The number one excuse reason I give for the lull in posts on this site is because I am very thankful to say that I have been incredibly busy running my business. Work continues to primarily be web design and development, as well as logo/branding projects, plus an occasional odd request here and there. (Plush toy anyone?)

Overall, since making the decision to start my own business back in 2008, I have been fortunately very busy and am excited to see what the future holds as Jackson Sky evolves and expands.

(This post is part of 2010 Looking Back)

Since we are in the midst of an ice/snow storm here in the Midwest, I thought it was a good time to recap the trip to California we took in July. My nephews grow and change so much every time we see them, and it’s hard to say goodbye when it’s time to head back home.

On this trip, we skipped going into the city but spent some time at the beach and a lot of time at local parks. As usual, once the boys got tired of my incessant photographing of them, I turned my lens to Monty and caught this shot of him mid-air jumping from the arbor to the garage.

(This post is part of 2010 Looking Back)

This summer Andy and I (with help from my parents) finally got around to painting the exterior of our house. We had purchased a new garage door the previous summer in the color we wanted to paint the gutters, trim, etc. and it was time for us to make everything match. I had visions of lightening our taupe-ish trim color from the time we purchased our home, but we had other things we wanted to tackle first (as seen here, here and here). Painting the windows and muntin bars was the most time-consuming part, but it was definitely worth it.

(This post is part of 2010 Looking Back)

Looking at this site, it seems that not much happened during the second half of 2010. In fact, the contrary is true and I just haven’t found a spare moment to post about what I have been up to. Over the next month or two, I will be posting about where the time went to during those months. Stay tuned… (I promise that this time I mean it!)

The summer has flown by and was full of a lot of work, a little travel and some home improvements. I have plenty of posts and photos to add, including one of Monty in flight. Stay tuned.

Last weekend we went to a beautiful wedding in the historic Leesburg, Virginia. In between wedding events, we headed to downtown DC which was full of patriotic spirit for the Memorial Day weekend. We visited the National Mall, including the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial, as well as Arlington Cemetery. We also stopped by the popular Ben’s Chili Bowl, where we chowed down on chili rich in flavor and history.

It was a wet day at the track for our fourth year attending the Mutt Strut. Despite the downpours, the event still raised over $370,000 (exceeding last year’s amount) to help the animals at the Indianapolis Humane Society. If you are considering adding a pet to your family, please remember to visit a humane society or shelter near you. There are so many loving pets in need of a good home!

It’s hard to believe it’s been almost a year and a half since our last trip to Chicago. We went last weekend to celebrate my birthday and were greeted by much warmer temps than our November visit in 2008. We took the typical tourist photos at “The Bean” in Millennium Park (shown above), walked down Navy Pier and had celebratory drinks at the top of Hancock Tower. Overall, a great birthday weekend.

Mexico! March Madness! What a month it has been. The city of Indy has come to life the past few weeks as the Butler Bulldogs marched their way to the Championship Game. It’s been quite an experience to see Andy’s alma mater gain national attention not only for their athletics, but also for their academics.

We have also been back from La Paz, Mexico for a few weeks now. With just a touch of tourism, La Paz has a wonderful laid-back authentic atmosphere. We enjoyed daily trips down the Malecon, snorkeling with sea lions, dolphins and whale sharks, visiting nearby beaches and enjoying the friendly hospitality of the city.

It’s also that time of year that house renovations are back on the list of things to do. Stay tuned for photos of final stages of the kitchen remodel!

For as much as I disdain cold temperatures, it seems that I can’t resist taking photos of snow. Here’s a (snowy) pictorial trip down memory lane:

Snow Dog February 2007
Snow Run December 2007
Chickens in the Snow December 2007
Another Gray Day February 2008
Branching Out March 2008
Sunset & Snow March 2008
Another Season January 2009
Single Digits & Snowfall January 2009
To Grandmothers House We Go January 2009
White Out January 2009
Wide Open Spaces January 2009
Piling Up January 2009
Extra Layer January 2010
It Begins February 2010
Snow Power February 2010