Goodbye 2011

Wow! It is hard to believe that 2011 is over! This has truly been a year that has flown by, even the boys have talked about how it went by so fast.
We started the day working in the house and just enjoying the day. Brandon helped Aunt Paula and Uncle Dwight with their new TV. He was super excited about the breakfast of champions that he received. As for me and the boys it was Cindy's cinnamon rolls. They were not complaining though.
We had a pool tournament this afternoon. It was a lot of fun and I actually won one game. Being the worst player in the house I was pretty excited! LOL! At least in 2011 I won once.
We went to celebrate the many blessings of 2011 and the blessings to come for 2011 with Amy and Terry and other friends. Everyone had a great time. Thank you for having us over.
Well, I know that this is short, but I am tired and want to start 2012 feeling great and rested. For all of my blessings in 2011 I am eternally grateful. For all of the blessings to come in 2012, I am thankful and excited!

Keeping Promises

We started today, like almost everyday, with a few errands.

The boys' both had Epiphany practice. I am so excited that they are both going to be a part of this very special program. John Michael is going to be an inn keeper's child and Danny is going to be a King. They are both pretty excited about their parts, and so am I.

We went to get Chinese for lunch and we were actually slightly disappointed, it was definitely not as good as it has been the past few times. Oh well, there is always next time.

We came home where I proceeded to attack Danny's room with a vengeance. It is done and I was happy! Another one down!

We had told the boys that we would go to the galleria before they went back to school. So tonight that is where we went. It was definitely not a wasted trip. I got a few more Christmas decorations for us and several more Christmas gifts for next year! I love a good head start. We ate in the food court, which works for us, we ended up eating at 3 different places mainly because John Michael had to have McDonald's, Danny and Brandon wanted a sub, so I went to Chick-fil-A. The boys got to ride the carousel, which meant I got to take pictures of them :0) it is the little things that make me smile a lot! Then to Planet Smoothie for a Peanut Butter smoothie which made me even happier and then we finished the trip up at Cindy's where the cinnamon sticks and cinnamon rolls made the boys even happier.

It was a great day for the last Friday of 2011. I just cannot believe that is what today is. Seriously the year has flown by.

On the 5th Day of Christmas

So I am enjoying the Christmas season and I am determined to make each day special and something to remember. Well, I try to do that every day, but I really want to make sure that we all are together and enjoying each other this Christmas Season. So many people assume the 12 days of Christmas are referring to the 12 days prior to Christmas when in fact it is the 12 days after Christmas Day!
This morning we went out for breakfast, which was nice even though it was just Jack's. Jack's is Danny and Brandon's favorite place ever. Then we headed to Home Depot and Lowe's to get a few things that we needed for the office.
After our errands we headed home to make a dent in the to do list here. I got John Michael's room completely done. Closet, dresser, chest, under the bed, and it looks great. I have informed him if he EVER throws anything under his bed again I am going to put the mattress and box springs on the floor! The things that we pulled out of there were seriously scary.
I also got a good bit of laundry done. I have been determined to keep it up and so far so good. I am to a point after today that as long as I maintain one load a day I will be okay in that department.
Tomorrow the goal is Danny's room and possibly our room and the den. We shall see how the day goes and how it gets started. As long as I am able to get on a good start all should be okay. Praying for the best results possible.
Well, John Michael is in bed, Danny is fighting sleep and I just fixed my sleepytime tea, which is SO SO good! Hopefully I will be in dreamland sooner than later. Tonight I pray for everyone to have the best dreams and the best day tomorrow!

Back to Work

Well, I am not sure that I have ever been off work but today I had a photo shoot. Every mom knows that the work never stops, cleaning, cooking, laundry, bedtimes, bath times, and more follow us through holidays and vacation. It is a good thing that I love being a wife and a mommy. In fact they are my favorite jobs ever and I could not imagine giving them up for anything.
I was glad to go to a photo shoot today. I love being able to make a career out of doing something that I love. Today's shoot was a sweet 3 month old, Braylon. Watch www.monicaannephotography.com for more information. I will start editing tomorrow. I was going to tonight, but I had a few computer issues that needed tending to before I put any pictures on it.
We went to my mom's to exchange gifts since she was sick Christmas. The boys were excited, they have truly enjoyed everything that they got this year, and that makes me so happy.
So I am working on some things for 2012, part of my resolution is just being more organized. This is in my house, in my career, and in life in general. I know that I can do it and I am starting tomorrow with the boys' rooms. I am hoping I can get them to go play outside for a little while so that I can work. We shall see. If you have some time a little prayer would be nice.
Well, I am off to bed. Again it is after midnight, but at least it is before 2. Know that you are all in my thoughts and prayers.

Dinner Fun

So today was a pretty lazy day to start off with. Mainly because we have all been on the worst schedule since Danny's visit to the ER. We have to get back on track or next week is going to be horrible.
We went over to some friends house so that we can take care of their kitties and their bird while they are on a last minute vacation. I have to say I think a trip to the beach would make the best Christmas gift ever. I ask for it every year! I love heading south for the winter, and the further, the better. Danny is so excited about helping them out and about maybe making some extra money. He is really going to need it if we do not find his wallet, praying to St. Anthony that we do though. We have found John Michael's so we are making progress.
We went to Aunt Paula and Uncle Dwight's for dinner. It was great to just relax, talk, and be with people that we love. It is always great to spend time with them, and I am very glad that we were able to go over there tonight. The boys had a great time, playing with Matt and Sydney, who are also known as Map and Cindy. They were sad when it was time to go, but we will all definitely get together more often.

Day After Shopping

Today we got up and got ready and headed out for our annual day of shopping together. While getting ready for Christmas there is a lot of shopping, but today we go together which is always a lot of fun. We go to get Christmas lights, decorations, and gifts for the next Christmas.
Today we started at Chick-fil-A for breakfast/lunch. It was a lot of fun and the boys especially John Michael enjoy it because they can eat and play.
Then we headed to Game Stop, where I was going to exchange John Michael's DS. His DS does not work and since I get the extended protection I was thinking even exchange. What I was not thinking was that there would not be any regular DSs so he ended up with a 3D DS. To say he was excited would be an understatement, he was thrilled and that makes me happy. Danny even gave him a game that he got 2 of so I bought Danny a new game, he picked NASCAR 3D.
I got several new K-Cups for my Kureg, which I cannot wait to try. I love this Christmas gift, it is perfect for me for so many reasons!
We did not find any lights, which was a disappointment. Well, we did not find the lights that we were looking for. I guess I will be watching next year for good deals. I am going to check online, but it seems that many places put their lights up for sale next year. We did get some cute things for the house though, which I cannot wait to get out. We also got a shelving unit for the office, so that I will have somewhere for props. I am pretty excited about that, especially since it was $50, and the cheapest that we have found it so far was $85. YAY for savings!
We also got a great start on gifts for 2012 Christmas, which is always a great feeling. I love progress and when I start making it this early I know that the blessings to come will be amazing.
Well, we had a wonderful day and I hated to see it come to an end. We did end it by going to Mount Laurel to see the lights in the town square that we had been photographing during the day for a month. It was great to see it at night, and it was gorgeous!

Merry Christmas

So Santa arrived about 1:30 and the boys were up at 2:00, we did get them back in bed until about 4, just to make sure Santa had time to get here. I cannot believe they were up so early. Well Danny was and he waited till 4 to wake John Michael.
It was great to head downstairs and see all of the amazing things that Santa had left. The boys got a game table that has like 12 games they can play. They also got all sorts of legos, Wii Games, DS Games, books, Crayons, Markers, Candy, Nerf Guns, board games, and so much more. Santa definitely made it a great day for the boys, so full of magic. They also are able to keep the elves through the Epiphany which is amazing for them. For these 12 days of Christmas though the elves will give the boys a good deed to do each and in turn they will make even more of a connection to Christ. Next year I think the elves will have them do this through Advent and Christmas.
We came upstairs to open presents, and so I could get breakfast started. We had ham and biscuits, which is Brandon's favorite Christmas morning breakfast. While we said the blessing, we sang Happy Birthday to Jesus. This is my favorite thing to do Christmas and I always cry during the song. There is something truly amazing about Christmas and the celebration of Jesus' birthday.
The presents under the tree were abundant, and I am so thankful for all of my gifts. The boys' said that it was the best Christmas ever and this made my day.
Meme, Pop, Meemaw, Uncle Brock, and Aunt B came by to visit and see what Santa brought to us. It was great getting to visit with them.
We had a great day at home with each other. This is what makes Christmas so great, we stay home and enjoy the day and each other. There are not many days that we are able to do that so when we can I am so thankful for them. I hope that everyone had very special, magical and Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas Eve

So today Brandon got everyone up early in an attempt to get us all on a better schedule. Starting the week with the trip to the ER has severely thrown us off. We will get there though.

I am stoked to announce that my Blu-Ray copy of Christmas Vacation came in the mail today. I was going to surprise Brandon with it but I could not wait till tomorrow so I surprised him when I opened the box! We love that movie!

We went to celebrate Christmas with Meme and Pop this afternoon. It was so great to see everyone. With Uncle Brian in Georgia, and Uncle Brett, Aunt Mindy, Hunter, Hayden, and Hudson in Florida we do not get to see each other as much as we would like. It definitely makes Christmas even more special. We had a great time with everyone and wished that we could have stayed longer. We did get there a little early to have some extra time but still once everyone got there we had to eat, open gifts and run.

Tonight was the Children's Choir Mass and both of the boys were in it. It was so great to see them together singing in the choir. I love the children's choir it always reminds me of angels. The boys even got to sing together at the cantor, they sang Hark the Herald Angels Sing.

With the changes to Mass this Christmas Mass seemed more special than others. Fr. Bob mentioned the song A Baby Changes Everything by Faith Hill, and I have to admit I Love this song, it could be my favorite, or at least one. As he talked about the fact that babies do change everything it touched me in so many ways. This is a fact that no mom can argue with. Mary's baby divided time, and changed all of our lives in ways that I think we fail to realize on most days. This I will change in 2012. The Mass was beautiful.

We headed out to look at lights, we have a few favorites that we go visit every year and we always try to find some new favorites too :0)

Well, we are off for those last minute Christmas Eve things and then to wait for Santa. Know that you are all in my thoughts and prayers tonight.

Christmas Eve's Eve

Today like every other day we had a few errands to run, we were actually not going to have to go anywhere, but I ran our of vanilla while baking and that is definitely not a good thing right now. It is all better now, I definitely have some vanilla on hand :0)

We went to get our mail this afternoon and there was a certificate in there. When we looked at it we realized that it was an award for our Christmas lights. This completely made my day. We work hard to try to make our house something that everyone can enjoy, it is nice to know that others really are enjoying. This was "The Grubbs Family Christmas Decoration Award." Our Award was the "Magic of Christmas" Award. It was great, and really meant a lot to us. Maybe we will adopt this tradition for ourselves next year so that others will know how much we enjoy their hard work and contribution to the Christmas spirit.

We went to my mom's to get together with some great friends, that really are more like family. Kimy, Steven, Morgan, and Deborah. We ate dinner, the kids exchanged gifts and played. Morgan decided to kiss John Michael and then they chased each other for a while to try to get another kiss. It was so so cute. Then it was time to head home.

Well, again it is after midnight but I am headed to bed now. Know that every moment we are given is a gift that is why it is the present. Enjoy today it is a gift from God and everything we find within it is a blessing.

Crafty Day

Today we needed to be productive, but somehow counter productive seems to explain the way that things went a little better. We had a few things we needed to go do, but the weather was pretty nasty and cut our plans short. It will all get done though, for some reason the more I say that the less I believe it.
I had a bunch of Christmas crafts put up for the boys and since we were rain bound, we made crafts. We painted, made sequined ornaments, and more. It was a lot of fun, but there is now a lot to finish so that we can get the mess cleaned up.
Our elves had a bit of an issue with the tape last night, definitely had a few fits of laughter this morning :0) I really will miss Jake, Owen, and Aubie!

So if someone called to tell you they wanted to talk to you after Christmas, but were waiting till then because they did not want to ruin your Christmas what would you think? Seriously if you did not want to ruin my Christmas then why bring it up. Some things are so irritating to me. I am NOT going to let it ruin my Christmas though. I have enough on my plate right now. Sorry needed to get that out.
Well, I have been working on getting organized for 2012 and I am headed in the right direction, but I do have to get back on track for Christmas then I can shift focus. 2 weeks is never enough time to get it all done. Photo session are heavy duty again starting next week, so I have to get there. I just need to have more confidence in everything. I will get there, with an open mind and an open heart.
I have said many times how much I love what I do. I know that my career in photography is where I am supposed to be, I will be even more elated when it actually starts to pay some bills :0) That will come, I have confidence, and am dedicated to becoming better and doing more.
Well, it is almost 1 and I have to get some sleep. We have assured the boys that they are getting up no later than 7, they are staying up way to late!!!
Know that you are all in my thoughts and prayers. As this Advent season draws to a close and we get ready for Christmas I have to hope that you all have a very Merry Christmas!

Santa, Spaghetti, and A Cup Castle

This morning we got up and got ready to go see Santa. The Santa at Brookwood is my favorite, he takes so much time with the kids and really makes them light up. The boys were so excited and we even brought Jake, Owen, and Aubie along for the ride. I always buy their picture and a snow globe, I love my little collection. I also always take my own pictures, this year however I left my camera at home. I had my small one with me, but it just is not the same. Maybe we will make it back, I doubt it but maybe.



While we were at the mall we had lunch. The boys love food courts so that was a great treat for them. John Michael chose Chick-Fil-A and Danny chose Charlie's subs.



We came home and I made spaghetti. It was the first time to make it on the new stove and I am definitely patting my own back. It was yummy. I also made Jim-N-Nicks' cheese biscuits. While they were not quite as good as they would have been from Jim N Nick's they were a close second. Chris came over for dinner, a little thank you for his help installing the stove Saturday.



We have almost gotten the kitchen and dining room back in working order which is great.

The boys were able to open a Christmas gift tonight. It was from Aunt E. They both got watches and were super excited.

After dinner John Michael and Danny, and then Brandon helped to finish it up, made a HUGE cup castle. It was quite funny, but definitely something that they love to do. Maybe Red Solo Cups are our friends for years before we even know how great they can be! Maybe Santa should bring them each a pack of them. I wonder if it is too late to add them to the list.



Well, I am off to bed, I almost made it before 12, but not so much. Almost though. I will try again. There always seems to be so much happening. Everyone stay weather aware as the weather looks kind of nasty for tomorrow. Know that you are all in my thoughts and prayers.

What Part of Clean Your Room is So Hard

So Brandon got up this morning and headed to the scrap yard with my old stove. $10, but hey it is $10 we did not have before and the old stove is officially history!!! Then he went to my mom's to go to the dump, then he washed his truck! Then one more errand and he was home.
Well, the boys and I missed choir practice, because of Danny's knee after he soaked it he was pretty sore so we decided to rest. Then they were told to clean their rooms. John Michael did his without any problems, he even helped clean the living room. Danny was a completely different story. It ended up being a VERY long day and the comment "What Part of Clean Your Room is So Hard" came out of my mouth many times.
After Brandon got home I went out to finish up Christmas shopping. I think I am completely done now! YAY! Now to finish up the wrapping and hiding and waiting for Christmas Eve! I love this time of year. I also bought a few things for next year's Christmas, Yep, I have already started! I hope to do even better for the 2012 Christmas than I did for 2011. I love to give gifts and the best way for me to make it happen is to start a year in advance! It works!
I came home to his room still not clean, which is so frustrating. I got the kitchen about halfway done, but we do have a kitchen table again which is a HUGE plus. Now for the dining room table and then we should be there. That is my goal for tomorrow!
So I am caught up on editing, and now my blog. Hopefully I will stay that way!

Medicine is NO FUN!

So today we all slept extremely late. I am sure that we all needed it especially after spending most of the night in the emergency room.
After the all clear from Dr. Lytle and a wait at the pharmacy we got started with the antibiotics. One capsule 4 times a day. So Danny can swallow pills, but this is a first with the capsule and it is a pretty big one. It did not go over so well. Needless to say mixing it in yogurt, which we were told was fine is the way it will have to work, at least for now.
Brandon took the boys shopping tonight and I had the house all to myself. It was so quite. It was nice, of course there was so much to do. Still trying to get the house back in order, well the kitchen and dining room from the stove replacement. I was also cooking dinner, doing laundry, and trying to work on the pictures that I have left to get edited.
They seemed to have had a good time shopping, now as soon as I get to go and finish up we will be done :)
Danny has to soak his knee twice a day and mash on it to try to get more stuff out, it is no fun but he did a great job today, hopefully he will keep it up.

Christmas Parties and Emergencies Rooms

So today was my mom's Christmas party so I spent most of the day baking so that she would have some deserts, especially since that is what I was asked to bring. The elves were awesome enough to make the fudge that I needed made last night. I love it when they help out!

Since the elves made the chocolate fudge I was able to make peanut butter fudge. We also made egg nog cookies, which are amazing! We even made chocolate chip cookies. All of the baking brought me to the realization that a new stove really was going to mean I had to learn to bake again, my times were all off. But I am getting back on track. We also melted some white chocolate, dipped marshmallows in it and then dipped them in sprinkles. These were so much fun for the boys.

Danny's knee was not looking better and the red was starting to spread by the time we headed to moms. Laurie was still there fortunately and she kept a close eye on it. Mom's party is always nice because we are able to get together and enjoy each other. My Godparent's are also there, and they mean so much to me, I wish that we saw them more. After watching Danny's leg and overall temperament we knew we had to call the doctor, we were trying to make it till in the morning so we could see Dr. Lytle. When the nurse finally called me back, I had to call twice, they said to take him to the ER.

When we got to Children's there was nobody there. We never even sat down in the waiting room. We went straight to a room the nurse was there in a few minutes and said the doctor would be right in, but then the ambulances came and right in turned into almost three hours before we saw the doctor, then there was another hour because she got another doctor's opinion and did an ultrasound of his knee. She lanced it and gave us antibiotics for the cellulitis (sp?). Now we wait and see and pray! Danny was so brave and I am so proud of him!

We left the ER and got John Michael's from my mom's and finally got home after an extremely long day.

New Stove and Spider Bite Part 2

So I had a session this morning, and headed out to Mount Laurel. It was freezing and the session moved fast because the clients were freezing. I have truly found happiness with MonicaAnne Photography. I love love love what I do.




I came home to Brandon and Chris installing my new stove! This made my weekend. While the top oven door still has to be replaced it will be nice to cook on a stove that works. I will probably have to relearn how to do everything since I have had old stoves since we said I do. They got it done and it looks great and most importantly it looks great. Now I have to put my kitchen back in order. I think that might be easier said than done. We shall see.

We went to my mom's so that I could visit with some friends that were in town. It was so great to see them, I hate that it was for the situation that it was for. They had a death in the family and they are all from out of town, so they stayed with my mom. While we were there we showed mom Danny's knee. One of the people there was a wound nurse and she took care of it right away. She got so much stuff out, and well, she affirmed that it was a spider bite. She marked it so that we could tell if it grew. She was great! Thank you again Laurie!

Christmas Vacation Begins

So this morning was the boys' Advent prayer/program. It depends on who you ask to what the proper name is, but regardless it is always a great thing to be a part of. The boys did great. Danny's class did Little Bethlehem and John Michael's did Jonah, Jonah.

After that was the Christmas parties for both classes.

Danny's class was where we went for the first 30 minutes. They did pizza, cupcakes, and chips. Mrs. Day made his day by giving him (and the whole class) a kit kat bar with a free homework pass...."the best gift ever!" He was super excited, now to see when he uses it.

John Michael's class did a book exchange, which was a lot of fun for them. He got Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and was super excited. Not only is that his favorite song, it also ended up being the book his best buddy Chason brought. They had cupcakes and pretzels, which was plenty for them, most did not eat anything. Too funny as that was their snack.

We left the school after the parties and all of the gifts were delivered. The boys got out at 12:00, and we had a lot to get done. We started by heading up to Liberty Park and meeting a client at Dairy Queen to deliver her pictures before they headed off to Disney World. I love my job, and I hope that one day it can take my family to Disney World. We shall see.

We had some more errands to run and when we got home Danny showed me a bite on his leg. He said he got it at school, but it was HUGE. Seriously one of the biggest bites I have ever seen. We called Brandon's mom to stop by after work and see what she thought. She told us just to watch it and if it grew to go to the doctor.

One Down Two to Go

So Brandon is officially on Christmas Break as of a little after 7 tonight :) Tomorrow my other 2 men will be joining him on Christmas break. I still have a few more sessions, but then I too will be on Christmas break. I love it when we have time together and hopefully we can do all of the things that we have to do, need to do and want to do. We shall see.
The boys' had a great day at school. We came home to hustle through homework and then we were off again. Tonight Danny had basketball practice and pictures. He did great. I love the fact that he loves sports as much as he does. Both of the boys do, which is great in my opinion. He did great for his pictures, at least from what I could tell, while Kristin is doing them I stay away, both of my boys do much better for someone who is not me. Kristin is great though, she owns Future Memories Photography.
I had a session this morning on Morris Avenue. Gorgeous family. It was a great session the only problem was fighting the rain that would come and go, which is never good for the photographer or those being photographed. I think it was all good though.
After basketball practice we went to Hamburger Heaven, with JT. Danny really wanted to and it meant I did not have to try to figure out something to get or do. It also changed our routing that we have been in all week. Home, dinner, shower, bed became dinner, home, shower, bed. Sometimes it is the small things that matter most.
Well, I am off to bed. Tomorrow is going to be extremely busy.

Cub Scout Christmas Party

The boys' had great days at school. Wednesday is my favorite day because I get to start it with the school at Mass. It is just great for me for many reasons, but more than anything it keeps me some what centered.
After Mass, I headed home to get some work around the house done. It never seems to end and when I got home today I realized just how much I had to get done, so I decided that I would clean out the van. In order to make it through the rest of this week (month actually) I need to be able to use my whole van. Cleaning out my van was a task and made me even sicker because I realized how badly I need to really clean it. Maybe over Christmas break that will happen.
Our Cub Scout Christmas party was tonight so I needed to go find a gingerbread house kit or 2, sugar cookies (not decorated), and decorations for the sugar cookies. I also found some things to add to the gifts I made for my den and some games that they were able to play while we waited for everyone to get to the meeting. I made lime sherbet punch and the boys' loved it. Even the moms and dads did, but the boys were who I was aiming to please. They decorated gingerbread houses and we were able to leave them on display for the school. The boys were excited about that. They also decorated cookies those they ate though. It was a party and everyone seemed to have a great time. It was a fun way to finish up 2011 with the scouts. Ready for 2012 though.
Again tonight it was home, dinner, bath and bed.

More Practice

Tuesday is a day of practice for the Thach family.
The boys' had a great day at school, but on Tuesdays we do not leave until the sun goes down. Well, at least Tuesdays in December.
They have choir practice for the Christmas Eve Mass from 3:30 until 4:30, so we hang out in the car start and sometimes finish homework. Usually eat a snack and then head into church to practice. Danny is doing really great, but he knows the songs and is used to sitting with the choir and singing. John Michael is having a hard time sitting still hopefully it will be better at Mass. He is also smitten by the 5th grade girls. He is a ladies man to say the least.
Basketball practice for John Michael starts at 5:30 so we finish homework, read, and just hang out until then. It seems crazy to go home to turn around in the driveway and drive back. I do not like to get gas that often either. Danny's basketball practice is right after John Michael's.
Brandon met me at the school today, and so after John Michael's practice he and I left and went to deliver some pictures that I had ready.
Then dinner, bath and bed! That is a common theme on practice nights.

Waiting :0)

So today was a good day but a lot of it was hurry up and wait, which is not something I do well, especially when I have 1,000 things to do. When you add in to it that I was definitely not feeling good and had a fever I was glad when it was bedtime :)
I had to cancel my session this morning because of not feeling well. It was a baby and sharing germs with a baby is not something I want to ever do. If I would not have had the fever it would have been different. Fortunately I think the mom understood. She did not want a sick baby especially this time of the year either.
The guy from S&S Appliance came to look at my new broken stove. It only took about five minutes, he basically came in and ordered the new door. It will be here in 3-5 days. I seriously hope it is closer to the 3 day mark. I really want to get it in and in 100% working order as soon as possible!
Well, we went to visit Meme for a few minutes while she was at work. The boys' love going to visit her at work, they think it is so cool she works in a hospital. They also just like going to visit Meme.

Two Week Countdown

So I was amazed that there are only 2 weeks until Christmas, while I have known and been ready for it Advent always flies by and so many people quit celebrating Christmas on the 26th, when there are in fact 12 more days of Christmas. Just a little sad tonight.

This morning we went to Mount Laurel, again my favorite little town. We went and took Amanda and Patrick's family pictures. I love that they are a family of four now. Such a great family too! Mount Laurel is perfect for family pictures, especially if you are looking for that Christmas atmosphere. Watch http://www.monicaannephotography.com/ for more on their session and Mount Laurel.

After we were done there we headed to my mom's to help her get her tree out and her stockings hung. The boys cannot wait to see what Santa puts in our stockings there too. She usually brings them with her on Christmas day. We will see what happens this year.

We had a few more errands to run and then we were headed home where the editing began. I am working as hard as possible to get done as soon as possible. I have to go get some jewel cases tomorrow because we are out and then I will be able to get some more sent out. YAY!

Well, I am off to edit a few more photographs from the party yesterday and then to bed. It is going to be a busy week, and I need to be ready for it! Know that you are all in my thoughts and prayers!

Work and Play

So today started off with me getting kicked out of the bed by John Michael. I do not know what his deal was, but he had a bad dream and came to our room. No big deal. Then he kicked me out of the bed not just once, but twice so I decided to come to the living room. I definitely do sleep on the couch as well as I do my bed. At least I was able to get some sleep though.
I had a photo shoot for a 5th birthday party today. I love events, and this one was a Princess party! Extremely cute. Watch www.monicaannephotography.com for more on the party.
After the party I came home to get Brandon and the boys and head to a Christmas party. This is our big family Christmas party and really is one of my favorite ones because I get to see family that I do not see often. It is more like a family reunion. I took my camera, but was so worn out I only took a few pictures. That made me pretty sad when we left, usually I am better than that.
We came home and Brandon and Terry fixed the downstairs shower. Even though we do not use it often, at least now we have the option again. Thank you Amy and Terry for helping out the Thach's yet again this weekend. We owe you.
Well, I am finally off to bed. I still have more I would like to do, but since I am seeing double I will go to bed. Photo shoot tomorrow morning, helping mom get her tree out, and then home to get laundry and yep...editing done. I hope that everyone is having a weekend full of many blessings.

YAY For Fridays!

So this morning I called Whirlpool first thing. I needed to know how my weekend was going to go and a lot was riding on the results of this call. I explained to the lady what the deal was. She had to go research it. She came back to tell me that we have one service call that is complimentary and that there is a 30 day cosmetic warranty. So basically, thanks for listening and getting me through this one. The service guys will be here Monday. She did say that we would probably have to wait for the part to come in, but they cannot just order it under warranty, the repair company is the only one who can do that.
I have been able to bust it and get a lot of editing done, which is something that I needed to have happen. I feel slightly overwhelmed so being able to get on schedule is nice. Hopefully I will not lose that over the weekend. Time will tell.
Tonight we had a Christmas Party we were supposed to go to, well, John Michael had a Christmas party. I thought that it was at 6, well it was at 5. I felt like worst mom of the year. He was okay a little sad, but I let him make his gingerbread house and that softened the blow. I know that everyone had a great time there, I was looking forward to helping out if needed. I seriously felt like the wicked witch. Hopefully tomorrow will go more as it is scheduled to go.

The Hidden Blessing

Yes, that is what I am looking for today, the hidden blessing that I know is here somewhere.
So my day started better than on time it was actually a little early. I got Danny up and he headed straight for the bathroom, he never got sick but was persistent that he felt like he was going to. He felt warm so I put him back in the bed. I got John Michael up next and it was the same complaint. So I called Brandon and told him we were home today. I called the school and told them we were staying here and asked them if they could get Danny's work together.
I thought I would use the time and get caught up and maybe ahead on some things that I have happening especially with all of the sessions that I have had. Well, my computer was just not cooperating so here I am still behind. It is frustrating to say the least. It seems to be better now. I sure could use Santa Claus right now.
So Brandon was super awesome and surprised me with my stove tonight. While I knew that he had gotten it as far as I knew we were still waiting on it to come in. So he got Chris to come over and help him get it in, thank you again Chris. Anyway, they were bringing it in and whether it was broken when it came out of the box or broken on the trip in the glass on the top oven door broke. The good thing is it is under warranty, but who knows if they will cover it. The glass is just for looks, so I am not sure if they can just send another piece or if I can even use it without it. All I know is I am a little sad and trying not to be. Again Santa can you hear me?
So you add these two problems to some others and I am just hoping for money in my stocking...and under the tree, and anywhere else.
Well, I am done venting and I know that there is a blessing in today. The sun did come out for a little while, which was great.
Hopefully the boys will be in bed soon! Good night to you all and know that you are in my thoughts and prayers!

Please go away Mac Truck

So this morning I woke up and felt like poo. I am seriously not sure how I got the boys to school and me back home safely. I just said a prayer or three. I could not focus, it was rough. I do not have time for this right now. There is so much to get done. I went on and canceled cub scoouts, which made for a not happy 3rd grader, but there was no way I could have made it through the hour.
Well, we came home and got homework done and seriously had a do nothing night. Something I think we all needed.

Basketball Pratice x's 2

Tuesdays are great but pretty long right now. The boys' have both decided to sing in the Children's Choir for the Christmas Eve Mass. I am so excited that they will be doing this, Danny has for the past few years and I love it. I am so excited about John Michael joining in this year.
After Choir practice both boys' had basketball practice. John Michael is getting better and so is Danny. There is a lot more pressure on Danny I think because the team is so big and I know that he wants to play. As long as he has a good time I am not worried about it.
Well, I know that this is short, but I am behind. Surprise. Surprise!

Happy Birthday Meemaw!

This morning I was definitely on a roll. I was up on time which means a mini workout happened and breakfast was cooked. This is how I like to start the week. Hopefully I can keep it up.
I had a session today, but I arrived to find that she could not get off work so I headed home to take advantage of the extra editing time. It was definitely time well spent as I have managed to get back on a good schedule, now to keep it up!
The boys' had great days at school. Danny is getting really good about not giving me what is in his folder which is very frustrating. I hate to start doing him like I do John Michael and going through everything, but maybe it will teach him to be more responsible. John Michael got a green face, but we forgot to put his folder back in his bag so he got a sticker.
After homework was done the boys got the den clean and I got a paper finished and a few more pictures edited. Now for transfer number two so that Brandon can start burning for me. Then for the delivery. I have been so busy with sessions that the mail is about the best way for me to make a delivery happen in a timely manner. I will probably transfer tomorrow.
When Brandon got home we headed to Meme and Pop's for dinner and cake for Meemaw's Birthday. The boys' were glad to get out of the house and always enjoy going to visit Meme, Pop, Meemaw and Aunt B. Aunt Kelli, Uncle Blake, and Aunt Pat were there too which made it even more of a treat for everyone. While we wished we could have stayed longer we stayed as long as we could. We headed home about 8:30, which is bedtime.
Needless to say the night was a little longer than I wanted as far as getting in the bed, but it was an overall great night so no complaints.

A Day at Mount Laurel

So I have so many sessions before Christmas and Mount Laurel is my favorite place to go for them. Today all of my sessions were there. It was awesome. It was such a pretty day to be outside, especially if you are armed with a camera. Stay tuned to http://www.monicaannephotography.com/ for blog updates there.

The boys and Brandon came with me today. They had a blast. They went to one of the parks there and they also went to one of the areas and played football, baseball, and I think soccer. They also found the basketball courts and cannot wait to go back to play there too. They were doing their lighting tonight and we thought about staying, but it is like a neighborhood block party and we were afraid that we would be intruding. We decided to come on home and just head back out there soon to see everything lit up.

I have to admit I was glad to come on home, as much as I would have loved to have seen it I am so tired and have so much work to do that I knew the best thing would be to come home. The boys have had their baths and showers. Everyone is about to eat dinner. I am editing now and plan to keep it up until I head off to bed, which I plan to be sooner than later tonight.

Know that you are all in my thoughts and prayers! I hope that everyone's weekend has been as blessed as ours. I have learned that if you count all of your blessings you will never stop!

Non Stop Saturdays

So today was a very busy day for the photographer in the family. We started in Mount Laurel, my FAVORITE location and then ended in Hoover on the side of 31 by the Library. Yep, that crazy photographer by the huge tree was me! The clients wanted a big tree and this one seemed perfect!
We went to Mass after the photo shoot. I enjoy going on Saturday nights, especially when I am up all hours editing. Not having to set my alarm for 5 AM is nice. Plus I have not been hearing it at all lately and missing Mass is not something that I enjoy doing at all. I like it a lot when Saturday night Masses work out for us. We are all still getting use to the changes but slowly we are getting them. It definitely gets easier with each Mass. Breaking a 30 year habit is not very easy, but I will be able to though.
We contemplated the parent's night out that the 8th grade was hosting tonight, but we really were ready to come home and get to work, plus the boys were tired and ill.
Well, since I have been home I have been editing. If I get the session I am working on now done before tomorrow night I will be back on schedule, which is something I like to do. I have a lot to mail on Monday, but I will get that done. YAY for hard work.
Well, I am off. I have to edit and try to finish up a paper, but since it is going on 1 AM I am thinking bed. 5 shoots tomorrow!
Know that you are all in my thoughts and prayers!

Fridays are Fabulous

This morning we were all up and out of the house on time, which is a definite plus the way mornings have been going.
This is Brandon's off day and we had a to do list a mile long, which is pretty typical for Fridays. They are seriously just go go go. It is all good though. After we dropped the boys off at school we got started. Our first stop was to go look at bikes. I think we are going to hold off though, until this Spring. At least we know what we want and where to go to get them, and how much they are going to be. Then to make several returns. Brandon had been riding around with them in his truck since before Thanksgiving, it was definitely time to get them back to the stores. I think he was glad to get them out of his truck. We had a few other errands to run, and before we knew it we were headed back to the school to get the boys.
The boys' had a great day at school. John Michael finished his Advent wreath, and was so excited! He also got a green face, so I was VERY excited! Danny had a great too but was mostly excited for the weekend.
John Michael had basketball practice tonight. They are working hard on dribbling. They are doing pretty good they just need to slow down. He loves it and is learning a lot and that is most important to me.

December....Here we Go!

So I got up this morning in complete disbelief that it was December. Even Danny has talked about how fast this year has gone by. It seems like yesterday we were getting ready for the first day of school and now we are halfway done with the school year. WOW! Yep, it is what I say each month and I mean it each time.
This morning was not as smooth as I prefer it, but we were on time so I am most definitely not complaining. I do wish it was warmer though. This cold mornings make we want to stay in bed. Super excited that the sun was out all day though.
Danny had a field trip today, to Samford to see White Christmas. I was so glad to be able to go with the class to see this. I love being home for this reason more than any other. I love to be able to truly be a part of my boys' lives. They have so much going on and while it might be hard to keep up sometimes I also know that sooner than later they will be grown. I treasure each venture with them. Now for the play, it was excellent. If you have a chance this weekend it is definitely worth it to head out to Lakeshore and check it out. Very talented performers and just an all around great show. It seemed to me that all of the kids had a great time. They were also very excited that they got to ride a bus to the show. It is the small things that mean so much. I am just so thankful that they enjoyed themselves and that I was able to be a small part of their day. It was great!
John Michael ended up with another yellow face. Tonight we wrote a note to Miss Ghossein. Starting today this is the new practice when he gets anything other than a green face. We shall see what happens tomorrow. Hopefully green will be what comes home.
Danny had basketball practice tonight. They did great. It is amazing the difference between 5-6 year old basketball and 8-9 year old basketball.
Well, the boys are in bed I am trying to get this session edited. It has been a long week with so much to do. I have been busting it though. Will keep it up! Peace out and prayers to you all.