Another shower, and shopping!

On Sunday, we had a baby shower for my friend Carly.  The girls came, and brought their husbands with them.  The girls chatted, played games, and opened presents.  The guys played boot hockey on the pond behind our house and ate and hung out down stairs.  It was a fun day.

My friend Sadie and I are the same in that we want to make sure everyone is well fed- we make some good food.  At the shower I made egg salad on croissants, spanikopita, greek chicken skewers with tzaiki sauce, caprese skewers, pink pop corn, chocolate covered strawberries, and punch.  Sadie made reeces brownies, cupcakes, a little cake, stuffed mushrooms, and olive spread and french bread.  

We like cooking : )

It's always fun to celebrate babies.  Steve and Carly know they're having a girl, but aren't telling the name.  That drives me crazy!

Yesterday my sister and I met my Aunt Linda and did some shopping for my brother's May wedding.  We all got dresses!  Even Kira  : )

My evening was spent at the gym, and I got home just in time to see the end of the Bachelor.  Lamest season ever.  Castle was good as always, though I fell asleep on the couch before they found the killer.  Dang.



running

For the last 2 or 3 years, I've had dreams about running.  Not daydreams, or goals to be a fast runner, actual while I'm sleeping dreams.   And I'm not running from someone or something, or stressed/scared at all, I'm loving it.  I remember my running dreams, and it's always just me running by myself and loving every minute.  I've been having more and more lately, though.

And then I wake up.  And try to run.  And my knee caps remind me that I'm not really able to run. 

I could run if someone were chasing me.  But running multiple miles every day just really hurts.

So, if there are any dream interpreters out there, why am I having these dreams?

I have a lot of friends that run, maybe its' just in my subconscious. 

But, I've been doing LOTS of kickboxing classes, and I never dream about them.

So, do I press on and work my way up to running as I slowly but surely lose the weight, or do I leave it for my dreams and sweat it out to classes at the y, hoping to have the same joy that I somehow have running in my dreams?

Rachel's Shower

On Sunday, we had a baby shower for Rachel.  I worked at St. Peter's across the hall, and as I've said many times before, my time there is one of the best things I've done in my life.  I love the women I got to know!  Here is a picture of us at Rachel's wedding.  I'm pregnant with K in this picture, which is kinda fun : )

I was there right after Rachel got engaged, helped her pick out a wedding dress, and not too long ago, I got a text that read, "I think I might be pregnant."

Well, she was, and yesterday we celebrated baby Michael and his mama. 
I made lots of food, which I love doing but always worry I won't have enough, and Rachel got some pretty awesome gifts!  It was a wonderful time!

The onesie in the picture below says, "When God made me he was showing off."  I love that!

And this chalkboard/pinboard was made by our very artistic friend Mrs. Sippy.

So excited to meet baby M in a couple months!  Kira is too : )

If wishes were horses

I've had my horse Callie since she was 2, and I love her because she really is a part of my family.  I could write paragraphs upon paragraphs of how much I love this horse, and memories I have with her and my family and horse shows, and the friends I have met through horses.  But, I won't today.

I thought about selling Callie many times in the past because it's expensive to keep a horse, but I just couldn't do it.  I wanted to keep her for my kids someday.

Well, I've got the kid.  Up until now she's showed no real interest in her horse stuffed animals or breyer horses my mom has thrown into the mix of toys.  I know it probably doesn't mean anything since she's only one, but lately she's been very attached to two small stuffed horses.

There's a little black one too, but i'm partial to this guy.



I don't want her growing up any faster than she already is, but I just get so excited thinking about Kira and Callie  : )

Jenny and Me

I almost titled this post, "Holy **** we did a wedding" but I thought that would be kind of inappropriate since I never swear, and didn't want to sound negative, because yesterday was anything but.

A few months ago, my friend Sadie asked me if I would shoot her sister's wedding.  At first I said no way, but somehow she talked me into it  : )  I always said I'd never do a wedding.  Too much pressure!

I immediately called my sister Jenny and said you HAVE to do this with me!  She was amazing and got the weekend off, and my mom came up to watch Kira (Brent was curling.... yes, curling).  We rented equipment we didn't have, wrote out an itinerary, and we were READY.

I didn't know then how great my sister and I would work together.  We have always gotten along pretty well, but this photography stuff has REALLY brought us together.  It was so fun to be with her.  She also helped me through a few mental breakdowns yesterday.  My wide angle lens stopped working about 20 minutes before the ceremony.  It had worked all morning, but chose that moment to go on strike.  I FREAKED.   Jenny calmed me down, talked me through it, and all was fine.  (It was fine, not great, I am really bummed I didn't have that certain lens for certain things)  We braved the windchill, horrible yellow lights during the ceremony, and sore bodies, but we have wonderful memories we will never forget.

There's that quote that says, 'do something everyday that scares you.'  I'd look up who said it, but I'm too tired.  Anyway, I'm not sure that's exactly true, but yesterday was definitely an experience I'll never forget.  And may even do again someday  : )   When it's not -25 with the windchill.

Love you Jen!

And congrats Dolly and Adric!!

stuttering

So one of my new years resolutions was to acknowledge when I am grateful for something someone did for me.  To say thank you, call a manager, write a note, even when it's not something you'd normally do.  I've written a few notes, but that's about it.

Yesterday, I got a chance.  I was standing at Kowalskis waiting for my paninis and looked at the woman to my left.  I didn't immediatlyey recognize her, but after a few minutes, I realized she was the nurse that came to our house after Kira was born (she was wearing scrubs, a name tag, and it was pretty obvious she was some kind of nurse..)  She was extremely helpful that day she came to our house, and just really nice!  I almost let the moment go- what if it wasn't really her?  But, I turned red, stuttered a little, and asked her if she did house calls after babies were born.

She did, and it was her!  We talked for several minutes and I told her how thankful we were that she came out a year ago, and that we really appreciated her.

I thought she was going to hug me.  She said that my talking to her had made her day.  But really, it had made mine!

light

After yesterday's post, I decided to lighten things up! 

As in, the layout of my blog.


Have a wonderful groundhog's day!

contentment

I spent some time today looking through photographer's websites and blogs for ideas and inspiration.  Somehow I came away from browsing through photos feeling completely... I don't know the word. 

Today I felt totally inadequate as a photographer.  I don't have the skills, I don't have the experience, I don't have the money coming in, I don't have many clients who aren't already my friends,  I don't have the full frame camera, I don't have the right lenses.  I'm not sure why I was having such a pity party for myself, but I was so caught up in the idea that "I am not good at this."

And then I started thinking about why I even own a camera in the first place.  When K was born we had a less than awesome experience at a studio inside of Babies R Us.  I left and thought, I could do that.  So, I sold some stuff on craigslist and with a ton of support from Brent, got a camera.  I upgraded my camera soon after because a lens I owned didn't auto focus.  I took pictures everyday and fell in love with photography.  I read books, read blogs, and took classes.  I met Donna Boucher who honestly changed my life.  When talking about where my photography would eventually lead, she said, "If nothing else, use it to glorify God."  I will never forget that.

I started taking pictures of my friends, and family,  and children, and I have found so much joy in spending time capturing special moments.  I love looking for moments that wouldn't normally be photographed, but are magical.  I love seeing joy in my friends faces when they see their pictures, and seeing the comments their friends and family make as well.  I have done so many free photo shoots and bring my camera everywhere.  And that's okay.  When I talk to Brent about the "business" aspect of what I'm doing and the fact that I don't bring hardly anything in compared to other photographers (but spend quite a bit) he always answers with, "that's not why you take pictures."

And he's right.  I take pictures because I love it.  I find so much joy in the whole process.  I love that though my life has changed and being a mom trumps everything else, I have found something that can be "mine," yet it's something that preserves memories of my friends and family at the same time. 

I love taking pictures.  I love the sound that my camera makes.  I love how it feels hanging around my neck as I set up the next shot.  I love the happiness pictures bring to others.  And I love how I can look at a picture I've taken and it gives me goosebumps.

 So I will be content with what I have.  I will take the best pictures with the stuff that I have.  And I am determined not to lose the joy that photogrpahy brings me, and not be caught up in the business/competition/annoying stuff.  I love taking pictures... wherever it may take me.

Here are a few that make me so thankful.