Camera Bag

I've been eyeing my friend Amy's camera bag for several months now and, when I saw the price tag on the "new and improved" version on the manufacturer's website, I decided I would just make one for myself.

Chris helped me pick out fabric that he would be willing to be seen holding and I got to work, measuring, cutting and sewing.  Nothing like trying to make something out a pattern...

In addition to plenty of padded removable panels on the inside, I also added two zippered pockets to the outside and made sure the handles were long enough to wear across your body - much more comfortable for all day carrying.

I finished it up just in time to give it a test-drive on our weekend getaway to Washington DC.  I think it was a hit!

P52 - 45/52 - Vibrant

I spent most of last week in New York City - for work, I swear.  My room was right across from Central Park.  Who wouldn't love the opportunity to walk amongst the vibrant fall leaves every morning??

Summer 2014

As summer comes to an end in most of the country (although not in Texas!), it's time to look back on a great summer!  All the pictures from the summer are in the Summer 2014 album.

We started things off with a going away night out in downtown San Antonio.  The Luxury is always a good time, and you can't go wrong with giant Jenga.

Lindsey came to town and we all enjoyed a haunted tour of downtown.  We got a special treat when we walked by San Fernando Cathedral. 

Next up was a trip to the top of the Tower of the Americas for one last night with deployer Eric.  We sure do miss having you around!

One of Eric's favorite places was the Beethoven Maennerchor.  They showed all the USA and Germany World Cup games on the big screen.  We joined in the fun for the USA-Portugal game.

While all of this was going on, Amy and I were drowning in our weekly veggie shipment.  We shared, but how do you put a dent in a haul like this?  I think some of those banana peppers are still in my freezer...

Next up was the 4th of July.  I spent the day with friends at the Missions baseball game, then enjoyed the fireworks after the game.  Another shot from this night featured as the P52 picture for Week 27.

Two days later, I was on a plane headed for Atlanta.  I spent most of the summer there.  You can read about my adventures in my post here.  While in Atlanta, I snuck away for a long weekend with Lindsey in Vancouver.  You can read about our fun here.  

I came back to San Antonio for a few weeks in August.  I spent one weekend at our office summer picnic at the river with my silly, water-hating dogs.  See that angry face Roxie has on?  That's because she got a teeny, tiny bit of river water on her ears.

  

I spent the next weekend with a group of ladies at what I hope will become an annual tradition.  You can read all about our Ladies Weekend in Austin here.

The very next weekend, I was on another plane headed for South Dakota.  I spent 10 wonderful days with my family before heading back to Atlanta.  I wrote about my trip to South Dakota here.

On my first day back in Atlanta, I was greeted by flowers from my husband.  How sweet is he?

My travels didn't end there.  I had the opportunity to travel to upstate New York for a project meeting.  It was beautiful!  I'm trying to figure out a way that I can go back while the leaves are changing.

At the end of September, I made my way back to San Antonio.  It was great to see my puppies and sleep in my bed for a change, but I still miss all my new Atlanta friends.

To close out the summer, our group of Air Force friends spent a day in Fredericksburg as a going away for one of the couples in the group.  They are successfully relocated to South Carolina.  Lucky duckies!

With such a crazy summer behind me, I'm really looking forward to a calmer fall.  Maybe...

Atlanta

Kimley-Horn does this really cool thing called "shifting".  Shifting just means that when one office needs help, someone from another office moves in for a week, a month, or more to get the job done.  Shifting is awesome because you get to see a new city, work on new and different projects, and meet great people from around the firm.

I was asked to shift to the Atlanta Midtown office for most of the summer, and it was pretty awesome. Not only were my coworkers a blast to work with, but I had free weekends to explore the city.  I also got to walk to work every day.  That might have been the best part.

So... here's a run-down of my adventures in Atlanta.

Piedmont Park - located a half-mile from my hotel.  A perfect place for a jog or a trip to the farmer's market.  The Midtown office even recruited me to play kickball in the park once a week.

  

The Biltmore Hotel - Home to the Kimley-Horn Midtown office.  Such a cool old building.

Sweet Water Brewery - One of my many adventures with the always fabulous Kate.
 

Anlsey Park - A rediculously wealthy neighborhood between my hotel and Piedmont Park.  I became a runner for a few months because this neighborhood and the Park were such a treat to spend time in.

Atlanta Botanical Gardens - Located in Piedmont Park and home to Thursday night parties in the Garden.

The High Museum of Art - Thanks to the Blue Star Museums program, I spent A LOT of time here - for free.  You may have also seen the exterior in Week 36 - Shapes.  Atlanta attractions also featured in Weeks 26, 28, and 29.

Georgia Aquarium - Probably my favorite attraction after Piedmont Park.  I could have watched the Wale Sharks All. Day. Long.  And... I kind of did.

Centennial Olympic Park - Not all that interesting, but I was in the neighborhood.

Music Midtown - A two day music festival featuring John Mayer, Third Eye Blind, Lorde, Batsille, Eminem, Zac Brown Band, and many, many other artists.  My farewell to Atlanta, Piedmont Park, and Kate!

SD Trip - Fall 2014

In between trips to Atlanta this summer, I squeezed in a 10-day trip back to South Dakota to see my family. And by family, I mean my nephew.  Because he's pretty much the coolest little kid ever.

See what I mean?

I did manage to see a few other people while I was home.  I made a trip to central South Dakota to spend a day with my Grandma.  Thanksgiving 2011 was the last time I'd made the trip to Colome, so it was nice to see the farm and the town again.

I helped Mom and Dad say goodbye to their fridge - an old family friend,

chased the turkey's off Mom and Dad's back porch,

went kayaking with my parents and brother on the mighty Sioux River (it was so mighty, we had to paddle just to make downstream progress),

and enjoyed a few South Dakota sunsets.

But, mostly I hung out with the cute little man and his Momma.

... And now there's two of them!  Hehe.  :)

P52 - Heavy - 39/52

Heavy luggage and a heavy heart.

For the last three months, Atlanta has been an adventure, a refuge from the whirlwind of life, and a place of renewal.  Tomorrow, I step back into the storm and pray that I make it through to the other side.

P52 - Shapes - 36/52

Rectangles of glass wrapped around a concrete spiral and a lady shaped from stone looking out over it all.

P52 - Weakness - 29/52

The single remaining wall of this proud, old home is too weak to stand on its own.

P52 - Silly - 28/52

The Piedmont Park Farmer's Market has a great kids play area complete with all the toys you need to be good and silly!

P25 - Old - 26/52

I traveled to Atlanta for work this week and discovered this beautiful, old, church across the street from my hotel.  First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta.  Founded in 1848.

Geology Rocks! - Bryce Canyon Via Mars

I think the best way to start the story of our trek through the martian landscape known as Utah is with a map.

We started the day way up right-hand corner and ended the day way in the left-hand corner.  It was a long day (8+ hours of driving plus stops).  There were no radio stations for most of the trip.  We had to talk to each other - a lot.  We eventually started saying things that didn't really make sense.  "Geology Rocks!" was born, and it was incredibly fitting.

This no-man's-land was also one of the most unbelievable place I've ever seen.  In the craziest part of my imagination, I don't think I could have come up with what we saw.  Purple and green rocks, really?

We left our little piece of heaven in Castle Valley and headed out of the Colorado River canyon one last time before turning north toward 1-70.

We could have taken interstate for most of the trip to Bryce, and after snapping this beauty out the car window at 80 mph, I can believe it would have been a beautiful trip.

But we don't do easy, or straight, or well-traveled.  So, after just a few miles on I-70, we turned south on Hwy 24.  We drove past Goblin Valley State Park and found this fun little roadside stop.

Just look through the tube to spot the sight named on the sign below.  It was shortly after this stop that things went from American desert to something straight from Mars.  I discovered when researching information for this post that the Mars Desert Research Station was just over the hill from where this picture was taken.

Eventually, we made it to our first scheduled stop of the day - Capitol Reef National Park (map).  Hwy 24 crosses through the park, so we were able to keep on our planned route while making stops at scenic points including Navajo Dome

and Petroglyphs from the Fremont Tribe (600-1300 AD).

The scenery in between stops was pretty amazing too.

Upon leaving Capitol Reef, we turned south on Hwy 12 and started a steady climb through Dixie National Forest (the first of many trips in and out of this massive national forest).  On the way to the top, we found a little snow,

and an expansive view of the valley below.

We continued on Hwy 12 into the winding roads of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (another park we would skirt around for the rest of our trip).  This was one place where we said a few prayers for our safety and the reliability of our little Ford Fiesta.  No cell service, no people, and no help if something went wrong.

Thankfully, the Fiesta cruised along like a champ and we made it safely to Bryce Canyon National Park (map).  We were shocked when we pulled up to find the entrance fee here was more than twice the fee at Arches (thank goodness for the National Park Pass - free for military and a good idea for anyone doing a trip like this).  Needless to say, we were expecting something extra special.  Bryce Canyon was certainly unlike any of the other places we'd been so far, but we were much more impressed with both Arches and Canyonland.

So, we took a bunch of pictures and stopped at a few other lookout points.

Then, we continued on our way to Zion National Park.

Be sure to check out the travel tab for the rest of the pictures from today's cross-state adventure.