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An Emotional Weirdo...

Since the day I gave birth to my first child 8 years ago, I have become such and emotional weirdo. I cry at the strangest moments...not a sad cry, but I just cry about random stuff. Here is what happened this morning....
All year long I have taken my 2 oldest kids to school each morning. Abby quickly kisses me good-bye and runs off happily to her friends.  Caleb still likes me to walk him down to his waiting area and wants me to hang out a little bit until he is comfortable. This requires me to park, get the baby out of the car, wait in line at the office, check in, and get my "admission" sticker. All year long I have been gently trying to get him to go in by himself and be a big boy.  This morning, out of the blue, I walked them up to the front doors of the school like every morning. I hardly got my foot in the front door when he kisses me, tells me he loves me, and then runs in all by himself!!!!!!   This moment I had been waiting for all year makes me cry and makes me a little sad. He's getting bigger...he's pulling away.
I was fine until the very nice teacher who always greets us at the front door says "(Gasp)" while holding her heart "Oh My gosh....Mrs. Smith...he did it by himself! Does that make you want to cry?"

"A little bit" I sniff as a tear makes it's way to the surface.

"Me too, and I'm not even his mom."

That made me feel so much better, but even as I sit and type this, my eyes are becoming wet as I picture my little  big guy, happily walking towards his independence.

Dot to dot

This weekend I had the honor of photographing Baby P for her first birthday. I have had the honor of photographing this family several times. It has gotten to the point where the kids know me by name and Baby P's big bro gives me a hug when I come to the door. I love that I am getting to know this family so well. Wouldn't it be so cool if I got to photograph their Senior photos one day????
As creative as ever, mama Nicole had the sweetest pink and brown polka dot theme. Everything matched...even the beautiful cake and cupcakes made by Baby P's very talented uncle.
Check out the cute Birthday Dress and Bloomers created by my friend Tami at Tickled Pink 2 Shop . Very very cute girlie stuff.
Check out some pics from the party...the birthday girl, the family, cake, decorations...I wish I could show some of the ADORABLE pictures of her little baby friends, but do not yet have permission from the mommas. If I do get permission, then I will post them for sure.

Notice Dad's pretty ribbon in his hair...love it!

Bring on Da Noise!

Today my kids are loud.....is there a full moon anywhere??? Perhaps it is just the excitement of the anticipation on summer vacation...but my kids are loud! So is the dog. They all want to talk yell at once. Nobody is mad or fighting....just loud. The kind of loud that makes me sometimes wince in pain as the decibels pierce my eardrum. Right now my daughter is screeching for fun, but it doesn't bother me anymore because my husband brought these in from the garage and plopped them on my head.  These are his noise reducing headset he uses when he is using loud tools to work on the car. God bless that man of mine. I love him...my ears love him...ahhhhh.

Busy, Busy, Busy....and LIZZIE!

Wow has it been a busy 2 weeks! Filled with photo sessions, end of the school year activities, and 5 unexpected, surprise houseguests; I am ready for a 24 hour nap-a-thon. I was not only up late editing photos, but also catching up on season finales. I loved seeing David Cook win American Idol....lurve him! To quote my friend "K"..."If I was 10 years younger, I'd be all over that!" When she wrote that to me in an e-mail, I was laughing out loud for hours. Then there was the season finale of Desperate Housewives...can't wait for next season and I loved seeing Gabby look like a regular mom. Then there was Grey's Anatomy...holy hook-ups Batman!

Here are some Senior photos of sweet Lizzie. She is a senior at a local high school. I was fooled when I first met her...I thought she was going to be shy and quiet and later realized how funny she is. My favorite part is when this Astros fan broke out the cool boots! I Love how she was workin' the boots with a girlie white skirt.

I love this recliner shaped rock. Wish I had one in my yard.

The creative girl that she is, Lizzie wanted a picture of her with the turtle. Amazingly he swam right up to where she was sitting and we were able to get this terrific shot. I feel like it should be in a fairy tale book.

Hope everyone has a great holiday weekend. Stay tuned to my blog. I have a few more sessions to blog about and a contest with a fabulous prize...yipee!!!!

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Now playing: David Cook - Always Be My Baby (American Idol Studio Version)
via FoxyTunes   

K-K-K-Katy

Meet my friend Katy Fulkerson; make-up artist, actress, and public speaker.

Katy and I have been working together and she will be available to do make-up for my photo-sessions from now on. She does a terrific job and has a true gift for seeing the beauty in everyone. She is great and finding your best feature and making it POP!

Here are some examples of Katy at work:

She did the make-up for my Radiant Mom too. I would highly recommend  going to her anytime you need your make-up done and ,of course, when you book a session with me.

GLACK! GLUB! COUGH COUGH! SPUTTER!

I have pretty bad seasonal allergies, but do not really like to take a lot of medications. Claritin does not really work for me, I have yet to try Zyrtec, and who can raise 3 children and run a business in a Benadryl induced haze?  I decided to try the Neti Pot. Seems pretty gross, but I was getting desperate.  Besides, I saw Dr. Oz do it.  I even watched as Oprah did it...and if that annoying Kelly Ripa can handle it, so can I.

I go to Walgreens and excitedly purchased my Neti Pot. I even tell the pharmacist that I am so excited to clean out my nasal cavity and use my Neti Pot when I get home.  She looks at me with a mix of disinterest, like she wonders if I am on crack, and whether or not she should call the cops on me.  I arrive home with my purchase clutched in my eager little hands, rip open the box, and prepare to clean out my sinuses.  I've seen it done on TV, so why bother reading the directions....I can do this...I am already an expert!
I mix the saline solution with warm water, bring the Neti Pot to my nostril, and pour.....OH MY GOSH!!!!  HOLY FREAKIN NASAL CAVITY EXPLOSION!!!!!  I AM DROWNING!!!!  I AM GOING TO DIE! THEY ARE GOING TO FIND MY DEAD BODY WITH A POT STICKING OUT OF ONE NOSTRIL AND SALINE RUNNING OUT OF THE OTHER!!! ACK! GASP! COUGH! COUGH! I feel like I have just jumped into the Pacific Ocean and inhaled the whole thing!
Since I failed to read the directions, I do not know that you are supposed to "blow gently into a tissue".  In my panicked state I blow into the tissue with all my might..... HOLY CRAP! MY EAR DRUMS ARE GOING TO E-X-P-L-O-D-E!!!!!  WHAT???? I CAN"T HEAR ANYTHING!!!!! 
By this time my sinues and my eardrums are full of water and I am in pain with a capital P!  So I pop my ears and begin to gently blow the remainder of the saline out. I am feeling much better, but my nose continues to leak saline for the next few hours.
Since then, I have read the directions and poured less water into each nostril and you know what? It works, it's actually comfortable, and I do feel better. I would recommend this to anyone who experiences nasal allergies....but learn from my experience: read the directions, don't inhale, and  blow gently.

Energy Value....awwww yeah!

Sometimes my husband travels for his job and brings back little trinkets to the kids and I. A few weeks ago he went to Europe and brought back a bunch of goodies. This was extra special to me since I spent a good part of my childhood living overseas. One of my favorite childhood treats were KinderEggs. They are a yummy chocolate egg with a secret surprise hidden inside. They are not sold in the U.S. due to the choking hazard of the tiny surprise, but you can order them online.  This treat brought back so many great memories of my childhood in Germany.

The hidden surprise...

and the very fun toy!

What I love about food in Europe is that instead of saying "Calories....2000 cal" the label says "ENERGY VALUE...2000 Kj"  I LOVE THAT!  It totally tricks my brain into thinking I am eating something healthy and full of VALUable ENERGY , even if it is a box full of hazelnut cream filled , chocolate covered wafers or a cherry liqueur filled chocolate bar.  I soooo love food, espescially if it tricks me into thinking it's healthy.

Of course, Josh doesn't have to buy me fancy chocolates to make me happy.  I get excited about anything.  He always saves the good hotel toiletries for me.  These soaps from London not only have such a pretty package, but they smell clean and citrusy too! I was also thrilled with these great teas and coffees he brought home for me too. I love that they remind me of my childhood and I love that my husband is always thinking about us when he is on the road.

Radiant Mom

This is Sarah, a mom from our Radiate session.  Katy Fulkerson did her make-up, I did the pics, and my friend Kristen was my multi-tasker and did everything else that I needed help with.  Kristen is awesome with placing the reflector, the shade, and the fan in just the right places. She also has fantastic ideas for composition and posing in  our shots. Katy is a make-up artist, actress, and public speaker.  She is just amazing and I can't wait until she finishes her website so I can blog about her and put up her URL.
Sarah is a fantastic mother,  a pillar of strength, and full of grace and kindness.  I could learn a lot from her and I really look forward to getting to know her better. She has an amazing beauty that truly radiates from the inside out.  Plus, check out those eyes...STUNNING!

Beef Stew, Monopoly, and a blanket

Have you ever met a really great family that you just knew you could trust?  That is the family I met last week.  I felt instantly warmed to them. I could picture going over to their house in my sweats, eating a bowl of beef stew made by mom, playing Monopoly with all the kids, and then curling up on their couch with a blanket for a nice long nap. These truly are amazing parents. They are giving, generous,unselfish, and loving. They have done many wonderful things and I was truly humbled and inspired by their story. I hope and pray that I can be as loving and unselfish as they are. One thing I noticed in going through their photos was that they always have their hands on each other or their arms around each other in the most loving way.....go ahead, take a look.

Lots and lots

Lots and lots of editing and blogging to catch up on.  I am currently editing 3 sessions that I want to share on the blog AND I have a Senior session with Lizzie today.  I am so looking forward to that and can't wait to see what we get.  I also have about 20 other things I want to post...I'll catch up with you soon!