Enjoying Lifes Little Moments

Senior 2010

2009-10-16T20:40:00.003-05:00

Senior 2010

2009-10-16T20:28:00.007-05:00

I now feel old. I went to school with this Senior's mom. He did really great during the whole session.

Heather Prom 09

2009-05-18T19:36:00.014-05:00

This is Heather and her boyfriend. I took her senior pictures this year. I just love this kid..She is great. I had a blast taking her Prom pics. They had the prom at the RiverPark. We got lucky and it was actually beautiful out! The sun was shining like crazy.

Prom 09

2009-05-03T22:31:00.006-05:00

This is Mr. E and Ms. K. Aren't they a beautiful couple? I had a blast taking their prom pictures. I have soooo many wonderful shots..I'm just busting to get to them. But I did a few to give them a sneak peek!

More of Mary....Senior

2009-03-11T15:24:00.024-05:00

Get ready for picture overload. This Senior was a joy to work with. She would do anything I asked her to do and the pics turned out great. I even got brave and started to use textures on my pics. I am addicted to it now.

Heather H.

2009-02-06T08:58:00.020-06:00

This is Heather H. I have known her since she was about a year old. I still call her by her nickname..and I won't be saying what that is. I had a great time taking pics of her..her mom and her boyfriend.

Senior....Mary Lou

2008-12-06T09:50:00.006-06:00

This is Mary Lou and she is one of my seniors. She was so excited to see her pics so I went ahead and posted these for her. I hope you love them Mary Lou! There are more to come.

Woods Family

2008-12-02T19:27:00.009-06:00

This is a friend of mine from work and her family. They were a joy to photograph. Here are a few of the shots I got. Thanks for looking.

A few wedding pics....

2008-11-16T20:12:00.007-06:00

Here are a few shots of my first big wedding. I'm very nervous about how they look. I think its going well so far. Well....as long as she likes them..I am happy.

The Bride and Dad

The Bride and Mom

More Fall shots

2008-11-08T10:18:00.002-06:00

Some shots I wanted to share from yesterday.....I Love Fall!!

Senior Shoot

2008-11-05T15:47:00.011-06:00

This is Ms. M. she was the first senior shoot that I did this year. I am just now getting around to posting these. She was great to work with.

Random shot from the side of the highway

2008-09-30T06:40:00.003-05:00

I was on a shoot Saturday and was waiting for my client to change her clothes. I was just wandering around looking at things and taking pictures of whatever to pass a few minutes. Then the clouds parted a bit and this is what I got. It's nothing special but just something a little different...and I thought I would share. I have been told my fans are sick of seeing the same thing on here the past few weeks. So there ya go! I will be posting more soon...I promise and if you are bored..go over to my other blog "just being Sam" there are new baby pics on that blog. Everyone have a great day!

More of Stephanie's Maternity Pictures

2008-09-07T17:38:00.006-05:00

I just wanted to add a few more that I had finished for her......

Wow....I had seven photographs chosen.....

2008-09-01T16:21:00.009-05:00

The next art show that our class is doing is called the Americana Art Show 2008. I submitted ten entries and I had seven chosen. I expected one maybe to be picked..but not seven. I'm really excited about this. I hope to win atleast one catagory in this show. I will keep you all up to date on what happens.....

Another Maternity for me....I'm really starting to like this!

2008-08-24T16:20:00.012-05:00

Here is another maternity session I did a few weeks ago. I am really starting to like maternity photography. I never got to have my pictures done when I was pregnant..now I really regret it! So I take all that energy and apply it to my maternity clients. I want them to have something special to remember this wonderful time in their lives.

Erica's Maternity Pics

2008-08-21T22:22:00.006-05:00

I just wanted to share a few pics I took on Tuesday of one of my best friends...Erica. She has 5 weeks to go before having this little girl..Im so excited.

Sunshine and Fruit

2008-08-02T20:36:00.007-05:00

My husband has a very green thumb and he loves to grow things in the backyard. So far we have a peach tree, and apple tree, Blackberry bush, and a grape vine....Oh and we have tomatoes growing...I wish we had hot Hungarian peppers this year....but for some reason he did not grown them. Being Hungarian and all I thought he would have planted them. They spice up everything....HOT! He can grow about anything...ME...not my thing. At home we had a garden growing up and we HAD to go and pick beans and do all that kind of stuff. I'm lucky these days just to keep my flowers from dying...they look a little rough right now. Well he is proud of what he has grown and we have been able to eat and enjoy some fruit. The squirrel ate all the peaches but three. So I have the dog on patrol for the little thieves...

Roszia (Hungarian for Rose) She is our puppy..big puppy and about 1 year old

Brandy and Joe

2008-07-31T22:05:00.004-05:00

I have posted these in my other blog before but they will just have to do for tonight...I feel like a truck it me. I have rarely ever been laying on the couch when my husband gets home.....but today I did and did not get up until Smallville came on. I watched it....laying on the couch! Ohh well hopefully tomorrow will be better... I took these pics outside by my tree. They are both kinda vertically challenged so I kept telling them to stand on their tippy toes so I could get the shot.....we let me know what ya think...Sorry if I have been MIA...Lots of other stuff going on in my life right now....thanks for looking...........

Piano

2008-07-31T03:51:00.005-05:00

When we were in Florida on vacation....my son wanted so badly to play with the piano. Well being a mom I did not think that would be the best idea..I was afraid that he would go up to the piano and just bang on the thing..Well he did the opposite. He sat down..got comfortable and began to play...of course it wasn't a song..but the way he played that piano was really something. It was almost like his hands were made to play. He was very gentile with the keys and played very slowly. Now if you knew my kid!!!! Nothing is ever slow or gentile about this boy..He is a wild one. Well this even seemed to calm him down...yes I said that...calm him down. So I'm thinking I may have to get a piano and get my son lessons.

Family Portrait Session...I was kinda nervous

2008-07-08T09:32:00.014-05:00

I was so nervous about this shoot. The sun was out full blast and my client wanted shots taken on the slide....Very cool idea!!! But I was really scared about how bright the sun would be on their faces...I was really proud of myself..I did not get all flustered and took the time to change, change and keep changing my settings..until I got it right...but still sun that bright...only so much you can do. Everything turned out really well and I was happy with the shots I got. I was mad because the park had closed my bridge...You guys know the one I use all the time. Yellow Creek Park is my favorite place ever....but I have to have that bridge!!! But I lived... and maybe I will have the opportunity to get some shots in the Fall of their family.....on the bridge......Well you guys let me know what you think.....I have not posted in awhile....I have missed you guys.....

WE are so proud of her...

2008-07-05T04:18:00.007-05:00

On Thursday our daughter became a first time homeowner. She is 20 years old and has bought her own house. Needless to say we are so proud of her. Brandy is a hard worker. She works at Best Buy and goes to school full time. She wants to be a teacher. She also helps us out with Samuel a ton. I have to work nights and Laz works days...so that makes our schedule overlap at times. So Brandy will stay the night at the house just to cover an hour until I get home.

She requested that I take some new pictures of her and Joe to put up in her new house. So we went outside and I shot away...not a lot believe it or not..but plenty. Its has been a few years since I took pictures of those two together...ohh other than Christmas..Soon I will have shots of Brandy and Joe in the new house. We went to her house tonight to just check things out and to see what all she needed. No pictures taken. Well all looked like crap. So here are a few of my favorite shots from the other day.

Baby Joshua

2008-06-27T21:26:00.005-05:00

This is JoAnn (JOeyAnn) and John's new little buddle of joy. He was born around 11:45am this morning. Jo is doing well and so is baby. He is a beautiful little boy. 8 pounds 1 ounce and 22 inch long. I went up today to take some pictures for her but daddy and big brother went home for a nap. So I will try to catch them tomorrow sometime. Jo was really tired when I went to see her so I only stayed a short while then I went to take a few shots of the baby.....I can't wait to hold him.

She was ready for food....

Mommy and Sammy pic by .......Noni

2008-06-22T21:16:00.004-05:00

We loaded up and went to Noni's on Thursday....I think...???? Yep it was Thursday..I was kinda in a funk and needed to get out of the house...so we went over to Noni's and she gave me her "liquid crank" coffee she calls it..Man that stuff is killer.....She took some new pictures of me and Samuel. In my house I am the picture taker and I never get any pics of me and the boy.....I have plenty of everyone else and my kid...but not usually me....I think she did great with these....Sorry but I look like death warmed over..I had not slept and I was a little...shall I say......crazy.....not in a bad way....my eyes were all acting crazy and hurting and I had on zero make up.......sorry don't want to scare ya....Well I gotta run and get ready for work...everyone have a great night.

Our Fathers Day grill out.

2008-06-17T16:10:00.020-05:00

My family went to Erica and Ron's house for our annual Fathers Day grill out. We cooked a ton of food and ice cream, and watched the kids swim. We all had a really great time. We did not get home until after midnight...unusual for us. Laz and Ron talked about wood working and was in his shop for awhile and I was teaching Erica how to use her camera...and the boys were either swimming or running around like animals. Later that night the boys fell asleep and we sat out around a bonfire and roasted marshmellow and talked about nothing important. I swear..I have not laughed this much in months. My face hurt Monday morning from laughing all weekend. Nice change! So here are a ton of pic we both took.

She is 6 months pregnant. So sweet!

Erica and her mom Judy.

MMMMM....Beer.....just like Homer Simpson!!!!!

Another swim day

2008-06-13T12:36:00.011-05:00

I think I'm going to just camp out behind Erica and Ron's house. I love it out there. The view is beautiful from morning to night. I will have alot of great places to do her maternity shoot. Well this was another swim day..Last Friday actually. We are going over tomorrow (Saturday) to have a Fathers day grill out and swim. I'm excited. I'm sure we will have a blast. I will post pics of that when I can. Everyone have a great day.

My view from the patio...

Happy in the Sunshine....just hot hot hot!

Pregnant woman and her watermelon

Looks like she swallowed a watermelon! The baby girl does not have a name but I call her Chloe...I don't care what they call her....She is Chloe to me!

Our view from the pool.

Trying to explain F-stops and aperture.She was practicing on me. Trying out my 50mm 1.8. I think she is hooked on it now!

view from the ladder. They were having a blast!

Still a swimmin...I think my boy is part fish.

My Grease Monkey

2008-06-12T03:35:00.003-05:00

I don't have a lot of pictures of the men in my life other than Laz and Samuel..so this week will be mainly of those two men in my life. Today was just another busy Wednesday. Laz changed the oil in my car and did something to his little work car...I think he was fixing the air conditioner. He came out from that thing looking like it had attacked him. He has grease everywhere. Lucky for him I think that is super sexy!! Nothing like a dirty, greasy hard working man! Just please take a shower after your done working....its only sexy for so long! The poor guy worked outside all day long except when we grabbed some lunch and went to Lowes and Auto Zone. I think we were outside until 7:30. I think he finished up all that he had to do with the vehicles....now he can put up my new shower head and curtain rod! Not today...but maybe tomorrow.

Just finished up. Thank goodness!

2008-06-10T23:46:00.008-05:00

These are shots of my friend Anita and her son. It has taken me forever to get these done because of getting my kitchen remodeled and just having a busy life in general. I like how these turned out and I hope she really likes them. They were both a joy to work with.

Random stuff from the past week or so.....

2008-06-07T00:08:00.007-05:00

I'm really sorry to those of you who actually read my blogs....I have been a slacker the past few weeks. I just get in a mood and I don't feel like sharing my self sometimes...Meaning my feelings or what I see through my lens...that.. at times is a way I express my feelings and I guess I just have not felt very open...but I'm getting back to my center now. Well this past week Noni took some pic of me for my hubby a gift on Fathers Day. He does not ever read my blog so I don't have to worry about him seeing these....POTD is flash this week I think.....Well we did use flash but then my speedlight batteries died...so we used natural light..actually I had a chair in my room and the light was reflecting off of the seat....then we grabbed a cookie sheet out of the kitchen to use as a reflector. You use what ya got and go with it!!! Well it worked and I think these turned out great.
After a shoot on Weds I was going down the road and noticed how beautiful the sunset was. I stopped again at my favorite place....and took these shots of the sunset. These are great and going to hang in my house somewhere. I'm in the process of redoing all my picture and frames in the house. Well I will blog again later you guys have a great night.
oh and blogger is going nuts just in case you see something funky on here..sorry

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May Flowers POTD

2008-05-25T20:40:00.006-05:00

Yesterday I got some great shots of my cousin flowers. I tried to get a sunflare on the first one below..not to sure on what I think about it. Soon her fish pond will be up and running. She has fish in it but its just not cleaned out at the moment. I told her I would get some shots of it for her when its ready..but for now we just kind of sit and look at it and try to see the fish.

Want some more Happiness

2008-05-22T16:00:00.002-05:00

Happiness are when my children are crazy. There is nothing like your house full of kids and them screaming and and playing. There are about 15 years between Samuel and Brandy so the have a special bond.

Happiness is Brandy. I have been in her life since she was 6 years old and became her stepmom when she was 9. There is no step to it. She is daughter to me. We are really close and I love her bunches. We took all of these pics about an hour ago..I think it 4:30 already..Gee!!

My space...is Happiness.......

Happiness...POTD

2008-05-22T03:50:00.006-05:00

I was happy Tuesday because Noni and I took the kids to the park. They had a great time and we took a ton of pictures. Samuel had a ball...The boy thinks he is Spiderman. We had a blast going down the slide together.

I am happy here because my wall is Red and my cheeks are not as fat as they were a month ago.

I am happy here because we got to be outside most of the day. Please ignore how we look. He was working in the yard and always has a look on his face of pain when he is in the sun without sunglasses. And I had been painting and packing up the rest of the kitchen...ohh and the dreaded laundry.

New Blog is up

2008-05-19T20:07:00.002-05:00

Hey everyone my new blog is up and running. Now stop by and see it..don't be shy..Believe me I won't be on this blog.....thanks for looking.

New Blog

2008-05-19T13:53:00.003-05:00

Hey there everybody...I just wanted to let you guys know that soon I will be creating a new blog. The new blog will be about me and the adventures in my life. I want it to be separate from my photography. It may or may not have pictures...It may be me just writing in to talk about my day or vent about what is going on in my life. I have found that writing has a way of calming me. I am not very good at all about venting or talking with others..I mean I can but you have to be someone special for me to be myself and that is hard for me to do. I get all my words stuck and I just can't spit it out. Now...I could not spell to save my life but in this blog ...I really don't care. I will warn you now...I have a temper and if something is on my mind I just say it. I will try and have some restraint.....but if you don't want to hear it.....then don't read it.
I have learned the hard way about not saying what you have to say and saying it way to late. If you see someone you love and you have not told them...then tell them...Trust me you might not get another chance. If someone has wronged you and you need to talk about it...then just do it. Tomorrow may never come and some things just need to be said. This is my way of doing that..just saying what I need and want to say. So I will try to be on here daily giving everyone a peek into "Me just being Me". From me being on a diet, to dealing with Autism, some photography, Noni and Sam adventures..that should be fun....Marriage,being a mom, love, dislikes, special people in my life..vacation and so on.I will also post things from Youtube. Just clips of movies and music that are special to me. I like to communicate and express myself in that way. You just never know what I will come up with. So if you visit my blog then give me a shout. If you don't want yourself to be known you can be anonymous and leave me a comment. Thanks everyone..I will have the new blog up ASAP. Everyone have a great day.

Kitchen from Hell

2008-05-17T22:52:00.009-05:00

Today we finally tore out the last of our cabinets. It was the worst part. I officially will not have a sink or countertop for 3 wks. So it will be paper or plastic. Every time we have to go to Lowes I break out in a sweat. The past week we have spent enough money to get us to Florida and back. I think we could have bought a Ford Focus for what all this is going to end up costing...I will take a new kitchen over a Ford Focus anyday....but goodness!!! I have scratches and puncture wounds from the nails and toting the cabinets to the truck....And I know we are the most popular people on the street...we have a sink and countertop in our front yard...I hope it will be gone soon. The installers will be here on Weds to get the cabinets up..so I have a lot to do between now and then. More paint and sanding and I need to get outside to do some landscaping..when will it calm down? It won't and if it did I would go nuts. I am always busy doing something. I will keep all you guys informed of our progress...but now I must go to bed..I have been up since Friday morning..Good night all and thanks for checking me out..

I had to post the new highlights in my hair to show Noni...and Laz really likes the blonde in my hair. I HAVE NO IDEA WHY !!! So... I aim to please! He was very pleased!

I went out back on my porch to watch Sammy swing and play and noticed how beautiful the sunset was. I have not taken the time to watch the sunset in a long time. I am a sunset and sunrise kinda gal. I find such peace during those times of the day...Needless to say the past week or so has taken a toll on me emotionally, mentally and physically. I just need to get myself centered and move on to what ever comes next in my life....Karma has made sure that life has been... should I say a bit surprising and confusing the past few weeks....In good and bad ways. I guess you have to take the sweet with the sour...And since I am a very impatient person..sour does not suite me at all, but I am trying.

More Maternity Shots...

2008-05-16T13:40:00.007-05:00

OK HOLD UP!!!! There is slight nudity involved with these shots..IF you have a problem with nudity please consider yourself WARNED!!! I don't have a problem with it at all but I do want to respect all those that visit my blog...so please scroll down.
I could not sleep lastnight and when I get in a mood...what ever that mood may be I am usually productive in my art. So I was up until 1:30am sitting in my bed working on these shots. I hope you enjoy....Thanks

Random shots,catchlights and waiting for the bus

2008-05-15T13:03:00.009-05:00

Today I have just posted some random shots of my life. I have also tried to add some catch lights for our POTD theme. Noni took this pic of me this morning. Please excuse the puffy eye thing...Crappy couple of days...I can sneeze and my eyes swell. She took a couple of shots of Sammy and I waiting for the bus...I forgot I had on my Vlasic pickle pants on..How embarrassing!!

I took shots of Brandy and Samuel sitting on the porch waiting for the bus yesterday morning..then a picture of the weeds growing around my light post...Laz called it weeds..I told him it would be a beautiful weed. Then I just have shots of the kids Tuesday night after I got home from my photography class. Samuels was jammin on Laz computer to some song and Brandy was laying on the couch cracking up at him. They are so silly.

Catchlights per Noni

2008-05-12T19:09:00.003-05:00

On Friday Noni took these shots of me outside on my back deck. I am really critical of well.....me!! So I thought I would just get it over with and post them. I think she did a really great job..on the catchlights.

This is just an extra shot of me getting some smuches from my boy.

Mothers Day From Start To Finish

2008-05-12T08:49:00.011-05:00

Well Mothers Day weekend was going fast and hard for me. I did not sleep much Friday night so I was up early Saturday and had tons to do...House stuff and Sammy and I went to the park and Micky D's...Then we came home and I had to get my gear ready for a shoot at 5pm. Noni and I loaded up and got the shoot wrapped up around 6:45. By the time I got home my family surprised me with some gifts. Brandy gave me some Azalea bushes and Laz and Sammy got me a 4 gig CF card for my camera...that was what I was going to buy that night anyway...he just beat me to the bunch. So by 8pm I tried to lay down before work...well I am usually wired for sound after a shoot so I slept maybe an hour. Then off to work. Mary and I tried to make the best out of it. We were both dragging ass. Mom's to little kids do not get ...what is that word....mmmmm....oh sleep! No make up and looking like the walking dead..we had the idea of our own Mothers day pictures. I usually don't let pictures be taken of me with my glasses...but I was so tired I forgot.

Working hard....at trying to stay awake at my cart...Don't I look HAPPY!!!!!

Manca and Jemp

That is our nicknames from our grandmother and pretty much the rest of the family. Of course saying Samantha Renee and Jennifer Ann 50 times a day..that is what we are called when we are in trouble gets to be a mouth full..so its always been Mance or Manca and Jemp. We are 6 months apart in age. Our mothers are only 15 months apart in there age...So we have always been close....When we were little we even lived with each other for awhile. So we have pretty much been though a lot of everything together. I love her and I can be myself with Jen (that is what I call her). She calls me ( well I can't tell my other nick name...I am the outcast of the family. I looked like the little refugee kid they picked up on the side of the road, because I was always so dark and looked very different from my moms side of the family....so my nick name pertains to that whole thing. So anyway our youngest kiddos are 2 months apart in age. So we are all really close. This first picture of us...gosh is kinda old..I think I had been married for just a little while.

Manca and Jemp 2008...older....Wiser..who knows?

Let me explain the shirt. My dear sister bought me this in Florida. You have to understand why I am wearing it on Mothers Day. She left me to face a family stuff alone.....That is a big no..no!!! So YOU SUCK STEVIE. Thanks for leaving me on my own during a *Family Dysfunction* Pay Backs you Crack &hore!!!! Ohhh Happy Mothers Day... I do love you !!! Ohh and the funny face..that is my,I'm going to choke the crap out of you when I see you smile. Hmm Hmm!!

Me and the Hubster..he just looks so happy at the family dysfunction.

This is my Grandmother. She now lives in a nursing home in Tell City really close to my aunts and Jennifer.

This is my mom. As you can tell we look nothing alike. I think this is our first picture alone since my wedding pictures.
The days have been long and mothers day was really great this year. But now I think Samuel is getting sick and I am not far behind. I kinda feel like a cow is sitting on my chest....huh....but more than anything just tired...I have not slept good in I can't remember....Well I am not in to good of a mood this morning and kinda just blah and very sunburned....could not even wear my favorite Japanese Cherry Blossom lotion....Aloe Vera for me. I am off to Noni's for a pot of coffee and some me time. Hopefully tonight will be better. They guys will play ball and the girls will come over...so I will just drink more coffee and work on my computer tonight with the girls....well being the girls.....I hope everyone had a great Mothers Day!

Noni

2008-05-10T02:28:00.003-05:00

Noni and I had a great adventure today..It started around 10:30 this morning and lasted to 6:30 tonight..First was a pot of coffee and catching up on the past few days...alot to cover on that one!!! Then we began to spackle and paint the walls then we moved on to lunch...she smoked and ate turkey....big whoop...cheeseburger sounds good right now. Well after that we kinda moved on to going outside with the boys for a little bit. She took some pictures of me and my new red hair..Then we started taking pictures of us being silly..I don't know what she said..but she cracked me up...there are not alot of people who can make me laugh that hard...she cracks me up all the time. Well we let the boys stay outside and she ran to get her other two kids while I had the joy of pulling out my stove from the wall. Not a good site. Well when she came back we started the demolition of more Formica behind the stove....At one time I think she pulled so hard a piece went flying and about got me in the head. Well we got it all off the wall and moved on to more spackle. Of course in between this we would have to stop and sing and be stupid just a bit more..wouldn't be right if we didn't. Laz came home just in time to take 2 more cabinets off the wall....And get this ..Noni saved him from having stitches in his head. He had bent down to get something and the cabinet started to fall and Noni caught it right before it hit him in the head...I swear she looked like she had Spiderman reflexes....She saved the day and us a trip to the ER...So after the drama I fixed the kids hot dogs on the grill and we all sat outside on the deck and ate. We had a blast today. I really needed my friend with me today. When she walked in the door with coffee I just hugged her and told her how glad I was that she was here. This week had been really crazy for me in all sorts of ways and she usually knows how to center me...which is really not easy to do. I can be difficult sometimes..So to have someone like her in my life is a great blessing and a big blast

Hey Jess Guess What????

2008-05-07T17:46:00.003-05:00

I know that you have a tattoo.....and so do I. Well I have been wanting to get a new one for a couple of years but was afraid of how my husband and other people would take that sort of news....But I have finally gotten over that and I am on a quest. I will be getting 2 new tattoo by the end of the month. Now I'm not into the large and loud all over body kinda thing...I want it to be dainty, pretty....whats the word girlie. I am so not girlie...I gave that up a long time ago..but now I have decided to settle into my womanhood and just deal with the whole being a lady and all that junk. Or I will at least try....
So here is the thing..I need a font or some type of scribe that will look good for letters....My sons name...will be one of the tats and it will be in light color ink on the inside of my wrist...I have to be careful because of being a nurse I have a strict dress code kinda thing. I'm certainly not wanting it to make me look like white trash. So that is the first one. The second is one letter and it will be placed somewhere a little more private...well private until the back of my shirt flys up. So you have been stuck and you know how important it is to make sure this comes out right. You only get one chance...Could you possibly help me along with this journey? You are all artsy and talented and I trust your sense of art...so if you could find me a great font or figure out any ideas about the lettering it would be great? If you want to know the single letter...just email me and I will tell you. Thanks Jess..I have all the faith in the world in you.

We will have to wait on the hair color and my two best friends

2008-05-06T19:06:00.005-05:00

Well guys you will have to wait on seeing my hair color..I'm so not picture worthy today. My eyes are all swollen up for one reason or the other.....I leave that at that. So you guys just give me a few days and I will get a picture of the new redhead on the 2Peas board...It is dark brownish with alot of red in it...Remember last night when I told you guys that Laz wouldn't notice..well he did..and....he likes my hair with the blond in it..well I told him that in a few weeks I will put the blondish stuff back into it just around the front to frame my face...so I'm a work in progress on many levels these days...Stay TUNED....

Ok here are two ladies that mean the world to me. Erica and Janette....They are just two of the most wonderful people I know. Janette and I have been best friends for almost 10 years..She is always there for me. She is also Samuel's godmother. We don't get to see each other as much as we once did..but me having a 4 year old and she has a 16 year old, its a challenge to get together. But every 2 weeks or so we go out to eat. Every once in awhile we may go out for Margaritas. Erica and I have kinda ran in the same circles for years but did not really know each other. She and Laz were friends and had worked together for years and I knew her from her previous job at the EMS...We agree that it was meant for us to meet when she was pregnant with her son and my son was 6 months old..We have been through all the new mom stuff together and we really enjoy watching our boys grow up together. When she or I get on the crazy train....I think you ladies know what that is like...we are always there for each other to help pull each other off the train or just set next to each other until it stops..then laugh about how crazy we really were.... She is a funny funny lady and she always makes me laugh out loud.

New hair color...

2008-05-06T01:31:00.003-05:00

Well since I have been in such a bold mood here the past few weeks I decided it was time for a hair color change..so starting tonight I am a Chocolate Cherry. I have been on a red kick here lately... my kitchen.. my hair. What next? My hair is naturally very dark..I think it gets very boring so I spice it up from time to time. I will have it this dark for awhile then I will add some carmel highlights to it in a few weeks...I have to wait..don't want to fry my hair. My hair will not be the color on the box..it is actually dark brown with a red twist to it. I really like it. I can't dry and fix it right now because my boys are sleeping and the dryer would wake them up...so I will see how it does in the morning. I don't think I will have to wear a bag on my head or anything when I go out tomorrow. It's funny Laz won't even see it until tomorrow afternoon..Lets just see if he will even notice..Guys are not good about that kinda thing. ohh and the shots are not even the right color. My bathroom has a light pink color on the walls...so my color came out kinda funky.

Brenda Sue

2008-05-06T00:49:00.004-05:00

This is another important lady in my life. Her name is Brenda..I call her Brenda Sue. She is such a sweet person..and feisty. I want to be just like Brenda when I grow up. She is always the first person to say something sweet to me and she always tries to lift my spirits when they are down. She is one of those friends that will tell you how it is..then hug ya. We have worked together for about 8 years now. We have a blast at work. We always tease each other about who is going to get called to the office first and whoever does has to dust off our ass chewing seat. We are both outspoken on many things and it makes work interesting. Well I love Brenda and she will always be one of my greatest friends This picture of us was taken about year and half ago on Christmas Eve...Look at the bad photoshop work..Sad isn't it..Thank goodness I got better at that.

My Sister

2008-05-04T22:10:00.003-05:00

My sister is one of the most important people in my life. I am 10 years older than she is so I have always felt like she was my baby. I love her so much. We are always there for each other..We keep things real between us. She is the one who gets me drunk and then I start to sing and dance...nooo...body else can get me to do that. She gets me dirty key chains and magnets that say "Hooker" which is her loving nickname for me.....I call her Crack $hore. That is just how we are. I know she is always there for me know matter what and I am for her as well. We always try to help heal each others broken hearts and we are always the ones who get each others stupid jokes..She knows almost all my secrets and my feelings about everything. She might not agree with me..but she respects me...I respect her also. We are so different..from the way we look to the way we act. My dear sis is more of a rocker chick and I am a closet rocker. She lets her feeling out more that I do...One day I will get there..I am shy..yes believe it or not...not to the one who know me. She can just walk in and usually talk to most people. She has a way with words..and I am more of an action person..I can't usually say how i feel and get it out without sounding like an ass...but she can just raddle things off. I love that about her. She brings out the fun side of me..and these days that is what I need the most. Hey Sis if you are reading this. I love you Crack $hore....

Phase I of the kitchen...ohh and Noni..I got ya!

2008-05-02T20:50:00.007-05:00

We are getting new cabinets and counter tops on May 21. It is rolling in fast. Today I had to sand our walls (due to some weird texture that was on there when we bought the house)the new color looked like crap with what ever that was on there. It felt like my teeth were bouncing around in my head when I was doing this...I still can't hear anything..Finally I got finished sanding...So then I moved on to painting. This color is sort of bold..but its what I wanted...and I will get what I want one way or the other. It was a fight but he gave in to the orange/red color. It matches the solid surface counter top we are getting. But now that it is on the wall...I love it even more. THE BOLDER THE BETTER. He are a few pictures of the before kitchen...Yes it is a total mess..but that is what happens when you start redoing everything. I don't know how long I can stand everything being out of wack. But it will be worth it in the end...I think this kitchen is ugly as all hell...but not for long..I have a shot of the new cabinet...just one of the doors that Lowes will let you take home. I will be posting more pics as we get things done. Thanks for looking.

Noni took this of me acting stupid...Just did not think she would post it!! What do they say? Pay Backs are WHat?????

I gotta ya back.....I know you did not want this one out...I love ya girl!

More Maternity Shots

2008-05-01T22:24:00.004-05:00

I guess technically this works for the water theme. Baby is a floatin. Well this is my first ever maternity shoot. I have a ton more to post. More artsy fartsy.. the kinda stuff I really like....Well if you want to give me some pointers please feel free to do so. Thanks for looking.

My Garden Gate

2008-04-30T00:38:00.003-05:00

This is a shot of my gate in the backyard. I was outside playing with Samuel and noticed the flowers blooming. We have not worked on our backyard yet this spring so I decided to go ahead and take some shots before all the weeds and stuff are gone. I know our theme is water this week but I am fresh out of water shots, but I like how the pic turned out. Ohh and I used Jess acid wash. It rocks Jess!!!! Thanks Girl!!!
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My new secret spot

2008-04-28T23:59:00.002-05:00

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This is my post for water and this is also my new secret picture taking spot. My hubby and I found it a month ago. Now I just can't wait until some funky weather comes and I catch it by the river with my camera. If this place went up for sale it would have to be mine. I ran a black and white action on this then ran the vintage and adjusted to my liking. Thanks for looking.

Little of this and a little of that!

2008-04-27T20:36:00.008-05:00

Ok so I am behind....What else is new! Last week was kinda nuts and I did not get much sleep so I did not blog...but that does not mean that I did not take pictures like a fool. This blog has my kiddos and even me and the hubby in it. In this first shot Samuel was playing at the park and was sticking his head through the slide for me...he is getting to be a ham now. Then its our oldest Trent. I don't get many pics of him...busy man. I was cutting his hair and I gave him a Mohawk first ....took a pic then cut the rest off. I kinda like the Mohawk. Then I have Brandy and Joe at Easter dinner at my cousins house. We had a great Easter this year. On down the line....Next me an my hubby went out to eat with some friends Friday night and afterwards we all went bowling. My friend Mary took the picture of us. Laz acts like a goofball every time we take a pic. We had a great night...even got a babysitter. AAHHHHH life is good some days.

And just to check an see who of my buddies are paying attention...I just did my first maternity shoot Saturday. I will be posting some of them before too long. I am so excited. We had so much fun and I got to be myself and let my creativity fly. I just hope it flew in the right direction. So be looking for more very soon.

Our Middle Child

2008-04-22T02:29:00.008-05:00

Brandy got herself a motorcycle this week. Yes I know how dangerous it is. Been there....Done that!! We really don't care for it..but what can we say. She is twenty now and we also have a motorcycle parked in the garage. She is so proud of this bike that she went out and bought herself a new pair of Harley boots for riding. She spent almost 100 bucks on them and that was getting a bargain. She is her fathers daughter after all. Today she came in the house and was mad because one of her college classes made the whole class go out to the lake on campus and it was all muddy..her new boots got dirty and she was about ready to have a heart attack. 15 min of scrubbing and a lot of Vaseline later they were looking good. Now she is just waiting for Dad to teach her how to ride. I guess you are only young once and you might as well live out your dreams before you have a hubby and rug rats....because then...well she will figure it out. It so different.

More Play with the Vintage action..I'm hooked!!!

2008-04-18T06:02:00.004-05:00

The vintage action from Pioneer woman just fits my feeling for these shots. It feels like a memory in my mind...or even has a feel of an old picture...you know the kind that your grandparents have in a box somewhere. I love the emotion of the second shot. Samuel had fell on the pavement and hurt his hand, then went to get some love and sympathy from daddy...They gave me the look of "hey this is a personal moment" after I took the shot. I'M THE MOMMA and I have a big camera...don't make me use it!!! He! He!! I told my hubby nothing is sacred with our child..I gave birth to it...I can take as many pictures as I want of it!!! Makes me sound like I am at the zoo...and a nut to boot. Everyone have a great day.

Jess Big Give from her Big Heart

2008-04-15T21:42:00.001-05:00

Today was Jess Big Give. Noni was truely speechless and moved. She could not lift her head for crying so hard. It was a great moment to see her dreams come true...and all because of one womans great big heart and many other people's great big hearts. Thank you to all the 2 Peas friends who donated and all the 2 Peas friends that wanted to donate but found out a little late. You are remarkable and giving people.

Jess, Noni, Janette

Jess, Sam, Noni, Joanne, Janette

A few shots from my 28-75mm

2008-04-15T15:53:00.005-05:00

I just wanted to post a few shots of my flowers. I took these with my new 28-75mm lens. I think I took these about 15 min after I got the lens. I was so excited so I had to shot something. I really do think that this lens and I are going to get along great.

My Little one Helping

2008-04-11T21:46:00.002-05:00

I took this shot a few months back. He wanted to wash the dishes...I think every mother dreads this moment...due to the mess. But I let him go to it. Yes he made a big big wet mess. He was so very cute doing so. He was so proud of himself and just kept on dumping water all over the floor. Well after awhile enough was enough and it was time to move on to something else. I used a new vintage action I downloaded tonight....I am in love with this..so different. I am trying to branch out these days and get a little braver.

Basketball and Visiting Granny's new house

2008-04-08T21:58:00.002-05:00

Today was cloudy but we thought we would get out before the rain came. We came to the park yesterday and when Samuel seen the basketball court for the smaller children he went crazy. So this morning he wanted to go and play basketball at the park...so off we went. When we got there he was still too little to get the ball in the basket. I had to keep lifting him up. Then a few larger boys came over and he thought they were going to play with him and he acted like he was playing defense against them. He got all excited and then....they left. But he kept on playing by himself. He dribbled and dribbled until he was dribbled out! Then it was time to go to the play ground and go down the slide. Well that lasted for just awhile then it was time for some Mickey D's and go to see if Granny was at her new house. She was home and we stayed for just a little bit. I got a few pictures of her tree blooming and then it was time to go. My head started pounding like crazy..I don't know if it is the front coming through or what but Advil and Tylenol has not helped me at all. So anyway the day had been great other than this crazy headache.

Front of my moms new house. I had been taking pictures of the flowers and took this. I used and acid action on this. I just like it because its different than what I normally do.

My Scariest Moment of Motherhood...Yet.

2008-04-06T23:26:00.003-05:00

Saturday afternoon was warm enough to go outside and clean my car and Laz was going to clean up his motorcycle and Samuel of course wanted to play basketball and ride his big wheel. So I turned my car long ways across the drive way to keep Samuel out and away from the road. If he is riding his bike then he would have to hit my car before he got next to the road. My drivers side is next to the road and I was cleaning the crumbs out of my seat. I could hear Laz and Samuel talking and Samuel told him that he was going to play basketball. Well he has a small basketball goal and there is a full size goal in the drive way that he (tries) to use. I had just looked down from listening to them talk back and forth and the next thing I know I hear Laz screaming at Samuel. He had that sound in his voice that made my hair stand up and I automatically knew why he was screaming. As I looked around to my right side..I see my son running out in the street in front of a car. I dropped what was in my hands and ran after him. I did not know if the car was stopping or still going...and I did not care as long as my son was not in front of it. Samuel is so fast and he was in the grass across the street trying to shoot his ball in a basketball goal that was sitting in our neighbours yard. Needless to say I was so thankful that he was not laying in the road hurt or worse and all I wanted to do is hug him and love him but.........I could not do that. He had to know that what he did was wrong and never forget that it was wrong. So I marched him across the street...after we looked both ways. He was high stepping and his feet barely touched the pavement because I had him by the arm and I was walking so fast and trying not to lose my composure in front of the whole neighbourhood. We got in the house and needless to say he got in major, major, trouble. Then more yelling and explaining and then came the crying. Me telling him that he would get a boo boo that Mommy could not fix and then I started just getting so upset that I told him that Mommy and Daddy would not ever get to see him again if he got hurt really bad and mommy just could not live without him. It may have not been the right words to say to a 4 and half year old..but at that moment...what was the right words? All this happened within 5 minutes.....but it felt like a lifetime. And what does he say to me with tears in his eyes from the sore bottom???? "Mommy its ok Samuel's here." Thank God he was there. All I could do was march him upstairs and we sat on his bed and of course I was still crying and giving a lecture and telling him he could not go back outside. Then he hugged me and told me it was ok. I hugged him so hard and just thanked God that I could. Then told him he had to stay in his room.
As I walked out of his room I began to think about the day we had spent together previous to all the drama. Ohh my gosh...what a horrible mother I am. He had been in trouble most of the day for not listening and just flat out being a turd....and all I did was scold him. Oh my what if that trip across the street would have ended different? Would that be how.....Well I can't even finish that sentence. Now I am crying!! So today I woke up and decided that I did not want my son to remember me yelling at him or on his case for stupid stuff. I just need to remember to pick my battles better....and not let 2 weeks straight of us being together 24/7 make me a crazy person. God shook my tree yesterday and gave me a big wake up. I needed it in a big way. What would I ever do without my precious, beautiful, special boy? I just love him so very much. Ohh and for the record..no more playing basketball out front. Backyard it is...until he is 20.

These are my natural light shots for today. We went out to the park and let him run out all his energy. Today was our art show and Samuel behaved so well and we were so proud of him so he even got ice cream today.

My Art Show Entries

2008-03-28T20:59:00.010-05:00

The photography group that I am in had those of us who wanted to participated enter several shots that we had taken. April 6th we go to a museum in Morganfield, Ky and see our pictures hanging up on the wall. It may sound like its not a big deal to some...but I think it is a really good thing to do...kinda gets you out of the box we all tend to get stuck in. My bud Noni helped me mount the pictures. She did most of the work because I did not have a clue in Hades how to do it. Its funny how different my shots looked mounted like that. Well me, my hubby and my son will go to the opening on Sunday afternoon. A couple of other Peas will be there. I look forward to seeing them also. Ohhh...and I just sat these up on the stereo receiver to get the shot..so the crop does not look very good.

Flowers are a bloomin

2008-03-28T18:57:00.007-05:00

I came home on Thursday morning after work and started looking at my Easter flowers. They are just starting to bloom. It had been raining all night and rain drops were laying on the pedals. It was so beautiful. I also took this shot of my bird feeder. I just love the morning time. Its the best time to take pics of my flowers. Well in my yard anyway.

A Test of My Faith.

2008-03-25T01:21:00.009-05:00

The past week has been very interesting for me where my child is concerned. I have had to depend on my faith and trust in God to deal with situations and making decisions for him this week. All moms understand the nagging, hurting, uneasy sick feeling in our stomachs that we get when we think something is wrong or just not right with our children. In my opinion that is the radar that God gave me when I had Samuel to help guide me in the right direction and make the right decisions for him. Well today I made the decision to take my son out of his school and send him to a new school. I don't really want to comment on the *why* part. It was like God was stomping on my head telling me to do it. So I did it. I cried alot just because Samuel had made some friends and changing his routine and environment is very hard for him and I did not want to have to put him through that. But I had to remember in the long run he will get the attention and the therapy he needs at this new school.

He will start Kindergarten in the Fall and will be going to this school anyway. So I guess he will just be starting a little earlier. I asked the special needs director what the cost was going to be for Pre-K so that we would be prepared and he told me it would cost us....get this...not one penny!!!! I just about dropped the phone and had to ask him to repeat himself. I could not believe it. Since when do you get something wonderful for nothing...uhhh...never! Samuel would also get physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy and what ever other therapy he might also need and this is all included. All of this was presented to me a month ago but I did not see it working out because he would have no daycare at this new school and no daycare during this coming Summer. I work nights and I was not sure how I would ever get any sleep. Well again I am depending on my faith and that God will provide us with what we need. Me..needing sleep and Samuel needing a good education and therapy. So I took my leap of faith...I know that God has opened a door for us and even though change is hard for all of us we will make it. I am scared about working all night and coming home to a bright eyed and bushy tailed boy..but I have done it a many times before. We will get through the Summer and when school starts I will sleep when he is in school. Sounds like a plan to me.

My family and I have some possible big plans in our future...if everything works out...and if it's Gods will. I can't really elaborate about it right now, but I feel like a lot of things will get better for us.

I can say this..that we have been very blessed where Samuel and Autism is concerned. He has improved by leaps and bounds the past month. This may not seem like a big deal to some but here are the major accomplishments that he had done. See this penguin....that is the first thing he has ever colored in his life. Just one day all of a sudden its like a light switch came on and he could not stop coloring for days. My husband came home and told me "Well I have to tell you what happened at school today." I just cringed because it is usually something negative, and I was not in the mood for that. He began to tell me that Samuel started coloring today and that when he started he did not stop until the whole thing was colored. The other kids even went outside for a walk but Sammy did not want to go..he had to finish his penguin. I just started crying right there in the kitchen. I was so proud of him and that penguin. So when I got to school I look at it in the hall outside his classroom and of course the tears came again because for once my son had something to hang out in the hall for all to see. "Proud Mommy Moment" So now he is starting to cut with scissors, play (with) other children..to a certain degree, and the biggie..he is talking in sentences, asking questions, and telling us what he wants. I think we are kicking Autism in the behind parts. Yes... we still have struggles and many a mountain to climb yet, but it is one victory at a time. We have been blessed with many victories the past month. During Easter dinner at my cousins house my whole family could see the change in Samuel. It made me feel so much better and validated that the work that Laz and I are doing with him is making a difference.

I have started to listen to my heart and trust in my faith again. The people in my life that do nothing but put me down or just toss me to the side when they think they have found something better have really hurt me the past few months. But God is healing my heart and giving me the courage and strength to put it past me and to move on *without my normal give-em H**l attitude. I have just retreated and figured I am better off. God has brought back to me what I did not know I was missing...People in my life that love me...for me...that know me and accept me for who I am...respect me as a friend...an keep me positive. I thought I had that before with a some...but I guess I did not. It was just dressed up to look that way...I fell for it.. and that is what broke my heart the most. So I am cleaning house with myself so to speak and getting my life back under control. It has not been an easy year and God has made me go through many an test and trial but in the end He has made me a stronger mother, wife, friend and woman and I am so thankful for it.

Green things in my yard

2008-03-21T20:41:00.006-05:00

When I got home from work Thursday morning the sun was shining and I decided to take a few shots in my yard. I don't usually don't get time to do that but since everyone was asleep I took advantage. One is of my Easter flowers that are just not ready yet. Then a few are of our Hungarian plant we brought back from my father-in-laws home town...Sekesfehervar..Ha! that's a mouth full. Yes I know its against the law to bring plants in from other countries..but I did it! It's kinda like a lilac bush. When I brought it home it was in a wet paper towel in a baggie. Now its a huge bush. We have had it growing in our back yard for 5 years...since our last visit. I will have to take more shots of it when it blooms out. Then the brownish lookin plant is a pain..literally. Its some type of thorn plant. I was trying to get the spider web on it but it kinda looks crazy..like some type of insect with horns.. the other shot is of the branch, the flower and some of the thorns. I know they look nuts but I like how the morning sun looked shining on the ugly plant.

With New Toys come New Pictures

2008-03-19T00:21:00.007-05:00

Yesterday the man in brown dropped a box at my door. My sweet hubby surprised me with a new battery grip, two new batteries, and a wireless remote. Well of course today I had to play. Samuel and I took pictures for about 40 minutes this afternoon. This was the first time ever this child posed for me. I was so proud of him. He would love on the cat, love on me, then would stick his tongue out at me. He has figured out that I will let him see himself in the camera. That trick ...I hope will work for awhile. Well I finally did it. I always dread it..but I did it. I took pictures of me. A remote made it a bit easier. I think they look like mug shots ....especially the black and white. Maybe next time I will put on some make-up. You would think I would learn my lesson...being in my 30's requires more spackle and paint. I'm just not into it that much. I guess I had better get into it before I scare off everyone who keeps up with my blog. Please put on your sunglasses before clicking this button!! I will have to put that on my signature for 2 peas. You poor things that check blogs at two in the morning. I will scare ya to death!!!! Ha! Ha! I had my ISO turned up to 800 because of my room being to dark..so I got more noise that I wanted..plus focus was a bit off...due to trying to set up the shot then setting in front of the camera...not used to that or the remote just yet. But I will get there and will love it. Thanks for looking and everyone have a great day...or night.

Our new scrapping buddy

2008-03-17T22:31:00.005-05:00

Introducing Baby J. This is the little baby boy I posted on yesterday. He is our new scrapbook night buddy. Me and Noni took turns loving him up. I mean other than my own child this one has found his way into my heart. I usually don't get ga-ga over other peoples babies ...but this one is special. When I took pictures of him Friday, I picked him up to calm him down a bit. He just did not like the whole taking pictures process..so anyway I was loving on him and I get this overwhelming feeling...brought back memories of when Samuel was this small, and I started to cry. I mean this came out of no where and hit me like a truck. Now this is the first baby I have held since I had my hysterectomy and did not expect to have those feelings again. So that was harder that I thought it would be. But the good thing is that his momma and I are great friends and I can love on him anytime I want...so that does help. This fall I will have my other bestest friends baby to hold. She is due in October and I kinda have a feeling that this one is going to be a girl. I could very well be wrong.....but she thinks the same thing. But anyway we had a great night and it was good for Mary to get out of the house for awhile and get to scrapbook. I did not get much of that done for loving on this little man. He will be a month old on the 18th but he was not to be born until the 23rd of this month. So its like holding a little peanut. Who wouldn't love this little guy? Noni and I took turns taking pics of each other with Handsome here!!!

My first Newborn Session

2008-03-16T21:36:00.007-05:00

This little man and I mean little..is one of my bestest friends new baby boy. He was born premature by over a month....so technically he should not even be born yet. This little guy only weighs about 5 pounds My friend lives in a small place and all I had was light from the front door and my speedlight. Which I have not mastered at all yet. Well I am going to pat myself on the back for once in my life..I think I did a good job. I have only heard positive so far. Positioning a preemie is alot more difficult than I thought and we did not have a lot of room to work with. He already has a mind of his own. If I moved him a certain way he would cry and snuggle himself the opposite way. I am not done with all my proofing and there are still things I want to do with the shots...not to happy with my black and white just yet...but I thought I would share. Kinda excited!!! Well all my 2 peas please let me know what you think. Thanks for looking. It really means alot to me!!

One crazy CAT

2008-03-15T12:09:00.004-05:00

This cat is truly nutty. I'm pretty sure he is Siamese and has an attitude to go with it. He is the most talkative cat I have ever seen. He meows at me when he wants food, attention or ( get this )..when he wants to go to bed. I know this sounds crazy, but when he was smaller I would make him sleep in the bathroom downstairs because I did not trust him at night. He still has his man parts and his front claws and I don't want my furniture and carpet torn to shreds by a nutty cat. So anyway I would take an old towel and cover him up like a baby and get him all snug as a bug in a rug. Ohh and he has a nite lite in the bathroom also. Well a few weeks ago I thought he was ready to be out of the bathroom at night...so I let him stay out. I got into bed and it began. He started crying at my door. The furball would stand in the doorway and just meow this agitating meow. So I would yell at him and he would run down the steps and sit at the landing by the door and cry even louder. I thought he would get over it...but no such luck. I had to get out of bed after 20 min of non-stop meowing and crying from this nut. HE WANTED BACK INTO THE BATHROOM!!!! He wanted to go to sleep in his towel. Once I wrapped him up then I never heard another peep from him. He is the funniest thing..when he is ready to go to bed he will meow at me when I am working on my pictures. I will be sitting on the couch and he will not shut-up and I have to yell at him before he wake up the boys. The interesting thing is that my husband hates cats. I mean with a passion. He would only tolerate the cat because our son loves him so much and I am very fond of the hairball too! So when we eat supper, the cat will sit under the table. He is kinda like a dog that way. So Laz started a bad habit of giving the cat food from his plate. So now Bandit will sit at Laz's feet or will come over to the couch if he is eating. Well the bond has grown from sharing food to now..maybe I will let you pet me or hold me..just when I am ready for you to do so! I still can't believe Laz likes this cat. That is a small miracle if I have ever seen one.

My long lost Thena ( Kathina )

2008-03-10T15:17:00.004-05:00

This chicky and I have been the best of friends since the 3rd grade. She has always been there for me. She was in my wedding and always in my heart...I can't ever remember her saying anything bad to me or stabbing me in the back...and when you have know each other as long as we have...girls will be mean girls..but she was always so kind to me. She is one of those friends who you don't get to see to often because she lives in Evanville and works all the time. I had not seen her for a few years but she called me Saturday morning and wanted to come and visit either Saturday afternoon or Sunday after church. Well needless to say my whole family overslept and did not make it to church. So we had some coffee and it was time for showers. As soon as I got in the shower the phone rings and its Kathina and she is in my driveway. I could not get ready fast enough. I was so excited to see her. Man I ran down the hall and almost killed myself getting to her. We just hugged and hugged. Our families sat around talking and she and I were kinda in our own world just talking and catching up on life. Later we all went out to eat Mexican food and had a great time. We usually email each other and stuff but now she has my blog addy and she can keep up with what is going on with me. It was so wonderful to see her. You can tell when you have a friend for life because you can not see each other for years and just pick up where you left off like you never missed a beat. I am so blessed to have atleast three friends like that. Kim, Kathina, and Becky...whom we just found each other again 3 wks ago. Now we are having coffee together atleast once a week and talk almost everyday.

PS. I did not take the picture....and WE had no makeup on...sorry.

Our Sunday...good weather

2008-03-04T23:02:00.008-06:00

Well we actually had nice weather Sunday. After my son woke me up..around 2pm..I work the night shift... We went outside and watched Samuel jump on the trampoline and the dog run around. Laz was putting a roof on the dog run so Roshza would not get wet during the upcoming hurricane. So I thought it would be a good time to get out the camera and shoot a little. You get out of practise if you don't keep your camera warm. Well I got to enjoy my son and dog fighting over the wagon....Yes...I wish I would have had my camera then. The dog has a problem with wheels. Samuel was pulling around his wagon and the dog went nuts and started biting the wheels and pulling the wagon down the hill. I laughed so hard..Samuel was screaming and having a fit. So then Samuel got his play-lawn mower and the dog went crazy again and pulled it away from him...Needless to say I had to put her back into the run. Its funny after I put Roshza in her run he could have cared less about the wagon or the lawn mower..just like two kids fighting over the same toys. I don't really want it but I don't want you to have it.

I just love this picture of my husband hammering. It kinda got me all emotional and stuff when I was doing my editing. I'm a lush I tell Ya!

Moving on....

2008-03-04T11:15:00.003-06:00

When you become friends with people you usually try to think positive and hope for the best. Things go great for a long while and you become really close and go through a lot of good and bad times together and are usually there for each other...but then all of a sudden you are thrown out of the loop.. off the ride..or what ever you want to call it. We all have difficult times in our lives but isn't that when you a hold on to your close friends? Well I guess we all move on...and past people. I know how bad that sounds..but isn't that how it is? I have never been the move past my friend kinda person...i just don't think its right. But I just can't stand the *waking on ice* kinda relationships. One minute I like you...but maybe tomorrow I won't. You know the kind. I am just getting to the place in my life where you either take me as I am and love me for me or just go away. I have spent to many years trying to fit it or be someone else so someone will love me. I have figured out I am just ME! Like it or not..I will no longer be someone else. I will no longer be the pleaser!! This sounds very much like I am ranting and raving and maybe I am...but it had to come out somewhere. This is better than me exploding. Blogging has helped me alot. Sorry peas that you have to read my ranting..but you never know...maybe someone else is feeling the same way today. I just want to spend the rest of my time on this earth loving my family and my true friends and being as happy as I can be.

Ohh by the way..I took this pic going 60 miles an hour going home from working all night. This was right before all the ice melted. I ran a black and white action on the pic...I just like the way it looks.

Quiet Moment (Very Rare)

2008-02-25T00:05:00.005-06:00

Most toys can come and go but not his mound of books. He has two big book shelves full of them. It is most uncommon for my son to be still any longer than 5 minutes. That is a life time to him. He was quiet and I got worried. That usually means he is doing something he is not to be doing. Well I was pleasantly surprised...he was actually sitting on the floor all comfortable and reading (looking at) one of his million books. He did not see me being sneaky and taking his picture ..well that would have ruined it for him. He will even take his books to bed. I will check on him before I go to bed and it normal to see his face stuck to an Elmo book with drool on it. I will need to get a shot of that sometime. Keeping up with this weeks theme.. I think that this is one of the greatest interactions that a child can have. Ohh and Jess ..I tried your new action...I love it..thanks for being so generous!!

Jess Warm Honey Action

Couch Potatoes

2008-02-21T18:52:00.004-06:00

Every night when Samuel gets sleepy he snuggles up with daddy on the couch. They wrestle, bite and scream for a good 30 minutes. Sometimes they drive me nuts but I would rather hear it than not hear it. I took these shots a couple of days ago. They were paying no attention to me what so ever. I just love the look on their faces in this first picture. My boys are just so sweet!

Winter Wonderland and a Car wreck

2008-02-16T10:46:00.008-06:00

I'm a little late on the winter pictures. Things have been kinda nutty around here this week. Between the weather and crunching the front of my car I kinda was going nuts. Well I missed work on Tuesday night because it was still sleeting that evening...so I was not going to risk it again. Plus my hubby was not to happy with me going out and possibly getting stuck or hit. So I stayed home and felt guilty about who was going to have to work for me. I just hate that. But the last time I had called in and not gone to work I think was back in May when Samuel had surgery, about 9 months ago. So anyway Samuel wanted to go outside and make a snowman and when he seen me get out my camera he grabbed his too. Little did he know that it was nothing but ice, so no snowman. Well we both took some pictures and slid around. We did not stay out long because fear of breaking a bone or head trauma and well my fingers were freezing off. I went out back to see what I could shoot and all I managed to get was the powerlines and my dog. She was starting to get ice on her fur so it was time to come in and get warm. I really like to take pictures of the ice and snow but that is about it. I am so glad that it is melting now.

LOVE and MOMMA'S PINK SOCKS

2008-02-10T23:33:00.000-06:00

Well tonight at bedtime Sammy found my dirty pink furry socks and he proceeds to put them on. Even though it was past bedtime and the only reason he found the socks in the first place was because he was trying to get out of going back to bed....he was so cute and Mommy needed to take a few pictures. He was more than willing to pose for me now because he did not want to go back to bed. I took a few shots then I told him it was time for bed and he started to get mad and wanted me to take more pictures so (of course) I did. I just love my little guy. We have had a rough week with sickness and not wanting to listeness..if that is a word, and we have been banging our heads together all week. I even took a mommy time out today for an hour. That usually never happens. And daddy made Sammy take a time out as well. Afterwards everything was ok and of course all was forgiven. My time out gave me some time to chill and to also center my feelings and get them under control. I get stressed out with just everyday stuff then when I think that I am not doing enough for my son as far as his Autism goes I just go into a tail spin. But BUT at the end of that I know that God gave me this wonderful little boy for a reason. I remember all the heartbreak, losing a baby and waiting for God to answer my prayers. He did answer my prayers.. this child literally saved my life! I may not understand everything about what is going on in my son's mind due to Autism but I do know that he is kind, loving, smart, funny little boy that loves me no matter what. I have never felt a love so open and without bounderies before in my life. I hope that someday when he is all grown up that he will be able to say "you know..my mom loved me and she fought for me and I love her so much." I think all moms want to be able to hear that when their children grow up. Well to be honest I don't even have to hear that..it's selfish..I just want him to be happy, healthy and if its not too much to ask well adjusted. I am so proud to say that Samuel is my son and I am so proud to be his mom.

December Shoot (Me being Freaked Out!!!)

2008-02-09T15:56:00.001-06:00

This is my hairdressers son. She wanted studio pictures of him for his 2 year birthday. I was really freaked out because the studio is not my thing. So I went into panic mode. Thank goodness one of my friends has the studio thing down. She came with me and helped me out more than I thought possible. I am not the best with other peoples children and she knew all the right things to do. Well he really was not into having his picture taken. You know how kids are..one day they are fine, the next they would not smile if you gave them a bucket of candy. So he really was not enjoying himself and did not want to smile at me. So after the torture of the studio I decided we needed to go down the road and head for the park. Then we were both in our element and he was more relaxed and so was I. Then I got some really great shots. I know that I need to get more experince for studio work but it feels so constricting to me. I feel so much more creative and free when I am outside. So this is a big hurdle that I need to work on...because I don't live in Florida and our weather sucks... so outside shoots are not always possible and its not what everyone wants. Well any advice would be great to help me with my phobia. I guess I am just a natural light kinda gal. Thanks for looking and reading my blog.

A boy and the water hole

2008-02-07T20:35:00.000-06:00

Tuesday when it was warm Samuel and I decided to go outside and look for some water puddles in the road. We found one across the street and Samuel jumped and splashed his heart out. He found some rocks to throw in the water. He said "mommy this is fun." Well we did this for about 45 min and he was sick of being wet. I took advantage and got some really cute shots of them. Sorry if some of you have seen these already in the gallery.

Dirty Wet Shoes

2008-02-07T08:36:00.000-06:00

The day we had 70 degree weather I let Samuel play in a mudhole. He was wet from head to toe. He had a blast. I plan on posting some of those pictures really soon. Well when we got inside he decided to strip down to his underware in the middle of the kitchen. So I got down on my stomach and tried to get a good shot. I can't remember my F stop. I am too tired to look because I have been up all night at work and now Samuel is sick. Let me know what you think. Have a great day.

Some fruit for ya!

2008-02-06T00:41:00.001-06:00

I sat my Mikasa bowel that is full of beaded fruit in the window. It was open because of the freeky warm weather we had today. The sun would shine on the fruit from time to time and I would try to catch it. So just let me know what you think. Thanks for looking. Have a great day.

My thoughts on turning 34 today

2008-02-02T21:18:00.000-06:00

Today I turned 34 years old. Wow that happened fast. Its not as bad as I thought it would be. I remember thinking when I was 14 years old that the 30's were going to suck. Well to be honest I would rather be in my 30's anyday than be in my 20's again. THAT SUCKED!!! I have come to think that your 20's are nothing but a confusing ten years that haunt you for the rest of your life. Well most of the ten years. You really don't know yourself....you know what I am talking about...the deep parts of your soul. I have realized that in your 30's you come to understand all the things about you that you could never figure out before. What you can deal with and what you can't. Who you can love and who you can't....and last but not least all the things that have made you who you are..good and bad..you can finally sort it all out and put it somewhere else other than in the hard parts of your heart that just weigh you down and nag at you when you need it the least. I have learned that you need to love what you have and hold on to it for dear life. You only get so much time on this earth to love and to be loved. So I will do my best to love harder, enjoy the moment more...and to smile alot.....aaannnddd try to keep my temper and hard headedness under control. That may take me until my 40's to get right.

My Silly Boy

2008-01-31T21:55:00.000-06:00

Here he is wanting to wear this hat that is 3 years to small for him. This is from his first Christmas outfit. I got him and my neice matching outfits..just the colors were opposite and I had Wal-Mart take the pictures. This was before I became addicted to photography and my camera became a growth on my hand. So the little outfit is in the closet and he would not let me put away the hat. So just to be silly he will put it on and act crazy...he will even where it to bed.

Two different views

2008-01-29T19:00:00.000-06:00

Well I wasn't sure what angle I like this picture best so I took it both ways. Let me know which one you like best. Thanks for looking. Sorry I have not posted or commented on everyones blogs. My notebook was going crazy..but we are online now. Have a great day.

The things that have kept me busy the past month

2007-12-29T15:43:00.001-06:00

I have been really busy as far as my photography is concerned. I have had several shoots but just not the time to post them. Here are a few that I have done the past month. There are plenty more but as usual I don't have the time to post them. But I will get to it soon. I am feeling much more comfortable in my own (photography) skin. I was always comparing myself to other people and their work. But now I am getting comfortable with the way I see things and how I see things through my lens. It a given that I have a lot to learn and miles to go..but that is half the fun. Everyone is different and on different levels so I think that is what makes the art beautiful. What fun would it be if everyone was the same. Thank you for looking.

A Few Christmas Pics

2007-12-29T08:09:00.001-06:00

Hey everyone. I have not been on my computer much so of course blogging has been out of the question. I have a few pictures from Christmas done and wanted to share them. We had a great holiday and now.....I am so glad it is over. I have already taken down the Christmas tree...usually a big no no until after New Years. Ohh well I just wanted my house back to normal. My hubby is so good to me...I got a Canon Speedlight for my Xti. Now I just have to find the time to learn how to use it. Well I hope everyone had a great Christmas. I will try to blog a bit more now that things are calming down. Thanks for looking. Bye

Merry Christmas

2007-12-19T12:48:00.001-06:00

I wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. I hope that everyone has a wonderful holiday. Things have been very busy for the past month so I have not been able to blog for awhile. I wanted to show everyone a few pictures of Samuel and the Christmas tree. He loves to sit by it and to look at all the decorations and the Christmas village. I am so excited about Christmas this year. I have had to cut back on a lot of the extras that I usually do but I feel really good about it. The only thing I am concerned about is spending the holidays at home with my family. We just can't wait to see our children open their presents on Christmas morning.

Just a few that I have been working on

2007-11-28T00:58:00.000-06:00

I have not been blogging much because real life has been way to busy lately. Here are a few samples of the shoots I have done in the past month. Well I will try to blog more if I get the chance. Let me know what you think so far. I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving.

Little Miss "A"

My sister and niece

My Little Sis

My Sweet Brandy

She went from 6 to 20 so fast!

2007-11-13T22:37:00.000-06:00

When I met this young lady she was all of 6 years old. Now she is getting ready to turn 20. She is my stepdaughter. Time has flown by so fast. She is always willing to be my homework subject. It was so great to be able to take pictures of someone who will turn there head or sit the way you want or just sit still. I was able to experiment with my F stops and shutter speeds and such. I was so excited to take these pictures. When I took them I had only had 4 hrs of sleep due to working through the night. So I was a bit slap happy..regardless I am very happy with them. I took so many that I filled up 3 gigs on my CF card. I have to get my paid shoots done first them I am going to go crazy on these pics. Then I will post more then.

Miss "A"

2007-11-13T21:19:00.000-06:00

These are a few from today. I was so excited to get home and put these on my computer. I am really happy with them. She was very easy to take pictures of. I just followed her around and let her do her thing. In my personal opinion I think pictures of children are so much better when they can be themselves and not be posed. I can't wait to proof the rest of these.

Little Ms "J"

2007-11-10T12:08:00.000-06:00

I took these last night. Gee whiz I was nervous. I took about three trips to the bathroom before I left. Everything went great. The lighting and leaves were perfect. It was so nice to take pictures of a little girl who was a ham. She had a ball until Mom picked her up. She wanted to walk. Well these are mainly SOOC and I have not really done anywork to them so again 2 peas let me know what you think. Thanks for looking.

Redo on My Little Fireman Pictures

2007-11-05T23:45:00.000-06:00

Hey everyone. I did some whitening up on Samuel's fireman pictures. I still have some issues with them that I need to work out, but I'm not sure if I will be able to fix what I did wrong. Anyway I just need more practice. I know they still look grey compared to this white back ground but if I went any whiter then my son started to look like a ghost. My question is how can I get really white and not fade him out? So all my 2 pea gals let me know what you think. Thanks for looking.

Autumn Walk

2007-11-04T19:17:00.000-06:00

Sammy and I decided to take a walk before supper. Daddy was running late from work so there was nothing else to do. We found a big pile of leaves and some pretty flowers. Sammy loved jumping in the leaves. Our tree is not big enough to have a lot of leaves so we have to look else where to get our jumping in the leaves fix. He actually let me take some pictures of him.

More Kentucky Sunrises

2007-11-04T19:03:00.001-06:00

I get to see a lot of sunrises since I have started working night shift. I noticed this on my way home from Indiana. Of course I think sunrises look better in Kentucky. When I got on my porch I looked to see if I could get a shot. Well here they are. I think they are pretty good considering I had not had any sleep in 24 hrs. I am usually crossed eyed by that point. The one great thing about the am is it's a new day and no mistakes have been made and everything is fresh and new.

My first studio pictures

2007-10-29T13:24:00.000-05:00

I thought I would take the plunge into the studio side of photography. Samuel loves his "Fire Fighter " Halloween costume. I know that this is not good as far as "pro photographer" standards, but I have to start somewhere. This is really for scrapbooking and to give to my family. I just can't wait to hang one in my living room. All you 2 peas let me know what you think. Thanks for looking.

Making Paper Pumpkins

2007-10-27T13:02:00.000-05:00

On a rainy October day what do you do with a 4 year old? Make paper pumpkins. I took some of my Creative Memories punches and made squares and circles and all kinds of shapes and let Samuel use his imagination. He made some really interesting pumpkins. So we decided to hang them up in the house for everyone to see. He was so proud about what he had accomplished.. Samuel was showing Daddy as soon as he walked in from work.

More Samuel and Bandit Pics

2007-10-27T12:49:00.000-05:00

Well the cat has decided that we are his family....and I have to admit I love the furball too. I just did not realize it until he ran off and I started crying like a fool. Well anyway he is a great companion to my son and they play together all the time. He has earned his keep.. so my hubby has stated. The cat can catch a fly like and looks like a ninja cat doing it. We all know that when it starts to get cold outside the fly's want to come in..well Bandit took care of getting rid of them so we would not have to. In Laz's opinion that is a good cat.

Apple Festival 07

2007-10-27T11:10:00.000-05:00

We went to the Reids Apple Festival last weekend. Samuel and Brandy had a big time. Laz and I really did not want to ride on the rides so Big Sis of course was more than happy to ride with him. They had a ball together. I took a million pictures that day. Some of these are not the best as far as technical stuff, but who cares. I sometimes just try not to worry about being perfect and just capture the moments. You miss alot when you just pay attention to what you did wrong with the picture. I don't want to do that anymore!!!! It ended up being a great day. We walked around and check out what was at the booths, looked at all the animals and Samuel got to sit in a fire truck. We ended the night with pizza and a movie. I think we all went to bed early that night. Just too much excitement for all of us.

This isn't the best picture technical wise but I love it!

Hayride

2007-10-19T22:17:00.000-05:00

The annual church hayride was on the 13th of this month. We have not been since before Samuel was born. I had to trade hours at work to be able to go. When we arrived they were giving horse rides. My boy has never been on a horse and he just could not wait to get on one. I thought he would be scared...Yeah right!!! When it was his turn he got on and did not blink an eye. He kept looking around so much that the saddle kept turning with him. He just loved it. I am so glad that I had my camera because I got to capture his emotion and excitement for one of his *first* in his life. I will never be able to get that moment again..so that is why it is so important to me to have this picture. He also fed a goat, played football with the boys and got to go on his first hayride. Samuel was still fighting a case of the croup and a sinus infection so we cut the night short. He was so tired that he passed out as soon as we got home.

The Comfort of a new pet

2007-10-11T10:18:00.000-05:00

This is Bandit. My son has adopted this cat or did the cat adopt him? This cat just showed up out of nowhere and has turned my son into a talking machine. Samuel never tells anyone anything about his day or what is going on with him. But he went to school and would not shut up about this cat. The teachers in Preschool asked me if Samuel got a new pet and I asked them why they asked. They proceeded to tell me that Samuel had talked about a cat all day. I told them the story of how the cat just appeared out of thin air. When we got home from school Samuel started calling out "Bandit"! I guess he decided that the cat needed a name so that is we are calling the furball. We are dog people! I'm not a big fan of the felines and my husband really does not like them either. But guess who came home bringing cat litter and food? That is right..the hubby! I will remind him of this and use it as ammo if he starts to complain about the cat or wants to blame it on me for keeping it. I said "what are you doing bringing that stuff home?" He said " I don't know what I am doing." " I just know he (Samuel) loves that cat and he is talking about the cat" So we have to keep it. The cat just needs a tune up..like getting rid of some private parts and claws. I can't have a spraying male and claws tearing up my furniture. Other than that the cat isn't to bad. OHHH but Roszha hates the cat. That is my German Shepherd. Well Samuel has been very sick and running a 103 fever and I found him and the cat cuddled up in the bed yesterday. Where ever Samuel goes it seems the cat goes too and he loves to lay next to him. So I guess this is the latest edition to the Janosa family.

Nightime Routine

2007-10-05T20:43:00.000-05:00

I have discovered that it is not so bad to take care of yourself. A friend of mine is a Mary Kay consultant and she gave me a big gift when I had my surgery. All kinds of skin care stuff. I could not believe the difference it made after one week. Now I am addicted to it. Just can't afford it. I look forward to a hot shower and then falling into bed. I won't get to much sleep tonight because my shift starts at 5 am.

Mr "L"

2007-10-02T14:17:00.001-05:00

I took some pictures of my friends little boy and my son. Thise are the only one's I have worked on so far. I had a great time doing this and I hope his mommy will love them.

Skye's Retro Wash
Kriztina Black and White Aly's color Boost

Midnight Sepia

Aly's Color Boost..... Again

On the Farm with Ms "B"

2007-09-27T11:32:00.000-05:00

Sunday was my mom's birthday. She and her hubby have a farm way out in the sticks. Just the perfect place to take wonderful pictures. I had all my neices and nephews there along with my son and my siblings. I took a ton pictures that day. This is just the first few I have been able to work on. So there will be more later.

More pics of the little buggers

2007-09-23T20:30:00.001-05:00

These are just a few more of the pics that I have finished up. I gave these to my momma for her birthday. She was so excited and loved them. I can't wait to print some up and hang them on my wall. I took more pictures today at her farm and I can't wait to see them.

Not So Great Of A Day

2007-09-22T22:12:00.000-05:00

I blogged earlier today that my son, niece and I were going with my friend and her son to a fall festival and then to take some pictures. The day did not end up that way. We were only there for a few minutes and we were looking around to see what the festival had to offer for the kids. Out of know were a lady came over the microphone and began yelling for EMT and Fire Department personnel. We looked at the street and a man got out of his truck and was freaking out and a few people were in the street around a body. My friend is an EMT and I told her to just go! Were maybe 50 feet away from the accident. I held on to my kiddo's and her son for dear life watching what was going on right in front of my eyes. I sat the kids down under a tree for some shade because it was so hot and made sure they were turned to where they could not see what was going on. All I could see was Erica's red shirt and her working on this little body. I soon found out that it was a 3 year old little boy and he (from what we understand right now) like little ones do..... ran out in front of the truck. Needless to say he was hurt very bad. Then to make matters worse it ended up being a little boy I know. His mother and grandmother work with me. I could see how upset and just...I don't know how to explain it. His mother was just outside of herself. All I could do was hang on to our kids and give them kisses. After the scene was cleared my friend came back and all she could do was wash her hands and tried to act as normal as possible. We let the kids get into a blow up jumping thing but... the thoughts of what had just happened were to much. All i could see in my head was my son darting for the road and we decided to pack it up and get out of there. When we got back to the house I told Erica that I just could not take the pictures right now. She understood and of course we were both emotionally pulled apart. She more than I. I don't see how she does it. We both are nurses and we see bad things alot but I could not do what she does. And I don't want to. She called me tonight to see how I was doing. I told her that I could not get it out of my mind and I just felt blah all day. My little one is laying on the couch beside me snoring and I am so glad that I get to hear every little breath he is taking right now. I thank God for every minute that I have with my son. Life changes so fast and in a blink of an eye your whole world can change. I guess that I am just writing all this to get it out of my head. I don't know about you all but blogging sometimes feels like therapy. Please pray for this little boy and his family. The last I heard he was life flighted to Louisville to another hospital.

Today is a busy day

2007-09-22T08:59:00.000-05:00

Well I have my two favorite people to watch over. We are going to Erica's house. I am going to take pictures of Luke and Samuel on the tractor in their John Deere shirts. Poor Katie...she doesn't have a shirt like that! Well after that is finished we are going to a Fall Festival and let all 3 kids watch a parade and eat candy until they go crazy. My motto "wear them out and they will sleep and sleep"....but so will I. They are so pumped. The festivities are already beginning. Katie and Samuel are running around like crazy lil people and Katie just stubbed her toe and is freaking out and we have not even make it out the door. Well I hope to have a Lot of great pics to share.