With All My Love, Kenneth.

Kenneth Coy. Photo taken March 16, 1946.

My grandpa passed away yesterday morning at 82 years old. He told me last week that he knew the cancer had spread and he wouldn't being going home and not to be upset. He said he had five great children and is happy with that. I didn't get as much time with him as my other grandparents but I will forever remember going over to his house as a young child, just enjoying the peace and quiet. Taking walks to feed the ducks at an area pond or just down the street. I will also remember how he reminded me every time I saw him about how much I loved going to his house to have some quiet and how he thought it was funny for a kid so young. :) Sending me home with National Geographic magazines and old records whenever I'd visit. It has been interesting this week to find out about his life... like serving in the U.S. Navy and that his career was as an upholsterer.

I don't really know what else to say but I thought it would be weird to not post on an event in my life since this is my life event blog.

Because of my grandpa being in the hospital, my aunt and uncle and cousins came out from Florida. Although the circumstances aren't great, it was really nice to see them. I miss them lots. I don't even like the sun bathing, very hot weather, shorts, bathing suits, having to wear sunscreen, possibility of hurricanes, or the weird grass down there but whenever I see them, it makes me want to move!

TwentySeven!

I had a great birthday! My mom came and watched the kids for James and I to have a date day. It was really nice to spend some with James without the kids, especially since it has been 24-7 kids without a break of work or anything lately. We went to the ice skating rink by us, to the DIA, and then to eat some mexican food.


After a wonderful breakfast prepared by James, he brought out my gifts. A tri/monopod! I haven't had a tripod in a couple of years... and have been wanting one to do some long exposures.


Camera was out...so of course she had to pose. She says she learned this pose from Hannah Montana.


Eli too!


Berlin helping open my presents.


Yep, I read kid books.

woo, weird to see pictures of me without makeup on. don't worry, there aren't anymore! lol.


Here I am after my triple axel. That James just couldn't catch me in action, I'm too fast for him. :)


James

One of those days.

It has just been one of those days... among other things, cake baking was a mess....

First cake... burned on bottom, not right on top. Maybe the butter recipe was messed up because of the butter I used? Not sure... but a mess.


Treats that did turn out. Silly things.


The last straw... 3rd cake. I'm done.

De.ve.lop.

I am currently participating in another project called Develop on Fridays. Taking time to develop myself personally is really feeling great. Anyway, here are a couple of shots from that lesson. To view the fave shot go to my other blog here! Also, there is a description of the lesson too. Also, just a couple of random shots from the day.

Coffee Beans. Lesson ONE.



VIEW my fave shot.


Berlin was dancing and singing while watching herself in the tv.


Eli watching her from the couch with a bowl of crackers.


Baked these yummy Wild Blueberry Muffins for breakfast. They are so good. The recipe has sour cream in it and I think that just makes them special.


A quick blackmail shot of Eli. Berlin started running around in her bathing suit and she put one of her other ones on Eli. He was so excited...had to take a picture!

NEW look?!

SO, I made my own background for the blog! You like???? I still have not gotten to my photography blog but it will be updated in the next couple of weeks. Hoping that will look super awesome.

If you are a reader of my blog... look to the right and FOLLOW me! I also have a new blog to check out: www.embracelife365.blogspot.com and you can follow that too!

Well, I am off to have some yummy oreo pie and cuddle with my Izzie. Night!

project 365

starting in 2010, i'm going to attempt to take a picture every day for the year. not sure what I'm going to do with them once I have them,...but it will be a fun little project. :)

anyone else interested in joining?

creating.

Berlin Mae, 1 year old.

I've been trying to take a break from work photography so that I get passion for it back. I feel like I've gone a little stagnant. bored and boring. and uncreative. i'm going to continue this break for a little while. so far i haven't had a huge break because of orders and such but even the slow down has been great for my creativity. i used to paint, draw, attempt to crochet, sew, make various items like soap, as well as bake. I wasn't always good at everything (remember my crappy totes that i tried to sell at a craft show... *cough cough (lame)*) but I was at least having fun. Almost everything I'd do would give me a sort of high. Right now I'm sort of on one of those highs for scrapbooking again. I haven't done it in a while and got back to Elijah's album. I'm all caught up to present time now. So far, 88 pages! I have some ideas of books that I want to get to but I think I'm going to start Izzie's and then do a family album. I've come across some really amazing websites for papers and elements. I've also already learned a few things that will help me when designing people's albums! so yay!

I can't wait to share all the neat things that I'm learning! i think i may even get the wacom tablet out and try to draw some of my own elements which would be nice to learn. I'm even more excited to get Elijah's book to print!

If you are interested in digital scrapbooking, check out www.blurb.com. They make it really easy to design and order albums using their program. Also, hit me up if you are interested in more links for papers and such.

All I want for Christmas {James and Amanda}

Sorry for waiting so long to get this up...been busy. Posting from my phone! :)

James:

iTunes gift card
Assasins Creed 2 video game. (xbox)
Left 4 Dead 2 video game ( xbox)
xbox controller- prefer colored fun, not white
Them Crooked Vultures CD
Wolfmother (cosmic egg) CD
Microsoft xbox live points card

Amanda:
beaded necklaces
victoria's secret Amber Romance perfume and lotion
Abercrombie 8 perfume
iTunes gift card
Paramore CDs: Brand New Eyes, All We Know is Falling, Riot
Sondre Lerche CD: Heartbeat Radio
good water bottle- NOT aluminum
slippers- fun monkey ones from target or pretty ones from kohls size 9
Urban Outfitters gift card
Books: Parallel Worlds: A Journey Through Creation... By Michio Kaku
Hyperspace: A Scientific Odyssey.... By Michio Kaku

Thanks! Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Ours was great!

My kids...grease balls?

Ew. I was gone last night at the store and James gave the kids a bath....not realizing that I had left my bath oil next to the kids' soap. SO when he was getting the kids' jammies ready, the kids dumped 1/2 a bottle of bath oil (of a 30 oz bottle!) in the tub. Eli's hair looks ridiculous. I gave him another bath this morning and it is still not wanting to come out all the way.

I'm really looking forward to this weekend! My friend is opening her photography studio and is having an opening party. So James and I are going to that and then out afterwards to a movie! Very excited for a night out! I hope everyone has a nice weekend!

Joys of an internet society.

Well, I didn't do that great at having a blog post everyday for the month of November...which was my original goal. I usually will blog several in a row and schedule them but I forgot over the weekend that none were to be posted. Oh well. Also, I am camera-less for a little while since my one camera is in the shop and the other one is being borrowed. So sorry for no pictures. I am looking into doing a little switcharoo with my equipment since I keep running into failures and stuff. One downside to all this fun technology. It isn't always dependable.

SO, since no pictures...you get to read my randomness! lucky you! :)

I just adore online shopping! I usually buy online for all of the business stuff. But clothes and other personal items, I just haven't done much until now. I started more when I found out I was due with Izzie...bought her crib set online for a fraction of the cost it would be at the store. I've been loving the joys of shopping online for clothes for the kids as long as it is a store that I frequent and know the sizes. No dragging kids through a store...which seriously ruins concentration when deciding what to buy. I can compare and even plan outfits buy searching different stores at once! UH, and it sort of stops this really annoying thing that seems to happen every single time I go shopping for the kids' clothes... SIZES! I can see right there if there isn't their size.

Where do I frequent? Well, since you asked....

www.target.com (they even have a newish boutique section that is so awesome)

www.amazon.com

www.littledreamerdesigns.com (if you scrapbook on the computer--love this!)

www.etsy.com

www.ebay.com

www.gap.com

Now, if I could just have my grocery shopping done online too... I'd be all set! I like to go shopping for fun. When it is shopping for needs, it stresses me out. So yay for online!

One of the paper packs that I recently got. FUN!

If the Bible read like a fortune teller...

I'd be a little depressed today.

Thankfully, it doesn't. I've been having one of those days for a few days now. I just feel off. And a little confused. And frustrated. I can't even really explain it logically. Photography is slowing down now and I am so darn happy that it is. I had a bad few weeks with work where anything that could go wrong...does. And sometimes it leaves me questioning what I'm doing.

I opened my bible today and although I'm in Daniel, I open it and the first verse I read was Proverbs 13:19. Which in the bible that I was reading read like this: 'It is pleasant to see plans develop. That is why fools refuse to give them up when they are wrong.' Now I had to sort of laugh when I read that because when I was in junior high I used to close my eyes and just open the bible hoping that God would just have something to tell me on whatever page I opened to. I realize that it doesn't read like a fortune teller and don't do that anymore but thought that the verse I read was an odd coincidence for how I'd been feeling.

I read a little more on that verse and I think my version is not exactly worded well. The more I read on it with other translations...it doesn't mean wrong as in I'm wrong for my plans. But wrong as in evil. Fools refuse to give up evil because of the happiness it can bring. So coincidence, not really with reading more about it. Still something to remember though.

hmm. i'm in a weird mood.

It is late and I should be sleeping.

The baby is making me sort of uncomfortable right now so I thought I'd get up and get myself so tired that it won't even matter that I don't have any room to expand my lungs! Ha. Nah, it isn't that bad really.

So the past week was pretty good. My wedding on Saturday went well. I finished up my portrait sessions that were scheduled. Only one wedding to go (besides Roger's) and then all the editing catching up and then hopefully, baby time! I sort of have a plan that as soon as I'm caught up with work that I'm going to do all the myth tricks to see if any work. Just for funsies.

I HAVE to post a picture soon of the kid's rooms. My mom is super awesome and came down to help me switch the rooms around (and also cleaned my basement while I took Berlin to dance!). So the baby will have her own room...and the other 2 are sharing. Which has been an adjustment. Not going the best lately, but we'll keep trying. Besides the rooms, I need to post a picture of the baby quilt that Judy just finished! It is so perfect! Slightly vintage-y and very pretty!

The Wholehearted Child I've just started reading this book again and I'm pretty impressed with it so far. I laughed when I saw the picture on the front and it boasted "fresh" ideas. But in an effort to continue with my business plan, I've thought that I should read up on the homeschooling stuff since that is something that has been on my mind for our family future. Figure I should take that into account when planning for the business. I'm hoping to find another photographer that homeschools so I can get some input from someone that runs a business like this as well as devotes themselves to homeschooling.


Here are a few pictures from weeks ago. I'm pretty behind on family picture posting at the moment.
Giggle baby, he just loves this thing.



Eli likes to take the stuffed dogs for walks. He really likes animals a lot.

Just hanging out before bedtime.

Berlin in her jammies, riding her scooter.

Dancing Days.

Berlin started dance class yesterday! It is a preschool dance to just get warmed up. She had a great time! She was a little bummed because she said she wanted to do Plies (i think that is how it is spelled)...but she did do some jazz stepping across the floor...which turned into a twist sort of bunny hop. She cracked the parents up by her spontaneous change of the dance move. We could only peek through this little part in the blinds to not distract the kids...which stinks for trying to get pictures. But here are a few that I took. Also, a random one from this morning. The kids huddled in the coffee cart table thing. Pretty much a daily ritual for them.

Other news, which isn't really news... Eli went to the pediatrician on Wednesday. They don't think the lip tie will have much impact on his speech. They would like me to see a dentist but we can't until he is over 2. They think it will affect his teeth and he will probably need braces. I'm just hoping he won't need it cut. He is going to be seeing a speech therapist for more evaluation. They did order a hearing test and some horrible blood tests. (seriously traumatizing for me and him! he turned purple twice from not breathing and we had to lift him up and sorta shake him. Why they would strap a kid down and do that to test for LEAD?! i really feel like with the next one i'm just going to do the typical shots and tell them to kiss off for the random testing for anemia and lead.) His hearing test is on Monday, although I'm sure he doesn't have a hearing problem. I'm pretty convinced at this point that if the lip tie isn't affecting his speech...it is just because he doesn't want to yet. Berlin talks for him a lot and he is able to communicate pretty effectively.

Ha ha, and in MY week. I had some focusing issue with my newest camera-5D. Which is out of warranty. I sent it in to be checked and found out that to get it checked (without repairing the problem, it is going to be $202...then if there is a problem, it will go up from there.) So that stinks. Then, I'm trying to shoot the other day with my backup camera and I get an ERROR 99 code...which is basically like the check engine light coming on in your car. It could be a number of things wrong including a bad shutter. SO now I have to send that in to be checked and pay for that to be fixed. So now I am camera-less and have 3 sessions next week and 3 weddings coming up. I'm sort of in a panic to try and find a camera or 2 to use. I also just sold one of my lenses to a girl in Canada...and I stupidly shipped it through US Post rather than Priority and international doesn't track....so it has been 13 days and she hasn't gotten it. It could be held up in customs and so I've got one annoyed girl emailing me everyday. Fun fun. BUT in good news, Berlin was asked to be a model for a Child Photography workshop by one of Kate's old friends that is hosting the workshop...the photographer is from Seattle and holds these workshops around the country to teach people techniques on child portraits. Because Berlin is going to be modeling, I get to attend for free basically--I don't get to shoot, but it should be some learning. Plus, I get more pictures of Berlin! :) That is tomorrow afternoon...so pictures should be soon!

Berlin before class.



Waiting for class to start.

A little glimpse of her.

Can you have your cake...

and eat it too?

Just a little Sunday morning thinking. James is unsure what he plans on doing for a job. He needs to figure something out that he is interested in that he can do instead of electrical and make a plan to get there. It makes me start thinking about the original plan and our roles. For a while I thought I could handle switching roles and once the baby is born, for me to work. But I don't think I could really. I'd end up being a grouchy poop. Because of my personality, I'd want things still to be done the way I'd do them. If something isn't done, I take it on myself to get it done...which would make me exhausted to take on that supermom role. I already get exhausted but at least now I'm not resentful. Which I think I would end up being. Anyway, I still like photography and honestly have been a little lazy on the making money side of things. I've kind of waited for money to come to me...not tried to go out and get it. Or implemented any of the plans to make money. So my goal for the week is to come up with a business plan. Time to stop being willy nilly! (i love that term!) Figure out what I want and then plan for it...and hopefully get there by the end of 2010. That has been the year that I've had in my head for a couple years now. So if I can get things rolling in the way I want by next summer, I think that'd be fantastic! I've kept myself down a little bit by keep saying that I need to be better first. Obviously, I think I should keep learning. But I have a few friends that are less consistant, with less quality and make 90k+ a year. So that gives me motivation. How could this solve James needing to figure out what he is doing? I don't know really...but this is my jumble of thoughts. How do I start making more money while keeping the family as a priority and not burn myself out? Business plan is necessary.

New Lens! 24-70mm yay!

My new lens arrived tonight! Canon 24-70mm 2.8L USM lens! I had to sell 2 lenses to afford it but it was worth it. This should be a better all around lens for weddings. I'm excited! I did a little testing tonight to check it out...plus to check out my 5d which seems to have a backfocusing problem...that or I am crazy and all of a sudden don't know how to use autofocus (which is doubtful). So I'm sending it in to be checked out. I'm going to miss it for the next couple of weeks.

Anyway, here are a couple of my test shots with my new lens! Also, I'm feeling teachery and decided that I'd post my straight out of the camera (SOOC) files as well as the finished. I get emails sometimes about what I do to the pictures...so thought I'd share. None are really super touched up or anything...just basic.


SOOC


Skin softened and sharpened


SOOC


Slight skin smoothing (for guys i do less than girls), sharpened, curves, a little contrast and saturation boost.


SOOC


Cleaned up face, skin smoothing, sharpened, slight contrast boost


SOOC


Skin smooth, sharpened, ran an action called Pool Party at 20%, burned bushes a little to darken and make more focus on berlin's pale skin.


This picture isn't perfectly in focus, but i like it...so i'm keeping it. :) I just skin smoothed, ran an action called Winter Fade at 30%, then increased the contrast.

Okay, well just felt like sharing my excitement! Now I'm off to enjoy my ice cream bar and watch a movie while James is hanging out with Joel. :)

11:16 pm...do you know where your children are?

Random title. :)

It is getting late and I'm tired...but I'm backing up some memory cards before going to sleep. I just wanted to write and say how amazing my kids are! I'm so darn lucky. I went out today and did a mini portrait session with each of them and it was fantastic. I can't wait to show you the pictures!

I talk with both the kids a lot. Even if they don't understand what I'm saying...but Berlin is such a talker too that it ends up with some very interesting conversations. Today, without going into detail, we talked about weddings and why James and I are married. She is so inquisitive and I wish I could record her talking so that I don't forget this time of her life. But while thinking about that...how great it is to have these little interactions, I was thinking about how lucky I am to have the time do spend with them. Before I know it, she'll be driving a car and he'll be joining a rock band or something. I'm going to miss these days that my hair is twisted up in funny ponytails and decorated with a million clippies and glitter. But I'm thankful that I have them at all.

Good night!

A few weeks ago, I had another photography group meeting. I only went for less than an hour because Erin & Timmy were in town...but it was still fun to get a few shots. I've been rather lazy about editing them but these were a few of my faves!


Tiger Stadium










Not sure what building this is, but it would be way cooler without the sign. :(


Streetlamp. edit 1


and streetlamp edit 2. couldn't decide...




Fox Theater. I really like this picture.


Fox Theater minus the cab and fisheye.


Random building detail.