30 days of gratitude...DAY 30

Day thirty...

The holidays!

I always love the fall and winter holidays.

We are all counting down the days until Christmas. I love listening to Christmas music and drinking hot coffee with peppermint. I love going and cutting down our own tree and letting the kids decorate it...nothing like getting a 10 ft tree and having the kids put all of the ornaments in one small spot right in the front.

This is the holly bushing our front yard, which ben cut down, but seems to

have grown back just in time for the winter holidays!!

30 days of gratitude...DAY 29

Day twenty nine...

My husband's job.

I'm grateful that today my husband still has a job. I'm grateful everyday that he does.

He's at great risk for getting laid off, due to budget cuts, so at this point we

appreciate every day that he has his job.

(again, no photo...sorry!)

30 days of gratitude...DAY 28

Day twenty eight...

Education.

I'm grateful that my husband and I were able to attend college

(Not just because we met there, but because we got college educations there.)

I'm grateful that my kids are in good schools and receiving decent educations.

No, they're not the best schools in the world, but they have good teachers who care about them, and parents who work with them at home to make the most of their education.

There are far too many children around the world that do not have this.

(sorry, no photo today)

30 days of gratitude...DAY 27

Day twenty seven...

Serenity.

I am grateful for the quiet moments in my life when I can breath in the fresh air and feel good.

Those moments where all I hear is the sound of the wind chimes outside my window.

30 days of gratitude...DAY 26

Day twenty six...

Being delighted with the small things.

I made this jewelry organizer for my wall last week and I'm practically giddy about it! I previously had all of my jewelry stored in a dark dresser drawer. I could never find what I wanted, things got tangled up, and for the most part I just skipped the whole jewelry part of my outfit because it just annoyed me to try. Now I have easy access to all of my bling!

30 days of gratitude...DAY 25

Day twenty five...

My new shower!

For the three years that we have lived in this house I have not had a shower or bathtub in my master bathroom. Now I do! So, I can shower upstairs, in my own bathroom! I'm beyond grateful for this luxury. I'm also able to take a bath in this house...also a first since our other bathroom is a shower only. In addition to a new shower/tub we're also re-doing the whole bathroom so it will be functional and pretty!

30 days of gratitude...DAY 24

Day twenty four...

Tater.

This cat is almost as dumb as a bag of rocks and he isn't cuddly or particularly funny (although we do laugh at how unintelligent he is at times), but we love him and appreciate him. He catches mice, which is why we have him! The kid adore him and he is entertaining when he's wrestling with Punky.

30 days of gratitude...DAY 23

Day twenty three...

Technology.

I'm grateful for modern technology.

I'm able to keep in touch with practically anyone.

My kids can talk to their grandparents and see them at the same time!

I love my computer, my cell phone, and my new iPad.

I also love my t.v., my alarm clock (okay, I actually hate my alarm clock), my microwave and a bunch of other things! I have a lot of respect for communities and cultures who choose to live without such things, but I just don't want to!!

30 days of gratitude...DAY 22

Day twenty two...

The Honey Badger.

I'm grateful to have some honey badger in me.

And to see it in my kids at times.

If you don't know what I'm talking about, look it up on youtube.

I'm not going to tell you, cuz honey badger don't give a sh!t.

30 days of gratitude...DAY 21

Day twenty one...

Me.

I'm grateful for being alive and healthy.

I like me.

I am funny, quirky, and happy.

30 days of gratitude...DAY 20

Day twenty...

My office.

I'm so grateful to have a place to edit, file, package orders, etc.

It is not fancy or a dream space, but it's mine and it's function and I love it!

30 days of gratitude...DAY 19

Day nineteen...

Punky.

She's a diva and sometimes just a straight up b!tch, but when she is sweet she is oh so sweet and cuddly. I handpicked her from an adorable litter of 15 kittens, much to my husband's dismay. It's obvious, though, that she is HIS cat. He spoils her something awful.

She's an awesome mouser and does her job at keeping the critters out of the house.

She even taught our other cat how to hunt.

30 days of gratitude...DAY 18

Day eighteen...

Transportation.

I'm so grateful to have my own car.

About a year ago, my minivan pretty much just blew up.

Luckily a family friend sold us his vehicle for crazy cheap. Our hope was jus that it would tide us over for about a year until we could get another van. Well, now that the year has passed and it looks like my husband may lose his job, I'm so grateful that the car is still running!

We live a mile from the closest city bus stop and the entire trek is on a busy and dangerous road, so taking the kids to the city bus stop is really not ideal or even safe.

30 days of gratitude...DAY 17

Day seventeen...

Coffee.

It makes me happy.

Wakes me up.

It's a treat to buy a mocha away from home.

I'm so grateful that my husband has finally started drinking coffee, as it's something we can share now. He's sweet and usually makes me an iced coffee in the morning, so that it's there when I wake up (and he's already off at work).

30 days of gratitude...DAY 16

Day sixteen...

Me time.

I'm grateful to have a place to relax (my bedroom or my balcony).

Alone.

To think, veg out, or escape.

I am grateful for those days that I get to spend shopping by myself.

30 days of gratitude...DAY 15

Day fifteen...

Music.

My oldest plays the clarinet and is planning on learning the guitar soon.

My middle song is in choir and plays the piano. He plans on playing the trumpet, the drums, the guitar, and who knows what else.

My youngest loves music, as do my husband and I.

We love to dance and rock out in the living room.

I'm grateful to have found a good deal from a nice lady on a piano (even though it drives me bonkers most of the time).

Music can completely turn my day and my mood around.

I am grateful that my kids still have music classes, as well as extra

curricular music classes at their schools.

30 days of gratitude...DAY 14

Day 14...

Location, location, location.

I love living in Oregon.

I love that we have four distinct seasons.

I love that we are an hour from the beach, an hour from a big city, and just a few hours from the mountains, desert, and a bazillion other things.

I love that I can sit in my own front yard and enjoy the view

(that's where I took this photo, actually)!

30 days of gratitude...DAY 13

Day thirteen...

Photography.

I am so grateful to be able to do what I love...and to get paid for it!

Even if it's just part time or I decide to return to being just a hobbyist, it will always be part of me and part of my life. I've been told that I breathe photography.

30 days of gratitude...DAY 12

Day twelve...

Food.

I am grateful to have food on our table and in our pantry to feed my family.

I'm well aware of the fact that this is not the case for many many families around the world and I do not take it for granted.

30 days of gratitude...DAY 11

Day eleven...

My dad.

Although I didn't realize it growing up, I have an awesome dad.

He is one of the most patient people I've ever met (he had to be, living with both me

and my mom!). He's gentle and kind and funny. He's an awesome grandpa.

My dad taught me how to drive a car, how to fish, how to check the oil in my car, how to use power tools and...how to make totally kick @ass paper

airplanes (which has earned the respect and awe of my children).

Thanks, Dad!

30 days of gratitude...DAY 10

Day ten...

Friends.

I love my friends.

I love that my friends all meet my needs in different ways.

I have my local friends, my coffee homies, my long distance friends, my friends from back in the day, friends that make me laugh so hard I almost pee my pants, shopping friends, and even a friend who will always be the Lucy to my Ethel.

There are many days I wouldn't have made it through without my friends.

30 days of gratitude...DAY 9

Day nine...

My mom.

We've had a few rough years (when I was a feisty teen and she was...uh...MY age!), but we're close and she's taught me a LOT that I am thankful for.

Independence, self-confidence, and above all...how to shop sales like nobody's business!

In her honor, I'm posting a photo of a coat that I bought yesterday (at a bargain, of course)! Sure, I could have posted a photo of the entire coat, but that wouldn't be as visually interesting as the texture, would it?

30 days of gratitude...DAY 8

Day eight...

The important moments.

I'm so grateful to have been here for all of the special little moments in the lives of my children. First steps, first time without training wheels, loss of first teeth, etc. I know that a lot of people aren't as fortunate as I am and I do not take these moments for granted.

(This is a photo of Oscar that I took last week right after his first tooth fell out.)

30 days of gratitude...DAY 7

Day seven...

My photography community.

I wouldn't be where I am today with my photography business if it weren't for my fellow photography buddies...both online and in real life. There are too many people to list, but I assure you, I have a LOT of people to be thankful for. I will say that one person in particular, though, has been my saving grace. Azure, of Azure Marie Photography, is the one person I communicate with daily about anything and everything photography (and personal life) related. She is a colleague, but also a friend. We have worked together on numerous occasions, shooting weddings and sharing hotel suites for boudoir photo parties. So, thank you to my fellow photographers and, of course, Azure.

Photo below taken by Azure Marie Photography.

That's ME shooting a bride and groom this past summer.

30 days of gratitude...DAY 6

Day six...

Seasons.

Anyone who knows me well knows that I absolutely LOVE autumn.

Love. It.

I love apple cider, halloween, pumpkin patches, cool crisp air, the changing leaves, the fog, etc.

I feel like I wouldn't appreciate fall so much, though, if it weren't for the other seasons. I despise summer, but I love knowing that when it's over that I'll get my fall leaves!

I also enjoy living somewhere that actually has seasons.

30 days of gratitude...DAY 5

Day Five...

Our youngest son, Oscar.

To say that this little boy completed our family is an understatement.

He's the only person in our family who was not born in Oregon.

This little guys was born at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, TX...yeehaw!

Oscar has a smile that just lights up a room.

He's a people person and LOVES to make people laugh.

We've always called him our teddy bear because he's always been chubby and cuddly, but is just about as sweet as can be. He's nice to other kids and is usually the peace keeper.

He is full of energy, humor, and like all of our kids...handsome as can be!

Although he's "the baby" of the family, he's certainly not a baby anymore.

He's enjoying Kindergarten, can ride a bike without training wheels,

write short sentences, and just lost his first tooth!

30 days of gratitude...DAY 4

Day four...

Our middle son, Karson.

Oh man, if I wrote all the awesome stories we have about this kid, it would turn into a book!

Karson was by far the most difficult baby (ahem, and toddler, preschooler, kindergartener....) I've ever encountered. He is just now, in fact, getting easy to handle.

He was stubborn, angry, moody, and did I mention stubborn?

Luckily for him, he was the easiest child to deliver. Ha!

Karson is hilarious and makes me laugh on a daily basis.

He's also creative, smart, athletic, and artistic.

Oh, and obviously quite handsome!

As a pre-schooler he wore pink rain boots for an entire year because he wanted to and didn't care one bit that kids (not his peers, mind you, but older kids!) made fun of him for it.

He's currently sporting long hair because he likes it and yet again, doesn't seem to be bothered much by those making fun of him (I'm far more bothered by it than he is!).

Out of the blue he decided he wanted to take piano lessons. I was hesitant to sign him, but eventually did. He absolutely LOVES it and I think he might have a future in it!

30 days of gratitude...DAY 3

Day Three...

Our oldest son, Kayden.

This child has always been considerate, sensitive and empathetic.

Although he's in the peak of tween awkwardness I can start to see the kind of man he'll be. Even though he's a LOT like me (looks like me, acts a lot like me, same interests as me), I see that he's picked up some very special traits from his dad.

Kayden is always doing things to make us proud and he's just

an all around awesome person. He made my miserable labor and delivery all worth it!

30 days of gratitude...DAY 2

Day two...

My husband, Ben.

I've been asked quite a few times how we got along so well (seriously, we rarely have arguments and we've never EVER called each other a bad name or raised our voices at each other). The answer is simple. We are compatible and respectful. I didn't marry an @sshole and he didn't marry a b!tch. It's that simple.

We've also got a little bit of the "opposites attract" thing going on.

We met in college...he was a jock and I was an art major.

He'd never even set foot in my building.

I'm funny, he laughs at my jokes.

I'm loud, he's calm.

I'm messy, he's clean.

I'm weird, he's normal.

I'm chocolate moose tracks ice cream, he's apple pie (thanks for that, Kate!)

When it comes to the big things, though, we tend to agree.

For example...we agree on how to raise the kids, morals, etc.

I love him with all my heart and he's the most considerate and thoughtful man I've ever met.

He would get up in the middle of the night and drive an hour to get me Tums if I asked him to. Seriously.

30 days of gratitude...DAY 1

First of all, I'd like to apologize for the lack of posting on this blog.

I'm going to try to post a lot more. I'll do a '"catch up" post ASAP.

In the meantime I'm starting my annual "30 days of gratitude" project.

I think this is my third year doing this and I just love it.

I love it when I'm forced to acknowledge how fortunate I really am.

It always puts things in perspective for me.

So, day one...

My home.

We do not own a fancy home or a huge home, but it's PERFECT for our family.

I instantly fell in love with this house because it's so quirky and unique.

Our Fam

Took this recently of me, the hubby, our kids, and my parents.

Hair Donation! (Before & After Pics)

I meant to post these months ago, but totally forgot.

My friend, Azure, of Azure Marie Photography

was kind of enough to take before and after photos for me!

I got the cut back in March, so it's already grown out some.

I think I'll be going in sometime soon for something much funkier!

(Click photos to enlarge!)

BEFORE

AFTER:

I was able to donate 10 inches to

Pantene Beautiful Lengths!

Closing another chapter

It's offical. The "baby" is done with preschool!

He had a GREAT year and was always thrilled to go to school.

He's such a social guy that it was perfect for him.

Last week they had a little ceremony for the last day and it was oh so cute.

First they sang some songs.

If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands...

If you're happy and you know it, shout, "Hooray!"

Then each child came up one at a time with a teacher while the teacher talked

about that student and a slideshow for that student was shown.

I couldn't hear everything that his teacher said, but I did hear her say

that he always came to school with a big

smile on his face and was very kind to others.

I love this silly grin.

Playing with some friends afterwards.

My favorite shot of the day.

As you can see, he's chatting up the teachers,

which happen to be

pretty high schoolers. LOL!

At the Beach

I thought for sure they would complain about having to do this, but before I could even finish my sentence they were holding hands and walking towards the water. They know me so well and I love that they did this so willingly. I love that they're all dirty and Oscar is showing butt crack...it makes everything about this shot...THEM!

(Click photo to enlarge.)

Funnies.

These are courtesy of www.xkcd.com, which I recently

discovered and find rather amusing.

Objects that tell something about me.

I am part of an online photography group that takes part in a 365 project.

We try to post one photo per day, every single day of the year.

Each week we have a different theme, so we post one photo each day, for seven days, with that theme. Last week's theme was "Objects that tell something about you."

So...

1. My old Holga camera.

I used this bad boy back in college to shoot medium format film.

Today I use a newer (pink!) Holga, but this one

sits on display with my other vintage cameras.

2. Pop.

Soda. Soda-pop. Coke. Whatever you want to call it!

I generally don't prefer Coke, but I'll drink it if it's what we have!

You'll also notice the multiple empties. I also recycle!

I drink way too much pop!

3. Photos!

I live and breathe photography. I really do.

As much as I love simple and non-cluttered decor, I do have a LOT of photos displayed in my house. I just have too many precious photos of my babies that I do not want to tuck away in albums. I love to look at my photos every day and relive those memories.

I have two photo collage walls in my house.

This one is in our living room and the other is in my bedroom

(and it's just photos of my husband and I...no kids!).

4. Shoes.

I don't thin I even need to explain this one. I love shoes. LOVE them. Pretty ones, in particular. I love heels the most, especially if they are in bold colors or have

intricate details (like this pair with the cutest bow at the ankle!).

5. Wind chimes.

I love the sound of wind chimes and have several (but would love a lot more) in various places around my house. This particular wind chime was a gift from two dear friends of mine. It hangs outside my bedroom window and I love the sound of it. It makes me feel relaxed.

6. Ice cream.

This is the one thing that I can NOT give up.

It's hands down my most favorite treat ever. I also have the sweetest husband who will go out at all hours of the day or night to fetch me my beloved ice cream and then scoop it for me because I hate scooping! I think I ate ice cream every. single. day. with all three of my pregnancies. No joke. It's no surprise my babies were so big!

7. Rain boots.

I live in Oregon. It rains a LOT here. I wear these almost exclusively when I'm on photo shoots and as you can see, I'm not afraid to get dirty. You'll also notice that they're cute rain boots. I mean, if I'm going to make them a big part of my wardrobe, they may as well be cute! My mom bought these for me. She always buys me cute rain boots and I love being surprised with what she picks out! She has great taste and knows me so well that she always does a fabulous job.

Pure Luck

It never fails.

When there is a great photo opportunity in my real life, I don't have a camera with me.

A few weeks ago I took the kids to the park late in the evening. I got so excited about the light when Oscar was up on the slide, but then bummed because I did not have my camera.

I had my phone (which takes awful photos, normally), though, so I did manage to capture this shot. The saying is that the best camera is the one you have with you and I believe this whole heartedly when it comes to everyday life.

(Click photo to enlarge).

Love to my fellow Bloggers!

I thought I would share some of MY favorite blogs!!

First, let's start with my Best Friend in New Mexico.

Marlowe's Loft is quirky and well written blog.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW MARLOWE'S LOFT.

We can't leave out my own son!

CLICK HERE TO VIEW KAYDEN'S BLOG.

Now, a few of my favorite fashion blogs!

Londyn is SO classy and stylish and I think I love every single outfit she's ever worn.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW BLOG FASHION.

Kashmira puts together the most amazing outfits.

She's vibrant and fun and isn't afraid to take risks when it comes to fashion.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW WHAT I WORE 2DAY BLOG.

Another favorite fashion blogger is Reva.

She has a completely unique look and she owns it like nobody's business.

She's just as adorable as can be and has such an eclectic fashion sense. I just love it.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW REVAS RAGS 2 ROSES

I am not going to post all of the professional photography blogs that I follow because

that would be WAY too many. I am, however, going to post an amateur photo

blog that takes some THE funniest and/or cutest photos.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW 'YOU TOOK A PICTURE OF THAT?'

Paintings

Most people know that I prefer black & white photography over color.

That does not mean, though, that I dislike color.

I actually LOVE color!

Here are some of the paintings I have in my house.

I love this tree of life painting that I have in my dining room.

This was the first real piece of art that I purchased.

I found this at a local Mexican import store.

Karson painted this one a year or so ago.

The canvas and paints were sent to him by our dear friend Kate.

Blue Man, painted by a local artist named Amanda Welch.

Click here to visit her Myspace page.

I love these two paintings, both by a local artist named Josh Bennett.

Click here to visit his facebook page.