jumping in mud puddles with my dad.

Saturday morning I woke up at 5am, got in the Subaru & drove to Kansas City to surprise my dad for Father's Day. I arrived around lunch time, talking to my dad on the phone the last 10 miles of the drive. I was telling him all about the weather in Minneapolis like I was there & all the things I was going to get done that day. We got off the phone just as I was pulling into their subdivision.
I walked into the house & he says, "HI!", followed by, "Wait! What are you doing here?!"
Happy Father's Day.

It was priceless. I wished I had my camera to take a picture of the expression on his face, but I'd left it in the car.

After my presence set in we ate chicken salad sandwiches as he marveled how we (my stepmom, Karen, my two sisters & I) pulled off the surprise without him knowing. We had a great Saturday concluding with dinner al fresco & staying up late laughing and drinking too much wine.

Today, in great tradition, my dad & I went to Kansas City's Loose Park to take photos. There's a beautiful rose garden there and lots and lots of pathways. More importantly there is a tree that my dad loves to photograph. Today this tree was surrounded by lots of mud.


So my dad sets up his camera on a tripod in front of the tree. I stand by the tree so he can focus the picture. He puts the automatic timer on, pushes the button & runs to the tree with hopes to sit on the branch with me standing in front of him.
only he can't get up on the branch, not enough time.



take two.

flips flops are off so he can run to the tree faster thus having more time to climb it. He jumps in a mud puddle on the way splattering mud all over his feet and legs. As he approaches the tree I back away worried that he'll splash mud on me and precious $7 H&M sundress. The photo takes and we do not take a pretty picture.

take three.

My dad climbs the tree (causing me to laugh hysterically), I press the button on the camera & run to the tree in time to smile and pose with my dad. Only on the way I land in the giant mud puddle covering my legs and sundress. I do manage to make it to the tree in time, pose graciously for the photo & then survey the mud situation. it's not bad & makes us both laugh, but there's enough to wonder if there's a spare towel nearby (there wasn't).

In the end all was well. We rinsed off in a nearby fountain (Kansas City is the city of fountains after all) & looked like new. We walked around The Plaza, and did a little driving tour of other cool areas of Kansas City. Later on we all ate dinner al fresco once again and visited family nearby.

Tonight I still laugh as I think about my dad climbing the tree (or trying to) and the splatters of mud we endured for the ever perfect picture.

xoxx

my dad on TV.

Last night the TV was on. I wasn't really watching, it was just on. Ever do this? Just to have a little extra noise when your home alone? I find myself doing this a lot when Handsome Randy is on the road.

So last night. The TV was on, I was doing something with itunes & not paying attention to the the TV at all. Then out of the corner of my eye I notice a man on TV who looks a lot like my dad. I look up & pay attention. It is my dad.

A kind of snarky true crime program called Suburban Secrets committed an episode around a case my dad and his team solved a couple of years ago. I wasn't totally surprised, this case received a lot of media attention & even landed my dad a little cameo on America's Most Wanted.

So there he was. On my television, walking across the screen leading a guy in handcuffs, as I sat on my sofa on a Saturday night.

xoxx

photo shoot with dad.

I inherited my enjoyment of photography from my dad. He has had a camera in his hand my entire life and has boxes and boxes (and a pretty full hard drive) to show for it. On my 19th birthday my dad gave me a Canon AE-1, the same camera he had. We then went out and took pictures around Minneapolis for hours. This is one of my all time favorite memories with my dad.

Nearly eleven years later, we still have the same camera (now it's a Canon Rebel xti) and wandering around and taking photos with him is still something I greatly treasure.

Yesterday we got to do this.

Dad came to town unexpectedly on Sunday and Monday morning he picked me up at 8:30am & we went to Minneapolis' beloved Minnehaha Falls. Here are a few of my favorite shots...



xoxx