Photos of the Week

I took these photos of Kaitlin yesterday. She was all decked out in her new Christmas clothes. She was in the midst of playing with Jack and his new Jeep so she was not happy that I called an impromtu photo shoot, but she was a good sport. I couldn't help myself...she just looked so beautiful. I had to capture the moment. Now I am glad I did it. She takes my breath away. Her skin is so perfect, and those lips! She has no idea how pretty she is. And her heart is more beautiful than anything. I don't deserve a daughter so precious, but I'll take her! According to my dad, the brain fairy is about to come take out her brain in the middle of the night and not return in until she is 25, so I am just going to enjoy this time when I think she is the sweetest girl on the planet.

Have yourself a merry little Christmas...

let your attitude stink!

Have you ever noticed how grouchy people get around the holidays? I am included in this. I don't mean to, because I do love the holidays, but it does bring out the worst in some people. I feel lucky and thankful that the holidays bring me positive memories. But I do notice that for many people, they cause stress, sadness, and tension. it's that time of the year when you are forced to face how broke you really are, or how annoying some of your family is, or how much you resent Santa for stealing J.C.'s thunder. The shopping alone is enough to make you want to go on ani-depressants. It doesn't matter how many years you say it, you never actually shop or save all year to relieve some of the financial stress. You end up charging up a credit card with disdain and paying it off with your tax returns.

Then there's the decorating process, which can be painful, literally. Most women end up doing it alone while their families mysteriously dissappear after hanging one ornament on the tree. That's how it is for me atleast. EVERY YEAR I get so excited to decorate. I envision a scene from a pottery barn catalog.....me, my kids, and my well dressed and happy husband gathered around the tree with Christmas music in the background, laughing and walking down memory lane as we look at all the ornaments. In my fantasy my house is clean and there is a warm meal on the table that some mysterious, illusive, ghost-chef has prepared for my perfect pottery barn, monagrammed- sweater vested family. It's a beautiful picture really. It's just not reality.

Here is the reality of this very experience for me. I must share.

I haul the boxes up MYSELF as Eric watches football and claims that if I'll just wait until the game is over, he'll help (Does he really think I'll wait until Jauary to decorate for Christmas?). Because I decorate on the weekend after a 60 hour work week, my house is trashed and we order a pizza for dinner. The only thing even remotely pottery barn about this entire event is the magazine on my coffee table, filled with items I can't even begin to afford. My kids are often fighting over, well, everything, so I find myself yelling at them A LOT. While I am dragging heavy boxes from my spider filled basement, the kids are unpacking the boxes and stringing decorations all over my house...even after telling them repeatedly to leave it all alone and wait for directions. As the kids and I are making all kinds of noise, Eric turns the T.V EVEN LOUDER, completely ruing my chances of feeling the Christmas spirit. After about an hour of this process, Eric goes upstairs to watch football and get away from the pshychotic Bree Vandacamp-esk woman who has taken over his wife, the kids get tired of hanging ornaments and being told not to mess with anything and retire to their rooms to play, and I find myself alone in my living room- with a complete mess for a house, Christmas music playing on my T.V, and a smile on my face.

I know it sounds strange, but I am so completely fine with this scenerio. EVen though I have this beautiful picure in my head every year of this joyous occasion, the truth is this. I do not expect my husband to wear a sweater vest and sing Christmas carols while happily decorating the Christmas tree. I would be wierded out if my kids were laughing and frolicking around my living room in monogrammed pottery barn Christmas sweaters. And my house is never clean, so if it was, it would make me highly nervous. I am seriously, 100% happy with the way this day plays out every year, because at the end of the day, I know these things.

#1 My husband is straight.
#2 My kids are normal.
#3 I have a family who loves me enough to participate in the process and then leave me alone to do what I love. Decorate for Christmas. Just me. In my living room. Music playing. Glass of wine. Smiling face. No one talking to me or fighting around me. Just me. In my zone. Ahhhh.

I do love for my family to come back into my zone once it is all up and the house is clean. Just not while it is all going on. I am sure there are many women who relate to me out there.

And for the the grouchy holiday people. Be grouchy! Honk your horns! Cut in line! Yell at innocent strangers over false advertising! Swing your fist at an old man for taking your parking spot! Go on with your grouchy self! Because honestly....if you have ANY sense of humor at all, those grouchy people are the most entertaining part of the holidays. And yes, the holidays can be very stressful and annoying. But that is what makes this time of year so great. All of it. The good and the bad. The happy and the sad. All of it. I wouldn't have it any other way.

I do suggest one thing. In the midst of Santa's big show.....it might be fun to bake a cake for the REAL birthday boy...Mr. JC himself. Light the candles. Let the kids blow them out. And remember what this day is all about. Love. Family. And forgiveness in this imperfect world.

Merry Christmas!

congrats to Angie!

It's been an amazing week-super busy and full of blessings beyond words. I got to see my pregnant cousin and spend much needed time with family. I got to listen to Eric talk about how busy he is at work- which is a HUGE blessing considering our finances lately. And I had the honor of being on the receiving end of a very special phonecall. A long awaited phone call. A much needed sigh of relief at 6:50 a.m this morning.

Angie and Joe have received a referral for their very long awaited baby boy! I am not sure what I am allowed to tell, so I'll just say that he is around 2 months old and living in good hands in Ehtiopia, soon (hopefully) to be home with his extrememly elated family! I feel a massive wait lifted from my shoulders and it's all because God is so good.....following through on his word and sending blessings beyond words to the poeple I love.

It seems that through all of the stress and worry in life we sometimes forget what is really important. This is an extra special Christmas and I am eternally thankful for every blessing in my life.

Congratulations Angie! I love you and and so happy for you, Joe, the girls. I can't wait to meet him and see your family interact. Merry Christmas!

lately

My Aunt Cassie, 1st cousin Ivey (pregnant with daughter Day Frances), Cindy, mom, and me at Ivey's baby shower last weekend. Ivey is thrilled to be having her 1st baby after a looooong awaited pregnancy. We are all beyond excited for Day's arrival. She is due to enter the world in February. We are looking so foward to adding another person to our family. It was so cool to visit my hometown in Mississippi to see her and the rest of my family. It was a walk down memory lane for sure. I can't wait to go back and meet my new niece. At least that's what I call her.

My little cutie. I had a parent-teacher conference with Jack's teacher today. She said they were having to work hard on Jack's "indoor voice". I didn't have the heart to tell her he doesn't have one. He could be telling you a story (with MUCH animation and sound effects) sitting right next to you and he yells like you are 100 ft. away. He is the loudest human being on the earth. She said he also has difficulty taking school seriously. He frequently sits in circle time and makes silly faces at his friends and tries to make people laugh. She said when she tells him to stop, he laughs and says OK in some wierd voice and then continues to entertain himself, and others. Needless to say, I have a feeling his picture is going to be in the yearbook next to 'class clown' every year. Uncle Scott part 2. I guess I have my hands full with this one! I might need to give the kindergarten teachers at my school a heads up about Big Red next year! I think I may request the most strict teacher. Oh my!

Kaitlin with her American girl doll, a gift from Mama.

She is in love with this doll. She treats it like her child. She will be a great mom someday. She already tells me how to raise Jack. Apparently I do need some help. I do hope she is atleast 28 until she becomes a mom. I need some time to travel and sleep after Jack graduates! Sweet girl...gotta love the matching outfits.

tagged

I've been tagged. I am suppose to post the fourth picture in my fourth folder. I believe this was taken New Years Eve at my mom's house. She gets the honor every year of keeping the kids while we all have a party at my house.

This is very typical Camden and Jack. They are so much alike. They finish each others sentences and would rather be together than with anyone else in the world. It's a sweet very cousin love. My sister and I joke that Jack finds his "chi" (inner peace) when he is with his cousins, especially Camden.

I think he may secretly feel he was born into the wrong family. He has told me several times that he would be glad to move in with aunt C.C. and he would just come visit me. It does hurt my feelings, but it makes me happy to know how much he loves his cousins.

I tag Ivey, Chantal, and Portia.

Photo of the Week

I know it seems as though I am favoring Carysn lately in the photography department, but there's an explanation. My kids are tired of their shutterbug mom and run from the camera most days, and Carsyn loves to be photographed. She's a natural, not to mention incredibly photogenic. Her eyes pop in pictures, and she let's me practice on her without a fuss.

With that being said, this photo will most likely go down in history for me. I took 7 shots of her...all of them being this precious, but this one stood out as my favorite. I edited the picture a little bit, but it didn't need much. It was just one of those rare photography gifts. Perfect lighting, a beautiful subject, and a good camera. This one, without question, is a framer.

Welcome Home Joe!

My younger brother Joe is back. He has been serving in the Navy for 5 years, the last 3 of those years in Hawaii. Needless to say we were all very thankful to have him return home on Thanksgiving morning. We had the best Thanksgiving in years. It was very relaxed and peaceful, and most of that feeling was just knowing that Joe was home for good. I know it was hard for him to say goodbye to paradise but I know he'd rather be here with his family. Carsyn is Joe's #1 fan. She held on to Joe for a long time when he arrived at our house. He had to put her down after a while but she would have stayed wrapped around Uncle Joe all day. Can you see the joy in her face? I had to post this picture. It says it all. It was the best Thanksgiving. It would have been totally complete if a few missing people had been there, but I can't complain. We have Joe back.

I also love this picture of my Cindy and Carsyn. Joe was in the picture but I figured only half of a face is a little wierd so I cropped him out. Can you see the joy?

My sister made these for Thanksgiving. I wanted to post them so I would remember them for future Thanksgivings. Aren't they adorbale? They are marshmellows on a cookie, covered with chocolate and decorated with yellow icing.

Thank you Angie!

Thank you for all of your editing tips. I am having a blast playing with photoshop! Here are the results of your teachings.

i love how carsyn is swinging her arm here. she is so happy to be shooting hoops with her KK. i also love the way the black and white turned out.

her glasses are so cute...i love this girl.

this picture turned out how I wanted it. i was trying to acheive the sharp contrast that I see on other photographer's blogs. a little more practice and i might just get it! they are so cute together....don't tell Braedan.

this picture turned out kind of blurry so i was happy to receive your tips because i feel like they distract you from the outer blur of the picture.

this one reminds me of savannah in the 80's movie savannah smiles. i LOVE it!

lately

*this post is for me. I need to record some things that have been happening lately, and some cute things the kids have said. If I don't write this down, I'll forget it ever happened. I do not expect anyone to read all of this, just scroll down to the italicized paragraph for a priceless Jack story.

Some tid-bits of what has been happening in our lives:

1. Kaitlin is playing basketball for the 1st time for her school's 4th grade team. Eric is the head coach. I am very excited about this because it will be good for them to have this in common. Some father -daughter bonding if you will.

2. Kaitlin got a lead in her school play. She is really excited about it. This will be a little test for her. She is a singer for sure, but she is going to quickly find out if acting is something she enjoys and wants to pursue as well. Some of her friends are actors in the local theatre and she has been bitten by the bug!

3. Jack has decided to turn into the sweetest little boy. He has been an absolute doll of late. Far cry from the little monster I once knew. Of course, even when he was a monster, I thought he was precious, but that is most definitely a mother's love in action. He has also adopted a very theatrical little persona. He is even sarcastic at times. He learns from is aunt C.C.

My favorite recent Jack moment was last week. Kaitlin has dance on Wednesday nights so we usually grab a pizza at a little Italian joint next door. We were eating dinner and Jack spilled something on himself (shocker) and Eric's little temper was ignited. He got frustrated with Jack and started rambling on about how he always spills everything. Jack took everything in that Eric said...... and after a long pause he said (with a very sarcastic little grin)....."Daddy, your pretty." We all 3 bust out laughing. I thought that was the work of a genius if you ask me. That comment was Jack's very manipulative way of letting Eric know that he was not listening to a word he was saying.

He's also very complimentary lately. Today we were driving to Nana's house to pick up Kaitlin and he asked me if he could go inside for just a little bit. I said no because Nana had to work and I was ready to get home. He would usually start whining and crying but he apparently has learned that it gets him nowhere, so he didn't. His sweet explanation as to why he should go inside and pay for a little was so heartfelt that I was sold. I said okay, and he started cheering. A few minutes went by and he said "mommy, you are very sweet to let me go play at Nana's. That is really (pronounced weewee) nice of you. I am so excited!" I was pleased with his joy, but mostly that he called me "sweet". I could just eat him he is so yummy!

One last thing about little man....his favorite show is John & Kate +8. He asks to watch it all the time. He told me he wished he could live with them. I told him I wouldn't mind living with them either! I learn a lot from Kate's parenting skills.

4. The economy is really bad, and we have been hit directly because Eric is a mortgage banker in an economy that is basically being blamed for the mortgage industries' predatory lending. But no matter how hard our financial state is right now, I feel eternally grateful that my family is healthy and my marriage is solid. I've been on the opposite end of the spectrum and I know from experience that money doesn't buy happiness. The year we had the most money ever was one of the worst years of my life. I now know that as long as I have faith, a happy marriage, and a healthy, happy family.....I have it all. I just wanted to write that down so I would never forget how I feel right now.

5. I am really happy. Life is good. It's stressful and busy, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Or maybe I am just on a week break from school. I don't know, who cares!

That's it for now.

Extreme Blog Makeover

In honor of 'keepin up with the Jones', I just had to think of a cute blog name to really and truly fit in to the blog world. I finally thought of one that is catchy and fit my family. I've been trying to come up with one since I started this darn thing but never could think of anything fitting.

I was thinking of how much I love my family on the way to Home Depot today and then all of the sudden a song popped into my head by Anna Nalick called Digamae (sp?) that says 'forever love' in the chorus. As I was singing it to myself, this alterted version of forever popped into my head and BAM....just when I had given up, I had a blog name! With a new name must come a new look, hence the black and white makeover.

Can I tell you how much fun it was to change this page? I love decorating my house but have put that on hold for a year due to limited finances, so this was me getting my decorating fix. I am not really thrilled about the title stamped on Eric and I's foreheads, but I am tired of this blog for now so it will have to do.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

I have come to the conclusion that in another hundred years we will celebrate christmas year round. Every year the decor comes out earlier and its out of control! People have already decorated their houses on my street and the music is playing in stores and it's not even THANKSGIVING! I love the holiday season, but enough is enough. Let us get through thanksgiving so we still like Christmas music by Christmas morning! There are two houses on my street next door to each other, one with a pumpkin on the porch , and one with a statue of Santa Clause. Oh my!

On another topic, it's also the time of year we all attempt to get a family picture for Christmas cards. It's always a trip to watch the process from a distance. Couples yelling at each other, kids running away and crying, the photographer taking deep breaths and sweating bullets. It's hysterical to watch. My sister and I decided to do this honor for each other this year. The pictures actually turned out pretty decent. I still can't decide which one I like the best. Here are the favorites. I'll post more of the rest of the family later mom! The ones of The Vaughns are 'slim pickens' thanks to Carsyn and her tantrums...gotta love it! I am going to have to photoshop her red face from her crying. :)

the good ones

Which of the family ones do you like best?

To all my photography loving friends...

Last night I made a bold and brave desision. I was going to read the instruction manual for my camera. I was tired of taking pictures with a very expensive camera and feeling like my pictures looked like they were taken with a throw away. Every time I have tried to read the manual in the past I have been overwhelmed with all the information and closed the book in hopes that just keeping it on "auto" and photoshopping every picture would satisfy me. Then I came to the realization that I do not have the time to photoshop every picture so it was time to learn how to use my camera.

After three hours, and pages of notes, detailing every single setting and its options and possibilites, I finally know how to work my camera. I learned all about aperature, ISO sensitivty, shutter speed, white balance, P,S,A, and M modes, and much much more. I was able to figure out that all this time, my camera has been set on the LOWEST quality in each and every one of these settings. I even learned that you can customize the quality settings and choose your own levels of brightness, tone compensation, satuation, sharpness, and vivedness, to name a few (which I am still playing with). This is what I usually spend 30 minutes fixing in phototshop every time I post a picture.

There are options and terms I have not fully investigated but atleast I know have a properly functioning camera. My ISO sensitivy was set on 100, which is the setting it comes set on, but for true clarity it should be on HI 1 (3200). That may not make any sense to you, but the pictures below should drive my point home. There is nothing wrong with my camera. I just didn't know how to use it! I took these pictures of my neice today to practice with 4 of the settings on their new settings/speeds. I was so overjoyed with the results that I was jumping up and down in my yard! What I use to spend 30 minutes doing in photshop is now pre-set in my camera!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The pictures in the next post are completely UNTOUCHED using the P,A, and auto modes. They came straight from my camera. All it took was 3 or so hours with the manual and BAM! The quality is SO much better and now my photshop options are unlimited. I can't wait to have more time to play and learn!

If you have a Nikon D40, D40X, or D90, I will be happy to explain how to set all of your functions/settings at their highest levels to produce to clearest pictures possible for your camera (depending on the lens). Or maybe I am the last to figure this out! If you saw what my orignal pictures looked like before without photoshop, you would not believe I owned an expensive camera.

YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

what a difference

These were taken on 4 different settings (you can see the difference). I changed the clarity and tone compensation to see which tone I liked better. The 2nd picture is great. but this last picture is my favorite (taken in P mode). Can you believe these are untouched? Those of you who also use photoshop understand what I mean. I can't wait to play in photoshop now with higher quality pictures. I'm just giddy, can you tell?

Halloween- to like, or not to like.

(read this till' the end if you want to know the meaning of this picture)

Halloween is fun, and I normally love it because I just love this whole season, but the older I get, the more wrong I realize this holiday is. Think about it....allowing your children to recieve candy from strangers? Dressing up is scary costumes? Celebrating the dead? It's wierd that we ever thought this was a good idea, and that so many of us participate without really questioning its oringin. And the candy....oh the candy! The candy we all hide from our kids within minutes of bringing it home after we find them hiding behind the couch shoving mass quantities of it down their little throats! Don't get me started on candy.

Without verbally expressing my recent disdain for this holiday to my kids, at the risk of ruining their innocent childhood memories, I must say that my wise little Jack has somehow realized the strangeness of it all without me having to point it out. He has never been one for this holiday. He doesn't dress up because he thinks it's "dumb". I stopped trying to encourage his participation last year because I realized that he is right. It is a strange holiday, and I like that he thinks it's dumb. No harm...I support his desision, and I think it's great. This year a family member did convince him to wear a skeleton zip up jacket. That was big.

Kaitlin, on the other hand, has always liked it. She loves picking out her costume and posing for the camera. She doesn't hide in her closet and sneak-a-treat. She understands moderation, and cavities. But she loves it, so I support that too. I have a distinct feeling that this was our last year trick-or-treating as a family though. She is at the age where she wants to be with her friends.

Regardless of our differences in opinions, we all get together annually and eat homemade chili and enjoy this bizarre occasion as a family. It's always a treat, and at the very least, we build memories.

This year, the biggest treat for me was this picture of me and my man. We rarely take a photo together that we both like. He almost never smiles in pictures (its a football player thing), and because of this, I would rather not take pictures with him because he looks so unhappy. You can see how happy we are in this one. And for those of you who have been around for years and know what we have been through, you know what a blessing this happiness is.

little miss gangsta girl

i had fun in photshop today. i have spent 2 hours trying to play and learn. i learned, i played, and i want more!!! if you saw the before pictures, you would want photoshop too (if you don't already have it). i think i nailed it in the third picture. that is the look i was trying to acheive with the others. i am by no means where i want to be photography-wise, but i am getting there, slowly. i just wish i had more time to do the things that i love. being a grown up really bites sometimes! i just want to play!! now, i want a new lens. it's the ONLY thing i want for christmas. it won't happen because we have been hurt badly by this economy, but i can dream right?

mr. stinkerpants

the boy who thinks dressing up is dumb

hiking on a sunday

we typically do not spend our sunday's frolicking in the woods, but jack begged, and we caved, and it was really nice. the weather was beautiful and the hiking trails in our neighborhood are even more beautiful, and we needed the exersise, and i enjoyed the photo-op.

i am still annoyed with my way too expensive camera. i do not feel it is taking quality pictures. i can't figure out how to check/change the shutter speed. maybe it's the lens, or maybe i just don't know how to use the camera as well as i thought, but i compare the clarity of my pictures to others with the SAME camera and i feel i there is a problem. i refuse to believe it's my skills. maybe that's the problem.

back to hiking. jack loved every minute of it. he loved poking and hitting stuff with his hiking stick and he loved the time with mom and dad and no sister. (they always love the one-on-one don't they?) i wish i could spend every sunday doing stuff like that. i guess i could make more time for it, right?

ONE MORE DAY and it's HALLOWEEN! I love Halloween. :)

OMG....STILL in technology class

still having fun in technology class