Lots of Changes

Ok. So I've debated writing this post for a while. If you're one of my friends who stalks my blog (that has provided little to NO stalking material lately and you've mentioned to me that I need to update) you'll already know this. If you're my friend on facebook (not just a business fan but have stalked me or let me stalk you and we've added each other as friends), then you may have noticed a name change. That's the first change. Jake and I are separated. I don't feel like going into details & writing out the whole story, partly because there is not enough wine in my house to get me through that, and partly because if you just ask me I'll tell you and it doesn't need to be out on this interwebz thing. It's actually a really boring story, so don't think it involves someone sweeping me off my feet and running me off to Italy for six months and bringing me back to a home where nobody feeds me pasta and gelato every day while walking through beautiful ancient cities. And yes, I'm allowed to make jokes about it, because like I said, there isn't enough wine to get me through it without jokes, and also because it's my life and I can make jokes about it if I want to. So there's me wimping out of getting too personal about all of that. Like I said, if you have any questions or require some sort of clarification, just ask me.

Change number 2 (or 3, if you count my name and the separation separately. I think they're linked, but you can count them however you want): the business name will be changing. I'm shooting for January/February to have all of the changes made, but we'll see since a lot will be changing in January anyway. Get excited about this one, because I am. Although I'm kind of secretly terrified that you all will hate the name, but I guess I'll just have to deal with that when it happens.

Change number 3: I am moving to Manhattan, KS in January to go back to school. I will be finishing up a degree in kinesiology (exercise science, if you like less sciencey names). This doesn't mean I'll stop shooting in Kansas City. It just means that I'll be trying to figure out a giant balancing act and that you'll have to be patient with me yet again.

I don't think there's a change number 4. Unless you count me looking to find the perfect bangs for a heart-shaped face (I just recently found out my face is heart shaped, and I'm very excited about this for some reason). When I find them change number 4 will be my hair. Until then, I think those 3 changes are pretty big ones, so I'll just deal with them for a while. I have some blogs coming up (I'm scheduling at least one tonight, hopefully I'll get 2 ready and start working on catching you up on what I did all summer).

Thank you, seriously, for being patient with me through this whole blogging/photography hiatus thing. I haven't worked nearly as much on my own business as I should have this summer, but a lot has been going on and I just lost this part of myself for a while. I'm planning on 2012 being a fabulous year!

And just because I can't post without a picture: this is a typical Saturday morning with the little man. Spongebob pj's, dry nasty cereal that was probably a little stale (I don't know, I didn't try it. It's Peanut Butter Captain Crunch that Jake left at my house and I don't like peanut butter flavored anything. Except peanut butter). Don't you love his fake smile? That's why you don't tell kids to say cheese :)

I Am SO Thankful....

...for this little Spiderman boy.

Yesterday I photographed a fetal demise (a little girl born at 20 weeks). It was the hardest session I've ever shot. I don't know how to not be heartbroken for that mom. I don't know what I would do in her situation. Would I do it again? Yes. The only thing that would make a demise even more sad on my end would be knowing that someone wanted pictures of their baby but didn't get any. I can't imagine my life without Jackson - my bossy, sassy, poopy, messy, disastrous, early rising, snuggly, loving, playful, creative, wonderful little boy. I don't really know what to say or what to think about the whole thing, except that I'm painfully aware of how lucky I really am. Even if I do have to wake up before 7 some mornings.

Two Truths & A Lie

My lie from last week:

1. Jake and I are getting a puppy.

Jake and I are not getting a puppy, having another baby, or adding anything else (human or animal) to the family for a couple years. Jackson, Stanley, and Marley are enough to keep us plenty busy and crazy for a while.

Now for this week's:

1. I have not had a haircut since April.

2. I think armpits are awkward.

3. I hate watching the Disney Channel with Jackson.

And now for some Jackson. This child loves to be outside. I know most kids do, but Jackson seems to love it more than anyone I know. He loves any outdoor activity, from sidewalk chalk to helping in my parents' veggie garden. I think he especially loves the gardening since he can wear cool boots and play with fun tools.

This face with the lips cracks me up. He's thinking pretty hard about how to use this particular garden tool.

Evil gardening face #1 (and misuse of the tool):

Semi-evil gardening face while still misusing the tool:

Two Truths & A Lie

Since my last Two Truths already revealed my lie, I get to start all fresh (over a month later).

1. Jake and I are getting a puppy.

2. Jackson will be two this month.

3. I like to eat mashed potatoes with barbecue sauce.

I feel like I should share a story now or something, but I can't really think of a good one to tell right off the top of my head. So I'll just cut right to the part where I post some pictures and call it good.

Love his face at the bottom of the slide!

Two Truths & A Lie (& An Upcoming Vacation)

My lie from last week:

2) My hair is the longest that it has ever been.

It is only the second longest that it has ever been. It was longer when I was younger. I wanted to be Ariel, ok? I wanted my hair down to my butt and wanted to be a mermaid (because even though Beauty and the Beast is my favorite Disney move, I thought being a mermaid was less scary than being with Beast before he turned into a handsome prince). My hair was very long until third grade when I cut it off, and now it is the longest that it has been in a while. And wouldn't you know I'm thinking of cutting it again, even though I probably won't. Last summer I cut it and was panicky over the fact that if I had a low ponytail I couldn't pull it over my shoulder. I was most likely made to have long hair.

This week's two & one:

1) I am going to Michigan and will be out of town until the 14th of July.

2) The end of July may be hot but is still a great time for a session! Evening light is gorgeous.

3) I hate Michigan.

I'm going to tell you the lie early because I don't really plan on scheduling many blog posts for while I'm gone (aside from a GORGEOUS boudoir session) so the lie is that I hate Michigan. I don't hate it at all. In fact, I think Jake's home town is pretty adorable and love the downtown area.

I will be out of town for about two weeks, though. I will do my best to respond to e-mails in a timely manner, but I'm not ignoring you if I don't respond for a couple days.

And since every blog post should have a picture, here is my boy and me. I LOVE this child. I love this smile. I love this curly hair. I do not love my face in pictures, so please just look at Jackson. And yes, that is chocolate on his face. I'm just keepin' it real.

Sometimes when I look at how cute he is, I wonder to myself, "What is his awkward phase gonna look like?" And don't pretend you didn't have an awkward phase growing up, it happens to everyone.

Oh Stanny Bear, I love you. Even if you do bark loudly at stupid things or bite at traffic cones on the highway as we drive by.

Two Truths & A Lie

My lie from last week:

#1. I've never ridden a donkey.

I have ridden a donkey. I didn't ride her for a very long time because a) she wasn't trained and b) she was only in a halter and lead rope and I did not have ahold of the lead rope. I learned my lesson about being on an animal that only has a halter & lead rope on. I had a very fast-paced ride with zero control in a roundpen - basically it was a pony ride from hell. The horse I was on got away from the girl who was leading it and decided to run full-speed around a little pen.

This week's truths & lie:

1) I'm obsessed with Chipotle.

2) My hair is the longest that it has ever been.

3) I love headbands.

And now for some summery pictures of my boy.

He LOVES to be outside, especially when he gets to play with water. This is the sprinkler (or monseler if you ask him) that my parents got for him. It was dangerous taking pictures of it because that thing can throw water far! I only took a few because I wanted to join in on the fun. My boy and I had fun holding hands and running through and laughing. How is it possible to love someone SO much? I swear my heart is just going to explode some day soon.

Two Truths & A Lie

Soooo....my last Two Truths & A Lie was on 5/4...that is over a month ago. Kind of embarrassing. Was the suspense just too much? Are you just dying to know what is a lie? Well, I'll tell you!

My lie from last time is:

#3: I have never eaten sushi.

I have eaten sushi. I just don't love it very much. I'm open to trying it again since that was a few years ago and I've had a child. I used to not like banana peppers before being pregnant but now I LOVE them. Who knows what else has changed.

And yes, I have been arrested. But before you go thinking I'm some kind of hardened criminal (or even that I'm a badass), let me just tell you this: it was for an unpaid speeding ticket LATE FEE. They got the payment for the ticket but it was late and I owed $5. I didn't pay it. I spun Jake's truck out on a very icy road on Ft. Riley. The ambulance talked to me, then the MPs sheepishly arrested me. As they were walking me in with my cell phone ringing off the hook with the ringer "Bubbly" by Colby Callait, the Riley County police guys asked if I had given them any trouble. Yeah, I was cussing and screaming until BUBBLY came on and it calmed me right down. Don't all hardened criminals come in quietly with Bubbly ringing over and over on their cell phones? Thought so.

New truths & lie:

1) I've never ridden a donkey.

2) I used to hate hamburgers.

3) I used to make my dad cook brats for me in a frying pan so I could dip them in syrup.

And here is my boy. Please ignore the creases in my backdrop, I hadn't steamed them out yet.

Happy to participate. Do you love the highlighter on his arms? I sure do. I was so thrilled when he got ahold of it and colored all over himself. At least he didn't bite the tip off like the last one. Baby steps, I'm tellin' ya.

Angry. I explained that hammers are not good toys for babies. He disagreed.

Contemplative. Those tears turned off extremely fast when I offered to share a brownie with him.

Two Truths & A Lie/My Boy Has MOVES!

Week #3, way to go sticking to goals! Yes, I just high-fived myself.

My lie from last week:

3) I haven't traveled much, just to a couple states.

I have traveled. A lot. I've been to 40 of the 50 states (still need to get to Hawaii, Alaska, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, Delaware, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New Jersey). I've also been to the Bahamas a few times. I love traveling and wish I could do it more. My grandpa used to take me, my sister, and my cousin on and individual then group sailing and camping trip. He had a 25' sailboat that seemed a bit crowded with 5 of us on there and a 24' (I think) camper that was awesome because THE TABLE FOLDED INTO A BED! That was pretty cool (and I know now, pretty standard in campers).

Oh, and I really do like mowing the grass. It's never been a chore I hated, even working for Habitat for Humanity the summer I was 16 and having to do it every Monday at job sites - the boys took the self-propelled mower and the only girl (with shrimpy arms, I might add) had the only push mower. I also liked the weed whacker.

Now for this week's:

1) I won $50 once in high school by spinning a wheel.

2) I've been arrested.

3) I have never eaten sushi.

And although you got a LOT of Jackson in your life this weekend, I have to show this off. Because my kid has moves. He loves to dance. I believe this was to Poison (and thank goodness Bret Michaels is ok! He scared me for a bit. I can't lose him and Patrick Swayze so close together).

It starts with the hands, and a little side to side action.

Then it turns into some heavy duty jumping around.

Then there are the sweet 80s moves.

And finally a little realization that I'm watching.

And then a few more moves while he stops and decides what to do now that I'm watching.

I wish I knew how to make an animated GIF like I used to on my old Photoshop CS on my old laptop. It would be much better than just some side-by-side examples. Buuuut I don't know how to do it with CS4 so this will have to do.

Now here's my one of my other boys. My Stanley bear.

Aaaand my Marley. I already talked about him on the blog once. He's changed SO much since that post - he's not so sweet or innocent anymore, and he's not really awkward either. He's a good little hunter and has some psycho spaz attacks where he runs through the living room at high speed. But he's also a nice little snuggler and is still sweet when he wants to be. He also thinks he's very sneaky. (PS - the trying something new on the blog? I have no idea what I was talking about then. Oops!) (PPS - it looks like fall in these pictures, but it's not!)

The Mega Easter Blog

I know, I know. Easter was a while ago. I've just been busy trying to plan a few things and to get some things together (could that have been any more vague?). But I didn't want you to miss out on this cuteness. And there is a lot of it, this is photo overload in a post. Seriously, how adorable is my family? I may be biased, but I think we produce some of the cutest kids around!

I'll start with a few from Jackson's Easter egg dyeing adventure, and then get to everyone on Easter morning.

I think somebody is having too much fun! Love the dye on his face.

My dad calls Jackson "The Dude." Kind of like Big Lebowski, but not. Am I the only one who dislikes that movie?

Curls!

Only part of the mess that was my child after dyeing eggs. He had so much fun!

Ok, now onto the Easter morning pictures. First up is a reaaaaaal winner. My son will say cheese anytime you either a) say cheese or b) point a camera at him. Regardless of what he happens to be eating at the time. Nobody even taught him the "Do you like seafood?" "Yeah, why?" "See food! Aaahhhhhhhh" trick. Please tell me you know what I'm talking about.

This picture of Connor wins as my favorite picture from the whole day. He was excited about finding eggs.

Ok, it totally melts my heart that Addison runs like this. These were obviously taken at two different times, so it's not just a one time run. I love it.

Addison's not all innocent though. The first one is an adorable face right before she shot me, then whoever was standing next to me.

He totally loved his boots from Grandma.

Who's the photographer now?

And he also helped Grandpa drive the boat on Easter too. Such a good little captain! (Any guesses whose hair Jackson inherited?

Two Truths & A Lie

Even though this has been published on a Wednesday, I'm technically writing it on a Tuesday so I feel like I'm sticking to my Tuesday plan.

My lie from last week:

1) I love seafood. I could eat shrimp, lobster, crab legs, and more any chance I get.

No offense, seafood lovers, but I'm not one of you. I like tilapia, and that's a big step for me. I also eat crab rangoon, but I'm well aware that it's 98% cream cheese and 2% artificial crab.

This week's edition:

1) I actually like mowing the yard.

2) I have three calendars that I keep very close track of to schedule sessions (and my life).

3) I haven't traveled much, just to a couple states.

Do you know what this picture makes me think of (aside from the little boy who is crying in his crib because I am the MEANEST MOMMY EVER and am making him take a nap)? That typical scene in movies about high school when the hot jock is running by and they slow-mo it and he stops and gives a look that makes girls swoon. Except it's a red-headed hellion running by giving a look that makes his momma swoon.

And this picture shows just how much he loves it when I say, "Give momma some shnugglessss!" and kiss him. He loves baby talk, I promise.

I'm Embarrassed

I've been a bad blogger. I am about to post my second entry in a row WITHOUT A PICTURE. I have also neglected the blog, and I didn't even leave with anything inspiring - just my honest but Debbie Downerish post on an off day. Embarrassing.

So I've decided to share my most embarrassing story EVER. I think it was a Monday and on the Friday before I'd had the worst hair dyeing experience. I went to a beauty school and came out looking like Pippi Longstocking. Bright. Red. Hair. Like a firetruck. After enduring Family Day in the field for the army boys and an equestrian team practice looking like my head was on fire, I decided I needed a trip to Sally Beauty Supply. First though, I had to go to the doctor to get medicine for a UTI. I'm not going to give you the entire rundown on UTIs if you don't know about them, but here is one symptom: feeling like you have to pee every 5 minutes, and you have to go NOW. So I was at the doctor attempting to pee every 3 minutes and drinking a ton of water so that they had a nice urine sample (ew, I know). Finally they tell me what I already know, and send me with the prescription to get things taken care of. I was out of there and on my way to Sally to fix the more awful problem. While walking around in Sally, I realized I needed to pee. NOW. I am a grown up. I have control of my bladder. Just not with a UTI and the gallon of water I'd tried to drink so I could pee for the doctor. I PEED MY PANTS IN SALLY BEAUTY SUPPLY! Luckily I was wearing black workout pants that totally did not show that I had peed them and I paid and walked out like nothing happened. I sat in my car, took my pants off, and covered with a t-shirt I had in there. Then I drove through Arby's for some comfort food and drove home. I left my pee pants on the back porch, and my roommate's face was pretty priceless when I walked in without pants on and told her my story.

So my advice is that if you have a UTI and drink a lot of water for ANY reason at all, make sure you pee (or wear Depends) if you need to run any errands. The only good that came out of this is that I haven't had a UTI since - I think my bladder was mortified and doesn't want to go through that again.

One of Those Days

I'm not writing this because I want a pat on the back and someone to say, "Here here, it'll all be ok! You rock." It's just how I'm honestly feeling after one of those days. And want to know what irks me the most? The fact that a Friday can be one of those days. I'm discouraged today after being in a funk all week (aside from Wednesday, St. Patrick's Day has been confirmed to be more fun than Christmas). It's been a week where I doubt myself and my ability to run a photography business. I mean, really? Who am I kidding? I feel like I'm running on a treadmill and am seeing the same old scenery and am going nowhere. I know that these are just some of the pains of starting a business, and even though it sucks it's a little bit exciting too. I know that some day it'll be like 65 degrees with no humidity and I can run outside all day long (in metaphor terms, of course. I won't really ever be caught running outside all day). But for now, I just feel like I was running on a treadmill at the busiest hour at the gym and my shoelace got caught and I fell and split my chin open. Nothing really happened to make me feel like that, but it's just where I'm at this week. I just keep reminding myself about this quote by Henry Ford: "Whether you think you can or whether you think you can't, you're right." So I'm just going to be the Little Engine That Could and keep telling myself, "I think I can, I think I can." And I think maybe I'll switch to the elliptical.

My Favorite Person

I haven't shared any pictures of the coolest person I know in a while. I'm sure I'd still think he was cool if I hadn't grown him in the belly and then evicted him (from my body, not my house), because I'm not partial. At all. Nope, totally impartial and reasonable when it comes to this one.

Ok, check out this laugh. Are you kidding? How is it possible to be so evil and so cute at the same time?

Attempting to put on his sock

And watching Daddy do it because, man that was complicated.

Hanging out in his playhouse.

It's invitation only...and I guess we aren't invited.

I think this may be my new favorite picture of him. And I guess it looks a lot like one of me at this age doing something similar.

This one melts my heart. I'm not really sure why, probably just because it has my baby in it.