Most of you know that even if Edward wore a paper bag around on his head in the Twilight movies, I'd still adore him. Thankfully for all of us RPATZ fans, he doesn't wear paper bags on his head. And thankfully, last nights midnight viewing of the movie ECLIPSE just ROCKED! It was by far the best movie of the three thus far. I loved Twilight and I also liked New Moon a lot even though Edward was M.I.A thru most of it. However, the movie Eclipse really sealed the deal for me. Taylor, Rob, and Kristen really nailed this performance...
I found Kristen to be much more relaxed, not near as jumpy/jittery with her words as she normally is, and she was much more done up - especially at the beginning of the film. Her hair (the wig she was wearing because she was shooting the Joan Jette film/Runaways at the same time) was gorgeous. They had make-up on her and the difference really proved that she had deep beauty when pulled together. And yes, even when wearing those dreadful plaid shirts she sports around in. I really liked Taylor in New Moon once he cut that long hair of his off. But in last nights film, I really fell in love with Taylor/Jacob in a way that I never thought I would. The producers did a great job of creating a massive love triangle amongst him, Kristen and Rob. You felt his pain as he knew he was loosing Bella. There were two kissing scenes between him and Kristen in Eclipse and the 2nd one could be felt around the world. No joke. The entire theater clapped and cheered when we watched it play out on the big screen. It was the moment where Bella cheats on Edward for a split second but yet just long enough to confirm that she is also in love with Jacob. The moment broke my heart for Edward but I found myself silently cheering for Jake at the same time. For the first time, you really feel what Bella is dealing with. I'll love Edward forever but Jake really pulled his weight in this third film. Just sayin'! Back to Edward though...oh yes...that Edward Cullen. Shall I refresh your memory for you???
Now that my friends...is what I'm talkin' about. He is why I'll love Edward "forevah!"
The chemistry between Edward and Bella is so much stronger and so much more real in the Eclipse film. They seem to be very relaxed and extremely natural during their romance scenes. I'm hoping that it might have something to do with them dating in real life. Yes, I'm still praying that rumor might be true. If I can't have him, I think Kristen should be next in line. LOL! Their love doesn't seem so painful or forced in this recent movie. There are a lot more scenes with them kissing in general which had the theater on the edge of their seats the whole time. The movie opens with a gory newborn vampire scene and then leads into a part with Edward and Bella in their ever famous meadow. That in turn goes right into a romantic kissing scene. Loved it!
The producers also did a phenomenal job with upping the tension between Jake and Edward regarding their love for Bella. There are some intense scenes amongst the two of them as well as some humorous moments that made the whole theater laugh out loud at certain moments. Eclipse brings a lot more humor to the table in comparison to the very serious New Moon and Twilight films. The humor in the film is good humor too - not corney whatsoever! How can you keep from laughing with these two hotties though...???
In fact, the entire cast of Eclipse really ROCKS the house this time around. Jasper does A LOT more talking and some deep introductions of himself and how he came to be in this one. So does Nikki Reed(Rosealie). I loved hearing her story of how she became a vampire albeit shocking and painful to see. I will have to say that the ones we didn't see a lot of in this film were Ashley Green (Alice) and Emmett. I'm unsure why their roles were lessened in this one but I really felt that they were. The entire Cullen family is amazing so I like seeing each of them as much as possible. Make me choose though and I'll pick Edward over any of them any day of the week. :0)
In the end, this film made for a great night. Brennen and I had a ball at the theater. We showed up right around 11:30pm. We lucked out when they cut the line in half and sent our section to the other side of the building which put us up at the front of the line. In turn, we got great seats in the theater and loved every minute of it. We saw women dressed in red vampire capes, black vultori cloaks, Edward Cullen pajamas, Team Jacob tees, etc. There were guys there. Lots of them. Some were with their wives and girlfriends but I also spotted large groups of guys together. Some high school aged - some college age. I was shocked! I thought it was cool to see them there though. Brennen ran into a couple of girl classmates from school and of course he suddenly had to act like his Mom "drug him there kicking and screaming." I tried to explain to him that girls would love it if they knew he liked the Twilight films. He didn't go for it though. So for now, I'll keep it our little secret that it was because of his begging and pleading to get the tickets to last nights premiere, that we ended up there. I loved the fun in it all and enjoyed seeing all of the diehard twihard fans at their finest. We didn't get home until almost 3am due to our late night run to McD's after the movie ended. And yes...I'm paying tremendously for it today. My friend Heidi called it an "Edward hangover." If you are going to have a hangover, oh what a hangover to have. LOL!
All in all, after what I saw between Edward and Bella in this film...
I just can't wait for November 18th, 2011 to roll around so that we can see the wedding and honeymoon action between the two of them in the movie Breaking Dawn. Did I mention how thankful I am that they are splitting Breaking Dawn up into two films? Let's drag this thing out as long as we can, right?
Lastly, somewhat off topic, I forgot to mention last week that our gender ultrasound for baby Seaman has been scheduled for the morning of July 14th. Yes, we have just two more weeks until we find out whether we are having a girl or boy. Please keep us and baby Seaman in your prayers as that date approaches. I am 17 weeks along now and am completely astonished at how fast that 5th month mark is coming. I pray God keeps the clock moving in warp speed. :0) When picking what to wear for last nights Eclipse episode, I ultimately ended up going with my "Team Edward Forever" t-shirt. However, I wish I would have had one of these rockin' maternity tees to wear for the big event...
Never fear...I WILL own one of these tees before my December run is up. I can promise you that. LOL! Oddly enough, I begged and pleaded with Brent to let us name this baby "Cullen" if it turns out to be a boy but unfortunately...he just isn't going for it. I even offered to spell it with a "K" but it still didn't fly with him. Ha ha! Instead, we have about three other boys names we will have to narrow it down to. He seems to be so convinced that this baby is going to be a girl that he isn't even worried about boys names right now. Me on the other hand...well, I have found more boys names than girls to use. I guess we'll find out what to do in two more weeks, eh? :)
Until next time...get to the theater and see ECLIPSE - ASAP!!!
The Magic Kingdom really is "magical." As I look back on these photos from our Disney vacation, I'm still floored by its beauty and all that the parks there in Orlando have to offer. If you look closely at this shot above, you can see that zip line I mentioned in my earlier post below which stems from that tip top tower point all the way over and across the park. I'm still amazed at the girl they lit up in lights and sent zip lining over the top of us during the fireworks show on that thing. Very cool stuff!
The sky was extra perfect on this day. The clouds made for some added texture in each of the images. Love me some bright white clouds on a blue sky day. Everyone knows that I love color and I look for it in everything that life holds. Being at Disney was no different. There was color EVERYWHERE and I absolutely loved it. The bouquets of balloons being sold around the park made my heart happy up against that brilliant blue sky...
I did forget to post this night image of the castle yesterday when I posted the other night photos. Therefore, here is a peek at it for you:
Enchanting, isn't it?
One day we headed over to "Downtown Disney" and hit all the shops and restaurants. Downtown Disney was a really cool place and was right up my alley. These are some shots I captured when we first got there...
Can you tell how much Brennen hated me at this moment in the shot above? He dispises having his photo taken(especially in 98 degree heat). By this point, he was over my camera and I. He couldn't have even faked a smile here if I had paid him. He was beyond frustrated and I can't say that I blame him. And yes, this is Kenidi's special needs stroller. Many of you emailed me about it after my last post. It attracts quite the attention. I have yet to figure out why but it does. I'm unsure if they look at it and feel "sorry" for Kenidi or if more people look at it and wonder what in the world type stroller it is. We've gotten both sets/types of questions about it and we got stopped numerous times during this trip regarding it. This purple-licious stroller has been a life saver for us. A huge thanks to blog friend, Eloise, for turning me onto this type of stroller for Kenidi. She has a daughter, beautiful Vivian, who has the same condition Kenidi does. Eloise directed me to go thru our local hospital in Indiana (Thank you Riley) and through our Insurance company to get one of these strollers for Kenidi. It took almost 6 months to get it once she was fitted for it and it was ordered but it has been well worth the wait. It also took lots of prayers regarding whether insurance would pay for it or not as well. Can you believe the medical supply places charge $3000 for strollers like this one? Without our insurance, we would have never been able to afford this on our own. It breaks my heart that there are so many families out there like us who need this type equipment but might not have the insurance option to pay for it. I find it appalling actually. In the end, we were thanking the good Lord above for pulling this one thru for us on our insurance because it has been such a HUGE help for our family and mainly for Kenidi. Although big and bulky and sooooo not convenient, it works and works well. She loves it and so do we.
While at downtown Disney, I found tons of things to take photos of. They had an area that made my heart swoon when I first laid eyes on it. I grabbed my camera and went to town. If there is one thing I miss about living in Florida instead of Indiana, it is old beat up buildings. Old urban settings. I like rough, ragged, and distressed. In Naples, everything is just so clean, well manicured, pristine, and new. I'd kill for some beat up old downtown buildings with graffiti down the sides of them here in Naples. Therefore, when I saw that Downtown Disney had some old areas - totally built new and meant to look distressed and not truly old - I still had a hay day behind the lens...
I loved the doors with the crosses on this building above. Radness at its finest! The colors, the crosses, the doors themselves, loved it all!!!
Then I stumbled across the house of blues area. Oh yummy!
This area screamed "URBAN DECOR" and it had my name written all over it. We went into the House of blues gift shop and it totally ROCKED! They had the neatest stuff in there. Totally awesome and eclectic.
For now, I am getting ready to hit the town tonight with my handsome young stud of a son as we head to the theater for the 12:01am premiere of the movie "Eclipse." I've been waiting for months to see this film and have heard that it really is the best one yet. Brennen has watched the other two films previous to this one with me so it has become a ritual for us to do the "Twilight thing" together now. He and Brent fought over who was going to go to the midnight showing with me tonight but Brennen won that one. I assured Brent that I'd have no problem whatsoever going back to see the film a 2nd time with him. LOL! I hope to take my camera and get some pictures of all the other crazy Mamas in line such as myself - just dying to see "Edward" on the big screen again. I won't mention how much I love that Burger King is doing a special right now to do with Eclipse merchandise when you buy from them. Brennen keeps teasing me that I need to buy Kenidi another kids meal so that I can get her "Edward" toys out of it. My son knows me all too well. My husband brought me home an extra big box of "Edward" sweet tarts the other day too. Needless to say, the box is proudly displayed on my kitchen counter right now. Uh huh...Robert Pattinson is da' bomb!
We spent the day at Magic Kingdom yesterday. It was the first time I'd been back there since I was about 10 years old. Fast forward 25 years and there I stood in front of Mickey's castle with my own two children. Amazing. Where did the years go?
The heat eventually kicked our butts and won. We literally crawled our way back to the monorail around 4pm and proceeded to stick to the seats as we sat there with sweat dripping off every inch of our bodies. It was the grossest moment of my life as I envisioned whose sweat I was sitting in when following whomever sat there before us. YUCK! We did manage to purchase water bottles that had fans and misters attached to them. At $17 a piece there on the Disney grounds, I almost choked up a lung as I paid for them. However, with me being pregnant and Kenidi's seizures acting up due to the heat, I didn't hesitate. We had to have them. Those little suckers literally saved our lives yesterday. :)
After reaching the car and feeling like an idiot for ever attempting Disney in the heat of June/Summer, we made it back to the hotel looking like something the cat had drug in. Kenidi crashed on the bed and took a long nap while we vegged out and recovered from the sweat pit state we were in. As 8pm approached, we cleaned back up and headed back to the Magic Kingdom for the Electric Parade and the nightly fireworks show which always begins at 10pm. The image shown above was taken during the Electric Parade. I got out my tripod, slowed my shutter speed way down, and captured some really cool light shots of the event. When I wasn't slowing down the shutter speed, the normal floats looked something like this:
When the parade starts, they shut the entire park down -meaning all of the lights within the park so that it is pitch black. Brennen taped most of the parade on his phone and we've watched it over and over again. Kenidi was mesmerized by it all. And Brennen, well he loved it as well. And the fireworks show...well it just ROCKED!!!
Unfortunately, I didn't get my tripod back out to take photos with Big Papa during the firework show. However, I did manage to get the shot above with my cell phone. They had a girl all lit up in lights zip line from the tip top point of that castle all the way over the top of us in the crowd and across the park. It was the raddest thing ever. She was so high up and just went zipping over the top of us right along side of all those fireworks in the sky. I can only imagine what it looks like at her view. Amazing stuff!
I learned several things during our experience at Magic Kingdom. One was, we were STUPID with a capital "S" for going there during the day in the middle of summer. Next time we go, it will be in the fall months here in Florida. Secondly, Magic Kingdom is way cooler at night than it is during the day. I'd much rather skip the daytime hours and just visit at night. Then, I learned that Disney really caters to the disabled and they really have it down pat - and do it well. Kenidi received many options that most people didn't due to her disability. We were able to enjoy the park and its festivities much more thanks to Disney and how they have everything set up for the handicapped. Kenidi would have never lasted like she did or been able to enjoy it as much as she did without those extra touches for children and adults like her. And lastly, I learned that I'd fight any crowd at 11:30pm at night in any Disney gift shop for a bag of pink cotton candy. I must confess that I might have taken out a few peoples heels on the back of their feet with Kenidi's special needs stroller in the process but hey...I got my cotton candy and that was my goal. Mission accomplished. LOL!
I'll blog with more photos of our experience at Disney as the week progresses. In the meantime, thanks to all of you who emailed, facebooked, texted, called, sent me cards/gifts etc. for my 35th birthday yesterday. You will never know just how special you made my day thanks to all of your kindness, love, and support. Your birthday wishes made my already magical day at magic kingdom that much more awesome. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
PS...To the "anonymous" commenter who left the comment on my blog the other night...Yes, I will pray for you about the issues/struggles you mentioned and then some. I'm so very sorry to read that you are facing such trials and tests of faith. On the other hand, you might try to refrain from being judgmental or hateful toward others who aren't struggling in your same shoes. You just never really know what shoes they "are" walking/struggling in. No one leads a perfect life. No one. Ever! In the end, even when the negative gets the best of you, you should stop and ask yourself "What is my gift or gifts in today?" "What gifts has God blessed me with amongst all of the pain and heartache?" I personally found myself having to ask the same questions last week when my plans weren't going as I had hoped. The gifts are always there - sometimes it is just harder to see them during specific moments of trial and tribulation. Sometimes we have to improvise and make our own "gifts." Either way, find them. Find those gifts! Know them, love them, and thank God for each and every one of them because there are many if we are just willing to open our eyes and embrace them. Again though, definitely sending up those prayers. Good luck to you and your faithful husband.
Sometimes life really SUCKS! Just keepin' it real. I know you guys yearn for realness on here so I'm giving it to ya today. Front and center. And many times, life is full of dissapointments and complete let downs. The key to those moments is how we choose to deal with them.
In a nut shell, the bad news is...our Turks and Caicos flight/trip had to be canceled & postponed at the very last minute yesterday. The good news is...Brennen's ear infection is getting better as the antibiotic seems to be helping now. Therefore we decided on a whim yesterday to hop in the car and drove North 2.5 hours for this destination pictured below instead.
(Photo taken with Brennen's new iphone4 camera)
It's definitely no Caribbean island like Turks but it sure is fun and I NEVER EVER thought I'd say that out loud about Disney. I was never a disney lover - ever. The kids are having a ball and so am I. It's definitely hotter than blazes but the hotel pool and the park books (Blizzard Beach and Typhoon lagoon as well as the Aquatica at Sea World fix all that hotness real quick.
We are hoping to reschedule our Turks trip within the next few months but for now I'm off to enjoy what could have been a really sucky birthday weekend had I let the whole ordeal steal my joy. Thank goodness for the perks of living in Naples and only being 2 hours away from the most magic place on earth. Until we return...
My 35th birthday is this weekend. And in honor of that, I'm feeling the need to celebrate a few days early. As most of you know, I will only be offering 2 more photography classes this year due to the birth of our new little one come the beginning of December. One of those begins on August 1st. Typically the class costs $159 per person. However, I thought I'd do something fun to celebrate my 35th birthday as well to celebrate the fact that the 1st anniversary or the inception of these classes is now 1 year old. The students I've had come thru these classes over the past year are totally worth celebrating. So...for the next 36 hours - (special offer ends at midnight on Friday, June 25th), I'll be offering the August 1st class at $99 instead of the normal $159 cost. If you are interested in signing up for the class, jump on this deal and get a seat while you can. As a reminder, this is an online class for beginners. No experience necessary. We will discuss the ins and outs of your camera as well as teach you the basic steps of beginner photography. Here is what some of my most recent students had to say about their experience in the class...
Angie, I am so completely and utterly grateful that you offered this amazing class! Photography has been a passion of mine and you have definitely helped me fine tune it and truly learn how to use my camera! I can't begin to thank you enough for the time that you took to critique pictures to make them better and for all the questions that you answered. You made this an amazing experience and I feel so much more confident now as I shoot. Thank you, thank you, thank you! ~Kathryn F.
Angie, Amazing job! You were always available for any questions and so helpful. Amazing since we all had different cameras. You made it so easy to understand how to operate the camera and as a bonus I was not expecting, how to take great shots! It has been really helpful! I will certainly refer you class to my friends. Thank you once again for being such a positive, motivating leader for us all! This class was great! ~Kara
Angie, Your class was the best thing I've done towards learning more about photography! Thank you sooo much for offering it and sharing what you know! You did a great job teaching and making it easy to understand! Thank you! ~Sonda :)
Thank you Angie for this class. It really forced me to "get to know " my camera in more detail. I learned so much. Would highly recommend this class to anyone I know! ~Emily V.
You do not have to have a digital SLR to participate in our class. Any point and shoot will work as well. We discuss the pros and cons to both styles of cameras as well as the ins and outs for both designs. Next, the course is done online. There are no specific times each day that you must check in or anything. You will be given private access to a forum/discussion board where you could log in at any time throughout the day - as much or as little as you'd like. You make your own schedule with it. Some people check in everyday, others just check in a couple of times of week. We have one lesson a week that is posted on a certain day. Once posted, you are then given an assignment to do which pertains to that weeks lesson. All questions and notes will be posted on the forum for everyone to read so that we are all learning together. It is a very laid back atmosphere with no/zero pressure. You can participate as much or as little as you prefer. Of course the more you participate, the more you learn. You have one week to turn in each assignment. I then "constructively critique" your assignment and let you know how great the shot is and/or how you can improve for next time. Some students were really involved, some hung out and chimed in from time to time, and then there were some who didn't say much of anything on the forum but checked in for the lessons and the "silent" learning throughout the four week time period. I am on the board/forum everyday so I'm always there when someone has questions or needs additional help. As for what I'll discuss or teach during the 4 week class, here is a list of topics that we'll go over and learn:
1) Getting tight and close with your images 2) Uncluttering a photograph 3) Framing your images in camera 4) Composition (rule of thirds) when shooting 5) ISO 6) White Balance 7) Changing up your angles 8) Aperture Priority Mode 9) Avoiding and forcing the flash 10) Your cameras highlight warning & what it means 11) Learning your histogram 12) Exposure compensation 13) What is burst/continuous mode? 14) Shutter Priority mode 15) Graduating to "manual mode."
To sign up for this class, shoot me an email at Angie@AngieSeamanPhotography.com. I'll then send you a pay pal invoice for the discounted $99 rate. Remember, the $99 special only lasts for 36 hours - until tomorrow at midnight. After that, the class goes back up to $159 per person. PLEASE NOTE: This is for the August 1st class only. The last class of the year does not qualify for this special rate. Hope to see all of you in class soon. Blessings, Angie Seaman
Because Brennen has grandparents that spoil him rotten, he always gets cards in the mail stuffed with money whenever he does something great at school or during report card time when he confirms good grades were received again. Since moving to Florida, he has collected quite a stash of cash from his Papa Tony and his Grandma Cathy. And when I say stash, they don't just send $5 here and $5 there. These grandparents are sending him more money in each of his cards than I have in my own wallet at any given time. Let's just say that they could have paid for numerous spa pedicures for me with all that money they have given him in recent weeks. And Brennen's new iphone 4 that he picks up this Thursday - well yeah...they pretty much paid for all of that. Brennen paid for $85 of it and they paid the rest. And even the $85 was technically probably all theirs to begin with but it eventually was given to Brennen for his own wallet. Hey...who is going to pay for my iphone 4??? Oh that's right...I stopped getting good grades in like...well 5th grade. LOL!
I keep telling my parents that they need to quit giving him money and quit spoiling him so much but they don't seem to listen to me. If he isn't getting money from them, he gets money from his Grandma Sue for helping her out with certain things as well as money from his grandma Debbie and Papa Ron for different things as well. Brent tells him all the time that he has "forever money." Reason being is because each time he spends money, he just turns right around and suddenly has more from one of his grandparents again. It is never ending. With my parents, Brennen and Kenidi are their only grandchildren. (I'm an only child) Therefore, that boy and his little sister are going to be complete monsters by the time my parents are done spoiling them.
I had to share a photo of this last card with all of you because it just cracked me up when I read it. Grandma Cathy wrote it and I loved her "P.S." at the bottom of the card. PS...NO GIRLFRIENDS! Hysterical! Of course we've all been razzing Brennen about his elementary school crush. He calls her his girlfriend and I just cringe. When he changed his relationship status on his facebook page to "In a relationship," he and I had to have a serious talk. Needless to say, he promptly removed that relationship status after our discussion. Thank goodness. I think he is trying to inflict a stroke on me. So, when Grandma Cathy reminded him "No girlfriends" in their most recent card, I had to laugh because it has been my sentiments exactly. Brennen laughed too. We've had the card sitting out and displayed on the counter over the past week or two and I chuckle each time I walk past it and read Cathy's words at the bottom. Finally, I just had to share.
Brennen has ROCK STARS for grandparents. Of course I can say that because I'm related to each of them. :) The word BIASED comes to mind first and foremost. On a serious note, Brennen and his sister have no idea just how blessed they are that they have grandparents who are actively involved in their lives. One day they will look back on the time they took to spend with them and the quick moments they took to send them cards rewarding and praising them for good works, etc., and realize what a gift their grandparents are. The words that stand out the most to me in the card above are "We are very proud of you." And they are. As are his Dad and I. I would have given my right arm to have a close relationship with all of my grandparents or hear the words "We are so proud of you" when I was a kid. My Moms mom passed away when I was very young from cancer. I knew got to know her at all. I can barely make out what she looked like in my faint group of memories surrounding her. My Moms father died of a heart attack 2 days after he retired from years and years of hard work. He was the one I've mentioned here that loved to fish. Fishing was his life. I was 18 years old when he passed and never had a chance to really get to know him as I could have later in life. My Dads Dad was never involved in my fathers life let alone my own. He was great to me when I'd see him (once every several years) and that made it all that much harder to stomach never having a relationship with him. Unfortunately he passed away a few years ago as well. I'm thankful for the days my Dad got to spend with him in the end. I feel like they made huge strides as my grandfathers days become numbered. He finally let my Dad "in" and got to see what a huge blessing he was as a son. There again though, I think that sudden bond made it even harder on my Dad when his Father passed because the reality of never having that chance to have your Dad be involved your life became all too real. There were no more chances. No more opportunities for my grandfather to pass up. He was gone and it hurt us all to realize that we could never get time back and neither could he. When he passed, it was one of only three times when I've ever seen my Father cry. It ripped my heart out. Truth be told, I had a lot of resentment toward my Grandfather for never being the Father he should have been - no matter how many times my Dad tried to reach out to him. To see my Dad hurt so bad over someone that he never truly got to know on a father/son level crushed me. My Grandfather missed out in a bad way. He neglected a relationship with his own son that I think he eventually - on his death bed - came to regret. With my resentment toward him for the pain he caused my Dad also came gratitude though. Many times in my life I have been convinced that my Dad is the father he is to me because of what he didn't get to experience with his own Dad. People have a tendency to follow in the footsteps of their parents many times in life - even when we avoid it like the plaque. You know the old saying..."the apple doesn't fall far from the tree?" Well with my Dad, his apple didn't even fall within the same orchard. He is so completely different from his Dad and for that I am grateful. Because of his pain, he chose to break the mold and make my life different from what he experienced. Thank you Dad!
My Dad's mom is still living but she is in poor health. I rarely get to see her and I many times feel guilty that I didn't take more time to get over and see her on my own when we lived in Indiana. She isn't able to drive or get out on her own and my Dad can hardly get her out of the house when he goes to pick her up and bring her over to my parents for the afternoon. I feel confident that had her life been different and not altered so badly after her divorce from my Grandfather, she would have most likely been an active and involved Grandmother to the best of her ability. Some of my most fond memories as a child are from when my Dad would drop me off at her house and she would babysit me for an evening here and there. When I think of grandparents though, I must say that I think of Cathy's parents most. (Dixie and Densel - dontcha' just love their names together??? It sounds like something out of a children's illustrated story book.) Although they are my step-grandparents, they might as well be my flesh and blood. I've known them since I was 7 years old and they've always been the only grandparents I've really ever known. They were involved in my life and in my children's lives. Kenidi and Papa Willie (Densel) had a serious bond that was a force to be reckoned with. Papa Willie died just a few years ago and I miss him dearly. When I would pout as a kid, he'd look at me and say..."Do we need to get you a suck bottle?" To this day...that line still cracks me up. I'd get so mad at him when he'd tease me and say it when I was little. Now I want to look at my own kids - and have - and repeat his famous phrase with a - - - - eating grin like he always did. Thankfully Cathy's mom - Grandma Dixie - is still alive and lives right across the street from my Dad and Cathy. Myself and the kids get to walk over and visit her and my aunt Patti anytime we are at my Dad's. I love her. She's an amazing woman. Cathy and her sister have never had children so I'm her only grandchild. My kids are her only great-grandchildren. And Densel and her treat us as though we are their blood grandchildren. They would never look at us any differently. I'm so thankful for the love they have shown and given to me over the years. I'm blessed that they were there to help make up for what I didn't have with my maternal and paternal grandparents.
Can anyone tell that I'm pregnant? With all of these emotional posts lately, I might as well just sit a truck load of Kleenexes at my bed side from here on out because I'm such a sap and cry thru all of my writings lately. Someone please stop me! It's pitiful! I got a text that came across my phone from my Dad in the middle of the day yesterday and it simply said "I love you. Papa Anthony." (he was wording it that way because I had previously teased in my Father's day post about him naming anyone and everyone "Anthony" for their middle name. His middle name is Anthony but he goes by Tony.) I read that text from him and then sat on my bed and cried for 30 minutes straight. Daggone pregnancy hormones. That is my Dad though...always making me laugh - and in that moment - cry.
The gist of this post or the moral to this story is that Brennen is spoiled rotten and it's all his grandparents fault. LOL! Seriously though...thank you to my parents, Brent's Mom, and to Dixie & Densel (Pixie and Dixie as my Dad used to always tease and say) for being such ROCK STARS in their "grandparent" roles. I'm a very lucky girl and my kids are very lucky/blessed kids.
Now...you'll have to excuse me...I'm off to go have my tear ducts surgically closed off cry another river. Kenidi is currently sitting here next to me looking perplexed and wiping the tears from my cheeks and repeating the word "hi hi hi" over and over. In her world, "hi" translates to cry. She can't can't pronounce the "c" at the beginning. Geez I love that kid. My forever side kick!
Kenidi was sitting in front of me the other morning as she woke out of bed and I snapped this shot of her hair. I like to call her "Goldilocks" as the summer season begins to strike because her hair moves from a dark brown to a summery golden blond with the most natural of highlights that I'd kill to have within my own hair. She actually needs a hair cut right now because her style has lost the shape of that angled bob that works so easily for her. However, laundry, packing, and organizing for our vacation this week has taken over the front burner which means Kenidi's hair cut most likely will not happen until we get back after the July 4th holiday. Her hair can handle it. Mine on the other hand would be an absolute mess at this stage if I didn't keep up with haircuts and such. So not fair!!!
As I work on my laptop now days, I see less and less of my toes. I noticed the other night that my stomach must be showing more lately because as I prop my computer on my lap, I'm beginning to less of my feet and toes. It cracked me up the more I thought about it so as my camera was laying beside me (like it generally always is - attached to my hip), I snapped a shot to prove it to all of you.
I go back to my OB doctor this Wednesday morning for my 4 month appointment. Hard to believe we've hit that 4 month stage in my pregnancy already. The last month seemed to just fly by. No complaints there. While at my appointment this week, I get to make my gender ultrasound appointment for next month. Therefore, we should hopefully be finding out what we are having in the next few weeks. I'm excited and nervous all at the same time. I guess that always comes with the territory though. I want to see our little one and find out whether it is a boy or a girl but I also want to make sure that he/she looks healthy and that everything is progressing as it should. During that ultrasound appointment next month, the docs will also be conducting the 2nd half of the nuchal screen test which is the test that shows possible signs of downs, trisomy, etc. Thankfully the first test I had came back with great results but they compare those results with the 2nd test that I'll have next month. From there, they will then make a more definitive confirmation on what they see after combining the two test scores and the two blood tests together. Needless to say, I pray every minute of every day that God has hands wrapped around this baby and that everything will stay healthy and safe over the next 5 months. I'll definitely update each of you on when our gender ultrasound appointment is set for so that I can have my prayer warriors drowning prayer around that date as it approaches. We've promised the kids that they can attend that appointment with us so Brennen is especially excited. He of course is still rooting for a boy. Brent still wants a girl. Kenidi is just now beginning to learn that there is something inside my belly. She has begun climbing up on the bed and kissing my stomach when I'm laying down. Well...in all honesty...she kisses my boobs on the outside of my clothes because she thinks the baby is in there. HA! We are trying to explain to her that the baby is in mommy's tummy and not in my breasts. God love her, my chest is larger than my stomach right now so I could easily see how she'd be confused. I laughed the other day when a fellow pregnant December mommy referred to her boobs as having reached "porn star status" due to their overwhelming amount of growth. It's crazy what pregnancy can do to a woman's upper half, isn't it? Painful I say. Painful!
For now, I'm off to finish a round of laundry that I'm planning to pack away in the suitcases. Most of you know where we are headed for vacation. Some don't yet know. Stay tuned...I'll divulge where as we head out on Friday. I'll be marking one of my items off my "bucket list" thanks to this upcoming vacation. I cannot wait to get there and capture it all for you via my camera. My body wants to go into convulsions as I think about it. :0)
"The older I get, the smarter my father seems to get." ~ Tim Russert
Beings that this is the first time in almost 35 years that I've ever spent Father's Day away from my Dad, I'm having serious withdraws from him today. We've spoken already this morning and it was definitely great to hear his voice but it isn't the same as being there and getting a hug from him in person. The photo above sits on my night stand next to my bed every day and every night. Some might find it odd that a daughter would keep a photo of her dad near her bed side. However, I do and I wouldn't have it any other way. The image is of my Dad with Brent and Brennen while we were vacationing down here in Florida about 2 summers ago. They were just getting off wave runners and I snapped it. It's always been one of my favorite photos.
Although my Dad has his Father's day gift from me already, I thought that I'd write a blog post just for him today since I'm 951 miles away from his front door. Somehow it is therapeutic and helps me get thru the day if I can at least talk about him/write about him. So...these are the things that I've learned from my Dad amongst my almost 35 years of life. These are the things he has taught me and that I value more than anything. They are the morals and the lessons that I hold close to my heart and that I think are priceless because they came from him. Here we go Dad...you ready for this????
1) No matter what environment you grew up in, you are in charge of your destiny. Excuses regarding your childhood and those days being "all you ever knew" aren't enough to keep you from lifting yourself up and out of that mold if you wish to. You can do better for yourself if you so desire. 2) That there will be days when you find yourself standing in front of your son or daughter asking him/her what their boyfriend or girlfriends "intentions" are even though you yourself used to be mortified when your Dad would ask your boyfriends or you the same question.
3) That there is no better and quicker way to make grilled cheese sandwiches than by doing so in a toaster rather than the normal skillet just as long as your Dad is there to enjoy them with you. (My Dad made me grilled cheese sandwiches this way when I'd be over visiting on the weekends - right after my Mom and him divorced. I call it the "single dads way to making a ROCK STAR style grilled cheese for his daughter." LOL!)
My Dad and I with my Grandfather right before his passing (my Dad's Dad)
4) That even though you might not have been reciprocated with love and support in your life, it doesn't stop you from being able to break that mold and do just the opposite for your own child when it becomes your turn.
5) I've learned that Red Lobster restaurants and Big Lots stores CAN be fun - as long as your Dad is there to share in the experience with you. hee hee!
6) My Dad has taught me to invest in friendships and treat them like the priceless gift that they are. His circle of friends are proof every day that he is respected and adored amongst many.
7) I've learned by watching my father back away from drama and remain quiet when everyone else is gossiping or stirring the pot that quiet and reserved is always best whenever possible.
8) My Dad has taught me that you can make up words/nicknames like "Buckethead" and they will stick - over time - for years and years to come. Same goes for the "poke me-stick me" hair term that he coined for me during my high school years in the early 90's. 9) My Dad has taught me that if you want to better yourself in life and you want to get up and out of the environment you grew up in, you need to show up for work on time, every day, and give 150% as well as give respect where respect is due.
10) My Father has shown me thru loving my own children with all his heart that he can be the Grandfather to them that I never had. Again, it's all about breaking the mold.
11) My dad has shown me that there is such thing as Father's being a daughters best friend. He listens. He supports. He encourages. He hurts when I hurt. He makes me laugh when no one else can. He's my rock when my solid ground has become unstable.
12) I've learned the epitome' of loyalty from my father. He is loyal to his friends. Loyal to his employer. And most of all, even when he could have been a ladies man 100 times over again throughout his lifetime, he has stayed loyal to my Step-Mom (approaching almost 25 years now). I'm thankful for his devotion to her and for his confirmation that there are couples still who do it right in this world. I'm grateful that their relationship is strong and solid. They prove to me and everyone else every day that marriage matters and that when you take those vows - you better mean them - live them - breathe them - and sleep them. Thank you to both my Dad and Cathy for instilling in me "the right way."
Me with my Dad and step-mom, Cathy
13) My Dad has taught me that no matter what decision I might make in my life, whether he agrees with it or not, he'll ALWAYS be here for me. ALWAYS!
14) I've learned that even though I hated watching John Wayne movies or the show MASH with my Dad as a kid that I'd contently sit and watch any of those with him now and relish in every second of it. :0)
15) I've learned that if you should ever end up with a pool in your backyard, my Dad is waayyyyy better than any pool company sales rep/instructor, etc. in regard to teaching you how to run that pool and take care of it. My Father is the guru of pools and I am forever indebted to him for his knowledge of helping me learn the ins and outs to maintaining ours. Like a father would teach a son to do handy-man work, my Dad taught me how to run a pool and run it well if I do say so myself. :)
16) I've been taught by my father that everything has its place. Everything can be organized. Everything should be organized. I've learned that if you are near my Dad or I and you happen to have a drink or something similar laying around, you'd better keep it in your hand because if we find it sitting, it's wiped up and put in the trash immediately. Organization is key. You should see my Father's garage and his den. Amazing!
17) I've learned that my friends can nickname me "V.O.R" thanks to my Dad. In my circle amongst my girlfriends, my tag name given to me from them is V.O.R - which stands for "Voice of reason." They call me that because I'm the one with the voice of reason for each of them whenever things begin to get shady or questionable. Ha ha! I get that voice of reason from my Father and his morals/values.
18) My Dad has taught me that he can take any child's name and suddenly replace it with his own middle name (Anthony) and yet still make it sound politically correct no matter what the sex of the child is and no matter who that child belongs to (i.e., Brennen Anthony, Kenidi Anthony, Luke Anthony, etc.) I've learned that my Dad needs a child who has the legal middle name of "Anthony" just like his. Thus why should we have a boy this time around, Brent and I have decided that our 3rd child will legally carry the middle name "Anthony" after my Dad, his grandfather. SURPRISE DAD!
Dad, your integrity and character inspire me. I look up to you more than I can begin to express. You make me want to be a better person today - every day - more so than I was the day before. Thank you for being so instrumental in my world and for doing the right thing when you could have followed the ways of the world and done the opposite many times. Thank you for being the kind of Dad that even to this day...all of my friends still love and adore. Thank you for being faithful to your wife, to me - your daughter, to your grand kids, to your family, to your friends, to your in laws, to your job, to mowing the grass, to taking care of the pool, to taking care of your cars-keeping them clean-the oil changed, etc. Thank you for being you. I learn more and more with each passing day how wonderful, incredible, and amazing my Dad is. This is something I've always known but I realize with each minute that escapes just how lucky and fortunate I am to have a Father like mine. I love you with all my heart Dad. Happy Father's Day! Can't wait to hug you in person next month. ...love your buckethead daughter
I haven't participated in a "Fix it Friday" over on the I heart faces blog in a while so I thought I would this week. As you might well know, each week a person submits a photograph that they want fixed. Then...photographers submit there image once they've post processed it in a way where they feel it is fixed. Same for this week. I don't know the person who turned this image in but to the human eye, it looks like a great "before" shot. However, in the world of photography, the first thing a photographer sees is how "red/orange" the baby's skin tones are as well as how the image could use a bit of brightening overall. It appears to be unexposed by just a very slight bit.
Now days, photographers go after that white, creamy, skin tone for portraits - especially on babies. Thanks to photo shop, we can now easily remove all of the reds, blues, and oranges within a persons skin. We all have them in the color cast of our skin tones. It is up to the photographer to draw those out and give a smooth look and a creamy tone. I remember when I first began working in photo shop, I hated how photographers changed the color of skin tones. I honestly didn't like the look. However, many workshops with the pros later and after many talks with photographers way more experienced than me, I realized it was the way of the world. The must do in professional photography. I eventually had to conform to the style and the trend it was setting if I wanted my images to reflect a professional appearance. It took me a long time to be able to look at a photo and see the color casts in an educated way. I'd look at an image and go..."It looks fine - I don't see what they see (the pros)." Over time though, I took plenty of classes that trained my eye and my brain how to immediately look at an image and see those skin tones that needed correcting. Even now I still struggle from time to time though. Ever so often, it's just obvious which color must be pulled out of the skin. I look at photos now and it's the first thing my brain focuses on and is the first thing I want to "fix." Here is the BEFORE photo that was submitted on the I heart faces blog for fixing. Take note of the red/orange tones in the baby's skin color...
And here is the AFTER photo once I lightened the exposure, removed the red and orange colors from the skin as well as added a vignette around the image to draw more focus on the baby rather than the baby and the background as a whole...
The good thing/good news is...I'm still learning. Each day is a new day in photography and one that I take very seriously. Because it is a passion of mine, I embrace learning new things and the realization that I still have a long way to go. In the mean time, I soak in any and all constructive critique amongst my peers and just have fun with the day to day education within the realm of photography.
To see more, I heart faces - fix it Friday submissions, click HERE. Thank you to the owner of this image for allowing us to play around with it and fix it. No matter what, it is still an adorable baby and a great image all together. Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend. We are off to chill by the pool for the afternoon.
Seven years ago today, at 12:21pm on June 18th, she entered our world.
I can remember being irritated with the one OB nurse who couldn't get my IV inserted properly. After repeated pokes, blood everywhere, blown veins, etc., I began to feel that feeling of faintness like I was going to pass out. Things in the room starting look black. I was seeing spots - slowly loosing all reality. My blood pressure dropped on a whim and I was going. After a bit of praying, the nurse finally got another nurse once I assured her I was ok with her getting a different person to try sticking me. They eventually succeeded and in went my IV as it should have. The bed rails were then raised and I was in slow motion as they wheeled me back to the operating room. Even though it was my 2nd c-section, I remembered how awful the first one was and I was a nervous wreck to go thru it all again. Thankfully, my doctor back home in Indy was one that I trusted with my life - 10 times over again. He had seen me thru my miscarriage, been very attentive in making sure it wouldn't happen again, then delivered Brennen like the text books read and was now getting ready to deliver my daughter, Kenidi Grace. I had been thru a lot with this doc and I knew he was fully capable of handling himself under those O.R. lights. Just the other day, I had my new OB comment to me on what a superb job my previous doc had done with my previous 2 c-section scars. The new doc told me that the one line was done in complete precision with the 2nd - never revealing to the human eye that I'd ever had 2 cesareans. She commented on how little and precise the cut was and what a stellar job he had done. I shook my head with complete confidence and said..."I know. He sure did."
Within maybe 2 minutes of my doctor confirming to me that he had made the cut, he said..."We've got a beautiful baby girl here." And there she was. All 8lbs. 5oz. of her. She had a head full of dark black hair and golden brown skin. Four and a half years after giving birth to Brennen, he was now a big brother. And her a little sister. To this day...seven years later...they are still inseparable. Yes, they have their moments like most siblings but they share a special bond that reflects in everything they do. If I had a dollar for every time someone commented on how good they are with each other, I'd be rich. God has blessed us with two amazing children.
As I stare at her each day, she exudes inner and outer beauty like nothing I've ever seen. I watch her from afar and think to myself..."Where did she get this beauty from?"
I'm her Mama and I'm biased. In my eyes, this seven year old child is gorgeous inside and out. Through and through. Her eyes are the window to her soul. Her eyelashes are so unfair. Brennen's too. Where did they get those from? They didn't come from Brent or myself. I still tease them and threaten to cut both of their eyelashes off (Brennen and Kenidi's) in their sleep and glue them to my own. LOL! She has two freckles side by side on her belly. I smile each time I see them. They are like two twins. When she runs, I joke and say how much I love the way she runs like a fairy - with both hands up in the air near her shoulders and how she prances like a true princess would. I love her hair. It's stunning. She wakes up out of bed with the most gorgeous locks - so easy - so natural. Her Grandma said the other morning how beautiful her hair was. Each person we encounter asks about her hair and where we have it styled. And you know you've got a good thing when each stylist in the salon oohs and awes over your tresses. She is blessed.
Who would've ever guessed that our lives would have changed the way they did 7 years ago? I could have never imagined what was in store for our world when she was born that afternoon. All the good and all the bad. Even with all of her medical issues and her disabilities, we are blessed. She is blessed. There was a day when we thought she'd never be able to sit up on her own. She did. There was a day when we thought she would never be able to muster the strength to crawl. However, she did. There were days when we were almost positive she might never walk on her own. Two and half years into her life...she took those steps and has taken them consistently ever since. There were times when we thought she'd never be able to coordinate her tongue, her mouth, and her brain in order to articulate words and attempt to speak. She once again proved us wrong. She does talk - in the best way she can - and that is plenty good enough for us. We look forward to her speaking in full sentences one day and we look forward to her being potty trained one day. And like I feared she might not do all of the other things I mentioned, I look forward to the day when God can heal her of her seizures - enough to bless her with a drivers license. I look forward to the day when she goes to her high school prom. I look forward to the day when she can grow up and prove me wrong again by getting married and even having children of her own. I know all of this is possible because she shows me each and every day how strong and how driven she is. I also know it is possible because I truly believe with all my heart that God holds her hand and leads her thru her valleys and crawls with her thru her trenches every second of every day. I know he is there with her in moments when she jumps for the first time or in moments such as when she learned to first step up onto a sidewalk curb and then again when she finally got brave enough to step off the curb as well. He's there with her and with us. We are blessed. She is blessed.
Seven years to the day and here we are. In 5.5 months she is going to graduate from being the little sister to being a big sister. We blinked and life unfolded. We blinked and she grew up. I can't believe she is going to be a 2nd grader soon. Like with Brennen, the time has just flown by. I love this girl with all of my heart. She has made me a better person, a better mother, a better daughter, a better friend. She has shown me unconditional love in ways I never knew existed. She has tested my patience and taught me patience all at the same time. She has her Daddy and her Grandpa Tony wrapped around her little finger just as she does me. She leaves a lasting impression - good and bad - with every place she visits. She's 7 today. The lucky #7.
Happy Birthday Kenidi. Mommies lovie! You are the light that wakes us in the morning and the stars that put us to sleep at night. You are the sunshine in our rainy days and the color in our gray moments. We love you with all our hearts and can't wait to help you blow our your birthday candles tonight. Oh and Mommy can't wait to eat "chocolate cake" with you too. Thank you for giving me an excuse to stuff my face with cake and ice cream. :0) We love you short-stop.
Hugs...Mommy, Daddy, and Bubbies.
PS...Happy Birthday to my wonderful step-Mom, Cathy, today too. She shares the same birthday with Kenidi. Hope you have a superb day Cath. We love and miss you so very much!
