Happy Easter!

Too Much of a Good Thing

So, I'm guilty again. I guess I have a tendancy to over do things a bit. I love photography but I've over worked myself this last week. I don't know why but taking pictures physically wears me out. Maybe it is because I guess so intense about it. I don't know... Anyway, I got to do my first engagement and bridal pictures this last week. It was a blast. Note to self: Bridal pics are hard on a very windy cold day. My poor bride had chattering teeth and her dress was out of control unless she was sitting on it. Then my sweet little 8 yr old helper kept kicking up grass that immdiately flew up and stuck all over the dress. I guess this is the kind of behind-the-scene stuff you never think of when you look at a bridal picture.

I LOVED doing the engagement pictures. I think they are my new favorite. It is so fun to hang out with a couple that are so absolutely in love! Their giddiness is contagious. It makes me think of how happy I was when I was getting married and how much more of I love Paxton now. (We are coming up on ten years at the end of the summer!!! Woo Hoo for us!)

Anyway, after I was all happily burned out from pictures and making an engagement announcement I was going to meet Paxton on Friday night and someone rear-ended me when I stopped at a rail road crossing. I think all the shaking I did in the next two hours finished me off. The kids and I were all OK but it shook me up pretty good. So, instead of a night I the town I came home and slept for ten hours straight.
We'll hope for better luck this week.

Out takes

In my two and a half months as a photographer I have collected a few of my favorite "not-the-pictures-you-hang-on-your-wall" pictures. Not that anyone in these pictures is necessarily funny looking (except my brother Ryan) but it is amazing the priceless images a camera can catch. These are untouched up, unedited and the real deal. (The first three pictures go together.)

Guess Who Won


Thinking Too Hard


Strike a Pose


Where's My Money (I'll Break Your Kneecaps)

Is My Cooking Really That Bad

Demonic

Mom has the Camera Out-Again!

I said I'm DONE!

Who You Lookin' At?

I'm Not Tired

One-Million Dollars...

I AM smiling

Huh?

Raspberry


If looks could kill

Who says...

Who says you can't have it all... Today I:
Took a nap cause I stayed up late reading an awesome book and had an amazing weekend with family and friends
Did a little house work (laundry isn't too grueling)
Worked out
Played with my beautiful, intelligent, sweet kids
Got a little sunshine
Kissed my hot husband
Spent a few hours working a job I love (photography)
Helped someone realize they really are smart and got paid for it (tutoring)
Had dinner with a friend (kids came too and provided the entertainment for the meal)
Admired the green creeping out of the ground
Talked to my mom
Decided to do the dishes later
and am going to bed a little too late again

I am so blessed to have such a wonderful life. I don't think it really gets better than this.

Perspective

There isn't anything to make you more grateful for your health than not being healthy for a bit. Last week I went into the doctor after being pretty sure that I had some kind of infection. While being checked out and told it looked like I had a kidney infection I had the doctor check out some unusual lumps I had been keeping my eye on for a few months. I was told that I needed to get in for an ultra sound as soon as possible to have them checked out. Of course this has to happen towards the end of week so the soonest I can get in for the ultra sound is four days and in the mean time, my whole body is aching, nauseous and feeling generally horrid. There isn't anything to perk up a weekend like the possibility of having a life threatening illness. My angel sister has been battling a brain tumor for sometime and was really humbled as I got just a little tiny taste of what she has to go through every day. It was truly horrible. Yesterday I finally got in for my appointment and after only 15 min was told that everything was OK. The doctor told us that we did the right thing coming in as there was another girl my age that he saw last week who came in with the same symptoms who wasn't as lucky as us. Today, I feel wonderful and I am so appreciating my imperfect body and all it lends to my happiness. In fact, I am appreciating it so much I have taken a hiatus from housework and am just loving and playing with my kids!

noodles and loves

The other day I was in a generally grouchy mood. I seemed a hundred little things were determined not to go how I wanted them to. Then, as I was trying to get dinner ready I pulled to a box of lasagna noodles but someone had opened BOTH ENDS of the box and as I pulled all the noodles fell out and shattered all over the floor. I had had it, so I left the room (so I wouldn't have to look at it) and I sat on the couch trying not to lose it. A few minutes later Bryce came in with the box and said, "Here mom, I saw you were sad so I fixed it for you." He had taped the bottom of the box together (in the sweet, tangled way a six year old can tape) and had put the broken noodles all back in the box. In that moment I could see how much he was like his daddy and I loved him a little bit more than I ever have before. Who would have thought a grown woman would cry over a box of noodles.

birthday cake

Good New: My photography business is going great
Bad News: My cleaning, cooking and blogging have gone to pot

For the boy's birthday they wanted a monster truck cake and this is the best I could do. We spent the day miniature golfing with Jacob's half brother and aunt and all the kids had a blast. I say we were minature golfing but that is using the term loosely. The kids really just liked picking up their balls and putting down the coolest traps.

We still can't put up pictures of Jacob. Two more months till the adoption is final!!