite a bit of time trying to find Valspar paint so that I can hopefully finish our painting project this week...two rooms to go yet! Our local hardware store burnt down earlier this summer right in the middle of our painting so while they are rebuilding, we have to find a different place to get our paint! Anyway, all of that to say today was a really fun day. I even shot a .45 for the first time (Jon came up so he and George could target practice for awhile this evening). Having Jon and Rob (my other younger brother) around the place makes life a bit more fun! We wish my older brother Jesse and his wife Lindsay lived closer but sadly they don't :(

Anyway, thought I would post some more pictures of our house. These are the promised pictures of the living room/kitchen. The red wall is the shared wall for the two rooms. All of the others are the "bran muffin" color and are the living room walls.




Those letters were NOT easy to put up (and get them straight)! In the end I suppose it was worth it!





This collage of pictures is made up of pictures from the trip we took last summer (the one we got engaged on). There are some really great pictures and memories :) We are hoping to add one more picture to the collage so I guess technically the wall isn't done yet. This wall is actually a darker red...the light from the window kind of makes it look brighter than it really is.




Anyway, we are pretty pleased with how it turned out! And the couch covers were a MUCH needed update to the pink floral couches that lie beneath :)