Holiday Cards III...

And last...but certainly not least (especially if I continue making them!) are my 4x8 cards. Again, I can easily change to be 5x7 cards...and change all the text, colors and images.


Enjoy!


I'm going to have a real hard time picking MY Christmas card template this year....as I've done a bunch of my favorites! And I have to have something different..... ;)


J

And we're off!!!!!

***Thanks again to everyone who prayed for Savonna. She is doing so well in fact, that we were persuaded (by her and all our family) to continue on with our vacation...so we're going to. We're just glad it happened YESTERDAY....and not NEXT week. Travis would have literally had a heart attack if we were all the way in Florida and got the call about the donor. I'd be rushing him to the airport to catch a plane and G-Man and myself would be driving all the way home by our lonesome. Again, we're thanking God it happened this week instead of next. God truly has a plan for us all!***

Well, vacation time has finally arrived and G-Man is BUSTING with excitement about going to "Disney Worrrrd".

He seems to think we'll see SHARKS! at Disney Worrrd and if we don't see the shark that is advertised on our "Disney Dream DVD" thingey they mailed to us...then we are in deep SH%T.

Not to mention we will all be 25 pounds heavier when we return. Including G-Man.

Went to Wal-Mart earlier this week and spent $250 freaking dollars on JUNK FOOD and things to amuse G on a 15+ hour trip to Florida.

I left them all in the bags and put them in our butler's pantry (mainly so we wouldn't eat them before vacation) and to get them out of my way. Well, he saw them and FREAKED OUT with excitement over the individual bags of CHEESE-ITS!, GOLDFISH!, DING DONGS!, CANDY!, DONUTS!, GRANOLA BARS!, and the numerous types of candy for each of us (Mike & Ike's for Travis, Sour Patch Kids for Me, and M&M's for G).

He then proceeded to bring each box of food to me (during one of our dinners) and show ME what HE found.

I think we'll be out of food by the time we hit Georgia.

Now all we need to do is not run out of gas on the way down there...since there's a shortage of gas in the south.

I obviously won't be blogging while I'm gone (unless Travis lets me "blog" on his new iPhone I finally let him buy). I however will try and "twitter" while I'm away from my ancient and so-not-cool cell phone. So you could probably find out some of my "adventures" while vacationing in Florida.

Here's our itinerary. Pray for no hurricanes!

Friday: Leave - drive straight through (yes...we are crazy)
Saturday: Arrive and possibly go to Gatorland.
Sunday: Magic Kingdom (I'm SO excited!!!!!)
Monday: Animal Kingdom
Tuesday: Drive to Ft. Myers where we've rented a condo RIGHT ON THE OCEAN!!!!
Wednesday: DO NOTHING BUT LAY AROUND AND SLEEP. SOAK UP SUN!
Thursday: Same as Wednesday. But possibly spend enormous amounts of $$ shopping! I love malls & outlets!
Friday: Same as Thursday...except leave Friday night to drive STRAIGHT THROUGH home.
Saturday: Arrive home extremely exhausted.
Sunday: Do Laundry. And edit 1500 photos from our trip.

Be prepared for the week we return...to be inundated with VACATION PICTURES! I'm ready....ARE YOU?!?!?!

God is Good. :)

Hey everyone! Quick update.

She got her kidney! AND a pancreas.

We got notified at 2:30 this morning (Friday) that she was a match and after they notified us...they whisked her off to the OR within 10 minutes. It was quick!

They started at 2:30...and at 6:00 a.m. they had finished transplanting the pancreas...and by 10:30 a.m. they had finished with the kidney.

Our prayers have been answered.

Even as they were "closing her up", she was already starting to produce urine (which she has not produced in a LONG time due to her lack of function of her current kidneys). THIS IS AWESOME!

She went through surgery with flying colors...and she's currently in ICU (where she'll stay 3-7 days (approximately)).

I want to thank EVERYONE who prayed for Savonna and our family. Not only our family...but the family of the 16-year old boy who was on life support long enough to donate 8 of his organs. We are truly thankful.

GOD BLESS! For He is so good.

Julie

Needing some prayers today....

Hey everyone! I'm asking for any and all prayers today!

My sister-in-law, Savonna Matthews has been on the kidney transplant waiting list for over a year. She has been diabetic since age 12 (she's currently 36) and has been on dialysis for over a year as well.

Well, she got a phone call this morning from the IU Med Center (in Indpls....she lives an hour east of here in Richmond, IN) to come in for further testing. Apparently she and another person are the closest match for this kidney, and after further testing, whoever is the closest gets this kidney...TODAY.

So I pray for her to get this kidney. I pray for the other family who is ALSO praying for their family member to get the kidney. And I pray for the lost soul who lost their life today and was an organ donor.

So I have been calling and e-mailing and texting everyone I know to ask for prayers for Savonna. She has a 7-year old daughter (my niece) who has struggled through life dealing with her mother's illness (who had a baby against dr.'s wishes...think Steel Magnolias).

So, any prayers or prayer-list additions would be very grateful right now. My husband called me in tears and told me to call everyone I know and to PRAY HARD.

So, that's what I'm doing.

I will keep you all posted on what's happening...we should know something soon!

Holiday Cards II...

Okay...here are a few more I'm offering to my clients this year. Again, sizes 5x7 and all text, colors and images are customize-able.

Enjoy!

Holiday Cards...

Well, I've been a busy little bee working on my holiday cards I'm going to offer my clients this season.

Needing some inspiration, I scrounged the Internet for cards I liked, and used them as inspiration on cards I created. I'm thinking they turned out pretty well!

Presenting...Cards 1, 2 and 3. I'll be "presenting" more in the following days...so for now, here are a few.

These are in the 5x7 format. Although if you really wanted a 4x8 card...I'm sure I could change it out into that size.... Also EASILY changed are colors, wording and fonts. ENJOY!

What's a girl to do....

when you want to promote your fall special...and need some good pictures to advertise?!?!?!

Well, if you're me, you drag your son out on a photo shoot with promises and bribery of a new Power Ranger toy and M&M's.

A toy and M&M's is a small price for a handsome model. And luckily I have my own model to torture.

I picked him up from daycare the other day and told him we were "going home to take pictures!!!!!" He loves "looking through the hole" (aka looking through the camera viewing area) and then clicking pictures away. With a digital camera...why not? So he thought we were going home and he was going to get to take pictures.

WRONG.

It started going downhill when I got him home and told him to come here so we could change his clothes. Well, he was wearing his favorite Spiderman shirt and it wasn't coming off. He started whining.

"Do you want a new Power Ranger toy from Wal-Mart?!?!?!"

He started stripping his shirt off.

(Mother's are so smart)

So he's pumped and now thinks we're changing our clothes and going to Wal-Mart for a new Power Rangers toy. He's forgotten all about the "photo shoot" part.

So he's changed, and we head out back. Start snapping some away and he's happy. It's early yet. He's still asking for Wal-Mart every 20 seconds.

Finally it's time and I tell him to get in the car. He's thinks we're heading to Wal-Mart. We make a stop along the way at some tall grasses. I get him out and he's mad that we're not at Wal-Mart and getting his new toy.

"But honey...we have to take your picture first!"

"NOOOOOOOOO"

"Do you want a new Power Ranger toy?!?!?"

"YES!"

"Then we have to take your picture out here in the pretty grass! Look, I see a TIGER in the grass!!!! We better crouch down and hide!!!!"

So we hide from the tigers and I'm clicking away and he's mad he's traipsing through the tall grass and he's begging for Wal-Mart.

"Honey, if you're a good boy...we'll go to the corn fields and take more pictures and THEN we'll go to Wal-Mart."

"But I want to go to Wal-Mart now and get my toy."

"If you let mommy take your pictures here and at the corn fields....I'll buy you some M&M's too!!!!!"

"O-KKKKKKKAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!"

So, we head over to the corn fields and snap away and he's doing well and I'm talking about his new BLUE Power Ranger toy (all the while praying to God the blue toy is in stock or I'm SCREWED!)

After a very short time, he's had it. I know it...and I promised. So, I herd him to the car with the promise of going to Wal-Mart. But on the way to the car...there's the road with the orange line. I make him walk it and he's ever so p-o'd at me.

All in all, we made it to Wal-Mart. We got the BLUE Power Ranger toy...and we got M&M's. Not bad for a model's pay.

But I would rather ANY DAY OF THE WEEK take pictures of other people's kids. THEY listen to me. G-Man does not. I just kept thinking...remember all the times I tuned my mother out...especially when she was wielding a camera?!?!?!

Yes. My son has that mastered. P.S. Can you tell the photos of him whining...and then after me telling him about his toys & M&M's. Yeah. Kinda obvious. :)

October Fall Sale!

Who dislocates a rib?

Me, apparently.

I've been having some pain in my neck/shoulder area recently. It's stayed the same for about 2 months, and then about a week ago it started going further down my back, shoulder blades, neck and shoulder/arm area.

So Tuesday I made an appointment with my wonderful chiropractor to see what the heck was up, since I was extremely uncomfortable and in pretty good pain.

Come to find out I have a dislocated rib (high on my back, under my shoulder blade). After about 10 minutes of manipulation, rubbing, massaging and bringing me to tears, he thought to have it back in place. I could literally feel the rib moving and popping as he ran his hand over it. I could obviously feel it was "out of place".

As you can imagine, I was in terrible pain when I left from him manipulating a really sore spot for 10 minutes...REALLY HARD.

I went home, iced it and was low-key. Went to bed and woke up with an extremely sore left-side of my body. So, I stayed home from work and did nothing but munch on food (not good for the diet) and watch Gossip Girl. By the end of the day, the back/shoulder/neck area was feeling pretty good!

So, back to work on Thursday. However on the drive in to work, my shoulder started irritating me again. Not sure if it's how I was driving, sitting, doing whatever, but somehow it is irritated.

And work on Thursday has been HE double hockey sticks. It hurts to sit, it hurts to type, it hurts to turn my head. Basically all the things that drove me to the chiropractor's office on Tuesday. Except it's WORSE!

So, I called the lovely chiropractor (who is wonderful and has saved me from severe back pain in the year I've gone to him) and I have an appointment there at 3:30 today.

I'm bringing my Kleenex.

I just know what he's going to do. I know how much it's going to hurt. And I'm dreading it. But I have to do something. It's not going away...and I have 8 days to get miraculously better.

We DRIVE to Florida next Friday. In the SUV (Honda Pilot). With a 3 year old. I'm stocking up on the dvd's, coloring books, snacks and toys to distract him during the long drive. We're leaving in the evening, and driving straight through. So hopefully he'll sleep most of the way there. I just keep telling myself that this is how I vacationed as a kid...with only my sister to keep be company and to pester.

Surely all the modern-day conveniences make this road trip bearable?!?!?! I'll be sure to let you know.

So now you know why I need to be miraculously recovered by Friday. The long drive (to and back home), the 2 days at "Disney Worrrd", and the 4 days at the beach relaxing.

Wish me luck. At the chiropractor's office AND on the road. I think I'm going to need it.

Another CUTE Kids Post. :)

Months ago I went to a local park and ran into a wonderful mom (Hi Laura!) and her two adorable kiddos. We struck up conversation at the swings and I gave her a business card. A few days later she sent me an e-mail! I plopped her address into my contact book and we promised to get in contact with one another for a play date or photography session in the future.

Well, when I sent out my September special the other day, Laura wrote me and we set up a shoot! She even referred a friend to me! Remember these cute girls?!?!?!

It was a crappy day. Rainy, a little chilly, and not a ton of great light. But we headed to the IMA (Lilly House) and I was thrilled with the opportunity to shoot there for the first time! We got there and 900 people were also there cleaning up from a HUGE party/festival/gathering that was there the night before. I was slightly worried we'd have to work around port-o-potties and tents and garbage cans...but the gardens were intact. It's kinda hard to photoshop a HUGE port-o-potty from an image!

Lighting could have been better, the ground could have been drier, but the kids couldn't have been any cuter!

Here are few of my favorites from the day. Starting with my favorite of the 2 of them....

Enjoy!