Friday, October 26, 2012

Friday, October 26th 2012










Namaste,

Well.... It's been a couple of weeks, but everything is fine. Life is just really busy. Between work, football, photography and trying to take care of kid's the dog, lawn work, house work and everything else we are expected to do, there is just not much time for anything else. I am shooting the Santa Fe Freshmen and Varsity games so that is two nights a week. The funny thing is that's the kind of stuff that I love. The bigger problem with that is the quick turn around on the images to get them published in the program for the next game. If I sound like I'm whining.... Maybe a little, but I love it. I did send 74 images to print yesterday for the Freshman banquet. They wanted a action shot of each boy on the team and each member of the Pom and Cheer team.... That was quite a task! I also had the same project for all of the seniors on the Varsity squad. As football season is winding down.... Basketball season is starting. I sold my four Thunder season tickets this year... A couple reasons were Trey has two trips to Europe coming up, and I can get credentialed for most games so I would not be in my seats anyway! Did I mention that people are willing to pay crazy prices for tickets!!!!! Oh well.... Thanksgiving will be upon us before you know it, and then Christmas is right around  the corner. The other day it was in the nineties and then yesterday the bottom fell out, and winter is here. I just heard the heater kick on, and I plan on sleeping in the middle of the living room tonight with a fire going! I hope each and everyone of you who read this know how much I appreciate you!

Love you all!

Mat

Friday, October 12, 2012

Friday, October 12th, 2012









Namaste,

Hello everyone.... Been doing a lot of photography lately! Mainly Santa Fe Football; However, senior portraits and engagement season is coming up and everything is starting to get crazy! I work to pay the bills and shoot to live! That's just the way it is. I am on vacation this week. I was going to take Trey to New Mexico to climb Wheeler, but he has had football everyday.... Yes, they even practice on fall break! I have been sick for almost a week so traveling to altitude would not have been very smart. Yes, I realize I usually don't take advice from  people on what is "Smart" or "Wise", but in this case I listened. I did fall cleaning on the house yesterday. Dusted everything, mopped the floors, changed sheets..... The whole ball of wax. I shot the Edmond Santa Fe Vs. Lawton football game last night. Lawton was ranked #1 in the state last week, and we dominated them 68/28! If we continue to play like that we will be a force to recon with! I have so much I need to get accomplished this weekend. I want to re-sod the front lawn, I have three stumps that need ground down, and Trees pruned for the winter.... Guess how much of that will get done????? That's right.... Zero!

Love you all!


Mat

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Wednesday, October 3rd, 2012





Namaste,

Busy, Busy! Every day we have something going on.... Monday nights we have Trey's football games, Tuesday nights I have Touchdown Club meetings, Catch up on Wednesdays, and Thursdays before Varsity games on Friday night! Ultimate football on Saturdays and then NFL on Sundays! I am exhausted. Sherrie is back in school, working and clinicals, so I also have all my house work, lawn work, and the full time job of taking care of this big dog! I'm not complaining, just saying there is not much time for anything else! Saturday night Sherrie and I, along with our friend Stephanie went to a concert in the city. We know the drummer for the band Seether, and they were playing with the Sick Puppies, and a new band called the Young Guns. They were awesome. Five young guys from London.... I talked to them for a bit after their set, and they were very gracious! I will post a link to their video at the bottom of this post. I also am going to post a link to a new book from one of my mentors. His name is Ira Meyer and he is a photographer for National Geography! HE gets to travel to the ends of the earth literally! I was one of the first people to order his new book, and can't wait to get it! As for me.... Work, is good... Building is full and so we are just maintaining what we have! I did a big show in Norman yesterday and made my girls dress up like cowgirls. We had fun and made some great contacts. I rode last Saturday, and ran a bit on Sunday. Still have a very sore knee.... I know, poor baby!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qk3vjIDuy9w (Young Guns Bones)

http://irameyer.com/about_ira/my_book.asp?product_id=MyBook2 (Ira's New Book)

Love you all!

Mat

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Thursday, September 27th, 2012







Namaste,

It's been a while since I have written anything.... Life just gets so busy that things that once were so important get pushed a side for a season. Sherrie is back in school, doing clinicals, and working which means most days it's drop Trey off at school straight to work, straight home to get Trey from Football, home to get ready for the next day. Two weeks ago while playing football I did something really bad to my left knee. I have been wearing a brace but it's probably gonna need some intervention. ;-( I tried riding last Saturday and it was quite painful. Friday night I took Trey to Norman to spend the weekend with Jordan. They had a great time. Sunday morning before I went to get him, I stopped by the Redman Triathlon. I took some pictures and then came home and got serious about a new exercise program. I am starting a new protein diet soon. I have to do a fast first. I am planning on doing that this weekend. Trey is doing really well in football.... He is improving everyday, and his coaches are noticing! I have 100 hours of vacation to take before the end of the year. I may take a week and head west. Climb some fourteeners in Colorado and live out of my truck.... Need a little break!

Love you all!

Mat

Sunday, September 9, 2012

Sunday, September 9th, 2012







Namaste,

Well it turned into a bittersweet week. Work was plenty busy... So busy in fact that my building is full to the point I had doctors calling me on my cell phone Friday asking why I was not taking their patients. I could only apologize and tell them we are full.... I lost my Aunt Faye last week and her funeral was Friday. So I worked from home and then went to the funeral.... Sherrie called me from the Spine Hospital and had a flat tire so I had to run over there help her get the car to the tire shop, come home dress for the funeral, go pick up the car and then get Trey home from football, before heading to the lake for the weekend. One of my very best friends bought an amazing lake house at Tenkiller and was letting us use it for the weekend. We did not get to the lake until 6:30 or so, so we took our stuff in and headed to Tahlequah to find some dinner. We found a little Mexican restaurant and then back to the lake house! There was an amazing thunderstorm rolling in and the thunder and lighting was so awesome. Sherrie passed out but I laid their listening to the rumble. I jumped up at 5:45 and went for a drive. I wanted to get some sunrise pictures, but there was not a cloud in the sky so sunrise was just kinda.... Sunrise! I saw at least 50 deer, and took a few pictures of them. I went back to the house and Sherrie was up and ready, so we went to our favorite restaurant at Tenkiller.... Big Daddy's on the Dam Road. It was YUMMY! We took a drive about 20 miles south of the lake to Sequoya National Wildlife Refuge. We go there in the winter to see some nesting Bald Eagles, but we just took a two mile walk around the park. We headed back to the lake house for a little nap, and then headed out to a couple of the parks to look for something to take pictures of. Honestly.... The water is so low that all of the docks and stuff are sitting on dry land. We drove into Tahlaquah and had an early dinner at Sam n Ella's. It was amazing... We walked down the street to a bike shop and then walked around the campus of North Eastern State University.... Home of the River Hawks! The campus is beautiful and the weather was as well! We stopped at a couple little shops before heading back to the lake. We watched some video's I have made over the last couple of years and then turned on the TV and watched a little football before crashing out. We got up and cleaned the house, then walked along the lake while the towels were in the dryer. We headed out and stopped at Big Daddy's for breakfast before driving home. When we got home we noticed the dishwasher was not working. We went to Sears, Best Buy, Home Depot and then found one at Lowes. It took a couple of hours to change it out, and then Sherrie and I went to the Market. I started working on reports and she made a big salad for dinner. It is going to be a crazy busy week. Trey has a game tomorrow and then the Varsity has a huge game Friday night! I hope the week goes good!

A little bit about my Aunt Faye.... Aunt Faye was married to my Uncle Al. Uncle Al, is the only surviving child in my dad's family. There were 16 of them and he was the oldest. He and Aunt Faye were married for 56 years, and had four children. They lived here in Edmond all of my life, and Aunt Faye and my mom were best friends. She was such a sweet lady. I could always count on her for Christmas and Birthday cards.

I also got a package in the mail today.... It was from my cousin Aundra in Tennessee.... I opened it up and it was an OU hat that I gave my Uncle Gerald probably 10 years ago. It is old and dirty, but it is by far one of the most special items I own now. She included a letter that flat out made me breakdown in tears, but I had to mention how special that was. I am going to buy a glass case and it will go next to my dad's flag.

Love you all!

Mat

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Tuesday, September 4th, 2012







Namaste,

Another week of go, go, go! We had something everyday, which is becoming typical for the Jones family. We find ourselves running from football practice to football meetings, to football games. That is perfect for me. Makes me soooo happy. All my life I wanted a little boy down on the sidelines and me sitting up in the stands. The only problem was my little boy is a Monster! So Thursday evening I left work and went straight to the Santa Fe Vs. Midwest City Varsity game. I helped set up the tail gate party until Sherrie got there. It was hotter than crap. The players showed up and were amped up..... Once the game got started we went up 8 to zero, and then MWC scored 27 straight points before Santa Fe came back and scored 33 straight to win the game 50 to 42. That was crazy.... Friday morning came early! Friday night we went to watch Memorial play Edmond North.... North is really good and Memorial is horrible. I got up and rode Saturday Morning and then came home and ran a couple of miles, before Trey and I went to Summit to play Ultimate football.... We had a blast and talk about a great cardio work out! We came home cleaned up and Sherrie and I did our shopping! My legs were a little sore but I hobbled around like a champ! We watched some football throughout the day and then OU came on at 9:30.... I only made it to 1/2 time. I got up and rode Sunday morning before church, and then took a little nappy! Sunday was kinda lazy but I needed a slow day. We rented some movies and just recovered. Yesterday was Labor Day and I got up and rode. Last year on Labor day I was at the lake riding before the sun came up and ran right into a guy in camo on the bike trail. Guess what??? No camo guys on the trail yesterday! ;-) I came home did my lawn work and then we went to the mall to get some hats embroidered. We decided to have some lunch and then home to relax before Trey's game. His game started at 6:00pm, and the outside temp was 102 degrees. I was on the turf taking pictures and it was 120+. The Wolves won the game 20 to 12. It was an ugly game but a win, is a win. Home for a shower, a turkey wrap and bed! It's gonna be a long... Short week. I got a call yesterday morning that my Aunt Faye had passed away. She has been sick for several years, but had just gotten really bad lately. Next weekend Sherrie and I are going to Tenkiller to relax for a few days.... Need some time to relax. Thanks to the Mitchell's for letting us use their lake house!

Love you all!

Mat

Thursday, August 30, 2012

Thursday, August 30th, 2012






Namaste,

What in the world happen to the month? I woke up this morning and realized it was September! (Well day after tomorrow) Everyday is busy, busy! I get up get dressed take Trey to school at 6:30.... He starts the day in football strength and conditioning, then orchestra, four AP classes, Spanish two and then back to football! All I do is go to work after I drop him off, Work until 5:30 or 6:00 pick him up from football, and then come home to work until bedtime... I'm still riding at least three times a week to get ready for the Compestella De Santiago. Don't know when I am going or which route I am going to take, but I know I am going to do it! I have been looking for a new pack and have everything else I'm gonna need. Sherrie has been off work for about a month, which has been really nice. It's almost like having a regular life again. She is still in clinicals for another 6 months, but we will be there before you know it. Monday night, Trey had his first football game. His team played Stillwater... Stillwater is about an hour and a half north of us.... The game was suppose to start at 7:30, but it was closer to 9:00 when they started. By the time we beat Stillwater 61-42 and the buses got back to the school it was 1:00am! Needless to say Trey didn't make it to school Tuesday. Yesterday we had the Varsity Pre-game dinner at the school. We participated and had a good time. The varsity plays tonight in Midwest City, so I am going to go over straight from work, and Sherrie and Trey will be over closer to game time. The Santa Fe High School Touch Down Club, really knows how to put on a tail gate party! They bring out RV's, and have weed eater powered blenders! I am excited for this game! Trey's school Vs. The team from where I work! Goooooo Wolves!

Love you all!

Mat