ah, yes, another month has gone by...

As I mentioned in the family blog, I've scheduled in blogging time once school has started. Remember my post about lists, etc? Well, of course I have a "fall schedule"! I have to do it to keep things straight!!

We've managed to make it to church twice in a row the last 2 weeks! yay! This last Sunday Pastor Dave's sermon was on meditation - about how if you meditate 2x daily (AM & PM) then slowly it will be a habit and it will help calm your mind. Man, do I need that sometimes! I am going to try it to help with anger and just keeping my mind focused. Then today I read in my Real Simple magazine (one of my favorites to read) there was an article on getting away from multi-tasking. I do that all the time! On the phone and editing, or checking e-mail or whatever. In it the writer mentions meditation as well, although he went somewhere to do it in a group. Not exactly the kind I'm interested in. I'm so happy we've been able to get back to church. I missed it and I know I need to go, not just for myself but for the girls. We'll have to miss this week because we'll be out of town, but after that we'll be home more often and getting back in the habit will be much more easier!

I've been reading some books on branding and marketing, which have really helped me more in my thought process for the business. I'm working on learning who my target market is, why I do what I do, and what my passion is in the photography realm. In the past I'd just accept whatever job came my way. But I know that I really need to do the jobs I'm passionate about, because that's when I will do my very best job. One of the books has a workbook and has questions to answer. One was who are your favorite clients and are there any that you need to refer to someone else. For the most part I've liked all my clients, which is a blessing. A few that really didn't "get" my style and who weren't my favorites haven't re-hired me for anything else, so I don't feel I have any clients to "let go". So yay for me!

Visitng Erin!

I just realized that I never blogged about visiting Erin! I know she posted some pictures on her blog, but I wanted to say how awesome it was to hang out!!! Kansas City was super cool (well, actually hot and muggy, but a nice place to live!). I realized even more how much I miss her and I hope that I can get down to see her soon again. Maybe take a road trip with Dave and the girls! My sister is awesome, and I love her very much!!! Timmy is great too, and makes me laugh! ;)
I love that Erin and I talk almost once a week (we need to get back to that!) and that I know I can talk to her about anything and everything. Not sure if she and Timmy will move back to Michigan ever, but maybe we can talk our whole family into moving down there some day! lol

Yay for sisters!!!

LOVE YOU ERIN!!!

Such a busy summer!

Yes, it's been another crazy-busy summer in the Elliott household! I'm honestly looking forward to school starting, so that even though we'll still be busy, life will have more structure. I really should post more because I feel that I had so much to say, I'm not sure where to start. I'll be posting new pictures from Nana Camp, and family happenings on the family blog hopefully next week. Trying to keep this one more for my thoughts, etc.

Trying to get our fall schedule figured out. Kaylee and Grace will of course be in school all day, and Eva will be in school 3 morning a week, and speech once a week. So, that will give me a little time here and there for business stuff, and then I'll have an evening or two for meetings and maybe a late night for more editing, etc. The girls will also be taking dance this fall and maybe on through the spring if they want to continue. I have a large list of business books I'd like to read, so I plan on taking advantage of their class time for that.

As always, I've been thinking about the business. I love having a job and that we have more income because of it. I just need to decide on my business goals, and where I ultimately see myself going with it. I love weddings, they are so fun, love the details and the moments that happen. However, weddings are around 18 months-2 years commitment and lots of work! Thinking about trying to do more portraits, and once I'm in the studio space that should be easier. I also full-heartily believe that getting into a space will show that I am committed and more professional. Who wants to pay someone thousands of $ who works out of their unfinished basement and wants to meet them at Panera?! Well, obviously, some people do, but I think things will get even better once I'm in the space! Yay!

My 31st birthday is tomorrow. Wow. 31 isn't nearly as bad as I thought. I know Dave never thinks of his age, he's by far the youngest engineer at Delphi, and so he never has a problem getting older (he is 32 btw). I know we have both been thinking more about health and eating better. I guess I've never felt I'm much a of a junk food person. I do love my chocolate, but it has to be good chocolate and even that I don't eat much of. We went to Whole Foods a couple of weeks ago. Love that place. We got amazing swordfish steaks that were SO tasty! They were half off too! We also bought organic local milk - yum! Now that I've had that I don't like the taste of regular milk! Too bad Whole Foods is in Rochester! (I like that location a lot more than the Troy one) Maybe I'll try to get down there every other week or every three weeks.

My friend Marcia is coming down to hang out today - haven't seen her since her youngest was born! Too long!! Then this evening my Mom is taking me out for dinner for my birthday, then to JoAnns and Borders. Can't wait - it's been SUPER long since I've hung out with her. Seriously, can't remember the last time it was just us!! :( Need to do it more often!

Birthday plans are dinner at Luca's, The Hangover movie and then back to our house to hang out with some friends. :) I know 31 isn't a very significant birthday, but how often does my birthday land on a Friday?! Excited!!

wedding season has begun...

So, since I'm normally behind in blogging at a slower time of year, you can bet I'll be even more behind now that wedding season is in full swing! ;)
I shot 4 weddings so far - just in June alone! Also shot a few engagement sessions. Wow, so much editing to do!

A few new things -

~ we got a kitten - super cute, his name is William. Hoping to get a good shot of him soon!

~ we went camping in Bay Port - we had a great time and I only took a couple of pictures. Sometimes when it's your job, you just want to enjoy a few days without documenting it. ;)

~ I get to visit Erin in less than 2 weeks - EXCITED!!! Seriously, I'm counting down the days! I'm even going to buy a new piece of luggage just for this trip!

~ Dave's getting the fish tank again. He's putting in the basement, so I hope that means we'll be keeping the basement clean....

~ my friend Jes made me some super cute coasters and a matching mousepad for my desk! I'll get some pictures of those taken soon too - I promise!

~ I think we're going to Cedar Point tomorrow, but the weather looks crappy, so maybe not??

~ The Detroit Zoo with the family was really fun yesterday and I'm glad Lindsay went along with us!

Ok, I think that's all I've got for today! :)

anniversary

Well, I'm a bit behind in posting about this, but Dave and I just celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary on June 5th. WOW - 10 years. I'm sure I'll really be saying that in 10 more!

We sent the girls off to Dave's parents for the night and headed down to Troy to stay at the Embassy Suites. Love that place - 3 drinks in the evening and then a really nice breakfast the next morning. We checked in and went to the Melting Pot for dinner - love that place! We had the Snickers chocolate fondue - amazing!!

The last 10 years have really flown. We met in August of 1995, so this August we'll have known each other (and basically began dating) for 14 years. Seriously, I feel old, yet, I don't. I will be 31 in August, and we have 3 little girls, so really for my age, that's pretty good.

When I met Dave I knew almost right away that he was the man I would marry. Weird how you just get that feeling. I love him even more now that I did then. And our love then is different than our love for each other is now. It's stronger and secure. I love that I still get butterflies once in awhile just holding his hand to looking into his eyes. (love the color too!). Ok, probably getting too mushy for everyone - sorry! lol But, I really do feel so lucky and blessed that we have such an amazing relationship. It's not perfect and we've had our rough days (and months, and years) but we're stronger because of it. I'm sure it helps that neither of us are very confrontational people, but we talk and are honest with each other. I don't feel that he takes me for granted and I don't beleive he feels that I take him for granted either. I know I will never fully understand what it's like to be the main bread-winner, to be the man of the house. But I don't always think he understands everything that I do either. And that's ok. We're made to be different.

When I got home in the afternoon on our anniversary Dave had 2 dozen red roses in a vase on the table, and coasters that spelled out "love". 2 chapange fluets were there too - for our Dom Perion toast later. Beautiful!

I look forward to the rest of our lives together and hope we have many, many more. Love you Dave!!

new glasses

A bit behind as I now have a new hair cut too! Just a shot Dave took. Will get a decent hair shot up soon! Promise!!

interesting

I just realized that so far I haven't posted a single image on this blog - kinda funny for a photographer, huh? I've always liked to write, just always seem to be lacking a subject to write about. So I make lists, and lists, and lists. I have long term goals, short term goals, summer plans and schedules, business lists and goals, project lists and "to do" lists. And I usually rewrite them over and over again too. Sounds a little nuts.
I love being able to cross things off my lists too. Even better when I haven't looked a particular list in awhile and come back to it and realize I get to cross off several things at once.
Of course on the other hand, seeing a list and realizing I haven't done a darn thing on it is a little more depressing. Like, one my lists has "clean & organize the basement" on it. It's been on there for quite some time and always seems to be the last thing on the list. Which means it will never. get. done. It's going to be a big job, and for big jobs I like to work non-stop until it's done, which with three little girls running around, is impossible because I'm always getting interrupted. Oh well, no one comes down here anyway. ;)

thoughts....

I'm getting ready to go shoot a newborn session this morning! Jill, my cousin Jennie's cousin on her mom's side had a baby boy last week! He's 10 days old today!

I drove by the space that I'd previously thought about leasing to open a studio for the business. A place to meet clients, shoot portraits and a place to work outside of home. I'm back to considering it more seriously. The space is still available, the location is fun and offers good outdoor shooting as well. I would still travel some, I'm sure not every couple will be able to meet me there, but I'm sure it will bring in more money, especially on the portrait side of the business. It would take more of my time, which I think I might be ready for. I think having a "job" to go to would help keep me on track and get things done quicker.

Anyway, I'll be posting I'm sure on the subject more. The space needs flooring still, so if I decide to do it, it will take at least a month or a month and a half to get it ready for opening.

decisions, decisions...

summer planning

So, I'm working on getting our summer planned out. The last few summers we never really made any plans, and the days slipped by us in a hurry! This year my wedding schedule worked out so that I have most of July & August open, which is perfect since that's when the girls are home! Dave and I have been wanting to take the girls camping for some time. I think the last time we went Grace was a new born baby! My parents have taken our girls each year though, so they have experienced camping still.

It's also worked out that Dave has 2 weeks off the end of June, so we'll be doing some little trips those weeks too. Dave and I will hopefully get to Cedar Point since we haven't gotten to go together for years!

So far we plan on camping up on his grandparents old property in Bay Port, doing a day trip to Lake Michigan (possibly camping, but not sure), and we'll be going to Kalamazoo the first weekend of September so I can help my friend Adam at his sister's wedding. It's a Friday ceremony, so we'll have the rest of the weekend as family time. :) We're also going rafting in August with our neighbors on the Pine River and a Detroit Zoo trip planned with my family. I also plan on going down to visit Erin in July - YAY!

So, the summer is looking good and I hope we do a lot of little day trip too. Of course I always have to have some days dedicated to work, but hopefully I'll have a sitter once a week to help with that.

Can't wait!!

Sister's

Well, the sister's (minus Erin - boo!) finally got a chance to hang out Monday evening! We had a good time and it was so nice to talk and be together. Really hoping to make that a more consistent habit! Love you girls!!

So while we did the usual talking about strange bodily functions, what our kids are doing (both exciting things and those things that drive us nuts), and how life in general is going, we got into some good discussions about church and beliefs, etc. I would love to have us do some sort of Bible study together sometime. Mandy and I are pretty close and we do help and encourage each other, I would love to include Heather and Cody in that too!

I think we could help keep each other accountable in our walk with God, growing as Christians, being helpmates to our husbands, and to be better mothers. Cody just finished a pretty intense Bible study at her church and it sounds like it was great and really is helping her grow as a Christian.

Dave and I have been going to a church called Wildwind for the last couple of years, but about a year ago they moved to a different location and had to start meeting on Saturday evenings. With my work schedule for weddings, it makes it difficult to get to church at all May-October. With missing church months at a time, going when I am not working is hard for me to do! I'll sometimes forget it's time for church at all! It's also hard to be invloved when we can't even attend on a regular basis, I've always enjoyed working with the youth (I get this from my parents, they are now working with the youth again!). This is also frustrating because this means the girls are't getting to church either - it's tough getting the girls ready for church by yourself after they've been playing outside all day! We've talked about trying another church, even though I think Wildwind is working on moving us back to Sunday meetings. I LOVE the people at Wildwind - we've made some good friends and that's what's making me hesitate from leaving. My parents now go there too, which is a huge plus. But, if that means we can't attend church 3/4 of the year, is that the right choice?? I'm thinking it's not.

my list

My sister-in-law, Mandy, created a summer resolutions list and I thought that was a great idea and a good way to start off this blog!

1. be more organized

2. say "no" more (to save my sanity)

3. play with the girls more

4. plan some fun activities for the girls this summer

5. shoot more photos for me

6. blog more! ;)

7. push myself more with my business

8. read a book a month

9. use a new recipe once a week

10. eat out less

11. get up earlier so I have some quiet time to read my bible and be ready for the day

12. see my sisters more often!!

13. more family day trips

14. not stress about money, what happens, happens.

15. more dates with Dave

16. clean more ;)

sure there are more I will think of, but that's it for now!!!

why?

So, why am I creating yet another blog, when I have a hard enough time keeping up with my other one? Well, I'll tell ya. ;) The other blog is a family blog, I want it to be for posting pictures of the girls and our family activities. I'm sure some of the posts will be similar, but I wanted a blog for myself to post more about me. yay! lol

Also, to create this blog I needed to create a new e-mail address since my other one was use for the family blog. I'll send it out to everyone soon. :)

I'll be posting soon!