I have posted a new set of pictures from the holidays.  They include pictures from my work group's Christmas party (yes, that's me wearing pantyhose on my head), pictures from Christmas day at my parents' house, and pictures from the Christmas classic in Knoxville where White House Heritage played.  I hope you enjoy them!

 

In other picture news, I have decided to start my own photography business.  After weeks of deliberation on a name, Rebecca finally had the genius idea of J. McKnight Photography.  I thought about Jonathan McKnight Photography, but that's really a mouthful.  I thought about Jonathan Ryan Photography, because it has a nice ring to it.  But then people would think my name is Jonathan Ryan.  Rebecca and I tossed around other names that didn't have my name in it, but we really couldn't settle on one until J. McKnight Photography jumped out of Rebecca's mouth and hit me on the side of the head.

 

The business will be like a professional hobby.  I'd like to get into shooting sports, and that should be pretty easy with all of the youth sports around.  Another area I want to concentrate on is children.  Several of our friends have small children, and having pictures can preserve memories for them.  I also wouldn't mind doing senior portraits and things like that, but I don't have a studio and I don't really plan on getting one or setting one up in my house any time soon.  For now, I'll have to concentrate on location photography, and that is fine with me.

 

I've been saving for a camera for a while now, and I finally broke down and bought the camera that I've been looking at on Saturday.  It's a Nikon D80, and it must be pretty popular because it stays on backorder almost everywhere.  I got it at Wolf Camera in Huntsville after calling around everywhere.  And they still had to ship the lens in from another store in their district.  They called and told me that the lens came in today.

 

Look for me to start taking a whole lot more pictures.  I'm going to try to find somewhere online that I can share them because I've almost reached my upload limit here. 

It's been three full weeks since I posted my goals, so I'm going to give my first update on how I am doing to reach them.  I'll list the goal and then list my progress or lack of progress.

 

Isn't it crazy how things in life work out sometimes?  Check out this example, and then read 14 others like it here.

 

The British actor Anthony Hopkins [who shot to fame as Hannibal Lecter] was delighted to hear that he had landed a leading role in a film based on the book The Girl From Petrovka by George Feifer. A few days after signing the contract, Hopkins travelled to London to buy a copy of the book. He tried several bookshops, but there wasn't one to be had. Waiting at Leicester Square underground for his train home, he noticed a book apparently discarded on a bench. Incredibly, it was The Girl From Petrovka. That in itself would have been coincidence enough but in fact it was merely the beginning of an extraordinary chain of events. Two years later, in the middle of filming in Vienna, Hopkins was visited by George Feifer, the author. Feifer mentioned that he did not have a copy of his own book. He had lent the last one - containing his own annotations - to a friend who had lost it somewhere in London. With mounting astonishment, Hopkins handed Feifer the book he had found. 'Is this the one?' he asked, 'with the notes scribbled in the margins?' It was the same book.

I posted a few months ago about Rebecca's and my dilemma about whether or not to buy a new car.  Over the course of the next month, it became more apparent to us that we were going to need to find a new(er) car.  Rebecca and I had decided we wanted to find a car we could drive for 100,000+ miles.  We narrowed our choices down to new vehicles (even though we know how Dave Ramsey feels about them), Hondas, Nissans, or Toyotas.  Over the Christmas holiday as we spent time in Henderson, we stopped by a dealership owned by a guy we have bought several cars from in the past.  Actually, we bought my truck from him.  We looked over the lot because he had several Hondas.  I noticed the "weekly special" which was a Volvo that looked really sharp.  We called Joe Knowles on Friday afternoon before Christmas and he said he would meet us at the lot so we could do a little test driving.  I told Rebecca I wanted to test drive the Volvo, and she reluctantly agreed.  She didn't seem enthused about owning a Volvo.  After I drove it for a little while, I knew it was the car I wanted; Rebecca just had to be convinced.  So I let her drive it.  And she was convinced.  Now, we are the proud owners of a 2003 Volvo S60 AWD that is loaded.  Power sunroof, leather seats, power seats and mirrors with memory settings, heated seats with two heat settings, a 60/40 fold-down rear seat, 8 air bags, and the list goes on.

 

We are incredibly thankful for what Joe did by coming to the dealership on his Christmas vacation and getting everything ready for us.  Also, we are thankful for my grandfather who offered us a 0% financing option to get the car.  Here's to the next 150,000 miles put on the Volvo!

I have heard numerous times from numerous sources that writing down your goals will help you to achieve them.  Instead of writing them down on paper, I'm adding them to my blog.  (I think my poor blog feels neglected because it's been so long since I updated it.)  I have tried to make my goals quantifiable rather than objective because they will be easier to track.  (For example, lift weights at least once every week rather than lift weights more.)

 

Since twelve is my favorite number, here are my twelve goals for 2007:

1.   Read my Bible every day, at least one chapter per day.

2.   Spend quality time with Rebecca every day, even if it is only 15 or 20 minutes.

3.   Lift weights at least once per week, with the optimum amount being 2-3 times per week.

4.   Limit eating sweets to two days per week with the exception of holiday weeks.

5.   Continue to not bite my nails.

6.   Open a photography business.

7.   Take a photography class.

8.   Read at least 3 non-fiction books.

9.   Encourage Rebecca every day to meet her 2007 goals.

10. Update my blog at least once per week.

11. Wash our cars at least once per month.

12. Enjoy every aspect of my life.  I won't be able to go back and relive 2007.

 

I'll try to keep myself and all of my loyal readers updated on my progress with these goals as I reach them.

I found this on another blog, but I really liked it and thought I'd share it.

 

Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joy ride.

Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.

When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.

When it’s in your best interest, always practice obedience.

Let others know when they’ve invaded your territory.

Take naps and always stretch before rising.

Run, romp, and play daily.

Eat with gusto and enthusiasm.

Be loyal.

Never pretend to be something you’re not.

If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.

When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle them gently.

Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.

Thrive on attention and let people touch you.

Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.

On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.

When you are happy, dance around and wag your entire body.

No matter how often you are criticized, don’t buy into the guilt thing and pout. Run right back and make friends.