A Case of the Mondays :: Part 10

Well, hello friends.  It's been a while since I did an "A Case of the Mondays" list, and I realize that it's Tuesday, but I started it on Monday, so here goes!

1.  The Dallas Cowboys.  No "....Mondays" list of mine is complete without mentioning my favorite football team, who at this point of the season has thrown it all away for reasons no one could quite put a finger on.  They've got a new head coach, and suddenly became disciplined and talented. Hmm.   At any rate, they are 3-8 and their playoff hopes are down the drain, so I guess we'll wait till next year to see if they are for real or not. 

2. Books I'm Reading: I am officially now a fan of audio books.  I find that it's fun to listen to a chapter or so before I go to sleep, and it's quite inspiring, really.  Right now I'm listening to "Good to Great" (Jim Collins) which I've been told is a must read for any business owner.  Before that it was "Rework" (Jason Fried) which is about re-thinking the way we work, and why we do the things we do.  I would recommend ReWork if you're looking for an easy read, and I'm not that far into Good to Great yet, but it sounds like a winner as well.

3. Friendship.  The last couple of weeks, since our little Scarlett was born, we have really realized the value of our friends.  You know, you appreciate them, but when they pull through for you in trying times, and walk with you through the big moments of life, you realize just how valuable they are.  So, to all of you who have helped out the past 2 weeks, we can't thank you enough for the prayers, the hugs, the meals and the support... you're the best!


Also thank you to our wonderful clients, who have been very patient and gracious with us as we've been a bit preoccupied with the new baby, and more accurately, with getting our rest.  We're starting to get back to full strength, so if you're waiting to hear from us, we should be in touch this week.

4. The Apprentice

We became big fans of The Apprentice last year during Celebrity Apprentice, and were anxious fo r the new season to begin!  This year, we're pulling for Clint who seems to be the strongest player, although he's a bit of a cowboy. :)   But, honestly, since David and Mahsa are gone, we cared much less who won! We didn't jive with those two. We've been keeping up with the show on Hulu.com where we watch all of our tv, and we're catching up on Episode 11 while I'm working on this! 


5. Baby Update.  I'm sure those of you who followed the blog the past few weeks are wondering how the new little Gehman is doing, and I'm pleased to report that she is just as wonderful as we could have imagined! Jodi has recovered well, and is doing a great job of getting a lot of rest.  I know we haven't mentioned this before, but Scarlett was born at home... intentionally! ;)  Jodi had always wanted to do a home birth, and with our first three children, I was the one dragging my feet.  Well this time, I gave in, and it was the best decision we've made!  There's a lot more to the story, and I'm sure Jodi would love to sit down with many of you, and tell you how it was, but we have nothing but good to say about our experience!  It made the whole birth experience much more comfortable, and I'm sorry I didn't agree to it sooner!


 
6. Christmas Orders. Due to having out of town relatives, Jodi and I travel quite a bit every Christmas season, and this year is no exception.  Therefore, any and all print orders that you want to receive for Christmas MUST be placed by this Friday, December 3.  You may continue to place orders at any point after that, but you will not receive your order until mid-January.  If you need reminded of your password, or need your gallery put back online, please don't hesitate to contact us at 319 683 3357, or email at info(at)gehmanphotography.com




7. Website/Blog Sometime after the new year, you will be noticing some major changes around Gehman Photography.  In an effort to encompass all that we are becoming, we're going to shed some old layers, and put on some new ones. Mmmmm.... new web clothes!

8. Snowflakes.  I just looked outside, and saw the first snow flurries of the year (at least for me), and I love it! I realize that some of you would appreciate a life without snow or cold, and that you'd be thrilled if you never saw the white stuff again.  But in my opinion, if it's going to be cold, it might as well snow, right? I love waking up, looking outside, and seeing a few inches of fresh powder snow on the ground.  I'm sure it's not going to do much today but it's fun to see snowflakes again.





Well, that should do it for now! There's more on the way!

Happy Thanksgiving!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Jodi and I would like to wish you and your family a wonderfully happy and blessed Thanksgiving weekend! We are especially grateful, this year, for the safe and smooth arrival of our family's newest addition, Scarlett!  She entered our world a little over a week ago, and we have been mesmerized by her ever since.  Of the four children, she has been the easiest baby so far... eats well, sleeps well, and when she pops those perky little eyes open and stares at me, it's game over.  The whole event still feels a bit surreal, and it doesn't seem possible how quickly the last 9 months went by. But, here she is, a week old, and already looking like she's going to cost me a lot of money at her wedding someday. :)

 Take time today to stop and thank God for all the blessings in your life!


Another one of the many blessings we're thankful for this year, is that my mother was able to come from Pennsylvania and spend the past two weeks with us, during the birth of Scarlett.  Mom was a trooper, taking care of our other three kids while Jodi and I tried to catch up on sleep, and spent time in the office, and she even took a night shift for us! Between the meals and diaper changes and talks by the fire, we have so much appreciated having her around!


We love you, Mom!

Monica :: Senior

She's a multiple-time volleyball MVP, leading role in the school play, a woman of God, and one of the neatest kids you could ever meet. She lives a corn field away from us, graciously picks up our kids for school every morning, and was a great scorekeeper for us when I coached basketball last year.

"Monica,

You are a wonderful young lady, and it's been a privilege being part of your life.  Our kids adore you, as you well know, and we appreciate the great role model you've been for them the past few years!  We wish you all the best of everything God has for you as you follow him through the next stages of life!"

Jim and Kristen

Jim + Kristen's wedding was absolutely gorgeous, and we felt so blessed to be there to capture it all.  They were one of the most relaxed couples we've worked with at a wedding, and that always leads to more natural looking images.  


"Jim + Kristen,
You were a great couple to work with, and you made our job easy! We loved all the little details that made your day a great one, but the best detail of all is the way you two love each other! You have a sweet gentleness about you, and we loved how you interacted with each other throughout the day.  We wish you all the best as turn a new page in your lives together!"

Ceremony: St Pius X Church, Cedar Rapids, IA

Reception: The Marriott Hotel, Cedar Rapids, IA

Trolley: Cedar Rapids Trolley

It's a Girl!

This morning around 4:39, we welcomed a little girl, Scarlett Lauren (pr. "la-wren") into our family! We couldn't be happier, things went smoothly, and we have every reason to rejoice.  She is perfect in every way, and we're all in love with her already! 

Jodi is resting, and doing well.  Thank you so much for your prayers, well-wishes and thoughts... we appreciate them so very much.  

More later... R&J

November 15

   

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SWEETHEART!

Update

Hey everyone!  We are loving all of the guesses (see previous post) so far, and it's been fun to watch the comment box keep piling up! :)


Well, here's the deal... there's still no baby Gehman here, so keep those guesses coming! :) 


Talk soon... hopefully! :)
Rodney

Time to Get Personal

Hello, folks. I realize that I've been quite less predictable at posting this fall than I once was, and I wish to address this problem.  I also realize that making excuses, particularly online, is quite tacky and should at all costs be avoided, however, I will break my own rule and here goes:
ONE

The main excuse for not blogging is that we were photographing quite a few family sessions, and the desired intent of said sessions is to create a portrait that would be determined suitable for greeting cards that inspire Christmas joy and cheer to the recipient.  Therefore, I refrained from posting such sessions, because it would, in effect, spoil the first impression of the card if the viewer had already seen the images.  Makes sense, right? So, those sessions are being saved until after Christmas, when I will release them to you like a flock of doves...  Joyful and cheerful doves!

TWO

Perhaps the most important thing we wanted to say is that Jodi and I are expecting our fourth child to make his/her (we don't know yet!) arrival any day now!  This is something we are quite excited about, and while the past 9 months have flown like greased lightning on a rocket ship (that's fast, by the way) we know that the big moment is peeking around the corner and we're hoping we're ready! 

So lets have some fun with a:

Baby's Arrival Prediction Contest!

This could be the shortest contest we've ever run, so you'd better get on the stick!  Here's the deal:


I need you to write in the comment box below your best guess at these two things:
     1) Will Jodi and I have a boy, or girl?
     2) Your prediction for the DATE/TIME of our childs arrival. (Jodi is due today.)


Whoever guesses the correct gender, as well as having the closest time to the actual time of birth will win a little gift from Gehman Photography.  


Rules:  1) You may only guess once. Or twice.  No more than 2.
             2) Guesses must be entered here in the blog comment box, and you must sign your name (so we know how to get in touch with you if you win, duh!)
           
Have at it!  


New sessions on the blog next week! 
Thanks,
Rodney

Aaron :: Senior

One of the perks of working with a musician is that when they sit down at the piano for a portrait, we tell them to go ahead and play, because a) it looks more natural that way, and b) we get to hear music! :)  With Aaron, we should have just put the cameras down and listened to him as he played.   

"Aaron, You have more musical talent in your little finger than most people do in their lifetime! Thanks for allowing us a little peek into your life, and for being a great sport about the whole thing.  You've got a great foundation for your life, and God has big plans for you; we wish you the best in your senior year, and in the future!"

Jessica :: Senior

Jessica is a great high school senior who is planning on a career in fashion and/or modeling. We had fun working with her, for several reasons... 


1) Anytime someone brings 3 suitcases of clothes, we know they are going for the win, and for the record, when said suitcases are hot pink... game over. :)  


2) She wore her prom dress into a swampy nasty little pond.  I think each step she took she sank further into the muck, but the images she'll get from it are worth it!


"Jessica,
Thank you for trusting us with your senior portraits!  You've got a great life ahead of you, and many roads yet to be traveled. You seem very focused in what you want to do, and where you want to be, and there's a lot to be said for that kind of vision! Dream big, trust God for each step, and you'll do more than you can imagine!"  

Matt + Liz :: Love

We had a great time working with Matt + Liz on their engagement session, and we hadn't worked in Iowa City for a long time, so it was fun to be back! They are a fun couple, and we're looking forward to their wedding next year.  


Oh, and I climbed a tree.  


"Matt and Liz,
You were both a lot of fun to work with... Thanks for the opportunity!  We appreciate your love for each other, and how you both smile easily! It's great to see couples who really enjoy each other's company like you do, and we're excited to work with you again at the wedding! We're glad you chose us!"