Balloon hullabaloo.....................

While I was photographing Susannah, Sam came along with his helium balloon and barged into the studio...in front of the lights bashing the balloon around and running about...I snapped away but didn't get any great pics because he was too violent and fast (lol) but you can see how much fun he was having :) he had drawn all over his neck and arms with pen and had poured water all down his clothes so was running around in just a vest :) life is never dull with Sam around!

Little poser................

Susannah says her favourite thing to do is have her picture taken...so she asked me to take some pictures of her and I happily obliged..............

Waaahhhhhh!!!!

Oh My Goodness..what did my Mother do to my hair???????????? Maybe if I put on some dark shades no one will recognise me!!!!

Thursday....going good :)

I am in high spirits today :) its been fun here this morning......busy! More of that later....

Last night was date night.......we don't like to leave the children long so we gave them an early supper and then headed to Joey Tomato's for a quick dinner. It was so nice :) Life has been busy since we got back from Banff so it was lovely to have a few hours with just Lloyd :) Joeys was fairly quiet. Our waitress was really nice....she has only been in Edmonton for two weeks...moved from Vancouver Island.....her parents are British and she has been to England many times so we chatted a lot. I ordered the Maple Glazed Salmon with Alfredo pasta and golden beets! I am a vegetable lover :) I don't think a vegetable exists that I don't like! But I had never even heard of golden beets.......they are like small yellow beetroots and are soooooo YUMMY! Dinner was wonderful...wow the salmon was good! And Lloyd and I chatted and laughed and it was just really nice. We grabbed coffee afterwards and were home by 8pm but it didn't feel rushed at all :)

This morning I woke up and went into the childrens bathroom .....I found blood everywhere and bloody tissues all over the counter............on investigation it turned out that Abby had had a nose bleed.......she was very clean and fine though by then and had dealt with it herself...she told me...."Its ok Mom, I pushed my brains back in!' roflmao she's too funny :)

So today...what have we done? I played Boggle with CHris and Susie, and then played connect four with Sam and Susie (he loves putting the pieces in!!) Abigail made butterflies at the table and decorated them with glitter glue...very pretty! She played with the math manipulatives too.........Laurie spent some time on the computer............Chris designed a psychology test for Susie and Laurie using music to see if it would distract them from answering a set of questions...he learnt that Laurie didn't get distracted but thast Susie takes after me and was very distracted by the noise!!! I can't think with background noise and I can't focus on a telephone call with background noise either....I'd be hopeless in an open-plan office!!!!

Susie played on the typing program Chris designed for her..........Laurie did some of his Write Now book....

I dealt with what seemed like hundreds of PM's and Emails about booking Christmas pictures...........sent my portfolio to several people and answered lots of questions. I tried to phone my Mum but no answer...........I now have to wait until after 8pm their time or I will call in the middle of Coronation Street lol!

Susie wanted me to take pictures of her so I did that and caught a few of Sam playing with a balloon.....I haven't looked at them yet! I cut his hair this morning and he looks so cute!! So grown up...but even more like a little sod ;)

The girls are now playing with balloons...............Abigail learnt the Lucky Star song and dance from Dan the Music Man........she performed for me :)

Lloyd went into work late again today so we got to have coffee together again :) I love that!

I've been asked to take some Maternity pictures....this really excites me because I love how artistic maternity pictures can look.........I'm going to get a black backdrop for some I think and try various different styles from wispy and natural to arty black and white! Well I guess I have to wait and see what the client wants but I am very excited to try! To even be asked...

Well I think we will walk to the mail box now and then I will look at the pictures I took today and add them here later..........

Where is everyone???? I don't get many comments any more and no one is updating their blogs regularly!!!! Maybe no one reads any more :(

I should have breakfast...its 1pm and I have yet to eat today! Lloyd told me to eat earlier but I don't seem to have had time...off to have breakfast!

A rose by any other name..................

The roses that Lloyd gave me yesterday..............

For my Sister Clare................

http://darylbenson.com/

My sister Clare has this 'thing' about meeting famous people...she likes to have her picture taken with them, get their autograph/ signed book and give them a kiss!!!! Wah!!!! we are soooo different lol but it is fun to see the pictures! She has kissed Alan Titchmarsh, Handy Andy...among others and next week is going to see Gordon Ramsey (from Kitchen Nightmares and Hells Kitchen) as he is signing books in her town. So she will get a kiss and a picture :)

Anyway, we were talking about this and I said that the only person I had any interest in meeting was Daryl Benson...the photographer from Sherwood Park who is my IDOL!!!! My Mum had given me the money for his book while visiting last year and I wnated to wait for a book signing.....well earlier this year (I know I've blogged this before) he was signing books at Costco and I was soooooo excited!! I walked past him twice all nervous before gettingt he courage to go and chat with him about photography, cameras, his book etc etc..............

I didn't ask for a kiss and I didn't get my picture because that just isn't my kind of thing but I got my book signed and got to talk photography with a hero!!!!

Brotherly love.................

On Sunday evening Sam fell asleep on his brother while watching tv....poor Laurie wasn't comfortable at all but didn't move because his brother was sleeping so soundly!!!

At the salon.................

The other day the girls decided to give their Barbies highlights...............blue streaks in their hair......and then this became an 'all over tan' for Barbie and then they started tattooing them with paint :) they had so much fun transforming their dolls with this washable paint...and then they get to bath them too :) I think the brunette was too nervous to have any treatments at all ;)

pictures to visit..............

Tasha has posted a few of th epictures I took of her family on her blog...she doesn't have all the pictures yet and they are unedited.......but you can see them at:

http://party-of-five-.blogspot.com/

And Tasha I found the little photo stick I promised you, so I will mail it separately ;) It WAS in that drawer...hidden under endless clutter (which is now gone lol)

No time to blog.............

....................or write! Carla I haven't even started a reply to your wonderful let...forgive me!!! I ahd no idea this business would take off in the way it has! Lloyd keeps telling me that things will calm down and we will get into a routine but for now it just seems crazy!

On the good side, I am too busy to think about food lol.......I have to be reminded to eat so this is a good thing :) Hopefully I will shed a few pounds before January!!!!

Lloyd came home early yesterday...he didn't sleep the night before so he finished work at 3pm and came home....with a GORGEOUS bouquet of roses for me..............why??? Because it has been a while since he bought me flowers......Christopher laughs and calls me spoilt and I laugh because it has been a while.............at least a MONTH!!!!! lol I am too spoilt!!! The roses are gorgeous...I will take pictures!

He also picked up a coffee for me on the way home :)

How on earth did I get so lucky???????????? Lloyd I love you! He said they are yellow for friendship because I'm his best friend, but the tips of the roses are red for love :) Or passion :) I really am the luckiest lady alive :) He is such a sweetheart!

Lloyd slept in this morning and had coffee with me before going into work for 9:30. It was really nice to spend time with him this morning,......normally he leaves between and 5am and 6am and I kind of grunt goodbye through the darkness as he leaves.......then I roll over and continue snoring :) lol! Isn't HE lucky!!!!!! :)

So this morning I have cleared out my drawers beside the computer...I am normally so organized but lately I haven't had time so I have been cramming everything in. Now they are neat and sorted and my desk is clear again. I have had two new bookings for photo shoots come through this morning. Thats wonderful! Its so nice to put faces to names! The pictures from last weekend are all done and go in the mail to the clients today!

I played several games of Boggle with Susie this morning. I've vacuumed all the main floor. The children have been building with Lego and using the computer.

Abigail drew a picture of me at Elk Island Park....... Sam played with the Lego and is now in bed napping.

Yesterday there was no homeschool group as Parents Place has no home right now. This is something that annoys me...its down to money AGAIN. The rent has been increased beyond anything Parents Place can afford. On the news today they were talking about Landlords raising their rental fees HUGELY. One lady said she had a letter yesterday to say her rent for her 2 bed apartment will go up by $245 a month in January! How are people supposed to live?????? I think that is staggering and unfair....people are just getting greedy because of the thriving Alberta economy and they are forgetting that not everyone is benefitting from the boom.

So yes, no homeschool group yesterday. We took Chris to work and then went to the library, the mall, to All That Jazz to get Susie a black skirt and tights for tapdancing class and then we went to the thrift Store 'County Clothesline'. I love that place! I bought two sweatshirts for me for walking the dogs..........some clothes for the children and a handbag (purse) with embroidered butterflies on it for Susie. Abby then found these hilarious bright yellow sunglasses that look crazy on her but we HAD to buy them!!!

Home for lunch and then Nancy phoned to alter the time of her photo shoot and we ended up talking for AGES......and then my sister phoned from England and was on the phone chatting for AGES so I got very little work done....I had wanted to be finished by the time Lloyd got home but it didn't happen...but it was nice chatting. My sister has a son called Isaac who is 5 and much like Abigail (hard work lol) so we find it hilarious that the new hurricane is called Hurricane Isaac!!!!!

I went to check the mail box and found a big parcel from my parents. The COOLEST socks for me - I will have to take a photograph!!!! They are very bright and tall!!! socks for Lloyd, comics for Laurie, an English flag for Susie, knickers (yes knickers Christie NOT panties lol) for Abigail and some recipes and a few other things inside...Lauries comic came with a boomerang so he went straight out to play with that! My Mum is away with my other sister (they go walking every September but this year were going visiting some extended family) so I will phone tomorrow and thank them for the parcel.

On Monday we got a big parcel from the Canadian Space Agency (Laura take note!!!) I emailed them last week and asked for any help with a space project before heading down to NASA and they sent a pack with two CD's, a jigsaw, stickers, tattooos, bookmarks, posters, booklets.............its brilliant!!!!!! :) Thank you space agency people!!!!!!

I need to take some pictures of MY family and add them...its been a while!!!

Blog of the day!!!

Wow, I got this comment last night....I made blog of the day :) How cool is that??? And for my pictures :)

"Great blog! I've added a link to your blog on Blog of the Day under the category of Photo. To view the feature of your blog, please visit http://blogoftheday.org/page/112522 "


Feeling very proud!!

Sunday stuff.....

Lloyd cooked dinner today......roast chicken, roast potatoes, veg, gravy......it was wonderful :) delicious!!! I love that he takes my new job so seriously and just naturally falls into the pattern of equal responsibility at home.

I had two photo shoots today......both families with young children. Lloyd took my young children into town this morning to get some groceries....we really need to get to Costco but we just haven't had time for ages......so we made do with a few groceries from Sobeys instead. So while they were shopping, I did a shoot this morning and started prepping the pictures for CD. The little boys I photographed this morning were just so sweet :) they were a little camera shy until they started to have fun in the fallen leaves!

After that, when Lloyd was home, he drove me into town for a few things and then home for lunch....and this afternoon I photographed some friends :) their children had a blast in the leaves.....that was so much fun!!! We did some pictures in various places outside and then headed down to the studio for some indoor shots............I hope they like their pictures!!! I will wait and see if this afternoons clients mind me posting one or two ;)

After the shoot I relaxed in the bath to try and get rid of a headache and then we had dinner. This evening Lloyd and I are going to get the children into bed and then sit out by the fire for a while with mugs of tea! While he was finishing dinner I made his lunch for tomorrow so thats all done :) and now before the children go to bed I am off to do some laundry :)

And thats my Sunday for this week really.......

Weighing in...................

I weighed in this morning. I've lost 4.1lbs which I'm pleased with, BUT Aunt Flo arrived today so 4.1lbs when I have had PMS is REALLY good :) so yes! I am feeling pleased with myself!

I am treating myself tonight with a big glass of wine :) And thats ok because for much of today I was too busy to eat :) maybe thats the secret of being slim.....get a job!!!! :)

I was thinking today...so few of my friends have good relationships or marriages...these days I always feel like an oddity because Lloyd and I are so close and so happy together.....but today I met a couple who just seem so happy and so in love. It was wonderfull refreshing to see :)

As of today, I am a working Mom!!!! All be it a work-at-home mom! Lloyd made a joke about being in shock because its the first day of work for me in .....many years......lol! Actually he said in 34 years!!!!! hahahahaha sooooo funny! Rolle eyes!!! Anyway I joked that as I have been working all day he should cook dinner! So he did! :)

So my first photo shoot has been done....I've learnt a few things and I've gained a lot of confidence. All the pictures are on CD ready to go to the client and I am really pleased with them :) The studio pictures especially!

All in all a very good, yet exhausting, day!!

How cute is he?????????????

This little guy has me in stitches right now!!! I am going through the pictures I took today and I can't stop laughing because in between the GORGEOUS poses like the one above are these pictures where he is pulling the funniest faces...like fish faces and grouchy faces.........

Thanks little guy, you are making this part of the job much more fun!!!!

I did it!!!

I did my first photo shoot today...for strangers............and they weren't actually that strange ;) Kyliesmom very kindly offered to lend me her family today so that I could practice on them.....I wanted a family that I hadn't met but 'kind of' knew.......

Thank you soooo much Susan for coming over.....it was so great to meet you all! I hope I have created some pictures for you to treasure.

Susan kindly said I could add a few pictures to my portfolio....and my blog!!!!! So here you are, just a few of the pictures I took this afternoon............please remember these pictures are 'as is' - I haven't edited out shadows or anything yet!

Susan is so pretty and so nice and her children......wow.....Kylie is just such a beautiful young lady....so elegant!!! And Jake :) he's such a character :) he was brilliant for the camera and I will never hear the words 'stinky cheese' again without thinking of him!

Thanks so much guys!