November 2004 (a year old)
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Abigail's first friends...
Look how little they all look....
Madeline, Emily, Abigail, Hannah, and Cody at Abigail's 2nd birthday...
Madeline, Emily, Abigail, Hannah, and Cody at Abigail's 2nd birthday...
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Friday, June 22, 2012
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
I'm a better me....
because of you.... I got this necklace for my birthday in March from my bestie and I just love the saying on it.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Salty
Salty has always been Andy's horse, but I think J.T. has now claimed him..... Here's a couple photos, one from when we first got Salty and one from the beach ride last weekend. Hard to believe it's the same horse.
Monday, June 18, 2012
RIP Molly: 1997-2012
We lost our Molly dog today. There aren't words to describe what a great dog she was. She was born in 1997 shortly after Andy and I graduated from Cal Poly. She was my graduation gift to him. They were instant friends and she went everywhere that he went.
She was our first baby. We had a lot of good times with her. The kids loved her too and are really having a hard time. We will all miss her so much...
She was our first baby. We had a lot of good times with her. The kids loved her too and are really having a hard time. We will all miss her so much...
Family reunion in Chico
It was a quick trip but we had a great time hanging out with my mom's family in Chico.... Of course we had to take our annual group picture.
This was the ONLY picture that I took over the weekend. Sometimes it's just nice to not worry about the camera and enjoy just hanging out with everyone..... so that's what I did.
This was the ONLY picture that I took over the weekend. Sometimes it's just nice to not worry about the camera and enjoy just hanging out with everyone..... so that's what I did.
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Unanswered prayers
1 John 5:14-15 (KJV)
14 And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask any thing according to His will, He heareth us: 15 And if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him.
Sometimes we pray for things, and they don't happen. Or maybe it doesn't happen right then. It's a hard thing to accept, but sometimes what we ask isn't according to His will. And sometimes it may seem unbearably painful to accept His will, but we need to trust that He is indeed listening to our prayers and He knows what we need.
Sometimes we pray for things, and they don't happen. Or maybe it doesn't happen right then. It's a hard thing to accept, but sometimes what we ask isn't according to His will. And sometimes it may seem unbearably painful to accept His will, but we need to trust that He is indeed listening to our prayers and He knows what we need.
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Horse ride at the beach
The 4-H group met at the beach for a ride and BBQ on Sunday. The weather was actually really nice for there. Here are a few pictures....
Abigail was being a total stinker that day....
Abigail was being a total stinker that day....
Monday, June 11, 2012
Learning something new everyday...
When I started this blog 5 years (and 1000+ posts) ago, I had no idea how long I would keep it up for or how it would turn out. I'm sure I still learn something new everyday, but this past week has been especially interesting and enlightening... for a multitude of reasons.
Here are some of the things I learned or discovered...
*I want to read the Bible. I want to study it and learn about it. Growing up, my exposure to the Bible was somewhat limited. Part of it, was being raised Catholic, but another part of it was that I never really had the desire to read it. I mean, really read it. Not just a daily devotional Bible either, although its not a bad place to start. I'm really excited about this new part of my life.
*When I decide to do something, it is possible that I may become a little obsessed (no way!!). Anyone that really knows me is laughing right now and saying, well duh! Because of this interesting personality trait of mine, I've been gathering the things that I need to start diving into the Bible. I downloaded the King James Version onto my Kindle app on my iPad. I hope God is okay with me using an electronic version. :-) I also bought a book called "A Modern Girls Guide to Bible Study" by Jennifer Hatmaker. It may be one of the best books that I've ever read. I will write more about it in a separate blog post. I also bought a devotional called "The Confident Woman Devotional: 365 Daily Inspirations" by Joyce Meyer and it is fantastic. I read the verse(s) and commentary to go with it, but it also makes me want to go read more of that chapter of the Bible.
*Because I am a "do it and check it off my list" type person, I was having a hard time with the idea of not being able to breeze right through the Bible, learn it, and be done with it. Yes, I know that's not the idea to be able to check it off my list, but I was trying to figure out the best way to help myself accept that it will be a life-long experience. Then I remembered a quote that I've heard numerous times, “Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it.” (Greg Anderson). How true is that?!
*Flossing one's teeth really doesn't take that long. Why don't we do it more? Who knows... it's really not that difficult. Abigail got braces last week and received strict instructions from the orthodontist to floss every day. I told her that I would really try to do better too, and it hasn't been that bad.
*Tweens have no filter when it comes to what they say, text, or email. I guess I should say that a lot of adults don't have much of a filter either. Maybe tween girls having cell phones isn't such a great idea. There are definitely positives and negatives to this. We all need to remember to think before we speak, text, email, post on Facebook, etc.
*One's choices in friends is a reflection of their true character. And if that choice is a poor one, it will eventually lead to the loss of other important people in one's life. Choose your friends wisely.
Well that's probably good for today....
Here are some of the things I learned or discovered...
*I want to read the Bible. I want to study it and learn about it. Growing up, my exposure to the Bible was somewhat limited. Part of it, was being raised Catholic, but another part of it was that I never really had the desire to read it. I mean, really read it. Not just a daily devotional Bible either, although its not a bad place to start. I'm really excited about this new part of my life.
*When I decide to do something, it is possible that I may become a little obsessed (no way!!). Anyone that really knows me is laughing right now and saying, well duh! Because of this interesting personality trait of mine, I've been gathering the things that I need to start diving into the Bible. I downloaded the King James Version onto my Kindle app on my iPad. I hope God is okay with me using an electronic version. :-) I also bought a book called "A Modern Girls Guide to Bible Study" by Jennifer Hatmaker. It may be one of the best books that I've ever read. I will write more about it in a separate blog post. I also bought a devotional called "The Confident Woman Devotional: 365 Daily Inspirations" by Joyce Meyer and it is fantastic. I read the verse(s) and commentary to go with it, but it also makes me want to go read more of that chapter of the Bible.
*Because I am a "do it and check it off my list" type person, I was having a hard time with the idea of not being able to breeze right through the Bible, learn it, and be done with it. Yes, I know that's not the idea to be able to check it off my list, but I was trying to figure out the best way to help myself accept that it will be a life-long experience. Then I remembered a quote that I've heard numerous times, “Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it.” (Greg Anderson). How true is that?!
*Flossing one's teeth really doesn't take that long. Why don't we do it more? Who knows... it's really not that difficult. Abigail got braces last week and received strict instructions from the orthodontist to floss every day. I told her that I would really try to do better too, and it hasn't been that bad.
*Tweens have no filter when it comes to what they say, text, or email. I guess I should say that a lot of adults don't have much of a filter either. Maybe tween girls having cell phones isn't such a great idea. There are definitely positives and negatives to this. We all need to remember to think before we speak, text, email, post on Facebook, etc.
*One's choices in friends is a reflection of their true character. And if that choice is a poor one, it will eventually lead to the loss of other important people in one's life. Choose your friends wisely.
Well that's probably good for today....
Friday, June 8, 2012
Artistic spin
I took this picture a few months ago but I wanted to give it a little bit more of an artistic look. I tried a few different things and finally came up with something I really like. I'm not sure how its going to look on here but it looks pretty cool in person...
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
What are my goals?
"The question you should be asking isn't, "What do I want? or "What are my goals?" but "What excites me?" ~ Timothy Ferriss, "The 4-Hour Workweek"
Ask Andy what my least favorite part of business/financial planning is and he will tell you: setting goals. Hate it! Hate it! Hate it! I love to check things off my to-do list so you would think that I would love setting, and then accomplishing, goals. Not so much...
Am I afraid of failure? Of course. Am I afraid of success? Sometimes. Mostly it just comes down to the fact that I don't know how to put what I want in writing. Maybe I don't really even know what I want. Sometimes that's the case. The above quote written by Timothy Ferriss was like a major "ah-ha" moment for me. I need to start thinking about it in terms of "What excites me?"
That's a whole new way of looking at things. I think it can be applied to both business and personal life. I've spent a lot of time thinking about that question related to my photography business. I came to the conclusion (I think I knew this all along) that there are certain types of photography that I enjoy, and others that I don't. Wouldn't it make sense to not offer the types that I don't enjoy? Of course it would, but sometimes that's easier said than done.
I used to think that I wanted to be a full-time photographer. Now, I realize that I don't want to have my schedule full just for the sake of being busy. I want to enjoy the photography that I do. I want to be excited about upcoming projects, sessions, and other photographic opportunities. I want to love photography like I did when I started so I am going to do what it takes to make that happen.
Ask Andy what my least favorite part of business/financial planning is and he will tell you: setting goals. Hate it! Hate it! Hate it! I love to check things off my to-do list so you would think that I would love setting, and then accomplishing, goals. Not so much...
Am I afraid of failure? Of course. Am I afraid of success? Sometimes. Mostly it just comes down to the fact that I don't know how to put what I want in writing. Maybe I don't really even know what I want. Sometimes that's the case. The above quote written by Timothy Ferriss was like a major "ah-ha" moment for me. I need to start thinking about it in terms of "What excites me?"
That's a whole new way of looking at things. I think it can be applied to both business and personal life. I've spent a lot of time thinking about that question related to my photography business. I came to the conclusion (I think I knew this all along) that there are certain types of photography that I enjoy, and others that I don't. Wouldn't it make sense to not offer the types that I don't enjoy? Of course it would, but sometimes that's easier said than done.
I used to think that I wanted to be a full-time photographer. Now, I realize that I don't want to have my schedule full just for the sake of being busy. I want to enjoy the photography that I do. I want to be excited about upcoming projects, sessions, and other photographic opportunities. I want to love photography like I did when I started so I am going to do what it takes to make that happen.
Monday, June 4, 2012
Baseball is over...
for the year. J.T. had a great time and increased his skills too. Can't wait for next year...
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Friday, June 1, 2012
Seven things....
Seven things I want to do before I die
1. Fill up at least one passport book
2. Be the best wife and mother than I can be
1. Fill up at least one passport book
2. Be the best wife and mother than I can be
3. Win an international photo competition
4. Go para-sailing
5. Be the mother of two college graduates
6. See all 50 states
7. Be a great person so people have nice things to say at my funeral
Seven things I can't or don't know how to do
1. ski- snow or water
4. Go para-sailing
5. Be the mother of two college graduates
6. See all 50 states
7. Be a great person so people have nice things to say at my funeral
Seven things I can't or don't know how to do
1. ski- snow or water
2. take good landscape photos
3. operate without a "to-do" list
4. ice skate
5. get anything accomplished if I'm in the middle of a good book
6. watch daytime TV shows
4. ice skate
5. get anything accomplished if I'm in the middle of a good book
6. watch daytime TV shows
7. have a friendship without loyalty
Seven things that attracted me to my significant other, and/or made me stay with him
1. He truly wants me to be happy, at almost any cost
2. We travel really well together
Seven things that attracted me to my significant other, and/or made me stay with him
1. He truly wants me to be happy, at almost any cost
2. We travel really well together
3. He has been a huge supporter of my photography business
4. He is the best secret keeper in the world
5. He's really smart/innovative when it comes to business
6. He is tolerant of my jeans obsession
7. He loves me for me, and doesn't try to change me
4. He is the best secret keeper in the world
5. He's really smart/innovative when it comes to business
6. He is tolerant of my jeans obsession
7. He loves me for me, and doesn't try to change me
Seven things I say most often
1. That didn't work out so well (instead of "oh, @#$%!")
2. Can't you two just get along?!
1. That didn't work out so well (instead of "oh, @#$%!")
2. Can't you two just get along?!
3. I love you
4. I will text you
5. I'm going out to the office
4. I will text you
5. I'm going out to the office
6. He/she is so clueless!
7. Everything happens for a reason
7. Everything happens for a reason
Seven books I love
1. "The Hunger Games" trilogy by Suzanne Collins
2. "Anything You Want" by Derek Stivers
3. "The E-Myth Revisited" by Michael Gerber
4. "Summer People" by Elin Hinderbrand
1. "The Hunger Games" trilogy by Suzanne Collins
2. "Anything You Want" by Derek Stivers
3. "The E-Myth Revisited" by Michael Gerber
4. "Summer People" by Elin Hinderbrand
5. "Firefly Lane" by Kristin Hannah
6. "Nineteen Minutes" by Jodi Picoult
7. "The Last Song" by Nicholas Sparks
6. "Nineteen Minutes" by Jodi Picoult
7. "The Last Song" by Nicholas Sparks
Seven movies/shows that I would watch over and over again
1. Sweet Home Alabama
2. Dirty Dancing
3. Happy Gilmore
4. Pretty Woman
5. NCIS reruns
6. House reruns
7. CSI: Miami reruns
1. Sweet Home Alabama
2. Dirty Dancing
3. Happy Gilmore
4. Pretty Woman
5. NCIS reruns
6. House reruns
7. CSI: Miami reruns
Seven songs that are very meaningful or memorable to me
1. "Unchained Melody" by the Righteous Bros (first dance song- wedding)
2. "Who Says" by Selena Gomez (just love the words)
3. "Little Wonders" by Rob Thomas (love the message)
4. "Amazing Grace" (makes me cry every time)
5. "Love Without End, Amen" by George Strait
6. "I Hope You Dance" by Lee Anne Womack
7. too many early 90s songs to list (from high school)
1. "Unchained Melody" by the Righteous Bros (first dance song- wedding)
2. "Who Says" by Selena Gomez (just love the words)
3. "Little Wonders" by Rob Thomas (love the message)
4. "Amazing Grace" (makes me cry every time)
5. "Love Without End, Amen" by George Strait
6. "I Hope You Dance" by Lee Anne Womack
7. too many early 90s songs to list (from high school)
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