Psalm 23

Seriously!  She ‘Shirley’ is the cutest ever!!

Psalm 23 

When does he become a man?

In a long conversation late into the night last night my son ask the question, “When are you going to see me as a man?”

Soon to be 18 and just starting his senior year in high school he is feeling life is pulling him into adulthood. Typical and I tell him so, we’re supposed to be going through growing pains around this time.

So as I pondered the question and knew parts of the answer, I carefully thought what he really needed and wanted to know before I answered.

He was such a great little guy and as puberty hit before going into junior high I could see him change. He challenged me more, he cut up more in school, grades of course went from straight ‘A’s to ‘A-B’ and sometimes ‘C’s… life then, was fast, swift and before we knew it… I had a child with a great heart and filled with compassion, yet lost and without GOD present to calm him.

He was testing the waters (not heavy..but it was present). As he reached high school, he had a range of friends. The ones I spotted I have personally held onto, their parents are involved in there lives and the kids are strong enough to voice to my son their worries where he might be going in his life. So as the years have come to his last in what we call our childhood…

My prayer to God was direct and to the point.

God be in his life, be in his face and bring a girlfriend who calms his heart and is a Christian and can build each-other while they grow into their adulthood.

The end of his Jr. year… there walked in… a girl with a huge smile, lots of life, and who he has in-trusted his heart to. My son has made better choices. Accepted God into his heart over this past summer and is walking a path filled with great possibilities. Keeping positive, keeping faith…

I’m on my knees giving thanks.

I’m now faced with the question, when does he become a man..? He’s not the only one wondering when do I see him in this light. Since I tell him all the time just because law states you are an adult and accountable for your actions at 18, you will not become a man till you are well into your 20’s and have experience’s on your own.

You may leave and go off to college and come home for a visit and life will have changed for the two of us… you may then turn into a man over night, but that’s where I guess when this transition will take place in our lives… but even us parents don’t know when exactly we see our children as adults. It’s a passage we all have to take either being the child ourselves demanding to break away and become our own identity or having our children going through the same right.

Son, you become a man as you walk into adulthood and bring back experiences on your own, you become a man when you’ve walked the street of life with all you’ve learned and gain wisdom through the events. You’re becoming a man everyday in my eyes.

the threshold to my heart

to my husband… we’re connected by string

As any parent

I often wonder, as any parent I’m sure does, who their child will be when they grow up.

Preparing for a shoot I called for my trusty model to set the colors and check the glass for clearity. Now I look at this image and I fall in love with not only the beauty I see outside, but that beauty I always see on the inside.

She’s on the cusp of a young woman, not my little girl who ran around the house just yesterday. I’m holding onto her youth for as long as I can, it seems to be slipping by me so fast.

LMAO with this baby

Taking your emotions from a tear to a laugh… get ready!

Got tissue!

You better get some before you watch this little girl sing! REALLY!

smoke photography

Just like the clouds, the smoke can take many shapes.  Hope your 4th was fun!!!

Happy 4th of Juuuullllllllllllllllyyyyyyyyy!

Still moving family over to the coast, still wishing the coast was my back yard. 

Way behind on everything, can’t seem to get to sit down and work on work!  If my mom asks me to unload one more box filled with one more art project that I know will not be completed in either her lifetime or mine… I may have to cut hers short!

Hahahahah Oh I’m just teasing… but gesh the girl has great ideas and she’s so artistic but she just can’t get to them all.  Half the house is dedicated to it and well there’s just not enough room!  Love you mom Big grin

Jord and I ran to the beach for an hour to have some fun.

Um… WOW!

I belong to a very little forum of friends and they shared this!

http://video.yahoo.com/video/play?vid=646496&cache=1

Dance!

Okay I’m so laughing I’m glad I don’t offer my services as a videographer! Actually this clip is not so bad before I reduced it down to web size… so gotta figure that out. Cause I love sharing this way too. My girl is the little brunette one. With only 6 weeks of dancing, I think she did great!

Her video

I love her stories!

My friend Nancy who I have yet to meet and have known as an online friend since Feb’03!!! Right Nanc? Has shared another wonderful new song from her baby sis-n-law. She’s been opening for Faith Hill and Tim on their tour this summer! Now how cool is that!

Lori McKenna a wife, mother, a believer in one has hit the charts again with her hit single ‘Unglamorous’! Her style is to be embraced for she tells her stories in such a soulful way. She moves me. (and you can quote me on that peoples giggle)

Watching her grow as an artist has been pretty cool. Nancy has really been great about sharing Lori’s walk as an ever growing artist. We love you Lori, and though you don’t know us… WE feel we know you because of Nancy. Your relationship shines in her eyes. And we are drawn to it.

When we put up our non-profit Lori was so gracious to share one of her songs for the site. I can’t express what that meant to her, nor I. Life is shown through our gifts and we have found a way to give back. Did I tell you WE love you Lori!?

Take a moment and watch a bit of what Lori is about… She’s all that and a bag of chips too!

Senior Journals are on the way!

What a way to kick into your last year of high school!!!  Either you be in Fashion or you’re a wake-border let’s journal it!

Bring on the sun!

Um loving this site!  click here

Happy Daddy’s day!

To all of you daddy’s out there, we want you to know you are so needed and loved.  I look at my hubby and know I could not raise my children to be complete without him.  I think at times as parents its so thankless and wonder if we’re doing all the right things for their sake… and I look at my children and know… we are.

Kiss to the kids and teach them to tell you what they feel.  Let them know YOU need to hear it some times.  It’ssssokay to want that from time to time.

Love you daddy… love you hun..

1989

My one and only image of me pregnant with my first son. He was due in February but decided to hang in there for two more weeks just for spite I know it!

Um… love the hair Chelle! And with that added flash shadow… ah… yeah… just loving it.

Edit to add (after Anita’s post):  I’m at my moms house and was getting ready to go to my company’s Christmas party.  LOL Anita, I know… I was so proud of that necklace.  My mom and I made it out of hair thread… there was a lot of it too!  Thank you I felt sooooo big then and didn’t realize how beautiful that belly was till some 17 years later.  I love pictures!  Even when I’m feeling ugly… I love knowing life happened.

Tylenol

A man and his wife were spending the day at the zoo. She was wearing a
loose; fitting, pink dress, sleeveless with straps. He was wearing his usual
jeans and T-shirt. As they walked through the ape exhibit, they passed in
front of a large, silverback gorilla.

Noticing the wife, the gorilla went crazy. He jumped on the bars, and
holding on with one hand and 2 feet he grunted and pounded his chest with
his free hand. He was obviously excited at the pretty lady in the pink
dress.

The husband, noticing the excitement, thought this was funny. He suggested
that his wife tease the poor fellow some more by puckering her lips and
wiggling her bottom. She played along and the gorilla got even more excited,
making noises that would wake the dead.

Then the husband suggested that she let one of her straps fall to show a
little more skin. She did… And the gorilla was about to tear the bars
down.

“Now… Show your thighs and sort of fan your dress at him,” he said.

This drove the gorilla absolutely crazy, and he started doing flips.

Then the husband grabbed his wife, ripped open the door to the cage, flung
her in with the gorilla and slammed the cage door shut.

“Now. Tell HIM you have a headache!”

Kate

She decided she wanted to be here NOW! Not only was she 3 weeks early, she arrived in 45 minutes! She’s a little peanut. A 5lb widdle peanut. As soon as the new site is up and running July 1st, I’ll be moving most of the client sneak peeks to the blog there. But till then, I just gotta share on my personal site. I don’t share all of my clients on here, only because it’s suppose to be about the family and I.. but look at this fam!

She wore an itsibitsy yellow poka dot bikini

Okay actually this isn’t about the yellow poka dot that’s flashing through the frame… it’s about point-n-shoots. This image is the full frame shot out of camera. Everyone wants or expects real time shutter speeds right? Meaning, if you push that button at the top of your camera it should take the image/action you’re looking at. I’m laughing at this image moment… since when I pushed the button to snap the image she was on the far right of the frame. Now, I’m just barely getting her in the frame off to the far left…some’ns wrong with this picture?

side note: the way she’s running is cracking me up!

when a song hit’s the soul

it explodes … I love his voice and I love this style of music.

http://www.myspace.com/plainwhitets

Happy Belated Birthday Tren’

Jordan and I are doing a shoot in San Diego for a very special little guy. He turned 1 in January, but we just couldn’t schedule his shoot till now, and he experienced the ocean water for his first time while we are here. It was so hilarious to watch! I think I have a water logged camera.. naw, just kidding… but lots of fun sun spots and water drops. And beautiful baby smiles…

Lola has GROWN!

We have had her for 4 weeks and look at the difference now!

May 12th 2007

June 7th 2007

by ee cummings

i carry your heart with me(i carry it in
my heart)i am never without it(anywhere
i go you go,my dear;and whatever is done
by only me is your doing,my darling)
i fear
no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want
no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)
and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows
higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that’s keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)

**MISSING TURTLE ALERT**

We were given a Tortoise from an old family friend when my boys were little. About 17 years ago! He was born in captivity and was about 3-4 years old when we got him… Or in that ball park.

He’s been with us through three house moves.. comes to the door to eat his dinner and basks in the sun during the summer months, he’s just a sweet heart. During March and April he comes in and out of his whole he has dug till the heat of the day is consistent. A few weeks ago I had seen him, but the last few days… I noticed he hasn’t come up to the door. I’ve gone to every nook and cranny of our back yard and still he has not been found. I love that turtle, if you live in our area and may have seen a turtle taking a walk down the street… please contact us. Again, he’s been in the family for so long, at least pray?

Thanks everyone.

My Teacher

I have no words, other than, I can’t decide which one I love most?

My daughter and her teacher…

Maternity Love

I love doing maternity’s, I love when the couple really relax and fall into eachother. As this couple did. The session was longer then my normal ones, yet we were all cool with this since the time just passed so quickly.  This is a sneak peek of what is to come for them, hope you love it as I do, thank you for such a wonderful time and hubby, you did GREAT! Kate is going to have a GREAT, mommy and daddy. I can see it.

My Newborn Session With Lola

Lola girl, (8 weeks)

Puppy Health!

Lola has already had surgery! (minor)

We were giving her wet food and we think we found it to cause her to have wet poo… eww (I know), also, we have a pond in the back though, and I think (no I know) she’s drank out of it. Our older girl, Brittney is able to drink from there with no problems, we mean to drain it or setup something for this not to happen however… not in time for the wee one.

We think Lola got a bug and it’s not the wet food causing her this distress. We just don’t know, all I know is in one morning, after going 4 times, she had a hemorrhoid!!! 8 weeks old and in one morning the poor girl was a mess. I got on line to find out what we can do about this and they say dogs do not get hemorrhoids they’re actually prolapsed rectums. After swooping her up to the vet, and a minor surgery later leaving her with a stitch in her bottom… she’s a happy girl again. She’s not fixed, and she’s not out of my site much right now…but she’s happy.

Work and a baby dog! ?? and a sick little baby dog at that! Yet look at the love this shot gives out the day after surgery!

Wrapped In Love Shoot

I did a WIL shoot last night with a family who has three children. Their youngest (1 year) will only be with them for a short time. One day the littlest toes will not be there.

He’s a beautiful boy!

Happy Mothers Day!

Whaw? I can say that everyday right? It doesn’t matter if it’s days after the event. We as mothers should say that every morning when we get up. Here’s an image from the Alexander Family Journal. I love the timeless feel they have together. Mother was born and raised on a farm outside the Bakersfield area and wanted to capture the essence again with her family. So we took a drive in April to her family farm and found some Almond trees still blooming. As soon as I met this family I was at home.

Making a Non-Profit

So many of you know we have been working a non-profit status for a year now, yet we still have not turned our papers in, maybe it’s the $3500 for a lawyer to fill the paperwork out, even though we have most of that done, they need to dot the ‘i’s so it won’t come back and we won’t loose that money and time it takes for all of this to happen? Maybe it’s the $500 added for just the paper processing fees…??

Actually it’s all of the above.

I could let this go and JOIN the many organizations out there who have gone down this road, yet.. that’s not what I and my cofounder wanted to do.  We want this to be just as it is.  We’re making blankets and recording the blink a child’s life is blessed in a family.  They are here, and then they’re gone.

It’s interesting how we cannot GIVE a gift without it being ‘legalized’.  We could take this off of non-profit status and keep doing it out of our pocket since that’s how we’ve doing it for the past year, yet we can’t take in donations as so many (seriously) are asking HOW they can give… we’re CRAZY to have to turn the money down since it would screw our business paperwork up and push us into a higher tax bracket let a lone it would be hard to track the money’s down to keep everyone honest.  Without them seeing everything else in our stream.

It’s sad, since the product the families receive are gifts that cannot be measured.  You cannot measure a child’s moments with their family.  NO money on earth can buy that.

I’m asking all my readers to help US (wrappedinlove.org) love and record the children.  Do you know of a non-profit lawyer willing to give their time for one more non-profit org wanting to give a gift of pictures in a bound book and blanket to hold during their travels?  Do you have access to funds to help get this off the ground?  Any focus points, ideas, support to get us through this money issue so we can give our talents back to families wanting this project.

Thank you for always emailing me your love and thoughts and funnies.  I love you too!!  My circle just gets bigger and bigger!  And in that circle are GREAT people.

Love you

Love me

Womens Retreat

A few weeks ago, I joined many women at the beach for a women’s retreat.  The kind to fill the soul…

The message was perfect for so many of those attending.  I enjoyed seeing the message take such a strong hold in all of our lives from different points during the weekend.

I bought a point’n shoot for all these fast trips, video clips and shots I miss when I don’t bring the SLR along.

…and how fun it was to have it.

During a break, we went down to the beach, watched kids at play… went back up to the pool and sat in the jacuzzi.  While there I tested the under water feature… LOLOL Am I not gorgeous?!

puppies in the air

hey everyone!

It’s been awhile?  Dang look at the dates, time fly’s when life is sooo busy.  I’m love’n it.

Bryan (my son) had a birthday back in March and we were looking for a Boxer for his present.  A few months later and we found one.  Gesh, it’s puppy season!  For the last year so many I know got a puppy.  :-D  and we are no exception.  wink

Bryan’s girlfriend has a Juicy collar on order as we speak.  too funny.. Meet Lola, 8 weeks old!!

My world shifted to receive a gift.

(I received a one liner reply that prompted me to share a story written below)

You just don’t know what this means to me… I love making people giggle, either at me or just life.

Finding that again… has been an incredible trip.. not one that I could say I’d like to take again, as I’ve heard others say they wouldn’t change a thing… since that’s what built their character… but I would def’ say that if it changed at all, it may not have given me the gifts I’ve received in my last 5 years. In those 5 years, I can count the gifts and the tragic events which seemed to out weigh in number. I was choosing to talk, work and fight my battles for a more positive outlook, a more positive circle of people, to help me pull out what I so desired for others to see in me…

I’m becoming a person I REALLY like. I’m learning to love me, love the road I’m on, even as hard as it gets, I’m learning to understand it.

I couldn’t really reply fast on this statement Jen’, I know you of all people have said more than once, how you really hold this group in your heart and appriciate where you fit in and are thankful you are accepted as who you are (how ever you feel that is) I feel the need to say the same thing..

I had to take it in a bit. I almost posted my past Fridays ‘I get it’ thoughts on my blog… but stopped to keep the feeling to myself (more for selfish reasons) I’m sharing this now.

… has anyone watched the movie Practical Magic and the two sisters at the end bond so tightly that the forces explode!? … as I was driving away last Friday morning… I had that feeling… what an incredible feeling it was. That morning, after all that’s gone on in my life, all that’s got me to this point, all that I still stride to accomplish as a person walking through everyones lives… family, friends… just the path…

I got it.

Now how do I explain the depth so that you understand? What one’s explosion can be another one’s words just in type on a page without connection… so how do I bring you into what I was feeling?

…so it sparks me to speak a bit… wink.. I’m never long winded… ?? whaaaww

(gesh I wonder who has left the build yet… anyone still reading to this point? BIG GRIN)

When I left last Friday, after bible study…not that anything really determined my feelings to give me this mind explosion… well that’s not true… obviously not true… it was on the verge, the group just helped me pull it all together while listening to their conversations.

I did sit back and listened and thought about every one at our ’round table’… (even the ones not there that day) I thought of all the things that’s been brought to this ’round table’ of friends. What they’re going through was similar to what I had gone through, what I maybe going through is what someone else has experienced before. As simple as those thoughts are, I know they were profound to me at the time I was thinking them. Almost tagged as ‘right of passage’ so to speak. Not a passage all want to take or choose, but the passage has a purpose.. take those words in strongly… the passage has a purpose.

I listened to heartfelt feelings being poured into a group of friends who so desperately want to heal the problems and be there to hold their hands. While thinking this, I was feeling, just listen, listen to the hearts as they are being poured out.. don’t act on them Chelle, pull back, these feeling brought on by life’s residual events… allow this to happen, accept it’s happening and hear the hearts, as they sort the feelings out. When the time comes… they’ll be ready to heal and work on making this a positive perspective.

It’s such a humbled experience and hard to intrust turmoil in your life to others, it opens weak feelings and raw ‘out of context’ thoughts, for your peers to quickly judge or quick to help, it’s a human reaction. However, over time, that trust, this circle of friends (some come, some go) it’s been stead fast… it’s given me profound insight on who my circle of friends are.. keeping those friends that are healthy, positive and kind has slowly given me a larger ’round table’…

We all meet on a Friday morning reading from a book of choice to move our hearts, make us think… become better productive people as we forage the week ahead. These books are great at times.. and for me… not as important as the 45 minutes of just insight of knowing I have these friends dealing with my imperfections, my contributions and learning the full package of who I am. Each of these woman, have their perfect gift to bring to the ’round table’. Each having not so perfect lives, are so fitting to make one perfect ‘body’ of friendship.

It’s those friends who three years ago in a cabin at a retreat reminded me (through actions and perseverance and just loyalty) relationships take work, life takes patients and you have to condition and build strength to know it’s all falling into place.

For example and then I’ll wind this to a close, my past career path, brought my daughter to me, we have two son’s that rock, and then we have a daughter the has filled out souls… get it… they ROCK N’ SOUL… oh wait.. did I stretch that a bit? giggles..

This is huge! IF NONE of the places of my past employment did not bring me to the place I was at during the moment I was face to face with a social worker.. and greeted her as I did…we would not have our little girl today…. we would have someone I’m sure… but not HER…

…or if my son, one year prior to this passing conversation to this social worker, while playing baseball did not knock a base runner coming home (he’s a catcher) to the ground sending that runners helmet through the air, giving him a concussion, while my son was protect the opposing team from scoring… if he did not go to that kid and help him up… walk him to his teams bench, let him know he was there for him, showing compassion and concern (oh man by this age it can be brutal out there, many do not have that sportsman like conduct) if all of that didn’t happen while the mother of that boy was watching.. my daughter may not be my daughter… because that mother, really noticed my son that day, noticed my son’s character, she felt it was a family unit that brought him to handle the event as he did and it moved her. A year later, back to the desk of meeting the social worker, asking, “which department do you work for in the county?”… she reply’s, “the adoption department”… I was hit… I told her my quick story (yes it was very quick) telling her we’re in the process of adopting. She said she’ll keep an eye out for me… ?? I didn’t know her, and wondered if she really meant that…

Two days later, sitting at lunch with a close friend who got me that job, I received a call, from another social worker whose name is ‘B’ (aka, mom to the baseball player) telling me they have a little girl who would fit perfectly into our home, that she knows us from playing ball with her son through out this last year and she told me the story of the day our boys collided and what it meant to her. She told me the woman who I greeted two days prior had one of her little girls go through an awful event the following day, and had brought my name up to her attention. ‘B’, who recognized our names knew who we were and feels we would be the perfect family for her. She went on to say she looks and speaks just like us and she’s the age (my boys wanted) we requested. …I was of course in tears… because I then realized why my path had to go in such a funk up to that very moment.

My universe moved, shifted, feel apart and was built on making a path for a little girl to find her home with us, …to 4 very lucky and blessed people, my universe actually shifted.

That path… that very path, has taken me onto learning more and shifting more, and building and falling and building again till I ‘m here, where I’m at today… telling you how your friendships play in a very special part in my life. Where I can keep looking at my past and see where all the shifts are more defined now. You help me, see me. That’s huge.

Thank you… with a huge warm grin… thank you.

Blink

The first two seconds of any given event. What are your thoughts… most times than not, they’re correct. I have a strong sense of things, however when others get in my head with their own ideas or misleads… I can get very confused, and leery. Becoming emotional. Then I become the freak.. hemmm I wonder really who the culprit maybe?

I’m reading a new book called ‘Blink’, by Malcolm Gladwell. Into the few pages it tells a story of gut feeling without facts… how we should listen more to them.

Spending all of our energy over analyzing … gesh I would never do that? But hey, I’m trying to give all sides fair judgement. right? Well this is just the first few pages and I’ve stopped to come and post my thoughts of what this book may have to say. I wished I was validated by these few pages a long time ago. wink

While watching ‘The Secret’

I was burning some incense… left the door open and while the wind was blowing it sent the sounds of my wind-chimes (large tubes with sweet soothing music) into my front room. The environment was giving me chills of excitement. I loved it… I was in a metamorphose mode. While going through my choice of change, I saw an image I wanted to capture… as I uploaded the image… I got another image…

The eye is in the beholder… (one eyebrow raised) wink

do you see …

SOOC - reduced for web and added a layer of contrast for a deeper color.

edited to say (after Paige’s comment): I see a crazy fun guy with large nastrils and crazy curly hair with his tongue stick’n out. BIG GRIN

The Secret

I’m watching it now… as I type… just the intro nailed me…

family passing… my relationships in turmoil, they’re where I want them now but… WOW!

bottom line question… “what do you really want?”

Paige, it backs everything up you say… so I’ve been told..

Okay now… I’ll finish watching this.

I plan to come out of watching this a changed person. Not a follower… but a leader.

I think it’s pretty cool

This little guy was soo cool to watch. He would run out into the sun, do his pushups. Then I would mess with him a bit and he would run back under his hidding place… but very quickly he was right back out. This went on and on… I … had fun! LOL

The Holiday

The movie ‘The Holiday’… sigh…

the childrens tent scene … I fell in love for her…

pet photography

I so love taking pictures of family, children… LOVE… and in that love, are our pets! I love taking pictures of animals. Our pets. Just so fun! And this girl (the dog) was so funny to work with! She would work the camera every time! She’s got such a comical expresion I had to share from the owners session.

Surreal

Being able to come in and truly record an intimate moment in someone’s family life… is such a surreal feeling for me as well.

I love what I do as a career. To be able to do what you absolutely love … sometimes it’s just too hard to describe.

10 Things

10 things you may not know about me:

1. I love the mountains to the soul. When I’m in the middle of the redwoods, the beats of my heart slow instantly bringing me to a very calm surreal feeling…
2. I’m a solar baby, if the sun’s out.. I have energy (as much as I can come up with these days), if the suns down… my lids want to close.
3. I loved flying planes with my dad. The clouds above a storm could be pillowy cotton, so white and dense I felt I could reach out the window and pull on them.
4. I’m attracted to perfect teeth (snort whaaat?) it was one of many reasons why I was attracted to my husband.
5. I love love love animals (dogs and horses are my favorite)
6. I hate bras!
7. I love the home filled with family or even friends… but quiet. It’s the pressence I feel.
8. My favorite style is my style, when done right. I suppose that’s why I’m so hard on myself in everything I do. I beat you to the judgement.
9. I romance the early 1800’s and the 1970’s.
10. I can curl my tongue!

shhhh, listen

Spring Cleaning

I used to be a GREAT multitask’r, have a clean desk in my office space, answer phones, resolve customer service issues work with multiple people at any given time and walk away feeling a job well done.

Now… as I’m older, and with a home business… it’s not like that at all!

I think I’ve been spring cleaning off and on for two months and I’m not even close to where it should be. From cleaning my HD files to changing up in my business to cleaning the floor off in the walk-in closet.

Clutter is easy, being organized and focused takes so much energy, but then when I feel I’m up to the bottom of the nose and can hardly breath with just the top portion of my head peep’n out over the water… oh no I’m drowning.

I kick and scream to survive and find a way to analyze how I can lower the level of water around me only to find I just need to pull the plug out of the bath tub. It’s that simple

How can I pull the plug and de-clutter not just the clutter around me but the clutter that stagnates or paralyzes me?

I have a garage I’ve cleaned, I don’t know how many times, and have started to dry wall it in for another studio source, but then the rain came and I put everything back in and can barely see the path.

I have an office that’s been cleaned even more often and is now storage to all the other items I found in other rooms I’ve cleaned out all needing a home in the office… but where?? So it sits out.

We remodeled the house and added more pantry space however now I have to clean the new pantry since when it was done is was so late and I wanted everything off the new concrete counter and off the new flooring and when looking for something now, I can’t seem to find it since it’s some where in the back of the pantry…

{insert my fren’ Angela’s rolling eyes concept}

After the remodel the boys have been waiting for me to put up their new shelfs… what! I like this couch!

All of this becomes so paralyzing when I can’t seem to break it down into little sections and do one part at a time. Little tasks with completions to them… no no I have to get the gust of energy and hit them all with no completions and added frustrations.

See a pattern?

Clean your act up, look at one area of your life and fix it.

These are only examples of just my home surroundings… life’s more complicated adding to relationships between God, your family, extended family, friends, and clients… potential clients, being a part of each of your children’s lives, your husbands life… it becomes overwhelming at times. Throw in a business and it starts over…you have now a dual life!!

When you get the feeling your drowning in your tub, write your tasks down on a to-do list (even if you can do it in your head still write it down) get all the senses involved and find a solution list for all the tasks in your demanding life.

This is where I’m headed. You can do-it!

Clean natural light

I love clean natural light… its the most rewarding for my eye. I wished the boys were this age just so I could work with them easier… these days I can’t get them in front of the camera… without a fight. So I pick my battles… can you see who’s winning?

Jord’s at the cusp but give her a camera and she’s right there working with me. I love watching her working the camera, trying to document what she sees, developing an eye. Love it.

The Catcher

My 1st son ~

He’s always been a great athlete, played with kids 2-3 years older, one of the starters for most, a great team player and a great leader when, he was younger. (whaa?, I’m a mom… I can say those things and it be true right?… ) wink

I can’t help but say how I loved when parents from other team players or even opposing teams would come up and ask, if we where his parents?

“Haney’s a great kid, he’s a good sportsman and he really leads and supports his team”…

His sportsmanship is just a part Jord’s adoption story. One day I’ll post her story. It’s just when I think of things like this, it just reminds me how everyone played a special part and if it weren’t for them… I wonder is she would be with us today? Amazing play in Gods will…

anyway back to Haney boy.

Things like that really swelled the heart up and just made us feel as though we have a great combination going on in our family… balanced parenting (my husband teaching him team ethic and skills and his mom teaching him team spirit and support) and not to forget a competitor who is a great kid.

Those days were the fundamentals, of not throwing the bat down or showing uncontrolled disappointment, or if a player needs help up or gets hurt, be the first out there to help him up. Shout out the calls, know your game, teach others by showing through example. Pump the team spirit when the game seems to be turning… you haven’t lost till we’re going home… all those basics that can be carried into our daily lives. Those were the days we saw the most growth in him. When we had more control on his environment.

Today, he’s a young man, he’s no longer a boy. With hopes that those basics can carrier him through struggles in an ever changing world… I miss the boy so much… but through all his trials and tribulations as a growing young man… I’m loving who I see before me. He’s not perfect, he’s a typical punk teen, but I love him dearly.

I love you son.

Our pets

Our pets, they make our heart calm, sing, and open.

Here’s my mom’s puppy. Anee, looks as though she’s giving me a smile.

Listen

I went to Bible study this morning and had one eye open. It’s sooo early… the stars are still shinning.

Couldn’t sleep at all night last night, so much is going on, pretty great for the most part keeps me busy and away from the internet.

Although, Kevin had an ear infection and his ear drum broke which is why I had even more lack of sleep. Poor kid. He’s in high-school and his ear breaks? His older brother has had so many in his lifetime he’s almost used to it, but Kev’, he’s never had one and it broke my heart he didn’t know how to handle it. So needless to say mom’s just don’t sleep well even when the kids are older.

Well Bible study was and is always worth getting up to on Fridays. We’re still reading books from Jen Hatmaker. I loved the first book we studied “Girls Trip” and now we’re reading “Tune In”, right now we’re reading when praying to God.. stop and then listen… taking those moments after the requests and praises and just listen. I like to just listen to the girls talk and get their thoughts on what they’ve read in the past week, what’s going on in their lives and just sit and take it all in is a blessing in so many ways for me. It keeps me connected.

What do you think you might hear if you listened? This is a question I’m asking myself today.

I’m a heavy thinker, how can I hear through all the thinking? I’m even finding it hard to stay focused. That time I should be quiet… I find myself floating around in the brain. Allowing so many things to paralyze the thoughts that should be simple and organized.

Love you
Love me

peekaboo

Laughing at myself

I’m laughing at myself so hard I have tears blurring my vision.

We have a storm rolling through and some really great cloud formations are roll’n with it. So I get this idea and act on it… without of course thinking. Well I did but … as you read on it didn’t stop ME.

I want to take pictures of the clouds without any building or tree in the way. So I get a ladder and climb on the back patio… snort

All of a sudden as I reach the top of the patio and my toe leaves the top of the ladder… I freeze with major anxiety… I’m now afraid of heights! What the hell! So I slowly stand up to finish my investigation of what the roof line shot would be and then decide okay I’ll go get the camera.

snort (laughter setting in as I type again) I CAN’T get DOWN! I’m too scared to roll myself over and put my foot down on the first (safely second) step for fear of tipping. I can’t yell out to Les since he left the house, so I check to see if I have my cell phone on me… THANK YOU GOD! I then start to think… seriously… do I want to have the neighbors over and laugh at the moron who lives near them? Or … should I just wait through the obvious rain that’s coming till Les gets home…

I spring for the phone and make the call… the guy that’s usually home was outta state and lucky me his daughter was home from school.. I begged her not to ask questions just come look in my back yard…

LMBO she had to talk me down cause I wasn’t gonna move!

I decided she needed to hand me a pillow, blanket, my laptop and an umbrella. ” I’ll stay here for awhile”. busting at the stitches I’m such a dork!

Okay I’m down and safe on this mighty ground.

What a stress lifting event… I was laughing the whole time at how dumb my fear was and that I was getting shots of adrenaline when I would make a move down.

Tell me.. what lesson did I learn from THIS?!

Happy Birthday Baby Girl!

Me loves me baby girl!

With her crunched nose, no teeth and begging me to come get her off the wall… there was too much stuff on the ground for her to MOVE. giggles

I had her trapped!

I love you Jordie, you don’t have to say you’re 7 1/2 anymore!

We left the house this morning to check the downtown area out… I never get to do that… and I found some great textured walls and ally’s. mewahahahah

But I recorded a few images to keep her young forever! wink

Happy V day!

Happy V day!

Laguna Beach…

I went from a rainy cold morning here to a HOT & BRIGHT day there. Gesh!

But what a sweet family gift they were to me. Kelly Vaugh http://www.kellyvaughphotography.com/ is an online photographer friend from over 3 years now. I have a few that I love to keep in contact with and we vow to get together. Well… she actually came to CA. They live in Arkansas and while her hubby had to attend a conference here near Disneyland… oie.. the family got to play. I only had a little over an hour to visit and really we didn’t even get to do that. Her son was wiped out he had to have a nap lil’ goober. snort I’m glad this happened. Even on the SUNNIEST of days… not my favorite thing to do but… it seems to all work out. It was her daughters first time at the beach so it was fun to watch that. Thank you Kelly for inviting me to spend a bit of time with you and your family.

homework

So my homework for this weeks bible study is to take a test to discover my spiritual gifts… um… I’m trying to answer the questions…

Once we find them, we’re to focus and make them stronger… I thought it would be an easy test… but um… what was I thinking?

2 weeks old

2 weeks old, he is yet another gift to the family legacy. Brendan Keefer, my niece’s son.

taking pictures of animals

I love taking pictures of animals. Seriously, they’re so beautiful to me. My nieces kitty

and my friend Carrie’s kitty ‘Tang’ who loves butter! I wished I got a full body shot but as she said it’s a cool shot still.

I love this image.

I love this image.

He says it all

He says it all in just a smile.

My new nephew:

Brendan Joseph Keefer
Saturday, 1/27 12:40 AM
7 lbs 2 ounces
20.25 inches

I was able to sneak a few pictures in while watching him earlier this week. I grabbed about a handful and then I just couldn’t stand it, I had to hold him. Poor lil’ guy has joundice. Seems like every baby these days is born with a level of it. Mommy’s doing well, tired… but loving him to pieces. Melts my heart.

other photographer blogs

I was reading other photographer blogs and came across this one… She said words such as:

“Like any muscle the more you use it the stronger and more effective it gets. But if you neglect to use it atrophy happens and it becomes very difficult to try new things or move out of your safety zone. If you want to achieve the best life has for you, you too will have to strengthen this muscle.”

“People who “go for it” open themselves up to opportunity. They give themselves the chance to experience the very best life has to offer.

What opportunities would present themselves to YOU if you were bold and went for more things?” -Paige Kearin

I’m all smiles as I sit her to think up my next plan!

Girl Friends

Can’t live without them!

Oh My Gosh!

I’m teaching my daughter how to take pictures with a D100. We bought her a digital point & shoot but it was not cutt’n it. I knew it wouldn’t however… hubby wasn’t understanding why I wanted to get her a higher quality one in the first place. He understood the significance of me giving her a camera… well you know what I mean… Jord has frames up on her wall with out pictures in them (hey something my Uncle Terry used to tease me about giggles so I went with it) I want Jordan to fill them with her own art. The quality of the little guy just won’t do. So… now that I have my other camera back.. I want her to use it. Which then brings me to todays entry.

I’m down loading all of Jord’s 153 images she took in the back yard of the dog and cat… dog and cat… cat and dog… tree… dog and cat… see a pattern here. LOL

I then scroll and laughed out loud when I came up on little boy faces popping through a wood plank missing from the fence. snort it’s so flipping cute! There are a few shots Jordie landed during her session with the camera. They will be going on her wall! wink and then there are two little boys who will also be going on her wall… friends from school but also sweet sweet moments from her first shoot with a DSLR.

In camera crop

In camera crop

do you have tissue?

Being A Mom

We are sitting at lunch one day when my daughter casually
Mentions that she and her husband are thinking of
“starting a family.”

“We’re taking a survey,” she says half-joking.
“Do you think I should have a baby?”

“It will change your life,” I say, carefully
Keeping my tone neutral.

“I know,” she says, “no more sleeping in on
Weekends, no more spontaneous vacations.”

But that is not what I meant at all. I look at my
Daughter, trying to decide what to tell her. I want her to
Know what she will never learn in childbirth classes.

I want to tell her that the physical wounds of
Child bearing will heal, but becoming a mother will leave
Her with an emotional wound so raw that she will forever be vulnerable.

I consider warning her that she will never again
Read a newspaper without asking, “What if that had
Been MY child?” That every plane crash, every
House fire will haunt her. That when she sees
Pictures of starving children, she will wonder if anything could
Be worse than watching your child die.

I look at her carefully manicured nails and
Stylish suit and think that no matter how sophisticated she is,
Becoming a mother will reduce her to the
Primitive level of a bear protecting her cub. That
An urgent call of “Mom!”
Will cause her to drop a soufflé ¯ her best crystal
Without a moments hesitation.

I feel that I should warn her that no matter how
Many years she has invested in her career, s he will be
Professionally derailed by motherhood.
She might arrange for childcare, but one day she
Will be going into an important business meeting and she will
Think of her baby’s sweet smell. She will have to use every
Ounce of discipline to keep from running home, just
To make sure her baby is all right.

I want my daughter to know that every day
Decisions will no longer be routine. That a five year old boy’s
Desire to go to the men’s room rather than the women’s at
McDonald’s will become a major dilemma. That right
There, in the midst of clattering trays and screaming children,
Issues of independence and gender identity will be weighed
Against the prospect that a child molester may be lurking in that restroom.

However decisive she may be at the office, she
Will second-guess herself constantly as a mother.

Looking at my attractive daughter, I want to
Assure her that eventually she will shed the pounds of pregnancy,
But she will never feel the same about herself.

That her life, now so important, will be of less
Value to her once she has a child. That she would give
Herself up in a moment to save her offspring,
But will also begin to hope for more years, not to
Accomplish her own dreams, but to watch her child accomplish theirs.
I want her to know that a cesarean scar or shiny stretch marks will become
Badges of honor. My daughter’s relationship with her husband will
Change, but not in the way she thinks.

I wish she could understand how much more you can
Love a man who is careful to powder the baby or who never hesitates to
Play with his child. I think she should know that she will fall in love
With him again for reasons she would now find very unromantic.

I wish my daughter could sense the bond she will
Feel with women throughout history who have tried to stop war,
Prejudice and drunk driving.

I want to describe to my daughter th e exhilaration
Of seeing your child learn to ride a bike. I want to capture for her the
belly laugh of a baby who is touching the soft fur of a dog or cat for the
first time. I want her to taste the joy that is so real it actually hurts.

My daughter’s quizzical look makes me realize that
tears have formed in my eyes. “You’ll never regret it,” I finally say. Then
I reached across the table, squeezed my daughter’s hand and offered a
silent prayer for her, and for me, and for all the mere mortal women who
stumble their way into this most wonderful of callings.

Please share this with a Mom that you know or all
of your girlfriends who may someday be Moms.
May you always have in your
arms the one who is in your heart.

My mom’s new baby.

My mom’s new baby.

Hootie was put down just before the holiday’s she was a great companion to both my parents.

…and then Annie was born.

there is nothing better then puppy breath… :-)))

Road Trip

A book that some how every time I pick it up … taps into deep emotions of how I might look at things. This author is amazing, she’s real, and connects to the very thing I want to work on in my life. What I want to get back to…

Just her acknowledgment pulled me into read more..

“I must thank my husband, Brandon, and our three bundles, Gavin, Sydney Beth, Galeb. During this writing, our home fell on some hard times. Namely, complete and utter neglect. For wearing dirty socks and eating pizza four nights a week, I love you. Brandon, thank you for reminding me when I wore the same clothes two days in a row or more. That’s the kind of accountability you knew I needed. This is why we’re partners for life.”

I admire the passion and the way she admits to the neglect…

here’s another passage:

“It is in our nature to admire others. As young women, we often seek out mentors to shape us and model good living for us. Our eyes constantly seek those we’d like to pattern ourselves after. The who I want to be like. She’s a great example for me.”

Some thing huge I just read…a question that seems to drive me to a paralyzed state of mind many times then not…

“Where is your appetite driving you? What are you starved for? Money? Attention? Power? Validations? Status?”

um… at one point… all of the above… however … validation and money would be the root of my weakness…

oh I’m sick for even admitting that…

hemmm, not bad! :-DD

hemmm, not bad! :-DD

under warranty

I’m testing a camera back from the MFG under warranty repair… it’s faster than it ever was… so that’s great news for me. I did a mini shoot also just moments ago of Jordie so we’ll see what we have there too.

Here’s Dallas who’s not so happy with me these days… I’ve kicked him out of the house after the remodel.

music

I love her music and being so young… she amazes me with talent…

Corinne Bailey Rae

I just watched her sing her song’s:

Like a Star and Put Your Records On

Down load them all from iTunes! She’s great!

turning 1

This is my kinda photo shoot… natural and real… of course she got dressed but … how can this not be beautifully sweet and warm. Little munchkin… this shot is in camera cropped so I’m not sure what we’re going to do when it come’s time to size it… I wanna keep all of what I see in this picture. wink

diet anyone?

I suppose a p