"Picture Perfect"

These pictures are actually from today.......

2008-10-19T11:07:00.001-07:00

Outside this morning, weather was 52 degrees at 9am. Pretty good for late October WI weather
I wish they were not so dark :(

Minnesota State Fair Fun, Labor Day weekend 08

2008-10-19T10:46:00.000-07:00

And Cainen is 18 Months Old!!!!!! And seems to find a new way to make us laugh every single day!!!
I love the picture of my sister and her man Nate acting as if they are going to inhale the brownies. Since she is preggo I told her she can! You look great sis and I am so excited to meet my niece!

2008-10-19T10:20:00.000-07:00

We are having a lot of cousins having babies so our summer was filled with baby showers. Here is one of my sister, my aunt Sis, and our cousin Carissa. Carissa just had a baby girl in June and my sister is due with a baby girl in January so we have yet more showers.
We found time to make it to the MN State Fair which was a great time, I just love this picture of the boys getting a caricature done.

August 2008

2008-10-19T10:01:00.001-07:00

Carson is 10 and a half, Cainen is 17 Months old and WOW are we busy........Loving every second of it!!!!!

Summer Fun

2008-10-19T09:49:00.001-07:00

I should be ashamed of myself....

2008-10-19T09:35:00.001-07:00

What a terrible blogger I am....if no one even remembers my blog name I would not blame them. I just suck so bad at it and we got insanely busy! No more excuses, however I am going to stick to pictures and that is it. So beware but you are about to get photo overload.
Since May we have done so many new fun things with the boys and I have done so many new things with my career.
Hopefully these photos will tell our story.
Thanks for the patience and enjoy the boys :)

Anyone else excited................

2008-05-27T09:13:00.000-07:00

Sex and the City The Movie opens in 3 days!!!!!!!
I am busting at the seams with excitement! My girlfriend is coming home from Eau Claire and we are going to see it, after a few cosmopolitans of course :) This show was every woman's dream, showcasing amazing friendships, high fashion, a story about life, love, and the pursuit of happiness. I own all the seasons and I can tell you I have sat up many long lonely Saturday nights watching several discs in a row. I can not wait to see what the girls have been up to!

14 Months Old

2008-05-23T10:01:00.000-07:00

Our little man is getting so big. He is a funny kid and so entertaining. He loves to carry his blanket with him everywhere he goes now, he giggles and smiles constantly, and he is very independent. Cainen will only eat if he can feed himself, which is always a fun mess. What is hilarious is how he loves chasing the dog around and laughs whenever he catches up to Lambeau. I just simply can not explain how much we love our big boy!

Go David Go!!!!!!

2008-05-21T21:04:00.000-07:00

I am very excited that David Cook won American Idol!!!!
He is amazing, interesting, polite, easy on the eyes, and just an all around talented man! He deserves the success and I am happy to say I have voted for him every week since week one :)
I do have to add that I almost had a heart attack the moment after Ryan announced the winner because Fox ran longer than scheduled so our TIVO stopped recording the second after Ryan said Cook. GASP!!!!! I looked at Mike and then instantly ran to my computer to find the ending on You Tube. Thank goodness I found it or someone was going to have a bad night and that person may have been Mike, ha ha

Spring Concert

2008-05-20T11:04:00.000-07:00

I can hardly believe it is time for the annual Spring Concert at school. It is such a fun day for the kids. Cainen was a trooper and had a wonderful time clapping and smiling at all the kids! I should have taken a picture of him enjoying it.
I can remember looking forward to Concert days at school when I was Carson's age. It meant no homework, no real learning, seeing all of your friends dressed up, just an all around fun day. I think the only part I didn't like about concert mornings was my mom brushing my hair. I always thought she pulled my hair too hard. Thinking back now, she didn't of course she was just trying to get me ready. I now know what my mom went through on concert days and lets just say thank goodness I have boys :)
I love being a mom and sitting in the audience watching my son with a smile on my face and a tear in my eye because they just grow up too fast. And Carson is growing into such a handsome young man if I do say so myself! ;)

Sunday Fun Day

2008-05-20T10:39:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was full of fun!!!!! Hence Sunday Fun Day.

Cainen loves bath time and his hair is getting quite long

Our little ham

Carson and his friend decided that since the weather was nice they were going to have a bike wash....hysterical, let me tell you. The poor boys did not have one customer so they decided it was time to find a new career! Quote unquote

Carson and his business partner Matt

Cainen's first wagon ride

So many pics so little time to post

2008-05-20T10:21:00.000-07:00

I am really bad at keeping up with this!! I have so many pictures to post so I am just going to overload my blog and get them up. The boys are keeping us busy and getting so big way to fast! Thankfully the weather has been allowing us to get out more, the boys sure are loving that as you will see.

Me and my boys at Cainen's first Circus

My gorgeous cousin Carissa 31 weeks pregnant and I before her baby shower

Cainen found a way into big brothers reading chair and already loves Playstation remotes

My boys, all 3 of them

Mr. Cainen Michael

We have a Walker

2008-04-29T08:04:00.000-07:00

Our little man is walking! He is now 13 months old and doing a great job of keeping us all entertained with his constant giggling, climbing, babbling and hugging his brother.
He is an added joy to our lives!

Date Night

2008-04-28T10:14:00.000-07:00

I have been a slacker with my blog. So much has happened in such a short 2 weeks. Carson started hockey this past Monday, yes I know we just got done last month. The one thing about Superior is hockey is never "done". Yes folks we go year round here :)
Along with hockey camps we registered Carson for baseball, which we all have a great time at. Another year of fun in the sun baseball.
Cainen is growing leaps and bounds, he is walking all over the place and practically running without worrying whether he has his balance or not. We refer to that as his drunken sailor walk. More on the boys in a few days.
As for Mike and I, we have been busy with work and life. Mike is settling into his new office at ReMax1. Cainen and I visited him in Duluth on Friday and it is quite the nice and extremely spacious. The halls are nice and long so that kept lil man entertained for quite some time. I am loving my job and the new salon more and more everyday! It is such a calming feeling to know everyday I go to work I go with a smile.
Mike and I have not found much time to do things together lately. Well Sunday morning my Mom offered to watch the boys so we could go do something. How kind of her, thanks Mom!!!!! We love you!
We accepted and were off to a movie and dinner. We saw the movie 21 and it was fantastic, a must see. The movie was scheduled to start at 4:10 so we thought we would catch the early show and do dinner afterward. That way we could be home in time to put the boys to bed. We arrive at the theatre and walk to the counter only to be told there is not a 4:10 showing today because of the opera that is at the DECC. What??!!!!!?? The next showing is at 6:40.......so now what we ask ourselves? We were in Duluth so we decided to drive to Cloquet and head to dinner before hand then head back down the hill to the theatre. We had the most wonderful dinner at Mexico Lindo where I have found my new favorite dish. As many of you know we love Mexican food and Mexico Lindo has the most wonderful vibe, as if we were in Isla. Except that the weather was only 31 degrees yesterday :( After dinner we head back to Duluth we still needed to kill some time before the movie, so we took a stroll down by the lighthouse. This is where we pulled out the point and shoot and snapped a good ol' self portrait. Mike did a great job capturing the bridge in the background as well. Nice work honey! We finally killed enough time and made it back to the theatre for our 6:40 show, well worth the wait and as I said before a must see!

Cainen's One Year Pictures

2008-04-07T07:12:00.000-07:00

We had Cainen's one year pictures professionally taken, I have been taking most of his month to month pictures but we figured since I am not at pro status quite yet.....(working on getting there) we would splurge and we are sooo sooo happy we did!
A girlfriend of mine, Summer, had this woman do her wedding reception pictures and I loved her work. Summer gave us the info and she was hired!
So without further ado here is the link. I hope you enjoy the photos as much as we do.
I can not stop looking at them :)

www.nicolemariegallery.com

In the client proof section of the portrait website enter the password cainen

Enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Priceless

2008-03-30T08:49:00.000-07:00

Big brother Carson took this picture the other day after someone woke up from a really great nap!
I love everything about this picture, his missing sock, his fantastic hairdo, the look on his sweet innocent face, and his gorgeous big blue eyes!
My boys make my heart melt!!

Happy belated Birthday

2008-03-30T08:40:00.000-07:00

This past Thursday was my sister Mirissa's birthday.
I am so blessed to have her in my life, she is charming, thoughtful, sensitive, gorgeous, and kind. Not only is she my best friend in the whole world but she is also one amazing Auntie. The boys adore her and love when she is around! You can see her love for them in her eyes.
Happy 29th Sister! I love you, we all do!!

Cake time

2008-03-24T15:07:00.001-07:00

His birthday was a blast so I thought I would share a few of the hundreds of photos I took! Enjoy our little man :)

Happy Birthday Cainen

2008-03-22T20:46:00.000-07:00

Our beautiful baby boy is ONE already! The year has flown by and we could not imagine life without our sweetheart!!! His laugh is contagious, his smile is infectious, and his eyes sparkle, these are a few of the many millions of things we cherish about our Cainen.
I can remember one year ago today as if it were yesterday. Today has been an emotional fun day for me as I go through photos and think of the many months of life changing events we have been through together. In a nutshell life does not get any better than this and I never knew I could love someone the way I do my boys!!!
Thank you for blessing me again with our little sweet Cainen.

Our birthday boy one year ago

Bad Blogger!

2008-03-21T20:31:00.000-07:00

WOW it has been a long time and I have so much I could share with you............
I shall start with a few photos of our attempts at bringing Cainen to visit the Easter Bunny for the first time. The first time we went there was no bunny, today we went and the line was about 12 deep so Carson decided he needed to have lunch and then come back, well we did that and when we got back after lunch there was again no bunny. This time we were not leaving until the bunny came back, so forty-five minutes later we saw the bunny and had a happy Cainen who really enjoyed him and I was thankful there were no tears, it was worth the wait.

Attempt #1

The boys received a package today from Grandpa Fran and Grandma Judy for Easter.........of course they could not wait to open it, well Cainen really didn't say much but big brother grabbed him and the box and they went at it with smiles on their little faces!

When we wake up tomorrow morning our little sweet CAINEN will be ONE!!!!! I will have alot more to share soon!

Scubba Steve aka Cainen Michael

2008-02-28T20:56:00.000-08:00

He is 11 months old and hilarious!!!!!! Here is our little ham sporting big brothers goggles, he did not even try to take them off..........

Champions!!!!!

2008-02-25T10:14:00.000-08:00

This past weekend Carson and his hockey team had their last tournament of the year and did a great job!
The first game was against Copper County and they won 5-4, second game they beat Rice Lake 6-2 which led them to the Championship game against Antigo. Well they beat Antigo 5-1 and they took home the trophy!! The boys were proud of themselves as they should be!!! They played their hearts out.
Before any games began on Saturday Coach Ray had told the kids that if they win both games on Saturday each player would be able to take a snip at this hair. This is a big deal because Coach does not cut his hair all hockey season so it was pretty long! Well the kids got to cut it and all I can say is thank goodness I was able to fix it :)

Congratulations Boys, I have had a fun year getting to know all of you. We had a great bunch of kids this year and Carson has made some more great friends. Being a manager of a hockey team has more involved than I could every have imagined but over all it was a great experience and I know Carson loved that I helped out his team.....can't say I will do it again but I enjoyed the time I spent with everyone so that makes it worth it!

Random Thoughts

2008-02-20T19:59:00.001-08:00

We have been home for more than ten days now, my tan is gone, the weather is brutal and I am ready to go back to Mexico!
We have been busy everyday since we have been home between hockey, Carson's 10th birthday, hockey, Cainen continuing to make us smile with his new discoveries, and then of course some more hockey. We are happy to be home and be a part of this everyday chaos we call life, however I think it is safe to say we could pack up the family and leave for Mexico tomorrow :)
We came home just in time to hear Cainen say "Mama" for the first time and to celebrate Carson's tenth birthday. He is growing up so fast into a wonderful, smart, charismatic, sensitive, thoughtful, young man that I continue to love more and more each day. I feel so proud of myself and it makes me feel fantastic to know I have done a good job raising a fine young man......
I love you boys and we missed you while we were gone! Next time we go back you are both coming with us and we are not coming back to SupTown until the freezing below zero temperatures are long gone!!
Good Night

We are Home

2008-02-10T16:25:00.001-08:00

We had an amazing time on our vacation!!!! It is certainly bittersweet to be home, we missed the boys terribly but were sad when it was time to leave the island. My emotions were all over the place.
Mike and I enjoyed our anniversary very much. We also enjoyed re-visiting the island where a million memories were made 2 years ago that will last us a lifetime! It was a relaxing trip full of lazy days on the beach with the sun beating on our backs and our toes in the sand reading books and sharing laughs. It was also great timing with the temperatures hitting 40 below zero windchill the day our plane took off.......to come home to this has been a nightmare. My mind keeps drifting off to guacamole and warm sunny beaches :) I can not imagine why?!
We took over 1000 pictures and I have yet to sort through all of them (who really knows when that will happen)
We are looking forward to the day when we can bring both the boys to the island to relax in the sand with us.

We are off to Mexico for our Anniversary Trip

2008-01-29T07:40:00.000-08:00

We can not wait!!!! We will be sure to take plenty of pictures and share them all with you upon our return! We are going to miss the boys terribly but Mike and I also realize it is important for the two of us to spend quality time together. There is no better place to do that than the island we were married on 2 years ago, Isla Mujeres.
Bags are packed and we are off!!!
Thanks to our wonderful Mothers for helping out during our absence. We will be home in no time.
We will miss you tons!!!
Love you all!!! xoxoxo

Cainen is 10 months old today

2008-01-22T08:58:00.000-08:00

Our little sweetheart is growing up too fast!!!! I can not tell you how many times we all talk about how we smile and laugh more having Cainen in our lives. Every little thing he does is precious. He is always smiling and giggling even when it is naughty little things that he already knows he should not be doing. We have agreed that we will not move things unless they are harmful of course. We just feel that he needs to be told no when he is doing wrong, that way we know it will be safe in the future to bring him into others homes and not have to worry about that! Ha
He says dada all the time, in fact I am home with him during the day and I have been working on mama...he is not having it, I will say "Cainen say Mama" He looks me in the eye every time and says "Dada" I get a kick out of it and end up on the floor laughing with him. My grandparents love to stop by and visit about once a week if not more and they too get a bang out of him.
Such a blessing, a true joy in all of our lives and I could not be more happy. And a proud mother at that. To see how the boys interact with one another is pure joy....it warms my heart. In fact Carson asked the other day if he could rock his brother to sleep, I didn't think Carson would have the patience but of course we said yes and he did it :) Instantly his baby brother was cuddled up in his arms dozing off for sweet dreams, Carson was quite proud of himself too.
Happy 10 Month Old Birthday Baby Boy!!!! We all Love you!

DISAPPOINTING

2008-01-21T13:18:00.000-08:00

Oh my Lord, I am ill!!!! I feel sad and empty............poor Packers. It needs to be said though, you can not win a football game if you don't show up and guess what...we didn't show up. The Packers made 49 plays and the Giants made 81, enough said. Words just can not describe how I feel! To be so close and yet so far.

BEYOND EXCITED!!!!!

2008-01-17T21:01:00.000-08:00

GO Pack GO!!!!!!!!!
I ordered my new Favre Pink Sparkle jersey and it is so cute I may have to wear it everyday until Sunday. I can not wait for the big game :) My Dad scored tickets to the game and I am incredibly jealous. I told him to bring me with him in spirit!
I wish my pictures could capture my excitement.....my heart is pumping so fast I think it could possibly burst. Sometimes I even forget we are leaving for our Anniversary trip in 12 days because all I can think about is this game.

Go Pack Go!!!!!!

Go Pack Go!!!!

2008-01-11T08:45:00.000-08:00

With the big game fast approaching I can not help but remember all the fun we have going to Packer games and rooting our favorite team on....(well Mike is not a Packer fan but we don't tell many people that, hence the picture of us where he is wearing something purple!! GASP)
4 years ago we were able to score tickets to the Jan.3rd playoff game at Lambeau Field against Holmgren and the boys when Holmgren came back to Lambeau. It was one of the greatest times ever, cold but fun, I mean freezing cold. We put our beer down on the ground only to pick it up a few minutes later to have ice beer :) Yummy!!! We beat the Seahawks 4 years ago and I am hoping/ praying we will do it again tomorrow!!!!
GO PACK GO!!!!!!
Enjoy some of my Packer fun day pictures....including one of my Packlorette Party, get it instead of a Bachlorette Party my sisters had it in Green Bay at a bar and it was our Packlorette Party :)

Cainen's first trip to Lambeau Field

2008-01-09T08:40:00.000-08:00

As most of you know we LOVE the Packers and LOVE Lambeau field, we were there over the holidays and it was nothing short of spectacular!!
It was extra special as it was Cainen's first time and definitely not his last!!
We enjoyed lunch at Curly's Pub (it was Cainen's first taste of french fries....which he loved. Thanks bro) and played games in the arcade inside the atrium, it was a wonderful time had by all.

2008-01-09T08:15:00.001-08:00

My resolutions.....................

2008-01-01T13:05:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!!!!!!! I am looking forward to 2008 and have decided not to make resolutions but commit to doing certain things.

~I want to stress less this year
~I plan on having more patience for my children and listen to them more often even if it means stopping something "important" that I am doing at the moment.
~Tone this body up and stick to a new lifestyle
~Join a photography class every season
~Vow to stay in touch and make more time for my friends and family, we all get busy but I don't like not knowing what is going on with the ones that mean the most to me
~Stop worrying so much about other people and how they feel and what they think is important....I vow to focus on my family and what is good for us :)

2008 is the year our baby boy will turn one, it is the year my hubby and I will go on our 2 year anniversary trip back to the beautiful island we were married, our big baby turns double digits this year, we have plans to finish our home and stay constructivly busy. Great things are going to happen this coming year, not only for us but hopefully it is a new beginning for loved ones as well who are going through some tough times.
Cheers

Bentleyville

2007-12-17T19:36:00.000-08:00

This place is absolutely amazing!!! We took the boys there this eveing to see Santa :) It was Cainen's first visit ever to sit on Santa's lap and I don't know if he was really afraid or if he was just cold. Non the less we had a fun time. Bentleyville became a yearly event for families when a man and his wife started decorating their home in Esko a couple years ago and it has grown into such an amazing spectacular event! They start putting up lights and decorations Sept 8th, with over 14 acres to light up they have to. There are several million lights, 600 plus snowflakes suspended in the trees, 230 lighted reindeer scattered throughout the woods, a dozen pallets of cider, coffee, and cookies are served, also Santa is there every year on a gigantic sleigh to greet the children and hand out winter caps with Bentleyille imprinted on them. The entrance to Bentleyville consists of a 78 foot long, 28 foot high steel framed castle and a lighted tunnel....Christmas music fills the air. Everywhere, themed displays of mostly custom-made lighted steel frame holiday decorations brighten the woods along 700 feet of paved paths. From skiing polar bears to gingerbread kids romping in a playground to playful penguins to a delightful carousel to a downtown with old-fashioned streetlights to the Twelve Days of Christmas characters with musical accompaniment, Bentleyville shows off the spirit of Christmas in a big way. There is a Cookie House, a commercial Popcorn machine, 6 fire pits to roast marshmallows and make s'mores. There is parking a mile down the road where buses pick you up to shuttle you inside Bentleyville for safety purposes. This place is absolutely unreal, it is magical and enchanting!! We look forward to it every year.
Thanks to the Bentleys'

2007-12-17T19:29:00.000-08:00

2007-12-17T19:02:00.000-08:00

Hockey Season

2007-12-13T21:39:00.000-08:00

Introducing this years hockey team......We are in full swing of Carson's Sixth Hockey Season. I can hardly believe he started skating when he was 3 years old! This young man has become quite the hockey player and is a true joy to watch. He has learned alot about himself and made some wonderful friendships along the way :) I am one proud mother!

The tree is up

2007-12-07T13:29:00.000-08:00

Our decorating is done.....awwwww, what a sigh of relief! We bravely decided to keep it in the living room in front of our big picture window hoping we would be able to ward Cainen off. HA what a joke that has been. On Thursday my mother (who bless her heart, watches him while we are working) called me at work to tell me "He did it, he knocked the tree down and looked like the witch on Wizard of Oz with his little legs sticking out" You can hardly get mad, in fact I laughed and then hoped she was able to take a picture :) Cainen is such a trooper, he did not cry at all. My mother lifted the tree and he apparently had a very confused look on his face. What I would have paid to see that!
I can hardly blame him when a tree turns out so pretty and colorful......

Fun in the Snow

2007-12-03T18:51:00.000-08:00

We had our first official snowstorm that left us with 7" of snow on Saturday, for early December that is the most we have had in years.........not certain I am ready for this?
Non the less it was a crazy day, we were busy decorating, and getting things done around the house that we had been neglecting. There was no hockey either so we definitely had to take advantage of that!
During all the hectic hustle and bustle and I will not lie, some frustrating arguing, we did all manage to make it outside for some fun time. It was Cainen's first snow and he absolutely loved watching the powdery white fluff fall from the sky :) He was hysterical when the snowflakes were falling on his long gorgeous lashes......

Not enough time in a day

2007-11-25T07:05:00.001-08:00

WOW!!!!! I feel like such a failure, we were supposed to be at the rink for 7am hockey practice...instead our internal alarm clock decided we would not wake up until the coaches wife called me at 7:14 :( Carson was pretty upset with me and I feel extremely guilty!!!! I brushed my teeth quickly threw on some clothes (beige socks with black shoes....ICK) and off we went. The only way I got Carson out of bed so quick was by promising him french toast sticks from Burger King, hey don't judge it worked!
Now I am on my way back to the rink to pick up the kids socks that match their jerseys before we head to Silver Bay for a game.
Man what a morning, there are plenty of days I wish I didn't need sleep so I could everything done that I would like to.........there just never seems to be enough time!
Hopefully the game will go well and our crazy morning will be forgotten.
Happy Sunday

Our Future Packer

2007-11-12T14:06:00.000-08:00

What we have been up to

2007-11-12T13:37:00.000-08:00

I have been a bad blogger! Life has been crazy busy but I have loads of pics to show you what we have been up to.
Our little Cainen is now 7 months old, he has 4 teeth and is in to everything! He has been crawling now for 3 weeks and can pull himself up onto anything and everything. He is at the stage where he wants things he can not have, his pouty face is the cutest thing ever!!!!! Cainen adores our dog Lambeau and they have become very good buddies since Carson started school. They enjoy looking out our front window together as you will see. Lately Cainen has started getting into his books, not necessarily reading them because apparently they taste good. He loves all kinds of different foods and is a really good eater! He really loves when his brother feeds him as well. Not sure how they manage to do it at such a small age but he just melts our heart, we are in LOVE!
Carson got his first 4th grade report card this Friday and we were thrilled with the results. He is a great student and doing quite well. Carson is an official Spartan now!!!! Hockey is in full swing and I became the team manager. This title comes with plenty of work, as if I am not busy enough right :) We will be traveling alot this year, in fact we will probably put in more than 1100 miles for our tournaments alone. But Carson loves it and he is getting better everyday, he is quit good. Mike and I get goosebumps when we see him on the ice because he loves it and we love to watch him!
As for Mike and I, we are just loving being parents! Life is complete.... kids to keep you on your toes, dreaming with your childen, playing as if nothing else matters in the world, and LOVING unconditionally.
Life is busy but it doesn't get better than this!

3 Months from Today

2007-10-30T08:32:00.000-07:00

We will be leaving for Mexico, returning to the place we were married to celebrate our 2 year wedding anniversary! We can not wait :)
So in honor of that I thought I would share with you the pictures that I spent my morning staring at in disbelief that it was that long ago already!
Oh and my diet is not coming along so hot.....sorry honey I will not be looking like Jessica Alba on the beach! LOL
As many of you know these photos are courtesy of our amazing wedding photographer Jessica Claire!

Utopia Salon and Spa

2007-10-19T12:15:00.000-07:00

Wow how life can change in just one blink of the eye. This last year has consisted of a few salon changes for me but this last week was the icing on the cake. When I went to school for Cosmetology I went because it was something I had always been interested in, I tried the four year college thing and my heart kept bringing me back to my original interest. So when I finally entered into the program I learned more than I thought I ever would, I learned that I was going to have the career I had always dreamed of and was going to love it. At graduation my instructor took me aside to give me a big hug while doing so she whispered in my ear and told me "You will do great things, dream big and you can achieve anything. Your talent is raw and that is rare. You can see your heart through your eyes when you are behind the chair."
I will never forget that! After school I was fortunate to work in a very busy, professional, fun salon where I gained a wonderful clientele base that I feel I deserve because I appreciate them and I am good at what I do because I love it. After 3 years there the time had come when I felt I wanted more so I went on to open my own salon with another stylist friend of mine. That was the highlight of my career. I could see myself there for a long time....my visions started small and remained that way until I knew it was time for greater things with the salon, it was moving in the right direction and I wanted to take the next step. However my partner and I had hit a bump in the road, our visions were no longer the same and I found out I was pregnant so I graciously stepped aside leaving our salon to her. I felt like all of my dreams were crashing down around me yet at the same time I knew I was doing the right thing, my heart and gut told me so. I don't regret that decision and I never will yet a small part of me felt like a failure, a let down, someone who had such a strong passion for what she was doing just let that all go?!!
Well I have that drive and passion back and I could not be more thrilled.....I have gone through alot of turmoil and changes but have finally found somewhere I call home. Somewhere I can go to work and laugh again, a professional environment where the ladies and I all share the same goal. Going there makes me smile and feel good about me! I am a true believer in the saying: "Everything happens for a reason" I now know my reason for all the heartache I have felt in the last year and the payoff is huge!
Enjoy my new home, these are just a few images....the pictures do not do it justice so if you are ever in need of a cut or color please call me at 715 3921700 because you have to see it in person, you too will love it! I know a shameless plug right? Had to :)

Apple Festival in Bayfield Wisconsin

2007-10-12T10:59:00.000-07:00

Every year in October our family goes to Bayfield for their Apple Festival and it is a great time! The orchards are gorgeous and full of the most plump, shiny, delicious apples you have ever tasted in your life. This year the weather was chilly and foggy so we were not able to get pictures of the beautiful islands. Still the food was plenty and most everything had apples in it including delicious Caramel Apple Cheesecake that Mike and I chowed down on :) I wanted an Applebratwurst but the line was ridiculously long so I passed. We did however find short lines and had pizza, mini doughnuts, kettle corn, Indian tacos, chicken gyros, apple cider, and I topped my day off with yummy sangria.
We all left there with full bellies and 25 pounds of apples!

Packer Upset

2007-10-08T08:33:00.000-07:00

I can not believe we played like that!!! What an upset, had we won that game the Pack would be sitting pretty right now, break my heart. However with 4 turnovers you can not win a football game.
As disheartening as that game was I must say there was still smiles and laughter at our house. The boys had a blast and Cainen must have laughed at Carson for a good hour. Carson and Meme (my mom) were playing catch with a Packer football and Cainen thought that was the most entertaining thing on earth!

Some sneak peeks for Staci

2007-10-07T21:31:00.000-07:00

I hope you enjoy these Staci. Life has just been crazy......sorry I haven't gotten you the pics yet! I sure enjoyed our photog chat and it was great to see you and meet your family!
For those of you who do not know what I am talking about I will fill you in.
On the 22nd of Sept I had the pleasure of second shooting a wedding with my aunt. We shot the wedding of Staci's sister, Amber and Wayne. (Staci has a rockin blog...The Landis Family I have under Blogs I Visit. She has amazing pictures and adorable children) The wedding itself was an absolute blast!! The bride was gorgeous, the groom gave me a great, fun challenge for the day because he was not up for photos, the kids made me smile all day, and let's face it a wedding is just a great celebration of love! How can you not have a wonderful day?!
Here are just a few of my personal fav's.

I just LOVE these children, they kept me more than entertained! Absolutely gorgeous!

This should motivate me!

2007-10-07T07:08:00.000-07:00

Our anniversary trip is booked for February and if this doesn't motivate me to lose some more of this baby weight, I don't know what will?!
We are staying at the gorgeous Ixchel Beach Hotel in Isla, we couldn't be more excited! So let the diet begin!! :)

Cainen is 6 Months Old

2007-09-23T19:04:00.000-07:00

Where has the time gone? I know everyone says that and it is the truth, it feels like yesterday we were bringing him home from the hospital feeling scared, excited, full of love, and exhausted!
Cainen is a blessing beyond words, he has made us smile ten thousand times more a day he makes us laugh and his eyes know how to melt our heart! I watch the boys play and laugh and love one another it is the greatest gift I could ever receive in this lifetime!
I have a wonderful husband, a hilarious, sweet 9 year old, and now my life is complete with our precious Cainen!!
To celebrate we had a great day yesterday at the park, the view is just spectacular and the weather was amazing!!!

Halloween Sneak Peek

2007-09-20T06:35:00.000-07:00

The most adorable monkey I have ever see in my life!!!!! Wait until you see the tail and the feet, to die for!!
Now I am trying to convince Carson to be a banana :)

Life was alot more innocent before 9/11

2007-09-11T09:16:00.000-07:00

9/11 leaves a hole in my heart that will never heal.
May friends and family who lost loved ones on that horrific day find peace.
That is my wish for today, God Bless you all!

We LOVE Football!!

2007-09-11T09:01:00.001-07:00

The start of football always means the end of summer for me.
However it does get our household excited because Mike gets to see Michigan play......although after the last 2 weeks I am not sure how I can watch with the huge disappointment they have been for my poor hubby :(
The Packers managed to pull off a win, a tad pathetic non the less a win that I did not get to watch. I dislike living on the Minnesota border because Fox airs the Viking game instead of the Packers :(
So our household could have been very happy with loads of wins if the Wolverines would have gotten there act together!
Vikings win so Mike is happy!
Packers win so Mom and Carson are happy!
Carson's team wins 30 to 6 means the whole family is happy! It was his first official tackle football game and he did great!!!!

School Started

2007-09-07T14:34:00.000-07:00

It is nice to get back on a school schedule and have some consistency in our home.
I love the start of fall, leaves changing colors, the smell of the fresh air, sweaters, football, and yet at the same time I am sad to see summer come to an end :(
Here are some pics of Carson in his football gear and of course a pic of on his fist day of 4th grade!
Enjoy!

Chilly Air already?!

2007-08-19T12:20:00.000-07:00

What to do on chilly days, it is only 60 degrees in mid August?! Mike is working, Carson is waiting to go golfing, Cainen is sleeping, and I am sitting here staring outside wondering how our summer could have possibly flown by this fast! The winds are whipping, the sun is hiding, and I am cold :(
Please someone tell me there is an Indian Summer ahead of us..........So the answer to my question what to do on a chilly day, I am looking at pics of the boys when we had the hose out and were relaxing in the warm July air! These photos melt my heart and warm me up!

Class of 1997

2007-08-13T14:50:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was Mike and my sister Missi's 10 year class reunion. I went with on Friday and had a great time. I was teasing my sister about going to her class reunion but it did not even phase her, in fact she seemed excited and we had a wonderul time! Such a wonderful time in fact that let's just say not many of our friends made it to the second night :O Including us!
To start the evening off with a few laughs we had my mom drop us off for safety purposes in our new mini van, yes I said mini van!! A 2007 Honda Odyssey and I LOVE it!!! All Mike could do was smile when I had told his friends we arrived to his 10 year class reunion in a mini van!

Please Pray with Me

2007-08-12T22:14:00.001-07:00

Dear God,

Please take care of my stepmother Judy tomorrow morning as she goes in for surgery to remove one of her kidneys that is infected with the most awful scary thing anyone has to hear.....cancer!
What does one do or feel when they are told they have cancer? I just can not imagine myself in her shoes. I may not have been the best stepdaughter through this process that seemed to last a million years, instead it was only a long 3 weeks!! For this I apologize, everyone deals with important issues differently....right?!
I spoke with Judy this evening and told her I have been thinking of her and I will continue to think of her and pray until I know she is in recovery tomorrow around noon.
Her and my dad are leaving for the hospital at 4am and Judy told me some promising words, she has her faith and all the trust in the world for her wonderful Dr's....that brought tears to my eyes, such hope! I wish you could all see the emotion in my face and the scare in my heart as another challenge approaches my family. I know when there is a will there is a way and this bump in the road too shall pass.
Thank you God for everything you have ever given me and the people that have so wonderfully richened my life, it is so much sweeter with people like Judy in it!! I plan to go to bed tonight and take myself on a journey full of good times, loads of laughs, gallons of tears, 16 years of trials and tribulations, and most importantly how much I love Judy! Dad I know this is not easy for you but you were the one that taught me "Everything happens for a reason!"
I know God you would not put Judy, the girls, or my brilliant father through this if they could not handle it! Please God let us all hear the words CANCER FREE tomorrow so we can move on with our show and put this nightmare behind us :)
In Jesus name,
Amen.....................

60 Years of Bliss

2007-08-07T08:06:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was my Grandparents 60th Wedding Anniversary and my Grandpa Wally's 80th Birthday!!!!!! They have 5 children, 34 grandchildren, and the last time my grandfather counted there are 23 great grandchildren. WOW................
What a true inspiration these two have been to me, I can not say it enough "I love you both!" Thank you for everything!!!
A party was held in their honor on Saturday and I know Gram and Gramp enjoyed themselves!

My Heart is Bleeding for Minneapolis

2007-08-02T07:01:00.001-07:00

I can not tell you how many times I have traveled over that bridge. My heart is aching and as I stare at the images on the TV screen I am numb, I can not even begin to imagine what is must be like for everyone involved. My cell phone was getting a busy signal last night every time I went to use it and I was wondering why, 15 minutes later is when I received word about this tragedy and within seconds I had my answer to all the busy signals. Families and friends were dialing frantically to contact one another.
We are 160 miles away, yet so close. Mike's best friend is a police officer in Minneapolis so Mike called to make sure he and his family were safe. Low and behold Josh answered and told Mike he is on a 20 hour stretch right now and working just under the bridge. Mike and I were watching the Today show this morning and one of the images we saw was a school bus barely hanging on the bridge, well that is were Josh is working......right below that bus! Poor Josh, thankfully he is ok but what he is witnessing must be very difficult. Josh hang in there buddy, we are praying for you!!! As I am praying for everyone in the city of Minneapolis!!!!!

Carson's Sports

2007-08-01T11:31:00.000-07:00

Well Carson's baseball team is officially out of the playoffs, losing their last game by one run. The bottom of the last inning and bases were loaded with 2 outs.....no pressure on the poor kid that was up to bat, I was just thankful it wasn't Carson (although I know he could have done it)
Here are a few pics of my favorite ball player! Our future ball player too, Cainen had a blast at the games and was a real hit with the kids.
Another fun wonderful year of ball and the kids did awesome!!
Tonight we are off to hockey, not a bad place to be when it is 90 outside. A nice cool hockey arena :)

Cainen's Stats

2007-07-27T10:48:00.001-07:00

Well our baby is a whopping 4 Months Old already! We can not believe it, he is rolling over, smiling on command, laughing, pulling mommy's hair and so much more. He is a joy to be around!! His big brother sure loves him to pieces, the way they cuddle and love each other brings tears of joy to my eyes. I am truly blessed!

We had Cainen's Dr. appt was the other day and here are his stats........

Weight~ 15#1oz. 52% tile for boys his age
Height~ 25" again 52% tile
Head Circumference~ 17" 86% tile for boys :)

ABC's of Miranda

2007-07-27T10:25:00.000-07:00

A - Attached or Single: Attached
B - Best Friend(s): Mike, Missi, and my Mom
C - Cake or Pie: Cake
D - Drink of Choice: Diet Coke or Mojitos
E - Essential Item: My Camera
F - Favorite Color: Blue
G - Gummi Bears or Worms: Gummi Bears
H - Hometown: Superior, WI
I – Indulgence(s): Shoes
J - January or July: July, have you ever been to WI in Jan? If not, dont!
K - Kids: Carson and Cainen
L - Life is incomplete without: Family
M - Marriage Date: 2.4.06
N - Number of Siblings: One baby sister Mirissa Ann whom I adore!
O - Oranges or Apples: Either
P - Phobias/Fears: Heights, and fear of losing loved ones
Q - Favorite Quote: Love to Live, Live to Love
R - Reason to smile: My boys make me smile everyday
S - Season: Summer, except the humid sticky days although Fall is a close second
T- Tag Three: Mike, Gina, and Missi
U - Unknown Fact About Me: I hate getting ready for the day
V - Vegetarian or Oppressor of Animals: Bring on the beef.
W - Worst Habit: my compulsive cleaning and freaking out
X - X-rays or Ultrasounds: Ultrasounds
Y - Your Favorite Foods: Popcorn and Guadalajara
Z - Zodiac: Taurus and quite fitting I must add

It's my turn :)

2007-07-26T19:52:00.000-07:00

I have been tagged by the one and only Beth (who makes me gain weight by reading her blog!!!) By the way her Blog is Our Sweet Life

Players list 8 facts/habits about themselves. The rules of the game are posted at the beginning before those facts/habits are listed. At the end of the post, players then tags 8 people by posting their names and makes sure they know they’ve been tagged by leaving a comment at the tagee’s blog.
Here goes.......................

1. I currently have an obsession with my new Nikon D40, see post below :) And this blog thing of course

2. When I was 21 months old I was paralyzed, my parents were told I would most likely never walk again. Yay me :) At 21 months old you don't know your own limitations I guess

3. I have awful OCD habits, some of them make me late for appointments which is not good! All related to cleaning, Monica from Friends best describes me.

4. My best friend is my sister, my family keeps me motivated, and my boys are my life.

5. My dream vacation would be going to Santorini with my wonderful hubby.....but I love vacationing all together!

6. I have a massive fear of heights, rollercoasters are like "what the $hit! No way!!!"

7. If you know me at all you know I LOVE the Green Bay Packers and Lambeau Field is the best place in Wisconsin

8. When I was in the 8th grade I took first place in a national Forensics competion

The blogs I am tagging are

Life in Motion
Snips and Snails
Little Man Karr
Show-me to the Beach
A Remebered Detail
One Eye Open (Shey)
The Newlywed Game
Running Adrift

Okay that took me awhile and I hope some of you don't mind :) This is fun, now if only I knew more about this blog thing. Stick with me please I am learning....hey will someone let me know if my links are working to the Blogs I Visit?!
Thanks and Goodnight

Jessica Claire ROCKS!!!

2007-07-26T17:06:00.000-07:00

As many of you know Mike and I were very fortunate to have the talented and lovely Jessica Claire photograph our wedding in Mexico. I am beyond in love with her work, her taste, her style, etc. and was able to participate in a live chat she was holding today on Blu Domain's Happy Hour.......to make a long story short she was there to answer any questions that were being asked. I received a few tips and while chatting I found out she will be speaking at a PPA (Professional Photographers Association) in WI this October. I asked her to email me information so I could look into attending. Not only did she tell me she would email me but mentioned Mike and I being models for her shooting class then staying to attend her class later! ARE YOU KIDDING ME :) I told her absolutely, my diet starts tomorrow!!!! She made my night, to have Jess shoot Mike and I again would be a dream come true!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This lady is beyond fabulous and I hope it works out for us. I am extremely excited that I keep hitting the refresh button on the computer hoping her email will pop up soon. I am trying to remember she is on California time. Her work and her business sense is admirable and then some, having said this I am now just hoping it is not the only weekend I am booked for a wedding in October (not that I don't love my bride)........a behind the chair wedding doing hair, not behind the lens wedding like I hope to be doing someday :)
You can check out Jessica Claire's work by clicking on her name at the bottom of my blog, if that does not work (forgive me I am new at this) her website is www.jessicaclaire.net
After that make sure you add her to your favorites because I assure you you will become addicted!! I have!

I did it, I made a Blog

2007-07-23T21:15:00.000-07:00

After some thought and a new Nikon D40 camera from the hubby I decided to start a BLOG! Mike and I were just chatting when he came up with a name for my blog. I am certain this will lead me to a new addiction, second to photography of course! It is late and I am sure Cainen will be up at some point, poor little guy is teething so bad. This is only killing us because he was sleeping through the night at 2 months old!! Having said that I am going to sign off, however I will be be back tomorrow with some photos of how big the boys are getting! In the meantime enjoy this picture. Like I said Cainen is teething :)