I'm a stupid lamb...

If you haven't read or seen TWILIGHT, then this title will be lost on you...sorry but then again, maybe that will make you READ it! I'd be a stupid lamb...I'm just SAYIN'!

Yes, I've been absent from the blog universe. However,my butt has been plastered to the computer and I'm happy to say that by the end of the week ALL of my shoots will be post-processed and in client hands! WHEW!

Thanksgiving is over and the Christmas season is FULL STEAM AHEAD! JEEEZ! What a fall! Not one I care to repeat next year, lol

I started making dinner again this past week. Exciting huh? My family was pretty happy! LOL I didn't do T-day, altough I LOVE to do it. Just didn't think I could keep it in my repetoire this year. Last night I made a delicious new recipe, 3 cheese chicken florentine pasta bake! It was yum! Today, I made Buckeye bars for my Father in law's birthday...altough I wanted to try them out and he just happens to LOVE Peanut butter anything. Maybe I'll try to post the recipes here this week.

overwhelmed

Warning...if you don't want to hear my pity party...please move on.

Yes, these ARE unrelated photos, however, I'd love to be back in Disney right now, sigh.

I have been given my next surgery date on my lumbar..Dec. 15th. My mother in law's birthday. Poor thing...we've asked so much of everyone lately but most especially her and she doesn't even get a decent birthday! :-)

Like an idiot, I packed in toooooo many sessions before this last surgery. Unfortunately (unfortunate in only that it takes me so long) I treat each clients session very personally. As a mom, I always look at the photos and think,"this one MIGHT have special meaning" and I post process WAY too many photos for each session. I know I have clients who are very patiently waiting for me and some who are wondering what the heck I'm doing with my time. I love them both~! If you are a client waiting for your disc, thank you for your extreme patience. I PROMISE to never take on sooooo many shoots prior to a major event in my life again. As I told a wonderful client and now friend, Shelby: Even if I have to have my shutter finger amputated, I will NEVER overbook again! :-)

Also, if you remember Drano Pup from a week or so ago, who was going to my sisters. Well....Mr. Drano himself is curled up on my couch with my other two boxers. :-) Mr. Drano proved tooo much puppy for my sister with the almost 2 year old and almost 3 year old. A boxer puppy is certainly more energetic, mischievious and high maintenance than her 9 year old chocolate lab Wilbur. So I'm now Mr. Drano's foster mommy but MAN I love this little guy. He's snuggly and loveable and as cute as a button!

Brothers and Sisters...

Siblings are the people we practice on, the people who teach us about fairness and cooperation and kindness and caring-quite often the hard way! ~Pamela Dugdale

These 2 groups of siblings were so much fun to shoot. I LOVED how they LIKED each other! That's always so nice to see. REALLY nice! They had me laughing at their silly antics and love for each other.

I'm feeling better everyday! THAT'S a plus! LOL My surgeon is on the cover of Baltimore magazine this month...that's pretty cool!

I'm realizing that this post is as random as it gets so I'm just going to go with it! :-)

I know a lot of you know about this but maybe some of you don't. PANDORA No not the beads and bracelets that are so insanely popular in my area (maybe every where, I don't know). It's a FREE internet radio station that you make your own station with your own favorites PLUS it pulls similar music and plays that too. If you don't like a song, you just "thumbs down" it and it will skip it and never play it for you again. I leave it one the entire time I'm post-processing or blog reading or facebooking. It's just www.pandora.com IT ROCKS! pun intended

And with Christmas shopping around the corner, I'm going to mention www.etsy.com yet again. I LoVE to support small companies or individuals. You basically could do ALL of your shopping on there, except for kids toys. It's awesome!

Who could ever hurt this face?

I just needed to add this photo to the previous post...please read below.

The face of CRUELTY

It's the first face not the second...if you are wondering. Although Peyton does think if I don't have her toaster strudels hot and waiting and her school clothes warmed in the dryer before school that I am cruel but I beg to differ.

This little guy doesn't have a name yet although Callie is calling him Rufus. He's going to live with my sister Brandy. He's just 7 months old. He has splayed paws because his owners left him in the crate without the bottom. Standing on a crate for hours on end will do that to the paws of a dog...it makes their feet look huge and elongates the toe. His owner decided he didn't want him anymore and was going to have him put to sleep. He also said if no one would put him to sleep because of his age that he would just use a syringe of DRANO. Nice. I am trying really hard not to call that idiot things like SOB here but I want to keep my reputation of being NiCE but if anything ticks me off, it's people who are MEAN to kids and animals. Ticks. Me. Off. Luckily one of my neighbors stepped in (the guy was like the friend of a friend of a friends brother in law) So he ended up at my house last night. Levi McCoy was thrilled to PIECES to have someone to join in his non-stop capers. Levi actually wore the poor pup out and that is SAYING SOMETHING. Macy is just like "what the heck are you doing MOM!" She gets sick of the dogs that have been coming in and out of here lately. She tries her best to handle it with her ladylike behavior but even Grace Kelly had her limits.

And if you are wondering, no I think rescuing dogs is probably NOT on my short CAN DO list of things post-operatively but you know. The can do list basically consists of
1. stay on the couch
2. walk
3. stay on the couch
4. go potty
5. stay in the bed
6. go to post- op appointments

But what's an animal lovin girl to do?

SPEAKING OF BOXERS...Now this next picture is little Ms. Peyton yesterday. The OTHER front tooth is about to come out so it too had to be documented. She certainly is going to look like Leonard Spinx in a couple days. (Notice my super awesome segway to boxers!)

I'm WAAAAYYY behind! AND a Peytonism!

I'm just now blogging Halloween so that might be some indication of the piles of work I'm under that I tackle between my medically induced naps! LOL

Okay, Peytonism first!  I had a friend come over this afternoon to keep me company and we giggled and laughed like goons and facebooked like we were 16 and had a glass of wine like the wine-needing mommies we are.  Another wonderful friend let Peyton stay at her house the ENTIRE day from 10:30 in the morning till like 3:30!  (JULIE M, you ROCK thank you and I owe you BIG TIME!) I napped during the day and pretty much did NOTHING but chillax (see even though I'm like old and stuff, I like to use the words my 12 year olds do.  I don't know, it just makes me cool or somethin!).  Yesterday and Friday I did waaaay too much and today my body said this morning, "look lady, we DON'T know who the H*ll you think you are but, we will not stand for this!  Get your flabby buttocks on the couch and STAY there".  I decided I better listen because I ignored that voice my body has for a while now and obviously my back has gone on strike and I really don't want any other important parts like that getting the same idea.  About the PEYTONISM.  Tina and I were chillaxin (see...cool word AGAIN) and Peyton came in ramblin about the super fun day she had and this and that and everything.  Then she said, "I think I need a glass of wine!"  I think she must have picked that up at JULIE'S because I NEVER say that! ;-)

Halloween...Peyton was obviously Jasmine.  She was totally TICKED off at me because I made her wear a nude body suit underneath the costume because I was afraid she'd be cold.  She wore the same costume to a party a couple weeks ago with out the leotard and she liked the look much better (of course!)  Grace and Mason came down to Trick and Treat with our kids.  Grace wore the Chicken costume I made for P when she was 2.  Except she wore different chicken legs, hers were more practical.  Peyton wore yellow tights and yellow rubber dish gloves over her shoes.  GAWD I LOVE this costume...I bought soooo many white feather boas to make it!
Mason was a little Vampire and because of my incredible obsession with all things "Twilight", I think he looked EXCEPTIONALLY dazzling!  Lookout EDWARD!

Callie was an exotic bird.  She made it up her self and borrowed the mask from my friend Julie.  So I think that's Callie's empty bag for trick or treating on the floor there next to her.  I usually don't have random foil pieces in my foyer...occassionally drums from the husband but not foil unless Mr. Levi McCoy tore up the neighbors foil like in the previous post, then YEAH I might have foil in the foyer.

Cole (not pictured because he's too cool for that) wore all black and a panty hose over his head!  He looked CUTE even as a mean robber.

Hodge Podge

The last week has been a whirlwind of sleepy haze and some pain, huge help from family and friends and processing photos when I can. The pain I had prior to surgery in my neck and upper back is gone but it is replaced by the post surgical nusence pain which is completely tolerable because I KNOW it's getting better everyday. I am SO completely thankful for the WOnDERFUL family and friends I have who have continued to support me even though I'm a PAIN IN THEIR NECK! LOL Yesterday I went to have my incision checked and they took off the bandages...right now it just looks like I have a hickey with a line through it. It looks like I had a wild time! LOL Afterwards my father took me to the mall to do a bit of Christmas shopping. I have to have it all done in bits and spurts because I'm not getting out. DANG I got some great bargains! If it wasn't for my shopping adrenaline kicking in I never would have been able to do it! I took my father to Anthropologie and of course he LOVED the displays...as I knew he would. I'm a HUGE sucker for a GREAT display and that store sure has them. I big fuzzy heart Anthropologie! I can't buy much there because it's all big bucks but I just like to wander around! I came home and took a 3 hour nap!

My neurosurgeon made the cover of Baltimore magazine this month...that's pretty cool! Especially since we hang out so much together now you know? :-)

Anyway, I did so many sessions before my surgery, I'll be able to keep this blog happy and full of fun pics till I start shooting again! None of these shots are from the same shoot. This first one is my neice and nephew....I LOVE it! How stinkin cute are they! I am working as hard as I can on everyones sessions...so THANK you for your patience! I love all my clients...YOU ROCK my socks!

Busy Bee...well sorta!

I'm back! Pun intended! I started working on photos again today when I'm lucid (I think) and the pain pills are doing what they do so well. I'm so far behind...forgive me please!

On Thursday I had a discectomy, replacement (with a polymer not cadaver...thank goodness) and a fusion with titanium rods on my neck region. They went in through the front (just like my lovely sister described). Luckily my age folds in my neck, um, er wrinkles, will cover the scar eventually. Other than post surgical pain in my neck ( and the pain in the neck that I am to my family) the neck pain that I was having and radiating into my arm and shoulders seems to be gone. WAHHHHOOOO!

I'm going back ONE more time for surgery either right before Christmas or right after to do more bionic schtuff on my lumbar. Yeah, so like I'm cool now and have the frequent customer punch card and everything. I think I get a snowball or something when I fill it all up. Awesome. I'm now on a first name basis with all my nurses and everything. So I'm all like, "how's baby Susie?" when they are doing my IV and everything. It's fun.

This will be my 3rd and last surgery in the past 6 months. Wow! Who'da thunk that when I stepped out of bed that fateful morning at the beach, or picked up that can of cream of chicken at the grocery that it would turn me into a regular at the spine center! Well, there are worse places to be a frequent customer.

I'm busy working on all the shoots I did in October when I'm able, so I will have them to you as soon as possible. Don't forget, my canvas company is having a BLOWOUT sale on canvases so if you need Holiday gifts...check out www.pixel2canvas.com and then call me. I can upload your images and everything...easy peasy pumpkin squeasy. Okay, now you can tell I'm drugged. I. better. stop. typing.

It's not a costume!!!!

Robyn is doing well!!! I'll start off by telling you all this is her sister Brandy and Robyn asked me to do this. Her last words before hanging up, "Don't scare me." I'm a smart a** and no where near as sweet and reserved as Robyn. I tell it like it is...So a little on Robyn: She's home and recovering. Her surgery seems to have went well at just over two hours. Our Dad drove her home so I hope she was stitched extra tight.

For those who don't know of our father, he is a wonderful man who would give you the shirt off his back. It would be stained, smell of cigarettes and probably have a crazy saying on it, but if asked for, it would be yours. He also goes by Cashmere even though his name is nowhere close to that suave. Visual yet? So Robyn is hopped up on muscle relaxers and pain killers and gets a ride home with Cashmere. He cuts some people off, hits every bump in the road and makes some jerky stops and starts, but she is home! Sadly for me, she is not wearing a halo. I was thinking it would be awesome to crack jokes about. I asked her earlier this week what she thought she would get. (Like we were kids again, guessing our Christmas morning surprises) She said she hoped she would at least get a hard plastic neck brace. Interested, I asked why and she said"When ever I see people with the soft smushy one's, I wonder if they are just faking."

Robyn, I know you don't have too much time on your hands (I have seem her laundry room) but you answered that so fast, I know you had been thinking about that for some time. Disturbing

So...... It's not a costume, she isn't faking. Her throat was really just cut open, all it's inside goodies were moved to the side and her bones were morphed with the help of a few metal pieces into the bionic women. It's just a boring old smushy neck brace. Blahhhhh.

So heal quickly my wonderful, beautiful, multi talented sister. I am so proud of you and I want to be just like you when I grow up. (minus the surgeries, barking dogs, killer bird, laundry, and skin conditions) Never mind, I'm fine being me just looking up to you.

The really crazy adventures of Levi McCoy!

I could make a daily blog out of the adventures of Levi McCoy, that's how much trouble he gets into on a daily basis. I'm. Not. Kidding. Let me give you a run down of just SOME of the last weeks mischief. I'm going to use bullets so be prepared:

* Carried Peytons YooHoo box through the house and upstairs so that it now looks like someone had a raging case of the runs in my upper foyer carpet. Nice. (I was at the bus stop)
* Took the roll of foil off the counter (that I borrowed from the neighbor) while I was in the potty. He shredded it in the upper foyer.
* Chewed up a wooden ghost magnet that Miss P patiently painted
* Stolen numerous shoes from under our desk and deposits them outside.
* He and his accomplice Macy got out of the gate and were sprayed by some animal's ANAL glands and came home smelling like a waste water treatment plant.
* While we were out of the room, he opened Cole's LARGE fountain soda in a styrofoam cup and drank the entire thing.
* Drank Peytons milk out of the cup when I was at the busstop this morning.
* Also while at the bus stop took the big kids box of frosted mini wheats and ate them all and shredded the box in THE UPPER FOYER. (seeing a pattern here, friends)
* Walked across my coffee table and the back of the sofa (I think he might think he's a chihuahua or a cat)
* Learned to open the patio door and let himself in.

I know this is the tip of the iceberg. I've probably tried to shut out some of the other things he's done.
He's like a 2 year old little boy who had a 7 Eleven big GULP of mountain dew.

Thank God he's cute!

AND FOR MY VERY PATIENT WHIMAGES CLIENTS. ALL SNEAK PEEKS WILL BE SENT BY WEDNESDAY. I PROMISE!

Wyatt needs your help!

Meet Mr. Wyatt and his Vet mommy Jacqui. Wyatt donates his blood to save other dogs in need. Did you know there are 13 different blood types in dogs and they are NOT breed specific, for an example a Great Dane may be the same type as your Chihuahua! Remember my friend Tina's boxer Blu? His litter had parvo and was dying. Without a blood transfusion from a wonderful dog like Wyatt, it's doubtful they would have made it.

Dr. Jacqui is a very veterinarian, often taking her own time and money to help rescue doggies in need. She even recently spent her days off transporting a dog for www.boxerrescue.com. It's one of the two puppies with the broken legs.

Well anyway, Wyatt was chosen by Milkbone as one of the 100 finalists for there nations SPOKESDOG contest but Wyatt needs your vote to win. This would be a perfect fit for Wyatt and Jacqui because they could spread the word about canine blood donation and RESCUE. OHHHHH I forgot to tell you, Mr. Wyatt is a rescue pup too! See how special he is? Please vote for him. It just takes a moment to register and then you can vote everyday! Here's the link http://milkbone.icmodus.com/?id=8002

Let's think about this....

I know most things happen for a reason. Me asking for the test and postponing the surgery was such a GOOD thing, even though yesterday I had a hard time dealing with it.

The good thing for YOU is that if you were hoping for a Whimages shoot but just couldn't fit it in, now you have one more week! AWESOME for you and it will keep me busy and not thinking about the surgery! LOL So call me if you want quickly scheduled shoot between now and next Wednesday.

Since I had to go back to Towson again today to have my NEW surgical evaluation, I figured some retail therapy would be just about as good as physical therapy...and probably much better for my MENTAL health! I only stayed in the mall about an hour because I'm certainly not feeling totally up to par but it was FUN! AND I got several Christmas presents out of the way! PLUS there are definately some bargains to be had! I got Peyton the cutest green spectator ballet flats at Gap kids for 13.00. I also got Callie and Cole a couple goodies but since she's lurking over my shoulder reading this I'm keeping tight lipped! HA!

More brown eyed cuties! AND I am not having surgery on Thursday :-(

I've known Ashley (the momma) for several years now and her natural beauty just glows from within. I swear too, she's one of the funniest people I know beside my sister. This girl is always laughing and it's just contagious...you can totally see why she has Micheal smitten!

I don't normally say the kids names here and I won't today but these little girls are so CUTE and all have names that would be a scrapbookers nightmare! Let's just say they all have lot's of vowels.

WARNING WARNING WARNING TOO MUCH INFORMATION AHEAD!!!
Okay, enough about them, here's some about me! (LOL, I used to love that commercial where the guy would be talking about himself on a date and then say, "okay, enough about me. What do YOU think about me?" It was decided late this afternoon that my surgery on Thur. would be cancelled. :-( I'm having lumbar issues again and I had an MRI on that last night. After looking at them it was decided that they need more images. But most importantly, I apparently have a UTI. Now let me tell
you something about about this. This UTI has the type of bacteria that would have attacked my bones if I had the surgery. Appently having bacteria laden bones is a BAD BAD thing. LIKE REALLY BAD! I don't think I've EVER had a UTI before, EVER. WEIRD The funny thing is, I REQUESTED the test on my urine because I felt it had an odd odor for a couple months and I was urinating more frequently, however I thought maybe it was just one of the meds. Because we KNOW I'M ON SO MANY MEDS! (although my sister says I'm so much funnier on the medication so there IS a plus) GIRLS...ALWAYS go with your heart! I have to admit I'm really disappointed about. VERY disappointed because I just want to get rid of my neck pain. I want to feel normal (if I am ever really normal). BUT the surgery will take place and hopefully next week. GO ME!

Make a wish little man!

You may recognize BatMan here from my http://www.whimages.com/ site. He's been my little model for several years! I started watching him a couple days a week when he was like 3 months old. Now he's turning 4! Jeeez time flies! He's just the cutest thing and always has been such a little LOVEBUG! Over the years we've become great friend with his parents Curt and Tina. Tina and I are unorganized ditzy brained (although she's not nearly as ditzy as I am...more on that in a minute) friends who can shop an antique store till it's bare in a few moments flat!

I had to throw in this photo of Peyton on the steps. She was decked out in all of Matilda Jane glory (http://www.matildajaneclothing.com/) and looked cute as a button with her little riding boots. But then she put her old Old Navy hoodie on over her head as we were waiting to leave. She totally looked like a little Polish peasant girl!

About my total ditziness. I've told you before I have WAAAAAY more
than my share of blonde moments even though I'm not blonde. (except for the highlights my wonderful sister puts in). So we were sitting by the bonfire last night at Hayden's party and remember I am on some pretty strong pain meds and a strong muscle relaxer AND I did have a glass of Pinot
Grigio...okay so we were sitting around the bonfire discussing dog quarantines in certain countries and someone said that in France the quarantine is 90 days. AND I exclaimed, "WELL, IN ENGLAND IT'S 3 MONTHS!" ...I'm never living this down.

Brown-eyed beauties!

I'm in love with this photo of Miss H walking in the sunlight, she looks like a little sun-goddess! It was one of those really NiCE warm fall days but we also tossed on the kids winter hats and scarves for that "BRRRrrr it's cold out here look", that's so great for Christmas cards! LOL! Mr. D had eyes like deep pools of dove chocolate...he was so handsome!

A week from tomorrow is operation Robyn the bionic woman. Can you FEEEL my excitement people? It's gonna be a blast, I'm sure!

OHHH and there are some specials going on for the holidays with my canvas company and they are FABULOUS! Let me know if you are interested!

Beautiful Brandy!

I did loads of shoots this weekend and EVERY single one was special in it's own way. That's what I love...I NEVER know how a session is going to go...from the spontaneous hand holding of little sisters walking away to the pouty lips of a chunky toddler. I LOVE the nuances of light at the different times of day, capturing glimpses of who your kids REALLY are, who your family REALLY is. One of the VERY special sessions that I love is shooting a beloved member of someones family who happens to walk on 4 feet. As you know, I have a special place in my heart for souls of the furry kind.

Brandy is one of those special furbabies. You can see the love between Brandy and her Mom. She was such a pretty girl and so patient with me and my tiny blocks of cheese! She is a brown and white dalmation with GORGEOUS dark chocolate spots sprinkled on her milky coat. I just loved her!