The Big One O

Ivy, my little darling turned 10 years old last Saturday February 2. She has been such a fun kid to have around. I love spending time with her. She makes me laugh, and she says and does the sweetest things.
When I asked her what she wanted to do for her birthday she immediately answered "Roller Skating!"
   We went on my birthday, and she enjoyed it so much that she couldn't wait to go back for her birthday. So, Saturday afternoon we packed up the fam and drove to Arlington to skate. We rented Ivy and Addy these little skater's helpers. They are basically just big PVC pipe joined at an angle with wheel casters on the bottom. The girls could hold on to them and skate on their own. GENIUS!
Emilie was so sweet out on the rink. She would see someone fall and rush over to help them up; not just family, but total strangers as well. I loved watching her compassionate nature at work.
Jason was a trooper hanging out with Carmella, and Addy when Addy wasn't skating. He let me take over the skating with the kids. I loved it! Once again, I took my own white and pink skates that I've had since 7th grade, and tore up the place. (not really, but it's fun to imagine I did.)

After skating we took the kids to the Planetarium at University of Texas at Arlington. Ivy loves space, and has decided to be an astronaut when she grows up. They were showing a new movie we hadn't seen yet about astronauts and how space effects their bodies. Ivy loved it, Addy hated it, and Carmella was mesmerized. I'm pretty sure Emilie liked it too. She wants to go back to see Space Park 360, something we'll have to see without Addy and Ella.

Unfortunately, due to a flat tire we got home later than expected, so we had to put off the cake and ice cream till the next day. I had baked the cake that morning but it was not yet frosted and ready to go.
Ivy didn't care though, as long as she had her birthday presents which consisted of Angry Birds, Legos, and La La Loopsie toys, she was a happy girl.

Happy Birthday to my sweet little Ivy, you are growing faster than I would like, but I'm enjoying every minute of it!

The Tootsie Roll Cake ( per Ivy's request)

A Crappy Camera Christmas

My mom bought me this rather cool little camera for Christmas. It's called a Mini Diana. Basically it's mini version of the Diana, which is an all plastic camera. Yes my friends, that means it

takes actual film. So, rather than take photos with my phone using instagram, I can do the real thing. 

I absolutely LOVE it!

It can take square format as well as two rectangles per 35mm frame. It takes a little getting used to, since there is no focus, and there is only a bright and dark setting. These are the only really good shots I  got off of two rolls of film, but really from a photographer standpoint 

this is a good amount. I'd rather have a few good ones, than entire roll of junk.

I am going to have so much fun taking crappy camera pictures this year!

Emilie's new bike

Carmella's boots, Addie's doll, and sticker pad

Jason doing a little Christmas reading

Addie, and Emilie playing with Ivy's mustaches

Ivy and me playing with her mustaches

Fifteen Years of Wedded Bliss

January 23, 2013 marks fifteen years of marriage for Jason and me. To commemorate this 

milestone I decided to pull together a little still life. 

The flowers Jason gave me

for our anniversary. I love them. He doesn't get me flowers very often, but when he does he

does it right.

The album holds photos from our wedding along with our wedding announcement.

The rings ... well that's a little obvious. His is not the one from our wedding day. ( he lost that about 13 years ago) Mine is the one from our wedding day, even though for our 11th anniversary he bought me a new one. This one will always be special to me.

The shoes Jason bought for me as my gift this year. I have been in desperate need for new running shoes. I have been working very hard to regain my pre-pregnancy body, and new running shoes will

go a long way toward that goal.

The harmonica I bought for Jason. He has been learning the harmonica for over a year now, but

he lost his "good one" a few months ago. Since then he has

been struggling with less expensive ones. Now when he serenades me he won't complain about how

he can't hit the notes he needs to.

After fifteen of marriage I am happier and more in love than I ever thought possible. Aside from the gifts and cards we exchanged, Jason took three days off from work this week

so we could spend time together. He has gotten up with the kids and sent them off to school, allowing me to sleep in past 7:00a.m on a week day! Today we bought our gifts for each other, and went to lunch. He gave me the time I needed to pull together this little photo shoot, and update this blog. Tonight Emilie will be babysitting while we go out again. I have been enjoying just being with him. I know he 

has more things planned for us to do, and I can't wait to find out what his plans are.

Tootin' my own horn

This post is a little follow up to my previous one ...
       As an art student it is often required in my classes to submit work to competitions. At the end of the last semester I still had one show left to submit to so I could get full credit in a class. There was a competition opportunity in San Antonio for a show entitled Making Herstory. This seemed like a good fit for me, and the price was right, $10 for three images. (Yes, you do have to pay to enter most competitions.) I chose to submit work from my final project that semester. I paid my fee, submitted my work, emailed the receipt to my teacher, and promptly forgot all about it. Christmas was fast approaching, and I probably wasn't going to get in anyway.

     Yesterday, I decided to check my student email after nearly a month of neglect. I was not looking forward to the amount I was surely going to have to sift through. So, there I sat deleting junk mail, and being reminded at least 5 times to change my UTA password when I got to the last email. I opened it up, and low and behold, not one but two of my photos have been chosen to appear in the exhibition I had entered. I think I actually squealed with delight when I read it.
     It means so much to me that someone out there likes my work enough to hang it up in an exhibition. I have been working so very hard these last few years to learn and improve in my photography. Sometimes I can get rather discouraged, and it is so hard to always find the good in what I am doing. We are always our worst critic, at least I know I am.
    I can't wait till the end of March when I will get to go to San Antonio and see my work hanging in an art exhibit.

FYI: They chose the photo of Addie wearing Allan's shoes, and the photo of my Dad looking through Allan's wallet.