My little one!

So my baby on April 1st turned four years old. He still seems like such the baby but he really is getting to be a big boy! He is such a joy to have in our home. He really brings us laughter and togetherness that we would not know without him. Today he came running down the hall when he got out of bed "here comes your chicken love!" I don't of course know why we say that to him but we all do! He is our "chicken love!"

So today I dolled him up and took him outside to take his four year old pictures. First warm day or I would have done it sooner! At first he wanted no part in it. I promised gifts candy and nothing helped.

This was just an example of the faces I was getting. I still love the picture but I could have been happy with a little more joy! So I decided I would do what I do with other kids I take pictures of and play games! This made all the difference. We played hide and seek and this became my favorite picture of the day.

I even got Daniel in on it and got some great shots of Daniel and Jaden together! Daniel is usually my assistant holding up reflectors and diffusers, but I do love it when I get put him in with the kids!

I know this is an overload of Jaden pictures but your birthday only comes once a year! I love this little guy more than words can express. Happy Birthday Jaden!

I feel like singin!

Okay so one of my favorite movies is the color purple. My favorite part is when one of the women say "I feel like singin!" That is what I feel like right now. My grass is turning green the kids can play outside and I feel better. I feel a whole new enthusiasm for things. I have decided to make my life easier I am going to enlist the help of people that know what they are doing. I had the feeling that if they learned how to do it so can I. Well I have also decided that somethings are not worth my time. I like to have someone occasionally do it for me. So I have found some storyboard actions. I am addicted. I went back and put pictures in them so I could see what they looked like. I loved this one!!

I have decided story boards are wonderful. You can print out so many images at once. I love the idea. I know that people have been doing it for a long while and I am behind on the curve--but it makes me "feel like singin!"

My life is about to get stupid crazy. Baseball and swimming start up and I get to take pictures at another wedding and have already started getting e-mails about spring pictures. Work is still busy! I do really enjoy my job even though it is sometimes stress full. I have big plans for the summer so the job makes that all possible.

I can't wait to see people outside again and playing with the kids at the park and sitting with a good book watching baseball. See what I mean "like singin!"

Finally!

So excited about the new blog. I finally got tired of figuring out how to set up my own crap so I had someone do it for me.

http://www.theblogfairy.com/

She was great and very patient with me. I wish I would have done it sooner!

I have changed that header so many times it has given me a headache.

I am also very excited about the upcoming spring break. I am going to spend a lot of good time with the kids, take a week off from work and put down the camera and join in. Sometimes I forget that! Carson has his picture taken a lot by me because he likes it. But even Carson is getting tired of me asking him to sit over here or stand over there. These are the faces I got from him this time.
I did have the best experience at a wedding that I got to take some pictures at. Boy it was the best learning experience I could have ever had! It was fun and exciting to do something different. I also have the pleasure to be doing another one in May.

Here are just a few shots from that day!

She was absolutely beautiful! The whole thing taught me so much about myself and how I like to take photographs!

I feel so blessed that I have found something that I enjoy so much. Now if I can just figure out the balance in my life. I think things will start coming together. I am always battling with keeping who I am alive and sacrificing for my family. I have such big dreams and I just need to be patient.

I am so proud!

I am so proud that I figured out to refigure my blog. I did not like the look of it so I had to change it up. For those of you who read the post I just deleted I guess I don't have the uploading of pictures locked down yet either. But this is what we woke up to Friday morning. Right now it is -1 outside.

I have been doing a lot of photography editing and printing out pictures. I never get around to printing out our own. I am feeling really isolated because of the weather so this helps me stay happy.

I hope all of you have a wonderful Christmas. I plan on eating alot and exercising very little.

My progress!

Okay so today I went for a jog. I only had one diet coke. I figured I was drinking about four a day! Can you believe that. My head has hurt so much when I went cold turkey that I thought I would cuss. I am so addicted! So I am going to go even slower. So pathetic! I am thinking about exercising maybe another time this week. No pressure for myself--just thinking. Baby steps! You can't change all in one day.

This weekend I took pictures of the funnest people. I have said before that I love taking pictures of teenagers. This time it was boys so it had to be a little different look. Let me tell you that I am definitely not cool any longer. I tried to be funny but I don't think they thought it was so funny. But really I am funny--who wouldn't think that I wasn't funny?

Both the boys were really musical so I tried to throw in their instruments everywhere I could. Everyone was very photogenic so that really helps.

I love when the lighting is just right and the family is so willing to try different things. I wonder what goes through their mind when I ask them to meet me in a stinky alleyway behind downtown and I want them to sit on my vintage couch. Everyone seems really willing to try just about anything.

This week I miss my friends I spent last weekend with. I wish we all lived closer! That is such not life though. Some of my favorite people I hardly ever get to see. Very hard!

FYI I am putting more of this family on my photography blog just in case anyone wants to go over and take a peek!