Ph-irehouse Ph-oto Op. Ph Ph Ph

I've got to start this post by letting you all know that I come from a family of firefighters. All three of my male cousins are firefighters as well as their dads. One is retired. They all work and live in Tulsa.

While we were in Tulsa this last weekend my cousin Zachary took us to the fire station that he works at... which also happens to be the oldest fire station in Tulsa... and let Levi climb around in the truck. Photo-op!! It was fun. Thanks again Zac for doing that.



Driving the truck (or pretending to anyway). Look at that happy face!!



I can assure you he was anything but bo(red)!!



this hat didn't last long, it was too heavy for his head. haha.



my cousin Zac (he's single, ladies!!) =]



i love this beautiful smile!!



Pondering the questions of life...



because you know I have to throw a picture of my girl in here...



showin' him how to pump water out of the hose...



doing it himself



I love how their boots are already in their overalls just ready to be jumped into in case of an emergency



Sunday night we stopped at our pizza place in Rolla on the way home. There was a group of five policemen that also came in to eat and they all said hi to Levi. There was an older grandma-ish woman just kind of watching it all. When she got done with her dinner and was getting ready to leave she came over to our table and said to Levi "isn't that cool that those policemen said hi to you!!" and he goes "yeah." She asked him if he wanted to be a police officer when he grew up and he told her no. when she asked him what he wanted to be he told her he wanted to be a fireman.

haha.

we'll see.

Home Again Home Again Jiggity Jig

I swear the kids and I don't live out of our car. It just feels that way. we really DO have a roof over our heads.

we just got home from Tulsa tonight.

recap:
~ The Tulsa International Soul Winning Workshop was awesome!!
~ Hanging out with my Tulsan family was great
~ The road trip wasn't even that bad. I didn't even have to bust out the portable DVD player!!
~ Photo-op at the oldest firehouse in Tulsa where my cousin is a firefighter. you KNOW pics will be coming soon!!
~ Levi is completely over his pneumonia and back to %150 energy level!! Oi.
~ Maybe more importantly... Audrey didn't get it!! (hope I'm not speaking too soon)

let's see. I think that's it. I'll work on getting the pics and a more in-depth blog on here later. must...go...to...bed

night!

Hip To Be Square... and Go Round

also added this collage to my typepad... in case you haven't been there in a while, I HAVE updated. =]

www.thephotogblog.typepad.com

Easter Booty

The kids' biological sperm donor sent a box of stuff for the kids for Easter. a BIG box. He likes to pop in every now and then, usually on gift giving occasions. So, I added his stuff to the little things I had already gotten for the kids... and it looks like they got spoiled by the bunny.

my bed head showing off some of her loot...



and in case you're wondering...

this is what Audrey wore on Easter Sunday...



that's right folks. We didn't go to church. Or Easter brunch. Levi woke up with a fever (again!... see last post) so we stayed home.

That didn't stop us from enjoying festivities though. I still hid plastic eggs in the yard for the kids to hunt.





You can tell Levi didn't feel well. =(



and we still dyed eggs.



ok, well, it was more John and I having fun with the egg dying...



but still. =]

I wanted to say a thank you to those of you who missed us at church Sunday and have inquired to how we are doing. It really means a lot to be missed and checked in on. =]

Diagnosis

walking pneumonia

VOTE!

If you haven't already...
head over to pink ink and vote on my picture, pretty pretty please. I can win $20 worth of product from their website.
please and thank you!
Becky

This That and The Other

THIS:

I went to Goodwill today for the sole purpose of looking for a neat-ish little chair that I can use in photo shoots. I didn't see anything and was about to call the trip a bust when I hear Levi say to me "Mama, can we buy this little chair for me?" and I turn around and he's sitting in THE perfect little chair. EXACTLY what I was looking for! So I snatched it up for $5 and I'm excited to use it in shoots. Be on the lookout for my new chair in upcoming sessions!



Just to give you some perspective of how smallish the chair is...



THAT:

yesterday I was at Misti's house and she was showing me all of her newest purchases from a recent shopping trip with her mom. I mentioned that I was looking for some white Easter sandals for Audrey and she said that Wal Mart on Broadway across from Hy-Vee has some cute sandals on sale for $4. So, when I left her house I headed over there. They were completely picked over. There wasn't any shoes hardly in Audrey's size, let alone what I was looking for. Well today I HAD TO run to Wal Mart over here on Nifong by us for some diapers, and while I was there decided to look in the shoes. You know different Wal Marts have different things. and OH MY GOODNESS!!! if any of you in this area need any cute spring/summer shoes for your girls... go to Wal Mart over here by me. They have the cutest shoes on sale for $4!!! and in every size. From 6 all the way to 3. I couldn't help myself, I was like 'I'll take one of these. and one of these. and one of these.' Oi. Audrey is set for Spring and Summer shoes. Here's what we got (for four dollars each)









Ok, so this last pair wasn't on sale, but they were still only $4.




THE OTHER:

I'm joining the gym tonight. I used to be a member of Gold's and let my membership expire. Well, Gold's is now Key Largo Fitness and Tanning. I called them today and asked about membership and tanning prices. I've gotten to the desperate point. I'm ready to lose weight. Up until now I've talked about needing to lose weight, but continued to eat unhealthily and not exercise. With summer coming up, I'm tired of being a fat cow. I'm more than tired of none of my clothes fitting. I'm disgusted that when I was at goodwill today I bought some slacks in what I thought was a size up for me... only to have trouble getting into them when I got home. I'm done being fat and unhealthy. Today is the day it changes. Key Largo has free childcare. So, I'll be taking the kids to the gym with me and getting a workout, and maybe even getting some color for this summer while I'm there. I've been trying to think of a way to start tanning and exercising, but when I started added up the money it would cost monthly to have babysitters come sit with the kids while I'm gone for two hours tanning and working out just buying a membership seemed like the best option. Thanks to everyone in advance for encouraging me and supporting me in this. Remember I told you all I'm the kind of person who needs people holding me accountable. I always tend to feel better about my whole day and tend to eat healthier when I'm working out... and this time I've got my iPod too. Woot Woot. so here's comes the new Becky. I'll keep you all up to date on how I'm doing on this personal challenge. Like I said... it starts tonight. Childcare is open from 5-8.

Pink Ink

hey!
go over to www.pinkinkstudios.com/blog and check out todays (wednesday) awesome photo of the day!!
Whoever this "Bex" chick is she ROCKS! I totally love her photography!!
(and if you love her photography too you can head back to pinkink's blog on Friday and vote for today's photo of the day!)
I mean... jus' sayin'
no pressure
=]

Feelin' Crafty

I got the craftin' itch last night, tossed the kids in the car, and made a run to Hobby Lobby.

Here's the results...

I bought a wooden letter A and some pink and brown polka dotted ribbon. I attached the ribbon to the back of the letter with my hot glue gun. With the left over ribbon I glued a bow to the top. I'm thinking it would be complete if I could find a brown button in just the right size to glue to the middle of the bow. Anyway, I hung this on the wall between her closet and a poster of where she was born and it's used to attach all of her hair bows to. I don't know if you all know this, but I have an obsession with little girl's hair bows. {lurve}







Her MIZZOU hair bow...



my favorite...



This is the poster of where Audrey was born. (England)



and to be more specific... we LIVED between Windsor and London, but she was BORN two hours away at the American Air Force base Lakenheath, close to Cambridge.



Next, I started working on Levi's birthday party invitations. He's obsessed with all things dinosaurs these days and has requested a dinosaur cake, so I figured I'd stick with that theme and make dinosaur invitations... and here's what I've come up with...





Every invitation will have a different dinosaur on it, making no two invitations the same. Over achiever, I know. =]

Wordless Wednesday

(add a degree under the armpit)

:(

Ok, You Asked For It!

and I deliver.

but don't say I didn't warn you. The cuteness overload may be more than some of you can handle. =]

(disclaimer: sorry for the horrible non-photographer quality pictures. Audrey was NOT interested in having her picture taken in the dresses. Guess I'm going to have to get used to and adapt to "those" kinds of kids... because I know there will be some!)

moving on...

Blue and Pink dress with Green trim...





this picture looks like she's saying "what's that you say?" LOL...








White and Yellow Daisy Dress...












if you voted for a dress but now after seeing the pics want to change your mind, leave me a comment telling me so and I'll re-tally.

thanks!!

Googly Eyes

Project 365/Day 3/Googly Eyes

my goofball!!! =D



click on the link to my flickr account on the sidebar to the right to keep up with my Project 365.

This Is My Now

Remember Jordin Sparks? American Idol season 7 winner?

She has a song on her album called "This Is My Now" that I've had on repeat all day today. It sums up pretty well how I feel about my life right now with starting out on this photography adventure.

I'd like for you to listen to the song. (I've added it to my sidebar, and obviously it's not Jordin's version) I've posted the lyrics so that you can follow along...

There was a time I packed my dreams away
Living in a shell, hiding from myself

There was a time when I was so afraid
I thought I'd reached the end
Baby that was then
But I am made of more than my yesterdays

[Chorus]
This is my now, and I am breathing in the moment
Cuz I look around
I can't believe the love I see
My fears behind me, gone are the shadows and doubts
That was then, this is my now.

Had to decide was I gonna play it safe
Or look somewhere deep inside
and try to turn the tide
Find the strength to take that step of faith

[Chorus]

[Bridge]
And I have the courage like never before, yeah
I've settled for less but ready for more
Ready for more

[Chorus x2]

This is my now

There is a best selling book by the author John Ortberg titled "If You Want To Walk on Water, You've Got To Get Out of the Boat."

How true is that??

last Thursday at bible study, the main speaker spoke about fear. about how Satan tries to... LOVES to paralyze us with our fears... and about acting anyway.

I'm very much a paralyzed with fear type of person. I let fear of failure keep me from doing the things I dream about doing.

I know this is personal and private business... but this IS my personal blog afterall isn't it? I'm hoping that getting it out in the open will help me on my journey to overcoming.

I want to personally thank each and every person who has not only supported me in this but ENCOURAGED me. I'm the type of person who needs to be held accountable... even to my dreams!

Here's to my getting out of my comfy posh boat that I've been sitting if for far too long. I'm getting wet! (but it's ok... a.) my dry skin can use the moisture and b.) I know where to find cute wellies!)
Here's to me acting anyway.

Satan get behind me, I'm on a rock and I'm ready to roll!!!

Blog Poll

If you read this blog... please please please give me your opinion in my poll!!

here's the dilema...

I went to a well-known store in town, and paid full price for a dress for Audrey for Easter. Later, I got to feeling guilty for paying full price and thought I'd check out the thrift stores in town to see if they had anything. Read my last blog about that if you haven't already. Anyway, while we were thrifting I found a dress that was also cute enough to wear for Easter... and it was brand new, still with the tags on it. So, I decided to take back the first dress. Only... today I tried both of them on her. and now I can't decide which one I should use. She rocks both of them out!! My beautiful girl. I'm not going to tell you all which dress I bought where. I just want you to help me decide which one she should wear for Easter. If the majority choose the one that I bought at the well known store then I still have to keep the one from the thrift store. If the majority choose the one I bought from the thrift store I could take back the one I bought from the well known store. OR, I could choose to keep them both since Audrey doesn't have many (if any at all) summer dresses for this season. But I need to decide which one she should wear on Easter... HELP!!

We'll call this one dress A. The blue in dress A brings out Audrey's beautiful blue eyes:



We'll call this one dress B. Dress B brings out Audrey's wonderfully spun golden hair and has a matching pair of bloomers to wear under it:



Either dress would be worn with white open toe sandals, and she has a cute little sweater that can be worn on top of either dress.

you vote now: