News!

Well, first off, I am back! I got so engulfed in my photography blogging, I totally quit blogging about my personal life so...I promise to make a concerted effort to post more. After all, my kids are growing up before my eyes and I don't even take enough pictures of them anymore.

For you guys who have been following my drama over the last several months, I FINALLY got a job. Yippppeeee!! I even managed to have yet another heartbreaker over the last couple of weeks with a dream job that fell through once again at the last minute - I can't even count the number of jobs over the last nine months where I made it to the final two but just missed the mark. Crazy enough, I had two offers on the table this past Thursday and I just made up my mind this past weekend. It was tough choosing because both jobs were insanely different but after discussing with Hays, we felt like Conceptus is the better fit for our family. For you young ladies who are absolutely sure your family is complete, go check out the site - it might be something that interests you. I know I will be one of the first women in Lubbock taking advantage of this technology. I will start this next Monday the 14th or I will wait until the first Monday in August...not exactly sure which one yet but will know more later today. I will be training in Dallas a week or two and then will train in Mountain View, CA for two weeks in August. Mountain View is just 6 miles from Palo Alto where FoxHollow headquartered. I love that area. There are other similarities between the FoxHollow position and this new position with Conceptus. Well, the devices couldn't be more different and the physicians are completely on very different ends of the spectrum and the anatomies I will be focusing on are as different as you can get but the companies are similar which is what ultimately helped me make up my mind in the end. Both companies are very small, which is such an added bonus in my opinion. This enables companies of this size to have their own defined culture, which is also so very important to me. I rode with two different reps in Dallas and they both were so funny and so charasmatic, which is exactly why I loved my colleagues at FoxHollow. Apparently, these are the types of people Conceptus hires...look at me! ha ha! Just kidding, but in all seriousness, I want to LOVE my job! I want to LOVE the people I work with and I want to LOVE my manager. Each and every single individual I spoke with loves my manager. BONUS!!! Right now at this moment I think I would love to get back into the cath lab someday but who knows? Maybe I will absolutely love Conceptus and stay with them for years and years to come or maybe I will love working in Women's Health as much as I loved Cardiology. And now look, not only will I be able to give you advice on your heart but I will soon be able to give you advice on how NOT to have babies!

The kids, Toya, Hays and I just returned home from Austin this past weekend...we had a great time and I did manage to take some photos. Stay tuned and I will post more later on today!

Happy Birthday To Me

I had an unwelcomed birthday yesterday...Hays surprised me with a birthday cupcake, a coke and some Prada sunshades. It was a great day and I spent it with four of my great friends last night...we didn't get pictures but it was fun anyways. Thanks Averi, Britta, Jamie and Stacy - love you girls.

Memorial Day Celebration

Chip and Jessica hosted a great party on the Sunday of Memorial Day Weekend. There were lots of fun people there and the party lasted well on into the morning hours...I think we all paid for quite a while.


I think I have the prettiest friends...love you girls!!


Grammie and Dougie - quick funny story: Doug spent quite a bit of time hanging out by the keg so Grammie said, "I guess I am driving?" and he said, "It's your car." Poor Grammie always has to watch out for everyone else.


Some more of my pretty friends -Teresa and Lori.


Some things never change...


This is my niece, Kristin, and her boyfriend, Blake - What a handsome couple!


Until Next Time...

Kellyn's Awards Day

I know all parents are proud of their children but man, I am incredibly proud of Kellyn. Despite much uncertainty and many changes this year, she still managed to come home with many awards...she had a fantastic year. We are so proud of her A Honor Roll award and she was commended on both her Reading and Math TAKS...not only that but she made a perfect score on her Math TAKS; she received a medal for this and was so happy.

Kids are resilient and mine are no different...its been a crazy year but we prevailed and my kids are fine in spite.

Blaze's TBall

We signed up Blaze for Slaton t-ball because we knew he would know some of the kiddos on his team. Hays and I knew every single one of the parents on Blaze's team so it was nice to be back in Slaton for the t-ball.

T-ball isn't the fastest sport out there (even slower than regular baseball, imagine that!) so I didn't get many action shots. I did get some way cute shots of him in the dugout. Until next time...

Stacy's Bridal Portraits

In case some of you have forgotten, I have a new blog - www.kdphotography.squarespace.com - I am thinking about keeping this one for personal posts so don't delete this one altogether but I the squarespace blog is definitely permanent now because I love it. Just posted some bridal portraits on my new blog...check them out when you get time.

New Blog

Hey guys ~

I have a new blogsite...

Go check it out when you get a spare moment!! www.kdphotography.squarespace.com
(Oddly enough, Blogger wouldn't let me add a hyperlink to this address.)

Last Ones of Krysa

I couldn't resist adding a few more shots of this "Stunner" of a senior!! Thanks Krysa...YOU ROCKED IT.

A Few More of Krysa

OMG, I could play with all 500+ pictures I took of Krysa yesterday...she is such a natural. I love these shots - stay tuned, I will have more up later.

My First Senior Session WOW!!

If every single subject I photographed looked like this Senior girl from Slaton High School, I would never do anything else ever again. This is Krysa - she worked it like a rock star. Well, maybe not a rock star but definitely like America's Next Top Model. It's almost 2am and I am falling asleep as I type this so I will add more pictures later and I will give you a guys a peek into how Krysa and my day went...it was comical but we got some sweet pictures out of the deal. Krysa, you were a trooper! Sorry it took so long to get these posted...took forever. Hope you aren't still up waiting for them as you have to get up so early - break a 95 tomorrow, girl. I know you can do it!! Anyway, enjoy these pictures and I will be back tomorrow to add some more. Thanks again, Krysa!

















More later...

Meet Jorden

How sweet is this face!! This is my second cousin, Jorden. Isn't he adorable? Jorden is the second son to Wendy and Shannon. He was born in November and I hadn't even laid one eye upon him until just recently. Shame on me! I have spent more time with Wendy in just two days since being back in Lubbock than I have in five years. I have missed them and its so nice to be back close to them. They had us over last night for wine and salmon and March Madness...it was a great night. Thanks guys!

I played around with some texture in these images as he was lying on the carpet when I took these...carpet doesn't make for a very good backdrop.

More later...

Home Sweet Home

We are in Lubbock now...it has been a very hectic week so I will provide an update later. It was so sad leaving our friends and our home in Amarillo but it's nice to be back in the Hub City again. More later...

Another Update

Well, I suppose it's time for another update; however, the news regarding my job search is not so positive this time. I interviewed for two different positions this past week that I felt really, really good about...they both fell through. It was a tough few days because one of the jobs was my old position and I honestly felt like I had a good shot at landing that position again. They gave it to another guy who also worked for FoxHollow before the acquisition - he had only been with the company a little less than a year when he got laid off. Oh well, I am coming to terms with the fact that for some reason, God did not want me to work there...even though that was where I wanted to be more than anything else, He didn't and that's all that matters. I laid in bed for a day and then the next morning, I brushed myself off and got up to face this crazy world. I mean, what else can I do? Lay there and wither away? Of course not, that's not me at all. I don't have anything else working but I did apply to several different posts on Thursday...maybe I will hear something soon.

We found a rent house in Lubbock in the Cooper North district which is where Kel went to school before we moved to Amarillo so we are definitely happy about that. The house is cute but small...we will deal for a while as its only temporary until we can find a home we love for a very long time. We are sick of packing and moving. Our movers come Wednesday and we close on our Amarillo home on Friday - we will officially be Lubbockites (is that the word?) then.

My photography business is getting up off the ground rather nicely...I have a few sittings coming up soon and my last sitting turned out just great. The family was very happy and they want to take more pictures this summer. I have a long way to go before I can actually call it a "business" but I am having fun and learning a lot.

Other than all of the drama, everything is coming along...once we get moved into our new home, we will feel even better. I will keep you all posted. Have a blessed Easter guys.

Beat That!

I can type away on my Blackberry like nobody's business but I can also type pretty fast on the computer...so, I took this test. This is what I scored. See what you can do!

71 words

Speed test

Update

Hey Guys ~

HAPPY ST PATTY'S DAY!

I haven't posted in a while so I thought I would update you on my crazy life. We close on our Amarillo home Friday, March 28th...man, that's only 11 days away. So, that means we have less than 10 days to get packed up and moved out of here. Thank God for family is all I have to say right about now - My mom and dad came up on Friday and then my sister and her two daughters came up on Saturday. We spent the entire weekend packing and cleaning and doing laundry. It was crazy! I have no idea how we could have done it without their help...as weird as it sounds, we actually had fun. We ate a bunch, drank a little and watched Blaze perform every single song off of the Chipmunks album. I swear to get this on YouTube as soon as possible...it's the funniest thing I have ever seen, and yes, I would still think that if he weren't my son. So back to the house thing...everything is pretty much packed up except for the necessities. The closets will take me a few days for sure but other than that, THANKS TO MY WONDERFUL FAMILY. This picture below is the only stinkin' picture I took from the entire wkend...UGH! Check out this Michael Jordan doll we pulled out of Blaze's massive amount of toys. Notice the missing foot and the other foot! Think I could sell it on Ebay??


I am headed to Lubbock this morning...I am house hunting and job hunting all in one day. My list of about 20+ homes will hopefully be narrowed down to about two or three this afternoon. And then at 2pm, I have my second interview with EV3, which is the company that acquired my old company, FoxHollow. Please say a prayer for me this afternoon if you get a chance...I really, really want this job. I miss what I was doing so much and this opportunity would allow me to do just that again plus some. I will hopefully know more this afternoon sometime and update you. Crossin' my fingers and saying lots of prayers.

Happy St Patrick's Day and Happy Spring Break Week also! Hoping to get some pictures of chubby little Brynlee over the next few days so check back towards the end of the week for those.

Until next time...

Meet the Lee Family

Stephanie contacted me almost immediately after she saw her nephew's pictures I took back a few weeks ago. We were supposed to shoot last Saturday but Stephanie had the flu and the wind was horrendous so we shot this past Saturday...we couldn't have asked for a better day - overcast skies, 60 degrees, variable winds...PERFECT! This family rocked. They wanted to make their session "their own!" (Paula Abdul's famous words.) And that's exactly what they did...I love the Harley shots and I love how casual and laid back this family truly is. Made for an very easy shoot. And, I also like how they will be able to look at these pictures for years and see themselves...not a group of people who put on clothes that made them feel uncomfortable and posing in the park somewhere by some beautiful flowers. (Not that that is bad...I just think you should be able to choose your own style for your session.) Thanks Lee Family, you guys were great and I so enjoyed my afternoon with you all. I will be in touch.

































Two of Alyssa because I just couldn't decide which one I liked best - these girls were freezing so once we got back in the car, she put her coat on. When I saw the fur trim, I asked her to get back out and I got all of my camera equipment back out and I took a few of her in this cute coat. I love how they turned out...I think she should model.

Huge Praise

Hey guys ~
Just so you know, we finally found a buyer for our home. After five weeks on the MLS and four weeks FSBO, a couple has made us an offer. We sign the contract today and we are supposed to close on March 28th. Yes, I said March 28th, so that gives us three weeks to pack up and move to Lubbock. WOW, that is fast. Thanks to all of you for your kind words and prayers over the last several months. We are super excited to get back home; however, we have made some great friends in Amarillo and we are certainly going to miss them immensely.

On the job front, I had my interview yesterday with EV3 which is the company that purchased FoxHollow. The interview went well but I can't even speculate right now what the outcome will be as they are interviewing several people. I will keep you posted!

Have a great weekend!!

Bloggin' Queen

Shots of Blaze outside in the snow today...

I did not take any of him out in the yard because a) there wasn't enough snow on the ground to make for a pretty picture and b) my butt was not putting on clothes just to go take a few pictures out in that insanely cold weather. Not lazy, just smart.

Kel was at school so once again, she gets left out. Poor Kel!!

Could the Tide Be Turning???

I opened up this fortune today at a Chinese food buffet here in Amarillo. The waitress gave us four cookies and I put them in my hand and shuffled them around saying to myself, "Pick the right one, pick the right one!" I opened up my fortune cookie to find my destiny - "Don't be hasty, prosperity will knock on your door soon." Seriously, I so believe in God's will but every once in a while, I do believe in fate, superstition, karma, coinicidence, fortune; whatever you want to call it, I do believe it happens sometimes. I said to Hays, "Out of all the fortune cookies in this restaurant, this is the one I open??" He laughed a little but I could tell he was so hoping we could actually have something here. This leads me to my update on my job situation and our home on Glenwood.

I had an interview with a pharmaceutical company on Tuesday...it went well and I was asked to ride along with an employee of the company on Thursday. On Friday, the hiring manager called to make me an offer. I relunctantly informed her I had some concerns. See, this company insists we must be living in Lubbock by the time I finish training which will be the end of April to the first of May. There are a lot of issues with this demand...first of all, we have a home in Amarillo. We can't just simply pack up all of our belongings and get to Lubbock without selling our home first. Oh sure, we can find a way but it will be very difficult. My sweet parents even offered up their home for us to live while we are in transition. I love my parents way too much to do something like that to them. Holy cow, all four of us? My kids can be monsters, I am so unorganized and Hays is just, well Hays. He likes his own place. Secondly, my training would last six very long weeks. We have no idea what we would do with our kiddos for those six weeks because Hays works in Lubbock...who on earth would keep our kids from 6am to 8am everyday and who would keep them from 3:30 to 9:30 every night? It just wouldn't work. Every single job I have applied for over the last few months have included Amarillo in the territory so it would have been fine for us to live here until our home actually is sold. This particular pharmaceutical job only includes Lubbock; therefore, I HAVE to live in Lubbock. Because I have been out of a job for five months now(yes, five months now - you'd think I would be all cut up and in shape but I haven't been to the gym once! ha!), I feel like I should jump on this job but there are many many cons and I just don't have a good feeling. That's why this fortune cookie was so coincidental to me..."DON'T BE HASTY..." unduly quick; precipitate; rash; impatient; impetuous; thoughtless; injudicious - These are all synonyms for 'hasty.' "PROSPERITY WILL KNOCK ON YOUR DOOR SOON." Prosperity's synonyms are abundance, accomplishment, advantage, affluence, arrival, benefit, boom, boomlet, clover, do, ease*, easy street*, exorbitance, expansion, fortune, good times, gravy train*, growth, increase, inflation, interest, luxury, opulence, plenteousness, plenty, prosperousness, riches, success, successfulness, thriving, velvet, victory, wealth, welfare, well-being - I don't know about ya'll but I am totally diggin' "gravy train" and "easy street" right about now. So, at this exact moment I am typing this post on this Sunday evening, I have no idea if I will take the job offer or not but I do know I have complete peace tonight no matter what happens. Sure, I received a great and totally fluky fortune today but the truth is God will take care of me. It's plain and simple!! But in the mean time, I am so hoping God put that little fortune in that bland little cookie to make a point. ; )

So, could the tides actually be turning for me??? I certainly hope so. We had four showings this weekend and an open house today that brought in seven couples for a total of ten new couples viewing our home this weekend...One of the couples asked if the refrigerator is negotiable...Hell lady, the kids are negotiable if the price is right!! (Just kidding, Toya!) Anyways, my realtor totally expects an offer from this particular couple so I was hesitantly happy to get that news. We had to be gone from 2pm to 4pm today for the open house and Blaze had soccer practice at 4 so as we were driving home at 4:45, we noticed a vehicle in front of our house. It was another realtor with yet another couple. They stayed over 40 minutes. I don't know about you, but I certainly wouldn't spend 40 minutes in a home I wasn't interested in. To sum it all up, we had a ton of interest in our house this weekend which feels so good.

So, that's my life in a nutshell...always a whirlwind!! Have a great week guys and wish us luck on making the right decisions and finding a buyer.

EDIT:
I have an interview with EV3 Thursday...this is the company that purchased my old company so I have a chance to get my old position back, which is what I always wanted. I will keep you posted!! No new news from realtor this morning but still hoping to hear something today - will keep you posted on that, also. Have a great Monday!

Week In Review 3/1/08

I am going to start a weekly entry entitled Week in Review...I should have posted this yesterday but I got a little busy trying to get Hays out of here and to Lubbock before the big winter storm hit. My goal is to pick out a few things in each week that brought particular interest to me...I am sure there are many, many things that are worthy of posting in a "Week in Review" but mine are going to be a little different and not always so newsy and stuffy. Sometimes entertainment and celebrity focused, sometimes sports focus, sometimes a focus on the activities in our lives, etc. I promise to bring a wealth of information, although it may not always be useful, it will be informative nonetheless. Sit back, grab a cup of joe and enjoy Kenda's take on last week.

TEXAS TECH RED RAIDERS UPSET #5 RANKED TEXAS LONGHORNS

It's been a long season for the men's basketball team but they have managed to pull off a number of good and sometimes GREAT wins. Saturday's win against the Longhorns was definitely the best thing that has happened to them this year. Did it get them into the Big Dance? Most definitely not as their record is just above 500 at 15-13. Their win Saturday did put them at an even 500 in the Big 12 with seven wins and seven losses. After Bobby Knight's departure, this is just what his son and the Red Raider basketball team needed.

AMERICAN IDOL CAST-OFFS

Alaina Whitaker and Alexandrea Lushington were the last two girls to get booted off of American Idol...neither one of them had a great night but Amanda Overmyer should have gotten tossed out on her butt after that ridiculous rendetion of "Carry On..." and that oh so horrible Cruella Deville look. Come on...you be the judge:

Anyway, just for the record, my favorite girl is this little cutie:

You can read her bio here.



On the boy's side of things, Jason Yeager and Robbie Carrico ended their American Idol dream (don't I sound like Ryan Seacrest?) this past Thursday. Neither one of them had a good performance either...especially Robbie as he was so karaoke-like. Jason is just a dork with his tuft of white hair on the top of his head...gimme a break.

My favorite guy is a toss up between David Hernandez and Jason Castro. I truly truly like David Archuleta; however, I think he is a shoe in and will win the whole thing so I had to pick a few other of my favorites.

Check out this amazing performance by David Hernandez this past Tuesday:


So, while we are on the subject of music, singers and YouTube, let me just embed one more video...this one doesn't have anything to do with American Idol but it did come from Brittain's Got Talent and this guy's story is amazing. I have never, ever given a flyin' flip about anyother types of music other than pop, hip/hop, country, top 40 and ESPECIALLY not opera but man, you gotta watch this when you get time. I had chill bumps all over my body. Love it!!



USELESS NEWS and SOMETIMES COMICAL HEADLINES

Apparently Hasbro and Mattel are threatening to sue an online website called Scrabulous citing piracy. This particular online game is free and attracts 700,000 players a day. I guess the toy companies that market Scrabble are up in arms that some one else found a way to make some money on the internet yet again. Yes, it's free to all who play but now these guys who developed the site are making $25,000 per month from online advertising. Why didn't I think of this??? Oh geez...I have got to think of a way to make money on the internet - everytime I think there isn't anything else to do, someone else comes up with something I so should have thought of. Not that I play Scrabble or anything but come on, how hard can it be?

JLo named her twins Max and Emme...Love both names as my best friend, Kim, named her son Max and then another good friend of mine in Amarillo, Macey, named her little girl Emerson and everyone calls her Emmy BUT what's so comical about this is what TMZ is saying... Come on guys...can't we find something better to talk about, like the election or something??? nah, this is much more entertaining!!

In Michigan, a man was arrested and prosecutors intend to charge him with embezzlement. The man was apprehended after an investigation showed he was the culprit in the heist of 217 cases of Pepperidge Farm stuffing mix. Seriously, stuffing? What was he going to do? Sell them in the black market or cautiously truck them across the border to the Mexicans. ????

I am sure there are many more events that happened last week that are certainly worthy of an appearance on my blog but I used up so much time sharing useless information on American Idol, I will have to reserve my really thought-provoking headlines for next week. Until next time...

Black Belt Blaze

One of Blaze's favorite things to do is get on the floor with his daddy and wrestle, box or karate chop with him. I got some pretty good pictures of him in action this evening even though a few of them are really out of focus...Enjoy!!









This picture is for you, Averi...I think it will melt your heart. Anyway, how sweet is this?? Blaze got a little hurt as he tried to headbutt Hays (yes, headbutt...thanks Hays for teaching your kid so much violence! :0 ) so he consoled him for a bit. Blazer got over it pretty quickly.

Springtime Favorites

The Cybersisters topic this week is our favorite things about spring...

1. The smell of the sprinklers and of cut grass
2. Taking walks with my kiddos (like we did yesterday...pics to follow)
3. Daylight Savings Time
4. Cool mornings and warm afternoons
5. Sitting on restaurant patios with friends having a margarita
6. Spring Fever...I love that feeling when it's a warm day in March and you just can't wait to have more and more days like that
7. GREEN GRASS and leaves on trees (so tired of seeing bare trees and brown grass)
8. The last day of school...it truly makes me sad because I know Kel will be moving one grade up but I know it makes her happy and I remember how happy it used to make me!
9. Episode Finales...I don't like when my shows come to an end for the year but the finales are always so exciting
10. Tennis outdoors instead of indoors

Have a great day, guys!!

Free Pass

Hey guys -
By posting this episode on my blog, I get free admission into a big convention held in Vegas next March. Hays is always looking for a reason to go to Vegas and man, would I love to attend this convention. So, thanks for looking.

I'm Famous!!

Well, amongst Amarillo tennis players anyways!

My friend, Monica and her kiddos came over last night to hang out with us while Hays was in Lubbock. She brought over something she received in the mail yesterday...low and behold it was me on a mailer. I had no idea I was going to be on it (kind of funny they didn't ask for my release but who cares?) so I was pretty surprised to see myself on the flyer twice. Check me out below.

So Professional!! ; )

Check out my cool new business cards and logo. A company by the name of Graphic Design Warehouse designed my logo and made my business cards. They are too cool! They are double-sided, full color and laminated and they were dirt cheap. I handed my first one out last night to a lady in United who had a cute baby...LOL! She was probably like, "who is this freaky woman??"

The Miller Boys

My friend, Bekah, asked me to take her little boys pictures. We had a beautiful day in Amarillo today so we jumped at the chance to get a non-windy session in before the yucky weather hits again tomorrow. As you all know, it's not the greatest time of the year to take pictures but we totally managed and found some way cool places to take some shots of these way cute little boys!

Thanks Bekah for giving me the chance to practice my skills with your awesome kiddos. They are truly adorable and both boys were big troopers, too. More pictures to follow soon but thought you might enjoy seeing a sneak peek!!

The Winner!!

Here is the hairstyle I finally chose...

I went with the cut and the color - my color is a little dark right now but will fade after a few washes, I think. And, I don't wear my bangs in my eyes like this chick but she totally can pull it off because she's probably like 15 years younger than me. Everyone said they like my hair but what else are they going to say? "That crap looks horrible!!"

I will get some pics of me up here as soon as Stacy sends them to me as she has some in her camera from Friday night at Keith's new bar.

New Doo for Kel

Kellyn was so excited about getting her haircut. It was definitely high time. We took a before shot which is immediately below...LOTS and LOTS of hair.




OMG, look at all of the hair Gloria cut off.


Viola! Finished product...I think she looks adorable!

Blaze's First Valentine's Party

Blaze started a Mother's Day Out program a couple of weeks ago...we are having so much fun at home together but I thought he might need some kid-time too. He loves it. I love it! He had his first party yesterday and he really only cared about getting a gift from me. He didn't even eat his yummy cupcake! After we picked up Kel, we went to see Alvin and the Chipmunks again. (He has been asking for weeks to go see A and the C again but I use the mommy-doesn't-have-a-job-so-we-can't-spend-too-much-money excuse on him...well yesterday when I told him I was taking them to see it again, he asked, "Mommy, did you find some money?" So comical!) After the movie, we went out to eat at our favorite burger place, Red Robin. We love this place and we are sad Lubbock doesn't have one.



Love this shot of his dirty finger nails and scraped up fingers...such a boy!


He was embracing his valentines with such excitement...don't let him fool you; it wasn't because of the sweet cards he got, he wanted the candy!


This is probably how he actually feels about Valentine's Day! Love this little card.




And oh my gosh, how flippin' cute is this! These babies were going for a ride as Blaze and me were leaving. I couldn't resist taking a picture or two.


What a perfect shot for V-Day...don't you just know these moms love these sweet babies so much?




Pucker up!


Kellyn was ecstatic to get yet another Jonas Brothers poster...her Vday party isn't until this afternoon so stay tuned for pics from her party...plus I will post pics of her new doo also. She is chopping hers off and she really needs to, too. She has the thickest, waviest hair in the world and quite honestly, it's always a mess. She absolutely hates it.
Have a great weekend everyone!

We're Back

So you may remember when I was a part of group called the Cyber Sisters?? Well, we are going to try to get started again posting weekly topics. I am not so sure it will be as consistent as it was last year because there are some of us (no names mentioned) who haven't posted in months and months! Anyway, in the spirit of Valentine's Day, our topic this week is about LOVE. So, here are the five things I am absolutely LOVIN' right now:

1. My BlackBerry - I really thought I wanted the iPhone and I am so glad I didn't get it. This is the greatest invention ever...and man, can I go to town on the typing.


2. PhotoShop or CS2 - this software has been my saving grace over the last several months. It has kept me busy and its been so much fun to see what I can make out of my images. Now, if I could just get some new pictures (hint hint! anyone need pics taken of their special someone?) Many of you have seen this picture if you have visited my website; however, this is one of my favorites post-PhotoShop.


3. Tennis (DUH!) - Also another one of my saving graces that has kept me busy over the last four long months. I will say my game is not up to par at all, though. I haven't played good in three or four weeks...I think it may be my tennis elbow. Ouch! This hurts bad!!


4. Friday Night Lights - OMG, if you haven't watched this, go out and buy the first and second seasons and watch them when nothing else is on...then, start watching every Friday night. This show so takes me back to high school when we "cheered our asses off." (BTW, that's something my best friend, Kim, said while looking at old cheerleading pictures...she gets ribbed about saying this to this day! Hilarious!)


5. Last but certainly not least...MY KIDDOS and My HUBBY - I just can't even tell you how supportive my family has been (well, maybe not Blaze except he does now understand that we can't see Alvin and the Chipmunks every single day because mommy doesn't have a job and we don't have as much money) over the last few months. I know I talk an awful lot about not having a job but it has been a really rough few months...I think the ups and downs of it all is the hardest part. I think I have a job and then it falls through and this has happened four times now...and, it goes on for weeks at a time. Anyway, boo hoo hoo for Kenda - my point is this: Thank the good Lord for family and friends who really care. These guys below really do and I couldn't ask for anything more. Love you Hays, Kel and Blazer!





Okay Cyber Sisters (Jen, Stacy, Averi, Kristin, Kim, Britta, Kendra, Kerry, Jess, Kara, Jamie and Ally)...your turn. Post girls, post! And while you are at it, can someone please pick the topic for next week?

Tempted to Pull a Britney...

Hays called me last night and asked me what I was doing (he is back in Lubbock working, by the way) and I told him I was looking at new hairstyles on the internet. The night before I had been really depressed because yet another job had fallen through so he panicked...He said, "Don't do anything drastic." I think he is afraid I need a change of some sort so bad, I am willing to chop off my hair. Well, those of you who know me, know I love my hair but it is time for a change. I look tired and "used up." Not sure if it's going to be a drastic change in length, color or style but something has got to give. I wear my hair in a bun every single day or even better, a big doo wop on top of my head. It's high time...so, that's what leads me to the next few pics. So, do you need a good laugh today??? Scroll down and believe me, you will laugh your arse off...



























I found a website online that will let you upload a picture of yourself and try different hairstyles. It had to have been the worst 7.99 I have ever spent in my life. This is the cheasiest website I have ever seen. What's worse is I didn't have many pics of myself with my hair pulled back and this could possibly be the worst pic I have ever taken so that doesn't help. Aren't these hilarious? And aren't I just beautiful?









So, I need your help now...I want your vote. Please vote for a new hairstyle for Kenda - check out the pictures below and vote for one of the examples. I don't want crimson red hair or even platinum blonde...I am mainly talking about the actual cuts. But, if you choose number 7, please help me pick out a new color or something. Hell, maybe it's a facelift I need instead! HELP A SISTA OUT! My appt is tomorrow night so act soon...










Thanks for looking...now, go comment!! - Some of you blog stalkers who never comment need to speak up too! ; )

I'm LIVE!!

Hey guys ~

As all of you know, I have been out of job for the last four months so I have had so much time to work on my photography. I haven't had too many sessions but I have been working hard in PhotoShop...I think it has made a huge difference in my pictures. I decided to get a website and start getting the "word" out there that I am available to take pictures...and not for free anymore!! LOL

This is the one time I ask for your comments...please feel free to give any comments or suggestions on my website as it is definitely a work in progress. I think it turned out good but will even get better with time. Be sure and check back often as I will continue to add shots as I take them.

Also, thanks to all of my "models!" I couldn't have constructed this website had you all not given me the approval to use your pictures. Be sure and hang out on the home page and watch the entire slideshow as my cousin, Jamie is on there a few times and she is so beautiful. While she was in town, we went out and found some sweet spots to take some pics of each other. The picture of me on the About Me page was taken by Jamie.

Don't forget to tell me what you think!!

Listed

We listed our house last week with Century 21 because we weren't getting much exposure having it FSBO. So far, nada! Oh well, at least the internet ad looks good. Keep your fingers crossed we'll start getting some traffic soon! Unfortunately, it's such a bad time to sell a home. I'll keep you posted!

Sometimes We Just Need a Good Cry...

If today is the day you need a good cry...go visit this blog. Scroll down until you get to the titled post "The Gift of Life." Start reading then and then scroll up and read in order. Don't forget to watch the videos (pretty long but worth it...do this when you have about 10 or 15 free minutes!),read all the descriptions and then really look at the wedding pictures. Amazing and touching story. Great testament to the human spirit. I am going to run, not walk to get my card!!

Let me know what you think!!

Blaze's Best Friend and a Busted Nose

I have posted about the Solano's before several times already; however, I have yet to blog about Karstyn. He is Steve and Macey's eleven year old (almost 12) son. He is an amazing athlete, does good in school and just an all-around great kid. Blaze is NUTS about him...completely crazy about him. He calls him his bestest friend. Karstyn comes over sometimes and plays with Blaze. Yesterday, they rode scooters for a while. They rode two days ago, too and that's when he got his busted nose. He fell face forward and skinned his nose pretty bad. I had to get some pictures...another battle scar! We all know it wasn't his first and I am sure it definitely won't be his last. About this time last year, I posted about Kellyn's busted nose. What a mess!!

First Soccer Game for Blaze

Blaze had his first two soccer games this past weekend...my battery died three or four shots into the first day; notice the mohawk on the first picture. He is going to kill me someday for posting that first picture. He has been slumping those shoulders so much lately...goofy kid.







Kellyn and her friends just finished up a hard fought battle minutes before Blaze's game.



He spent most of the first game looking up at me and blowing kisses..the second game, he looked up in the stands and gave everyone thumbs up. Little ham!!





He is the second to the smallest (he's actually the smallest in the picture) and the second to the youngest.



Poor guy, he was a horrible goalie. Did I just call my kid "horrible?" Seriously though, he just didn't get it. He didn't even move to get the ball. He even slapped at the air AFTER the ball went by and he dove on the ground five seconds too late to get a ball that rolled by. We laughed sooo hard.



Blazer was exhausted after the game...look at his face.



Our friend Steve Solano was at the game...he is really into soccer so he was coaching Blaze through the game. He really turned it on...he was going after every ball and he even scored. Steve gave him a dollar after the game for the goal he scored. Too cute!!

Personality Test

Your Personality Is

Idealist (NF) You are a passionate, caring, and unique person. You are good at expressing yourself and sharing your ideals. You are the most compassionate of all types and connect with others easily. Your heart tends to rule you. You can't make decisions without considering feelings. You seek out other empathetic people to befriend. Truth and authenticity matters in your friendships. In love, you give everything you have to relationships. You fall in love easily. At work, you crave personal expression and meaning in your career. With others, you communicate well. You can spend all night talking with someone. As far as your looks go, you've likely taken the time to develop your own personal style. On weekends, you like to be with others. Charity work is also a favorite pastime of yours. (I never made a New Year's Resolution...it's okay to start one as long as its still January, right? My new resolution is to start doing charity work...not sure what type but stay tuned.) Click on the link below to take your personality test.

The Three Question Personality Test

Blazeman

I promised I would post some pictures of Blaze since I have posted so many of Kellyn lately...here they are. He is making the funniest faces lately. Blaze definitely keeps us on our toes all of the time and laughing most of the time. ; )

Our Little Soccer Player

You have to admit, he is just freakin' precious in his little Nike dri-fit shirt and his shin guards. Blazer started Soft Soccer last night, which is a gym-version of indoor soccer with a Nerf-type ball. There are no out of bounds and the little boys just run like mad. I haven't laughed that hard in such a long time. We have always thought Blaze is going to be extremely slow because he has always ran so, so, so not fast BUT last night he proved us wrong. He did run out of steam pretty quick because the boy sits and plays way too many video games but today is a new day and he officially started being an athlete. There is no slowing down for us from now on...we have Kel in indoor soccer and Blaze in soft soccer. In the spring, Kel will be participating in indoor and outdoor soccer while Blaze will start his first season of both also. WOW! Anyway, you should have seen some of the faces Blaze was making last night...he was so intense and sooooo animated. I will take my camera to his first game Saturday and try to capture some of those faces so I can show you. The following pictures will give you a glimpse of how animated he is actually becoming more and more everyday. He is a mess!! These pictures were taken before we left for practice.
(Kristin, I used natural light at night...NO FLASH!! I was so excited. The black and white pic was too orangey due to my white balance but as you can see by the others, I fixed that. Well, my walls are gold so I guess it still has a orange or goldish cast but at least I didn't use flash and yes, you can so tell a difference, I think.)

Shout Out to VANGIE!!

Here's to my favorite "blog stalker!" Thanks for the call today, Vangie. Much appreciated. Stay in touch!! (Don't hate me...I couldn't resist! Miss ya!)





(For those of you who don't know her, Vangie and I graduated together from Slaton HS way back when. We lost touch for too many years but have now reconnected for good! I shared a picture of Vangie's little girl on my July 4th post. Check her out...she's the cutie with the very blonde hair.)

Thanks to My Model

Unfortunately, I have way too much time on my hands right now. I love playing with PhotoShop so much I have dug up some old pictures and started messing around with them. I promise I have pictures of Blaze, too but Kellyn is way more cooperative. I will post some of Blaze real soon, I swear. These were taken right before Thanksgiving. Kellyn came along with me on a shoot so I took pictures of her while I was waiting on the family to finish getting ready. I think they turned out good; however, I am a little partial being she is my daughter. Got some great candid shots of Blaze making some super silly faces yesterday and I will post those next. Stay tuned...

One more...

Just one more from the session with Kellyn...I love it because it's so her. She'll probably hate it though.



She is growing up soooo incredibly fast. I can't believe 9+ years have gone by so quickly. I always tell her she is going to hate me in a few years and she gets so mad. Kel says, "MOM! I won't hate you...you are my mom. How could I hate you?" She absolutely adores me right now and I know it won't stay that way for long. I just hope I can be the mother she looks up to always, even when she doesn't like me. Kellyn is so into the Jonas Brothers right now...it's cute to watch her and listen to the things she says about them. She has posters all over her walls of these boys and some of Hannah Montana. I hope the "Tween" years stick around for a long time because I am so not ready for the teen years. I love you, my beautiful angel!

The Winner Is...

Okay, so Hays now thinks he can all of the sudden take great photographs. He took a couple of good ones today and now he's all proud and braggin' and stuff. I still think I have a leg up on him - you decide! All of these were taken today just playing around...it was freezing outside so props to my kiddos for being such troopers. The first two are Hays' work and the last three are mine. Maybe we could go into business together?!?

Christmas Party and Cookie Night

I am so behind on my posting so I combined some of the Christmas stuff into one. I am going to try to get away from the slideshows whenever possible but this post was slideshow worthy...not too interesting to some of you and probably most of you but I still want to document it for myself.

The first set of slides is Kellyn's Christmas party and the second set is cookie decorating night. I am so not suzie-homemaker so this is a big deal for me to get together. The kids had a lot of fun and made some beautiful cookies! : )