It's been a while!

So, it's been a while since I've posted. I have been snapping pictures like a mad woman and have had wonderful opportunities to add to my portfolio. I'm on (yet another) trial version of photoshop. I thought this one was given to me, only to find out that it's just another trial version. I've just about determined that I can consistently produce great photos without any post production, but the post processing helps give it such an extra punch. It's hard for me to want to throw myself out there without it, but it looks as though I'm going to have to. For the last couple weeks or so, I have been mentally preparing myself to take a big step. Only problem right now is that I don't have any idea how I'm going to set up babysitter. Can I be taken seriously if I have the girls with me? Is it professional to do so? To both of those, I say no. So, here goes thinking and rethinking things through. Start small and build up. I've had more and more days where I am feeling consistently good and confident. If it doesn't work out- I tried! I'm still not at the level I want to be at, but feel like I'm on a good technical level, but really need to work on the creativity side. Here's to more prayers that I'll have the complete confidence and dedication to try it out and make it work.

New Trial Version

So, last month or so I tried the 30 day trial version of Lightroom. I liked it a lot and kind of went through this moping after my trial ended. I really liked playing around with it, and pretty much only had enough time to get through the basics. In my grieving, I went ahead and downloaded a free 30 day trial version of Photoshop today. Oh my goodness. It's no where near as easy to navigate as Lightroom. I finally figured out how to get around some basic stuff though. There's so much more to Photoshop though. I really wish I could just buy it and tackle the beast down. I know I could have a lot of fun tinkering with stuff.

This evening I took the girls to the beach. We had picnic dinner (from McDonalds) and Victoria just really enjoyed that! Let me tell you: It was not easy carrying everything out there! I managed because I'm awesome at managing a ton of junk (babay no included as part of junk, but I did have to carry her as well) in my two arms. Anyway, I took my camera and felt like I was putting it at high risk. I don't think I'll be doing that again with my camera unless I have another person with me. Anyway, I shot in RAW and am beginning to realize what all the big fuss is over it. It's just fun to play around with.

I'm sure once my free trial version of this ends I'll go through another moping period. Of course, this is all for testing the water. I'm still learning, folks. Still learning.

"It's not who you are that holds you back; it's who you think you're not." Author Unknown

I am not good enough.

It's been over a year...

It's been over a year since I've had my camera. I really feel like I have learned a lot and definitely have a better grip on "owning" my lens. I still find myself trying new things with it, and am constantly pouring over my photos to see what I could have done differently to make it better. It seems that this has taken over my life and I love it! Sometimes I wonder what in the world I did before I got my camera. Oh yeah, I was taking pictures with a point and shoot wishing I had a better camera! haha But really, it's been such a great outlet and as a mom, this was exactly what I needed. Anyway, the picture below was one I took July 17, 2010. We were at Lake Michigan on military base.

And this one was taken July 8, 2011
My baby is still so very pretty. :) I feel like I've had some improvement, but I have set a level for myself that I'm not sure I'll be able to get to. It's a goal I want to be at so very badly. A lot of it will require me investing in equipment, but for now, I am figuring out a way to make my images look like the goal I am trying to reach without all the fancy stuff. I'm not saying I set an impossible goal for myself. It's just a very high one. Honestly, right now I know I have enough determination to get there, but wondering how much "investing" I'm going to do before I finally get realistic about it all. Perhaps I shouldn't spill my thoughts out like this when I'm tired. Like I said before, I'm just going to keep snapping away and just keep going. :)

"Of all the means of expression, photography is the only one that fixes forever the precise and transitory instant. We photographers deal in things that are continually vanishing, and when they have vanished, there is no contrivance on earth that can make them come back again. We cannot develop and print a memory. The writer has time to reflect. He can accept and reject, accept again; and before committing his thoughts to paper he is able to tie the several relevant elements together. There is also a period when his brain 'forgets', and his subconscious works on classifying his thoughts. But for photographers, what has gone is gone forever. From that fact stem the anxieties and strength of our profession. We cannot do our story over again once we've got back to the hotel. Our task is to perceive reality, almost simultaneously recording it in the sketchbook which is our camera."

~Henri Cartier-Bresson

Updates Updates

So hey, I've slacked off considerably on blogspot since I've joined Flickr. Sorry 'bout that! To my many many followers (Heh.) I'll fill you all in on how I feel my photography is going.

It's been almost a year since I've gotten "My Precious". I have learned so much since getting my camera and realize there is so much more to learn. I have found a wedding photographer that I have kind of obsessed over and want to reach that awesome level he and his team have achieved. Having said that, I have such a long ways to go. I really feel like I've come a long ways since a year ago, but having a specific goal in mind doesn't hurt, right?

For my birthday, my lovely husband let me get a flash for the camera. I can use the flash as a bounce flash and have come to love it so very much! I can't believe what a difference it makes and am afraid it's just a gateway drug for more expensive flashes. There are techniques I want to try with it, but don't think I can until I upgrade flashes. Who knows if that will ever really happen, but having a wish list never hurts I suppose.

I am getting ready to make a trip to Alabama to visit my family. I am excited for this trip because not only has it been a while since I've been, but I'll get to practice photography stuff on nieces and nephews. I have a few nieces, I'm sure, who won't mind being a camera hog. Lucky for them, they have an Aunt who will be more than willing to take multiple photos of them. Last time I was around them, I got home and uploaded my photos only to realize that I had tons of pictures of a couple of my nieces. It's going to be fun!

I originally purchased my super duper camera because I was tired of the slow point and shoot. It was very hard to keep up with a two year old and get the shots I wanted when the camera didn't take the picture fast enough. Since my purchase, I have taken thousands (Y'hear that!? THOUSANDS) of pictures of my children. It's almost embarrassing to admit that, but I like to tell myself that I'm practicing. Well, if I tell myself that it's practicing then I wonder what exactly it is that I'm practicing for. I have had this conversation with my husband a couple times already. "You do it because it makes you happy." Easy enough! Then why do I feel like sometimes I should get something more from it? I don't even know if that makes any sense.

Honestly, I would love to do professional photography. I just can't imagine it ever really happening. I'm a little too afraid of the criticism and (from what Jesse tells me) I'm too critical of my own photos. I'm trying so much to learn all the technical aspects of it and learning it all on my own. This is not me digging around for compliments- this is me opening up about being afraid to move forward on it. I'm terrified of the thought of (if going pro) marketing myself and having the confidence to pull it off. Some days, I really feel like it's something I could do, and other days I am not so confident. I still have yet to get photoshop, but when I do, I plan to dive in on it wholeheartedly. I still don't do much to the photos that I take and just use picnik to do the small jobs that need done. So, at this rate, maybe a couple more years? I think until then, I'll just keep on shooting. I'm sure that's not a bad plan for now.

My bluuuuuuuurg

I keep thinking how I want to update my blog and think of things to write about. I've stated before how I've moved my photo sharing to flickr (and sorry blogspot, but I like it much better there), but try to think of how I could still use blogspot (blogger... blogspot...). Most things that I need to write about to clear my head are too personal for this sort of thing. I'll eventually think of something I want to write (type) out.

Just in case you were concerned...

I finally figured out why my hair was super crappy over the last couple months. After I had Lydia, my hair dried out big time. That's normal after pregnancy, but I had a problem of it feeling greasy even after I washed it. When it dried, it would still feel sticky in certain spots and just looked really bad. It got to the point that I couldn't wear it down unless I wore it curly. I finally realized it was build up of this product I use when I wear it curly and it just wasn't washing out. I've never had this problem before and the thought of having that much build up was gross. My shampoo was not cutting it and it was becoming depressing. I know it's kinda silly because it's just hair, but I have always had really great hair. It was the one thing I could count on looking good! I finally picked up some shampoo and conditioner from Nuetrogena. Within the 24 hours I got this shampoo, I shampooed my hair four times. The first time I washed it with it, the stuff was not lathering up at all (it was doing that way with the other shampoos I had too), but the second time, it got better and so on. I am proud to say that today is the first day in months I have worn my hair down and feel totally great about it. There's still a little build up left on it, but it's a tiny amount that's not even noticeable. My hair looks and feels wonderful today. I can't stop touching it!

I'm so excited about it, I just had to share it. :)

My Hair

I want my hair to permanently stay fabulous like it was when I'm pregnant, but I don't want to be pregnant again (for now).

Ah, New Years!

It's 2011. Time is going by so fast!

I've been playing around with Al Servo on my camera lately. I've also been messing around with the different exposure meters. If I use select focus, how does it do with the spot metering or partial metering? I'm finally branching out from my usual go-to on the camera and discovering what the rest of it is all about. I've also thought about doing manual white balance, but the types of lighting changes too much in my apartment. Perhaps that doesn't matter so much? I don't know.

I'm still amazed at the shots I am able to capture with the lens, but am trying very carefully to get the focus right. I am eagerly awaiting for it to warm up so I can get out and about. This year seems to be a promising one!

Merry Christmas! (I know it's late to be saying that...)

Things have been busy around here lately. Jesse had leave the past couple of weeks, so it's been extremely nice to have him home. I baked up a storm! This is really my first time going crazy like that. I guess I was making up for the fact that we weren't going to see any family over the holidays. It was so nice being home though, and we got a few things done that has been put off for a while. I'm still putting off working out. I'll get started soon enough though.

I think I am finally getting the hang of things. It's been crazy couple of months! I feel like now life is finally "normal". Actually, I think I needed my hormones to settle down (from giving birth) for me to me to feel like I can function like normal. Lydia is healthy and growing, and Victoria is acting better now too.

I've been thoroughly enjoying my camera and new lens (!!!!!!). I'm loving how fast it is! I'm just constantly amazed at how crisp the pictures look. Now, if I can master white balance... Actually, my white balance problems don't happen that much, but sometimes I wish I could get it a little better. I should do that manually sometimes, but wonder how I would like doing that every time. I have wanted to try to set white balance manually just to play around with it. I need to read up on it again on how to do that with this camera.

ISO 6400

I finally went back my companion guide book to read up on how to change the ISO. My camera goes up to ISO 12,800, but I've never used it that high. This shot was taken at ISO 6400, which I think is crazy enough that it goes that high. Obviously, the quality is not that great, but perhaps I could still have some fun with it. This room was lit up by the Christmas tree lights only. I have lights on the wall to the right as well, but the f stop was at 8, so not bad, I think.

...but I am still drooling over the Canon 50mm 1.4 lens.

I have also been checking out the Diana lens. It looks like a lot of fun to play around with and is cheap (as far as lens goes). Maybe somewhere down the road I'll get one. Who knew that photojojo and Flickr could provide so much inspiration?! I'm loving it!

Christmas Pictures

Oh, how I really want a faster lens! I'm sure there's a better way of doing it, but I've been having to shoot in ISO 3200 a lot lately because I'm indoors. I have yet to figure out that better way though. While the noise works for some pictures, it's starting to get on my nerves some. I would like for my shots to turn out a little more crisp. I'm sure a faster lens isn't a cure all, but it's difficult to shoot a toddler with a slow shutter speed. I've got everything as high and low and open as I can. Perhaps I should have just turned on more lights, but was afraid it would take away from the Christmas lights. I am always open for any suggestions from anyone with experience to this sort of thing.

Quite the Weekend

We've had visitors this past week and it's been nice having them here. I'm not sure how much people realize how big of a help they are just by being here. This weekend has helped me feel so much more like normal and just having that feeling for a few days has felt wonderful! I'm hoping I can keep up morale after everyone leaves, which I'm sure I will. My father-in-law hung up my pictures for me all throughout downstairs and that was really nice. Less clutter off the floor and one less thing done :) I had a mental block as to where these pictures should go, so having someone else just do it was really nice.

Christmas is coming up! Have I mentioned that I want a new lens? :D

We also got our tree up this week! Victoria was playing with her small ornaments and was putting them on the big tree. She said they were eggs. It was really fun decorating this year because she was excited to help. Vickie and I were cracking up over Victoria putting ornaments on the tree. It was really cute- her ornaments are all on one strip right across the tree that's about two feet off the ground and they are all clustered together. Love it! I'm thinking of just leaving it that way.

More Frost

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village, though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

One of My Favorites

Nothing Gold Can Stay
by Robert Frost (1874-1963)

Nature's first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.

Flickr

I've officially moved my photo sharing to Flickr. I've been thinking about this for a while, and finally signed up for it. I'm hoping this will let up some clutter on fb and make it easier for me to print on Snapfish. I've slacked off greatly on my photo-a-day project, but am hoping to get back in the swing of things soon. Anyway, I'm excited to get more into flickr and find groups with same interest and explore other photography styles.

I'm really really hoping to get a new lens for Christmas. I think I've been good enough this year... haha

One Month

Today, my baby is one month old. Things are still roller coastering around here. The holiday season has arrived and has gotten me very excited! I love Christmas! I love the lights and the atmosphere it creates. I cannot wait to get our decorations up! I love wrapping gifts and tying pretty ribbons around them and making them curly.

I'm hoping for Christmas I can get a new lens! I have my eye on Canon 50mm 1.4. I really want a faster lens and have read on reviews that this one is a better investment. I know there's a 1.8 for 1/3 of the cost, but have read countless times that the 1.4 will last longer. While a zoom lens sounds more appealing, I figured I can just not be lazy and use my feet. I've learned the limits the kit lens offers, but it's still not bad lens. I would really like something faster- especially for indoor use.

I am also looking into getting a ring sling to carry Lydia around. I'm not exactly sure how much I would use it, so it's hard for me to want to spend the money on one. I've seen some on ebay that's way cheaper, but am a bit afraid to order one from there. Perhaps it's me being silly about it. It is kind of fun to look them over and think about what color I would like though. :)

Me and V

Little People

Sophia came over today! :D

Victoria found her baby doll amongst her toys today. She rocked it, burped it, and put it to bed. It was really sweet seeing her play with it and am hoping this is one step closer to her liking Lydia. I should also throw in that we haven't really had any potty accidents lately and she's at least acknowledging Lydia's presence now. I have her help me with things too. She'll get me diapers or wipes, and will throw away things for me. Sometimes I'll let her help me burp Lydia. This was the first time she's actually played with this baby doll. It was sweet!

Crash Course

Tomorrow, Jesse goes back to work. Flippin suck. Not only he has to go back to work, but tomorrow happens to be his duty day. It will be my first full day at home with the two girls. Wish me luck. I'm sure I'll be fine. :)
Besides, look at those two sweet faces! How could they possibly be that much trouble?

Fingers and Toes

I have some ideas I want to try with the macro lens later. Perhaps I'll get around to doing this stuff during the day when the lighting is better. I do love tiny fingers and toes though. :)

Two weeks old today

It's been two weeks since I gave birth to my lovely Lydia. She's been pretty great so far! :D

I'm still working on getting consistent with this blog again. Apparently it comes and goes about the way I feel rested. Some days, I feel really good and take pictures and some days (like today) I feel really tired and sleep all day. I slept and fed Lydia today. That's been about it.

Jesse will return to work soon and my mom is leaving on Saturday. I'm nervous about being alone with the girls next week, but am pretty sure I'll be fine. I am preparing myself to have to clean up potty accidents from Victoria though. Let's hope it won't be terrible to deal with.

After Lydia's doctor appointment today, I felt a million times better about everything. It's like things are finally getting settled. I have a set clinic I take the girls to when they need their doctor appointments, and knowing where to go now makes a huge difference for my peace of mind. I still think my hormones are making me a little nutty at times and am so eager to have them settled down. I get really hot, and then get really cold, and my moods swing just as quickly.

My tiny is two weeks old today... May she continue to grow and stay healthy! :)

Just Can't Stop!

Today, I had Jesse sit in a chair by the window so I could see how the light was coming in. At first, I realized I needed to change the camera angle, but then when I tried taking pictures of Lydia, they seemed to fall a little flat. I couldn't figure out why, but then realized it was the light! As I was feeding her, I realized the sun was reflecting off the building and the reflection comes through our window (which makes the photos a little more pleasing, in my opinion, and someone really should correct me if I'm wrong). I was able to get a high enough shutter speed with a low enough ISO to get what I wanted for my picture. For whatever reason, I just never took the time to actually look to see how the light comes in my apartment. I was pretty excited over the above picture and was very pleased with my discovery over the lighting. Is this making sense to anyone? My brain is like a bowl of noodles these days (Ha! Vallery! Remember that analogy!? Except my bowl is pretty huge and the amount of noodles in it is a lot- which is terrible for sorting through things.)
I had been wanting to get better shots of Lydia for a while (well, she's only been around for about 10 days, so maybe "a while" is relative, haha). As I said before, the first set of shots today were flat, but the second set took place after I fed her. I just so happened to get a few shots of her smiling! The first few she had red mark on her upper lip from breastfeeding, but I think the last couple shots I got of her turned out ok. You can still see the red above her lip, but I think it's ok. I managed to sneak in a quick shot of her cute smile, and that would not have happened with my point and shoot- which makes me love my dSLR even more! :D

And one other thing to mention, I guess, is that I try not to post the same shots on here that I do on facebook, but find myself wanting to just do the same picture for both places. I'm still giving much thought to joining Flickr, but then afraid it's overdoing it on social networking...? I guess I feel like I'm cluttering up my facebook with tons of photo albums. It's mostly for family, but after a while, it just seems like a lot.

Sweet Tiny

So, thinking about the last post, and realized how much I didn't mean to sound like a whiner. Honestly, it all depends on how tired I feel. Perhaps I shouldn't update so close to bedtime.

Quick Update

No pictures for today :(

Things are still trying to get settled. We still have boxes to unpack upstairs, but downstairs is pretty much done. I just need to get motivated to hang my pictures up.

It's been really crazy these past six weeks. There's still some things we need to do: Pay bills, vehicle inspection, doctor appointments, Tricare crap... Ugh. Tricare. You have left a really bad taste in my mouth as of lately. I'm hoping once we get settled with a consistent doctor (or at least clinic to go to) that it will get better. It's amazing how much run around I get from these people and am getting sick of it. It really makes me miss Great Lakes and how easy it was up there. WAIT! Don't think such thoughts!! Great Lakes- Stinkin long winters, ghetto-ness, dirty old Mexican men checking you out at Walmart- Remember!?!? Yes, yes, I remember. I just miss being familiar with something, and the longer we are here, the more comfortable I will feel about everything. I try to not be so hasty about it all, but am so eager to just settle right in.

On another note, my body is slowly getting back to normal. I'm pretty sure I can get down to my pre-pregnancy weight in no time. The delivery this go around was SO much easier (I can't even begin to tell you how much better it was) and definitely contributes to my body healing quicker.

Adjusting to the new baby has been interesting as well. Victoria has had more potty accidents this past couple of days than she's ever had in a while. It's frustrating. Which, I counted on the fact that this could happen, but was really hoping it wouldn't. She cannot stand it when I'm doing something with Lydia. It's just constant wanting for my attention (as well as Jesse's attention)- even when I'm not feeding Lydia. I'm just praying this will end soon and we'll find our groove with her, and get settled into routine. It breaks my heart to see her act this way and is equally as hard to not get upset when she acts out.
Ok. I lied. I couldn't help myself. This was taken yesterday. :)

So, in a nutshell, there's still boxes to be rid of, doctor appointments to attend, a naughty two year old to stay attentive to, my body still a little sore from giving birth, and making sure I get enough sleep so I don't feel emotionally exhausted. I'm still waiting for things to slow down, and sometimes they feel fine. I guess it just depends on how tired I am. I have a good husband that's been wonderful to me throughout all of this. He's pretty great. I would have completely lost it had he not gotten here when he did.

Guess it really wasn't "quick update". haha

Lydia

:)

Feeling so Anxious

I realize I already put all of these on facebook, but wanted to share one on here anyway. I've been having contractions again today, but doesn't seem like they are getting any worse. I'm ready to get the birth over with and finally hold my new tiny and see that she's healthy and ok. Usually, I am careful to pick between the two words- Eager and Anxious. Eager seems like something you are absolutely looking forward to and anxious, well, isn't it more of feeling some anxiety? Not excited about giving birth, but I know I can do it, so really feel like anxious is the better word. I'm anxious about birth, but eager to hold her. My mind is a mess. Sorry if this doesn't make sense.

After I got tired of walking around in circles in the apartment for couple hours while counting contractions, I got Victoria out to take pictures. I've been using the flash more these days. It's funny because I would think being outside you wouldn't need the flash, but seeing the difference, I realize how what exactly it does for my photos. I still feel like my shots are coming off a little soft. I know I've mentioned this before about the focus. Just feel like some of the photos aren't as crisp as I would like them. I've used the select focus and it's helped some. Anyway, I'll get it down eventually, I suppose.

For this particular shot, ISO 800, 1/160 sec, and f5/8. Guess I had the ISO up so I could have a faster shutter speed to avoid camera shake and all. The flash was used as well.

Homemade Stuffs

Here's a couple items that were given at the baby shower. I'm such a sucker for tiny shoes- well, any shoes, I should say. haha The elephant was crochet as well as the pink and white hats. They are just so cute! The bird blanket looking thing is actually breast feeding cover! I thought that was really nice. The zebra print on the bottom is a really cute dress. There were other items that were given, but I especially loved the homemade items. Just so cute!

Fall

Pretty Cake

Had the baby shower today! It was fun and very surprising how many people showed up. It was so much more than I could ask for and just confirmed that I have been blessed so incredibly much.

I really wanted to take time to take pictures of the food and set up, but we were 45 minutes late getting there. Once I got there, I pretty much handed off my camera and let someone else take the shots. Most of them turned out pretty interesting to say the least. Anyway, the entire thing was just really nice and the cake was beautiful! I just can't say it enough, it was so much more than I could have asked for.

What color do you like?

In the attempt to not watch so much tv, this was the activity we went for tonight. She wanted to play with my markers last night when I had them out. These markers aren't the normal kid markers, so I'm trying to make sure they don't get damaged. She has her own markers somewhere, but I can't find them at the moment. Markers aren't exactly something I want her to have such easy access to anyway.

She loves trying to trace her hand. She's starting to draw more and tell me what the objects are in her pictures, which I love. She drew a snake, a caterpillar, rain, and water.

Today is also Jesse's first duty day. This is actually his first duty day in a really long time. He hasn't had consistent duty days since last December and even then it was every four days. So, this really isn't bad. I'll take it!

I think we are feeling a little more settled. Our bedrooms still have boxes that need unpacked, but the downstairs is pretty much done except for hanging up pictures.

I am starting to want to get out to take pictures, but we currently only have one vehicle. I guess even if I had a vehicle, I probably wouldn't get out much for fear of going into labor while out. Not likely to happen, I know, but still... It will happen soon enough.

We're also getting a couple visitors tomorrow! Yay!

Baking

I've been in the mood to bake. A lot. We went to the store, and I came home with more stuff to bake than actual meals for dinner. Today I baked chocolate chip cookies (and had them ready for my love when he got home from the DMV), and also baked honey bran and blueberry muffins.

Since Vallery has been talking about baking pies so much lately, I think it inspired me to bake too. Only, my stuff is straight from the box (yus! haha). I'm kind of cheating. It's more special when you do from scratch. Perhaps someday I'll finally stop being lazy about it and make stuff from scratch. I see those magazines in the check out aisle that look so cool with the homemade stuff, and have always wanted to try it, but never do. Maybe with having more kids, I'll get on the ball and learn so it'll make it special for the holidays. Until then- I'll just get the boxed stuff! :D

Almost There!

Now that it is close time to having this new baby, I've been thinking a lot of back when Victoria was born. It's amazing to think how much she is growing up and how fast it is going by. She's a lot of fun right now and it's so easy to want to spoil her just to see the happiness in her eyes. Today I came across some pictures taken of her not too long after she was born and just to see how much her face changed kind of took me back. I'm happy she is growing up and all, but sad at the same time. Does that make any sense? Who knows if I make sense anymore anyway.

I'll be happy to hold a new tiny soon enough and am very curious to see how Victoria will do once the bundle of joy comes home. It's all exciting and it all makes me nervous at the same time. One thing at a time. One day at a time. Today was a good day of rest and happy we made progress with unpacking. With each box that gets thrown outside empty, I have this feeling of relief that it's one less we have to open and deal with.

Shower of Babies!

I have to admit, I really was not expecting this at all! The people at church have jumped right in to offer help and we've only been here for a couple of weeks. The kindness in other people have yet to fail me. I am so thankful for everyone who has shown and expressed support throughout all of this even though I've proven to be pansy through most of it. It really means a lot to me!

CRABS!!!

Captain George kicked my butt. YUM!

Counting Contractions

Tonight we made some sugar cookies. She was so excited! She was very eager to stir them in the bowl and patiently waited for them to bake. When it was time to decorate, it was hard for her to keep her fingers out of the orange icing. We pretty much ate what we decorated, but don't worry! There are plenty more :)

Also am having contractions. They are a little more uncomfortable than before, and have been going on for the past few hours, but haven't gotten any worse. I am currently being forced to stay off my feet and am gladly doing so since it's more uncomfortable to stand (which can help labor right along anyway).

We are also having some family visiting this weekend. They are currently on their way, so perhaps if this baby decides to have its birthday this weekend, it would be of great convenience! Guess we'll see how it goes.

Slacking Slacker Who Slacks

So... Things are still a little up in the air, but finally getting settled some. We've been in epic battle with ants and that has slowed down unpacking some, but after today's visit from pest control, I'm hoping we've finally won this one. It's annoying to deal with. I did take a couple pictures today, but the camera is downstairs and frankly- I just don't feel like getting it. I'll be so happy once my body gets back to normal and not get a tight cramp just going up and down the stairs.

Like I said, things are slowly coming together. I've discovered one thing I hate about moving is having to hook up the washer and dryer. When we made the move to Great Lakes, I was the one that hooked everything up (even had to change out the prong to plug in the wall) and got it working great. This time, I couldn't. We ended up having to get another exhaust pipe for the dryer because the one I had (which worked GREAT) was way too big. This new one. UGH. I've already had to restart a load about three times to get it dried. We're going to have to figure something out.

Still not sure exactly what Jesse's schedule is going to be like, but I have the assurance that he's not going anywhere from Norfolk for a while. That alone is very comforting. I don't think I can say it enough to him how nice it is to have him home. There are still details to be worked out, but at least he's here.

I haven't pressured myself to do too much around the apartment, but this whole moving-so-late-into-my-pregnancy thing is terrible for the side of me that wants to nest. That's the understatement of the century, really.

"Look at my snow globe!"

Jesse got this for Victoria from San Diego. She loves it :)

He's Home!

So, I have something I want to take a picture of, but didn't get to it today. Not that it's anything special, but was something I want get a shot of. It's been a busy past couple of days. My love came home today :) The poor guy was so tired from having to fly all night. When he got in, we went straight to the ship and he got checked in, and then we got kind of lost trying to find out way back home. Obviously, we made it. I just happened to get off at the right exit. Funny thing is, the exit we got off of (And Vallery, this will probably make you laugh) I had recognized immediately because I got lost trying to find WalMart. There is a Bojangles right across from WalMart and that's where we wanted to go.

So yeah, good day. :) There were plenty of smiles to go around (except when I was driving and getting mad because we were getting mixed up with where to go).

Such a Mess!

Things are still crazy around the apartment. Today I opened a few boxes. I officially unpacked one whole box- it had towels and Victoria's tv. lol I got a hold of some Disney VHS tapes for her to watch and needed her tv/vcr player. I did open a couple boxes in the kitchen in hopes to find my plates, but have not had such luck. They could be in one of the boxes I cracked open, but everything single item is wrapped up in paper. It was actually pretty amusing. Earlier, I found the paper towel holder with an empty paper towel roll on it. Had to laugh at that one because it was packed with it and wrapped up in their paper. Slowly but surely we'll get things set up. I'm happy to have my stuff, but will be happier once it's settled.

Mental Block

Sometimes I can't think straight to save my life. No pictures for today. The events from the last week or so have left me tired with a big fog in my head. I'm hoping things will clear up soon.

On a better note, on my way of not being able to find Panera (which I did finally find it) I found some other favorite spots of mine that are here! Five Guys and can't remember what else was on 21st Street. Anyway, I'm trying to remember what is where as I get turned around looking for things. Found Bojangles across from Walmart- which makes Jesse happy, OH! And there's a Cold Stone near Panera! Perhaps I've been thinking less about photography and more about food. Getting turned around has its advantages like finding those tempting treats, but then it kind of wastes gas too. And here's to a semi sporadic post. I need to get my camera out and take pictures. that would make me feel better, I think.

Special Delivery!

I had my alarm set for 8:30am to get up and call these people to see when they were going to deliver my stuff. I heard the Star Spangled Banner played early this morning and thought that I needed to check the time and get up, but then fell back asleep. Before I knew it, I heard a big truck outside and immediately knew it was them. Checked the time and it was 8:28. NICE! Just felt kind of bad that I wasn't ready to answer the door. Our stuff made it though! I haven't cracked into it, but every box and item has been accounted for. Let's just hope nothing is broke.

Tomorrow I'm finally going to get myself out and get my Tricare stuff taken care of and hopefully have an OB/GYN to go to. I'm due for a dr appt this week, so hoping it won't take long to set up. I keep thinking that once things settle then I'll be able to get out and explore, but I don't know when I'll actually feel settled. Just happy to have my stuff and it definitely feels more like home now. Even if it is still in boxes- at least it's here now!

NorfoRk

Soooo... I MADE IT! Don't have pictures to post (Well, I do, but they are all on FB). I want to start new on this, but don't know where to start and such. Still waiting on furniture, but it should get delivered tomorrow. I know it's going to drive me nutty to sit among boxes and not be able to do much about it. I'm ready to feel settled for a moment again. Not sure when things will go back to normal. I realize I am going through two life changing events at once- moving and having a baby. Seems like it all has to happen at once. God doesn't give you more than you can handle. That's a fact. I still have concerns going through my mind, but it's getting better from here. I'll get my husband back on Saturday morning and am very excited for him to be home.

PS. My dad (don't know if he realizes this or not) keeps calling it Norfork.

She Wanted Her Picture Taken

Who was I to say no!?

Silver Run Road

Went out on adventure today that ended up with me shaking like a scared little kitten. I thought it would be fun to try a new road and was hoping I would end up on top of a hill with a great lookout. This road started out paved... and then it turned to gravel... and then it turned to mud... and I kept on going. I then came to the end of this particular road and had three ways to chose from. How exciting! So, I turn right. It looked tame enough. So, up this hill I go. Me and Victoria exploring the back roads of West Virginia. I then found myself going uphill slinging mud behind me and a little bit of sliding, but nothing major, right? Victoria was enjoying the ride. She was in the back giggling and chatting away.

And you know, I had thought to myself early on that it probably wasn't a good idea to just go on some road that didn't even have gravel, but I just thought maybe something inspiring would come up and I would pat myself on the back for satisfying photos.

I finally got to the point that it was looking too muddy for me to continue, so I turned around. I start going down my first hill a little too fast and start sliding. Ok. No big deal. I can handle it. Well, I kept sliding and finally came to a stop with the vehicle facing the left side. Thankfully, there were no ditches or cliffs, but it was enough that I nearly (ok, I did) freaked out. What do I do? Do I back up? What if I keep sliding? What if it flips the vehicle over (ok, not likely to happen, but I was in a jeep and scared out of my mind)? Do I back up? Do I try to straighten up? So, I called a friend- I was completely amazed I had cell phone service out here, but I was so far UP that it picked up a signal- and Sarah helped me calm down. I kept her on the phone until I got straightened out and then made the rest of the way down SLOWLY. I don't think I'm ever going to venture up this road again. Victoria was giggling the whole time. She thought the sliding and bumpy road was fun.

So, yeah. Maybe it wasn't that bad, but thinking about it still freaks me out a little bit. I have no experience driving in conditions such as that and learned that I don't think I'll ever try it again. I said a quick thank you prayer and got back on the paved road.

My Little Model

Haven't really had the time to actually get out and take pictures around WV, but have been getting a lot of just family. I know I've posted her picture a lot lately. Hopefully I'll finally get out and do some more scenic stuff. Just seems like time is not on my side these days.

El Ranchero

Went to eat at our favorite Mexican place for lunch today. I got a few pictures as well. It was a really low lighting in there and this was the first time I had shot in full manual and set the flash. Normally, I would have just set it on auto and let the camera do the work. I guess I kinda feel like it looks like that's what I did anyway- not that there's anything wrong with that, but just wondering if there was a better way of doing it that I'm missing or if there's not much else you can do. Not that it's a big deal. Just curious.

Clif

"Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears..."

One Last Hoorah

This picture was actually taken yesterday. Victoria and I went on base to take a couple last pictures.This was taken today once I handed over the keys. We are currently on our way to WV and made a stop for the night. We are all very tired and maybe that's why I'm kind of throwing out random thoughts at the moment. Anyway, it's bittersweet to leave Great Lakes. That part of our journey is over for now and we're on to the next! A new place to live and a new baby... I'm a little overwhelmed, but one thing at a time, right?

"It's a BIG truck!"

Got loaded up today. Everything was fine until I watched them pull off with all my stuff. I have to admit that maybe I am being pansy about it, but I did tear up a little when everything was getting hauled off. I guess it just felt like a complete lack of control. Not that I have that valuable of earthly belongings, and I have all that I need right now packed in the car, but just scary seeing people you've never met before be in control of you everything you own. Anyway, this is my first time ever doing this and I'm sure the next go around (hopefully I won't be huge prego) will be easier and less hormonal.
She, of course, was very excited to see the big truck parked in front of our place. They took apart the table and beds today as well, and she was concerned about that- but especially when they started loading it in the truck. "Where'd the table go!?" Poor thing... Just doesn't quite get it yet, but I know she'll be ok. She knows her things are missing ("WHERE'S MY BED!?") and we've been explaining to her that it's on its way to Virginia and that we'll see it again. We still have a couple days in Great Lakes though. We made one last trip to Big Ed's Barbecue with the Browns. I think once this is done with, I'll make another moving album on facebook to put more pictures for family to see.

In camera news- I saw a quick tutorial about how to use the flash to your camera without washing out the picture. I guess you can set the exposure manually and then pop up the flash and still get the ambient lighting in the background of your photo. So, I've been trying this with more recent shots and have been more pleased with them. It has been fun experimenting with this and I've been taking shots with the flash and without the flash. Just interesting to compare. I'm hoping this is one step closer to being done with Auto, but shooting this way I'm having to slow the shutter speed down a lot. Perhaps this is something I'll continue to practice and learn when I need to use the flash and how bright it needs to be. It's something I do want to get better with. I feel like pictures look a little more polished this way...? Or I could be over thinking it because it seems to be a trend with me lately.

I'm getting cut off from internets tomorrow. Not happy to lose it, but I will be leaving Great Lakes on Thursday after my dr apt. I'm hoping whatever hotel we stop at on the way to WV will have online access that's free. Anyway, if not, wish me luck! I've got a long drive ahead of me and a list of things to do once I get to VA. Here's a start of a new chapter!

BOXES

So. Today was the day for our stuff to get put in boxes by people I've never met before. I have to be honest, I was a bit nervous about it. I mean, these people are pretty much going through our stuff. I didn't exactly tidy up for them either. Anyway, here's before pictures. It's proof I didn't really clean. lol BUT! I did get some of the trash and clutter away before they came- I just didn't do for real cleaning like I should have. OH well.



She was very curious about what was going on. She kept going up to them asking, "What are you doing!?" It was funny and cute at first, but then it got old. She kept asking and kept asking. I finally took her outside to play with her chalk and then watched videos online and such.



And there you have it, kids. I didn't lift a finger. It still felt weird to just kind of sit there while they were packing. What do people normally do when this is going on? I did grab a bite to eat early on, but that was the only time I left. It was just weird. I mean, I could get used to it, I suppose, but this being the first time- just glad it's done with. There's still some little things here and there I'll have to deal with, but I guess for not having to do 95% of the work, I'll take it.

I should also add: I really loved this apartment. I'm so very sad to leave it. I'm sure the one in Norfolk will do, but this one in particular was just nice. So, here we go! The hard part is over with the exception of making the drive to east coast. As of this evening, I'll have help again. We'll be leaving here shortly to pick up "Nanner" from the airport and I will be very happy for the extra help along with a familiar face. Fun times still to be had and lots of pictures to take along the way! Woohoo!