Tomorrow is October 1, which officially means that I must start REALLY thinking about Christmas gifts. I am going to try to keep us to a budget this year because every year it seems to get out of hand quickly.

The photobooks are the priority right now. I need to spend next week working on getting all of the photos organized so they are easier to upload and the books can be designed a little quicker than they have in the last year. I'm super excited about them this year because I found a new website (www.flickr.com) and they have partnered with some other great companies that can turn out a fantastic product.

And something creative...each year i try to make something homemade for the families...one year it was blankets, another it was candles...I really need to find that GREAT idea for this year.

OH yes, things I am thankful for today:
1. I get to have dinner with Mary...she makes my heart smile every time i see her or even just talk to her.
2. Sherry is going to get to come down in November to stay the weekend
3. I have an explanation for all the raging hormones that have been going on with The Boy!
4. The Man...he's a pretty cool guy



All my love

thankful

Wow! That didn't take long for me to fall behind...

Today's list
1. I'm thankful that I don't have to go set up the show today
2. I'm thankful for the people that love me
3. I'm thankful that I didn't fight with either kid this morning
4. I'm thankful that I still WANT your help...even though it may not always make sense.



All my love

Dear God

Please please give me the patience for these people today!! And please help me find a good mood for the rest of the day...

Two Awesome Pictures

I just wanted to share two of my favorite pictures from August...

The Boy





















and The Girl














Could they be any more beautiful? I look at these pictures and I fall completely in love with them all over again. The funny thing is...they both hate these pictures.


All My Love

Ouch!!

It's really funny...when I was growing up I felt like such an ugly kid. From my clothes, to my hair, to my skin...to really just about everything about me. I was fortunate enough to marry a great guy (The Man) and he has been so wonderful to me and has pretty much let me do whatever I have wanted to do to myself to make me feel better. We spend a ridiculous amount of money on clothes...although I try to be a bargain shopper! I have great hair now and actually know how to fix it with the right products and tools - but I still spend a fortune getting it colored.

There have been some other things that I have changed about myself, but the most recent thing is my teeth. I have spent the last year in braces and now invisalign... While I know this will be worth it too in the end...Holy Cow! Every two weeks I wear a new set and every two weeks...it is like starting over. I sit here today and just want to turn off all the lights and crawl under my desk. I think mouth pain is one of the worst pains.

Mission at lunch...get some advil, LOTS of advil.

All my love

Thankful

A goal I have for myself going forward is to list out the things I am thankful for. I would like to say that I will do this every day, however, I know that I am a big procrastinator...but i'm really going to try.

So here is today's list

I am thankful for:
1. My children and that they are both wonderfully smart
2. The Man - that he continues to fight just as hard with me to make it all worthwhile
3. The people in my life that continuously support me (even in the little ways)
4. That one person in my life who can help me make sense of it all...even when she won't give me the answers :)
5. my job - I have a fantastic job that allows me to work close to home and do what I love to do
6. all the little things in life that continue to be a blessing to me

Motivation... and other randomness

Well, it's official! Someone stole my motivation this afternoon. I have a list of things that REALLY need to get done for work, but alas, the list just sits and stares back at me.

Where is my mind you ask? Well, I want to have our family pics done this weekend and I am wondering if i'm capable enough to do them myself. I bought a remote last time I was at the camera store and thought to myself, "how great would it be to not have the pressure of someone else trying to take our family pics"...little did I know just how much I would stress out over this whole concept. But...I figure if I could survive the newborn session I did 2 months ago... I can do this.

So now the big question...what to wear? for me, the kids and the Man.... ugh, such decisions.

OH...I have to tell you that I have met one of the most wonderful people ever. She is an absolutely amazing person. I love to see her eyes light up when she talks about her kids or her husband (who is away with work) and how every part of her being is about her family. She makes me want to be a better wife every time I talk to her. As for being a better mother...I figure that if we all just survive the teenage years...I've done a pretty good job.

But I digress, this woman...she is an amazing person. We were talking the other night at football practice and she mentioned meatloaf. Well, the poor Man hasn't had meatloaf in I can't tell you how long, because I refuse to make it. God love her soul...she brought him a meatloaf yesterday. The best part - she even made something for me. I love her! I love that she is constantly thinking of other people. I'm sad that I hadn't met her before now and after this season, our boys will no longer spend time together as they do not go to the same school.

Speaking of her son - he is a super great kid. It's so hard to look at other people's kids and remember that your kids aren't the complete buttheads that they appear to be. I know that I have great kids, they are smart, wonderful, compassionate...BUT they are kids, and they have hormones, and well...life is just not all that fun sometimes. But I love them, and I relish in every thing they do and every success they have.

Well, this turned out to be a lot of rambling and I apologize for that...maybe as time goes on, I will learn to be more focused in my blogs....probably not, but it's a good goal to have.

All my love

Football & Cheerleading

Boy and Girl are both trying football and cheer for the first time this year. It's scary because Boy is NOT very big at all and is playing tackle...but so far, so good.

Homecoming was last weekend...so much fun (and so much drama)

The beginning

I have stalked many blogs and have always wanted one of my own. So...today is the day! Today is the day that I get to have a place all to myself that I can gloat, vent, or just ramble.

Hello to all...or anyone that comes by!

I have two kids, (boy is almost 12 and girl is 7) - we stay so busy with girls' soccer and cheer and boy's football. Man and I both work - so there is no down time for us. In the middle of it all - I love photography. I'm by NO means great at it, but it is my hearts passion. I'll post photos out here eventually, but for now...just hello.