jodified

Some days just need a big sigh of relief. I made it through. I’m happy. I’m tired.

It was a good and busy day. We did church without the help of my parents being there, which is always an interesting challenge, but the kids were great and we just had to sneak out a few minute early! Then I had a shoot and C did lunch+naps with the kids. Some editing, cleaning and laundry while Chris took the girls to the park and Grayson napped led right up to dinner time. (Sorry again C for burning the chicken. Strips that is. Chicken strips! Am I the only person capable of doing something so stupid?) Then I had another photo shoot, some editing and we are now in the process of trying to get Grayson to sleep. It’s C’s turn, hence, the time to blog.

SO.

Before I give up, end this day and go rescue Chris from Grayson (who is fussing with Daddy in the other room) I want to give my two shoots from today a small sneak peek!

This is Erin and her adorable family. You’ve seen+heard of her many many times! I got to photograph her entire family tonight plus the added bonus of her new family as her mom is getting remarried soon! They were all so great and incredibly easy! Thanks for making it a piece of cake Erin!

And this little cutie is Lillie! Her dad works for my dad and we just love this little family! Frank and Stephanie are the sweetest couple and it was so nice to be able to see Lillie again… she was an infant the last time I saw her! And oh my gosh she was so friendly! She doesn’t know a stranger!

So whew. What a day. I got a lot done and left a lot undone. And now I have a little man that needs me.

See ya later Sunday.

I will leave you with this cute family!

I met Jessica when she contacted me last winter to create a birthday invite for Gannon’s birthday and was so excited to get a call for a maternity shoot! I love pregnant bellies! And I was doubly excited when she said she wanted to do the shoot downtown at City Hall! My head was screaming, "A NEW LOCATION!" Halleluia.

*note: if you have a new location suggestion for your shoot please let me know!!!

So I met the three, soon to be four, of them downtown and had a blast chasing Gannon around. Literally chasing. The second this little boy sat down, I got my camera ready, the setting correct and Jessica got into position he was GONE. Like the wind.

Thanks guys! I can’t wait to meet little baby #2 in October!

Did I post enough? Couldn’t get enough of this family! Too cute!

AND, did you notice my cute little man up there? Am in LOVE with this photo of him.

Just in love. And will be ordering it tonight from MPIX big Big BIG for his room.  He will be my in-between summer and fall banner!

It’s Friday. Have you heard? And that means tomorrow is the weekend. Which means Chris gets up with the girls and I get to sleep more then 3 hours. It also means we’re headed out to do something crazy fun tomorrow (will share of course), I have a shoot tomorrow night, church Sunday, another shoot and lots of life inbetween!

Happy weekend!

Good morning Thursday. Hello Cousin Ann.

When my grandparents were alive we used to eat dinner with them EVERY single Wednesday at one of their favorite restaurants. My parents, my Aunt Sue+Uncle Bill, my Grandpa’s sister (Great) Aunt Betty, her daughter Ann and her daughter Michelle plus our gang were the regular diners with my Grandparents. It made for an easy dinner a week when I had the energy to go and I loved seeing our extended family that often.  Since their deaths we haven’t gone much but my parents have instituted a now once a month dinner there, at our old table, to reconnect+catch-up+enjoy our family. It’s nice.

However.

Every time we go my cousin Ann mentions the blog and how sad it is all the time or she makes fun of the fact that I write so much or so often. But I know whether she hates it or not, she still reads it EVERY SINGLE MORNING.

Good morning Ann!

So to shock her a bit I thought I would dedicate this post to HER. HA!

And to mention another Ann, I just designed a new logo for my amazing hair stylist Ann!

If you ever need a haircut let me know and I’ll send you her way, she’s amazing! She is saving me currently from a mullet-disaster from a few months ago!

TODAY: Yesterday didn’t go exactly as planned. It wasn’t bad, just not enough got done so I feel like I’m playing catch-up today. Although I think catch-up is my life currently and I just need to get used to it. So the same things that were on the books for Wednesday are on tap for today. Edits, invites, laundry, cuddling, you know…everything important! The girls are headed to GoGo’s today (my MIL) so it’s just me and Mr. Man. No Mnt Dew so the boy will sleep and give me time to work!

And now I’m off to see what that noise is…

"Hello Wednesday. Nice to meet you." I say as I leisurely get out of bed at 6:10am and hop in the shower.

Heck yeah, I took a shower this morning! (When is the last time you were able to wake up and get immediately in the shower? I had forgotten how amazing the feeling of waking up in the shower is! Thanks C for letting me shower!)

It’s now 7:10am, I’m showered+dressed, the girls are dressed, Chris is gone, Grayson is sleeping and I’m blogging for a minute.

Watch out Wednesday. Your ass is grass!

We’re headed out to do the school run in a bit, Parker first, then Bailey, we’re picking up Grandma along the way, getting her Diet Coke from McD’s and my Mnt Dew from Bread Co. and then hitting Target. And maybe some other places. We’ll see where the wind blows us.

And THEN I am working. My mom my boss at Kuhn Const. gave me a list of work including website design, invites, coffee table books, etc. So I need to start some of that and then finish four shoots. My goal is to COMPLETE one photo shoot and two invites before 3pm today.

And I will do it b/c Wednesday, I own you.

Here are the four photo shoots I’m working on:

Alright Wednesday. Here we come. You’d better duck b/c we’re coming fast!

Have a good one!

I quit. By noon I had already given up the idea of having a servant’s heart. Maybe in a few years I’ll be able to do it. But really, I don’t know.

Maybe I need someone to guide me in small steps to take to appreciate the disobedient children, the constant messes, the spit-up covering me, finding no time for a shower, a husband that can’t possibly find me attractive anymore, the toddler who throws up Happy Meal in her crib, the lack of one moment in a day when someone doesn’t NEED me.

Teach me.

Tell me how to deal with all of that (and I didn’t even mention money issues or the million other things that are hard right now) and be appreciative. HOW IN THE HELL DO I HAVE A SERVANT’S HEART WHEN I JUST FEEL LIKE A SERVANT?

I swear I tried. I started out my day wanting to serve my family happily. But then arguments with Chris, a messy house that just WILL NOT stay clean, bills, errands, vomit, etc. just set me down the grumbling road and now at 1:30pm (with Parker screaming in her crib for Sheep who is in the washer covered in vomit and Grayson crying in his crib and Bailey not sleeping listening to all of this) I am at my WITS end.

One minute. I want just ONE MINUTE a day when someone isn’t NEEDING me. Then. Then maybe I could have the heart God calls me to have.