elves shmelves - a christmas mememememe

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?  Egg Nog, but only one cup. 

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? He just sits them under the tree.

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? I used to like white, but everyone does them now. So maybe this year I will do halloween lights just to be different.

4. Do you hang mistletoe? I have always wanted to buy some real mistletoe to hang, but am always to lazy and cheap to pay for it...so no.

5. When do you put your decorations up? Usually the weekend after Thanksgiving, but we are going to Nevada this year. So I want to do them next weekend so they are up when we come home.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish? Sweet Potato Casserole with marshmallows and brown sugar.

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child? Having all of my cousins come visit and all of us sleeping in a bedroom on the floor. Then in the morning waiting in the hallway until our parents said it was ok to go to the tree.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? What do you mean "truth"? I still believe. No, but forreals - one year when I was like 11, I was sitting in the kitchen with my parents and we were going to my grandparents house for Christmas. My parents were chatting and my mom asked my dad how they were going to get me and my sister's bikes home after Christmas...that is when I knew my parents were Santa and I was getting a new bike! SCORE!

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Yes, or two or three. 

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? I have a lot of ornaments that I have accumulated over the years and some the kiddo has made. 

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? I love the snow and don't think I have ever had a white Christmas. Growing up in Utah and Nevada, it is usually in the 70's. Texas is almost as bad.

12. Can you ice skate? I can, but not very good.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? Cabbage Patch when I was 5 or 6.

14. What’s the most important thing about the Holidays for you? Giving gifts.

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? Christmas candy that my mom makes. 

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Making candy and goodies.

17. What tops your tree? A santa hat. 

18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving? Giving, but receiving is nice.

19. Candy Canes: Yuck or Yum? I like them, in quantity. 

20. Favorite Christmas show? It's a Wonderful Life

21. Saddest Christmas Song? Christmas Angel song...something about shoes. Makes me cry everytime.

22. What is your favorite Christmas song? Noel, by NSYNC - go listen to it...you will love it!

Thanks to Jess from IROCKSOWHAT for this awesome MEME!!

life's a little weird

this is my favorite quote and i am hoping to find something that we can hang in our home with this saying. c and i got married a little over a month ago and we had this quote in our wedding vows. i absolutely love dr. seuss, he was creative and crazy and always put things into words perfectly. 

inspirational wednesday

Source: soulhiker.com via Kimi on Pinterest

 

flower moon

tonight is the full flower moon. each month there is a full moon and the native americans have dubbed each moon something. well tonight at 11:37 pm, the moon will look the biggest.

see here is a little known fact...we love the sky, we love the moon, we love the stars. charlie has an awesome...and i am talking ridiculously awesome telescope he bought for his birthday a few years back.

you can see saturn's ring with it!! i f**** you it is true and i have seen it with my own eye. it is amazing.

well we were outside tonight looking at moon - gotta love a full moon it all its glory! not this type of moon!

Source: foundshit.com via Kimi on Pinterest

but this type of moon.

i took this with my canon 300mm lense. that is as close as it got to the moon.

but looking in the telescope, it was huge. so i had this crazy idea...put the camera phone up to the eye piece of the telescope. with full astonishment these are the images i captured.

 i am in awe and will try more with other planets in the future. hope you enjoy and go take a look at the moon if you are reading this on may 5th! 

 

photography thursday

i have decided to actually share some of my photography. i take over 5000 pictures a year and most of them are hidden in files all over my computer. i hope you enjoy! hopefully you will see more of my photographs in online magazines and websites!

 

inspiration wednesday

Source: foundbysara.tumblr.com via Kimi on Pinterest

cute tuesday

Source: luellaloves.tumblr.com via Kimi on Pinterest

 

32 before i am 33

wow, it has almost been a month since i turned 32. this year has already been really good! i am hoping may, june, july and august pave the way for the next chapter in my life.

 

dovey

one of my silly cats. i love cat faces. there is something about them that makes me want to snuggle next to them.

 

last day of 31!

(we heart it)

wow, where does the time ago? apparently far, far, away! today is the last day of being 31.

tomorrow i turn 32. it is amazing how life doesn't turn out how you wanted it to or as quickly as you wanted too. 5 years ago, i would say i wanted to be married and have 2 little ones running around. neither has occured, but i am ok with it.

i am learning more and more about myself everyday. so far it has been a 3 week journey, see i quit my job 3 weeks ago, because of my issues with depression and anxiety. i have been working on myself and not being responsible for anything but that.

this is not an easy task and don't judge. i am very lucky to have this opportunity and have great emotional and financial support. it is crazy that everything that causes issues are from years of years of ignoring everything around you or just pushing things aside. 

i am very excited about this journey and if you are depressed or have anxiety and want to chat...i am here. you can e-mail me or message me on here and we can chat. the hardest thing is feeling like you are alone.

so my one wish for being 32 - is to be my true self, my honest self, my happy self!!

i will post my list of 32 before i am 33 though, cause it never hurts to have a few goals to try and reach throughout the year. i will not be upset if i don't hit any - because all that matters is the journey.

currently wednesday

my camera smile when i don't feel like smiling

Loving: warmer weather here in tx, time to work on myself, that girl scout camp is over and my brain can relax!

Thinking About: recipes and craft ideas. that i need to drive myself more to go in the direction i would like to.

Anticipating: this weekend, i love easter weekend! (well our easter weekend with kaitlyn). we are going to go to easter egg hunts in our community, have brunch and spend fun time together. and new haircut and color tomorrow!!
Listening To: the tv and my annoying dogs bark at people that walk by our fence.
Eating: nothing at the moment. but will be cooking terayaki steak and noodles for dinner.
Wishing: for a good haircut and color tomorrow and that our foster kitty Murray gets adopted! Support your local Humane Society! 

 

a little about me for new readers - a:z about me

i saw this over at 74 lime lane and thought i would participate also. since i have a lot of new readers and want to tell you a bit about myself!

A // Age: 31.9 (turn 32 on April 5)
B // Bed size: King
C // Chore that you hate: Cleaning bathrooms
D // Dogs: 2 pups - Lucy and Kai
E // Essential start to your day: Going pee
F // Favourite color: Aqua
G // Gold or Silver: Silver
H // Height: about 5’ 8”
I // Instruments you play: I played the clarinet for 6 years, but don't know if I could now.
J // Job title: Lost Soul right now.
K // Kids: Step daughter - Kaitlyn 9 1/2
L // Live: a house i am ok with, in a town i love.
M // Mother’s name: Penny
N // Nicknames: Kimi, Chicken
O // Overnight hospital stays: many
P // Pet peeve: people who are bandwagon hoppers.
Q // Quote from a movie: So? Sew buttons!
R // Right or left handed: Right
S // Siblings: 1 sister - Heather
T // Time you wake up: between 5:30-5:45 am during the week. Around 7 am on the weekends
U // Underwear: whatever that can cover my big ole' tushy
V // Vegetable you hate: brocolli
W // What makes you run late: Wanting to sleep longer.
X // X-Rays you’ve had: Knee, wrist, hips
Y // Yummy food that you make: Potato Kielbasa Skillet
Z // Zoo animal: All, I love the zoo. But love tigers and monkey's the most.

I hope you play along!

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11 things

so very sad to say that i haven't gotten tagged for this...but then again i am a horrible blogger and commenter!! but i am going to go ahead and do it anyway...questions taken from the lovely Maryam from Pamplemousse!

Here are the rules:

1. Post these rules

2. Post a photo of yourself and 11 random things

3. Answer the questions set for you in the original post

4. Create 11 new questions and tag people to answer them

5. Go to their blog/twitter and tell them that you've tagged them.

here are the questions asked by maryam!

1. If you could travel anywhere all expenses paid where would you go?
i would go to thailand or new zealand and visit an old friend

2. If you could go to school for free would you? What would you study?

yes, in a heart beat! i would go to school for either large animal vet medicine (wild animals; elephants, tigers, panda bears, etc.)

3. Do you believe in fate?
no, i believe that there are certain things that help you go down a certain path, but everyone has a choice.

4. What's a movie you could watch over and over again and not get tired of?
men in black movies (can't wait for the 3rd), anything with drew barrymore and 80's movies.

5. If you had to be either deaf or blind which would you choose? deaf.

6. If you won the lottery what would you do with the money? travel and start up a charity

7. Do you prefer the beach or the pool? i haven't been to the beach in like 5 years. i don't like how the water is cold. i like to just lay in the pool.

8. What is your favorite thing to cook? desserts all the way!

9. Are you competitive? Yes, ridiculously!

10. Were you a good student in high school? Yeah, I was once I got to a school I liked. I had a 3.4 in school and took a lot of AP classes.

11. Where was your first kiss? like when i was 13. i had a boyfriend that lived across the street that was 12. it was short lived cause i was friends with his sister too. lol


and my questions to you!! if you don't want to post in your blog, i would love for you to post the answers in the comments...cause i would love to know more about you!


1. what is your favorite thing to splurge on?
2. where would you live if you could live anywhere?
3. what is a fear of yours?
4. what is your favorite blog/website?
5. what size shoes do you wear?
6. what was your favorite band when you were younger?
7. if you could go live on the moon, would you?
8. what is something that you wish there was that would make your life easier?
9. what is your all time favorite name?
10. what would you like to see out in the blog world?
11. is there a talent you wish you had?


I tag anyone that would like to do it if they haven't already!

dinner

so ever since i found pinterest i have been pinning recipes like crazy. come follow me! one day i will do a post about my recipe obsession even before the pinterest world... i am a huge magazine fanatic and i always find amazing recipes to cook! my kids better be great eaters, cause if not i will have lots of left overs!

tonight i felt spunky and decided to make one of the recipes i pinned long ago! cheesy enchilada casserole from get off your butt and bake!

it looks delicious and super quick and easy! which makes it great for week nights when you really don't feel like cooking! i omitted the corn, cause the boy doesn't like it in things (the cob is fine, he is strange).

 

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my favorite family

these are our best friends'! they had a baby 6 months ago and he is my favorite. he cracks me up when he laughs and i love that i seem to be the funniest person to him. i will take that any day!

i took their pictures this morning in denton, tx and had a lot of fun. even after i have been down for 3 days because of a stupid kidney stone. i was definately wore out though afterward and might need a nap!

here are a few of my favs! hope you like them as much as i do!

horrific pain and trip to the er

so it started on tuesday after work. i went to the grocery store and headed home. i started having a little pain in my abodomen. i thought it was just cramps and took some midol. then the real pain started in my right side and then it kept getting worse.
i was crying in pain and it was not going away. we then thought it was uti and questioned going to the er if they were just going to give me an antibiotic.
then it got so bad that i knew something was terribly wrong. it was the longest car ride ever and i filled out the er paperwork and they started drawing blood. the pain made me so nauseous that i had thrown up everything in my stomach (sorry for the gross details).
they started an iv with fluids, nausa medicine and pain medicine, after 3 doses of pain medicine i finally felt ok. they took me for a ct scan and come to find out i have a kidney stone.
it is currently inside my tube leading away from my kidney. pain is still keeping me down...i try to be a little active and drink fluids, but the pain meds make me sooo sleepy!

i have taken this time to finally update my header on my blog that jess from irocksowhat designed for me! i love it and am sorry it took so long to put it up. if you need a new one, definately have her do it for you!

bring on the rain!

today in drury...

supposed to rain here in dallas

hopefully it actually will

cause weather people are untrustworthy around these parts.

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running through january

i have been doing a lot of searching this month. searching for a meaning to my life or direction of where it needs to go. i am wanting to work more on my photography and head my life in a direction that i love, instead of just getting by for the money or social status. i have decided in the fall to go back to school for photography.

 i am self taught and know that i can only grow by going to school. this is one of my first pictures taken digitally in 2002 when i lived in colorado.

i decided i will not be shooting any more weddings, because they don't make me happy. i stress about every moment and then it takes me days and days to edit. i don't feel like i have creative control and everything is too posy for me. so now i will focus on fine-art photography and child/family photography. my goal this year is to get at least one of my works into a magazine and hopefully my freelance career will take off. i love traveling and hope someday to do travel photography.

i did post some new photos in my etsy shop! i don't do very well with keeping up with it; 1) because i am really critical of how others view things i love and 2) i get sad if no one buys anything...BUT SCREW IT! i love it and if you do too, then AWESOME, if you don't then it is ok.

so what is happening today? i am meeting up with the lovely Maryam from pamplemousse! for some pictures. i am very excited to take some pictures of her and her little one. i am recovering a little from yesterday, i made homemade pizza (from scratch) and it turned out wonderful and from kaitlyn having her first official sleepover with her friend. it is nice having someone to keep her busy throughout the day!

i took them and her friends little brother to sonic for drinks and it was fun having 3 kiddos to hang out with. makes me very excited to have kids! anyways, i am blabbering! have a great sunday and wonderful week!

jan 1 photo challenge

2012....wwhhhhaaattt???

Well another year has gone by...No resolutions, because lets face it...I am horrible at keeping them. No weight loss, no job helping to save the world, no paint job in my living room.

Currently I am feeling a little down on myself for no changes. I don't like change, I don't like feeling like a failure when I don't follow through with something. This year, I am going to try and just LIVE. Be the best person I can be each day, make small goals I know I can do to build up my self confidence that I can do things that scare me, bring my art back and not care what everyone else thinks of it.

I hope you are around for these items. I will do 12 monthly goals, one for each month. Might be a new recipe, a new place to visit or buying a stupid mirror for our downstairs bathroom that we can't seem to find cause we are too picky.

I will post these as soon as I figure them out...cause I am procrastinator and I don't mind it.

I did "borrow" this from the lovely Jamie at Inspired Mess. It will go over a little what happened in my life last year.

1. What's the best thing that happened in 2011? We got engaged (for the 2nd time) in Austin over Valentine's weekend. We rekindled our relationship and continue to work on it everyday. I got to go to Montana for a family reunion.

2. What was the most difficult thing? We went through an extreme rough patch and I thought the engagement was off. I lost/left my amazing job to go to one that makes me sad and still trying to find a new one. I came off depression/anxiety medicine for the first time in 3 years and am struggling with life sometimes being hard.
3. What 3 words would you use to describe your 2011? learning, exhausted and hopeful.
4. What were the best books you read? The Hunger Games trilogy. I kinda have an obsession now and want to get a arrow tattoo and learn archary.
5. What was your favorite movie you watched? The Help, but it still wasn't as awesome as the book.
6. How did you change/grow during the year? I have learned that I can't pretend that life is ok and do whatever I want. Sometimes we wish life was all glitter and parties. Sometimes we want to stay in our beds all day and wish the world would disappear just so we don't have to face it. It is a hard realization when you have to grow up to a certain point and suck it up.
7. What was your favorite new discovery? Jillian Michaels' podcast. She is awesome and sometime I hope to meet her and make her proud.
8. Did you have a word or phrase of the year? How did you fulfill your word or phrase? Nope, other than Treat people how you want to be treated. But I have learned that sometimes you need to stop caring so much when people don't give a shit about you. I am awesome and will do great things...now i just have to figure out what those great things are. Is professional cookie eater an option?
 

 

Happy New Year my friends! Be the best you!