20 random facts about me you may or may not have wanted to know…
1. Red is my favorite color. Of all time. I plan to add a lot more red to my house decor and love wearing it. Ironically I’m allergic to red food coloring.
2. Chocolate is my Kryptonite. I have a hard time resisting a good piece of chocolate. If you want to get on my good side bring me some dark chocolate Bordeaux from See’s Candy. Or a piece of Chocolate Stout Cake from Rock Bottom. I’d even be happy with a Dove chocolate bar. Right now I kinda wish I hadn’t given up sweets for Lent, craving some chocolate right now. Somebody save me some Samoas for Easter!
3. I met my husband when I was 5 and he was 6. My mom babysat him and his brothers and we became great friends. We’ve been married almost 7 years now; it’s crazy to think I’ve known him for more than 21 years!
4. Before I thought photography could actually become a career I thought about attending culinary school. I love cooking from scratch and creating new recipes or tweaking recipes to my taste which is why I struggled with baking for so long-you kinda have to be more precise there. The idea of standing for hours on end with knee and hip issues didn’t sound appealing so instead I spoil my family. Maybe someday I’ll open a restaurant.
5. I hate cleaning. There, I said it. There is a pile of clean clothes on the couch and mounds of dirty clothes taking over my bedroom right now as we speak. I don’t like cleaning bathrooms at all and can’t wait to hand that one off to my kids My kitchen is generally the cleanest room in the house, it’s just easier to cook when everything is clean. I need to find some latex-free gloves for cleaning, especially dishes-floating food in the dishwater makes me queasy when it touches my hands.
6. I find it impossible to sit still. Yup, I’m the one that bounced their foot and drove you crazy in class, it drives my husband up the wall. This is the reason I don’t like bubble baths, I don’t find it relaxing to just lay there, I need to be doing something.
7. Even though I was born in a teeny tiny town in Northwest Missouri and have lived a few other places, I’ve been in the Valley of the Sun (Phoenix for those that aren’t from here) since before I started kindergarten. I still hate the heat in the summers and become a hermit to avoid it. That might be why I’m so pasty, well that and the fact that I burn very easily. The term “dry heat” bugs me, 115F is unbelievably hot no matter the humidity level.
8. I usually listen to country music (love me some Wranglers even if my husband won’t wear them ) but I enjoy *most* music. I like to sing along-be warned I am not good-so if I can’t sing to it I won’t listen to it.
9. I know how to drive a stick shift (manual transmission) and actually prefer it. I think it’s a control thing.
10. I’m not a bandwagoner (if that’s even a word). I like being different, unique, weird whatever you call it. I tend to not follow trends as much and try to stick with what makes me happy. Which explains why I don’t shoot Nikon or Canon and I happily use my custom built PC, not that there is anything wrong with the others they just don’t feel right to me.
11. I like being barefoot, a lot. I hardly ever wear shoes at home and if I can I’ll kick off my shoes wherever I am. I wear flats to my sessions partly so I can take them off and work barefoot. I can’t say it’s never caused me problems (stubbed toes, thorns, cuts, etc) but it’s something I never grew out of from my childhood.
12. I love reading. If it’s a good book, I get absorbed and lose all sense of time. But I don’t read what you’d expect. I’ve never even touched a Twilight book *gasp* and the only magazines I read are photography related. Currently I’m working on getting through all of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan series and I just read Family feasts for $75 a week by Mary Ostyn.
13. I love being a mom to my 2 boys but I’d love a daughter. There is nothing like the love a boy has for his mommy but I love all the frilly little outfits and I just don’t see my boys letting me put them in dresses Besides I’d love to have a relationship like the one I have with my mama.
14. I crack my knuckles-it’s a bad habit but I can’t seem to get rid of it. I blame the boys that I hung out with in 3rd grade that taught me that one in my attempt to fit in with them instead of the mean girls.
15. I love veggies! If they’ve got butter and salt on them I’ll try them for sure. There are very few foods I don’t like and I will try *most* foods once, something about the heads still on there freaks me out-I don’t like my food looking at me.
16. My goal is to have a studio location hopefully by the end of this year, if not next year. I’m tired of working from my desk at home where it’s hard to make myself separate work hours from family hours. And while I LOVE working outdoors in the natural light, it would be nice to have a space dedicated to use during the blazing heat of the summer and for my clients that would rather not be outdoors.
17. I love to write and draw/doodle. I have two books in the beginning stages and hope to find time soon to actually write them. I sometimes have to sit down and write my ideas out just so I can move on to the next thought bouncing around in my head. I also draw/sketch on occasion and doodle constantly-you’ll find doodles on papers all over my desk.
18. I am was a closet sci-fi fan. I try to deny it but I find myself drawn into the strange shows my husband watches. No matter how hard I resist I end up watching them. I enjoy a few of them but I’m not a big enough fan to handle most of it, some of it is just too weird.
19. I do not like horror movies/shows (I have bad enough nightmares on my own thank you) but I really enjoy a good action movie. I also really enjoy dark comedy as well as satirical comedies. It couldn’t have anything to do with my use of sarcasm could it? I’m willing to see a chick flick but it’s gotta be somewhat realistic.
20. I don’t mind getting dirty. I love hiking and camping-the real kind without bathrooms, running water or other amenities far away from any other campers. My only problem is the creepy crawlies. And maybe my irrational fear of what I can’t see in the dark. Thanks so much mom and dad for watching X-files and my lovely husband for confirming that yes there are beard where we go camping.

That was so much harder than I thought it would be when I first started writing it. The first 10 were easy, 15 wasn’t too bad, but getting to 20 took a lot of time and thought. I’m hoping you found something in my 20 facts you could relate to and that I didn’t come off as too neurotic. I tried keeping it mostly unrelated to photography since that would be an easy one but it snuck in a bit. Obviously photography is a passion of mine and has been since I can remember. I’d love to hear your thoughts: was there something that made you laugh? something that made you nod in agreement? anything else you wanted to know? Maybe I’ll do a follow-up in the future.

And since it’s a little boring without a photo, here are a few favorites from a past session that never made it to the blog

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I get asked a lot by both photographers and clients what my policy is on letting my clients post their images to their blogs and facebook account. I personally love it when my clients post their family pictures on their blogs, facebook, etc. It shows me that they truly love their images! I encourage my clients to copy their pictures from my blog to use on the internet. Here are a few do’s and don’ts that you should think about when reposting your images:

1) DO ask your photographer what their specific policy is on taking pictures off of their blogs. Some photographers encourage it and some don’t allow it. If this is important to you this is something you should ask BEFORE you hire your photographer!

2) DO include your photographer’s name and website under the images (a link would be super nice!). That’s just the polite thing to do

3) DON’T crop out their logo. Most photographers use their blogs to advertise their work and do so as a courtesy to give their clients a sneak peek. If a client crops out the logo then how will other people know who took the picture?

4) DON’T edit the picture in ANY way. Taking the pictures is only half of a photographer’s job. The other half is editing. If you think you can do a better job or want to edit out some of your wrinkles or use selective coloring please don’t. That is super insulting. If you don’t like your photographer’s editing enough to want to edit it yourself than maybe you need to find another photographer next year.

5) DON’T try to print from the files on the blog. For me specifically I know that the files I upload to my blog are too small to be printed in a 4×6 size. It’s not cool to invest in a family session and then print the images off of the blog and not pay for prints. Make sure you know how much the prints cost before the session to avoid sticker shock. Same goes for scanning prints that you already bought. Not cool (and illegal)! Some of my family members are guilty of printing images off of my blog. It makes me cringe when I see them FRAMED in their homes with my logo still on there! To be fair, I’m also not great at emailing them the file when they ask for it

*used and edited with the permission of the author*

Ok so now you ask what exactly are your policies on this?
I have no problem with you copying the images from my blog to use on Facebook, MySpace, your family blog, etc. In fact if you ask I will even email you the watermarked copies of the blog pictures and any that you order. BUT you are not allowed to edit them in ANY way. Do not crop out the logo (or really even crop at all) and give credit to the photographer (please tag me if we are Facebook friends). If you would like I will post them on Facebook and tag you in the photos so that you can share them without having to worry about it. You are in no way allowed to edit your photos-I edit them in my style which is what you hired me for. The photos are a representation of my work-I do not want my work associated with your bad edit. Do not print these photos either, they are a low resolution to protect me from theft and you from unscrupulous people stealing them and using your image for a purpose you may not like (think advertising for a disturbing product, it’s happened to many people). If you have any other questions on what you can and can not do with your photos, please ask me. You don’t want to accidentally break a copyright law that could cost you a lot.

If you have any ideas for future posts please let me know!
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They ended up playing a game of roll the chalk down the driveway, which of course turned into a “me first” competition until I convinced them to draw me a picture.



Showing me his chalky finger

Drawing a line to the front door to show daddy how to get in


I love that we are barefoot in November!



I even got a few of them looking at me , don’t get me wrong they don’t hate having their pictures taken but as a photographer’s child they expect me to be quick and they want to see if it’s a good picture right away so it’s a one shot deal most of the time. And yes I’m training them to know a good picture when they see it, gotta start early!

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Ingredients:
4 ripe avocados
1 Roma tomato (or 1/2 small tomato)
1 tbsp fresh chopped cilantro or 1 tsp dried cilantro
1 garlic clove pressed
1/2 lime, squeezed (use other half for your drink )
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cumin
salt and pepper to taste
diced jalapeno or diced green chile if you prefer a spicy guacamole, optional
sour cream or mayonnaise for creamier version, optional (don’t use normally)
tortilla chips (I prefer Tostitos)

Directions:
1. Cut avocados in half and carefully remove pits, saving for later. With a spoon, scoop avocado from the skin and put in a bowl. Using a fork mash avocado to desired consistency (I like to leave it kinda lumpy).
2. Dice tomato and add to bowl. Add cilantro, garlic, and lime juice. Stir the mixture together.
3. If you prefer yours creamier, add enough mayonnaise or sour cream to the bow to make it creamy.
4. Add remaining spices (approximate amounts, taste as you go) including jalapeno or green chile if you want it spicy.
5. To keep from oxidizing (turning brown), add the pits to the dip. It looks bizarre but I promise it works.

Guacamole makes a great dip on its own but is great as a topping on tacos, nachos, or anything else your heart desires!


BTW these pictures are one day old guacamole and it’s not all brown and yucky!

My youngest son is a major sweetheart cutie pie, full of smiles and laughter and always looking to learn new things. He definitely has his 2 year old moments of melt downs and temper tantrums, but for the most part he is usually very easy going other than being pretty shy. You would never know that he suffers from constant diarrhea and painful stomach cramps or that he has a fairly restricted diet that currently excludes any dairy, egg, or soy products (that eliminates a TON of foods). He’s suffered from it his whole life and hasn’t ever known any other way, but it’s still so sad and hard to deal with. We started out removing things from my diet while I breastfed until we figured out what bothered his tummy and for a year I gave up all of them (yes I gave up chocolate and baked goods). Next step was doing allergy scratch tests, first at a year old and again when he turned two this summer, discovering only that he has some grass and seasonal allergies. Despite keeping known food intolerances out of his diet the best we can, it hasn’t gone away. So we began our adventure to try to figure out his diagnosis in August. I collected 4 containers of poo and took them back to the doctor to find out only that he has no parasites, no blood, no known infection, and digests fat. Then we moved on to the Gastroenterolgist but not before dealing with my husband’s head trauma incident. After seeing my son, who by the way is quite a big boy , he said we can assume that the worst case scenarios can be excluded because he is obviously thriving despite his issues. But we would have to put him through quite a few tests before we hopefully came back with a diagnosis.

Last week began the round of testing with a endoscopy and sigmoidoscopy (similar to a colonoscopy). We had to prepare by giving him two enemas, that in itself was a completely awful experience that I wish on no one.  He and I took our first trip downtown to the hospital and arrived at 6:40 am to check-in and fill out paperwork (that’s super early for a night owl like me ). After picking out a stuffed animal to accompany him, a koala bear that he says is a dog so that’s what it is, we settled in to a room to watch cartoons and play with toys while I tried to wrestle him into special hospital pajamas (he wanted nothing to do with them since he was happy with his own clothes). After meeting with the anesthesiologist and our GI doctor, we headed to the procedure room where I watched him fight going under and fought back my own tears. Thankfully my stepdad was waiting in the waiting area for me and we chatted while sipping hot chocolate. When he came to I headed back to see him, I could hear him crying as soon they opened the double doors to the recovery area. He screamed until the IV, the ID bands, and every piece of tape was taken off and then promptly fell asleep in the car for a much needed nap.

purse camera snapshots of the boy, his “dog”, and me

After that experience, he got a little break for some Halloween fun (I’ll post pictures soon!). Yesterday he had his blood drawn for a slew of tests that looked to be about 10 vials worth, luckily the lab tech was fabulous and drew it all into a large syringe and then distributed. I got sent home with poo collection duty one more time as expected. And now back to today. Today was the easiest of all but little man still didn’t want to do it. Today we arrived at the hospital at 8:15 after fighting rush hour for over an hour to sit in one more waiting room with more possibly sick people. We played while we waited and I explained to him that this time was just a picture of his tummy. So my funny boy lifts up his shirt and has me take a picture of it and asked to go home . We did leave very shortly after that, but not before getting the xray that required some persuading to stay still in exchange for a grape smelling sticker.

purse camera snapshot for his belly picture

We are testing for Crohn’s (my dad and sister both suffer from this), Celiac’s, enzyme deficiencies and a host of other things. I’m really hoping that all the results will be in next week and we’ll be able to get a diagnosis after all of this. But even with all of the difficulties of this last year, I’m just so thankful to have my beautiful boys and that they are as healthy as they are. I was reminded today that God has his reasons for his timing even if they are difficult for us to understand, if not for my miscarriages this year I would not have been able to be there in the radiology department with him today or have had the ease of taking care of my family in all our latest events. And I’m putting my faith in the fact that it will all work out in the end.

Look at all his hair! He was so easy going and seemed to enjoy having his picture taken (or maybe it was the warm, fuzzy blanket)

His brother doesn’t have quite as much hair but he’s definitely a redhead like one of his older sisters.

Congratulations on a beautiful family mama, those boys are getting so big already!

(after he got off the backboard, PS this was with the little point and shoot I carry in my purse)

We were then informed that he was going to be transferred to a different hospital as a precaution in case it got worse and required surgery (the second hospital has a neurosurgery unit and was only 8 miles away by ambulance). I was scared, especially after he started throwing up. I ran home to grab dinner for my momma and my boys and found him in the ICU when I arrived. I’ve never had to advocate on someone’s behalf to busy nurses, or spend hours next to a mostly sleeping person’s bedside-it was an awful way to spend two days. It took forever to get clearance from a neurosurgeon, a cardiologist (another precaution), and an internal medicine specialist to go home that we were afraid he’d be there a second night.

We finally got home and got him settled in and I waited up for my mother-in-law to bring the boys home from a day spent with out of town guests. Saturday was spent with those out of town guests celebrating his grandfather’s 80th birthday (I’ll hopefully get some pictures from that up soon), it was a wonderful get together but we ended up spending Sunday recovering from the previous few days by laying around and sleeping. Which leads me to Monday that I tried to spend catching up on everything that fell to the wayside last week and not succeeding at any of it. I drove my husband, I am now his chauffeur, to his doctor’s appointment to find out he still is not released for driving and will need yet another CT scan. And today will not be any easier as we go to to our youngest’s first GI appointment to see if we can get to the bottom of his tummy issues.

All that to say – Do NOT skip breakfast and I will get back to all of you as soon as possible! Pleases be patient and if you don’t hear from me in a couple days, please try me again.

And thank you everyone for all your prayers and kind words! He’ll be ok in the long run, at this point he’s dealing with bad headaches and some short term memory loss that could last awhile and amnosmia – loss of sense of smell – that may or may not get better.

Ingredients:
1 18.25oz chocolate cake mix (dark chocolate is best, cake will be sweet enough)
+ oil, water, and egg as the recipe calls for
2 cans of canned, pitted cherries (usually called sour cherries-not pie filling or maraschino cherries), drained reserving liquid
1 tsp almond extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp brandy extract
1 large tub whipped cream
1 10oz bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips (can use melt-able baking chocolate)

Directions:
1. Mix and bake cake according to directions in 2 9-inch pans, greased and floured halfway up sides.
2. Let cakes cool completely before continuing. Place one layer on cake platter.
3. Mix together 1 cup of reserved cherry juice, almond, vanilla, and brandy extracts (used in place of alcohol) *. Pour half of mixture evenly over the layer on the platter, slowly to let cake absorb liquid.
4. In a large bowl, gently mix the whipped cream with enough reserved cherry juice to color and flavor it. Be careful not to add too much liquid or over-mix, it will separate. Set aside.
5. Set some of the chocolate aside for garnishing. Melt half of the remaining chocolate according to package directions and spread over the top of the first layer of cake.
6. Cover the chocolate in a single layer of cherries. Spread a small layer of whipped cream over the cherries.
7. Place second layer of cake on top. Pour remainder of cherry juice mixture evenly over the second layer, slowly to let cake absorb liquid.
8. Melt second half of chocolate. Spread melted chocolate over the top of second layer. Cover the cake in whipped cream mixture.
9. Use remaining cherries to garnish the cake. Grate or shave reserved chocolate over the cake.

*Traditional Black Forest Cake uses a German cherry brandy called Kirschwasser or Kirsch. You can leave out the extracts and replace as much of the cherry liquid with the brandy as you wish, depending upon how strong you want it to be. Remember the alcohol does not get cooked off!

There was a funny discussion that led up to these but it just goes to show that I am a big dork, anything for a great photo right?

This has to be my favorite!

A big thank you to a beautiful Texan, Christie Lacy!

After my 4yo came home, I sent his brother off to find something so I could take a few of him. He has no patience for me so I have to be quick, and even then he’s trying to run away.

Can you tell he was so over this? 

I am pretty partial but I think they are the cutest little boys and have amazing eyes. And since I know someone will ask, no I did not Photoshop their eyes. In fact I did very little to these at all .