a little bit of this, a little bit of that

My baby (Canon Rebel XT) is at the doctors camera clinic getting repaired. Hopefully, only a little bit of a lens jam and not a lot of $$, and my baby will be back home to play with her new adopted BIG Mac-DADDY BROTHER, (Canon 50D).  

Hunter is safe and having a blast in Cape Cod, and we miss him so much already.  It's not the same when he isn't home with us.  

Today turned out to be some bad news with good news with my visit at the hospital.  A little boy who celebrated his 12th birthday today, was struck by a car a few months a go.  A hit and run.  He wasn't expected to live, but miraculously he pooled through it.  Today, that very active 12 year old little boy, now sits in a wheel chair and is forever physically and mentally broken.  His family along with a ton of doctors and nurses all gathered in a little room to help his family celebrate his birthday.  Soon to be released to go home,  his family, as well as "W" (boy), will have a new way of life to adjust to.  Please pray for him and his family as they welcome home their son, and learn to help and manage his disabilities.  He was smiling so much today and enjoying his cake and gifts.  The hospital does such a great job and you can really tell that these nurses love doing their jobs. As each one came in to get pictures with "W" and were hugging and kissing on him.  It was a beautiful thing to see out of the tragic that came before it. 

Also, other bad news.... 

As I mentioned on Face Book last night.  The little 22 month old girl I was supposed to photograph a week ago has suddenly had a turn for the worst.  If you are new to my blog, she is home on hospice care for untreatable cancer.  Only last week she was still very active and mobile and I received news yesterday, she is now sedated in her bed at home and they do not know how much time she has left.  My camera broke and I had to cancel my session with her.  I am very sad about this, and I am so sad for this family.  Please take a moment and pray for this family and this precious 22 month old girl. 

Speaking of my broken camera.... I realized I never posted pictures from Memorial Day, the day my camera broke.  

Our community resort club house always hosts a huge Memorial Day party.  Bringing in food, entertainment, rides and activities for the kids.  This year they decided to host a carnival with lots of games and rides.  My friend Val and I thought we would take the kids to the carnival while the guys did the food run for the BBQ/Rock Band party we were having at our house later that afternoon. 

We get to the carnival and the kids were hyped up, ready to play and ride.  

With a lot of dark clouds, a little bit of thunder, a little bit of lightening and a little bit of rain.... other than that it was a lot of fun for the kids.  

I, on the other hand, not so great.  It was hot, sticky and pushing a 23lb baby around in a stroller in the grass, with a camera bag and purse strapped on the back... is NOT an easy task.  Trying to photograph Payton here, Hunter there, push Morgan here, and push Morgan there.  I was working up a pretty gross sweat glow. 

Hunter did a little bit of this.......

Morgan did a lot of that.

Payton did a little bit of this.....

Hunter did a little bit of that.....

Morgan did a lot of this.

Then there was some of this.

***THIS IS WHERE MY CAMERA BROKE***

Val tried to take a picture of Morgan and I waiting on Hunter and Payton to finish up in the bouncy houses, and while waiting for the guys to pick us up before we get poured on or struck by lightening. 

This was a bad combo all together.  

A) A girl that doesn't know how to work, aim or shoot a camera (Sorry, Val....must be honest! LOL) + B) A jammed lens (and or broken camera) = very out of focus and blurry images, with heads and legs cut off.  LOL  

O'well..... I still thought they were cute enough to post of me and my mini me. I really must get out my baby book and compare.  I almost can't believe it, but I see ME when I look at Butterfly.  She looks like my baby pictures I remember in my moms albums.  Its so neat to see.  I may get to see me at 6' tall. Hope she loves the camera as much as her mommy does.  *smiling* 

Besides its not very often I get to come out from behind the lens and be in a photo with my kids.

Sorry...but for the next 18 days now, there will be a lot of pictures of Morgan.  Oh wait, that's no different than any other day.  Ooops!  

Good Night.  

40 days and 40 nights 19 Day Mission

Well, I could have loaded the kids up for breakfast at Denny's, where I could have ordered my 'Moons over my Hammy'.  And I could have packed up the car to drive an hour South to Miami Beach for a Wal-Mart casting, that every agency, model and their dogs were going to be attending at the Albion Hotel on Collins road.  I could have been miserable sitting there with two extremely board kids, one wanting her nap and the other saying he wished he went to school instead of staying home with mom and sister.  In which by the time the casting was over with and we made our way to Lincoln Road to eat lunch, the rain would have come pouring down on us, making for a very unpleasant experience walking Lincoln Road.....and let's not even think about what the beach would have been like when all said and done if we would have done that yesterday. 

You see, I could have done all that I said I was going to do yesterday with my kids.  Because in theory as a lot of things often do, it sounded so nice, wonderful and perfect.  That's why the say "in theory".  

I am blonde, but I am a lot smarter than one may think that I am.  In fact, I am so smart that I often surprise myself at times.  

I thought it through and instead of relying on "theory" to go my way... I stayed here in reality, and instead......

Treated my kids to a nice healthy Chick-Fil-A breakfast.  In which I had the nice and healthy #1 (friend chicken breakfast combo, with mini hash-browns and a rootbeer).  Yeap, nice and healthy is how we roll in this family.  

What?  

Come on folks, there is protein called chicken underneath that fried skin.  Duh! It's healthy in my books.  See, I told you that I was smart.  

After a nice delicious breakfast, the kids had a fun time playing.  Hunter got his creative juices flowing after watching an early movie of Hot Wheels.  He decided to create and design his very own Hot Wheel tracks.  

Let me just say this,  Hunter is one creative little artist. This boy can come up with the coolest visions and ideas that can just blow your mind away.  He is so talented.  

Morgan, on the other hand, is simply scrumptious.  More and more, every day she is trying to explore with new sounds and words.  You should hear her try to say Disney's cartoon 'Handy Manny'.  Oh, it is the cutest thing EVER. 

I need to do something with this girls hair.  I didn't want to cut, but it seems it may be getting to that point.  Its all in her face and eyes.  Its a party in back and business in front, mullet.  

Any suggestions??

Yesterday, she loved having Hunter home to play with.  She loves playing with his hot wheels and Bakugans.  She loves being in his room, even when he isn't home.  She just loves her big brother.  She gave mommy plenty of smiles yesterday..... 

So, while the kids were playing and entertained, I gave it another thought and decided that yesterday would be the perfect day to get out my new fancy smancy camera.  Everyone keeps asking me what I upgraded to, and gees, I didn't think it to be a secret or anything.  Had no idea that everyone would be so curious about my new camera.  

After doing some research, calculating, and bouncing off questions on my friends that are professional photographers.  I respect their opinions and so I upgraded my Canon Rebel XT to the Canon 50D.  Take a look at my sweet new toy.  

I was very limited with how much I could really play with it yesterday.  I have to be honest here.  I was intimidated by it.  I don't want anything to happen to it.  I don't want to mess anything up on it, and I don't want finger prints and smudges all over it,  just yet. I really like admiring how clean and cool and so oh-la-la it looks sitting there on my table.  

I also purchased a DVD on the Canon 50D, so that I can take my camera and it's ability seriously.  I am taking my photography more seriously.  I want to improve and learn something every day and with every photo session I have with my clients.  I also got a couple of books to read on over the summer.  Take a look.  

I can't wait to get out on the field with it. 

Where was I?

Oh yea... 

Instead of walking in the rain on Lincoln Road with two very fussy and bored kids.  Morgan helped her brother organized and clean up his room, before leaving for Cape Cod tomorrow.  She handed him hangers, while he hung up his clothes. I of course photographed them as if they were shooting their own reality TV show or something.  

Notice Hunter's shirt he is wearing? He picked it out all by himself to wear, and thought it was fitting for the reason he was home yesterday.  I agree. 

We organized his Bakugan's and got everything in place so that when he returns from Cape Cod, everything almost everything will be in its place.  You know all the things that Morgan can't get her hands into will probably stay in it's place anyway. 

This next photo is a shot looking up to the bottom of Hunter's top bunk bed.  Recently at church, Hunter made this paper with a verse out of the bible that HE chose on his own.  Not a verse that I told him or that the church told him, but a verse he liked and picked on his own.  It says "God has listened.  He has heard my prayers. Psalm 66:19".  

I asked him why he thought of that verse to write down that day.  His response was "because last night and this morning I prayed that I would make the Jr. Panther's 2009-2010 Travel Hockey Team.  I prayed, and I made the team, God answered my prayers." 

Of course I thought for a moment to explain to Hunter to not expect that to always be the outcome of his prayers, but instead, I just smiled and let him enjoy his moment. While I enjoyed watching him feel good that God did answer his prayers.  

We decided to tape this underneath the top bunk bed, so that when waking up or going to bed, Hunter can always be reminded to A) pray and B) be thankful for that answered prayer (and give thanks for answered prayers).  

We all know how easy it is to forget and move on, and not thank God for something we prayed for and received.  This is a verse that we could all use taped onto our mirrors or near our beds to see when waking or going to sleep.  Having a constant reminder that God answers and listens to our needs and prayers.  

After that we continued to clean up his room, and we noticed we are still missing two state quarters.  We have been working on this collection for about 4 years now, I think. We are so close to finally having it complete.  We need UTAH and ARIZONA, state quarters.  Anyone have one to give us???  Please hit the 'contact me' tab at the top of my blog if you do and I'll give you a shipping address to send it to.  If you do find the missing quarters we need, there may be a little gift involved. Maybe, NO PROMISES.  I just thought of that as I was typing.... I may take it back.  Moving forward.....

You see, I could have done what I said I would be doing yesterday.  It sounded so nice, didn't it? 

Then we would have missed out on so much more.  Like lunch at Moe's, a bike ride to his friends house, and to end with a scavenger hunt around the house. Finding a movie called "Journey to the center of  the Earth", that we watched last night.  A great kids movie by the way. 

To end a perfect day with my kids, with Morgan a sleep and Hunter snuggled right next to me in my bed for the night.  

Which would you have done?  

That's what I thought! 

You see, as I also mentioned in yesterday's post, 'it's different for me'.  Today is the last day of school for my 2nd grader now 3rd Grade son. However, it's also my last day with him for 19 days, for he will leave today to Cape Cod with his dad for his first part of the summer break.  I don't get to have my son every day of the summer. I don't get the chance to get tired of having him home and ready for school to begin.  I have to share him with his dad, out of state for half of the summers.  While he is home, I still have to let him be a kid and do things like camps and playdates.  I now share him with his friends, his camps and his father in the summer.  

Last day of school and summer bring such mixed emotions to me as a mom.  I am happy summer is here, and that Hunter gets to travel and have fun. He gets a break from all his school demands and travel sports.  For me I get to sleep in and not have to stop in the middle of my day to sit in pick-up lines at school.  But I only  get 19 days on and 19 days off with him, and then another 21 days on and 21 days off.  I get my son for a totally of 40 days and 40 nights in the summer, all in which only about 9 or 10 of those days do I really get to keep him home all to myself like I did yesterday.  

Today, when I dropped Hunter off at school,  and after watching him kiss his sister and then quickly jump up to give me a kiss before we got close enough to his peers and teachers to be seen kissing his mom.  You can see the excitement in his face that this as the last day of school, and excited he was heading to Cape Cod with his dad.  You could also see that he feels a little off too. Knowing he was going to be missed and miss us too.  

I thought I had prepared myself enough this time around about keeping it together when I dropped him off and drove away. As the rain is dripping on my windshield, baby girl sitting in the back.... I just started crying.  It really came over me out of no where. I wasn't expecting to cry or thinking about crying. However, once I drove away and looked back at his empty seat, I was then reminded he wasn't coming home today, or for the next 19 days.  

Getting home, only to get on the blog and read about a baby girl I have been following for months on Cambridge site, passed away last night.  She was 7 months old and she fought a long hard road very similar to baby Kayleighs.  I just started bawling.  

After a good cry and some giggles with baby girl.  I picked myself back up. 

I am better now this afternoon.  I have been putting together a list of things that I want to get organized, cleaned out and accomplished in this home, in my photography and for a really cool project I am working on. I decided that I will make use of my 19 days, and say that I am on a 19 day mission.  

Before I know it, Hunter will be home.  We will travel to Texas, Mark and I travel to NYC and I have a bloggy friend that I have never met in person, but have come to love and adore as a close friend through email, bringing her and her family to stay with us here in my home, an entire week in August.  I can't tell you how excited I am about that.  

So before the post gets any longer.... 

I will leave you with one last photo.....

Hang on. Hang on.  I can do better that.   I'll leave you with this one last photo instead.  

Now that's better!

for me it's different

As I see it, he could be at school today, coloring, watching movies and playing with his friends.  

OR

Instead, he could just stay home with me and his sister today.  While we go to Denny's for breakfast, run down to South Beach for a Wal-Mart casting and then eat lunch on Lincoln Road. And if the rain allows, stop down by the beach and just spend some time one on one with my kids, before the last day of school tomorrow.

Yea, I thought you would all agree on which option to go with.  Well actually, some of you may agree differently and say "shoot, send the kid to school and enjoy one last day of quite time before school is out."  

I hear ya.  

BUT.... for me its different, and I will post about that tomorrow.  

In the meantime, I will leave you with this cute little face, while I get the kids dressed and we head off for Denny's and South Beach.

Have a great day.  

PS:  My NEW camera arrived yesterday and it looks amazing and I am so excited to get my hands on it..... just not today.  My kids come first.  

Not Me, Monday. {It's hard being a toddler!}

Yes, my little girl is growing and is now officially a walking toddler.  In fact, she is growing up so quickly, that she even graduated this weekend from the infant/baby Sunday school class, into the walking/toddling class.  

She of course went into her class, with all the other little people walking around and starring back at her, with ease.  As I walk away, only to then walk by her class again to get a sneak peek of how she was doing.  Secretly wishing she was looking for me, I think.  Nah, Not Me!  

However, it totally was not me that was out photographing my children on Memorial Day Monday last week, and placed my camera and telephoto lens attached to it, on top of Morgan's stroller, while trying to maneuver around in the thick grass, and back onto the sidewalk.  Only to have my camera not fall into the grass, but instead, because I only ask for the best when anything happens to me, it falls out as I am coming off the grass onto the extremely hard cemented sidewalk.  Ugh, not me!

Although, I am very anxious to get my camera repaired so that I have my "play" camera, and anxiously awaiting my new camera that should be here today or tomorrow, so that I can get back to photographing children at the hospital. 

However, it was not me that forgot to post these pictures a week ago, of my little walking toddler girl, who is into everything even more now.  I did not leave my door open to my patio to look over at her trying to do this, and instead of explaining to her that she wasn't allowed out in the patio area with mommy, I photographed her exploring and learning something new.

Not me!

And I do not think my daughter looks really adorable with her t-shirt and diaper on, messy 'bad news bears' hair do (as honey calls it), toddling around the house and trying to escape the house too.   

Not Yes, ME! I do! I do!  And I did.  

I love babies in t-shirts and diapers.  One of my favorite things.  

PS:  It was not me that thought I would take the easy road today and uploaded my pictures onto photobucket.com by selecting their pre-sizing options of "medium", only to then have SMALL pictures for your viewing pleasure today.  Nope, not me!  

short end of the stick

Yes, it's still raining here in South Florida. In fact, its rained so much I am starting to feel over it. I like our rainy days here in Florida. The weather is still warm and it seems tropical out and that's all great, but man, when it isn't raining and you are outside, its so humid that your hair frizzes and your skin is sticky. You feel pretty darn gross.

That was us yesterday, 'pretty darn gross'.

We stopped over at our friends home, for a little birthday celebration for Kyana. You have seen and heard that name on here before, remember THIS post?

And remember this picture below?

This is us at Kyana's birthday party last year, thus the long hair and a little tiny Morgan. Elmo came to sing and dance with the kids. Just look at how sweet and tiny my Butterfly was, even with milk running down her face. 

This year Elmo came back, bringing  some friends along. She he brought a face painter, balloon making clown, and a big train for the kids to ride around the neighborhood. Lot's of music, bubbles and balloons (being popped). 

This time I was able to get the family in for a group shot with Elmo. Hunter wasn't with us last year for this party, and neither was Payton.

Look at Butterfly now.  WOW!!!

Speaking of Hunter and Paytong, look at their face painting. Pretty cool right?

Hunter looked pretty viscous, and while Payton looked like a sweet butterfly.

Here is Payton with her mommy, and Patrick.  

A little short story of Patrick and Val. The two met the night we said we were going out to Benehana's. Remember THIS post?

Patrick is a work buddy of Mark's, whom has become one of Mark's closest friends. For the longest time I thought that maybe Patrick was Mark's imaginary friend. After all I heard about Patrick, heard stories on Patrick and Mark seemed to text this Patrick guy often, but I have NEVER seen this Patrick guy. And the few times I happened to make it up to Mark's office for lunch, Patrick "just happened" to have left soon before I got there or "just happened" to not be in the office that day.

Finally, after almost a year or so of hearing about this Patrick guy, Mark was able to convince him to come out to dinner and bowling with us. I happened to bring Val, well that's not really true. I actually planned for all of us to go out FOR Val's birthday. So, I didn't happen to bring Val, it just happened that Val came with Susan my other friend as her date, instead of this guy she was recently interested in. Well, actually that other guy seems to be a big loser, but we will keep our opinion on him to ourselves.

Long story short. Patrick joined us for dinner and bowling, Val came with an empty right arm and Patrick and Val met, chatted and have since been spending a lot of time together. Let's see how it goes for these love birds.

After an already eventful day at the party, before leaving we had to take a ride (like 7) around the block before it began to rain on us. Morgan loved it.

While we I was the only one riding the train with the kids. Patrick and Val snuck off on a date and Mark inside having doing whatever it it he was doing. I was left being mommy and sitter. Which is cool, I don't mind, I love hanging with the kiddos. Payton came home with us for the evening and stayed the night.

Today however, after Morgan waking up in the middle of the night and as well as Payton waking up in the middle of the night (twice), and also having to wake up at 6:00 AM to get Hunter off for his last day of travel hockey tryouts. I realize now that I got the short end of the stick here. Val and Patrick out (children free) on their little love bird date, while I was home feeding and entertaining three kids, while Mark watched his Yankee's.  As of last week, Mark broke down, or should I say made enough comments about wanting the baseball package, and I slipped and said "why don't you just buy it then" while its late at night and we are both laying in bed. It didn't take him even a second to think about it. He doesn't say "cool, maybe Ill call it in tomorrow, but instead he HOPS back out of bed right then and there to order that baseball package, so he could watch his Yankees. I at that point became a baseball Yankee's widow and will remain that way for the next few long months ahead. Sigh! He is lucky I like baseball and can handle it being on in our home every single night.  HA! 

Then while he went to bed, okay, well WE went to bed, and did what married couples do (some married couples, anyways - LOL!).... take that Val and Patrick! (Did I just seriously write that?) Mark then falls sound asleep and stays that way the entire night, while I am up several times taking care of crying children. I am tired, REALLY tired today and this rain isn't helping much. Had a moment, while I got honey and Morgan off to get a few things at the grocery store. I thought I take a moment of quiet time and write this post, because I unfortunately do not have time to take a nap today. I have my friend Susan and her son stopping by on their way home from Orlando for a bit, and then we are going to the 6:00 PM service at church.

That's it. That's all the time I have for posting today. I hope you and your family had a relaxing blessed weekend too.

Choo! Choo!