Back to Normal

So today we all headed to work and to school. 
I dropped the boys off and headed to the Botanical Gardens.  I had a great photo shoot with a precious two year old little girl and her mom who is expecting twins in February.  They were both so fun to work with.  The pictures were great and I am hoping to stay on top of editing because it is about to get seriously busy.  While there I also was able to add to my alphabet which is always a good thing.  I love having a growing collection.

The boys had a great day at school and after school care was a lot of fun. 

Just Late

So today I was just late.  Everywhere and with everything.  It was crazy so I am about to head to bed, late as usual but actually a little eralier than yesterday.  Maybe tomorrow will be better.
So this morning I was up and moving, I started editing a little before time to get the boys up and I fell asleep at the computer.  Yep, that should tell me something.  I woke up with 10 minutes to get the boys ready and to VBS.  Well, they got up and moving fast which was nice.

We got to VBS about 30 minutes late, which meant they missed the puppets and were not happy with me.  Tomorrow we will be back on track.  They did have a great time and that is awesome!  I love seeing them having fun with friends and growing closer to Jesus.  It is just amazing.

While they were at VBS I headed to Greystone for a photoshoot.  I love newborns, but boy do they give me baby fever.  It will pass though.  The shoot went great and if you keep up with my blog at http://www.monicaannephotography.com/ you will be able to learn more about it very soon.

After VBS we headed home for a quick lunch and to change clothes and we headed to Deborah's to swim with Kimy and Morgan.  It was nice to get a few hours of relaxing and friends as hectic as this week and today have been.  The boys had a blast, which is what I love.  Doing fun things make the summer much more enjoyable for all of us.

We headed to the new house and they had sanded again.  The security system guys had been there, which is definitely a plus.  I am hoping that they are coming back though because the wires they left out are not too pretty.  The french doors for mom's sitting room and our bedroom had also been delivered.  They were in the garage, but at least they were there.  The door for the HVAC unit was also in the garage.  Progress no matter how small is progress.  Of course there is still a list of things to do, so we will see what happens there.  Hopefully July 16th is still going to happen.  I would love it even more if it was sooner.

After going to the house we headed to practice.  It was a long one, but a good one.  With the district tournament this weekend we need to be ready.  I am so ready and I hope that we win.  I would love to come in first but I definitely want us to continue on.  District, Region, State and World Series.  How awesome would that be!

PAINT!!!!

This morning started off with a photo  shoot.  It was in Warrior so I am glad that Danny decided that he wanted to come to work with me.  He is always a big help, but it is nice just to have some time with him and today.  This photo shoot was great as it was for the one year anniversary of Catherine and Ken.  Watch the blot at http://www.monicaannephotography.com/ for more on this awesome couple and the fun photo shoot.

After Danny and I got home we got John Michael and Brandon and headed to the new house.  When we got there we found everything taped off and draped and the painters were busy at work.  More progress, which makes me happy!  I love seeing the progress and I cannot wait to see it finished and have the keys in our hands.

We went by and  got some more boxes from Friends Beauty Supply since we were in Brandon's truck and would be able to get more.  I cannot tell you how thankful I am for these boxes, they will be such a HUGE help.

We came home and got ready for Carter's birthday party.  It was great to see Tami, Kevin, and everyone.  Carter seemed to have a great party and that is what matters most.  The boys had a blast swimming and I have to admit it was nice just relaxing for a little bit.

We left the party to go to the store, I wanted to get it done before the rain set in.  Plus I knew that would clear up the rest of the evening and tomorrow to pack and work around the house, especially if the weather means I have to cancel the photo shoots tomorrow.

We were able to get a lot done, even though so much of it is behind closed doors and you cannot see it.  The important thing is that we know it is there!  I think ;)

Too Close

So today was the boys' last Friday of school.  WOW is all I know to say!  I cannot believe that in a weeks' time I will have a 1st grader and a 4th grader.  I seriously miss them being babies some days!
Brandon and I headed to the new house to meet the builder, the realtor, and the inspector.  It is frame walk time.  We pointed out some issues that we had, and the inspector found his own.  Hopefully the process of getting them back on track will be a smooth one.  I am so ready to be in the new house.  I need it for my own sanity.  Just a peace of mind that come with being at your own home.  I miss that security a lot. 
I had a photo shoot this afternoon with an amazing one year old.  This session was so much fun and I cannot wait to share it with everyone.  We will be waiting till after her party though.  Happy Birthday Ella Brooke!  Of course the snakes did appear for us. 
While I was at the photo shoot Brandon headed to the school to celebrate Spirit Day with the boys.  They were glad to see him and from what I gathered they all had a blast. 

John Michael had a game at 7:30 tonight.  It was definitely a game too.  We went all seven innings, which is a rarity in itself.  We went back and forth with ties.  We ended up winning 26-25.  Seriously it was a great game, and I was super proud of all of the boys.

Suprise

This morning Brandon headed off to work so that he could be there by 6. The best part was he was home before 10! He only had to work a little over three hours today. When he hits 40 hours he is off and today that happened early! It was a great surprise for me and for the boys, who were out of school today for Holy Thursday. What I did not know was this was the first surprise today, there are more to come.

I had a photo shoot but thanks to the weather it seemed best to cancel it. I probably was for the best since it started raining around 10 and it was at 10:30. The bottom fell out, but soon after the sun came up which was nice. Since the clouds had been pretty heavy for the past 2 days seeing some sunshine was nice.

UPS came this afternoon and brought me a box from FTD florists. It was from my amazing husband of 9 years and 364 days, tomorrow is our 10 year anniversary. He has always known how to make me smile and today he definitely did that. There was a very cool purple vase and once I finally got to them, the most amazing roses I have ever seen. They are rainbow roses and they are gorgeous! I plan to photograph these babies everyday so stay tuned! Definitely the most gorgeous roses I have ever gotten! I love my man for so many reasons, and these just added to it.

The boys both had games tonight. John Michael at 6:00 and Danny at 7:30. Well, John Michael made it to the second inning and the game was called. The weather got nasty fast, but did not last too long. We ended up getting to come home pretty early which was nice. I love baseball, but tonight I was tired and really just wanted to be home with my three men, and well my roses ;)

So I am off to bed, tomorrow is a day off, but it is a day filled with stuff to do including somehow celebrating 10 amazing years!

Photo Shoots and Practice Games

So today was super hectic for me. MonicaAnne Photography blog will be going to exciting places very soon so keep your eyes peeled at www.monicaannephotography.com All of the business lately has me feeling very blessed, I cannot express my appreciation in words.
The downside is what I am missing. Today I missed Danny's baseball practice and John Michael's first practice game. It is not easy to miss out on things, but I know that they understand. I went and got a picture of John Michael on the field and then I headed out.
We missed one birthday party this afternoon, but made it to one tonight so I guess it all evens out. I hate to miss things, but I can only do what I can do and everyone knows that I love them. At least I hope that they do. I definitely told them.
The birthday party was great, we got t catch up with some friends we have not seen in years! I love catching up and as we all grow up I hope that we can remain close. I am not having people over until we move but when we do it is on. I am looking forward to having people over and catching up more, especially during the summer when we can catch up by the pool!

The Last Day of Winter

So I have admitted several times and will continue to do so, I do not like Winter at all! I loved the fact that today was the last day of Winter and was 87 degrees! Now that is a winter I can handle. I also will openly admit that I hope the temperatures remain high....no need to back down now!!!
I was supposed to have a shoot this morning and the lady had to cancel. No big deal, I understand all to well that stuff happens. I just hope that they were able to get everything taken care of I know how stressful some situations can be.
Today was Spring Break Monday and the boys and I decided to take the stuff that I needed to back to Academy and get them pants and shoes that fit. Pants were too big, shoes were too small. Go figure, I tried to get it done, but it decided to bite me. Oh well, we managed to get it all taken care of. Danny had to get Adult Cleats. I cannot believe how big my little man is getting.
They both had practice tonight and both did very well! I was definitely a proud momma. Some of the chatter on the teams is seriously on my nerves. I am not sure who is behind it all, but I do have to say....seriously people Grow Up!
Well, good night! My Spring Break starts Tuesday and I will be able to enjoy time off school, not work with my little men!

Gorgeous Saturday

Today was an absolutely gorgeous day, I do not know if I could have hand picked a better one....well, maybe adding 5 - 10 degrees, but seriously it was gorgeous.

We went to the Botanical Gardens and I had a photo shoot with a beautiful family. Stay tuned to the blog on http://www.monicaannephotography.com/ for more details about this shoot.

After the family portraits were complete I took John Michael around and did a few 6 year old pictures. He was not really feeling it though. I also got some of the boys together. I love it when they will pretend to get along even if for a few seconds for a picture.

After a morning of photography we came home and started to work on the van. We had to clean it inside and out. While there is still a lot of work to do, the seats and all that need to be cleaned, but today was a start. Just another thing that we want to get done, that can stay done before we move.

The more organized and in control we are the better. I am super excited about our progress and know that we can keep it up.

We went to Mass tonight, and then to the spaghetti dinner. Mass was great as always. John Michael seemed to forget how to act, but he got it together before Mass was over. The spaghetti dinner was great, all of the work that has been put into it definitely shown. The boys ate with us then headed to child care, where they got to play in one of the Game Trucks, watch movies, and play in the gym. They had so much fun, in fact John Michael cried when we left. I tried to win a couple of things in the silent auction, but lost them both by just a few dollars Danny was pretty sad that I did not win, but I tried. I will try a different approach next year and we will see what happens.

Well, I am off to bed. We spring forward tonight, which means more hours of daylight tomorrow, which I am SO excited about. I am not SO excited about losing an hour of sleep especially when tomorrow is so busy. It will be another great one though!

Know that you are all in my thoughts and prayers tonight and every night.

Baseball and Party Time

I was supposed to start today with a photo shoot but because of how wet it was the client decided to reschedule for next weekend, which works for me. Hopefully the weather will be a little nicer.

Since plans changed we headed over to Grandma's. Brandon was getting the stove out of mom's and taking it there so that after the house is built we can put that stove in here and take our new stove to the house. He helped them with some wires and then we headed home to get ready for baseball practice.

John Michael had practice at 2:00 and Danny at 3:00. John Michael's practice went pretty well and as soon as we could he and I had to run. We had to finish getting the goody bags for his party together and we had to get ready for his birthday party. Brandon stayed with Danny and said that he did pretty good. We do have some questionable things but we will see how this week goes before we go to the park with it. What is baseball season without a little drama!

John Michael's party was at Fox's Pizza in Argo at 6:00. He had a great turnout, I was worried because for most people in his class it is on the other side of town. He had a great time. The pizza was yummy, at least that is what I was told. Amy outdid herself with the cake it was a Batman, Mario, Auburn, Lightening McQueen, Lego, Angry Bird cake. Yep, she did it and it looked great and tasted so so yummy, I had a small piece of it! Everyone seemed to have a great time, and I hope that they did. Thank you all so much for coming and celebrating my little man's 6th birthday!

Well, the boys have had a shower and I am headed there soon myself and the to bed. Right now I am still waiting for John Michael to go to bed. He is still on a sugar high!

Well, I hope that everyone had a great Saturday! I have to say I hope hat it warms back up soon, it was way too dang cold today! Know that you are all in my thoughts and prayers.

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.

Soccer Farewell

So today was very busy. We had a lot to do around the house and while we did not get as much done as I would have liked progress was made. We even managed to get the downstairs completely finished, and the indoor Christmas decoration boxes outside of the closet. Now there is no room downstairs, because of the boxes, but now I can start decorating. YAY! I was ready a month ago and now I can make it happen. Slowly but surely. Actually I have about 11 days to get it all done. Probably a little less because of all there is to do, but it will happen.
I had a great photo shoot at the Botanical Gardens. Children are so much fun and always bring so much character into a session. Watch www.monicaannephotography.com for more on this and all of the sessions that I have been working on this month.
John Michael's soccer party was this afternoon at McDonald's. It was definitely a great place for a soccer party. The kids had a blast. John Michael was so excited about his trophy and his picture. Coach Kristin was great all season, and the kids all learned so much. I know John Michael really grew in soccer and he loves it. We will be playing again next fall...spring is baseball.
Well, everyone is in bed and before tomorrow morning (which is in 30 minutes) I am headed there myself. I will be praying for you all tonight.

Checking My List Off

This morning again I did not wake up as early as I wanted to but again we were great on time so I am definitely not complaining.
While the boys were at school I busted rear end downstairs. Getting the den cleaned out was a task, but I did it. I did have to hide a few books from view until I can get a bigger book shelf. There are already 2 down there, 3 if you include the one in the office, but they are full. We love to read, what can I say? The office is clean, the den is clean and the donation centers have been here once a week for the past few weeks and I need them again. Since it is supposed to rain tomorrow I will probably hold off till next week.
After I was done I needed a mid day shower. I had to get ready to get the boys and then head straight to a photo shoot. I sure did not need to look as lovely as I did when I was done downstairs.
The boys had a great day at school. They are getting ready for their veteran's day program so they are busy practicing. John Michael was also glad that he learned how to say 100 in Spanish.
I had a photo shoot at 3:30 at the Botanical Gardens. It was a great shoot and I had a great time. Four beautiful children. For more though you will have to watch out for it on www.monicaannephotography.com It will be coming soon.
For dinner tonight we had beef strogenoff that I cooked in the crock pot. It was pretty good and I am not a huge fan of strogenoff. The boys loved it and that is what matters the most. Tomorrow night is leftover night, we have a lot of excess in the fridge!
Well, I am off to bed. I have done some editing, have one more thing I am working on for tonight. Homework is done and the boys are in bed. It is 10 now and I will be in bed by 10:30. One way or the other. Know that you are all in my thoughts and prayers!

I love what I Do!

So I have always been told that to be truly happy and successful in your career you have to do what you love. This is so true!
Today I had a newborn session with the stunning Zarah Laia. To find out more about this session follow my blog at www.monicaannephotography.com I will say that it was a great session. I have enjoyed getting to know her mom and dad and I hope that we are able to have a relationship that was built through photography. Zarah definitely has a piece of my heart!
Teresa came and stayed with the boys, and I appreciate it so much! Mom was supposed to be going out of town, but she did not. It looks like that will be next week. We shall see. The boys seem to be great and will definitely be back in school tomorrow. YAY!