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OUCH! February 10, 2010

Posted by Emily in : Little Man Dallin, Parenthood , 1 comment so far

This little charmer has us all wrapped around his little fat fingers.

He’s adding about one word a day to his vocabulary:

He’s so dang cute, it almost makes his little pinches worth it to hear him yell “OUCH!”  in our behalf.  :)

Dear Heavenly Father, Please Don’t Let Me Die February 9, 2010

Posted by Emily in : Princess Hannah , 3comments

Overheard by Hannah in the last few weeks:

“Dear Heavenly Father, please don’t let me die.”  (Said during her bedtime prayer)

Dora doesn’t make me happy, I decide to be happy (David has been working on this concept with her.  I guess she “gets” it.)

We have a little trouble here . . .

Why do we die?  Where do we go when we die?

I really need to play the piano so I can make some beautiful noise!

I speak Spanish! (Said in English)

I forgive you mommy.

Mommy, am I your angel?

I love school soooooo much.  (Who doesn’t love pre-school?)

Daddy does a good job of being a handsome prince.

Mommy, why aren’t you upstairs joining the conversation at the dinner table?  (Um, because I was checking my email!)

Mommy, I just love you soooooooo much!  Can I keep you forever, and ever, and ever?

Mommy, I just want to stay by you because you take me to beautiful places.  You take me to see little Alpacas, and baby Alpacas, and big Alpacas, and mommy Alpacas.

Mommy!  Look at Dallin!  He is JUST. SO. CUTE.

Paris is my best friend. Dallin is my best friend too!

Mommy, don’t worry.  I’m not crying, these are just poopie tears.  (Taking care of business is big work!)

 

Self-Portrait Round Two February 8, 2010

Posted by Emily in : Photography, School, Thoughts , 6comments

I started my classes this week at AAU, and I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed.

For one of my first assignments, I had to take a self-portrait.

ANOTHER ONE.  AS IN, CANNOT USE ANY SELF-PORTRAITS TAKEN MORE THAN SIX DAYS AGO.

UGH.

Couldn’t they just accept the self-portrait I took over the summer for another class?  Heck, I look the same.

I kept hoping this assignment would just disappear into a black hole.  Maybe we would be assigned a new assignment?  Maybe my twin brother would magically become a TWIN SISTER and voila!  I could photograph my identical twin!

So pathetic, I know.

Taking a self portrait is right up there with getting a root canal.  UGH.  I hate taking self -portraits, or heck, even just getting my own picture taken by someone else is just not on the top of my list.  I really enjoy being behind the camera, not in front of it.  I took several self-portraits this week.  I wasn’t 100% happy with any of them, but that is more personal than it is technical.  I’m like that client you can never please because they’re just not happy about the way they look in every picture.  Nothing to do with the photographer, everything to do with the client.

I have issues.

I’m sure it’s because of the lovely extra pounds that just refuse to disappear, and other neuroses I have about myself of which I won’t go into a description.  (See?  I’m neurotic!)  Photographs have a way of magnifying all the things you wish would just go away.

That being said, I did learn a few technical things from this experiment, and if nothing else, I know my equipment better this week than I did last.

This is what I came up with:

“Hello camera!  Why aren’t you responding to my trigger?  HELLO?  Do you think I like to do this?”

Then there’s the “straight hair on me” = “drowned rat look.”

And this one where David mentioned I looked a little ticked off in this picture.

Not exactly the message I was trying to communicate.

I ended up submitting the second image.  No word on how I did yet.

Please say this is the last self portrait assignment ever.  PLEASE?!?!  :)

CASTING CALL!!! February 5, 2010

Posted by Emily in : Photography , 9comments

CASTING CALL!

Calling one, calling all!

Want a great facebook profile picture?

Enter!  Enter!  Enter!

Over the next several weeks, I’ll be posting some casting calls!

I have several projects I’m working on, and each casting call will be specific to my project.

What’s in it for you:

A casting call is VERY different from a giveaway.

Giveaway: When I giveaway a photo shoot, the winner is randomly selected and you have ultimate control and say over how you want the images to look.  Indoors, outdoors, props, posed, candid, etc.

Casting Call: A casting call is just that . . . anyone and everyone who is interested in the posted project can leave a comment.  I will CHOOSE the person/group that best fits my project.  I choose everything for the photo shoot and you just show up!  These images are for my personal portfolio, but if you are interested in buying some of the images, you can do so at a discounted rate.

Each week I’ll be posting a different casting call, so if you don’t fit the bill one week, you might the next!

This next week, I’m looking to photograph ONE ADULT.  Male or female.  Will be photographed with three different lighting set ups.  Must be available for about an hour on Saturday, February 13th.  The shoot will take place in Utah County, most likely American Fork.  The shoot will be outside and most likely will be head shots.

Interested?  Leave a comment!

Tell your friends!

Two is Better Than One February 4, 2010

Posted by Emily in : Family, Little Man Dallin, Parenthood, Princess Hannah, Thoughts , 4comments

When planning a family, just know that if you want a baby, you must commit to at least TWO.

Why?

Kids are like potato chips.  You can’t have JUST ONE.

Even in my fertility stricken days, I was a believer in the zero-kids-or-at-least-two-kids theory.

There are certain things kids can only learn from having siblings, and vice versa, there are certain things parents can only learn from having more than one child.

Remember how I thought parenthood was the easiest thing ever and how badly behaved kids were a direct reflection of their parents?

Well . . .

Pardon me while I get my judgmental self in check.

OK, I’m in check now.

Yes, those were the days when I had only ONE child who, by the way, was possibly the easiest, most laid back, happy child ever to be born.   Honestly, Hannah never cried and when she was awake, she was so easy to take care of.  She was like watching grass grow, but in a  fun exciting sort of way that grass grows.

Now, enter child number two who is 100% different from Hannah.  I won’t get into all the specifics, but those of you who have been reading my blog since Dallin was born,  know that I almost lost all my marbles.  And really, I’m not kidding.

I’m a mom because of Hannah and a better mom because of Dallin.

Top reasons to give your child a sibling:

Whenever Dallin is asleep, Hannah gets bored and tells me that she really needs a friend and could I be her friend?  It’s darling, but sometimes, I’m getting into the shower, and it’s just not super convenient.  :)

This is what I love . . .

Dallin was sitting on the couch first and Hannah had the pick of the room for a place to sit.  There is a recliner, a love seat, several small chairs for children, the floor, and the couch.  Where does she sit?  Oh yeah, on the same couch cushion as Dallin.  Smooshed up next to him.

A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E  I tell you!

They also hold hands during the scary parts of Nemo, Monsters, and The Barbie movies.  :)

Someone who thinks they can’t love the second child as much as the first hasn’t had a second child.

*Note:  I know some of you would love to have more than one child, but one reason or another you cannot.  Trust me when I say I understand!  I spent many infertility stricken years (eight to be exact) wondering if we would ever have a family, and after Hannah was born, I wondered (though for not very long) if I could have more.  This post is only intended to show how great it is for kids to have siblings.

Weekend With Some Besties February 3, 2010

Posted by Emily in : Friends, Medical School, My Handsome Husband, Thoughts, Trips, Utah , 4comments

This last weekend David and I met up with some of our favorite peeps.

David and Brent (who lives in Ohio) were both invited back to Wichita, Kansas to take a second look at a residency program.

That last sentence can be interpreted the following way, “Hey, we like you guys and want you to pick our program.  We’ll pay travel expenses for you and your spouse, wine and dine you, and put you in a nice hotel.  Pick our program!”

We had a wonderful weekend.  Why?

1.  Because we spent a WHOLE weekend with some of our best friends WITHOUT ANY KIDS.

Really, do I need to say more than that?  Brent and Michelle drove down from Ohio, and picked us up on the way to Wichita at the airport in Kansas City.

2.  We stayed in a nice hotel and didn’t foot the bill.

3.  The men worked on some hair brained schemes, while Michelle and I worked on our chit chat skills.

Did I mention we had fun?

We also liked the program, (and we’re pretty sure they liked us) so we may just end up in the same city after all!  What’s better than getting a residency with your besties?

On a side note, every conversation I had this weekend went something like this:

New Person: So . . . where are you from?

Me: I’m from Utah

New Person: So . . . are you Mormon?  (Said with curiosity.  Am I intriguing?  I’m Mormon so I guess the answer to that is YES.)

Me: Yes. Yes I am.

New Person: Do you know so-and-so (insert name of the only other Utah Mormon they have ever met.)

Me: No.  I’m sorry I don’t.  (But really, I’m like, HELLO!  THERE ARE MORE THAN 12 MILLION MEMBERS WORLDWIDE!  Lots of Mormons around!)

New Person: So . . . how long have you and David been married?

Me: It will be 13 years in July.  (I know, I don’t think I’m even old enough for that!)

New Person: (SHOCK!  DISBELIEF!) Gulp.  Did you get married when you were toddlers!?  (True story, more than FIVE count them FIVE people asked me if we got married as toddlers.)

Me: Almost!  (Wondering if I should tell them I got married at 19, and just turned 32 . . .)

And this conversation happened over, and over, and over.  ;)

Needless to say, we had a great weekend.  When we returned, people asked us where we went and when I told them, “Wichita,” everyone responded, saying, “Is that in Kansas?”  Apparently, it’s not on the map . . . yet.

Oh How I Love Thee February 2, 2010

Posted by Emily in : Little Man Dallin, Parenthood, Princess Hannah, Trips , 5comments

We are back from our little getaway from this weekend.

It was so nice to have a weekend away.

I’ll post about our trip later, but for now, I thought I’d mention how much I missed my little kidlets.

I mean, I really missed them.

Hannah missed me a lot too.

Dallin on the other hand . . .

Was so busy and important playing with his toys, he didn’t have time to miss me!

Look at Dallin’s cheeks!  Do you blame me for missing them?

I also missed kissing his fat little toes!

And LOOK AT THIS FACE!

I can’t help it.  I missed him.  LOTS.

And you know what?  The second I walked in the door he realized I’d been gone and suddenly it hit him, “Oh, that’s what was missing over the last few days . . . MY MOMMY!”

At One With the Universe February 1, 2010

Posted by Emily in : Friends, Photography, Utah , 7comments

Honestly, I must be at one with the Universe.

A few days ago, I met up with my high school friend, Cheryl, who now lives in Singapore.  She just happened to fly half way around the world to visit her family for Christmas and I just so happen to be living in Utah at the moment.  Like I mentioned before, Utah is home base for everyone and it’s nice to be here to see so many familiar faces.

She loves photography as much as I do, so we planned a night to photograph Utah Valley from across Utah Lake.

This is Utah Valley.  It’s really eye opening to see how tall Timpanogos mountain is from across the lake.  Normally, this mountain is just in our backyard (so to speak) and it doesn’t seem this big!  (It’s 11,749 feet to be exact.)

These lights are of Lehi, Pleasant Grove, and American Fork.

This last one is of American Fork and you can see the Mt. Timpanogos temple from across Utah Lake.

This Valley really is beautiful.

It is so fun to catch up with old friends.

I hope to see more of you!