Jumping on the Band Wagon

So, like a few of you already have, I have downloaded “Windows Live Writer”. Which is what I am using write now.

I was worried  about ‘being smart enough’ to figure out how to use it but I seem to be okay…so far.

Today, Hubby had the day off, and we went and got our taxes done. I am SO excited about our refund! We will be able to pay off the debt we have and still have some left over.

After we got our taxes done, we went to talk to a lady to see about buying a house.  We are super excited to say that yes, we might quite possibly be able to finally buy!! We still have to wait on the ultimate okay, but so far, it’s looking good!

We have been renting our current house since we have moved back “home”…which will be 4 years next month! As much as I am ready to have a house we can call our own, it’s still a little sad that we are going to move out of the only home my kids have known! The house that we brought both of them home from the hospital to. The house that the learned to walk and talk in. The house that they call home.

As much as I despise this house, it’s still home….for now! I am SO ready to move on and be first time homeowners!!!

For now, I leave you with this picture and story. The other day, Bubba kept crying for ‘Nana’….my mom. He was screaming her name and crying “Nana! Nana! Nana! GO!!” He REALLY wanted to go see her!!  As he was going to the door, I told him, “No, Bubba. We can’t go see Nana right now!” And this is the start of the fit he threw!! He was NOT very happy with me for quite a while after that! Darn kids!!!

Stoked!!

I'm super stoked! I was contacted by a friend on FB about doing pictures for her. Wedding pictures!!

Why am I 'super stoked'?? Because it is a small intimate wedding. Immediate family only. Maybe 15 people. I love that it's this small, because it's my FIRST wedding! I think it will be less pressure on me, doing my first wedding, when it's that small.

(I've had the opportunity to do a wedding before, but then it fell through. You might remember me blogging about it here.)

When thinking about what price to quote the bride-to-be, I thought of many different things:

1. I am an amateur professional, not a professional.
2. It's a very small wedding.
3. The wedding will be located out of town, but only about 45 minutes away.
4. I have known the bride-to-be, and her brother, for YEARS!
5. It's only double what I normally charge for family/individual pictures.

She was excited about the price and told me that she would talk to her fiance' about it, but that she was pretty sure he would agree to hire me!!

I am SO excited about having the opportunity to grow my portfolio!!

Photography

Yesterday afternoon, I got the opportunity to do a photo shoot with a precious little girl, who is a month old!! I used to work with her momma before I became a stay at home mom. I had SO much fun at the shoot, mainly because they were so easy to work with, and was up to do anything I suggested. Also because I LOVE doing photography!!

I have tried to get my "business" up and running, but with little to no luck. The Marine shoot was my first actual paying gig, then three months later, right before Christmas, I got my second gig with my sweet friend and her family.

I am looking forward to hopefully doing a lot more, because I enjoy doing it! And it doesn't hurt to have a little extra money coming in. I know there are quite a few "amateur professional" photographers around here, but I also know that there are some people that don't know of any of those people, and don't want to pay the big bucks for, "professional" ones. I'm hoping that my name gets out there and I am able to do a lot more!

I also just realized that I never posted any pics from my second gig I did. So here are a few of my faves from both shoots.

My Brazilian Sister

When I was 15 years old, we hosted a foreign exchange studentwho was 2 years older than me, from Brazil. She and I were really tight...she, in a sense, was my sister. She came to live with us during Christmas break and stayed until the end of the school year. A few years later, she came back to stay a week or so with us. I was so happy that I was able to drive and her and I could actually go hang out together.

When she went back to Brazil the second time, over 10 years ago, I didn't know if I would ever see her again. I, of course, thought of her all the time. Wondered how she was, if she was still living in Brazil, if she was married, had kids, and just what she was up to now-a-days.

I found her on myspace, only to realize that she never used it. I had her e-mail address, but it was her work e-mail, and didn't know about holding conversations over it. So I decided to look for her on Facebook (I get on there every day..sometimes more than once. Okay, more than 10 times a day. Sad, I know!) I couldn't find her. So I sent her an invite to her work e-mail to join.

The next day, I got an e-mail back. It was her telling me that she had JUST added me as a friend on there, right before she got my e-mail!!! How awesome is that?!?!? So we connected on FB and got caught up. She is married, and has been for 3 years. No kids. And she moved from Rio de Janiero to Sao Paulo...about 266 miles away.

She also told me that she would be coming to the states in October and would love to see me and my parents! She will be flying into Orlando, then fly to LR, drive to see us, stay about 3 or 4 days, then fly to LA where she will be attending a birthday party for her friend's one year old, and a wedding! I am more than excited to see her, and for her to meet my husband and kids!

I will have to dig out an old pic or two of us together and post in the next few days or so. I don't know if I can wait until October now!!! Eeekkk!!!!

Gotta Have Faith

It is day 10 of my fast. And I am going crazy!!

I was planning on just going for a week, but God had other plans. As I was laying in bed, saying my prayers, this past Thursday night, He spoke to me. I know it had to be the Holy Spirit, because I never would have thought of this on my own. As I was praying about strength during my fast, a small still voice said, "Fast until something happens."

Ummm..what??

Okay?!?! Do I have enough strength to do that, or faith? I know that with God, anything is possible. So I just have to continue to look towards Him.

I WAS fasting pretty much anything with flour. No crackers, tortilla shells, pasta, bread, rolls, biscuits, anything breaded. After I decided NOT to disobey God (I'm not taking my chances even if it wasn't Him!!), I realized that I would have to change my fast up a little if I was going to make it at all. Now it's just no tortilla shells, breads, rolls, biscuits, or anything breaded.

Doesn't sound too hard though, does it? Well for someone like me that HAS to have some sort of bread with every meal, it's more than hard! I've done pretty good, so far. I made burritos last night for Hubby and the kids, but I had nachos instead...I hope that is acceptable. Anyways, this morning, the family wanted biscuits/gravy, eggs, and fried deer meat.

Okay, I can do that. But I didn't realize how hard it was going to be!! That's my favorite breakfast meal! There are biscuits left over...and it's killing me to NOT eat one!!

So here is my prayer for today...right now.

"Lord, give me the strength to make it through this fast 'until something happens'. I pray for faith in You to do what needs to be done. I know that by fasting it shows my faith in You...so I pray for the ability to continue onwards. You know the reason I fast, You know the thing that weighs heavy on my heart. I pray that Your will be done not only in my life, but those that I fast for! In Jesus name I pray. Amen"

Random acts of kindness

It has been a LONG week! Sunday, of course, was church. Sunday night, though, our church started our Spiritual Renewal Conference, which lasted until Wednesday night.

Monday, I picked up the house, then Monday evening went to the SRC. Tuesday, the kids and I went to my parents house to clean, then to the SRC that evening. Wednesday, I did a couple loads of laundry and cleaned the kitchen, had a nursery committee meeting at 5pm, and then the SRC that evening. Thursday, was MDO. The kids didn't go because Hubby started his vacation that day, but I had to work. Today, Friday, we had to go back to my parents house to finish cleaning. We then came home, ate supper that Hubby made...frozen lasagna...and then the kids and I went to WM for some grocery shopping.

As we were checking out, I realized that I got a little too much and had the cashier take off a $12 pack of steaks. "TWELVE DOLLARS!?!?!?" you ask? Yes! It was a pack of 6 individually wrapped sirloins. With only 2 of us that eat steak, that's 3 meals...for 12 dollars!!

Anyways, as I was loading the groceries and the kids into the truck, a lady came up to me.

"Ma'am?"

"Yes?"

"Here, this is from the Lord. Do you know what that means?" while handing me a WM sack with the steaks in it!!

"Thank you! Yes, I do! Thank you SO much!" I said with tears in my eyes.

I was too busy trying to load the groceries and kids up that I didn't have the time to think about refusing them, saying something differently, giving her a hug, or even saying, "Bless You!!" to her!

I have been torn in many different directions over this.

1. Did I look that pathetic with my nappy hair and clothes (didn't change or shower after cleaning the 'rents house) and my two small children (which Bubba, btw, was already in his flannel footed pajamas) that she felt the need to help me?


2. Since when am I the person someone feels the need to help or perform a random act of kindness towards?


3. Bless the lady that had the heart, and need, to pay $12 for a package of steaks for a complete and total stranger!


4. A package of steaks of all things!! I could understand if it was a package of diapers or something, but steaks??


5. Maybe the lady realized that I was NOT putting back something that we WERE in need of, like diapers, to be able to keep the things we DIDN'T!


6. Pay it Forward!! My former preacher's wife told me to do just that. She also informed me that if I would have refused it, the lady would not have gotten the blessing she was looking for...not a praise towards her, but to God!
7. I have also realized that with that package of steaks, that's 3 meals that we otherwise, might NOT have had.

The Lord is Awesome and knows what He is doing, though we may not! But, it is NOT our job to know!! We are just supposed to have faith and know that He is God!!

Have you ever had someone perform an act of kindness to/for you? If so, how did you 'handle' it?

Have you ever PERFORMED an act of kindness to/for someone else? If so, how did they 'handle' it?

Fasting

This week our church is having a Spiritual Renewal Conference. It's kinda like a revival, but we are focused mainly on renewing our hearts, our mindsets, our willingness to want to bring more lost people to the saving grace of God, and our spirits.

Our pastor has made a church wide challenge for us all to fast through the time of the conference. Some people, like him, started last Sunday fasting and going until it is over. I, myself, know I don't have that much will-power, though I know I should considering, and I have opted to start today. I do, however, would like to try going until Sunday. Because, I not only am fasting and praying for the given, but there has been something on my heart and mind for the past 8 years and I feel I NEED to fast for it as well.

I was trying to decide what fast I might do. After determining that with my hypoglycemia, doing a full fast or not eating at all would not be good, I am not a soda drinker, or addicted to really anything...except Facebook LOL...but I did realize that something that I eat, and have to have at every meal is bread. Some sort of bread is a must at every meal for me! So I have decided to fast from bread, pasta, tortillas, tortilla chips, or anything that is breaded.

This is my first day of that, AND I AM GOING CRAZY!! I didn't realize just how much starches I eat!! I am also hoping that by cutting those type of things out of my diet for a week, it will make it easier to not eat that much at all after I end my fast. Crossing my fingers that it will also help in losing some pounds!!!

Have you ever fasted? And if so, what did you fast from and for how long?

2010 Hopes and Wants.

I don't have any resolutions for 2010, but I do have many hopes and wants.

• To have Bubba potty trained by the end of the year.
• To have more paying photography gigs.
• To pay off all our debt.
• To buy our first home...after paying off all our previous debt.
• To be able to have Jordan start preschool in the fall.
• To have my photography "business" lead off.
• To have more family pics taken.
• To get out of the house more.
• To have at least one female friend that I can call my best friend. I think every woman should have one!!

I wish all of you a very Happy New Year's and hope that 2010 will be good do you in every way possible!!

My 2009 resolutions!!

So before I make my 2010 resolutions, how about seeing how I fared on my 2009 ones.

1) Losing 30lbs?? Yeah, didn't happen. I don't think I even lost 5!!

2) All my pictures are organized by months! I am so glad that I decided to do this, because it helps me look back and see what happened in which month...when I actually remember to take my camera!

3) I'm still working on praying more, worrying less. It's still a struggle for me to leave EVERYTHING in God's hands...though I know I should!

4) Sissy was potty trained before her 3rd birthday. In fact she was potty trained, 3 months before!

5) We did go outside a little more this year, and probably would have more, but 2009 was the year for rain here!

6) I had 2 paying photography gigs this past year, and have another lined up for this weekend!!!!! YAY!!

7) I am still working on playing more with my kiddos...but I have managed to quit picking up so much after them. I've learned that as soon as I pick up, it all gets messed back up.

8) At church, I am on the Nursery Committee, work with the 4th and 5th graders on Wednesday nights, lead the drama kids, help the Children's Minister whenever I am needed, and I have just recently agreed to be the 0-1 yr old Sunday School teacher.

9) I chopped off all my hair in August!

10) I do NOT have ANY resolutions for 2010, just lots of hopes and wants.

One thing that I was planning on putting on my 2010 list was to have Bubba broke from his pacifier....I got that one down before the New Year even started! He has been without it since last Saturday!!! YAY!!

So how did you fare??

2009 in Review

Well, hello 2010! It's wonderful to see you. I ask that you please be as kind/if not more kind to us than 2009 was. Thanks ~Shauna Mama!

Here is a recap of 2009...enjoy!

January

• We celebrated Christmas with my dad's family. We also took our first family picture since Bubba was born in July.

February

• Valentines Day I made some heart cupcakes for Hubby, which was our 7th Valentines Day together.

March

• We lost my great aunt this month. It was very tragic, she was killed in a car accident.
• The month was fairly pretty so the kids and I went outside quite a bit for some pictures.
• A fever virus started going around, and my kids both got it. Thankfully it lasted less than 48 hours!

April

• The hubby decided he wanted to take the kids up on the mountain...on a cold, rainy, dreary day...yeah, let's not do that again!
• My niece was baptized.
• My Granny passed away later that night after a battle with her kidneys shutting down on her.
• The day we buried Granny, a tornado hit and devastated our small town.

May

• For Mother's Day, Hubby surprised me with a 5 day vacation to Dallas/Plano. We went and stayed with his aunt and cousin, went shopping, lots of eating, and went to the Dallas Zoo.
• I turned 27!
• My little sister graduated from 6th grade...she was heading to high school!!

June

• Sissy and Daddy had their first date night where they went to see Transformers 2, which btw, is too long of a movie for a 2 1/2 year old to sit through.
• Hubby and I took the kids on their first fishing trip...not that anyone but Hubby fished.

July

• Bubba got to experience his 1st Fourth of July celebration at my parents house.
• At that same celebration, I thought I broke my ankle!
• Bubba turned 1!!!!
• Hubby's mom and step-dad came in for vacation from Florida.
• We were determined to potty train Sissy that week....we succeeded!

August

• My uncle came to visit us, it's the first time I had seen him since Sissy's baby shower. Which meant this was also the first time he had met either of my kids.
• I chopped all my hair off...and I love it!
• Our church started up a Mother's Day Out program which my kids attend!
• Hubby started working overnights. :-(

September

• I had my first paying photography gig...in which some of the pictures where featured in the local paper!
• Hubby and I celebrated 7 years of marriage!
• Hubby got his much anticipated job promotion!!!

October

• I made cake balls for the first time for a family Halloween get-to-together. Hubby criticized me in saying he didn't see the point of them. He then tried one, and then another, and another, before long, half of them were gone before we made it to the function!
• My niece, KH, was born the day before Sissy's birthday. Which in turn makes my cousin's son's birthday on the 15th, my niece's on the 16th, Sissy's on the 17th, and my Granny's would have been the 18th.
• Sissy turned 3 and had a Princess themed party!
• We sold my SUV and bought me a truck!!!!

November

• We took the kids to deer camp and stayed the night for the first time. The kids loved all the food and fun.
• We celebrated my dad's birthday. He doesn't look bad...for a 53 year old!!
• We had a nice Thanksgiving lunch, and then went out to the mountains for another Thanksgiving lunch with my dad's family.

December

• We had to make our first ER trip for either child. Bubba fell, ripped his ear, and had to have 3 stitches in it. The trip traumatized us all!!
• Bubba found my "not so hidden" hidden Christmas present...a Canon Rebel XSi!
• I had my second paying photography gig....before I got my new camera!
• We enjoyed spending Christmas with both our families without any much drama.
• Sissy got a Princess Bike from Santa!
• Sissy helped me bake a cake for Hubby's 32nd Birthday!

So all in all, 2009 was a pretty good year. It treated us well. 2010, here's to you, and the greater things yet to come!!!!