Fridays are Always Full

So today Bradon and I took the boys to school.  I love the fact that he is off on Fridays and is able to spend some time with all of us.  At the end of last year we took advantages of these mornings and made them date days with breakfast at Legend's.  They are closed now, which is pretty dang sad, so today we ran through Bojangles, mainly because of the fact that they have Diet Mountain Dew.  Yes, we do allow drinks to determine where we eat.  Caffiene always trumps food inmy opinion.
I had a photo shoot so we headed to Hoover to visit the Aldridge Gardens.  It was a great shoot with an adorable little boy.  He had just turned one and it needed to be documented.  I love my job and the amazing people that I am blessed enough to work with each day! 
I did find out that Aldridge Gardens is going to start enforcing their Photographer's Guild, which means I have to come up with a spare $75.  That is definitely one of those things that is easier said than done.  I have so many sessions there this fall that I am going to have to make it happen.  I will be spending some time praying on this one.  I definitely did not need any extra stress.
Brandon and I headed home so that he could be there when the guys arrived to look at the cabinets in the kitchen that have been busted since before we closed.  Just add that whole deal to the experience.  Another negative bites the dust.  They were supposed to replace the cabinet and instead they placed a skin over it so that you cannot see it.  You know what butt holes....just because I cannot see it does not mean it is not there!!!!
Anyway.  The boys had great days at school and I had a great afternoon at After School Care.  We had planned to go outside, but with the supervisor our with pink eye inside was what happened.  Plus there were a lot of kids today.  Seems like more would be home early with it being a Friday, but that was definitely not the case. 
Since I am in charge when Mrs. Debbie cannot be there we had to stay at After School Care a little later than normal.  I took the boys for a Sonic Blast for a treat on our way home.  They were seriously thrilled!

We went swimming for a little while tonight.  I know that the pool will be closing soon and I wish that we could use it every day.  Next summer I plan to be there too much!  I love to swim and to get sun and I figure why not.  Great memories come from summers at the pool.  CAscade Plunge? Zamora Park? Memories coming in yet?

The last summer day for 2012

Well, today started early with a photoshoot at Aldridge Gardens.  It was a great session with an adorable 1 year old little boy.  Watch the blog at www.monicaannephotography.com for more on this session.  I have to get that caught up, I will make it one of my many goals.  Before we left the gardens I took advantage of having the boys there and got a few pictures.  They were not dressed up but it was fun to document the last day of summer.

We headed to the Network after the photo shoot and ended up having lunch with Brandon.  It was nice sitting outside for lunch with the family.

Then we headed to the school.  I had to get an application filled out so that I can start work!  It was a seven page application, and I felt like a fool it has been so long since I filled one out.  Again I am so thankful for this opportunity, it is definitely an answer to many many prayers.  I also talked to Debbie again and it looks like I will start tomorrow with the boys. 

The boys had their open house at the school today so after I finished my application we headed in to turn it in and to go say hello to the teachers, see their seats, and get their supplies in order!  I cannot believe that they are going to be 1st and 4th graders tomorrow.  WOW!  Time flies, of course we will have to make sure we have enough time in the morning to make our pictures.  The first day pictures are always important. 

We came home and I cooked dinner, and after we all sat down to eat Brandon and I took the boys swimming for about 45 minutes.  I managed a few laps, but it was cold!!!

Well, we are all headed to bed now.  Tomorrow is going to be a big day.  I am so excited and I know that they are too!  Today was so great, and such a fun ending to summer, I do wish that we had a little more time though.  I love my time with the boys.

Deliveries

So today was a very productive day.  I worked my tail off in the den.  I am almost done in there and that my friends is a serious task.  I have almost everything packed and once I get it cleaned and organized it will be even more evident. 
I had a photo shoot this afternoon at the Aldridge Gardens.  It was a great shoot with an awesome family, they were a lot of fun.  Even after seeing the snake, which can definitely be a photo shoot downer. 

We came home and we all went to the new house.  They had not done much but the light fisxtures had been delivered.  I am getting so frustrated with all of the little things that are wrong.  I am  going to write out a detailed list soon and send it to the builder so that we have something in writing.  It is frustrating knowing that these issues could be what keep us from move in date.  Seriously, I will be super pissed! While we were there we spent some time visiting with our neighbors.  I am so excited about moving, I really do not think that it can get here soon enough!

Driveway and Toilets

So today was a busy one.  The boys and I headed to Aldridge Gardens for two photo shoots.  I am always worried when there is more than one with the boys.  They usually do pretty good, but I know that they get bored.  These were both great sessions and the boys were a huge help!  Stay tuned to http://www.monicaannephotography.com/ and I will update it as soon as possible with all of the amazing shoots I have been on lately.
Since the boys were so amazing I took them to Krispy Kreme as a treat.  They love going inside and watching them make the doughnuts.  We went inside and each had one, of course we had to bring some home.  We even surprised Brandon and Nick with some at work.  Every once in a while I try to do something nice.
We headed home to get some work done.  Even though we did not get as much done as I hoped we made some more progress.  Tomorrow I am hoping to get more pictures for eBay.  I almost have everything listed that I have taken pictures of so it is time to get more pictures. 
Brandon got home and we headed to the new house.  He was putting the thresholds down while we were there.  We had a driveway and a sidewalk, I was a little sad that we did not get to put our hands in it.  We are going to make something though.  They had also put in the toilets, which is always good to see happen.  The fixtures for the sinks, baths, and showers were all in too.  So so excited to see all of the progress.  Hoping that the landscapers do not try to screw us.  We will see.

Danny had practice, it was relatively short so we headed to the store and then home.  Well, I am ready for bed.  I am looking forward to getting there before tomorrow morning! 

Working Sundays

So his morning Brandon and Danny headed to Pell City.  Brandon had a Mass to video for a priest at Our Lady of the Lake.  I am so thankful for him having a few jobs coming in, they are definitely an answer to some prayers. 
John Michael and I got up and headed to Aldridge Gardens where I had a few photo shoots.  I love working out there and today there were no snakes.  There was proof that they were there, like snake skins,but I did not see any, which was a nice break from the norm.  We did see a lot of baby turtles, they were so cute!  It was also Art in the Gardnes. and I hatesd that I could not really look around but it is not like I could have gotten anything so what is the point. 
John Michael and I came home to get some work done.  Since I am seriously behind we got the laundry caught up which was a nice plus all by itself.  Being behind is not something that I enjoy even a little bit. 
Brandon and Danny headed to the lake to see his mom and Dale, and Danny stayed with them for a little while to swim.  They stopped at Bojangles on his way home, which really made his day.  He got to swim for a few minutes and that is something that he has missed.  Hopefully we will make it up there sooner than later. 
Well everyone was home and tucked in long before the rain, it thundered and lightening here horribly but no rain.  That did not come until we were all tucked in.

Non Stop

The boys had a great day at school today and I had a great day at work!

I had two session this morning at Aldridge Gardens.  Unfortunately the snakes decided to make an appearance, which always makes it a little more stressful and definitely not something that I like to deal with, but we have to do what we have to do. 

Something about Wednesday

So today was the school Mass.  This is a great day for me as it allows me to reconnect with Jesus with my boys and all of the children at St. Francis. 
After Mass I had a photo shoot with the beautiful Ella Brooke.  She is 11 months old today!  She is so precious and we had a blast on Morris Avenue.  We even managed a few pictures of big brother Jacob!
After school Danny had Bible Bee with Mr. McCormick.  He loves Bible Bee days and I am so glad that they mean so much to him.
We headed to Aldridge Gardens as soon as he was done for another photo shoot.  This one is with the beautiful Andee, who was celebrating her first birthday!  The boys even posed for a quick picture, which is a rare occurrence!

After the photo shoot we hauled tail to Clay for John Michael's practice.  It was a great practice. 

The Snakes Return

Today I had several shoots at Aldridge Gardens. I love shooting here but all of the snakes are starting to put me on edge. Today I got to see a lot of them, they were under rocks, on the grass, and swimming around. It was not at all how I wanted to spend the day. Seriously slightly freaked out. Who knew that such a beautiful place could have so many seriously nasty creatures. I was definitely glad when the sessions were done and I headed out.

Danny is still testing and is doing great! I am so proud of him. He has been working hard to get in bed early and get up early enough to eat and relax a little.

Both boys had practice today, which is rough because it is me and the two of them and I hate to leave either of them alone. I left Danny with his team, since he is a little older. He still managed to get a little lost. He knew that I was at the park, but could not find me. Thank you so much Jill for helping him. I felt so so bad. I wish that there was a way for me to be in two places at one. More and more I am thinking it is almost time for a cell phone for my baby. We will see what happens.

Photo Shoots and PonyTails

After we took the boys to school Brandon came with me on a photo shoot at Aldridge Gardens. The family was great, and even though we were slightly limited due to a wedding it was a great day. The weather was perfect and the session was great. Stay tuned to the blog at www.monicaannephotography.com for more information on this session.
After the photo shoot we went to get our driver's licences renewed. So here is the thing. When I am working I pull my hair back. It keeps it out of my way. This is not something that I would ever do for a driver's license picture. These are meant to be horrible by nature when you add a ponytail and a sports bra to it, it was a disaster and for four years I get to enjoy it. Unless I get to take a new one when we move. Hmmmm. We will have to see how that works out. Fortunately our wait there was very short, which is always a nice thing. I am sure that I look fat (which I am) and bald (which I am not). It will be awesome, and as I lose this weight, because I know that I will, I will look at the picture and laugh. It is another goal for the year. I love making these!
The boys had a great day at school. Danny has a few friends who are calling him names and I am not enjoying that and am pretty torn on what to do. I guess I will see what happens when they head back to school after Spring Break. I hate calling parents about stuff like this, it is never fun. Praying that this blows over and fast, he really likes everyone in his class and is pretty hurt by a few of them.

Progress Happening

So today I was a little sad because I had to miss Mass with my boys. I had a photo shoot and even though I set my own schedule sometimes it just clashes instead of meshing.
It was definitely a beautiful day for a photo shoot. The temperature was great, the sun was shining bright, and well it was just a great day. The session was at the Aldridge Gardens, which is a location that I love in my opinion it is so much nicer than the Botanical Gardens. For more on this session watch the blog on http://www.monicaannephotography.com/.
I am working on getting another Living Social ad complete. We will see what happens. I am excited about it since this one expires in about a month.
Today is Brandon's last day to be 30. I hope that he enjoyed it. Tomorrow is his late night so hopefully we can go out for dinner or something Friday. We will see what happens.
Today I got the hall closet (at least one) cleaned out. I was super shocked by what I was able to get through in there, there is actually room in it now. I also got a few more things on eBay. I am excited that some of the things are starting sell. While I know that I will not get rich on eBay a little extra would definitely be nice especially with us trying to get so much done.
The boys had a great day at school. Which is always a great day for momma! I love it when they come in smiling!
Today is our Nephew Hunter's 7th Birthday! I am not sure when all these baby boys turned into big boys but it has happened! Happy Birthday Hunter Luke! We love you!! xoxoxo
Well, I am off to bed, super excited that it is before midnight!

Basketball

This morning we went to the 11 o'clock Mass. John Michael was so excited that we let him wear his basketball uniform to Mass. We had a game at 1:00 and had to be there at 12:30 so the timing was perfect and it made his Sunday morning. I love starting the mornings off at Mass with my amazing family. We get closer to Jesus and we do it together which is great.

John Michael's game was at 1:00. The boys were definitely more awake than they were Saturday. Of course so were all of us. Today we were playing St. Rose Academy. They won. The score was 4-2. I have never seen a group of boys more excited to win any sport. These guys have been the underdog and the win meant so much to them. They all played so good. They are getting to be pretty aggressive and are getting some of the technical things down too.

I had a photo shoot today at 2:30 at Aldridge gardens. I tried to get in touch with the lady all week because I knew it would be just generally nasty. Well, she never called or e-mailed me back so we rushed from Irondale to Hoover and she never showed up. Meaning I not only did not make anything, I lost money in gas today. That is the hard part about owning my own company. It is very disappointing when the people do not show up at all. We waited around but nothing so we headed home.

I have been working on homework and editing most of the evening. I have a lot to get done and this week I will make serious progress.

Well, I am headed to bed. Hoping to get a nap in before the weather gets bad. Everyone please be careful tonight. This weather makes me nervous. Praying for everyone to be safe tonight and in the morning as these storms pas through.

Welcoming November with ....

The Stomach bug. Yep, everyone in the house ended up with the stomach bug. I have managed to steer clear, and praying that it stays that way. I have photo shoots everyday this month and do not need to have anything slowing me down.

I have been to Publix twice getting Sprite, medicine, soup, and crackers. Fortunately since early this morning everyone seems to be on the mend. Which means back to work and school tomorrow as normal. Praying that this is the track that we stay on.

Today I had a photo shoot with a gorgeous 13 year old. We went to the Aldridge Gardens in Hoover. More on this session on my blog at http://www.monicaannephotography.com/ It was a great session and I am excited about editing them. Starting on them shortly.

Aldridge Gardens is beautiful in the fall. They had a ginko tree that was stunning. Brandon planted one of these for us last year, while it is still pretty much a baby, I hope that it grows to look like this one. I LOVE IT! The size, color, shape, and everything.

I went by the school while I was out and got Danny's work. He had it done in just a little bit. I love the fact that he does not like to be behind. He is so much like me. I prefer to be caught up and ahead when at all possible.

Well, everyone seems to be okay. About to start shower and bath time. Curious to if I can but Lysol in with them. Just joking.

I hope that everyone has a great night. Know that you are all in my thoughts and prayers. Also please say a prayer that all is healthy and back to normal tomorrow for the Thach household.

Welcoming in May

So May is here, WOW! I know I said it yesterday about April being gone but I am saying it again about May being here. I can remember thinking how crazy adults were thinking that time flew by when it seemed to crawl, but now I am right there and I understand. I do not know if it is because of the right now lives that we all live or if it is just a part of growing up, but regardless I understand.

Today Brandon and the boys cut the front yard and got the riding lawn mower almost ready for the back yard, which will be nice as it is a lot taller than I like! I am looking forward to it being done, maybe tomorrow? We shall see, expect an update sooner than later!

I kicked off May with a wedding, with Terri Melvin. We had a great time and I think captured the day for the bride and groom. I hope that the day for them was everything that they had hoped and more. The wedding was at Aldridge Gardens in Hover. It was very pretty. I am including a picture of the grounds for my blog, but it is raw. Edited pictures will follow in my other blog. Sooner than later I hope. I have some product shots and prom pictures to get finished up! Needless to say I know what I will be doing this week!

Well, I am off to bed tonight. I am exhausted. I will remember you all in my thoughts and prayers! I hope that as time flies and things may seem dark that you are able to enjoy life and find the silver lining that I have been told is always there!