... The Old Man is Snoring....

It's true. Rain. All day long... so much I'm almost ready for a reprieve. But then I remember that this one day has to last me through the rest of the year (more or less) and then I'm counting each blessing again... one raindrop at a time.

Sophia didn't want to be in the photo with her hot chocolate... can you tell? she's not doing her normal neck-scrunch and smile or on-cue laugh I've taught her so well. She was sad--- she doesn't like the rain. She likes it hot. We have debates about it all the time. It's strange to me that she'll be raised (at least for some memorable years) in the desert. And she just might be one of those people that loves the heat and hates the rain. I'll have to come to terms with it. I LOVE chilly air, puffy clouds, and mostly... VARIETY. So today... even though I washed my hair yesterday and it got ruined on my preschool pick-up... and even though Mila only took an hour nap and will spend the rest of the afternoon begging to go outside--- I LOVE me some rain.

Speaking of love. It's Christmas time.... can you believe it? I wish there were 2 months between Thanksgiving and Christmas so we could anticipate it just a little longer... (and prepare for it... for those of us who procrastinate for a living.) I haven't bought a single present. But the tree is finally up (even if it is DWARFED and a bit toy-ish in the vaulted living room of this house), and the stockings are hung, and we're writing to Santa tonight for family night (that's a whole other blog post... I never believed, did you? A bit nervous about years of lying to my children)... and trying SOOO hard to relish each moment before I blink ----------and it's over.

I love this season!!

Thanksgiving in photos...

Everyone came. All six of us kids and all 18 grandkids--- we filled my house, two friends' houses that were out of town, (I know... I have SUPERB friends) and an RV in the driveway. We cooked all day and ate all night and scrabbled... and ate... and watched movies... and ate.

and ate

and ate...

Papa Kirk came equipped for a nerf-gun ward in the backyard. It did not disappoint. It was serious stuff--- I wish I had a video to do it justice.



Then Friday we got to celebrate again with my Dad who came in from Texas. (We missed you Mary Beth!) TWO days of party. Way more eating... and lounging... did I mention I got on the scale at the gym today for the first time since? I won't. It's bad news. You didn't help dad. Fettuccine Alfredo and mashed potatoes in the same meal? Only my dad.

Pretty sure my kids would need me ONLY for food and drink if we lived with 16 cousins ALL the time. I could not have imagined how relaxed I'd feel having a big party at my house--- along with 16 cousins comes 16 entertainers.... I feel like I should have been paying a fee.... AWEsome.

Oh and have you seen Ivy lately? I wanted to nibble on her arm rolls.
Hope you had as much fun and ate as much food as I did.

ps. Check out my BABY brother and his family on the photo blog.

In recovery and mourning....

There's always some relief when the big festivities are over and you can go back to normal life where you keep your house clean, get some projects done, and stop seeing how many feasts you can fit into one 24-hour period. There is, however, NO relief when my cross-country sister leaves for another 8 months. Only mourning.

And the photo? I was going for sexy. I know right?? Poor Ross. I had no idea. Guess I'd never had it photographed before.

Hoping you had a happy Turkey Day

Boooo (does it have an "h" on the end?)

Hmmm. I actually really liked the FIRST one. Super-duper-teenie-bopper, low-budget and all. Actor-Edward grew on me, the music got me, and it made me happy to see that fun book in film. Everyone said the second one was even better.

Blackhhhccccgggg. Turns out I was so disappointed. I knew the first time around I was SO bummed at the choice for Bella. But I guess I could handle it for one movie. This time I was overwhelmed by my lack-of-love for Kristen Stewart. I think it should have been the cute girl from Gilmore girls, or just a no-name that was cuter, more endearing, not so pointy-like and droopy-eyed. Between her and Robert I was sure they would fall asleep at any moment. Just look up! I wanted to scream. Almost there... his eyes... getting warmer...

It almost ruined it for me, her down-cast-eyes staring at his overly pink vampire lips. And that you-know-what 'tension' that gets a little old even in the book and is WAY worse watching these two little teenage actors.... and then there was Jacob's feminine voice. Geeze louise.

Thank goodness for Jessica and her under-breath rants... she was my favorite by far.

Hhhhhhhh ....... I miss the Edward and Bella I knew and loved in print...maybe there's hope with the next two.... but I'm feeling doubtful. Sad and doubtful.

On my Christmas List

The watch. Not the gorgeous, perfectly blond long hair, or big lips and model-smile, or tiny post-two-baby frame of this beautiful girl at the Baby Naming from last weekend. No I keep a reasonable list. The watch.

And get this--- it's by Swatch Watch. Like the brand we knew when we were 9. Which means it's like 120 bucks. I LOVE it.

Now we'll just wait and see if :

a: Santa brings it

b: It looks nearly as cute on a wrist that's twice as big.

Nov 19th--- HER day.

And then I'll go to Disneyland---

Today I'm two and lucky.

Just one that's catching my eye so far...

Off to Disney tomorrow... Let the festivities begin!--- just wanted to post one from a recent shoot I'm still working on before I took off. This is Emma--- leopard print, curly haired, darling Emma. More lata-- I keep nodding off and then my head jolts, waking me back up like it did when I was up too late in college--- I think it's because the remote is tucked too tightly in Ross' armpit while he sleeps on the couch and I'm too lazy to get up and wriggle it out... so I'm stuck with sports center instead of something more.... cool, and less...... manish.

Lovely right?

There are two walls in my house that are ever-changing.... haven't managed to get anything I love there--- so nothing sticks. I'm thinking one of these might do the trick. I had in my head that something like this would cost me an-anthropologie-fortune.... more specifically like $2800. But that's just bananas. And no amount of picture-money-that-Ross-doesn't-ask-questions-about ;) could have justified that to me in the end. As much as I sort of hoped it could.

So I looked elsewhere and was shocked to find these options from Target and Urban Outfitters for between $4-600! Which is your fave? I'm not sure if I could pull off the orange one on the wall I'm referring to since it's so close to my grey/blue living room.... but I LOVE it, and maybe if it doesn't work there I could just put it at the foot of my bed--- but then I love that blue one in the photo with the wood floors---(if only I had those and the white walls instead of tan tile and tan walls.... one thing at a time), love the green too, and who couldn't use a great b/w print somewhere? Oh I don't know. help?

I've always wanted to order one for myself and haven't gotten around to it...

... so it was so fun to open up an email from Mollie, a recent client, with this this picture attached ... to get to see one of my photos stretched on canvas. Now I'm just waiting to get that perfect shot of my girls that's worthy of it...

Thanks for giving me the peek, Mollie!

Just another manic monday.... ohhhoohooh...

(Just wanted to throw a photo up, and this is one of my favorites from the last shoot I blogged.)

Did the Baby Naming party in San Diego on Saturday and it was UN-believable. The decor, food, ceremony, PEOPLE (are all Jewish people SO beautiful?!) I remembered the tight-knit group I went to high school with were classy and lovely, a few of which were there... but had never seen so many in one room. I only wish I'd had an outfit that was both comfortable enough for shooting, and cute enough to not stick out like a big, tall, blond, sore thumb in long gauchos. Ugh.

So now I just need to get through a few more family shoots before I can take the time to peruse the photos and HOPE I did that party justice! And until then, you'll just have to be in suspense. But I'll give you one hint: animal print seat covers. Done RIGHT.

Also? I convinced Lizzie and Rachelle to come with me and do a big Ikea run together after the Baby-Naming, so I've got some before and after projects.... ahead. Who knows how far. Maybe somewhere after the hooks for hanging tutus I bought on my last ikea run, or the rehanging of Mila's too-long curtains, or the that chair reupholstering I started a few months back. :) I just keep forgetting to pick up a staple gun, and maybe it looks too close to fine to me, draped and stapled haphazardly in my living room as IF it were done. Just maybe.

Did I mention we're going to Disneyland this week?! We're seeing Lacy and Joe in THREE days. Countdown on.

Oh and just so you know what I get to work on today--- here is one of the kids in this little family with four. The hair? You can imagine my joy. And yeah--- they're ALL that cute. And stylish.

What came to my mind NOW.

- We have cloud cover today and it makes me feel all warm and tingly.

- I'm so happy to have NOTHING official on my schedule today besides preschool pick-up. It's been a busy week.

- Something happened to me after kids where I cry-- a little bit-- all the time. If ever it seems I should say something out loud, but instead, I'm quiet, pretend to be clearing my throat or something, I'm really choking down a cry. It happens at the most ridiculous times... and I'm not talking like Zales or EPT commercials... those are givens. No. no,no. More like children's books, ALL hymns at church, and lessons from zee on noggin. I'm talking like me on the elliptical at the gym with ANY book that has any KIND of a powerful moment (happy, sad, exciting, ANYTHING but boring... me - on elliptical- sobbing quietly--- it gets even harder to control it when my body's exhausted at the same time- if ever you catch me running outside with my kids- a rare occasion-- there's a good chance my mind has wandered to something to make me cry. Don't be alarmed.) Or me in my car with Mylie Cyrus' new "party in the usa" song on the radio. I know right? Are you scratching your head? Because it's not sad-- and I can't even stand her. But apparently she just speaks to me with all of the nodding and the hip-moving ... it must be hard to be a prematurely-rich, arrogant, country-girl in LA with butterflies. Or at least my hormones think so.

- NO I'm not pregnant. The crying has been a problem since I had Sophia. I think my hormones are permanently altered. Altered to make me look weak and vulnerable-- I'm still trying to figure out why that would be part of the plan.

- Is it "legal" to listen to Christmas music yet? Because we are. And again... with the warm and tingly. Oh I love this time of year.

- Thanksgiving is at my house this year with my fam-- too bad I haven't had any time to get my house ready. So many plans and dreams!

- Ooh but I did paint Sophia's lamp bases turquoise the other day and I'm LOVING them. One of the many before/afters I plan on blogging eventually.

- Lacy and Joe come in ONE WEEK--- and all the fun starts at Disney Land! It happens to be on Mila's b-day, so I can't decide if that's the celebration, or if I still want cupcakes and presents.... hmmm....

- This Saturday I'm photographing a big Jewish Baby-Naming in San Diego. I'm nervous. Sometimes I hate that I have to pretend I'm not nervous or SUPER self-critical on this blog for fear that clients will see it. And then I'm embarrassed to even use the word "clients" on this blog for fear my friends will see it and think I'm taking myself too seriously. And then I keep thinking about how my mom told me she stopped caring what people thought by the time she was 30... and I figure I've got a longer ways to go than I'd like in this next year and a half.

- Should I grow my hair long or keep it short? Any opinions -- (refer to bullet above-- still cut my hair for the approval of others)?

- Was any of this worth writing... not sure... but no time to reconsider...

PUBLISH.

Just a link to my newest set of blonde beauties...

Check 'em out here.

I need to record more of this stuff:

Yesterday I sat on the bench outside during Mila's nap reading Catching Fire while Sophia jumped on the trampoline. She came to the edge and sat with her legs dangling through the springs staring at me.

"Mom, Heavenly Father gave me to you--- you SUuuuuuuuuuuuuRE are lucky."

She's one smart cookie.

Halloween

So Ross' sister Brooke and her family came out to spend Halloween with us, which was SO fun. It made the whole weekend feel like a party. We started with carving pumpkins... (or at least A pumpkin - thanks to tradition-keeper-Ross) and then did chili and cornbread before launching the mayhem that was huge-group-trick-or-treating-in-a-neighborhood-with-no-streetlights-or sidewalks. We were joined by the Smiths, Lamms, Terry's, and both Homecs, we hit our stride, made a loop, got tons of loot, and ended with dessert at our house. Somehow the stars aligned and all of the kids were so occupied by their candy and the trampoline in the dark, that we actually got MINUTES on end of grown up time. It's the little things, you know?

Funny how I think I'd written off Halloween at like 14. But then I had kids and it was reborn. There's just something pretty special about seeing the joy on their faces with every drop in their candy bucket. They have this way you know? They make everything a little harder, but a lot sweeter. Overall, I'm thinking it's a good deal.

Oh and because I think I want to be done with Halloween blogging... (well unless I get the pictures back from kodi's camera and there are any good ones of my girls in costume since I couldn't manage to snap a photo before the sun went down and I have no pop-up flash)... here are the ones from preschool on the day of the carnival.

Mila dressed up as Belle just to wear something easy, but if you haven't been able to figure it out, both of my girls were peacocks, also know as colorful birds. It was the only thing Sophia would tell me she wanted to be every time I asked (a colorful bird that is)... so I went with it. We tried to mimic the PB one-- but secretly, I thought mine would be way cuter. I forgot that I'm not really crafty and that the felt feathers I made would have to be secured to the tutu. When the fabric glue didn't work, I resorted to staples... which... resulted in random feathers decorating the streets. Oh well. At least I got a really great photo first so all my hard work wasn't for nothing. Oh wait....

lame.

happy halloween

Winter in the Desert

The news said today's high was 68. My car this morning, said it was 78. I think it was wrong... but either way, I saw a dad walking his son in a stroller, both with beanies and hoods. Kids flooded into preschool wearing JEANS... like all the way to their ankles. (Except my daughter, of course, whose mother put her in a mini jean-skirt in spite of the weather report she saw on the news.) I went to Souplantation for lunch for a bon-voyage to a friend and ate enough to pack a little extra warmth on for the winter. And I can practically hear pots of homemade soup being made for dinner all across the valley....

It's here. Well at least 'till Saturday. When the weather guy said it'd be 89.

ps. the winds were so bad yesterday, I had to cancel my shoot with this cute little family that's been trying to book it for months. She texted me later to let me know three guys had been arrested like a BLOCK away from where we were going to meet, 30 minutes after we were meeting there, for firing rifles and handguns. Freaky right?

Live Oak Pumpkin Patch

Tis the season for pumpkin patching! I love it. It marks the beginning of it all.

But it looks like I forgot to send Mila the memo. Look at that furrow.

Just a random worker. Check him out. I think he wants you to.

Did I mention how grateful I am that they both got Ross' blue eyes?? And this is a random, cute baby. Is that legal? To put them on my blog when they didn't know I was taking the picture?

We went with Brooke, Tyson, and Sawyer... hope you don't mind the bottom shot, Brooke! Sophia had to squat and pee in the pumpkins... so Sawyer figured it was potty time and came over to join..... I had to get a shot.

hhhhhhhhhhh (that's a sigh...) until next year.

A Halloween Party for the chillens...

Just another day.

The 85 mm doesn't really do it justice... but I was too lazy to put a wide angle on and get the whole room in the shot. But trust me, it was impressive. Tanner and Kate were over and all of the kids were "playing" so well in the toy room--

we soaked it up.

Sophia came out once to tell me they were coloring, but that they weren't done yet. "but don't come in yet, NOT yet, we're not done yet."

She wasn't going to MAKE me come admire? I could stay on my bottom looking at the west elm catalogue with Lizzie ... we soaked it up.

Once the novelty of their mystery fun wore off and the normal, occasional brawling began, we went to put out a fire and found the lovely sight above. An entire roll of butcher paper from the ikea easel, ripped up, and decorating the floor. The entire thing. I know it could have been way worse--- permanant, like the highlighter all over my couch cushions--- not complaining... just documenting... and sighing. Realizing... .what am I doing blogging about a pile of paper when I should be in bed?? It's 12:30 and Ross is passed out next to me on the couch. Every night at like 10:30 I think it's nearing time for bed, and then I blink my eyes and 2-3 hours has passed. what?

gnight.

Holiday Sessions

(One from my most recent shoot--- Linc's birthday party!)

Just because most people I know check this blog and not my photo blog--- I interrupt what is supposed to be the stuff-other-than-photo blog with this message:

If you're still hoping to get a session in before the holidays, contact me soon! The dates are filling up fast and the holidays are suddenly seeming right around the corner. Our winter grass is growing in, there's a hint of chill in the morning (on the shady side of my house, which is unfortunatly the one with few windows), and I may have moved my bedside fan a few inches farther from my face. What a wonderful time of year!

Happenings

Update in the Biesinger home:

- Two sick girls starting last week. I didn't think it was bad, just a cough---- but I HAVE to assume they were feeling pretty crappy because they were both MONSTERS. Seriously, like possessed. Two seconds together and they were brawling. Mila would break in to fits at the most random and unprovoked moments. I was beginning to forget they could ever be sweet, until Sophia came home from school yesterday--- instead of her evil twin. All of the little things were easier, she would laugh at my jokes again, instead of screaming at me that she was "not a dude, she was Sophia! Or a PRINCESS!". She would form actual words with her mouth like a four year old when she needed help, instead of groaning and squealing and pointing like some kind of animal that makes you want to pull out all of your hair. She was back to her usual declarations of love "mommy, I love you--- mommy, I'll always love you--- but mommy, sometimes I DON'T love you"... all was right in the world. (that's right, she gives me that three-part monologue several times a day in her sweetest voice.)

- I didn't want to focus too long on them being awful last week, so I went for bullets. That was a long bullet wasn't it?

- I picked up the craziest, bright yellow, leather chair from the thrift store today. I can't decide if it's going to work in my house yet, but I think I'm in love anyway.

- Turns out a lot of people want pictures before the holidays :)--- guess I should have known that. I'm SOO grateful.... But I'm beginning to wonder when I'm going to find the time for anything else with all the photos I have to edit! Maybe I'll learn to be more efficient??

-We went as Medusa and Zeus to a grown-up Halloween party at Lizzie's this past weekend. Every year we wish we had a real excuse to dress up, and we finally had it! Unfortunately, I had a shoot right before, so I had to parade around as a photographer with a head of french braids and snakes. I wasn't so much embarrassed by the snakes, but trying to braid this shorter head of hair I'm sporting left me with some serious flat-head. Amazing what a little volume (or lack there of) can do for a profile. yikes.

-What's in style right now? I need help. Maybe an intervention. I'm pretty sure I spend 99.9 % of my life in work-out clothes or pajamas. NO exaggeration. If my shower comes before like 4:30 and I can't justify sweats, I'm at a complete loss. Help!

- I rented the amazing 50mm f/1.2 last week because I just couldn't decide if it could possibly be worth the extra $$$ compared to the 1.4. I'm not totally convinced. Anybody with a strong opinion???

- I skipped my 10 year reunion last week. I'm thinking most of the people I really wanted to see weren't going-- but I still think it's a little sad. There's just something about reconnecting with those people that knew you when you had caterpillars for eyebrows.

- Mila's been taking like 3 hour naps and sleeping in until 8:30+ .... besides last week, I'm in one of those phases where I constantly feel SO blessed. Really. So lucky to be home with my girls and calling the shots on what happens in my day. And being able to get away with a life of jammies and spandex. Life is really good.

Have you met Millie yet?

More, of course, over on my photo blog.

This is why I love my neighborhood... even if it is out in the boonies...

Off to Sunday dinners with friends.
And can you tell by the fact that we're outside without our swim suits on, that our weather is... cha-cha-cha-CHANGING!!! My windows are open right now. Well one at least. My blinds are drawn before 11 (well that's just because we happen to have clouds today)... but it's coming. And you might have to hear it often... because I LOVE this time of year... and when my body-temp is cool... I want to shout it from the roof tops. But I won't quote Zee every time. Even though I want to.

p.s. Sophia is the Star Student this week in her class. So she got to take Steve (monkey photographed above) home for the weekend to take on her adventures. I loved it, but had a little taste of what it might be like to have kids with homework.... trying to get her to help me fill out her poster, write in Steve's journal, and print up photos of him on our normal old printer. I think Ross thought I was ridiculous spending so much time and energy thinking about where we should take him all weekend so we'd have good stuff to write... but it was so fun! Like she's in real school doing this fun project---I think it was way more fun for me than her.

It used to TERRIFY me that my kids would be in school some day. But I think I'm into it. Phew.

It's Here!

Cool mornings and nights, decent days, the backyard is even back on our radar. I made SOUP lastnight... granted I was sweaty after I ate it. But it was worth it.

"I feel like I'm falling for fall..... " (noggin anyone?)

Nie Nie

Was I the last to know?

Just in case I wasn't. Nie Nie was on Oprah today, which means the re-run is on tonight at 11--- just in case someone checks this in the next 40 minutes. There's still a chance to DVR it. I was grateful for my 10pm call from Brooke.... thought I'd pass it on.

After an hour and a half wait for the locksmith, me and the girls got into our house a couple of hours ago to finally wash off the grime and exhaustion of our little spontaneous trip to DISNEYLAND! Lizzie called yesterday morning and said she'd booked a hotel for the night to do a two-dayer. I'm not the spontaneous type. I've just sort of come to terms with that. I'd say I'm easy-going, but not spontaneous. But we loaded up, went, slept in one room with our four kids... ate the greasiest, nastiest corn-dog of my life, but the most delicious sundae.... we had a ball. Every time I'm there I remember what it was like as a kid... how AMAZING it was as a kid, and what it must be like for mine. I just hope they're feeling half of that magic I remember. It makes the crowds and the blisters and the midnight growing-pain-scream-fests-in-a-tiny-crowded-hotel-room SOOOOO much more than worth it.

Here's a cell phone pic for proof.

Oh and don't ask me why I don't have a key to my house (I'm still blaming Ross and he's still blaming me) so that when Ross locks the garage door and leaves to San Diego while I'm gone to Disney, and I get home with filthy, tired, and hungry girls and no key in town, we're stuck on the streets. Ok maybe at Brooke's flawless home around the corner, but still----

A teensie bit of potty-talk catch-up.

Sometimes when I have a funny thought I want to remember etc... I put it in my phone and mean to pull it out later. Then I forget, and it gets lost in the sea of grocery and to-do lists I make on my phone. So the other day, I was looking for something, and found a memo entitled "Sophia". When I opened it up, all I had down was this:

Sophia- washing hands in bath tub.

"I'm just washing my hands."
"why? Are they dirty?"
"yeah because I was just touching my bottom but I'm sorry because I thought there was pooh pooh coming out but there wasn't. I'm sorry."

You could argue that this isn't blog worthy. I disagree. Maybe it's because I can hear her intonation in my head. But it makes me laugh every time I re-read it. Thank goodness for technology. I have enough garbage in my purse. I don't have room for sticky-note-memories.


I used to sit down to the computer and start writing... when I was done, I hit publish. Honestly. I didn't even realize there was a spellcheck for the longest time. I didn't ever think of the events I hadn't blogged yet or the backlogged thoughts and stories in my mind. It was like therapy for me to write my thoughts... often daily. And when you write that often, you know you've got it all covered. Where has all my free time gone? I like having all of those random thoughts recorded. Even if they make me want bury my head in the sand in embarrassment later (like my old journals do now.) But I can't seem to get around to it these days. And it's just SO much harder to play catch up on all the little things.

Pooh-pooh story? Check.


One down. Lots to go.


Oooh.. one more... Sophia and Mia's Pump-it-up birthday party... yeah the one I mentioned in a post like a week + ago, --- well a few photos at least: check.

So I think I've got a new goal. Back to my blogging roots. I'm going to write a little... every--- well maybe not every day, maybe every couple of days. Well maybe a few times a week anyway. Forget it, I don't really like commitment. But I'm just warning you... it's a possibility. Maybe.

Oooh-- there's a new baby on the block. I mean blog. Check him out.