Been busy, obviously...

I bet you thought I would never post again, lol. I've been working on a typepad blog to use for displaying my gallery and for proofing clients. I'll give the link whenever it is finished, hopefully sometime this week :)

In the meantime, we had a blast playing in the snow over the weekend at my Mom's house. It was nice to get away from posing and get back to just capturing the moment. Here are a couple from our trip....




This old barn belongs to a neighbor of Mom's. It is a lovely old structure with lots of texture and character. I have fond memories of this barn from my childhood, it was always so fascinating and housed many differnt animals as well lots of stuff up above the stalls (probably many snow shovels ;)). I had to wade in nearly thigh deep drifts to get a couple snaps of it.





I promise to be a better blogger now :)

Six things that make me really happy...

1. The sound of my kids laughing. Cori actually giggled tonight while she was in the bath with Cole...she's very sober and doesn't laugh often. That little giggle was one of the best things I have ever heard.

2. Going out for a nice quiet dinner at a place called The Depot with my husband. It reminds me of an entirely different place where we had more options than Applebee's for a sit down dinner. Thankfully, now we have The Depot and they have this incredible feta dressing with dill...tdf!

3. Sleeping late on a weekend morning

4. A great cup of coffee and I'm not talking Folger's here people ;)

5. Cooking dinner for my family and watching them enjoy it and love it.

6. Listening to Cole sing and seeing Cori dance.

Okay, off to find six people that haven't been tagged...

Tagged again by Sageg!

Wow, that really makes a girl feel included. I gotta run right now, Cori's waking up but I'll be back to post my list of Six things that make me really happy and tag six more people.

See you later this afternoon.

I've Been Tagged!

By Marla to post 6 weird things about me. This will be quick, lol.

1. I wash my hands probably 50 times a day and if I'm sick, that number is likely to double.

2. I don't like for my food to touch on my plate and usually eat one thing at a time.

3. I can't stand it when people "double dip"

4. I love salsa, ketchup and pasta sauce but I absolutely loathe fresh tomatoes.

5. I like to receive footrubs but I don't like people to touch my toes.

6. When I saw a cadavar in lab during school, the one thing that bothered my was his toenails, long toenails make my stomach turn.

Do you see a trend? Time for a psych eval. :o

Let's see....I'll tag Meg, Sageg, Lyndsay,Amy, Noel, and mrs obie If you have a business blog and don't want your customers to see, you know where to post ;)

More posing....

A few recent faves....other than that I am stuck here in rutsville. This weather is just not good for photography. I'm starting to feel like a true disturbed artist! I've been flat out grouchy these days. I despise not feeling like I am "growing."

Okay,

/whine :)

Party!!!!

Yeah, well, it took me forever to post these but here they are! I had trouble with my flash but these are the best of the batch :)

Finally some snow!!!!

It snowed last weekend, just enough to load up the 4 wheeler and head out to a bean field...we tied a saucer sled to the back and drug the kids around. They had a blast.

Here is what I captured from the day :)




Cole was so bundled up he never got cold and he did not want to head inside afterward.



My bil just before he was thrown from the sled:



My favorite from the day. I wish I would have thought to have him turn that darned hat around ;)




I also wanted to update those of you who were concerned on Cori's little fainting episode. Since our visit to the doctor she has held her breath until she nearly fainted FOUR times. So, no worries about seizures. She just doesn't like to get hurt and she likes to get her way! See, I told you she was stubborn...she gets that from her Dad's side ;o, at least that is what I tell myself.

A girl can never have to many friends

Especially when she needs models for class :)





Here are just a few, I should have more done tomorrow. I hope you like them!

The reason you leave your camera in P mode:

Cori took her first steps today. These aren't great but at least I got them!









ETA: For some reason blogger is giving me trouble with these pics, they aren't in the right order!!!

A little scare

Today as I was cleaning, Cori was playing about 10 feet behind me and fell from a standing position. I heard her hit, she didn't hit hard. I did the typical Mom thing, I waited for the big wail before I rushed over but it took longer this time. When I got to her, she was beet red with her eyes tightly shut. As I picked her up, her eyes opened for a split second then they rolled back in her head and she arched her back. I held her up to me and patted her on the bottom and rubbed her back pretty aggressively and she finally started to whine and wimper. I checked her head, no large bumps or anything. She was pretty mellow and lethargic for about ten minutes as I called the doctor and got us ready to go. I was really concerned that she had a concussion or had in fact had a seizure. The doctor said to watch her but that she had probably just fainted from holding her breath trying to cry.

We are keeping a close eye on her but, Lord, did that scare me.

What a ladies man....

just look at him....

playing with the camera.....

I know these aren't technically good but they make me laugh. Especially when I think of how long I have begged him to just glance at the camera.

I've been sort of in a rut. I am tired of black or white backdrops and ready to head outside for shoots this spring. Guess I'll have to wait a couple more months.

Tomorrow the class I am taking at PPSOP starts. I am giddy I tell you. Girls with Cameras are you ready?

One year....

already. Boy has this year went fast and she is still so little that it is hard to believe she's 1. Her birthday was yesterday and we did it up right, we went shopping with Gramma! She got her first pair of real shoes. Finally her feet are big enough (she wears a size 2, lol).

I must admit, this has been a trying year. This little girl is spirited. The first night she was here, a nurse brought her in to me at 1:00 am (not too long after being nursed) and said, "she has the entire nursery crying, can you please take her for a while?" That is our girl, LOUD. She's not all that mild mannered to boot. She is mellowing somewhat and really likes the freedom of being able to crawl and cruise around to play. But there were times, I thought I was going to loose my mind. Thankfully we have friends and loved ones that gave us much needed breaks. That being said, I couldn't love her more. She's a lot like me :)

Her party is next week as she has a couple of cousins with birthdays near. But here are the best from her birthday shoots:











Happy Birthday Cori!

100 things about me

I really enjoyed reading Amy's post, 100 things about me. This was fun but challenging. I'd love to hear yours!

100 things

1. I am nearly obsessive/compulsive about washing my hands.
2. I took Microbiology in college and really enjoyed it but came out of it a germophobe
3. I spend way too much time on my computer
4. I am usually confident but when it comes to raising my kids, I feel a lot less confident.
5. I love drinking coffee when it is cold outside
6. My favorite condiment is salsa and I like different kinds of salsa depending on my mood
7. I am an only child
8. My husband and I married after dating for only 6 months
9. We lived at least 10 hours apart for at least 5 of those 6 months
10. Marrying him was the best decision I have ever made
11. I really miss living in Texas
12. If I lived in Texas, I would really miss my family
13. A couple of my online friends are fast becoming some of my closest friends
14. I played the clarinet from 5th grade until I was a senior in high school.
15. I didn’t get very good grades in high school
16. I made awesome grades in college
17. I have a bachelor’s degree in Biology with I minor in Chemistry
18. If I could go back, I would probably major in Chemistry or something photography related
19. I used to be very, very shy
20. My dh is six years younger than me
21. I miss the social aspect of having employment in sales.
22. My favorite candy bar is a Snicker bar with almonds
23. I wish it would snow more often
24. I am happiest when I have something difficult and challenging to learn
25. I get frustrated with my daughter because she is demanding and moody
26. My daughter is a lot like me
27. I am assertive and not easily intimidated
28. My husband is one of my dearest friends
29. I don’t normally mind what people think of me
30. I can’t wait to go to Nashville this Spring to meet some friends
31. I could live on Tostitos, Ortega taco sauce and cheddar cheese
32. I don’t care for people that try to push their opinions on me
33. I am married for the second time and although the first marriage may seem like a huge mistake, I learned more from that experience than any other in my life
34. I am a night owl, always have been, always will be
35. My son sleeps with us nearly every night and I am tired of it
36. I love Lancome cosmetics but if I really want to indulge I go for Christian Dior
37. When I was pregnant with my son, I would go to Paciugo almost every day for gelato
38. I don’t like being pregnant and I don’t like having C-sections but I love falling in love with a new baby
39. My husband and I are celebrating our fifth anniversary with a trip to Hawaii this year
40. Sometimes I can’t believe I am actually 35 years old
41. I really enjoy getting catalogs from Pottery Barn Kids
42. I stress about spending money and getting the most for my money
43. I do at least two loads of laundry a day but I am awful about putting it away
44. I *love* eating out
45. One of the best meals I have ever had was Filet Mignon at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse in North Dallas
46. My husband loves to cook and I should let him more often
47. My mother loves to iron, I don’t even know where my iron is
48. I want a Mac, I have been breaking it softly to my dh so in a couple years when it is time to replace my pc, he won’t be blind sighted by it.
49. If I had a dime for every book I owned, I could probably make a large dent in piece of L glass
50. I love lilies and tulips
51. My son’s name is a combination of the only two names my dh and I could agree on
52. One of my best friends paid me a surprise visit last night
53. I love going on ATV rides with my husband and our friends
54. One of my favorite home cooked meals is baked ham with pineapple gravy, mashed potatoes, green beans, and scalloped corn.
55. Did I mention I could eat my weight in salsa?...never the store bought kind though
56. I am not as patient with my children as I should be
57. I’ve made my dh promise to never take my daughter hunting with him, I just don’t think it is ladylike to kill animals
58. I hope that the people I encounter feel empowered by our exchange
59. I rarely watch television but I like to watch Miami ink
60. My husband and I are talking of getting matching tattoos….something to do with our kids. We’ll see, I don’t know if I can do it
61. I am super excited to take a class at ppsop in January
62. I love to people watch, sometimes I have to comment
63. My daughter’s name is Corissa, but we call her Cori for short
64. I have terrible seasonable allergies and the only medication that helps makes me too sleepy to function
65. I love old barns
66. I led a very sheltered life when I was younger
67. I gave my Mom a run for her money when I was a senior in high school
68. I rarely wear hairspray anymore, I wore enough for a lifetime in the 80’s
69. I really need to be cleaning house but this is fun
70. I can’t wait to take pictures outside this spring
71. After seeing tlmnightowl’s post of her daughter on 2ps, I am going to have to have that 100 mm 2.8 macro lens
72. I love to read…..love, love, love to read.
73. I have anxiety attacks every once in a while
74. My son is attached to a duck, I love his duck as much or more than he does
75. My daughter starts whining and fussing, sometime screaming around 4:30 and doesn’t stop until here Daddy comes home. While this is becoming quite irritating, I love the she has a special bond with her Daddy
76. I adore watching my husband play with our kids
77. In my wildest dream, I will shoot weddings
78. Sometimes I get really frustrated with the small town mentality of the people where I live
79. I don’t like Barney, he is terribly annoying
80. I run the vacuum everyday, I can’t stand the thought of my baby eating something off the floor
81. My daughter ate cat food this morning…ewwwww
82. I am really concerned about my friend that stopped by last night, her life is difficult right now and I wish I could do more for her
83. I nearly passed out cold giving a toast at my sil’s wedding last fall
84. I once drank a whole fifth of Southern Comfort and was sick for 3 days
85. I still drink a bit but not nearly that much
86. I have one of the most supportive and loving husbands I know
87. I don’t like being around negative people
88. I need to eat more vegetables
89. It really bugs me that my husband has deer meat in the freezer
90. I wish I could learn faster and know more
91. I sleep really well when I can hear rain hitting the window and roof
92. I am my own worst critic
93. My favorite kitchen gadget is a microplane
94. I have yet to frame or hang an image that I have taken with my camera
95. I am amazed at how many msn screen names LadyRen has
96. I drink 2 or 3 cans of diet pepsi a day. I need to drink more water
97. I have to have the television on to go to sleep and I prefer to watch the Animal Planet
98. I think the comedian/ventriloquist that has puppets named Jose jalapeno and Peanut is hilarious but I can’t remember his name for anything
99. I despise cleaning. One of the first things I will do when I start working again is hire someone to clean the house
100. I can’t wait to read everyone else’s 100 things

Happy New Year!

I can't seem to welcome in the new year without thinking of the past year. My life has changed so much this year. I have a new *hobby*. LOL, is that what you call something that completely consumes you? I just can't get away from it, even for just an hour. I have met a lot friends through this hobby, many of which are in my sidebar for inspiration. There are several that do not have blogs and some that choose to keep theirs private. Anyhow, you know who you are...and thank you for sharing your knowledge, lending support and helping me learn. I totally appreciate it.

Well, I waited to post my favorites hoping that I would have a few sneak in just before the new year and guess what...I did!

Here are my ten favorites for the year:

Growing so quickly:


Good morning:


Playtime:


Peaceful:


Pat-a-cake:


I'll go nowhere without duckie:


Not gonna smile:


Is that a new lens?:


Singing in the Rain:


Good old boy:



Sorry so long! TFL!

Do I have blue eyes?

The other day, while I sat at the computer working on a pic of Cori, Cole walked up and said, "Cori has blue eyes." I replied, "yes, honey she does, doesn't she?" He looked up at my and swept a stray lock of bangs out of my eyes and said, "Mommy has blue eyes." I agreed and just before I said the obvious, he looked up at me and said, "do I have blue eyes?"
My reply: "Yes, baby, you have some of the most beautiful blue eyes I have ever seen."

Flash....

Wowsers am I overwhelmed. I am getting some help from some very nice people though. Here are the only examples I have as of right now. These were taken basically in automatic, I am verturing into manual with reading the histogram but I haven't got anything I am willing to post yet, lol. On the other hand...I have one more of my 26 things! Only 19 left to go.

The last two of dear nephew are soft but I was happy with little shadow...forward progress:)

If I don't get back before Christmas, I wish everyone a very blessed Christmas.

An explanation...

for Mom. She comes here and takes a peek every once in a while. She didn't understand the blog name. She has never heard the song That Red Dirt Road. She doesn't listen to Country music. So for those of you unfamiliar with the song, here are a few bars. Read my first post and it will all make sense...

It's where I drank my first beer ,
where I found Jesus,
where I wrecked my first car,
I tore it all to pieces.
I've learned,
I've come to know,
there's life at both ends
of that red dirt road.

Okay...so I didn't wreck my first car here but Matt did and he did tear it all to pieces. You get the idea though, don't you?

I should have had this all together at once but I am figuring it out as I go. Custom blog header coming soon, then the pieces will all fall together Mom ;).

More of my 26 things....

Just recovering from our trip over the weekend, doing laundry, and trying to get some housecleaning done before Christmas.

Remember to take these....

A friend, mentor, and continual source of inspiration lost a pet the other day. She reminded me to capture my pet.

This old girl, Boogie, has been with me through thick and thin, stayed with my mother when she couldn't stay with me, and still sleeps at my feet every night. Her life is not so quiet as it used to be, she now has a three year old and a one year old to contend with but she rarely complains, she just loves them as much as I do.





I am headed to my Mother's house this weekend. Hopefully I can catch up on a few of my 26 things...I am down to just a couple weeks. Yikes! Have a great weekend.