Aren't those dog portraits great? My buddy Brent drew them last summer when he was having a flash sale on commissioned work. I think it was in July that I hired him because I thought Merlin's time was getting short. I just can't believe my boy made it until April. And this week makes it 2 months since he's been gone. Man, I miss that guy.Lately, I've been listening to more audiobooks because it's a great thing to have running in the background while I edit photos. But the thing is, that site audible? It's not that great of a deal (the last book I wanted to listen to was $28!). So I've been trying to find free audiobooks online. This week, I've been listening to The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe (The Chronicles of Narnia). I never listened as a kid, and man did the Aslan character remind me of Merlin. Noble, kind, huge with a big, furry mane. Yeah. (Some people say Aslan represents Christ in the books. I'm sticking with Merlin.)Anyway, I've been thinking of my boy a lot this week, and I thought I should show you the pieces Brent drew for Ezra's room. Such a nice tribute to my very first kids.For your internet shares today, I loved this piece on the value of community college. I am a firm believer that the traditional 4-year schools aren't for everyone, and community colleges are a fantastic option. I also really enjoyed this essay on viewing your life after loss. And on a more upbeat point, this hotel's decor is FABULOUS. I want my house to look like this please.

We had a pretty great week over here ... except for that whole sleep thing which has fallen off the rails again. But really, everything else is just peachy. This kid is so mellow and so fun and he loves the newspaper and he loves music and he loves animals and yeah... he's obviously mine. I love that look up there. I see great smart-assery in our future.This girl got lots of walks and lots of sleep. Oh how I adore this pup.We also got some big patio chairs delivered in this GIANT box, which we turned into Ezra's first fort. He dug it, but I don't think he saw the complete potential, so we broke it down and stored it for later. I would have loved a box this size as a kid, and I hope he does as well.And yeah, this hat is adorable.We also took Ezra to Artcrank (the kid's first art show). Lots to look at, kid.And this was at the Farmer's Market where Ezra was enjoying watching the buskers play music. Oh, this sort of thing makes him so happy.For your internet share, many of my friends have said great things about the City Museum in St. Louis. It looks amazing (and yet, sorta like a death trap). I also love this idea for a hanging cradle (and it's soooo pretty!), and I ate up this interview with Dooce and her decision to stop slow down change the way she's blogging (I read her for so, so many years).

Tonight I was hired to shoot Spark Camp (so much fun!) and then to follow the participants on a dinner cruise on the Mississippi River. I've lived in Minneapolis for 12 years now, and I had never been on one of the river boats, and man, it was so interesting! Great history, great views and fantastic, bug-free, weather. It was glorious.No internet share today -- Ezra was back at his "up all night" antics yesterday, and this girl here needs some sleep. Have a great weekend, everyone!

Doesn't she have cute feet? I think so. And I love that even she has dog hair stuck to her (besides the attached fur, of course).Lately, I've been wearing this girl out. Now that my torn calf muscle is healed enough to walk again, I've been burning up my fitbit (for me, anyway), and logging a minimum of 10,000 steps a day. This usually means Magda here gets an hour-long walk each day -- sometimes more. She really does love it, and I love how she snoozes the rest of the day away afterward.  It's a good match.At first, I felt like I was really wasting precious work hours by walking an hour each day. But now I justify it as my "daily commute." If I were still working downtown, I would spend this much time in the car each day, so I might as well spend it getting healthy and enjoying the weather.Yesterday, it rained all day putting a damper on our walk. But I still got my steps in because the pedometer counts dancing as steps (as it should) and I saw The Rolling Stones last night! You guys, Mick Jagger is a FORCE. I was in awe of his health and his stamina on stage. I read this article today on how he stays so youthful. I don't know how true it is, but still fascinating. Especially this bit:

In fact, the Rolling Stones’ tour  has more than 200 staff, including fitness trainers, dietitians, a physiotherapist and chefs poached from the Four Seasons hotel chain, who cart around lorryloads of organic food.

But while the show was super fun, the sound mix where we were sitting was awful. We could hear the sound from the front speakers and the middle speakers and the echo off the stadium. Which is why I think these might be the greatest inventions EVER.Obviously, I didn't photograph the show, but if you want to see some great shots, my buddy Nate has got you covered over here. Enjoy! 

Last night I met up with the adorable and wonderful Margaret for an evening at Betty Dangers. This was my first time there, and we (of course) indulged in a ride on the ferris wheel (along with Margaritas! I told you it was a fun night!). Look at that view! Isn't that great?! It was a glorious evening.For your internet share today, how about this post on taking better food photos with your phone. Yup. You better believe I ate that article up.

The weather this week has been AMAZING. Seriously. We are having 70-degree days and... are you ready for it? NO MOSQUITOS (yet). It is glorious.It, also, has been making my evening photo sessions even more fun than normal! This image is from last night over at Lake of the Isles, where it was glorious.This weather also has me super excited for tomorrow night. What is tomorrow night, you ask? It's The Rolling Stones concert! Nah, I'm not shooting it (sadly), but I'm super excited to see the show.For your internet share of the day, here is a look at how photography has changed with smart phones. Fascinating.

What a week! Somebody started sleeping through the night! Well… he's still waking up once, but it's at 10 pm, so I'm still awake, so *I* am getting to sleep through the night, and that's what really matters, right? Oh man, it's a whole new world, I tell you.Besides the added sleep, Ezra also started holding his own bottles this week. Awesome.The weather was fantastic this weekend, so we walked a TON and wore out this pup. Finally.This is him sitting in while I test the light before a dog client came in. Normally I use Mags for my test shots, but her paws were filthy from running around the backyard, and I wanted to keep my paper white. Ezra's feet? They are spotless.This is the face that greeted me Saturday morning when I came downstairs after sleeping in until EIGHT A.M. I felt like I was in college again. And look how happy my roommates are to see me awake!I love the expression in this one. Like, "Really, mom? Photos even in the BATHTUB?"And I love his shark towel.For your internet share of the day, I love this entry from Humans of New York. It is never too late to chase a dream. But if that's too boring, how about all these underground tunnels around the world, eh? FASCINATING.