Let's Catch Up, Shall We?

Let's just assume, for all intesive purposes of this post, that my life has been busy. Haven't I been saying that since.....I don't even remember. A while. Definitely a while. So I am a little behind on posting some updates. So I am here to catch you up on the happenings in my life.

Last weekend, we had an impromptu girls' night at my house. We had a fantastic meal, which quickly lead into a Wii tournament. There were definitely some adult beverages included, so the tourney got a little entertaining.

{Me, my sister-in-law Janelle, and my longtime (ok, since we were in diapers) friend, Abby}

{Me and Abby}

Bowling was definitely a good source of entertainment, especially since Abby had her best form on display!

Even the husband got involved.....though I'm certain he didn't win.


In the middle of the week.....couldn't tell you which day.....the boy rediscovered his obsession with the spray bottle. I'm not sure what the fascination is, but I'm all for cheap entertainment.

We also had a follow up appointment with Eric's cardiothoracic surgeon this last week. Everything checked out great, though the surgeon is still keeping him off of work for another two months. Yes, months. For someone who is already going stir-crazy (him, not me), this was not the best of news. But we'll take it for what it is, and keep pushing through the recovery. Along with this news came the realization that we needed to start saving money since worker's comp isn't covering 100% of his wages. So we opted to reduce Carter's time at daycare - the most obvious choice for saving money. The new schedule starts tomorrow and I really hope both Eric and Carter have the patience for this change. It's definitely going to be an adjustment for both (moreso Eric than Carter), but I'm confident it will work out.

So, in celebration of the good news, we headed out for a very nice dinner with my family, and then out for a much-needed adult night out. We gathered up some friends and hit our longtime favorite, Shorty's.

{Me and Nicole}

{The hubby and me}


{Rob and Nicole}

And since the boys wouldn't let us play in their super cool game of pool, Nicole and I started our own game. We are much better.

Sunday was a day of R&R. It was mostly spent watching tennis in the morning (way to go, Roddick!!) and attempting various chores around the house. Carter and I opted for some comfort food in the form of mac n' cheese. He LOVES helping me cook.

And we also worked on some smaller issues, like blowing our own nose. Which apparently shouldn't be done unsupervised.


And helping mommy clean the bathrooms.

Which turned into NOT so much of the helping part, but more of a fashion show of the shoes in daddy's closet.

Hey, at least he provides entertainment while I do the work! "A" for effort, little buddy.

The First "Formal" Wedding

Over the last year, I have informally snapped some pictures at the weddings we have attended. Since the photography business has taken off, I really haven't had the chance to do any big weddings yet simply because we are in the cold winter months.....and let's face it, more people get married in the warmer months. Last weekend, I had the chance to shoot my first wedding....which was almost perfect because it was an LDS wedding, so I didn't have a ceremony to shoot. So I was able to get my feet wet without being totally thrown into the deep end, so to speak. The bride and groom, and their wedding party, were so much fun! They were young and lively and a piece of cake to instruct....and they had plenty of their own ideas too. Which is always a big help.

And let me tell you something....it was so fun shooting this wedding because I was not the bride! It's fun to be right in the mix of all the stress and anxiety, but know it's not MY day and I don't have to make anything perfect.

So taking the pictures? That's the fun part.

Ahhhh.....young and in love.

Overall, I had some good stuff to work with. Obviously there were hundreds of pictures to choose from, and I ended up with a fantastic selection......only a small fraction of which is up for display here.
And there are some things I still need to work on.....but that's all part of the process. And I welcome the learning, and the trial and error.

Happy Birthday to the Hubby!

Today is my hubby's birthday.......he's joining me at the big 28.
Happy Birthday, Mr. Fisherman! Since there will be no snowboarding this year, I have a feeling there will be many more fishing trips to make up for lost time in the mountains.

Chubby Hands Are The Best

I took this picture of Carter the other night when he was super hyper and being a complete goofball. I LOVE his chubby little hands!!

***Yet Another Update***

Many people have been asking for updates on Eric. He is doing well in his recovery. He is still on a 5 pound lifting restriction....which he follows. Sometimes. Stubborn patient, what can I say. His lung capacity (on the lung that was collapsed during surgery) is back to 100%. He has been doing exercises to get back his range of motion (he couldn't even lift his arms to a 90 degree angle to his body) and can now lift his arms over his head. He is still basically confined to one sleeping position (on his back.....which makes him snore. loud.), which is extremely frustrating for him. But it's better than the alternative.....our motto these days. He has a follow up apppointment with his surgeon in a couple of weeks (not soon enough) and we will find out (via another echo) if the third hole in his heart managed to heal on its own. If it hasn't, they will basically do an angioplasty to make the hole heal. We're obviously hoping that doesn't have to happen. Other than all the medical crap, he's doing great. He hasn't taken a pain pill in a couple days now - which totally blows my mind. His sternum and ribs are basically wired shut until they fuse back together. It's painful just to type! I don't know how he's managing without pain pills. One tough man!! And one lucky man.....he knows it.

Here are some new pictures. The scab on the incision is totally gone now. I'm thinking the scar will heal quite nicely. My scar from my c-section shrank down from about the same length (obviously horizontally) to about 3 inches. I don't know if his scar will do the same. Only time will tell.

How long is that scar, you ask? Mr. Framer just happened to have a tape measure handy and I had him provide us with a visual.

Thank you again for all of the well wishes and help we have received.

Go Broncos!!!

Tonight is the night!!! My alma mater will be playing (once again) in the Fiesta Bowl. Tune in at 6:08 p.m. on FOX to see them kick ass!!

Blast From the Past

When we were at my dad's side of the family's Christmas celebration, one of my uncles had a huge tin of pictures. They were mostly of my grandfather, but there were quite a few of us kids when we were little. I stumbled upon some that I had never even seen before!

This first one was obviously at Christmas. I think I am 2 in this picture - I'm on the left, my cousin, Monica, is on the right. I swear, it's like looking at Carter in a dress!

This picture was taken in my parents' backyard before they added on to their house. The picture says I'm almost 3. Again, I'm with my cousin, Monica. I'm on the right. And dang I miss that wagon!!

I'm not sure if this is for a birthday celebration or Christmas, but I would say I'm probably 4.

And back to the glory days. I can't believe someone was able to time a picture with an old camera (ahem, NOT a digital camera) and actually get the ball I was picthing in the picture. And I was clearly messing around because my form is just awful!

I would love to be in that kind of shape again!! It's one of my goals this year, though, so watch out!