Dear Congressman Allen Boyd...

As a 24 year old working, educated, American mother , I believe in the greatness of this country. I believe that this country is great because this country was founded on hard working Americans who were given the opportunity of freedom and choice. American people having the freedom to choose is what our Founding Fathers fought for; a greatness and freedom of choice that I believe is worth continuing to fighting for. Healthcare is not a Constitutional right, just as owning a car is not right. Government was created to govern and serve the American people, not to dictate over and control the American people. I am a mother who has worked hard to pay for my son’s healthcare plan; a plan where I know he can see any doctor and receive medical attention immediately when needed. As a man who the American people chose to give the title 'Congressman' and power to, what right do you have to steal from your constituents the right to choose the healthcare they work hard for? Not only that, but why would you allow a government who has yet to prove they are capable of controlling anything, have any control or say in the health and well being of the American people? Remember, with great power comes great responsibility. Your responsibility is to be the voice and serve the American people who gave you the right to be called 'Congressman'. Your American constituents are saying "NO" to government run healthcare!

Edit: Apparently I need to make myself a little more clear. I am for fixing heathcare policy, but what I am not for is abolishing an entire system all for a government run health care system. http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2009/0525/013-opinions-steve-forbes-dont-doc-american-health-care.html

going strong

three years ago today i was putting on my wedding dress to walk down the aisle and say "i do." who knew i would be waking up three years later to my 6 month old saying "dada". it by far is the best gift!! it's crazy to see how quickly time passes, but exciting to see where you've ended up and where you still have to go!

being that i can't keep up these days between blogging for work, twitter and facebook...this side project has taken the back burner. however here is a run through of baby b's updates:

• 17 lbs. at 6 mo check up
• 25 in. long
• roll over from back to stomach and vice verse
• sits-up by himself
• push himself into sitting position
• knows his name and understand simple words, "no, good boy, mama, dada, yea!, eat, etc.)
• holds bottle
• feeds himself puffs (he's a huge fan)
• uses a sippy cup
• pull himself up
• stand with support
• walks with help
• throws things
• knows when we enter his room it is typically nap/bed time
• plays copy cat
• says, "hey and dada"
  

to say the least, i never sit down anymore. b is a mover!!! putting him down is proving to be a bit more challenge these days now that he knows he can trow things and stand up in his crib. He thinks it's party time 24/7. Not only is he a mover, but he is quite the charmer and mr. personality. in all honesty, i have never met a more content and happy baby. we are truly blessed!

at his 6 mo check up, the doctor said, "well the next time we see him, brayden will probably be walking." i replied, "are you kidding? the next time we see you (9 months), this child will be running!"

my side of things

the past 2 weeks, my mind has been racing like a chihuahua on red bull. i have sat down countless times to write and put all my thoughts out on the table, but my mind races faster than my hands can type. you can thank me later for refraining from posting....you think my spelling is bad now....you don't even want to know what it is like under those conditions!

with so much on my mind, but not knowing where to begin, i figured i would show you all what i have been up to. i keep getting questions about people wanting to see what i'm capable of when it comes to photography. well, the big reveal has come. not nearly as fabulous as the ever so talented genya... being that i am still a work in progress!

all comments are welcome. i can handle constructive criticism, but lets be nice about it :) the images below were just taken from the blog....i don't keep the originals at home. those stay at the office! if you wish to check out the high res ones, you'll have to mosey on over to the VUE blog.

.....no words

rosie & aaron

my mom sent this to me in an email this morning. i'm not even going to say anything....other than - - absolutely, unbelievably, amazing!! and kinda cute....

their article | http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29164894/from/ET/
their pictures | http://www.flickr.com/photos/aknacer/sets/72157605881081844/
their blog | http://nacedesign.com/blog/

and that's a wrap!

every weekend this month has been consumed with weddings. however this year, it is behind a lens......WHICH I LOVE!!!! i thought i loved weddings before...now they really do ROCK!

this past thursday, genya and i had the opportunity to step out from behind the cameras and do a little strutting of our own. kylene who owns Forever Photography out of Tallahassee, came over to our neck of the woods to play with us for a bit! let's just say she captured us in all our crazy glory! when genya and i saw the pictures we were amazed and fell absolutely in love with them! here are just a few quickies of me...check out a few of the others with both of us on her blog:

mmm...good!

today began on a good note: sleeping in until 10am! granted brayden woke up at 6am, but he drank his bottle in bed next to me while practically asleep so i slept as well. after waking up and getting ready, haley, baby b and i went to eat at our favorite little place, Liza's Kitchen, for lunch. sitting outside in the sunshine and 75 degree weather eating my hot muffaletta made my day! brayden sat in his seat and carried on his own little conversation while we ate. we then went grocery shopping...which much to my surprise wasn't the nightmare i expected it to be during spring break.
(side note: my annual spring break tirade will be posted at a later date!) as i unloaded the groceries, brayden took his 3rd nap of the day. have i mentioned what a wonderful baby i have been blessed with?! after he woke-up i fed him his bottle and squash. i refuse to taste baby food in fear i will never be able to forgive myself for giving it to my child. it is better just to not know!

while baby b watched american idol (we want to make sure he is a well rounded child!) i made my infamous peanut butter krispy bars for small group tomorrow night. thank goodness i am not working with a P90X trainer or else i would be in some serious trouble!

since i am on a roll of having a productive day, i thought i might take it a bit further and share my ever beloved recipe with everyone. it has only taken me....well i won't tell you how long...to give this out. i apologize for those who have been asking for it for quite sometime!

here goes:

Peanut Butter Krispy Bars

1 stick of butter (creamy)
2 cups of peanut butter (Jiff - because all moms choose Jiff!)
3 cups of Rice Krispies (i used the store brand...i mean can you really tell the difference?!)
3 cups of powered sugar
1 package of milk chocolate morsels

mix softened/creamy butter and peanut better in a large mixing bowl. add in rice krispies one cup at a time (this is easier than pouring all 3 cups in at once). then add in the powered sugar one cup at a time (for the same reason...your hand will be very sore if you don't). then spread ingredients into a 9x13 pan. put chocolate morsels into a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 1 min. 15 sec. and then stir until melted. pour and spread chocolate over top other ingredients in pan. refrigerate for 5-10 minutes. cut into squares and serve.

promised to be a crowd pleaser....old men love these ;)

now i must go do a little arm and shoulder P90X .....

"mommy, wow.....!"

baby b has been working on sitting up alone for quite sometime but never really had much success....until today!

a little doodle

this week has been so jammed packed, it makes me tired just thinking about. therefore, i won't recap. from the moment i walked through the door each afternoon this week, i was ready to put on my favorite pair of sweats (yes, i still wear my college sorority sweat pants to bed....jared has lost all hope) lock my door, turn off the monitor, let jared and baby b fend for themselves and call it a night.

having these spurts of extreme exhaustion gave jared and i cause to worry that brayden may be a big brother much sooner than we would ever like to even subconsciously think about. my 7:30 bedtimes, blank stares, and asking for people to constantly repeat themselves, was the dead giveaway this time last year. thank the good lord that pee stick read 'not pregnant' or i would have been trying to undo that etch-a-sketch. had i been, jared and i would be firm believers in immaculate conception. i mean seriously, give me a break. no one , including myself, wants another year of my pregnant ramblings regardless of how easy i had it in comparison!

disclaimer: now if i was on round 2, we would be absolutely thrilled knowing we were meant to have one more little blessing. obviously now we know that another blessing is meant for later. my body and pocketbook are both grateful!

so with it being a long week, i came home today turned on a little itunes and heard one of my favorites as i laid lifelessly on the couch. yes, i have posted this little tune before, but i can't get enough and you know you can't either. don't hate, you know it makes you smile!

Ordinary Day - Emilie Mover

it must be the baby einstien

today marks the 4 month mile stone for baby b. after his 4 month check up we can conclude that he is quite the trooper when having needles flying at him as well as being a rather advanced little fella.

doc stats:
Weight: 14.3 lbs.
Length: 23.5 in.
Head Circumference: 42 cm.
Stage Advancement: extremely advanced
Warning: early crawler and loud talker
What to look forward to: solid food adventures

today we spent the afternoon at the studio. he's becoming quite a fan!

valentines day or just another day?

Having moved this past week and no cable/internet until monday, here I sit updating on my blackberry. Call me bored, desperate, or determined....you decide. I prefer determined...do you have any idea how small these buttons are? Thank goodness I don't have fake nails or this would just be a lost cause!

Happy Valentines Day! More importantly, Happy 17th Birthday Haley (little sister). Because Jared is in the restaurant business, he had to work...lucky for him over the years I've realized what a nightmare it is to try and go anywhere on this Hallmark Holiday. So last night after unpacking boxes we had strawberry cheesecake, wine, and watched an old favorite! Tonight however, consisted of outback take-out, wine, nap time for baby, more wine, chocolate and a good chick flick!! Personally, I don't know if it can get any better than that! Monday night our unpaid live-in nanny (aka Haley) is going to watch Brayden while we go out...we'll see if it trumps tonight...which will be hard to do!

Speaking of baby b... Here are his updated stats:
Almost 4 month...on Tuesday
Continues to sleep through the night
Wakes up between 7:30 and 8 like clockwork!
Rolls over 24/7...its all a game to him
Has been introduced to rice cereal...(video to soon follow)
Has discovered yelling gets attention from everyone which he finds to be hilarous
Has found his true comforts: passy, blankey, and mommy

....My thumbs now need a serious break!

lost in the abyss called life

don't ask where i have been hiding for so long.....quite frankly i'm not really sure. i always think this time of year is the slowest part, however i have been proven wrong by 2009. the truth is, busyness abounds. perhaps most of that is due to having baby b + working full time + a husband + a house + the every now and then attempt of having a social life. blogging has taken the very back seat on my list of things to do. i apologize.

the past week has really thrown me to the dogs. you would think that by now i would have learned my lesson to keep my mouth shut and not gloat in unfavorable mishaps not occurring in my life......well, God might as well struck me with a lightening bolt yet again. last friday, brayden came down with his 1st cold. tuesday night, i caught the 24 hr. flu.....the kind that involves severe hot flashes, numbing chills, resurfacing meals, and a sore, achy body (which was not a result of a vigorous gym workout). i have now learned my lesson. no more will i boast in saying i usually am unscathed by any flu epidemic and perhaps succumb to the inevitable flu shot.

one reason i have continued to remain m.i.a. is that i was waiting for a certain announcement to be made on another end. now that it has been made, i can can make mine! after the new year, i started working with genya at VUE photography. i know you have all heard my continuous babbling raves.....so when i was asked to join on with her, i was like a giddy little girl on christmas morning! as hard as it may seem, before i ever wanted to plan wedding, i wanted to be a photographer. after studying it a bit on college i fell even more in love with photography, but the doors opened up in the wedding business first. so now, not only am i continuing on with weddings, but i get to do it all from behind a camera. sometimes i have to stop and take in how truly blessed i am. i married the first boy i ever fell in love with, i wake up to warm weather and sunshine just about every day, i have the job most could only dream to have, i have the most precious little baby, and a family who i adore. life doesn't get much better than this!

so here goes.......

here's to a new year

who would have thought that i would be able to keep my news years resolution of 2008. so here i sit 87 posts later in 2009 and still going strong...at times.

this past year has been a year of ups and downs, tears and laughter, but most of all a year of blessings and miracles.  even though jared and i planned on having a baby in 2008, a year ago, it was something that was just a dream and hard to imagine what it would be like as a reality.  with brayden actually hear and already 2.5 months old, i couldn't imagine life any differently.

the holiday festivities came and went faster than i could say "merry christmas".  i could barely get out christmas cards!  Let me just say, for those who make a holiday in and of it self with christmas cards, i commend you!  this was our first year and we went the easy route: jared designed, snapfish printed, and out went our christmas postcards (who really cares about the envelope anyways....besides i thought i would give all your postmen something to look at!)  I apologize if you did not receive one, we didn't plan very well and only ordered 50....i guess we know more people than we thought.  i'll plan better for this year's christmas....that will be one of my resolutions.

as is everything in my family, there was never a dull moment this christmas and new years!  poor baby b was passed around like a sack of potatoes and left tired and cranky.  i'm sure if anyone is glad for the holiday season to be over, it is him, hands down!  

in signing out, here is a rundown of my new years resolutions:

1. continue blogging  - whether anyone reads or not (and as much as i had the word 'blog'), it helps me keep my sanity and is exciting to look through old posts and see how life has unfolded.

2. be more proactive - keeping the house clean and life in order as become quite the task...hopefully i'll be more on top of it this year. unfortunately, i no longer have the pregnancy card to play!

3. get in shape - as over rated as this is, i still have pounds to shed from the little blessing that pasted pounds on me the entire year of 2008.

4.  take in every moment - now with a little one, i know time is precious and i want to enjoy every moment

5.  work hard - i love my job and i want to grow and succeed 

6.  spent time with family - at the end of the day, they are all i have

7. live a life of passion - i desire to be passionate about my job, my family, life, and most importantly, Christ.