Now We Are Talking!

I know that on my last post I sort of complained that NOTHING was going on in the backyard (just two days ago)...but, today I eat my words, gladly!

HOLY CEMENT!
This afternoon they came and "shot" the pool and I must say that cement never looked so good!

The big trucks came rollin' in around 2 o'clock this afternoon, blocked off our driveway and our neighbors to the left and right of us! They meant business.


The boys were out for about 3 and 1/2 hours cementing our pool! Kyan was amazed at the cement truck up close and personal and was so excited to see it up close, dumping out the cement!


I LOVE IT!
We will be swimming in no time!

So what comes next?
That was the exact question I asked the pool company today. Mr. Pool Guy 1 and Mr. Pool Guy 2 are coming to install the waterfall on Friday, the cool deck is being drawn out (on the cement) either Monday or Tuesday and then we have to approve it and they lay it the next day! That is when it gets tricky, they can't do anything else to the pool until the fence goes up, and that is set up by Mr. Landscaper! I talked to him today and tried to make sure the timing of everything lines up, and the fence can get installed on Wednesday or Thursday (of next week) so they can do the tile on the pool and pebble sheen the following day and he says it is all a go! Usually the timing doesn't go exactly as planned, although everyone has been very true to their word so far. If they say they are going to show up, they have! So we will see if they can coordinate schedules and get this thing done! I hope to be jumping in before school starts!
They also start laying all of the pavers next week, which is the beginning part of the landscape process. They start there and work their way out!

Backyard Progress!

While I was off in the land of beauty queens (I swear I will post more on my week soon, if not on here, on Rosie J. blog), and not at home to watch the progress of the backyard unfold, the backyard moved along rather nicely without me!
Now, of course that I am home for the first time in a week, NOTHING is happening today! I think it is because they are waiting for the inspector to approve the gas and electric lines! Hopefully it won't be too long and they will be getting busy again!

Embrace the Camera: I AM Alive!

I had just enough time to grab the camera and take a picture with the kiddos this morning before I left on Adventures in Pageantland (please excuse the bags under my eyes, I haven't slept much lately)! Oh how I miss these guys during the day! When I get home LATE each night, they are sometimes still awake enough and I get a squeeze or two in before their pretty little heads hit the pillow. "I missed you!" is what they scream when they see me. They assure me how much they love me and it melts my heart!

On another note...just wanted to say thank you to my friends who have been so encouraging to me this week with all of the text messages/blog messages/voicemails! I hear you and it makes my day to know how much love and support I have from you. I am sorry if I haven't had a chance to respond or send a little message back, just know I am thinking about you.

This week is beyond stressful, more than I imagined, but I am growing and learning.

A Whole New World

Today I embark on an adventure into a world completely unknown to me.

The song/lyrics, A Whole New World, from Aladdin keep ringing through my head.

Today begins the week long photo shoots with the Queen of Hope/Worldwide International Pageant and I am feeling loads of mixed emotions, from excitement to nerves!

I think it is safe to say that my specialty is capturing my clients in the moment. To some, what looks like just an ordinary shot when flipping through the pictures and seeing it on the little camera screen may look like nothing, but to me, I can usually tell when I have hit gold! For example, the picture below to me, was my favorite of the reining Ms. Queen of Hope (we did some head shots for her before this week with her new crown). To me, this was the best picture of the shoot, in the style that I think I take the best pictures in. Isn't she beautiful?

But, it wasn't her favorite. Nor is my style going to be a favorite for these girls, I am finding out.

Today, I am going to have to start going WAY out of my comfort zone.
I do not like posed pictures, but understand that there will be A LOT of posing going on! Duh, hello, it is a pageant! I also don't usually air brush as much as I have had to recently. Sure, I whiten teeth and bring out the colors in eyes, but I don't usually de-wrinkle the entire body! Today, I start. I also don't usually add colors back into black/white photos, but there is nothing that these girls don't love more than the picture below (which happened to be her favorite). Yes, I do think that it looks pretty, but it isn't my cup of tea and wouldn't normally offer it to my clients. Guess I better start loving it for this week!

And please don't get me wrong. I am so blessed for this opportunity to work with these girls, I think that I am more nervous than anything that I won't be able to give them what they want or that they won't like my style of pictures enough. I am not going to change how I shoot, but I am still going to cater to what they want/need.

This is the biggest opportunity as a photographer that I have been given thus far and for that I am truly grateful.

Probs should tell the hubby thanks in advance for his patience he IS GOING to have with me this week. Love you.

Peanut Butter BIG Cups

I saw this recipe off of Mom. Undecided's blog a few weeks ago and I just knew that when I saw it that I had to make it...that very second! I quickly jotted it down and started, as it just so happened that I had all of the ingredients in my pantry (something that never happens)! Ok, that is a lie, I didn't have the baking cups - I had to run to the store for those. Then, once the chocolate was mixed, I realized that the powdered sugar was expired, so off Chad went to the store for me!

Prepare to have a full belly after just eating half of one of these!
Everything you need:

1 cup Peanut Butter (I overflowed mine, so it was probably closer to 1 and 1/4 cup)
3/4 tsp. Salt
1/2 cup Powdered Sugar (again, I packed it in and overflowed it, so it was closer to 3/4 cup)
24 oz. Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips (her recipe called for 1/2 of that! I used all 24 oz!)
Double Boiler
Cupcake Pan
Baking Cups (optional, but less cleaning later, so I used them!)

Here we go, step by step:

Boil water in your double boiler, melting just a little bit of butter in the top pot. This will help the chocolate melt smoother. Dump in 12 oz. of Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips and stir until chocolate is smooth.

Spoon chocolate evenly into 1 dozen baking cups in your cupcake pan. Put them in the fridge for 30 minutes to set while you make the middle peanut-buttery layer!

Mix the Peanut Butter, Salt, and Powdered Sugar ingredients in a bowl. As soon as your 30 minutes is up, scoop on top of the bottom chocolate layer.

One more time, mix up the rest of the chocolate (12 oz.) in your double boiler and scoop on top of peanut butter layer. Set back in the fridge for at least another 30 minutes before indulging in one for yourself, er-I mean before serving!

Enjoy!
Next time I make these, I think that I will try the mini muffin pans and baking cups, so we can just pop them in our mouths! If you don't eat these things just right, the peanut butter oozes out everywhere! Nonetheless, still tasted pretty close to the ones you buy in the store!

PS - no backyard updates, because there hasn't been anything since they dug our hole. There is said to be a lot of action back there this week though! Fingers crossed!

Embrace the Camera: Hair Day!

Yesterday Lola and I both got our hair done! Poor little Lola was in NEED of another haircut, so after my appointment (just a color to my friends who keep my hair cutting obsession in check, yes, it is trying to grow. Went back to being super blondie again! Had a brain fart a few weeks ago by asking to add a little brown in there?!), I ran home and grabbed her and brought her right back to get hers done! Haircut #2 went so much smoother than the first one! She was so excited to get it done (a girl after my own heart)!

Love her little angle!

Joining the Anderson Crew and embracing the camera today (well, pic is from yesterday, hope it still counts, but I am posting today)! That means mommy has to grab the camera and be in the picture too! Go grab your camera and join in!

We Have A Hole!

Today was a very exciting day! From the upstairs window of our bedroom and the back patio, the kiddos watched the machines dig out our pool!

In a matter of hours, our backyard transformed from the picture on the left to the one on the right!

As soon as the machines were loaded up, we headed outside to check everything out...and to play in the piles of dirt they left behind for the landscaper too!

It was so dusty and dirty out there! The rain boots that I just scored for the kids at Target this last week came in handy for the dirt today! I see many baths in our future!

Off to get dirty! This "double dirt" pile is the easiest for Lola to climb, so that is where they spent most of their time!

We decided to make the pool a little bit bigger than what was originally drawn up and remember how I said that I didn't like where they drew the pool out the first time? They have to get everything re-permitted and order more piping and reconfigure the cleaning system, but the good news it that it shouldn't add any extra time. They hope to have the pool piping in on Friday, reading for inspection next week so that they can starting the next part-"shooting" the pool is what Mr. Pool Guys called it! Waaahoooooo!

PS - Have you stocked up yet?! I have!!!

This has to be the best deal out there for those of us who don't get our shampoo and conditioner at a discounted rate! Beauty Brands is currently running their $11.98 Liter Sale! It says that you are only limited to buying 4 per brand and 12 total per customer, but that is NOT TRUE! At least not at the Beauty Brands that I go to! I stocked up today (even started Christmas shopping a little early, something I NEVER do)!