A warm up in the future?

Last week was a whirlwind that continued into the weekend. The "wind" didn't stop blowing until about 9 o'clock Sunday night!!! 

Italian Stallion made it home from California on Thursday...got off the plane at 4:30, grabbed his luggage and headed to the soccer field to make Sweetpea's game (he's coach by the way)...I had to call a friend from the game because I wasn't going to make it back to the house by 7:00pm WHICH is the time at which about 10 couples show up at my house on Thursday evenings for lifegroup.  She got in the house and was able to welcome everyone in...We arrived at around 7:30 and had a good time visiting with everyone, albeit, Italian Stallion was bushed!

We said goodbye to everyone, got the girls in bed, collapsed in bed ourselves only to start all over the next morning...our builders came to walk through the house that we've been living in for 3 years because they didn't do a quality job in certain areas the first time around and basically Italian Stallion and I have had just about enough of the clownin' around (not to mention water coming through our front door and our roof falling apart)...after that meeting, I headed to my in laws house to visit with my 2 sisters in law and all the cousins (IS's sister was in town from Tenn.)  That evening my parents came into town to stay the weekend as well...

Onto Saturday:  Peanut had a soccer game at 9:30am..I'm not even going to go into the catastrophe that was, with regards to a 5 year old refusing to play soccer "EVER AGAIN"...My sis in law came over for the afternoon, along with my parents to hang out until Sweetpea's game at 5:30...Italian Stallion and I had to leave immediately from the game to make it to the work function we were supposed to be at by 6pm (we didn't make it until 7:30) We arrived home at midnight...

Are you tired yet just reading this? 

I won't bore you with the rest of the details from the remainder of the weekend...basically we fit in church, more visiting, a photo shoot (which I'll get to in a sec) and another visit from Italian Stallion's parents who had just come in from their vacation in Texas...It wasn't until about 8pm that the house was actually quiet and we had nothing to do...

Well...that is of course cleaning up from the after effects of the whirlwind...I was going to take a picture of the "fort" in my living room, or the mounds of laundry upstairs, or the unmade beds and rice krispies crushed into my carpet...but, to be honest, I didn't have the gumption to document it...I'm beat!

I'm going to switch gears here and just mention that I did have a great time at the photo shoot.  I got to take pictures of a great couple, Amy and Mike.  Amy is the same age as what my sister, Sarah, would be like if she had lived.  Sometimes it's hard to picture Sarah anything other than 13 years old, but when I see people like Amy, I get to wondering.  Sarah was tall and thin and I can picture her being a little bit like Amy...and so, you can imagine my excitement when I got to spend the afternoon with them. 

I have lots more pictures on my CT Photo Memories site, but I thought I'd share a fav or two here as well!

Anybody got some Mommy Patience I can borrow?

My sweet Italian Stallion was gone this week...traveling out west...without me...it makes my heart sad to even say it...

We went 'out west' for our anniversary...okay, well, it was about 6 months BEFORE our ACTUAL anniversary, but that's what we called it...We spent time at the beach, went out to fun restaurants in the evening...walked the streets of Coronado...ohhhhhh sweet bliss...

Yes, well...he was there...without me...granted, he had to be in the office all day and work with employees and deal with disgruntled customers, etc...but, still...

And I was HERE...Here with my lovies!

I cherish my time with them...Sweetpea and I got to stay up later doing homework together...talking about her school concert that is coming up in December...Peanut and I cuddled on the couch in the mornings and we read books on her days off like they were going out of style...Little Munchkin and I made up new games like "Marble Golf" and "Sing Songs so I can say FOP IT"

And all these things were fun and we all love the GIRL TIME when Daddy is away...we like it for about a day...and then it becomes this downward slide into Missing Daddydom and the DRAMA that ensues would put Shakespeare to shame...

After multiple rounds of crying over socks that don't fit, of "she won't get out of the bathroom and I'm trying to goooo", of can I eat a granolabarapplesaucecheezitsleftoverpizzasalamisandwichapplejuicemilkchocolatechips...and more drama surrounding polly pockets, hula hoops and more toilet paper...

I believe the "marker" that broke my back was the one Little Munchkin used on my Cherry Wood Amish Made dining room table...a bright red sharpie marker that is...

I mentally had to check out for a sec...I literally had to talk myself down as I held Sweetpea and reassured her that even though she knows not to leave out sharpier markers, nor even use them remotely close to anything other than her playroom area that SHE was more important to me than a table...YES, I still loved her and Peanut and Little Munchkin more than anything else in the world (besides Daddy) and the table woudl still "function"...and on and on and on..

Folks...I'm spent...this single mom mode isn't workin' for me...It was only for 4 days, but I feel like I've run a marathon...whew...glad he's not heading out there again for a longgggg time...Regular life kicks in today and it's just about as hectic...but, I'm thankful for my hubby to share some of the load...

Although...he hasn't seen the table just yet...hmmmmmm

Happy Thoughts

So, what does the Italian family do after dinner on a Sunday when it's "chipper" outside, the kitchen is a mess, the dog has pooped on the floor and laundry is screaming to be done???  Why...we go outside and say "forget about it...we're gonna go have fun"

And that's what we did...of course, me and my camera had to come along as well...I mean, come on...it's a beautiful fall day...my girls "kinda match"...it's basically a GIVEN that I'm going to bombard them with the lens! 

Thought I'd share:
First we jump in the air (or at least the older two do...gotta get some lift on Little Munchkin)

Then we hang from trees...although I must say, that sunlight coming through is really kinda neat...didn't expect that, but it looks kinda nifty!

Then we all smoosh into our hammock and make crazy faces because we just KNOW Mom REALLY wants us to smile and it cracks us up!!!

We might pick some clovers too...just cuz...

Now dont' be fooled...yes they DO love each other bunches, but I'm thinking this was more of a tactic to stay warm...it was a bit nippy out there and Mom wanted the "colors" of our shirts...so we kept running around and hugging each other to stay warm...

(BTW, I sooo know that I'm switching from speaking in first person to whatever else it is called and you never quite know "who" is talking...but, since I AM aware of it and I don't care...I think you should just "go with the flow or lack there of"

We DID get some really nice "wall frame" shots too...

All in all...it was a good evening...

And we just left that kitchen stuff till morning anyway...it was worth it!

I'm Flumoxxed

...sort of...I more or less like the sound of the word actually..but I am going through a bit of a "phasing" and it leaves me a little perplexed....(I think I just am liking words with 'x' in them...)

Anyway...I had another photo shoot this weekend and it was fun...infact, I can't tell you the feeling I get when I'm about to go take a bunch of pictures of people...I get giddy...I really do...I spend hours researching and finding different ideas whether it's through magazines or billboards or online...it's just plain fun!

At this present time (I say this because I have no idea what the future will present)...but, at this present time, I feel like I have found something that allows me to let out the person God created me to be...Now...I want to stop first and say that I LOVE being a wife and mom FIRST AND FOREMOST...I dreamed, wished, pleaded with God to allow me to do/be those things...I CAN be creative and giddy in being Mommy...there's nothing that compares to THAT sort of joy...

However, as my girls are getting older and not needing me in the same way as before, I find myself looking for different ways to express myself...photography kind of ooooozes out:)  or maybe it's more like firecrackers out...I'm not sure...

There is one glitch though in this "photography plan"...trying to turn a hobby into a business has some "perplexing" aspects...that whole business side is NOT my angle...my husband recently added up the hours, the equipment, the software, AND what I was actually giving to my clients and THEN looked at what I was charging...Ever so gently he talked me through some "problems" he saw with it...and although I understand and believe him and realize that in order to BALANCE things, there are some things that need to be tweaked...it's still hard for me to do.

I had to raise my price for one...To those of you that have already had a session...I THANK you for trusting me before you ever really saw a portfolio (other than my own children)...to those that have a session scheduled, you're still locked in at the other price...And the kicker, is that the new pricing is still not a level at which he necessarily feels represents all that comes out of it, it's still WAYYY below anyone else in the area that does this same sort of "service", but we compromised for now...It's all the "changing" that's going on that is crazy...I knew it would happen (the changes I mean) I just want it to be settled and it won't be until I discover more things along the way. 

I worry about disappointing people (with that whole business aspect of it) I want so badly to give a good "deal" and when you compare it apples to apples with what is out there, I'm basically undercutting those other photographers a lot...but at the same time, with the cost of camera equipment, computer software and not to mention that my computer is running all the time now...UGH...What I AM trying to do is just keep praying over it and making sure that the steps I take are ones that are in accordance to what God gives me a peace about...I love to do what I do...I would also love for it to be enough that I could use it for extra income for my family, my girls and be able to do all the other things that I want to do as Mommy...but, I have NO control over it...I have to let God take it where He will...

So...those are my flumoxxing thoughts for the day...in case you wondered...thanks for stopping by...oh, and stop over at CTPhotoMemories later this week to see some pics of the cute girls I got to photograph!!! Fun Fun Fun!!!

I'm Addicted

When I was in high school I had a computer class. I learned to make letters fly across the screen...a black screen...plain...boring...I didn't really see the point of the class (although I worked my tail off to get that A by golly) I couldn't see the importance of computers...they seemed like a whole lot more work than what I was willing to put forth for pretty much nothing but flying words across a screen...

Flash forward 20 years...holy cow! I'm not sure I would "enjoy" my free time as much without a computer...granted, I can still read my books, clean my house, play with whichever girls are home from school or if not, then I could take a nap during Little Munchkin's nap time, I could sew more projects...yes, there are things that could fill my time....

However, I LOVE the computer...I love creating things on photoshop...which, by the way I did this yesterday and was just so doggone proud of myself I told Italian Stallion, "Sweetheart, I think I've decided on our Christmas card"...He laughed at me...literally..LAUGHED out loud..."Honey," he said, " You mean to tell me that you've decided on a card in October? You have 2 months of coming up with more designs...and playing on photoshop...there is NO WAY on this green earth that you've made a decision already."

He knows me so well...although, I don't understand why the mention of "green earth" puts more emphasis into a statement, but he likes it and I get the point:)

Okay so, where was I?...Yes, the computer...so, basically I love it...there is no point to this post other than to state that I LOVE MY COMPUTER...well, except to point out that my computer has crashed...and I'm sad about it and I miss it and I dont' want to have to make a decision about a new one...I'm thankful for this yucky laptop thing that I'm working off of, don't get me wrong, but it's just not the same...It's like driving a tiny compact rental car when you are used to your mini van.

So, I'm done lamenting now...as I said, no point to this post...however, if you want to check out some other posts on CT Photo Memories...go click the button over there on the right and you'll see some fun apple pickin' day photos!

Have a great weekend!

Snow Ball Lists

I have a tendency, when things go wrong, to do what my husband affectionately calls, "Snowballing"...A snowball starts out tiny and then as it rolls, it gathers more and more snow until it's this huge, monstrous thing that you can barely lift in order to finish your snowman...

In highschool, I remember that I started "I Hate" lists...I would sit with a bunch of my fellow "nerdy learners" and we'd write out lists and lists of things we hated...granted they consisted of, "I hate theorums and I hate when I get an A-"...(I do realize that this is quite pathetic...but I'm trying to make a point)

yes, well...that's kinda what I do...I start listing things in my head...it starts with something small like getting a hole in my shirt or loosing a library book and then, as my day or week progresses, I start adding up all the things that are "going wrong" and I FOCUS on them...it's more like tunnel vision...in fact, sometimes my entire conversations can center around all those things...sometimes it's "theraputic" to just get it off my chest, other times it's plain annoying!!

Fortunately I have such forgiving and wonderful people that surround me that either 1) put up with my rants and self-pity or 2) knock some sense into me and tell me to get on with life!

So, for having said all that...in light of my computer crashing and a million other little things that I could "list" to you...I decided to FIGHT THE URGE...YES!!!  Instead of building my wall of negativity, I'm going to plow it down!!! 

I love LISTS...I like to check things off lists too...So, I've decided that for today's post (and maybe some for the future) I'd like to pick a topic and just LIST STUFF...and because I'm fighting the "negativity" urge...my list today will consist of "moments" that I love...not just any moments b/c then I'd be like everyone else and add in my wedding day and the birth of my girls, etc etc...nope, this is going to be a list of specific moments that happen rarely or often, but always continually (it's sort of an oxymoron rarely/continually..but I KNOW what I mean, so just humor me once again)...it's not just a one time event...but, they are special moments to me!

Moments I LOVE:

* when Little Munchkin looks up to me every night as I sit in our rocking chair together and says in her sweet little toddler voice, "Mommy, let's talk" and then I start to sing and she'll say "fop it" and ask for Daddy's song.

* the moment when my husband comes home from a business trip, usually with a Starbucks in tow, and he wraps me in his arms and holds me just a bit longer and I am reminded everytime how I can't believe he chose ME!

* Everyday at around 4pm when the girls get off the bus and they start running toward Little Munchkin and me with their arms out wide....they are high tailin' it as fast as they can and then Peanut just about plows me over with a huge hug...they are HOME and it feels so good!

* the moment that I look at a photo that I've taken and I know that I've catptured the personality of a person and I get all giddy.

*that feeling right before you know you are drifting off to sleep and you feel like you are floating...it's so peaceful and you know that you don't have to think for the next 6-7 hours!

* getting the first bite of Panera's broccoli cheddar soup on a piece of their baguette bread...ohhhh it's just divine!

* Right after I get the receipt from the cashier when I KNOW I've just made a really wise purchase that will actually save me money AND make the girls happy!

*when someone calls me on the phone just to talk with ME b/c they want to...no agenda...just wanting to spend time with me.

*AWANA worship time...I LOVE singing with that band and just being goofy...it's so fun!

*waking up and then realizing that you still can sleep for another hour or so...oh, that is just a great moment!!!

*when I hear an old song and it triggers a memory of something in my past...especially if it makes me laugh!

*when you step on the scale and realize that you've lost even just one pound...and then I go and eat chocolate and know that I have extra space to put it in now!

Those are just a few...do you have any "lovely Moments" to share?

It's Dead

So, my computer died yesterday...I'm a bit sad over it...yes, it's over 6 years old and I still have the OLD monitor that takes up the entire top of my desk...My computer and I are friends...we've been through lots together...

She kept all my pictures...
She dealt with all my save/delete/save/delete issues with said pictures
She's handled all my crazy photoshop programs with dignity and strength
She made the move 3 years ago and was patiently waiting in a POD for 3 months while we hung out at my inlaws until our house was ready...
She never gave me a lick of trouble...
She hung in there while we only had dial up and the rest of the COUNTRY had high speed...
Then, she snagged that high speed and gave me all she had...

Oh, sweet computer..I will miss you...thanks for enough time to get my stuff saved onto my external hard drive...You lived a good life...I am thankful for you...but, your time is done...

So now begins the process of finding another computer...and shelling out the money for it...I'm heading to Half Price books to sell some stuff today and I listed my stroller on craigs list last night...every little bit helps I'm thinking...

please be patient with me as I'm trying to work off of a very tempermental laptop (he and I will NOT become friends...he's a little too arrogant for me and likes to mess with my head) I'll keep you posted on our progress this week!

Have a great Monday!