Ty, Keri and Alexa

Ty and Keri graduated with Dale and are also my sister's neighbors. They have the sweetest little girl, Alexa, who is almost one. When Keri asked me if I would do pictures for them, I was more than happy to do it. Beautiful family...beautiful house...it made my job a piece of cake.

There were so many good ones it was hard to choose which ones to post. Here are a few of my favorites:

STP 2009

I am a little hesitant to post this on my blog, because once it's on here I know I will have to actually stick to it. So now I officially will...
do the Seattle to Portland in one day next year. EEEK! It was my idea. Dale originally wanted to do it, then he didn't, then he did, finally I just told him to do the one day and I will do it too.

Here is a picture of me on this year's STP. They have these pro photographers perched in the ditches every 20 miles or so. Every time I saw one I did my best to look sporty and athletic.

Little Gumby Faces

Once again, Dale and I exploit our children for our own selfish entertainment. Here's what we did around the dinner table last night:









Now before you go and call CPS on us...Look! They're happy kids!

His Needs Are Greater

My husband is a technician in a waste water treatment facility. For some reason the administrators are totally into health and wellness for their employees. They are always having some form of healthy food cook off or exercise incentive or "I Am Happy To Be Me!" workshop. I swear they spend more time holding hands around the campfire then actually treating waste water.

Every month they come out with a newsletter, and in each one there is an article about health. This month, it is Dale's turn to write the article. He had a bright idea...since I am a dental hygienist, why not have ME write the article FOR him?!!
Of course I will do it. I love and appreciate my husband, so yes, I will write it.
Oral Health- A Window to Overall Health will be written soon.

I have today off, and Dale left me a little reminder to write the article:



One look at this little dude and I wrote Dale the following note:

Dale, your little guy has some serious problems. His head is severely disproportionate to his body. He is bald, but does make an attempt to conceal it with a headband. His ears are anatomically incorrect, his nose needs a rhinoplasty, and his eyes- boy I don't even know what's up with that. He only has 11 teeth- all incisors in varying stages of super eruption. His neck is severely thin and probably struggles to support that big head. I am really concerned about his right hand. He doesn't have a palm and his fingers are really swollen. And how come he doesn't have pants on? I can tell, however, that he is really into fitness by his wristbands, tight ribbed tank top, and well developed biceps and calves. Overall, though, I feel his needs are far greater than just a few tips on oral health.

Have You Ever Seen Clouds Like This?

I was just sitting here, reading my friends' blogs, trying to think of something to blog about. Something that made me sound whitty or smart or gave the illusion that I have an exciting life. Nothing came to mind. Just then my dear husband walked in from returning some movies.

Dale: Have you seen the clouds outside?
Me: Um...no...
Dale: I have never seen clouds like this before. Come look.
Me: Should I grab the camera?
Dale: Yes.


Thank you, honey, for giving me something to blog about.

Gibeau Family

I met my good friend Jamie when we were in middle school and she moved to my neighborhood from Minnesota. She has been a great friend of mine from that day on. I believe she is officially my most frequent photography client...She was my first maternity session when she was pregnant with her older daughter Camryn, then two years later I did another shoot of an again pregnant Jamie, this time with Reese. When Jamie recently asked me to photograph her family again, I felt honored and of course said yes!

Camryn was LOVING being a model. Reese...was not so much loving being a model, but we worked fast and still got some great shots. The weather was cooperative, and the location was beautiful, and overall it was a great day. Here are a few of my favorites:











While I was busy getting a few shots of Reese, a voice behind me yelled out "Jess!! Jess!! I'm ready for my picture!!" I turned around to see Camryn posing on the porch.

Owen

I recently did a photo shoot for Owen. Owen's dad works with my sister. This was one of the funnest shoots I have ever done. Sometimes toddlers can be a little unpredictable, but he did great. I also shot Owen's sister Isabella's pictures a few years ago, back in my film days. They are such a great family to work with. Here's a sample of some of my favorite pics from the day.

Doing Great!

I checked into the hospital yesterday at 10:30am and right away they put me into a gown, stuck in an IV, then I waited on a stretcher in a little windowless, TV less, pre-op room until....3:00!! Thank God Dale was with me or I believe I would have died of boredom. Oh, and I had the WORST headache because I hadn't been able to eat, drink, or have any beloved coffee since the night before!!

I had begged Erin to be my OR nurse, but she was working in a different area of the hospital and told me there was no way she could do that or even come and see me. I was bummed. But while I was waiting in pre-op, trying to take a little snooze, I here a familiar voice come into my room and announce "WHAT IS UP??!!" Yeah!! It was Erin!

Since we thought I'd have a morning surgery but ended up with an afternoon surgery, Dale had to leave and go pick up our kids from daycare. It worked out ok, since Erin had ended her shift and had offered to drive me back to Shelton. Having your own personal nurse to drive you home...The service doesn't get any better than that!

The surgery went fine and I felt great. They wheeled me back to my pre-op room to let me recover and I had Erin right at my side. I was able to get up and get dressed, but just after I got my shoes on I was instantly dizzy, white, and sweaty. They immediately made me lay right down again for another hour or so. I felt better again and said I felt fine to go home, so my nurse wheeled me outside to Erin's car...right when we got there I...let's just say I put that puke basin to good work!!
So then the nurse wheeled me back inside to my little room that I had I had grown so familiar with to recover for a bit longer. My surgeon popped in and offered an overnight stay in the hospital, which I was like No Way! I kept having to apologize to Erin for having to watch me puke. I mean she didn't even flinch! She kept saying that she watches people puke all the time and would rather see that than needles any day. She's talking crazy, there!! Not me!! I could give shots all day! I hate puke!

So finally at 7:00 I made it home and was able to take some vicodin and eat some dinner and felt really good...until a few hours later I was hugging the porcelain God, as they say!

Erin- I can't thank you enough for taking care of me!! You're the best!

Going Under the Knife

3 posts in one day...I believe this is a record. Maybe I feel bad for depriving my 5 blog followers for so long?

I am getting surgery tomorrow (yes, September 11th). I have a hernia, and my nurse friend Erin was always putting a little bug in my ear, saying "...you know, you really should get that taken care of...could get serious real fast..." So tomorrow is the day.

Having a hernia makes me feel old. I can see it all now. First a hernia, then blood pressure meds, then diabetes...the next thing I'll know, the highlight of my day will be deciding between cherry jell-o and chocolate pudding at the assisted care facility.

Naaaa......I think I'll go out in style. My sister and I will probably be those old ladies sitting on the beach in brightly colored mu-mus with a box of wine between us. Yeah, that sounds more like it.

So tomorrow think of me as my guts are hanging out on the operating table. Please pray that I don't wake up with a colostomy bag.

The Packwood Cabin and Dale's High Pass Challenge

The Ackley family took a 4-day weekend and stayed at my friend Debi's cabin in Packwood (which is at the base of White Pass in the Cascade Mountains). It was great...With two VERY active kids, I would not venture to call the weekend relaxing, but still fun nonetheless.

Here is a view of the cabin from our walk towards the river:





Here's Dale enjoying the morning sun on the back porch:




This is kind of a fuzzy pic but there was barely any daylight left. These are some friends who wandered up near the porch as we ate dinner. "HORSEYS!" As Rowan called them.



Dale and Bella



The living room in Debi's cabin has some really great light for photographs...I ATTEMPTED some family pics, but with only a tripod to capture the kids' attention, there were more goofy ones than anything. Here are a few outtakes. (and by the way, I was pretty horrified with how my neck looks!! So manly!!)







The main purpose for staying at the cabin last weekend was so Dale could participate in a bike ride called the High Pass Challenge. It went from Packwood, to the blast zone at Mt. St. Helen's, and back. I considered joining him, but then when I put more thought into going up a mountain via bicycle, I decided I'd rather smash all my fingers with a hammer than take on a task like that.

He did great. I have always admired (and been jealous of) my husband's ability to be good at everything he does. I was really proud of him...and he met his goal. Way to go, honey!

I would attempt to tell the story on his behalf, but it's much better in his own words. Here is a copy of the email he sent out to his family and friends:

2008
High Pass Challenge

Well,
"I've been to the Mountain". My High Pass Challenge was the most physically demanding thing I have ever done. As they say, " I left it all on the road". I had nothing left when I rolled through the finish line 114 miles after the official start. We arrived at the start line at about 6:30 am to find only a few cyclists already there. I knew I was assured a spot way up in front of the pack. Going into this, I set a goal for myself to finish in the "Elite" group. Of course not being a team cyclist with no formal training of any kind, I knew it was a lofty goal. (Secretly I would have been happy just finishing and being able to walk away). To achieve the "Elite Finisher" status, you have to finish in under seven hours. Seven to nine hours is " Strong Finisher" and nine to ten hours is " Steady Finisher". The finish line would be closed at five pm sharp (the ten hour mark). When the gun fired at seven, I immediately knew I was outclassed by the majority of the riders there. From Packwood to Randle is flat and for the most part straight. Riding in a big group, you can maintain speeds a lot faster than riding solo.

One of my attached pictures is of me taking a picture of myself at the start line, and the one labeled "Peloton" is of the group I was riding in to Randle. We were fast and averaged 30 mph for seventeen miles. Once in Randle, we headed for Mount St. Helens through two lane lowland farming community. The group didn't stay together for long. Everyone found their pace and strung out. I was in the top 25% of the pack at that point, slowly being passed. Even though I rode at 22 mph, the other riders made me feel slow. Now we started to climb. I nice little two mile 8% grade climb, it was only an appetizer for what was ahead. I thought I was a good hill climber until I saw countless riders pass me. Mile 26 was the first food stop. I knew if I was to make my goal, I couldn't even stop for the bathroom. I had packed a Clif bar, six energy gel pouches and two water bottles filled with Gatorade that morning. Lets face it, I wasn't even hungry at that point or had to pee. I was warned that the first food stop was start of the real climbing. Thirty miles to Windy Ridge the sign said. All up hill. It got so bad at one point that I was in the lowest gear on my bike and was wishing I had at least five more lower ones. I looked down at my speedometer and it read 7mph with flashes of 6mph occasionally.

I stayed with it, as people passed me, they were friendly and asked if it was my first time. I said "Yeah", and that's about all I had time to get out between panting. Another water stop, another food stop, and yet the "last chance" water stop passed. I thought if I needed it bad enough, I could stop on the way down, if I survived. Finally to the top where the gate goes across the road. The last eleven miles was closed off to motor vehicles due to poor road conditions and boulders on the road. It was ok for bikes though. Luckily I passed through the gate before the closing deadline of 11:00am. Not once did I look at my cyclo-computer to see what time it was. I knew that if I did, I would be putting false hopes in myself of making my goal or not. At this point I knew it was before 11:00 anyway. Roughly ten miles from the top, I saw the first place rider on the descent, coming back at us. One, two, three, four. I counted no more than twenty riders descending when I reached Windy Ridge (the top, and turn around point). I believe that in passing all the stops on the way up, help me make it to the front of the pack. No time to stay and chat (or pee) it was 10:17am and I had to go. My window was closing. I clicked a few pictures with the disposable camera on the way up and at the top, none were taken from a stationary position.

Passing riders on their way up was bitter sweet. They were more than congratulatory to us that were descending. I knew there was a lot of work ahead of me, I wasn't even half way to the finish line yet. Fast descents of 44 mph were exciting and dangerous. The roads were marked with hazards but hard to see in the shade. Most of the trip was in the shaded dense mossy forest. It reminded me a lot of the Redwoods. The way back wasn't all downhill. Going between gorges and cliffs, you still have lots of uphill. My legs were shot. I was thankful for the fast areas of downhill riding, but ultimately knew that it would be followed by some significant uphill battle again. Remember the first food stop? I did stop long enough on the way down to fill my water bottles and eat a banana. Off I went. The route back was longer as I journeyed through lowland rural areas shaded by trees and rivers on the right and left. It would have been gorgeous if I had time to enjoy it. Finally a sign that said "Randle 10 miles" I knew I wasn't going back through Randle, but knew the vicinity. The route back was a lot longer. A few rights and lefts and another sign about five miles from the first one that said "Randle 10 miles". I was in a time warp with rubber legs and ropy spit. Finally, official Cascade Bicycle Club markings on the road that pointed me to the main highway, Highway 12. The final stretch. I had been riding alone for close to thirty miles with the occasional rider passing me. I had no idea what time it was or what position I was in the ride.

Packwood is mile marker 130 and the rural road spit me out at mile marker 124. Six miles was all I had to go. Miles drug by inch by inch. Now during my training rides, I can average 20 mph easy, for 4.5 hours. Just so you know, I looked down at my computer again, and was crawling along at 13 mph. Just then I heard behind me, beep, beep, beep, beep....! Jessie and the kids drove past me, headed to Packwood to meet me at the finish line. It was a sight for sore eyes, hips, feet, calves, thighs, hamstrings, triceps, hands, wrists, and neck. No matter how I finished, my family was going to be there to congratulate me whether the finish line was closed or not. More riders passed me as I saw marker 130. Finally a left turn into the finish line where the digital time clock read,.........1:49pm. I was handed an "Elite Finisher" medal as I passed through the line. I had met beat my goal by eleven minutes and had no idea I was even close. Then I heard, "daddy"! Rowan, Bella and Jessie were walking up the road to take pictures and meet me. Jessie looked over at the group of finishers that had already come through, and realized I had finished in the top fifty out of 500 riders. I was exhausted. We shared a hotdog and pop, and headed for the cabin. I told Jessie," I will not do that again, nor will I attempt the Seattle to Portland ride in one day next year" One day after the ride and I am sort of thinking about it already.


My final stats were: 17.0 mph average over 114 miles
44.3 mph top speed
6:49:22 total ride time


Dale Ackley







I think this is kind of a sexy pic of my husband. If you look, you can see the salt dried of his face from sweating so much!




On our drive home we drove half of the ride route so we could see were Dale rode. He was saying things like..."Ok, here's where I almost puked." and "Here's where I thought I was approaching the top, only to come around the corner and realize there were still several uphill miles..."






Good job, Dale. Don't go and change your mind and do the one-day STP. I want my riding buddy back!