November

November was another crazy month that flew by even faster than other recent months have. I taught preschool, the kids celebrated birthdays, and, among other things, we hosted a huge crowd for Thanksgiving. Good times were had. I have a ton of photos highlighting these events, which I will get to eventually. For now, here are a few random ones.

Nothin' like a bath in the sink!

I brought cupcakes to Chloe's preschool on her birthday. Here she is, making a wish!


Here's how we took advantage of the few warm November days we had...

The first half of the month started off slow for me, business wise. I'll admit I was discouraged, as I'd been so busy since mid-August. But at the same time, the break was nice and, looking back, much needed. Just when I was beginning to think posting my pricing on my blog had been a mistake, phone calls and emails started trickling in once again. I have come so far. I am not even remotely intimidated by my camera anymore. I still don't know what half the knobs and dials do, but I'm getting there. I'm beginning to acquire decent equipment, and recognizing how to utilize it to its fullest potential. More than anything, I'm finally feeling confident with my knowledge and work. I still have so far to go, and believe me, I recognize that! But I feel like all the hours I've spent reading and tinkering around has finally started to pay off. Things are clicking, and I'm having many more "ah HA!" moments than I am, "Grrr.. why doesn't this make sense?" moments. It's been such a fulfilling journey so far, and one I really never expected to have. In March when I bought my camera, I never dreamed I'd be running a small business within a matter of months!

We started building a website a few weeks ago. I had hoped to have it up and running by December 1st, but clearly that didn't happen. We are now shooting for next weekend. I am continually amazed by Neil. He has been 110% behind me from the moment I told him I wanted a dSLR. He recognizes how happy all of this has made me, and has helped me in every way possible to reach my goals. He is so smart, and I've taken full advantage of that more than once! So often I'll read something that just isn't clicking, but that I know is valuable and that I need to grasp in order to move forward. I'll admit there have been occasions where I've had Neil read whatever it was to himself and then explain it to me on my level of understanding. Luckily those moments have become fewer and farther between, as I've started to grasp a lot of it on my own. Still, as a result, we joke that he's got the brains for photography and I've got the eye! We make a good team.

Speaking of Neil, check out this table he's building!

I think all that's left is a bottom shelf, some glue and stain. I am convinced that this guy is capable of anything he sets his mind to. He has a talent for figuring things out, including the construction of this table. He is gradually getting more and more into wood working, and hopes to eventually build us a bedroom set. So cool. Photos of the finished product to come...

Oh, my sweet boy. Just look at that face!

And check this out! Ryan has found a new place to stash his snacks! Impressive.

And as if this post isn't random enough, I just want to finish off by congratulating my parents, who MET 47 YEARS AGO TODAY! If that isn't something to feel proud about, I don't know what is! Wow. Way to go, guys!

I will post about preschool, Chloe's birthday and Thanksgiving very soon, so stay tuned. Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday!