Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Friday, May 7, 2010
Graduaton-FINALLY HERE!
Well i am officially a college graduate, not just another associate degree and yes i have two of those but finally my bachelor's! I am a 30 year old who has finally accomplished the greatest achievement for myself EVER! I have been walking on the moon ever since i took my "final" final yesterday. i am sure Sunday when i walk and shake that hand i will be even more elated. I have never in my life felt so good about something i have done, my mom is so proud, my kids are excited and my husband has been praising me all week. I am sitting here crying thinking of what a hard time i have had getting here. It has been a true struggle both financially and emotionally. It has taken precious time from my kids and my husband that i can never get back, it has left me exhausted and wore down.....BUT it is the best thing i have ever done.
I have learned a lot about myself and the strength i have. I have learned that i can do anything i set my mind too. I have gained self-esteem and the will to keep trying for something bigger and better. I have learned that busy is good. I have learned that the world is so much bigger than where i live and i have it GREAT compared to a vast majority of the world. I am BLESSED beyond what i can express. School has given me the courage to look beyond my dreams and shoot for the stars. I can do anything....and i will!
I have decided that i will go back for my master's at some point. It is a goal i have set for myself for the very distant future. I have faith and it is a goal i will complete, i will succeed. BUT for now i am going to enjoy my family. Enjoy my photography. Enjoy looking for a position in a career i am passionate about. Enjoy the summer. Enjoy watching my kids grow up with a mom who will make all the soccer games, PTA meetings, and girl scouts. I mom who has the time to spend quality time on her family and just enjoy everyone and everything!
I am getting ready to start a new chapter in my life and i feel it truly is the best time i have ever had. I am BLESSED! I am blessed!
I have learned a lot about myself and the strength i have. I have learned that i can do anything i set my mind too. I have gained self-esteem and the will to keep trying for something bigger and better. I have learned that busy is good. I have learned that the world is so much bigger than where i live and i have it GREAT compared to a vast majority of the world. I am BLESSED beyond what i can express. School has given me the courage to look beyond my dreams and shoot for the stars. I can do anything....and i will!
I have decided that i will go back for my master's at some point. It is a goal i have set for myself for the very distant future. I have faith and it is a goal i will complete, i will succeed. BUT for now i am going to enjoy my family. Enjoy my photography. Enjoy looking for a position in a career i am passionate about. Enjoy the summer. Enjoy watching my kids grow up with a mom who will make all the soccer games, PTA meetings, and girl scouts. I mom who has the time to spend quality time on her family and just enjoy everyone and everything!
I am getting ready to start a new chapter in my life and i feel it truly is the best time i have ever had. I am BLESSED! I am blessed!
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
2nd Infant Shoot!!
I am really getting into this Photoshop thing...it is highly addictive! I have done two infant shoots and a maternity shoot. Then Monday i have another shoot that is an engagement/wedding shoot for a good friend of mine who just got married a couple of weeks ago...they wanted it simple at the courthouse and haven't gotten any pics yet of just the two of them! I am still learning and see so many flaws in what i am doing but i know it is a learning progress and i am learning new techniques every day! Here are a couple of pics of my most recent infant shoot. Hope you like them!
Friday, March 26, 2010
Newborn Photography
I did some FREE photoshoots this week with two adorable newborns, 14 day old Sophia and 21 day old Aiden. I wanted to help build up my portfolio for opening up Erin Steele Photography! We had a great time and got some amazing pictures, above what i ever could have dreamed. I am excited at all these great opportunities coming my way and hope it means a bright future!
Monday, March 15, 2010
My First Wedding Gig
I am hoping that this will be a vision of things to come but only time will tell...
I am really excited that my hobby could actually help support my family, being FUN in the process. They say you should go to work happy everyday and a photography job could do just that. My photoshop skills have drasticly improved over the past two weeks and i know that everytime i use it i will only get better and better. The chance to make memories last forever is priceless! My first main photoshoots over the next two months is actually going to have all proceeds donated to a family friend who is 31 with cancer. It will hopefully draw in some people and spread my name around while still doing a great thing to help a friend. I am stoked!
I am really excited that my hobby could actually help support my family, being FUN in the process. They say you should go to work happy everyday and a photography job could do just that. My photoshop skills have drasticly improved over the past two weeks and i know that everytime i use it i will only get better and better. The chance to make memories last forever is priceless! My first main photoshoots over the next two months is actually going to have all proceeds donated to a family friend who is 31 with cancer. It will hopefully draw in some people and spread my name around while still doing a great thing to help a friend. I am stoked!
I am sorry my posts have been so far apart and haven't had much detail but i have been crazy busy finishing up my last semester of school. I am done in 8 weeks and have a very ful schedule until then. I just can't wait!!
Friday, February 5, 2010
Bouncing off the Walls
My son needs one of these...he was in love with it!
He wasn't so sure about the bouncy houses!
Cheese..he is ready to Bounce off the wall in this pic after sprite and some cheetos!
This is Colton.ADORABLE.
He is my friend from high school's little boy and i could just pinch his cheeks all day.
I didn't get manypics of our other friends or a group pic but we had a blast at a new warehouse with inflatables that just came to town. Today they filmed for their commercial and today we went. So my baby will be in a commercial..unpaid but that is okay we got in 1/2 price and he got free cheetos and sprite! That is a winner in my book! But he really was bouncing off the walls...until after lunch and then he was OUT!
Who's life isn't crazy busy??
I always think that we are just soooo busy compared to everyone else but i just had an epiphany...EVERYONE is busy. We all have things going on 24-7 and a million things to accomplish. It is just trying to align those things that makes life so crazy. I got a new Blackberrry recently and it has kept me updated and actually off the computer alot. Amazing what a lifesaver it has become. Also it has a planner/calendar...and i am in love. It hasn't came in handy all that much yet...but it has been loaded with all my activities until summer and i know that i have all my info in the palm of my hand. Now i just need to stop writing down everything i need to do on all 3 calendars i have at home and just use my one all important phone....
This weekend has been no exception to the rule. One of my friedns alwasy tells me i do this to myself and you know what you are right, i do. I actually love being busy...not tired but busy. I feel productive that way. Like yesterday my schedule went something like this: 6:30 alarm, 6:32 alarm, 6:34 alarm...me hitting alarm...finally i rise hearing the dogs whimpering and go to the restroom. Next 6:35-i go to Hailey's room and beg her to wake up quickly and not fight me cause she needs a bath since it has been at least two days if not more since her last one...i have no clue actually. So i run the bath and she jumps in and i tell her to hurry and she lays there sleeping in the tub. I leave her and while yelling on my way out BEG her to please hurry and wash her hair and body. 6:40-6:50 i get both dogs outside to pee in our swimming pool of a backyard but neither of them are really having it..so i get soaked and then less than an hour later have to clean up pee off the floor. 6:50 go back to check on hailey and she hasn't moved..half asleep laying under the water..so i get a tiny bit angry and get her moving up to a crawl. 6:52 i find her an outfit since i forgot to lay them out the night before and scrounge up some hairbows. 6:54 i get the toaster down and brown 4 pieces of toast for hailey. 6:57 go back and help hailey finish up her bath and beg her to get finished quickly since the bus will be here in less than 20 minutes and we are no where near ready to go. 7:00 Grant wakes up and he is horribly crabby, i hold him for a minute and change his diaper while trying to get hailey motivated to dress quickly. 7:05 i get the cold toast out butter and jelly it, give the dogs food and water all the while Grant is throwing his morning tantrum, 7:10 get hailey in the bathroom with her toast and put her hair in a ponytail and blowdry it all the best i can, 7:15 hailey is looking presentable and has eaten most of her toast while Grant has calmed down enough top realize the toast has jelly on it and he crams 2 pieces in his mouth in like a minute. 7:17 hailey starts brushing her teeth and by 7:17..and one millionth of a second she is done so i tell her to go back and get them again! About 7:19 i rush her to the door and get her jacket and gloves on as fast as i can, then quickly locate the umbrella for her while pushing her out the door. grant begs for a kiss and is happy to see sissy go! You realize if i write at this pace we won't get to the end of this day until next February!
Anyways i think you get the picture...I checked emails, took the dogs out pee and poop again, took a shower with Grant to save time, did a homework assignment, did 3 loads of laundry, one load of dishes, cleaned up dog poo off the floor, and i am sure 40 other things in the two hours before my mother-in-law showed up at 9:30 so i could go to my first class of the day. then i drove to class, weight training class...worked out like crazy, stopped at McD's then came home all by 12:30. and immediately took the dogs out again. Grant was asleep so i checked Facebook, emails, and started more assignments before Grant woke up around 1:40 and i made some yogurt/fruit/granola mix and a flatbread sandwich while sitting him in front of the tv and by 2 pm we were done eating and he had pooped. then we played for about a half an hour until hailey came home then the real caos starts. 2:40 Hailey walks in and immediately whines about how starved she is and how she must have a cookie dough blizzard(i made it for her a couple of wks ago and now she wants it every day). I say no and tell her to eat cereal or crackers or somethign like that. She whines more and ends up eating cereal. She stars fighting with Grant and making him scream and i am about to go crazy five minutes after she gets home. I set her down to start on homework and she acts like it is all forgeign to her and i have to walk her through every single step even thoguh i know she has done it all before and it is review...she sits there a good hour begging for more food after the cereal is gone and i tell her no cause dinner is comign soon...she still whines and begs. The dogs are fighting again for the 500000 time today and then they pass out in the bed together...go figure! 4:00 i try to look over more homework but i can'teven think about it cause the kids are being so crazy. Grant keeps climbing everythign and trying to get in my purse and bags...hailey just wants attention and whines about anything she can. 4:45 i take the dogs out one last time before heading to class. Amen it is 5 pm and Jason comes home from work. I tell him wat still needs to be done for the night say hi and bye quickly and head out the door...i eat and get to class around 4:45 and slide into class and try to look ove rmy notes for a sec before class. I spend the next three hours watching Dante's Peak and analyzing the volcanoes in the movie for a class assignment. After class i get gas in the rain and was so worried about the scary side of town i was on at 9 pm i forgot to put the gas cap on the car when i left. (Luckily Jason caught it almost 24 hours later after it had been raining the whole time and almost ruined the cars engine....so far it is still running though). Then i get home around 9:30 and the kids are still awake(they should have been in bed over an hour ago) and Jason is exausted..as if i am not! So i send hailey to brush her teeth while i take the dogs out pee...in the rain---you never would have guessed??) then i check the dogs food and water while starting more laundry. 9:45 i cuddle Grant for a little while until he passes out around 10ish and then i put him in bed. By then everyone else is asleep and i start on my homework, my real homework. This is my only time to get peace so this is where i take my time to really get things done. I spend the next two or so hours studying and by midnight or so i can barely function...then sleep...then at 6:30 i am pushing the snooze button again and my day starts over! This is my life and it is crazy....but i wouldn't have it any other way :)
This weekend has been no exception to the rule. One of my friedns alwasy tells me i do this to myself and you know what you are right, i do. I actually love being busy...not tired but busy. I feel productive that way. Like yesterday my schedule went something like this: 6:30 alarm, 6:32 alarm, 6:34 alarm...me hitting alarm...finally i rise hearing the dogs whimpering and go to the restroom. Next 6:35-i go to Hailey's room and beg her to wake up quickly and not fight me cause she needs a bath since it has been at least two days if not more since her last one...i have no clue actually. So i run the bath and she jumps in and i tell her to hurry and she lays there sleeping in the tub. I leave her and while yelling on my way out BEG her to please hurry and wash her hair and body. 6:40-6:50 i get both dogs outside to pee in our swimming pool of a backyard but neither of them are really having it..so i get soaked and then less than an hour later have to clean up pee off the floor. 6:50 go back to check on hailey and she hasn't moved..half asleep laying under the water..so i get a tiny bit angry and get her moving up to a crawl. 6:52 i find her an outfit since i forgot to lay them out the night before and scrounge up some hairbows. 6:54 i get the toaster down and brown 4 pieces of toast for hailey. 6:57 go back and help hailey finish up her bath and beg her to get finished quickly since the bus will be here in less than 20 minutes and we are no where near ready to go. 7:00 Grant wakes up and he is horribly crabby, i hold him for a minute and change his diaper while trying to get hailey motivated to dress quickly. 7:05 i get the cold toast out butter and jelly it, give the dogs food and water all the while Grant is throwing his morning tantrum, 7:10 get hailey in the bathroom with her toast and put her hair in a ponytail and blowdry it all the best i can, 7:15 hailey is looking presentable and has eaten most of her toast while Grant has calmed down enough top realize the toast has jelly on it and he crams 2 pieces in his mouth in like a minute. 7:17 hailey starts brushing her teeth and by 7:17..and one millionth of a second she is done so i tell her to go back and get them again! About 7:19 i rush her to the door and get her jacket and gloves on as fast as i can, then quickly locate the umbrella for her while pushing her out the door. grant begs for a kiss and is happy to see sissy go! You realize if i write at this pace we won't get to the end of this day until next February!
Anyways i think you get the picture...I checked emails, took the dogs out pee and poop again, took a shower with Grant to save time, did a homework assignment, did 3 loads of laundry, one load of dishes, cleaned up dog poo off the floor, and i am sure 40 other things in the two hours before my mother-in-law showed up at 9:30 so i could go to my first class of the day. then i drove to class, weight training class...worked out like crazy, stopped at McD's then came home all by 12:30. and immediately took the dogs out again. Grant was asleep so i checked Facebook, emails, and started more assignments before Grant woke up around 1:40 and i made some yogurt/fruit/granola mix and a flatbread sandwich while sitting him in front of the tv and by 2 pm we were done eating and he had pooped. then we played for about a half an hour until hailey came home then the real caos starts. 2:40 Hailey walks in and immediately whines about how starved she is and how she must have a cookie dough blizzard(i made it for her a couple of wks ago and now she wants it every day). I say no and tell her to eat cereal or crackers or somethign like that. She whines more and ends up eating cereal. She stars fighting with Grant and making him scream and i am about to go crazy five minutes after she gets home. I set her down to start on homework and she acts like it is all forgeign to her and i have to walk her through every single step even thoguh i know she has done it all before and it is review...she sits there a good hour begging for more food after the cereal is gone and i tell her no cause dinner is comign soon...she still whines and begs. The dogs are fighting again for the 500000 time today and then they pass out in the bed together...go figure! 4:00 i try to look over more homework but i can'teven think about it cause the kids are being so crazy. Grant keeps climbing everythign and trying to get in my purse and bags...hailey just wants attention and whines about anything she can. 4:45 i take the dogs out one last time before heading to class. Amen it is 5 pm and Jason comes home from work. I tell him wat still needs to be done for the night say hi and bye quickly and head out the door...i eat and get to class around 4:45 and slide into class and try to look ove rmy notes for a sec before class. I spend the next three hours watching Dante's Peak and analyzing the volcanoes in the movie for a class assignment. After class i get gas in the rain and was so worried about the scary side of town i was on at 9 pm i forgot to put the gas cap on the car when i left. (Luckily Jason caught it almost 24 hours later after it had been raining the whole time and almost ruined the cars engine....so far it is still running though). Then i get home around 9:30 and the kids are still awake(they should have been in bed over an hour ago) and Jason is exausted..as if i am not! So i send hailey to brush her teeth while i take the dogs out pee...in the rain---you never would have guessed??) then i check the dogs food and water while starting more laundry. 9:45 i cuddle Grant for a little while until he passes out around 10ish and then i put him in bed. By then everyone else is asleep and i start on my homework, my real homework. This is my only time to get peace so this is where i take my time to really get things done. I spend the next two or so hours studying and by midnight or so i can barely function...then sleep...then at 6:30 i am pushing the snooze button again and my day starts over! This is my life and it is crazy....but i wouldn't have it any other way :)
Friday, January 8, 2010
It will be a HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!
I am excited to be turning 30. Not because of the grey hairs or saggy boobs..but for my experiences. If i was 20 again i would be young and stupid...real stupid! and 40 just sounds OLD! But thirty seems just right!
My family is doing well. I graduate from college this year...maybe 8 years to late..but neverless i am almost finished. I am sooo much smarter than i was 10 years ago. I never knew what great things would happen to me. I have spent a HUGE portion of the past ten years at home with my kiddos. That makes me feel OLD. I picked and married my sweetheart and we have been together 10 years at the end of the month and married for 2 1/2.
We have two children who make my days very bright...except today since school was canceled. They are very crazy and full of energy making me want to pull out all my hair...maybe just all the greys.
I look forward to the next 10 years. I look forward to getting a job and helping my husband save for our family and future. I can't wait to see what awesome family vacations we can plan and how many of them our kids groan about. My son will be almost 12 and my daughter 17 when i turn gulp...40..and i can only hope we decide to have another and i can say he/she will be maybe 9-10 by then...or it will be just the four of us and i will be happy with that..i guess!
I am hoping to spend more time in church, volunteering, cooking, and spending time with my family. I hope to get really good at taking pics and learn Photoshop so i can make some extra money on the side and maybe one day make it a career!
I am hoping we can get a new(er) house in Newburgh sooner than later. Room for all of us and our extended family. I want to have all our social occassions at our house and have room to move around and enjoy it! I want to get my kids in a school district that will push them and know they are getting the best education possible. I hope in the next 10 years i will go back and complete my masters degree and take my PHR exam.
I also hope that soon i start paying closer attention to my weight and get down to a healthier size. I would love to be in a 12?-14? someday again. But my current goal is to lose 50 this year...we will see how that goes. I would like to get back down to what i weighed when i got married and then continue to lose after that. I want to be healthier in my thirties than i have been in my 20's!
I want to be a more attentive wife and mother...focus on how i can make them happy Not as much on what makes me happy...knowing i am pleasing them should make me happier (:
I want to be a better housewife. I think staying home all these years has made me slack off alot. I don't clean my house like i used to...i pick up all the time but don't get deep cleaning done very often and i really need to get back in the swing of things.
Overall i want to be a more productive person who lets people know just how much i care about them. I want to be there to support my family and friends and also to be more positive about myself. I am much more confident now than i have been in the past but i have a long way to go.
Here is to my fabulous 20's and looking forward to an even better 30's....
Happy 3 0 to me!!!
My family is doing well. I graduate from college this year...maybe 8 years to late..but neverless i am almost finished. I am sooo much smarter than i was 10 years ago. I never knew what great things would happen to me. I have spent a HUGE portion of the past ten years at home with my kiddos. That makes me feel OLD. I picked and married my sweetheart and we have been together 10 years at the end of the month and married for 2 1/2.
We have two children who make my days very bright...except today since school was canceled. They are very crazy and full of energy making me want to pull out all my hair...maybe just all the greys.
I look forward to the next 10 years. I look forward to getting a job and helping my husband save for our family and future. I can't wait to see what awesome family vacations we can plan and how many of them our kids groan about. My son will be almost 12 and my daughter 17 when i turn gulp...40..and i can only hope we decide to have another and i can say he/she will be maybe 9-10 by then...or it will be just the four of us and i will be happy with that..i guess!
I am hoping to spend more time in church, volunteering, cooking, and spending time with my family. I hope to get really good at taking pics and learn Photoshop so i can make some extra money on the side and maybe one day make it a career!
I am hoping we can get a new(er) house in Newburgh sooner than later. Room for all of us and our extended family. I want to have all our social occassions at our house and have room to move around and enjoy it! I want to get my kids in a school district that will push them and know they are getting the best education possible. I hope in the next 10 years i will go back and complete my masters degree and take my PHR exam.
I also hope that soon i start paying closer attention to my weight and get down to a healthier size. I would love to be in a 12?-14? someday again. But my current goal is to lose 50 this year...we will see how that goes. I would like to get back down to what i weighed when i got married and then continue to lose after that. I want to be healthier in my thirties than i have been in my 20's!
I want to be a more attentive wife and mother...focus on how i can make them happy Not as much on what makes me happy...knowing i am pleasing them should make me happier (:
I want to be a better housewife. I think staying home all these years has made me slack off alot. I don't clean my house like i used to...i pick up all the time but don't get deep cleaning done very often and i really need to get back in the swing of things.
Overall i want to be a more productive person who lets people know just how much i care about them. I want to be there to support my family and friends and also to be more positive about myself. I am much more confident now than i have been in the past but i have a long way to go.
Here is to my fabulous 20's and looking forward to an even better 30's....
Happy 3 0 to me!!!
Friday, December 4, 2009
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