homework

I think I am going to like Morgan's teacher.

She sent home a homework folder this week with all of the homework assignments for the whole month on a calendar so we know what to plan for and what to work on.

Hello - planning mommy's dream!

Today's assignment was to draw a picture of your teacher and write her name.

This is what Morgan did...

He was dead set thinking that he was supposed to describe his teacher.

You win some, you lose some!

(and you make them write the real answer below the answer that you know will crack the teacher up)

Oh, and did I mention that he uses crazy synonymously with silly...

yeah, I should probably share that tidbit with his teacher...

Also - he is a little obsessed with fingers!

ramen

being married to Seth is like a wonderful surprise every day!

I never quite know what he is going to do or say next,

and at the same time, he is constant, reliable, and wonderful!

It is kind of perfect!

Yesterday, the UPS man dropped off a big box.

Usually I am the cause of these boxes,

but occasionally, Seth orders something without telling me

(usually something from Shirt Woot! to wear on "stupid shirt Sunday").

But, this large box had me wondering, so I opened it up,

and much to my surprise found this...

from Amazon.com

At first, I thought it must be some weirdo fraudulent charge,

especially because Seth has made it quite clear to me (a number of times) that he does NOT like top ramen...to the extent that I have not bought it once since we have been married even though the kids love it.

So I called him.

"Do you have any idea why you would be getting a giant box of ramen bowls from amazon.com?"

"Oh, yeah. ...I ordered it."

"But you don't even like top ramen..."

"I think I do now...plus these are korean...and they were on sale"

OK, hun, whatever you say!

Enjoy your ramen bowls!

Well,

today I took little miss Chloe to her preschool open house

and I have 2 things to say

1. heaven help me not to go completely crazy this year dealing with her super disorganized teacher

2. heaven help that teacher to be able to deal with Chloe's big personality

That's all!

torn

as I add all of the pictures to the project 365 blog and kick myself for all of the picture filled posts that are not making it onto this blog in a timely fashion, I keep asking myself "why?"

Well, friends, I have the answer!

So in my real life, I am a mommy, wife, friend, woman, daughter, sister, -in law, etc.

...and now a photographer.

And that's great! I have happy clients who keep on coming back, and I LOVE what I do!

BUT, with that comes pressure.

Pressure that every picture I post on here is supposed to be "professional quality".

And, as a result, I feel torn - torn between two identities.

Confused about which hat I am wearing when I post on my blogs

(probably because I have too darn many - blogs, and hats)!

So, this is my declaration

(and as I type this I am reminded of a certain episode from The Office

where Michael Scott declares bankruptcy - so feel free to imagine that tone)

 mostly for me because I seem to need permission for things like this:

I declare this my professional photographer perfectionist free zone!

The pictures on this blog are taken by Jen - a mommy, wife, friend, woman, daughter, sister, in-law, etc. Sure, I also happen to be a professional photographer, but I just don't have the time to professionally photograph and edit my life the way I do for my clients! Of course, I am still me and my pictures are my pictures and that doesn't change because I am not out on a shoot. Of course I am still going to be applying my knowledge of shooting in manual and composition and lighting. But my life isn't perfectly planned to have the wonderful moments of our lives happening only during the perfect light in the evening, and my house doesn't have nearly enough windows or big enough rooms, and my kids quite frequently have goobies all over their face and messy bed-head hair, and I occasionally get my camera settings wrong or my focus off (gasp!), but that doesn't mean I shouldn't share those moments, right (and yes, please feel free to reassure me that this is ok)!

So, with that, I share some back to school pics...

not beautifully edited or painstakingly selected...

just my favorite shots as they are!
Maybe I will edit them at some point and post the more wonderful versions of them,
but for now, this is it! Enjoy!

the actual first day of school - after school when the sun came out!

the second day of school - before school - notice the big gash on Morgan's

forehead from falling down the stairs in the picture above - such is life!

(sorry about the watermarks - I changed some settings on my upload process

and didn't realize it and I am too lazy to reupload)

Update!

I finally did some serious catch up on the Project 365 blog! Go check it out to see the latest!

Fall Mini Sessions

I announced these on my photography blog a while back and meant to post it here, but just never quite got around to it, so now that we are only a few weeks away, I am finally posting it here! This is the last mini-session I will be running this year and I don't have any on my agenda until until late spring next year, so if you have been wanting to do a mini-session, now is the time to book it!

Plus - it comes with a custom designed Christmas card - woo hoo!

Can you believe that it is already time to start thinking about Christmas Cards? I sure can't!

Call me at 801-560-3634 or email me at smileabunch @ gmail.com to book your session.

Find all the details below!

Hail

This morning at 6:30 the hail was beating down on my house forbidding me from sleeping those last 20 minutes before I really had to wake up and get everyone in the house ready for school. Some people would think...I hope my tomato plants survive this torrential rain, or why can't this hail shut up so I can go back to sleep, or too bad the hubs is already up and getting ready for work because morning rainstorms are the best for cuddling...but not me, I was thinking...

dang, this is really going to screw up all of my fabulous plans for today's first day of school pictures...

please clear up by the time we need to leave!

It didn't, and all of my hopes for first day of school excitement photos were shot as I juggled two little hands, an umbrella and a little lady on my hip as we got soaked walking across a puddle-ridden parking lot taking Morgan into school for his first day!

Luckily we caught a few cute pictures after school before Morgan decided to

bif it down concrete stairs and get a giant ding on his forehead...

I promise to share the pictures soon, but just thought I'd share the update in the meantime!

today...

Every time I open internet explorer and my blog pops up on tab #2 (to remind me to update it) I stress because I haven't updated in forever...and then I feel bad that I have been posting business stuff and no family stuff...and then I feel bad that I haven't read anyone's blog in...well, ages! So, I took the evening (because it is Sunday and I don't do any of my "work" on Sunday) to catch up on blogs! Love catching up with everyone's lives - sorry I didn't leave comments - dozens and dozens of blogs with numerous posts each meant a lot of reading on my part!

So, that brings me here...lots and lots and lots to share and say and show, but I am just going to brain dump and tell you what is on my mind today...
- This semester is going to be rough. Lots of changes happening in Seth's department, so everything is a little disorganized, but the expectations are going to be pretty high and the workload is heavy. If it is even possible, we will see him less this semester than any one before. Feel free to send your prayers our way ! :)
- My little baby boy starts kindergarten tomorrow...what? He is so excited he can't even stand it! The new school clothes are in little piles in the living room waiting for excited little bodies to fill them in the morning. The backpack is by the door and the camera is ready! :) Mom is not so ready...deep breaths!
- Also tomorrow - preschool orientation for my baby girl...another what? She is also excited and I am praying for her teacher's sanity! ;) She will do so wonderful, but I hope she takes sweet Chloe personality and not feisty Chloe personality to school!
- Brynn is such a climbing daredevil. Yesterday she fell off a picnic table and scraped up her whole forehead on the cement below. Why would you let her get on a picnic table, you might ask? Well, it all happened in a matter of seconds!
- I have eaten so much this week. So many family birthdays are in August, and I think I can safely say that I ate out (a giant meal) just about every day last week. It was so fun to have multiple date nights with Seth along with some other fun activities with friends and family! Sadly - this also means I am 27..which is frighteningly close to 30.
- I am planning a few weeks of "bookkeeping and personal time" into my "work" schedule soon because I feel so behind! I love my job and I can hardly even call it that, and I am so blessed to be busy with it!
- I love my little family like crazy! I have been reminded this week how blessed I am to have 3 sweet, smart and healthy children and a husband I love so much! I say this a lot, but I mean it!

So there you go! A POST! More to come (hopefully) soon...including 1st day of Kindergarten pictures and thoughts!