1.2.11

Vacation is almost over...and I've been lazy. alot of this. alot of nothing.

Can you say addiction?

summer lovin'

What a summer.
School ended.
5-6 weeks in California.
Return home for a weekend camping trip with friends.
Football begins for Lucas- 5 nights a week.
My sister gets married.
and school starts.

It hasn't stopped since.
But we've enjoyed almost every minute of it. ;-)

Our summer was awesome! Fun and relaxing. We did lots of fun stuff in California, we spent good time with family and friends, and we camped! Can't get much better than that.

Lucas started his first year of football, he's just old enough for the pee-wee team. it's full gear, tackle football. Hard for mama to watch, but over time, he's decided he really enjoys it.

Kilynn also had her first year of cheer. She enjoyed it. But she generally likes most things she tries (although she did not love softball). She cheers for Lucas' team. So it's fun for all of us to be there. She also started basketball last week.

Lucas headed off to kindergarten without a look back. He went to school like he's been doing it all this time..I guess almost three years of preschool will do that. He's an older kindergarter, his teacher says she can tell. But he's loving it, and is growing up so fast.

I'm going to try to blog more. I hope to elaborate on ours summer, the football season, Kilynn turning into a tweenager. ;-)

To Blog or not blog?

I'm undecisive.

baby jolene

My brother and his wife are expecting a baby girl in April.

I'm stoked!!

I've been waiting for them to have a baby, and a girl to boot! woohoo!

update!

I've decided to try getting back into the swing of blogging.

Not that I have many readers, but I do it for me mostly anyway. ;-)

Things have been busy around here. Nothing specific, just life in general.

I've been taking more and more photos, for people I don't know personally. Here are some from last weekends engagement session. I'm photographing their wedding in June as well.

I'm fairly certain weddings won't be something I do a lot of. It's stressful.

But I liked this bride when I met her, and she wanted fun, creative, artsy style photos. So I knew we'd be a good fit. I enjoyed photographing them, and look foward to their wedding.

If you know me, you'll understand how strange it is for me to be having to meet new people, and photograph them. I'm so shy, and horrible at meeting new people. But I've been doing it. Yes, I'm a bundle of nerves each time, but I'm getting through it. So, yay for me! ;-)

Kids are going great! Both enjoying school, and gearing up to start t-ball and softball in a week or so. Neither has played before. But wanted to try it this year. They are looking foward to it.

Confession from me: baseball bores me to watch. But I'll get through it.

I received Lucas' kindergarten registration last week. Oh!! My baby! off to kindergarten.

It's such a milestone. I mean, I can believe it, because he's technically K age right now. He'll be 6 when he starts. But it's still hard to believe it's truly is that time. Both my kids will be in school.

Wow!

Ryans doing great. His job move two years ago seems to have been a good choice. He enjoys his work, and he's been promoted, and moved up in pay quite quickly in two years. Plus, he's been working 4 tens, which has been nice to have the three day weekend with him as well. Though he'll likely go back to 5 days when baseball starts, so that he can be home in time in the evenings to watch the kids play.

So, there's my update! I'm hoping it'll be more frequent now.

Epiphanie Bag

I want one of these bags. In fact, I think I NEED one.

I'm also stoked about a contest they are doing
Check it out

http://www.haveanepiphanie.com/

busy, busy!

Things have been busy around here...whew!

Kids activities, pictures for people, holiday goodies...

This is a super fast post..Sharing some recent photos I've done for families, etc. Lots of fun!

wedding

So, a couple weeks ago I got asked to photograph a wedding.

I'm not a professional photographer, and don't consider myself one...

In fact, I'd told myself even if I ever tried being one, I'd NEVER do weddings. In case I totally messed up.

But guess what I found myself doing yesterday?

Yes, taking pictures at the wedding of an aquaintance. I even made a little money.

I was soooooooooooooooooooo nervous leading up to this, not so sure I could actually pull it off. But the bride assured me she loved my pictures, and had complete confidance in me. And to consider them my guinea pigs.

So, I did it. I think I did well. I'm in the process of editing. It'll take awhile.

So, I'll keep you posted on if the bride and groom like them. I sent them a sneak peak and they seemed happy with those.

favorite things

Here are some of my current favorites things...

1. Apple Dumplings found on PioneerWoman. I've made these more often than I should have. You've GOT to try them.

2. Vampire Diaries- loving this show. I read the first book, didn't love it enough to get any others yet. But the show has sucked me in. Watch it!

3. Fall- the colors I'm seeing everywhere! Loving it!

4. Kleenax with Lotion~ I'm so sick right now. I feel horrible! Kids are too, but they sure have more energy than me. I'd much rather not be sick, but since I am. I'm so grateful for tissues with lotion softness.

5. My Mentha Lip Shine from Bath and Body Works. I LOVE it. Especially since I'm sick, and my lips are chapped from mouth breathing for three nights.

But I loved it before that too!

One of my online friends, Jeni, sent it to me probaly two years ago now, and I've loved it ever since. .

**and a favorite for the men Mentha Body Buffer . Ryan loves this stuff. It works great on his rough hands.

preschool decisions

Ugh!
So, back in August I applied for Lucas to attend ECEAP. The low-income preschool at the public school. A couple friends had gone there and liked it.
But we were over income and below income gets in first.

Soooo...We went ahead and started him at his old preschool. The same one he'd gone to the since he was 2.5. We love the school. It was tehe $150 a month that we are having a hard time swallowing.
But atleast we love the school ,and know he'll learn what he needs for kindergarten plus some.
But, it's also about 15-20 minutes from our home. More gas to attend there as well.
But we were happy with him being there, and had decided it's only 8 more months and he'll be done. We'd get by.
And just the other day the teacher mentioned that Lucas talked all day long..to other kids...and to the teachers. This was big for Lucas, because he's soo shy around other people.

So, today there's a message from ECEAP. Looks like theres room for him afterall.

Now I'm left decided what to do. ECEAP is free, btw. And he could ride the bus there everyday, I would just pick him up.

I'm soooo torn!

camping

We went camping last weekend. It was the 1st, and most likely only camping trip this year.

But we had fun!

We went to Lake Chelan, which most of us had never been to before.

My mom came with us and we met up with more family there. My dad and step-mom and two youngest brothers. My little brother and his wife and my sister and her new boyfriend (whom we all met for the first time). It was a good time, and we hope to do it again next year.

I also want to try to squeeze in a couple weekend trip over the next month or so. I want to go take a drive up Mt. Baker highway, we use to go alot when my sister lived in Bellingham, Wa. It's beautiful up there.

I also want to get out to Spokane again, to my sisters. And hopefully hit up an orchard or something while out there.