a gold star

we tried to stay home, but we needed food.
otherwise we'd have worked towards a guinness world record of how long two people can actually avoid finding themselves in the after christmas masses.

we avoided the before christmas masses with flying colors and if it had been a paper to be graded by the loving hand of a teacher, we would have gotten an A+ and a gold star and she would have asked us to present at the next mandatory assembly in the auditorium.

we did sneak out on christmas day and watched "the secret life of walter mitty." does everyone go to the theatre on the 25th? it sure seemed like it. anyhow, it started out a bit slow and a little odd, but then it grabbed our attention and inspired us. that's all i'm saying about it so that someone who hates it doesn't throw a dagger at me and someone who loved it doesn't ask why i didn't blow kisses all over it.

it will be a new year soon. do you have your word yet?

my word found me just the other day. i was standing at the desk in my studio, looking at some old photos on my computer and "it" literally reached out and wrapped itself around me. i instantly wrote it down, looked up every definition that "it" wears like an insanely loved prom dress and said yes.

i'll share it here on the first of january and i hope you have one to share, too.
right now i'm busy bundling up "disappointment" and all of "her friends" that visited {and unfortunately stayed too long} this year and deciding where i'm going to bury them to prevent them from ever EVER ever visiting again.

see you soon. in the new year. i think i'm going to love 2014.

and just like that, it's here

may your christmas days be filled with more love and laughter than 

you can even imagine.

~

{and cookies. don't forget the frosted covered sugar cookies. 

may your christmas days be filled with those, too}

we're all out of almond bark

why is it that target can't seem to keep almond bark on the shelves this time of year? obviously i'm not the only one who knows that their almond bark is the best. last week i got the last package in the store. yesterday, nothing. i had to resort to white baking chips. they'll probably suck.

lately for lunch, i've been having scrambled eggs. i can't really do eggs for breakfast, but by noon they are calling my name. i will put anything in my eggs {spinach, onions, green peppers, mushrooms} but they MUST be finished with a heavy dose of goat cheese. OMG....so amazingly delicious.

for most of you, you know my love and involvement with help-portrait. this year was the year all of years since we had TWO locations. the second location was at the food pantry where i volunteer and with 585 clients photographed at pantry number one and 189 photographed at pantry number two, i am blown away.
in explaining to someone today who knew nothing about help-portrait, she asked, "and what do you do, or do they do with the photos?" and i told her that for most of these families that these are the first family photographs they have ever had...and once again, i got all teary eyed. i have worked the past few years with amandalynn, our amazing madison coordinator for help-portrait and here's
an article she wrote. see how many times you see me {look carefully} and my hubby. {who by the way has always helped with HP but was a HUGE help this year...thanks babe}

the social security site yesterday said i don't qualify for benefits...that i haven't worked enough hours. well they can take that information and shove it. i was a stay at home mom who worked her butt off and volunteered for everything that my children were involved in and just because i didn't "pay into the system," on paper it looks like i didn't do anything. {insert a volcano erupting}
whew. that's off my chest.

do you re-gift? i do. just saying.

i love ellen and my dream is to be part of her 12 days of christmas. yesterday was a good day. they all got trips to resorts in mexico. honestly, i'd be happy with a target gift card that i could use to stock up on almond bark...if they ever restock the shelves.

i can't do it…..

i can't shoot when it's less than ten degrees outside. seriously, i can't. i think i'm allergic to air when it's not heated to at least twenty degrees, but even then, the sun better be out and the wind better not be blowing.

so let's just pretend i took these photos this week {instead of two weeks ago} to show you our six inches of snow and how all the gaps that fall left behind are filled with what looks like creamy white frosting. okay? thanks :)  

last weekend was madison's help-portrait event and we photographed 585 people and 14 dogs. it was a HUGE day and i'm so grateful to be part of this amazing group. this weekend we do it all over again, because the need is that great and our group decided to do its first, "second location." i just can't tell you how wonderful it is to give families in need, a photo of themselves.

i don't know what i'd do with all my time if i wasn't watching videos that go viral and end up on facebook…so today i have to share this one with you. it will melt your heart and make you laugh. kids are amazing, aren't they? talk about just being yourself.

like walking through a cloud…..

it was forty degrees when i changed into my walking clothes and hiking boots late yesterday afternoon and i raised a "want to come with me" eyebrow towards my hubby. he looked at me and smiled.

a thick and extremely wet fog had engulfed our entire town and was holding it hostage and i was determined to get up close and personal with it.

usually by this time of the year, my ability to see mother nature's beauty has dwindled and i pout, but not yesterday. yesterday i saw a stillness and a softness and even a spookiness that took my breath away. the ground beneath our feet didn't make a noise, even though it was still covered in leaves. instead, it was soft and quiet and i think somehow mother nature knew that "she" had thrown out her version of a red carpet for us to walk on.

my baby has been housebound for too long now. days have been spent kicking and screaming and without the darling personality she came home with, but yesterday, she was a happy camper. she cooperated beautifully and loved being out in the fog just as much as i did. i'll never really worry about her or any of her siblings and being outside with them. they were all born weatherproof. snort.

when we finished our walk and were heading towards the car, i noticed how damp our clothes were. my hubby said, "it was like walking through a cloud" and i smiled. it truly was just like that.

i'm so grateful he's retired now and gets to do spur of the moment, middle of the day things with me. blessed, i tell you. we are truly blessed.