Best wedding entrance ever!!

I found this today, and I just loved it!!



http://www.jkweddingdance.com/



Check out the video in the middle.



Enjoy!!

My News

I lost my job at the end of March. It was fairly sad, because I was so happy there. It was a bit of a shock and we certainly were not prepared for this, especially with hubby having lost his job in late November. Things have been day by day, week by week, and we have some major catching up to do. Nuff said about that...it just is what it is.

On the positive side, I took this forced time off to get some things done around the house, start excercising more, spend more time with hubby, kids, family and friends. I have spent a lot time with the boys this summer doing free things, and gotten back to some things I love such as hiking and exploring the world. It has not all been awful, but certainly stressful.

Last week, I finally found an opportunity that not only thought I was a great match for them, but that I believe is a great match for me. It is still meeting planning, but involves an association with supports and lobbies for educators and teachers. Because I am a former teacher, I have an instant passion for this place already. They have awesome benefits and from the looks of things now, this may be just a great great fit. Please pray that this is one of the best things that has happened to us, I certainly am.

I began my life back in to the "real world" on September 21st.

What's in the box?

Well, nothing now....I came in to the kitchen a little while ago to find Griffin sitting exactly like this. Luckily I was packing up my camera at the same time, so I got an instant photo...

Guess what is NOT in the box....the leftovers that daddy brought home from Chili's today.

Sometimes little guys just get hungry.

The Stuff Has Taken Over

***Disclaimer: I don't know why I have not blogged lately, but I do miss it. I am back in action and plan to get it going again. ***

Since I lost my job, I feel like I am busier than I have ever been. It's nuts...I mean, one would think I would have time to get more things done, but between part time jobs here and there, interviews all over the place, second interviews, job searching, getting ready for school, etc....I have less time than ever....


And the thing in my house have taken over. I feel like there are toys and junk everywhere. Piles of paper, random "things we need" , laundry and toys, toys and more toys. I am OVER the toys.


I have NO idea how people live life with more than 2 kids, unless they just willingly give up the quest to keep a clean and tidy house. Both hubby and I can't stand piles of junk laying around, yet we find that we have them. I feel like I am constantly--CONSTANTLY-- straigtening up. Our house is not "dirty" and we do keep things cleaned, but the piles of crap everywhere just never end. I pride myself on my organization--I am often complimented about my planning and organization, yet at home, I feel like I am constantly re-organizing to stop the madness of the clutter.


On the other side of that, there is the dirty factor. You know as soon as you clean the dining room, the kids spill crumbs all over it. the 2 year does not want to eat in his "little boy" chair any more, so he has to sit in the "big boy" chair and get ketchup all over the seat, which was covered so he could not do that, but somehow he managed to kick that off to the floor. I get a glass of water, and leave it in the kitchen for 2 seconds to find that one of the kiddos decided they wanted some and now it has been accidentally poured all over the couch.


Am I having a breakdown via blog at the moment? !!


What am I to do?


Just give in? (and be constantly stressed over it)


Continue to straigthen day after day? (and be constantly stressed over it)


Pack up and move out in the middle of the night? (okay.....not really)



This is my plea for help....and I will take any suggestions and/or medication you can provide.

Michael Jackson

I am shocked.......I don't even know what else to say.

I grew up with him, as a lot of did. The first album I ever owned was Thriller. I wore that out. My mom and listened to the old 45 record of ABC and Rockin Robin. I once wore a single white glove and my friend's red leather jacket with zippers all over it for months...I was a huge fan...MJ made what rock and pop are today, and without a doubt he will always be the KING OF POP.

I was not ready for this today...

The Bride

I had the privilege of taking bridal portraits of my beautiful sister in law, Elizabeth a few weeks before the wedding. We had a wonderful time capturing the beauty of her, the dress and the moment. Here are a few of my faves....:-)

May

Poor blog, I feel like I have apologized to you so many times. I blame Facebook!!

I think I may have to update a few things at a time, which should give me plenty to blog about in the next few posts.

May has been busy, but the best thing that happened was that Auntie and Paul got married. May 30th welcomes a new Mr. and Mrs. That's hubby's little sister as mentioned in previous posts. I think I have run my course as a bridesmaid. I was one last year for my little sis and a few weeks ago for this one. I felt honored to be a part of this big day. Alex was a groomsman and the boys both ring bearers. It was amazing, awesome and wonderful. We are so lucky to add a new wonderful uncle to the family. The wedding was beautiful and I can't wait to see all the photos, below are two amazing ones that were done by Linda Crayton.

Launched!!

My website is "on the air." Come check it out....

www.k-photographs.com

Of T-Ball Age.....

We have talked about it for years....."I wonder when Brendan will be old enough to play T-Ball." It seemed soooooooooooo far away...........but no longer is it....it is here....my baby is so old!! We signed B up for the 5T league and to be honest it is quite intense. Hubby decided that it would be awesome to be the head coach and team manager. Hmmmmmmmm.......hindsight.....Not that he does not enjoy it most of time, but it is a TRUE time committment. It is similar to a full time job. This league is neverending with the emails, dates, rules, non-rules, updates, handouts, announcements.....it's just WOW. With that being said, we are 3 weeks in to the season and were rained out the very first day. B was VERY disapointed. But now with two "games" under his belt, he is quite the little player. All these years of us drilling the poor 3 and 4 year old B, has paid off. He is quite good, actually...even if I am partial.

So the "team parent" who volunteered to take on some certain tasks.....seems to do a better job of divvying the tasks out. Somehow I ended up with the duty of making the team banner, the day before opening day. Thanks team parent, you stink. So here is my masterpiece. The league was super specfic about what to be on the banner, but you could put it on there any way you wish. I am especially proud of my pinwheel of baseballs with each kid's name. Pat Pat...

Alex and his Orioles...with a little pre-game pep talk My Little Single Hitter
B's Position as Pitcher
He adores his batting glove, not sure why he needed it...but okay!

And this is what you do with a 2 year old there to "support" his big brother

Happy T-Ball Season everyone!!

Bloggy Boo Boo

My poor bloggy is in pain. It has never been so emotionally drained from lack of love in it's bloggy life. I am going to try to get back to see bloggy more often these days....because I think of bloggy often, and miss her so....

I have no idea what I just said.

Randomly, here are a few recent pics to share with you all. Things are going day by day, and are okay for now. :-)

Who doesn't love tiny mandarin oranges?

Dangerous near the newer floors, yet an Easter task we all live forPost Egg Coloring Discussion

All Dressed up and Ready for Easter

Finding eggs never gets old

Photography

So I am pretending to be a photographer these days. I have done some shoots in the past, engagement and family shots mostly. I've always loved it and been very happy with my pics, but this past year in to now, I am making an attempt at a more serious outlook on this. So I thought I would share some recent shots I did at a small, but wonderful wedding ceremony at the Lincoln Memorial in D.C. I took over 400 shots, edited over 200 of them, and am somehow going to break that down in to 10 of my favorite shots. I have a website in the works and some "gigs" or "shoots" already on the calendar.

Meet Amalea and Andrew. (and thanks for indulging me!)

The Way Things Are

I have not felt like blogging much lately. I was laid off from my job last Tuesday. Without going in to the tragic details, because I know all of you have felt this economic crunch in some way or another...I was at my company for 5 years, I LOVED it....Loved the people....Loved the job....Loved my boss....Loved the friendships....Loved waking up and having that job to go to. I think I called in sick 4 times in 5 years. It just made me happy. I often told people, family, friends, etc...that finding something like this was not normal, that I knew a lot of people who just had "jobs." Not for me...it was a second home. And because of economical conditions, I was deleted from this in a matter of days. I have been hurting, we have been hurting. It is not the best time for this to happen. Hubby is awaiting word on his job offer with the government, and has been out of work since November. Things seem bleak.

Now that my pity party for today is done, I just want you all to know to know we will be fine. A few of you have sent me personal messages asking how I am and where I am. I am still here. ( Dacia, thank you sweetie for checking on me )
We have supportive family who are helping us through this and amazing friends who are going above and beyond the call of duty for us. It is almost a good thing to see how much people really care.

I am going to move on from this, not sure where I will go...but I have a few ideas and hubby and I are trying to plan things day by day.

I have some some happier things to share and once I get he energy will post them.

I hope to check in on everyone's blog soon....and also wanted to say a big congrats to Erin and Jack!!!!!! They are housing a little pea pod for 9 months. :-)

We are off to grandma's house this weekend for some homecooking, a trip to Sam's and some time away from the worries. I'll blog when I get back.

Cyber hugs!

Milestones

Although I am a big fan of natural shot photography, and normally frame candid shots and not posed ones, I do partake in the standard posed shot hype every once in a while when a birthday or milestone comes around. This time...Griffin turning two. So we recently visited a studio and here are a few of my faves.

5 1/2 years old2 years old

TAGGED - 6 Random Things

THE RULES:
1- Post the rules on your blog
2- List 6 random things about yourself.
3- Tag 6 people at the end of your post.
4- Let each person know they have been tagged and leave a comment on their blog.
5- Let the tagger know when your entry is up.

Ok. Hmmm...six random things. I am a random person...this should not be too hard. Here it goes:

1. I don't really like chocolate. I know, I am a weirdo, and I do eat some here and there, but if Willy Wonka stopped making chocolate tomorrow, I'd be just fine. I am more a salt lover. Give me bag of chips...and watch them disappear.

2. I can't sit still. This will make sense to some of you, mostly my family. I can't relax, I have to always be doing something. I fold laundry while watching television, I do three things at once if I can. There is always something that needs to be done, so I am always doing it. It can be something very productive or something silly. Thanks dad....for that trait.

3. I love Hollywood dirt. People.com is one of my BFF's. If I can't keep up with what is going on with Britney or Rihanna and Chris Brown, I don't know how to get through the day. I have no idea why, I just love Hollywood dirt.

4. I don't eat a lot of meat. I am not a vegetarian by any stretch, but I just don't eat meat a lot. I won't share my reasons on here, but I can certainly get through a day, even a week, with pastas, veggies, fruits and anything else non-meat related. I often don't...but I could if I was put to the task.

5. I sing in the car. Sometimes I pretend like I am making a video. (Dacia, are you reading this?) I am such a rockstar with the iPOD when I am driving. The kids love when I sing, well....because they laugh at me. Who cares, it's fun.

6. I love to go to school. I have been taking one class per semester, which I just started last August again for the first time in ten years. If I could get paid to go to school, I would. I am a nerd, I love to learn, and I love being in a classroom setting and learning new things with other students.

OK! I tag:
Sis
Betsy
Melinda
Lisa
Kelli
Joy

Little G Turns 2!

Our "baby" turned 2 this past Sunday. I can't believe it! He shares his birthday with George Washington. There certainly are benefits to that, he gets in to Mount Vernon for life on his birthday. :-) Thanks George!

Griffin has really grown up quickly to me. I know, he's only 2, but it seems to me like he got to age 2 a lot faster than Brendan did. Is this because he is the second child? It feels like he went from being a tiny guy to a 2 year old in no time at all.

He is an active little guy, often following his big brother's lead. He knows what Star Wars is at age 2! I have heard that a second child often matures faster than the first because he is trying to keep up with his older sibling.

He loves to sing, and he even inserts wrong words on purpose to make a joke out of it. Such cute little sense of humor at such a young age.

He would eat pasta, macaroni and cheese and or pizza for every meal if he could. Add in a cheese stick and you are golden in his eyes.

He likes to watch the Wiggles and Bob the Builder and Thomas, over and over again.

He LOVES to say No, whether appropriate or not for the situation at hand. He can often say it with a little bit of arched eyebrows and a snarly look to let you know he means business.

He jumps, jumps some more, and them jumps again.

He can be shy at times, often when a stranger or adult enters the room that he does not know completely well.

He loves Elmo, his stuffed monkey and his stuffed turtle bunches and bunches.

He is very affectionate and gives out hugs and kisses often, sometimes coaxed and sometimes not.

He is a big, big boy in the 97th percentile for height and should prove to be a tall gentleman some day.

He has the most precious eyes and smile.

Happy Birthday little Griffy, you are loved so much!

Young Friendships

Brendan has really become close to his friends at school. It is a small private school, and his class has 7 students! Yes, 7!! Talk about individual attention. He has done really well, and I think has grown a lot socially and academically in kindergarten. there are 3 kids total in the 1st grade class, so a lot of times, the two classes intermingle. They seem like one little happy family of kids! I took a few pics of them last week at their Valentine's party and thought they were too cute not to share...
Both classesTeachers, too
His best buddies, MaKinna and Onosatale (Oh-nah-sah-tah-lay!)

Sunday School

Brendan started two weeks ago at our church in the Sunday school program. He was kind of wondering why he had to add another day of "school" to his already 5 days a week program! Too funny....but once I explained how it would work to him, he was very excited. He has been learning about God and the bible mostly through books that we have, and from attending the big people services which don't exactly make sense to him. His first class was wonderful and I stayed with him just to make sure he felt comfortable. I thought his first class was a perfect beginning. They discussed reasons you pray, places you can pray, times you can pray and different ways you can pray. The kids all had wonderful responses, and in the end concluded on their own, that you can pray any time, any place, any way, and for any reason you want to. They were all so sweet. They then read the Lord's Prayer through a small book, and then separated in to groups. each group took a verse of the prayer and the kids in that group drew what that verse meant to them. It was really, really wonderful and I was so proud of him for jumping right in with this new group of children and learning.

Ready for Sunday SchoolFinding his room
Class projectTreats!

Can March Madness Begin in February? Speaking of madness...

This says it all, I was up way too late cheering on my team!! Whooooo Hooooooo!! Duke has not allowed anyone to score 100 since like 2005...I think! The Heels rallied in the second half, embarrassing Duke on their own Coach K Court.....I LOVE college basketball!

In other news....there is a Chocolate Challenge today in our kitchen at work. I will let you know how Diet Day 10 survives today....pray for me! Cakes, cupcakes, pies and treats from all over the office will be entering this contest. I am not normally a big chocolate fan, but with such a variety, there may be a moment of weakness.

Monkeys at Play!

Sunday was gorgeous outside, so I took the monkeys outside and they are just full of giggles and fun! They can be the best of brothers one minute, and pinching each other the next.
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Weigh In Day- 1 week down

Okay, so down 3 pounds from last week's initial weigh in. I am being hard on myself, because my initial weigh in was on the up because of the Superbowl eating frenzy....but I am trying to take it in stride and be happy. I need to keep going if I want to lose. It's only been a week for goodness sakes, and I know you are all growing tired of my silly diet blog!!

Diet continued..

I am doing much much better, I believe. I have tried to stop looking at the scale every day, I promise I have. But that is what keeps me motivated. As long as that scale says what it says, I believe I stay on task more. If I don't look for a week, although I know the weight goes up and down, I get unmotivated, because I have not seen for myself those nasty numbers that I hate so much! So with that being said, I believe in the last week I have accomplished shrinking my appetite a little. I have done a great job of re-routing myself when I wanted something bad to eat and replacing it with something healthy and good for me that is also filling. I am completely obsessed with sliced bananas and peanut butter. It might be my favorite snack now (if I can't have those heavenly Doritoes that I long for!) So I started this diet on Tuesday of last week and I have my first true weigh in tomorrow morning. I am not sure what weight to start at, because I weighed in last week after a SuperBowl Sunday of bad food! My weight was on the up that morning, so I will have to decide if I want to start at my true true weight, pre SB party, or start with the weight I was that day. Either way, cross your fingers that tomorrow yeilds a little something in the loss category!

Happy Monday!

Day 3

The scale went UP this morning. UP!!!! WHY WHY WHY!? A half pound, that's all just throw me a half pound loss!

I am mad at dieting. I may break up with dieting and claim to be happy with fat.