Projects keeping me busy

Mark is still in school, two classes this semester and they are stressing him out! He is really close to finishing his masters yay! Also, he is moving up in his job slowly but surely. He is getting ready to take a new position within the same job which is very exciting! We're just lucky we have jobs! He is staying busy playing ball- both softball and basketball oy vey! Boys. So when Im not working I like to keep busy also, and lately that has been a lot of picture taking and baby showers. I know nothing about photography even though I did take a photography class in school... but that was like decades ago! Really I just like anything that I find beautiful... people, moments, nature, objects, fabrics, home decor. Staying busy this way is a way for me to keep a chaotic calm. Here are some things I've been working on lately...

Tis the season for baby showers!

My sister Amanda is having a baby girl in a week! We are so excited and can't wait to meet baby Capri! This is the shower that my mom, sister and I threw her at my house.

A few of Amanda's belly pictures

Boy oh boy!

I was so excited when I was asked to decorate for one of my best friends baby showers. I only had about a week to throw something together but I am happy with the way it turned out, and more importantly she was happy with how the shower turned out! Phew!

This was me trying to be artistic ha ha! She had a lot of cute ones but to keep it private I just posted these ones

KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON

So in the middle of the craziness of opening my new salon, doing baby showers, taking photos, decorating the house and all the other things that fill my days... I had been feeling some funny symptoms. I was constantly shaky which I thought was due to drinking caffeine, my heart felt like it was beating out of my chest, I couldn't catch my breath, I was ALWAYS hot and sweating and I kept having horrible panic attacks. I will spare you the details of the other symptoms but with this and still not being able to get pregnant, I finally gave in and got checked out. Well after much testing my results came back. The doctor looked at me and nonchalantly said ... "you have graves' disease". When that statement set in I cried a little. It shouldn't have come as a surprise since my father and grandmother both have and had it. But I was surprised. I mean, I try really hard to be a healthy person. I try to respect this body I was given though I am far from perfect. Graves' for those of you who don't know is an autoimmune disease. My body attacks my thyroid gland making me produce too much of the thyroid hormone which makes me hyperthyroid. If that makes any sense? Apparently this happens in women more than men and although people are predisposed to get it, it is brought on by stress or trauma to the body. Which is why this happens a lot in women in their child bearing years. And the more I thought about it, I remember a few of the symptoms coming on after my miscarriage. Then when I was dealing with the salon stuff it came on like a ton of bricks. So long story semi short, I have chosen to not kill my thyroid gland (much to my drs. disappointment). And even though I have chosen to take the countless number of pills they prescribed, I am trying to keep my body clean. I have gotten off the caffeine, started running again, am trying to stay away from foods that could cause allergies, well basically just trying to be healthier and more respectful of my body. Hopefully at some point I can turn this thing around. Maybe that is wishful thinking but I need to give it my best try before doing anything drastic- like getting rid of my thyroid gland all together. So the moral of this story is to de stress your life. When you feel like flipping out... wait a few seconds to really think if its really worth your health. Take time out for yourself.. go for a walk, take a bath, get a massage, practice yoga, or meditate. Whatever calms you. Try your best to rid your body of unhealthy things. Enjoy your life, your family, your kids... not everyone has that opportunity so cherish it. And most of all keep calm and carry on.

Sister in laws beautiful family

I just had to post these pictures. I took pictures of my sister in laws family and they are such a cute family! This first picture cracks me up cause Sophie (the little girl on the bottom) was making the craziest faces. Once I thought I had a good picture with everyone looking in the camera, BOOM! Soph was making another face.. This one makes me chuckle.

The grinch who stole Christmas...

Although I didn't document our Christmas or Thanksgiving this year, I did manage to get this pathetic picture of my little rat Hank. He destroyed one of my beloved Christmas present props, that was adorned with candy canes. You can see the evidence all over his fur!

Reunion time!

We had a family reunion around Thanksgiving -hence the turkey pinata . The cousins enjoyed the pinata, the saw dust scramble (where they searched for shiny new coins in a bunch of saw dust, it was like finding a needle in a freakin haystack), and just had fun getting to spend time together.

Cohen chilled while his cousins did the saw dust scramble. Noah and Baron posed for this picture, classic Baron face. And I got Jaime and Rob's family to model for me in front of the lake.

A Little cousin love...

We sang a farm animal song while bhaaaa-ing like sheep... well... nevermind. And enjoyed some delicious mexican food.

Halloween

Halloween is one of my most favorite holidays, the dressing up, the cute decorations, and lets not forget, the best part... the CANDY! Well this October has been particularly busy. Mark has been traveling for work and is back in school for his masters, so that keeps him very busy. And I have been making big decisions about moving my work closer to our home. I have finally found a place on Higley and Ray! I am leasing a room with two friends and its like our very own mini (five station) salon. Super exciting but needless to say it has been ALOT of work. I am finally settling in but October has just slipped away so fast! I haven't had the time to pick out any costumes for Halloween parties but I did manage to get a few decorations up... just in time for a birthday dinner we threw for my father in law. (which Im mad I didn't get any pics of).

Amongst all of the chaos, I did take a Saturday off so me and my hubby could go get a delicious breakfast and take our dogs to Barktoberfest... notice, Me and Flossy's nails are the same color! Hank had a blue sparkly mohawk, blue legwarmers and bright green nails, I wish I would have gotten more pics.