ppppbbbbt.

I'm pooped.

October is WAY busy!!!!! (whew... all those exclamation points took a ton of energy...)

I've been working at First Day Photo M-F, shooting weddings on Saturdays,
engagement and portrait sessions on Sundays, meeting with brides during the week, taking my poor cat to the vet (had to race him there one day... he was very ill.. I thought he was going to die! Found out he had an infection from a bite!! But he's doing a lot better now). So in between all of that, I'm doing what I can do get some
editing done!

Steph (the other photographer I shoot with-- one of my "besties!" :))
will be starting to work at First Day Photo 2-3 days a week-- which means that I can get more of my own stuff done. I'm lookin forward to it!

I've hardly had a chance to see my husband at all:(
Also, tonight and tomorrow he will be staying over at my
parents' home to take care of their animals-- Dixie(a snorting boxer) and Bowie
(a chubby cat)! They are so spoiled... I love those two!

One of my other besties had a baby !!!!!!
Corrie is my first close friend who is my age to have a baby.
She and her husband Sam had little Annie on October 5th...
It's been SO hard for me not to be able to go down to Red Wing to
see them!! I have to wait till this crazy October dies down.

My car looks like my dorm room would look during finals week--
clothes, papers, food wrappers (i've had to eat on the go A TON
the past 2 weeks)-- and I've had no time to clean it, let alone
any energy to clean it... which is mainly why it's a disaster.
I think it was Corrie who actually told me... junior year of college?...
"It looks like there was an explosion in your room..."
Haha!:)
Can't WAIT to clean it. I despise it right now!

I did a Trash the Dress session today with four other photographers...
We shot for 4 hours. I will really do my best to post a few soon!
I think they turned out AMAZINGLY.

Alright, I gotta hit the hay for another long day tomorrow.
I am thankful that at least I am doing what I love...
otherwise the current situation of 7 days a week would be
pretty difficult... I am very lucky.

A to Z Ramblings.

Do you ever just get so overwhelmed with daily happenings, and ideas, and knew knowledge, and questions about every aspect of life that you have no idea where to even start or finish or know how to even go on living life? (No no, I don't mean it in a depressing way.) You just think... How am I going to get from A to Z?


I get frustrated with my brain and my body because they don't always work as a team in regards to a normal daily schedule. In the late morning, my body is tired, but my mind is wide awake. In the late afternoon my mind is slow and my body is awake. In the evening around 9pm, my body is super tired and my mind is only kind of tired, so I decide to keep working. When I finally go to bed, my body has woken up a bit and is only a little tired, and my mind is going nuts with thoughts "I want to do (insert idea) with (photography/church/life/friends) but how do I find the (means/time/ability) to do that." The only time they're doing the same thing is in the morning when I wake up, when they're both tired.

I sometimes wish there were more hours in the night so I could work more, and sleep more. I try to fit both of those things into night when I should really be using it for sleeping.

I have to remember that getting from A to Z is a process and I'm already on the path, so all I have to do is follow it, and it will work itself out as long as I keep following that correct path. And in a year, maybe I'm only to K, and that's where I'll stay for 10 years... you know?

Oh my lands...
Just too much to think about. I drive myself nuts.


I had the most awesome photo shoot yesterday with a family
and then their oldest son's senior pics. I had him jump in the
pool with his clothes on, which he was totally willing to do.
SO much fun. Afterwards Teri (his mom) and I talked for like
an hour or so in the driveway. They are such an amazing family...

hmf.

It seems as though I'm always sick on the few weekends that I have off..

Boo for sore throats!!!

:-P


Wedding went great least weekend. The high for the day was 65 degrees!
It was an absolutely perfect fall day!! Sarah and Mark are so perfect
for each other... I'll share some photos sometime soon...
But I'm gonna hit the hay early tonight. My college roommate would
always know when I wasn't feeling well because I would go to bed early
(meaning, like 9:30 vs. 1am) and/or I'd be in bed before her. For some
reason I'd have a tough time going to bed before her... I had to stay
up until she went to bed! I'm the same way with my husband, now.
But tonight, I'm going to bed before him.

The Facts!

Hey all!
I'll try to post a few pics in the next couple days!
I know I've been a lame-o. I've been working hard though!
Two weddings last weekend. What a fun time!

I would like to update you quickly on the bridge collapse.
They have found some POSSIBLE structural design issues...
It will be interesting to see how it works out. 88 vehicles were found at the collapse site. 5 dead, 8 missing, and 8 still in the hospital.
Can you believe anyone survived a BRIDGE COLLAPSE?
What a miracle...When you think of them, please pray for the families and friends
who have lost someone. I have felt your prayers... thank you. God's peace is upon me... I don't know what I would do without it. Every day since the collapse,
I would start to cry at certain times. Today was the first day I haven't cried... Which means I am healing. Just continue to pray for those families and friends of the lost. I am just so thankful (see post below if you already haven't). So thankful.

************************************************************************
In the meantime, while you are waiting to see pics, here is the ... questionnaire(?) from
Steven's blog! I think it's a fun way to get to know people.
I'm not going to tag anyone, but I ENCOURAGE you all to do it
if you haven't!! I'd love to learn more about you!

THE RULES:
1. Post these rules before you give you the facts.
2. List eight (8) random facts about yourself.
3. At the end of your post, choose (tag) someone and list their name (linking to their page.
4. Leave them a comment on their blog letting them know they've been tagged!

About me:

1. I just got my haircut... shorter than ever before... and I think I like it.
It's super cute and exactly what I asked for... just taking some getting used to.

2. My hero: Jesus. Would not be here without him. Neither living, nor where I am at in life. Changed my entire perspective on things.

3. I am a volunteer for NILMDTS (Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep). Remembrance photography... We take photos of babies who will be or have been taken off life support. Thankfully I don't receive too many calls. But I feel priveldged to be a part of such a wonderful organization. (If you're interested in joining, let me know, and I can talk to you about it more.)Basically, I felt that because it's something I CAN do, then I should. I need to use my gift for the benefit of others... and the parents who have lost their little one will always have the memories, and the photographs to help them remember and heal.

4. My favorite place in the world that I've traveled is the island of Capri, Italy.
I spent three glorious days there when I was on my free travel away from school. Studied communication in Europe for the fall of 2003.

5. I have a passion for beauty... beauty in the world, and in people... especially
in women, because there is the stereotype that the media presents of what beauty is... But I think all people are beautiful. Someday, I'm thinking I will use my photography or speaking to work towards helping women understand they are a beautiful creation... Maybe I will only teach these things to my children, but even if that, I would be happy. We'll see where God takes me with that passion. My passion started in the Spring of 2003. When Dove came along with their Campaign for Real Beauty, I could hardly believe it-- finally, someone was doing something in the media spotlight that went along with my own views!!!
This 30 second video is a good visual on some of my thoughts of the media and beauty:
Please watch: CLICK HERE

6. I play the cello. Started at age 12. My husband plays the cello too. We met in our college orchestra (I know. That's super cheesy). We get to be stand partners in the Northern Symphony Orchestra when we have the time to be in it. Very enjoyable.

7. In high school I was in tennis (A co-captain with one of my best friends!), track (I pole vaulted), I downhill skied(And for as many years as I have done this sport, you'd think I'd be amazing at it... Well, I'm not.), and I was voted Most School Spirit. Out of our class of 680. That's right. And I was active in lots of other stuff. I tell you this because now I am out of shape, and I don't have time (or should I say I don't make time?) to be as active (There's this little thing called "just starting your own business!")... But, I can't wait to have kids and be active with them. I'll be the mom in the stands yelling like a madwoman, and my kid will be like, "Oh my gosh... my mom is so embarrassing... Mom! MOM! PLEASE BE QUIET!"

8. Not having kids for at least 4 years (FINGERS CROSSED!!!:)) My husband and I have our one baby right now... Spartacus. Our naughty but sweet cat.

((((9. I write a lot....)))))

Please pray for the MN families and victims...

My parents and I were on our way to the Twins game in Minneapolis. We were just over a mile from the bridge where you exit to the Metrodome. Traffic was backed up because of construction, and we heard police cars, and we thought, Hmm. Must be an accident. But as they raced by, they had their megaphones on and all we heard was, "...down!" We thought something must be going on, so we turned on the radio only to hear these awful chilling words,
"We have just received reports that a few minutes ago, the Mississippi River bridge, near Washington St., has collapsed, and there are cars in the river at this time."

My heart stopped. Aaron was coming from St. Paul, and I thought that he was going to be crossing that bridge. I fumbled for my cell phone and started shaking, and when he answered, I started bawling. I don't think I have ever been so scared in my life. He was a mile from the bridge too... but he didn't need to cross it to get to the Dome. I could hear sirens in the background on the phone and he said, "WHAT? The BRIDGE is down??" We were a mile from crossing that bridge.

There were probably 7 other cars that must have turned on the news at that time too. They drove over the grass median and got on the other direction of 35W. We had no other choice but to do the same.
I could not stop crying.
I'm still trying to process it all.

All day, I hadn't done one good amount of work from home, and I couldn't
figure out why. I drank caffeine to help me focus, and I just couldn't
at all! I was so mad at myself! My mom showed up at my place at 5:10pm,
which I hadn't expected... I thought they weren't getting there till 5:30 to
pick me up for the game. Apologizing, I told her I had to jump in the shower still.
I also had to iron my shirt. Things I should have done earlier today, and normally would have already done. I also had to run downstairs and make sure the iron was off, one last time, even though I knew it was. It only threw our evening schedule off by 10-15 minutes, and we still had plenty of time to get to the game.

Had I stuck to the normal day routine of showering in the AM, focused all day on work, and then was ready to go when my parents got there, that 10-15 minutes would have put us right next to or on the bridge. We would have seen it or been a part of it. I know I can't be selfish now... so I'm trying not to think, "Why not me??" I know I'm not the only person wondering this tonight.

I need to turn this question into praise to God, and prayers for the victims and the families. There are still people trapped under the rubble...

I drive over this bridge to work many days.
It could have been any of us who do. At any time.
It will be months before they know why it happened, and it will take forever before they rebuild that bridge.. a major vessel into the city. It was a huge, wide bridge. 65 feet about the water. There was a school bus of 60 children that went down. Can you IMAGINE being a parent???

This man's fiance received a phone call from a friend who was on the bridge:
http://www.kare11.com/video/player.aspx?aid=51335&sid=261140&bw=

"Seconds made a difference tonight."

In regards to the bus being at such a safe position, my mom said, "I think angels were pushing up that bridge so that it didn't tip."

The Star Tribune online(our local newspaper)headline says:
"7 dead, 35 injured, 20 missing after dozens of vehicles plummet into river."

Here are photos:
http://www.startribune.com/10136/gallery/1338445.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Please pray for the victims and families of the bridge tragedy... What a scary thing to happen. I keep picturing it, happening before my eyes... And that's what it could have been... I will be doing some re-examining of my purpose in life... and I might need to drink a 2nd cup of Sleepytime tea before bed for awhile.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lots happening!

Pretty good 24 hours, all photography related!


I made my first Showit slideshow (I'll figure out how to upload it to my server
sometime soon so I can share it!).

Booked a 2008 wedding.

Edited a bunch of photos (Learned how to use Showit Effects2 a bit...)

Got a new laptop from the UPS guy.
I was actually standing outside my home talking to a former bride I shot
for, when he pulled onto our street. Pretty sure I jumped up and down
and clapped my hands... haha! When he brought the box up he said
he saw me doing that and had considered driving down to dead end of our
street, turning around and then driving by... just as a joke. And then
he'd come back. haha:)
So this new laptop is suppose to be faster than my desktop,
which sounds puh-retty sweet!
I'll let you know how I like it!

And oh... Aaron and I got married a year ago tomorrow....!
I'll put up some of our wedding pics when I get the chance:)