2009 Goals Update 12.19.09 December 19, 2009

I think it’s been since July that I’ve done this (so sad), but thought I’d at least see how I’m ending the year…

1. Spend daily time in prayer and the Word (I used to do this no problem, but since Anja was born, my discipline in this area has slipped)

This has been pretty good in the past couple of months.  I know it will probably lapse again when the new baby comes, so I will enjoy it now while it lasts!

2. Read 2 photography books

Finished with one. Started a second. Can’t even remember if I finished.  Sad!

3. Read 1 Photoshop book

Then one I was reading became obsolete when I upgraded to CS4 and Lightroom (which I have had since August but haven’t even installed yet because I haven’t had time to deal with learning new stuff).  Last night Husband brought me home two books from a co-worker about Lightroom, so that will probably be my new goal book.

4. Book an average of 4 on-location sessions and 1 wedding each month

Was able to quit my other job and stay home with the kids thanks to my wonderful clients. Now booking 2010!

5. Sell our townhome and purchase a home with a $500 less per month payment

Nothing.  Market is too saturated with foreclosures and cheap townhomes.  If we don’t sell in a year, we’ll probably end up refinancing and staying here.  Prayer appreciated!

6. Organize an office for myself (instead of using the dining room table…)

Still waiting for the house in which to do it.

7. Have a baby or get pregnant

Second part of this goal attained!

8. Lose 10-15 lbs.

This will probably carry over to 2010 in the form of 20 lbs.

9. Make healthier meals most nights each week

Healthy has been balanced, at this time of year, with feasts with family and friends and too many baked goods.  Oh well.  I’m trying not to make a fuss, as long as we’re healthy.

10. Reduce grocery bill to $250/month (this could be the hardest one…seriously)

I pretty much consider this, as I mentioned in July, a giant FAIL for the year.  We probably spend $30-40 a week just on produce, and I have no idea how to reduce other things without compromising our health (as in I’m not about to start cooking from boxes just to save $).  Nor am I willing to buy 47 bottles of Pert Plus and 13 bottles of Tide just to get in-store credit at CVS.  I do clip coupons whenever I can and take advantage of sales.  If any of you have been able to cook primarily from scratch (we do store-buy things like tortillas, crackers, cereal, some canned goods, etc.) for $250 a month or less, I am all ears as to how I can save some dough!

Sunday Sunshine 11.01.09 – Rotund Edition November 1, 2009

This is the first time I’ve posted any pregnancy pictures anywhere this time around…I’ve gained about the same amount as I did with Anja, but I’m decidedly more rotund (as discussed earlier).  I’m 29 weeks along.  We don’t know what we’re having.  The pregnancy has been much the same as it was with her, just more water retention (lay off the carbs, said my midwife), more hip pain at night, and I’m carrying a little lower.  Could be a boy, could be a girl, and I can’t wait to meet him/her!

I’ve been really bad at updating this baby’s pregnancy journal.  I had so much more time when I was pregnant with Anja, though.  I was only working 4 days a week at my construction job, one at home, and I didn’t have a toddler to run after.  These past couple months I’ve been working 20 hours outside the home (plus about 3 hours per week of commute and picking up at daycare), 30-40 hours a week at home, plus watching Anja full time on the days I’m home.  Sleep has been lacking and stress has been plentiful—not the best conditions for growing a baby!

Speaking of which, this past Thursday was my last day at my construction job.  After many months of prayer and a unique opportunity, we have decided to take the plunge into having me home full time.  My photography business has pretty much supplanted my construction income, so it was either return to work full time when the baby arrives to be able to afford two kids in daycare or take this step of faith.  I’ll miss my co-workers, but they’ve invited me to visit anytime, and having me home with our kids is something Husband and I have wanted for our family since we got married.

Any prayers for my sanity are much appreciated!  Though it is wonderful to have 23 more hours in the week to be taking care of things at home, I don’t anticipate my photography workload slowing down much until close to Christmas (and the baby is due just a couple weeks later).  I think  I will savor my maternity leave this time SOOOO much more.  :)

These Days September 29, 2009

September has been one of the busiest months I remember having in my life.  In between taking care of the baby (2 yr old…still a baby?  Yes, yes she is.), I’ve been working quite a few 12-14 hour days.  Not my cup of tea.  Husband keeps trying to get me to take breaks, but it’s hard, knowing there’s no one else there to pick up the slack (self-employment is great, but has some down-sides).

This business God has given me (because truly, I never went looking for it; I really feel that He’s pushed me through one open door after another) has been blessed beyond what I could have imagined, and I owe it all to him.  That said, it has come with its stresses.

Other things I’ve been able to squeeze into September:

• A haircut (nothing exciting, just a much-needed trim)
• Bible study
• A MOPS meeting
• A visit to an apple orchard
• An overnight visit from an old friend and her baby girl
• A meal out with friends at a restaurant I’ve been wanting to try
• A couple morning trips to the zoo with Anja, which she loved

Today I took the day off from processing photos and cleaned up the house and did some Autumn decorating.  I told Husband that even though cleaning is not really a break, it seemed like one, so that counts, right?

So far I’ve gained about the same amount of pregnancy weight as I did with Anja (which was more than I wanted to gain, but still in healthy range).  I can’t imagine the weight gain will slow down with my typical menu of hearty soups, yummy breads and fall baked goods coming up, followed by the holiday season.  Yikes!  But friends have reassured me that it is oh so cozy to have a big belly keeping you warm in January, unlike in August where you just wish you could remove it and get the swelling in your legs to go down…

October will likely be less busy with photo shoots (though I have four this coming weekend), but more busy with client orders.  Can’t promise I’ll be around a lot, but I’d love to hear what you’re up to this fall!

2009 Goals Update 07.02.09 July 2, 2009

1. Spend daily time in prayer and the Word (I used to do this no problem, but since Anja was born, my discipline in this area has slipped)
Off and on.

2. Read 2 photography books
Finished with one. Started a second.

3. Read 1 Photoshop book
Started it!

4. Book an average of 4 on-location sessions and 1 wedding each month
Have booked more weddings and more sessions. Praise God!

5. Sell our townhome and purchase a home with a $500 less per month payment
Got a yard sign and a tube for flyers tonight.  Still no legitimate bites from our online ads.

6. Organize an office for myself (instead of using the dining room table…)
Still waiting for the house in which to do it.

7. Have a baby or get pregnant
Second part of this goal attained!

8. Lose 10-15 lbs.
Um, not really worrying about this anymore.

9. Make healthier meals most nights each week
Depends. Most of the time, when I’ve planned, we eat well, but sometimes my cravings get the better of me and we’ll have pancakes (though I do throw some fresh berries on them at least) or order a pizza.  I’ve also been on a big Mexican kick, whether it’s some guacamole for a snack or Gluten-Free Chicken Enchiladas or Chicken Flautas (Mom, you should try this one–I used up the rest of the corn tortillas, and they were yummy!) for supper.  Thankfully, most Mexican recipes can be interpreted in a healthy fashion.

10. Reduce grocery bill to $250/month (this could be the hardest one…seriously)
I have a feeling this is just a big FAIL for the year. Nigh impossible unless we plan on cutting all fresh produce out of our diets (which is not happening!).

Today I had a big, ranty post ready June 18, 2009

about how lonely and depressed and stressed I am, and about how hard it is to find friends who are moms, and how I’m not sleeping well at night because I can’t lay on my tummy comfortably anymore (Seriously?  This early?  Last time I did quite fine until month 4 or 5!).

But the morning light burned off all those foul, pitiful thoughts that swirled in the air last night, keeping me awake.

Isn’t it amazing what fresh perspective the morning often brings?  Husband and I had a discussion (okay, for me it was a cry*) last night about my stress levels, and how even with all the juggling of two jobs, child-rearing, meal-making, laundry duty, and other various taken-for-granted chores, I feel more stress because of having to keep his schedule and remind him of all the tasks he needs to do.  Last night, things were dire; I was never going to find a way out.  Today, with the light, I see clearly.  It’s as though God uses daylight in the same way He will one day shed light on all truth.

I still feel the same about my stress, but I know that it’s not world-shattering, life-ending stress.  I can cast my cares upon God and trust Him that He knows what He’s doing right now in my busy, busy life.

*While normally considered rather “flatline” or “even-keeled,” when I am pregnant, I have out-of-control hormonal emotions.  The dumbest, most insignificant things make me weep or lash out.  So if you happen to cross my path during the next 7 months, beware!

Busy much? June 14, 2009

Lack of posts lately can only be attributed to this: new website, weddings, new gallery site, working away from home, working at home, sick baby (croup), and…pregnant mama.

Yep, I fully attained one of my 10 goals for the year.  It was a surprise, but a pleasant one, as we were planning to start trying this summer anyway.  I’m only 8 1/2 weeks, but I’ve been sick for 4 of them, just like with Anja.  And needing like 10 hours of sleep per day.  It’s ridiculous.  If you’re my friend on Facebook, please refrain from mentioning it there yet, because there’s some people I’d like to tell in person before they hear through the grapevine.  Thanks!

A Fun Meme I Stole June 6, 2009

from Kelly.  It’s called 8 Things.

8 things I am looking forward to:
1. Feeling better
2. Decorating a house the way I want (even if it has to be this one)
3. Fresh (RED, not white!) tomatoes
4. Our staycation this summer
5. My bed
6. Sidewalk chalking with Anja
7. Three months of warmth before winter comes again
8. Getting my photography website and gallery cohesive and completed

8 things I did yesterday:
1. Edited photos
2. Colored with Anja
3. Did chapters in my book study “Lord, Heal My Hurts”
4. Made pancakes for myself while Anja and Husband had pork chops and sweet potatoes
5. Sent a gallery invitation to a wedding client
6. Called my mom
7. Looked at junk mail
8. Worked out

8 things I wish I could do:
1. Be as consistent with my quiet time as I used to be
2. Get by on 7 hours of sleep a night the way I used to be able to
3. Have a garden
4. Bottle Anja up at this age
5. Discover a cure for cancer (ditto, Kelly!)
6. Get back into peak shape
7. Travel more
8. Have a few hours a week alone in my house

8 shows I watch:
1. Dancing with the Stars
2. Survivor
3. The Office
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

8 favorite fruits:
1. Peaches
2. Bananas
3. Pineapple
4. Blueberries
5. Strawberries
6. Cantaloupe
7. Apples
8. Clementines or Mandarin oranges

8 places I’d like to travel:
1. The Caribbean
2. Asheville, NC
3. New York City
4. New Zealand
5. Prince Edward Island
6. Vancouver
7. San Antonio (again—I loved it there)
8. The South (I don’t really know where, just somewhere I can be called “honey” and served grits and sit on a porch in really hot, humid weather)

8 places I’ve lived:
1. Small Town, Minnesota
2. Fargo, North Dakota
3. Fortaleza, Brazil
4. Grand Rapids, Minnesota
5. Frankfort, Illinois
6. Twin Cities, Minnesota
7.
8.

Feel free to play, too, if you’d like!  Leave me a link in the comments if you do.

Whirlwind June 1, 2009

That’s what the past 10 days have been…3 weddings, 1 engagement shoot, 5 property shoots, a visit with extended family, 14 hours in the car this past weekend.  And one 6th anniversary, celebrated with that very long drive.  Thankfully, Husband is so supportive of my business, and he said he didn’t mind that we didn’t really get a chance to celebrate.  Thanks, Honey!  I love you, and I hope we’ll have many more anniversaries!

Perhaps I should not work out more often… May 20, 2009

Sunday I didn’t have time, Monday and Tuesday I wasn’t feeling well, and the result?  I lost 3 pounds.  I didn’t even try.  Ugh, how frustrating.

The rest of this will be a mish-mosh of negativity (indicative of my brain right now), so feel free to ignore it if you so choose.

——–

Monday night, while feeling dreadfully ill, I went to Let’s Dish.  A very friendly person gave me a too-long orientation in the non-air-conditioned space.  Then I went about dishing my eight meals, which took me about another hour and fifteen minutes.  I left feeling like death baked in an oven.  Husband kindly put the meals in the freezer and chose two to keep in the fridge for preparation this week.  We started last night with Sweet and Spicy Cashew Chicken.  It tasted fine, but nothing special, and certainly not better than the stir-fries I make on my own.  Also, we found large chunks of cartilage (like whole shoulder sockets) in several of the chicken tenders.  That is very gag-worthy to me.  I’m pretty picky about my meat, when I do eat it. (My mom is nodding her head right now.)

So, in my efforts to save myself time and some sanity this next month, have I sacrificed the quality of my family’s meals?

——–

I watched the Dancing with the Stars finale last night, and Gilles didn’t win, even though he was the best dancer.

——–

I got an email back with a “signed” addendum to a wedding contract from a client this week.  Her “signature” was her name, typed into the spot indicated “signature.”  I wrote her back letting her know that this wouldn’t suffice, and could she please mail two hard copies with signatures?  So what came in the mail today?  Two hard copies, printed from the typed version.  Still no actual signature.  I could maybe excuse this if she was a dewy-skinned, 21-yr-old bride-to-be who had never seen the likes of a contract before in her life.  But she is, at my guess, at least in her 50s, and has to, has to, know that that’s not a legal document, right?

Since the wedding is this week, I will be bringing the addendum with me to the event for actual signature.  Sigh…

——–

Wedding season starts in full force this week for me, so you may not see me ’round these parts much.  Which, after today’s post (if you can call it that), is probably not a bad thing!  :)

An Email Exchange Between Husband and Myself April 9, 2009

Me: Wanna see if your movie guy has “The Devil Wears Prada”?

 

Husband: Yeah I think he does have Ironman.  Should I get it for tomorrow?

 

Me: Um….