imperfect blogging
Monday, November 09, 2009Last week I tossed around the idea of not blogging anymore. I had almost decided to delete my blog after writing a good-bye post. I had a comment on the post about Jasper's party that insinuated that I think my family and I are perfect. It came at a bad time. I was stressed with lots of Knight Light work. We also have been dealing with some rude people that we just keep trying with. It's funny because I feel like as far as blogs go, mine is pretty honest. I write about bad days, good days and the ones in between. And then I get that comment... Labels: about me, all you need is love, baby love
I truly feel that Josh and I are perfect for each other, but I know that we are not perfect people. I am lucky that I married a man like Josh. He tweets things to me like, "you are my favorite hello and hardest goodbye" and blogs things like this. He also never loads the dishwasher, likes motorcycles, and gives me charlie horses*. (*To be fair he has only given me one charlie horse and that was over the weekend.) I know Josh likes when I make him supper or pick up after him. He also thinks I spend too much time on Facebook and like Christmas entirely too much.
I am far from being a perfect mother. Sure, I use cloth diapers, make my own baby food, don't ever have the TV on for Jasper. But some days I count down the minutes until nap time or wish that kid would sit still for more than two minutes at a time.
The thing about blogs is that you can put out there as little or as much as you want. I prefer to read blogs that are more honest and come across as authentic rather than hiding a lot. If you're going to put it out there, you might as well let your freak flag fly. There are things I don't/won't blog about. I never blogged about my job, issues with my in-laws or if Josh and I have a fight. Those topics would only make situations worse.
If I have ever given you the impression that I think my family is perfect or that everything is rosy here, well then I am sorry. Of course it's not. I just don't write about everything. I don't think you want to hear about how it seems the dog and baby need to poop at the same time every day. How today I had to wash the dog's butt after he was outside. And then I threw the washcloth away because I didn't want to deal with the aftermath. Of course, that was after changing a poopy diaper. And right now my kitchen is a mess but I have no energy to clean it up. Instead I will go and sit on the couch with my husband and enjoy the snuggle time instead.
Our life isn't perfect but we sure enjoy it. We laugh a lot, we cry occasionally, we dance in our pajamas on Saturday mornings... We are imperfect together.
am & pm
Wednesday, October 28, 2009This morning was a trying one here in my house. Jasper flipped some imaginary switch around 10:00am and became a different toddler. He was whiny, grouchy and tried to do everything he's not supposed to do. It started with the plant he knows not to touch. He went over to it and ripped a leaf off while looking right at me. I took the leaf, sat him down and said no. He started crying and immediately went back to the plant to pull on it. He got in trouble again and things went downhill. I put him down for a nap and he wailed. Since this is very unusual for him I got him back up and tried to occupy him. He wanted to be held and then wanted down. Up and down, whining the whole time. I seriously said to him, "Who are you and what have you done with my baby?". We tried nap time a few more times but he did not go down for a nap until ten til one. And then he proceeded to sleep for THIRTY MINUTES. He cried more this morning than the entire month of October. Getting two teeth and four molars is apparently hard work. Labels: all you need is love, baby love, family matters
The morning sucked but my day improved. My awesome neighbor agreed to watch Jasper. (Of course he was an angel for her.) Josh took off work early to pick him up. Sondra and I went into town. I got a Starbucks and we looked at all of the Christmas decorations at Hobby Lobby. My parents stopped by around supper time to entertain the little guy for a bit. Then Sondra cooked us an awesome supper. I gave Jasper his bath tonight and he giggled every time he splashed me. We snuggled for a little bit and I'm pretty sure he still likes me.
I feel very thankful...thankful for my parents, good friends and my husband. And thankful for a healthy baby who only is cranky when he's cutting teeth.
the father of my baby
Friday, September 11, 2009Labels: all you need is love, baby love
Recently I was around another young dad and observed how he interacted with his kids. I was appalled by the yelling, arm grabs and impatience that the dad showed. But when he pulled his son's arm (who's not even 2) and said, "Stay out of the g** d*** road or I'll whip your ass"...well I kind of wanted to punch him.
It was then that I looked at my husband and breathed a sigh of relief. I know that I NEVER have to worry that he will talk to our children that way. Josh has never so much as raised his voice at me. The thought of him using those words to our kid is so ridiculous. Josh is the man who every night after Jasper goes to bed makes some comment about how awesome that kid is. He'll talk about the funny thing Jasper did, sigh and say "I love that little guy".
I love watching them play together. The other night Josh and Jasper played with an old cell phone for a good twenty minutes. I could hear Josh pretend the phone was ringing then say, "Hello? Yes, this is Jasper's phone. This is Josh, his assistant. Let me see if he's available." He would pass the phone off to Jasper and tell him to "Say hello". After a few times Jasper started to say something that sounded like hello. Josh was so proud.
Every day I am thankful that I married Josh. Not only is he a good husband but he is an amazing dad. A dad who does silly things like run through the backyard giggling with a baby.
reason #23,567,298 why I love my husband
Wednesday, August 26, 2009Talking about a guy we "saw" on Facebook last night... Labels: all you need is love
K: You know, he once said he thought I was hot.
J: ....
K: ....
J: ....
K: Wow. No response.
J: Well, I won.
the tattoo
Monday, June 15, 2009Labels: all you need is love
Josh has wanted a tattoo for as long as I've known him. I always had the same response, "No way. No tattoos". Every so often, Josh would bring it up again. A few months ago he started talking more seriously about the tattoo he's always wanted. "Veritas Vincit" which is Latin for Truth Conquers. It pretty much encompasses how Josh lives his life and feels that others should live.
One night a few weeks ago Josh was playing around with some fonts in Photoshop trying to find one he liked. I was bored so I said that I would come up with something. I gave him some options and then totally redesigned a specific font he liked. He had me print out different sizes to get an idea of scale. When he finally settled on a size he cut out the letters with an Exacto and made a stencil of the lettering.
Every night for a week we would sit at the kitchen table and I would stencil this "tattoo" on his arm. We'd look at it, talk about it and then he'd wash it off. I knew this was serious. 
Josh asked when he could do it and I said I needed some time to adjust to the idea. "Not before August", I told him. He got it at the end of May. And you know what? I actually really like it. It's not enormous, or ugly. It's simple and clean looking. Plus it's pretty cool that I ended up designing it.
The responses to it have really surprised me. His family was pretty chilled out about it. My brother and his two tattoos already paved the way with my folks. I asked Josh what he was going to say to Jasper when Jasper wants a tattoo. Josh said, "If you want the same tattoo for two years and it really means something to you then okay".
together
Monday, June 01, 2009Labels: all you need is love, baby love
Josh, Jasper and I were able to spend all weekend together. For the first time in forever, Josh had zero calls from work and didn't go in once. This is huge! Even the weekends when he doesn't have to go in he still gets calls. It is always frustrating and breaks up the weekend. A "No Work" weekend was much needed.
Josh was supposed to leave work early on Friday to come with Jasper and I to a party for an old co-worker. Josh came home to tell me he couldn't leave early and I got so upset. Stuff like that always happens. He ended up running back to work for a minute and coming home for the day. It meant a lot to me that he followed through on that even though he felt he should stay. Family is just more important. I told Josh that I was sorry for getting so upset and I felt like a bad wife. He said, "Kimberly, your only fault is that you want to spend time with your husband and kid". 
So it was a really good weekend with my husband. We got to spend time with family and some friends we hadn't seen in forever. We played outside, did some yard work, watched a movie, snuggled in bed, smooched on our kid, laughed A LOT... And although today is a Monday and he's back at work, we both are thankful for the weekend.
it was a good day
Tuesday, May 19, 2009Josh worked about 40 hours of overtime last week. Because of some equipment maintenance and shutdown he had to be there ALL the time. It was hard on him and hard on me. After getting called in yet again on Sunday he decided to take off work early on Monday. He went in at 5:00am and got home at 9:00am. Labels: all you need is love, baby love
His plan was to try out our new mower we bought over the weekend. He got it all ready but I decided I should do it. Having never mowed before I thought I should try it while Josh was home. I mowed the whole dang yard and did a pretty good job.
During Jasper's afternoon nap, we ended up weeding around the whole house. Then Josh thought he would try digging out one of the stumps left from the ugly evergreen bushes. (Which you can see in this picture behind our grapevine.) The stump required a spade, shovel, hatchet and hammer. Yeah, they're kind of crazy. Josh was determined though and got two of them out. Only like ten to go...
I loved spending the day working with Josh. Plus having him there to help with Jasper for the day was awesome. I was beginning to feel like a single mom. Yesterday I was able to shower slowly, have backup for when Jasper was getting into something, and finally get the carpet cleaned. It was a good day.
a full Saturday
Sunday, April 05, 2009Labels: all you need is love, baby love
I had a scheduled Senior session on Saturday. (Whoa, try saying that five times fast.) We thought it would be a good time to break Jasper in. Josh hooked him into his carrier and away we went. He is such an awesome little baby that we really do cart him everywhere and he's just happy. He ended up falling asleep towards the end which was the cutest thing ever. He was a great little assistant. Gotta start him early you know... He'll be holding a reflector for Mommy by the time he's two. And admit it, you love a man with a baby!
The weather was just warm enough that we were able to take a family walk and be outside for a bit. This kid loves his daddy. Daddies are good for making silly noises and flying you in the air.
They are also good for goofy faces and making mommies laugh.
And make me laugh, he does. I'm pretty sure I fell more in love with Josh this weekend. I have been thinking a lot this week about how lucky I am to have found my soul mate. Sometimes I take for granted how good he is to me. I just really have appreciated the little things this weekend. I also can't deny how hot he is holding our kid!
overheard
Thursday, February 19, 2009Things heard around our house (some have quite a different meaning now that there is a baby living here): Labels: all you need is love, baby love
"He wants some boob."
"I didn't put his pants on because he was farting."
"Let's get you naked!"
"Look at those enormous thighs."
"Will you take the kid so I can go pee?"
"I think he's going to be a genius".
"Which do you want, the baby or the dog?"
"If you're really that hungry, just say 'Mama' and I'll feed you".
"Alright, who's not pulling their weight around here... Jasper? Bebo?"
"You are the most incredible baby ever".
"You are amazing."
"I am so lucky."
"I love you."
what we have
Monday, September 22, 2008"Everybody wants what you and Josh have." A good friend recently said that to me and it got me thinking about my relationship with my husband. What is it about "us" that just works? To be honest, we don't really have to work hard at being happy together. We just are. Of course, not to say that we don't occasionally disagree or have times where we don't want to be around the other...but those are few and far between. I asked Josh what he thought it was. He thought for awhile and then said, "I think it's because I love you completely and put you first. You do the same." Could it be that by putting him before myself and vice versa, we have mastered what it takes to have a great relationship? Could it be that easy? Labels: all you need is love
I think back to the few times in our married life where things haven't been "wonderful". Those were specific times that one of us was maybe being selfish. We put ourselves first and as a result our relationship suffered. Now I'll admit that it isn't typically longer than 24 hours before one of us realizes the mistake. Then we talk things out, I cry and we're okay.
So how do you go about putting someone else first in your life? It could be something as simple as getting them a drink from the fridge when you really want to sit on the couch. Offering to make lunch even though you'd love to have lunch made for you. It's not always convenient to put someone else first. However, once you have committed to this and so has your partner, you really don't think about it anymore.
I was reading on a message board for pregnant women where they were asking if other husbands stayed in the hospital with them after they gave birth. I was shocked! It never even crossed my mind that Josh wouldn't stay with us. Women were saying that they felt bad because their husband wouldn't get a good night's sleep so they sent them home. What in the world? I mean, sure I will feel bad for Josh but I know that he would NEVER consider leaving. For one, I can't imagine him wanting to leave our new baby for a second. Two, he would put me before himself...just like I would do for him.
I feel like I figured out some secret code to a happy marriage. So many times I hear of specific instances where a couple is unhappy... I think so many of those problems could be solved by simply putting the other before themselves. I guess mostly I feel lucky that I have a husband I get along so well with, that makes me laugh and puts me first.
my husband, the assistant
Friday, September 19, 2008Labels: all you need is love, knight light
Having my own business on the side has been a really great experience. I can choose when to schedule photo sessions and when not to. I plan everything and usually just let Josh know what is coming up. I guess that's the bad thing about being the "assistant", you just have to go along with everything. With only two sessions scheduled for the weekend (one on Saturday and one on Sunday), I felt like I was doing pretty good. I got an email last night from Saturday's client. She had to cancel. I told Josh that we no longer had a session on Saturday. He stopped in his tracks and repeated, "No session on Saturday?". He asked if we had anything going on this Saturday. I thought for a minute and realized for the first time in THREE months we have ABSOLUTELY NOTHING planned. He then proceeded to tear around the house with Bebo running and barking at his heels.
Poor guy, he needs a break too. I know he would never complain at how busy I've been keeping him. He just is there for me and completely supportive. I'm lucky to have him. And I'm feeling lucky to give the guy a Saturday off!
see ya later
Friday, August 15, 2008Josh and I are headed up to Chicago today. We decided to take Friday off and go to Brookfield Zoo! Can you believe that Josh has NEVER been to a zoo? I'm so excited! We're going to stay up there tonight and then hit Ikea on the way home. Labels: all you need is love
It didn't really matter where we were staying or what we were doing...two whole days of whatever. No way Josh can get called into work and no pictures for me to work on. We're off and I can't wait for some uninterrupted time with my husband. Should be a perfect birthday weekend!
baby's first motorcycle ride
Tuesday, August 12, 2008Labels: all you need is love, everything else
Over the weekend my father-in-law got a motorcycle. He's wanted one forever and was finally able to get one. Sunday evening Josh and I stopped by to check it out. I had never even sat on a motorcycle so I asked if I could. Scott, my father-in-law, asked if I wanted to go for a ride. Josh agreed for me. I stuttered around and asked if they had a helmet for me. Of course they did. I said that I was wearing flip flops but they agreed it was okay. Scott got on the bike and they explained how to climb on. My mother-in-law reminded Scott that I was pregnant about four times before we headed down the driveway. Baby and I had our first motorcycle ride at the same time.
We headed down the block with my hands clinched on the handrail as tightly as I could. He drove down about five miles to a nearby town (sticking to the speed limit!). As we slowed down to turn around in the town Scott leaned back and asked if I was doing okay. I didn't tell him that I had just prayed the whole way there and how stupid I felt for taking my first ever motorcycle ride at 7 1/2 months pregnant. "Great!", I said.
Overall the ride wasn't bad or even really scary for that matter (once I got used to it). I just felt so...exposed. I kept thinking about what terrible road rash I would get if we crashed. I thought about how fast the other drivers near us were going. Josh excitedly asked after my short ride if I loved it. (Poor guy would do anything to have his own motorcycle.) I said, "Uh, it was pretty good". Later in the evening Josh admitted that he was a little bummed I didn't really like it. He said, "I always thought my wife would like riding motorcycles with me". Doesn't look like that is the case for me...
I didn't want to say that I can't even imagine him having one now.
worrying about josh
Friday, July 18, 2008Josh works around a lot of machinery. He works on these pieces of equipment, uses a fork lift... I worry everyday that he's going to get hurt. Last night he had to run into work to help the night shift guy. When he walked in the back door after being gone for an hour, the first thing I saw was blood on his forehead. "What the heck is that?" Labels: all you need is love
Josh just hung his head sheepishly. Apparently he smacked himself in the forehead with a wrench because the other guy was messing with what Josh was working on. He said the first thing he thought after he saw the blood is, "Kimberly is going to be pissed".
It's not that I'm mad he got hurt! I just worry about him so much already. Things like that give me actual cause for worrying. Luckily it was only a tiny cut above his eyebrow, it could have been a lot worse. We put a bandaid on it last night so it wouldn't bleed while he slept. It's hard to look tough when you have a little bandaid stuck to your forehead. But that's why I love my husband...he can make anything look adorable.
laughing in love
Thursday, July 10, 2008Labels: all you need is love
A lot has changed since we took this picture last year. I wonder if there will ever be a year when I don't say, "I can't believe we've been married for X-number of years". It's gone so fast.
At the doctor's office on Tuesday, my doctor came into the room as we were laughing about something. She got a huge smile on her face and said, "You guys are always laughing when I come in". Fact is, when we're together we pretty much always are laughing. And that I don't take for granted...
ten?
Thursday, June 26, 2008Labels: all you need is love, knight light
Writing about wedding photography the other day made me remember when I first discussed with Josh about taking next year off. The conversation went something like this:
Me: Josh, how many weddings do you think we can shoot next year?
Josh: Hmm, I don't know. Maybe ten?
Me: TEN??? Are you serious?
Josh: Sure, why not?
Me: Oh I don't know. Because we're going to have a baby, plus be working full time???
Josh: Right. Maybe a couple?
Having already booked a wedding in March, we decided to just not schedule anymore. Then a friend of a good friend contacted us about shooting their early summer wedding. Alright, maybe one more. Then the sister of our first June bride contacted us about an August wedding... Okay, so three it is. No more. At least they're all spread out!
Fourth scheduled wedding of the year tomorrow...here's hoping things go smoothly!
four years ago
Friday, May 23, 2008Labels: all you need is love
May 23rd, 2004...Josh proposed. I remember the crazy tornado weather and bad storms. I was mad because he had said he was coming over and was running really late, plus I couldn't get a hold of him. (Little did I know that he was showing his parents an engagement ring and asking my parents permission to marry me.)
He asked me to marry him while the power was out that evening. I thought he was joking. I pulled the ring out thinking it was just one of my rings. I said, "Sure I'll marry you" and then laughed. I can still remember the feeling when the I saw the diamond sparkle by the candlelight. Then I think I proceeded to cry and say "Oh my gosh" multiple times.
I feel so blessed to have a husband who treats me so well. Someone who I love spending time with, miss when we're apart and laugh with A LOT! We've come a long way since that day in my crappy apartment. We've been through a lot but just keep getting stronger as a couple. I guess sometimes really all you need is love. And that we have in abundance...
career goal
Friday, May 16, 2008Labels: all you need is love
When asked by his boss what his career goals were, Josh said, "Have a job so that some day my wife can be a stay at home mom". That is honestly his goal... And yes, I realize how completely blessed I am to have a husband like that.
go with the flow
Monday, May 05, 2008On Saturday after taking a quick nap, I immediately woke up telling Josh all of the things I needed to get done. He wasn't thrilled with that so instead of telling me, he told the baby. Labels: all you need is love, bakin' a bun
"Baby, sometimes your mom gets a little rammy. She'll get all crazy listing the things she needs to do. My advice to you is to just go with the flow. When she's running around, just go with the flow. That's really the only thing you can do. I've learned to do that so I know you will too. Just go with the flow. Okay, I think that's all. I love you, Baby. Develop well."
a few reasons why I love my husband
Thursday, April 10, 2008While packing stuff up last night, Josh was directed to go through a rubbermaid container full of his keepsakes. He got really excited when he came upon some of his Legos. After he got done going through everything he asked if he could build something with his Legos. I said that he needed to finish what he was working on first. As he finished up, he looked at me with little boy eyes and said, "Now can I play?". My heart melted a bit as I nodded. Labels: all you need is love
Josh picked out some nail polish for my stocking this past Christmas. I was surprised when he picked out a pretty trendy color called "Suzi Says Da!". I asked what made him pick out that one. He said, "Well I just asked the ladies working what was a popular shade right now and they directed me to that one". I love that he would think to ask that.
While grocery shopping last week we came up to the oranges, they were buy 4 get 4 free. I told Josh about the sale but how I didn't think I could eat that many. ''What should I do?" He responded, "Kimberly, don't be wasteful". Exactly what I needed to hear so I bought three.
I can't hide the smile when I hear him talking about our future child or what it was like to hear the heartbeat. I know he's going to make such an amazing dad.
doing nothing
Monday, March 31, 2008Labels: all you need is love
Josh and I spent the weekend bumming around. We did a little shopping on Saturday which for us means wandering from store to store not really buying anything. We did find a super secret place to get really awesome Toffee Caramel fair trade coffee. I had my first cup of coffee in two months. After I got pregnant, I basically just stopped drinking coffee (even though I hadn't planned on giving it up). Other than that excitement, we pretty much hung out on our couch.
Really any weekend that Josh and I can spend together, even doing nothing, is a good one.
plant a tree
Tuesday, March 25, 2008Labels: all you need is love, home owning
One of the things I want to do to OUR house is plant some more trees. It's in a new section of town and doesn't have any mature trees around it. I told Josh that I will take good care of my one little tree in front for now. And then I repeated so sadly, "My one little tree...".
Josh said, "Look at it this way, Kimberly. That little tree will grow with our family".
little vacation
Friday, March 07, 2008Labels: all you need is love
Josh and I decided last night that we need to take a little vacation. Nothing major like passports are needed... Just somewhere that we can go away for a few days and do nothing. We've both been feeling a little worn down lately. I told Josh that I think we can still plan and save for a house while taking a small vacation. Now it's just picking some place semi-close and perfect. Hmm...
big plans?
Thursday, February 14, 2008Happy Valentine's Day. Honestly I pretty much forgot it was V-day until I looked at the calendar this morning. It's not really a holiday that Josh and I celebrate. Josh feels very adamant about the fact that we don't need a day in the middle of February to remind us to love each other. We really try every day to do something to show our love for each other. Labels: all you need is love
Here are 10 things that can be done any day of the year:
1. Make some cookies for your sweetie.
2. Leave them a little love note.
3. Turn a song on their cd player to play when they get in their car.
4. Snuggle on the couch.
5. Get them a snack.
6. Put away their laundry for them.
7. Take care of something they don't want to.
8. Tell them they look cute.
9. Serve them coffee in bed.
10. Stop what you're doing and say, "I really love you".
falling more
Wednesday, January 23, 2008"falling in love consists merely in uncorking the imagination and bottling the common sense." -helen rowland Labels: all you need is love
The other night I laid in bed reading a magazine while Josh watched TV on the couch. Although we were in separate rooms, we'd often lean over to catch a glimpse of the other through the hallway. I really love flirting with my husband. I'm so glad he flirts back.
scrabble
Thursday, January 10, 2008Labels: all you need is love
I actually beat him in a game of Scrabble last night. Josh, King of Scrabble... Really I think I lucked out or he let me win. It was enough to boost my confidence considering I'm horribly losing at the three other games I'm playing on Facebook. It helps that I finally get the scoring and how you want to put your words on the different color tiles. I may just be getting the hang of this.
smartie pants
Thursday, December 20, 2007Labels: all you need is love
This is so not my nightstand. I probably wouldn't make it through two pages of those books. Josh, on the other hand, is super smart. Sometimes he'll try to explain something to me and I try really hard to understand but I usually don't. I often hear him talking on the phone to our friend Brett about some deep philosophical matter. I'll listen for a minute to see what I can follow. I always have to chuckle a little and shake my head. Nope, still don't understand.
Over the weekend I went with Josh into his work while he changed the freeze dryers. Josh works for a company that freeze dries mainly strawberries (for Special K cereal) but also green beans, bacteria (for brewing companies), eggs (for the military), and blueberries... It was so weird to see Josh running a fork lift and showing me what he does everyday.
When I think about Josh or if I'm describing him, I think of him as a super-intelligent guy that discusses philosophy. I don't picture him in work boots and running a fork lift. It was really cool to see another side of my husband. I feel proud of him...he's so smart but also such a hard worker.
my lovely assistant
Monday, November 05, 2007Labels: all you need is love, knight light
Whew, I made it through the weekend! Honestly I couldn't have done it without Josh pulling me through. Five photo shoots in two days...three families and two Seniors. It really wouldn't have been that bad had I not been sick with such a horrible cold. Josh kept me laughing, made sure I was warm enough and any time we were home (even for a few minutes) he made sure I would rest. He really is the best possible assistant I could have. He makes silly noises to get kids attention. He helps me find the best light and he seriously is a master at the reflector. (It's harder than it looks.)
I don't think I can explain how thankful I was for him this weekend.
(Well, him and Nyquil of course.)
the dangers of photography
Wednesday, September 26, 2007Labels: all you need is love, kodachrome
During Saturday's shoot, I jumped a fence, fell down a ditch, and got covered in dust. My model was such a trooper. I was like, "Can you stand on that piece of wood there that is coming loose, balance so you don't have to step on any nails and then lean forward?" She would say, "Okay!".
We jumped a fence to go next to some barns and farm equipment. There were some cows fenced in this area but luckily no bulls. All I kept thinking is "Please don't let a bull come around this barn, please don't let a bull come around this barn".
Towards the end of the shoot I decided we should take some pictures in a little wooded area next to a corn field. I started to walk through some tall grass only to realize the ditch was a whole lot deeper than I thought. I definitely slid and landed on my butt.
Josh responded as any great assistant should. "Kimberly! Is the camera okay? Did you hurt the camera??".
tick, tock
Friday, September 21, 2007National Geographic Channel was showing their special "In the Womb" the other night. When I first stopped on it Josh asked if we were really going to watch it. Meaning "you're turning the channel soon, right?". I put the remote down and we were soon both hooked. Utterly amazing. I seriously just sat there in awe the whole time. It was incredible to watch the computer generated images of the first few weeks. Cells splitting, heart growing...uh wow, a complete miracle.... Labels: all you need is love
I'm sure it has something to do with my "biological clock ticking" but I just was enthralled by the whole program. I kept saying to Josh "someday that could be going on in my belly"! He got a kick out of seeing my reaction to the show. Josh, on the other hand, reacted exactly like a guy. "So uh, wanna go practice?"
every day
Wednesday, September 12, 2007Labels: all you need is love
Josh leaves for work after kissing me goodbye. He tells me to have a good morning and I say the same to him. I stand in the kitchen window and wait for him to pull out. We wave and then blow each other a kiss. Something we started doing months ago... Now we always do it. Sometimes Josh will wait in the driveway if I'm doing something and can't get right to the window. Silly but makes me smile every single time.
zombies and dishes
Friday, September 07, 2007Josh recently got Resident Evil for the Wii. That was definitely not my choice. Josh keeps asking me when I'm going to try and shoot some zombies. After the first time watching the game and a zombie attacked the main character with a chainsaw...well, that pretty much did it for me. Labels: all you need is love, nerd alert
The other night I had a dream that Josh and I were locked up in a house to keep the zombies out. No joke. Josh felt pretty bad so he hasn't played in two days. Hmmm....maybe if I have a nightmare that dirty dishes were attacking me, he'd feel bad and help with those. Ha!
our first diptych
Friday, August 10, 2007Labels: all you need is love, kodachrome
Josh and I are one of those annoying couples that can finish each other's sentence. We often suggest the same thing at the same time. I rarely have to really explain myself anymore because Josh usually just knows what I'm trying to say.
One thing that we always are very different on is photography. I think that's why we work so well together when we shoot a wedding. He gets what I don't and vice versa. I always find it interesting to see how he'll shoot certain things because they're usually in a way that I would never think of.
I started thinking about diptychs last week. I had the idea for Josh and I to decide on a theme and then shoot a picture for a joint diptych. I mentioned it to Josh the other night and he was all for it.
We settled on the first theme of "wonder". We both shot our pictures and didn't see each other's until we were done processing. I put the two together and there you have it. It's amazing how we can be so in sync with most everything but have such different points of views when it comes to photography.
Josh explained his picture that the light in the dark is like the ultimate wondering. You wonder what's out there, what is in the dark... Of course, mine isn't quite as abstract! I always wonder what's going to come in the mail.
baby overload
Wednesday, August 01, 2007Labels: all you need is love
I'm quite possibly on baby/toddler overload. Between my photoshoots, my niece and nephew and other little kiddos...I've been surrounded by them! All of those pregnant women I knew earlier in the year are now mommies. Funny, how that works. I've been soaking it all up though. Getting my daily intake of babies...
I warned Josh that when we hit our two year anniversary, people would start asking us when we were having kids. I'm not sure Josh believed me that it would kick in like that. Well it has. In the past week alone, I've been asked twice when we're going to have kids. Even Josh's family has started saying things about how we're next. I'm not one to be swayed by what other people think but it is hard when everyone else (even your own mom!) thinks you should be having kids.
Uh oh, I think I need to reinstate the baby fever advisory system.
write you a song
Thursday, July 26, 2007Sometimes when Josh and I are in the car together, he'll specifically play a song for me. He'll point out that he really likes it and wink at me. I will usually then sit real still and listen to the words. I always find it so endearing that a song reminded him of me or our relationship and he wants me to hear it. Labels: all you need is love, music
Last Saturday night we were listening to the new Plain White T's cd. Josh told me that he really liked track nine so he skipped ahead to it. He gave me "that smirk" so I listened closely. Here's the preview on iTunes and the lyrics:
"Write You A Song" by Plain White T's
I don't know how to make lots of money
I got debts that I'm trying to pay
I can't buy you nice things, like big diamond rings
But that don't mean much anyway
I can't give you the house you've been dreaming
If I could I would build it alone
I'd be out there all day, just hammering away
Make us a place of our own
I will write you a song
That's how you'll know that my love is still strong
I will write you a song
And you'll know from this song that I just can't go on without you
I don't know that I'd make a good soldier
I don't believe in being violent and cruel
I don't know how to fight, but I'll draw blood tonight
If somebody tries hurting you
I will write you a song
That's how you'll know that my love is still strong
I will write you a song
And you'll know from this song that I just can't go on without you
Now that it's out on the table (it's out on the table)
Both of us knew all along (knew all along)
I've got your loving and you've got my song
I don't know how to make lots of money
I don't know all the right things to do
I can't say where we'll go, but the one thing I know
Is how to be a good man to you
Until I die that's what I'll do
I will write you a song
That's how you'll know that my love is still strong
I will write you a song
And you'll know from this song that I just can't go on without
I will write you a song (I will write you a song)
That's how you'll know that my love is still strong (love is still strong)
I will write you a song
And you know from this song that I just can't go on without you
Funny how a song can perfectly describe something...
two years down
Monday, July 09, 2007Labels: all you need is love
Josh and I celebrated our two year wedding anniversary today. We both took the day off work. We slept in, had Starbucks, went shopping, ate at Biaggi's, watched a movie and as always...had fun together. That's the thing about Josh and I, we can always have fun no matter what we do. I know I'm lucky that I'm married to someone I can do crazy things with, like jump on our bed to get an awesome picture of the day. I love you, Josh! Thanks for a fun two years!
the time travel couch
Thursday, May 31, 2007Josh and I ran over to his parent's last night to find only his dad home. We visited for awhile but after just a short time a couple stopped by for my in-law's old swimming pool. With Scott outside, Josh and I just kind of stood around in the kitchen waiting for him. Finally I said, "Wanna go make out on the couch?" Josh smirked and headed into the living room. Just was we started kissing, Scott walked into the house from the backyard. Labels: all you need is love
It's not like he actually "caught us" making out but I felt so embarrassed like maybe he knew. (I'm sure my face was bright red too.) We had totally just time warped back to when we first started dating.
how to charm me
Thursday, April 26, 2007Labels: all you need is love, bebo
I was laying on the floor of the kitchen (getting this shot) when Josh walked in.
He looked at me and said, "I adore you. You are the single greatest thing that happened to me. Seeing you laying on the floor, camera in hand...well, it just reminded me of that."
working 9 to 5
Wednesday, April 25, 2007Josh is actually working 7 to 3:30 which I think are awesome hours. He started his new full time job two weeks ago. It's been so much easier getting up in the morning knowing that he's getting up too. Part of the sucky thing about him working part time was that when I was at work he was usually at home. It always made me want to be at home even more. It's nice that now we're both gone at the same time. That also means that we're home at the same time! Labels: all you need is love
For as long as Josh and I have been together we've always had to work around his erratic schedule. From school or various part time jobs...no week was ever the same. It's still so weird knowing that we don't have to worry about him working on the weekends. It's just crazy. Of course I love it!
It has been a little hard to go from talking to him all the time to just 20 minutes over lunch. I know that I'll get used to it after awhile but it is definitely more of an adjustment than I expected. It's worth it though to have him home every evening and weekend!
reason #45,871,354 why I love my husband
Monday, April 09, 2007Because he's the kind of guy that will rent the kids' movie "How to Eat Fried Worms" on a Saturday night. Labels: all you need is love
my boys
Thursday, April 05, 2007Labels: all you need is love, bebo
i love my husband so much
Monday, April 02, 2007He made me cry. But in the I-can't-believe-I-got-so-lucky-and-snagged-him sort of way.... Labels: all you need is love
http://now-in-red.blogspot.com/2007/04/to-my-wife-i-love-you.html
working man
Thursday, March 29, 2007Yesterday my husband was finally offered a full time job. After graduating in December with a degree in Philosophy & Religion, he had been searching for pretty much anything. Unfortunately for Josh, it seemed like no one was hiring. We actually have one of his "rejection" letters hanging on our fridge next to his Dean's list letter from last semester. Labels: all you need is love
But he finally got something! It's not much over minimum wage and he'll be freeze-drying strawberries. However, we couldn't be happier. His hours will be very close to what I'm working, the job is in town so gas money is non-existent! We'll still even be able to have lunch together.
We're both anxious for us to get started on a new routine and for him to quit his really crappy part time job!!
my husband rocks and random knight light thoughts
Friday, March 23, 2007Labels: all you need is love, knight light, randomness
I think this is one of my most favorite self portraits ever. I took it randomly last night after I had just gone through 20 pictures that I hated for my 365 set. I hadn't been inspired by anything I had taken so I held the camera out and shot myself. I lucked out because I actually got something in focus. I told Josh that I needed a poetic title for it on Flickr. He thought and thought and finally came up with "How My Husband Sees Me". I smiled and he said, "It's because you look like an angel and that's how I see you". Sorry that's pretty sappy but I just had to share yet again what a lucky girl I am.
Speaking of how lucky I am, Josh has been helping me out with Knight Light stuff like expanding my website to include wedding photography information. I have planned on developing a F.A.Q. page and different packages for weddings. He worked on both of those yesterday and came up with some really creative things. Awesome names for our wedding packages and witty answers to our frequently asked questions...so stay tuned for web page updates.
I've decided to take off work early today and also take Monday off. Knight Light full steam ahead! I've got my To Do List ready (obviously) so I'm going to mark off as much as I can.
One of the things I was really stressing about was a wedding invitation that I've been working on. I came up with a really pretty invite that the couple really liked. However, they wanted to change some of the design by adding roses. Do you know how complicated roses are? I worked forever on Wednesday night and just wasn't happy with what I was coming up with. I finally quit and decided I would start from scratch this weekend. I received an email from the bride last night saying that on second thought they liked the design I came up with initially! Whew. No roses after all...
I'm looking forward to working at my computer this weekend but also taking time to hang out with my husband. We haven't had a weekend that wasn't jam-packed in two months. Besides shooting some fun pictures of my brother and fiance, we have nothing major planned. Here's to the weekend!
it's date night!
Friday, March 02, 2007Josh and I don't get the opportunity to go out much, at least not on an actual date. If we run into town, it's to pick up a few things that we need. But tonight my husband is taking me out on a date! We've decided to go to Tobin's Pizza. Tobin's is a small pizza place that has some of the best pizza you will ever eat. We don't get there very often because it's on the other side of town and it's always packed. I was actually just there last weekend for my sister-in-law's bachelorette party and since then I cannot stop thinking about their Momma Teresa's pizza. Josh thought it sounded good and offered to take me on a date there. Labels: all you need is love
After pizza we're going to look for shoes! for me to wear to my sister-in-law's wedding next weekend. Man, pizza and shoe shopping with my husband... Does it get much better than that? (Obviously it doesn't take much to make me happy.)
avoiding glare
Thursday, March 01, 2007Labels: all you need is love
Yesterday I mentioned to Josh that I was nervous about the wedding I was shooting on the 17th. The bride has glasses and I'm worried about having a glare in every picture. Josh did some research and emailed me a 3 page document of different techniques to avoid glare. Then last night he put his glasses on and let me shoot away to try to figure them out. He's such a good guy.
movies in bed
Monday, February 12, 2007Josh and I had a goal for the weekend. Watch a movie on our new computer while laying in bed. Sounds silly, I know, but we were really excited about it. We've never had a TV in our room but now that our monitor is just slightly smaller than our TV...we figured it would be perfect. Saturday night about midnight we put in Little Miss Sunshine. We laughed because we were so excited to get situated in bed for the movie! About halfway through the movie Josh pauses it (because our computer came with a remote) and said he was hungry. I thought about it for a minute and said that we had never eaten in bed before so we ran out to the kitchen for a snack. As we climbed back in bed with our cookies and started the movie I told Josh that we had a whole new world opened up to us. Lucky for us, we get excited about the little things. Labels: all you need is love, apartment living, nerd alert
happy birthday Josh!
Friday, February 02, 2007Labels: all you need is love
Happy Birthday, Honey. You are like a Xanax for my heart. Plus I think you're a hottie...
still honeymooning
Tuesday, January 30, 2007I think Josh's family is finally accepting the fact that Josh and I are just a little more affectionate (or as his mom calls it "lovey-dovey and googly-eyed") than they are. The other day at lunch Josh was giving me a hard time about something. Labels: all you need is love
His sister, Missy, said: YES! The honeymoon phase is finally over. Now you can be like the rest of us.
Josh: Actually this is as hard of a time as I give Kimberly and it's usually only around other people. Right, honey?
Kimberly: It's true. That's so people don't know what a romantic you really are.
Josh: Well, yeah.
And then we kissed.
Missy: Oh...well nevermind. Forget what I just said.
It made me laugh.
my husband
Thursday, January 11, 2007Labels: all you need is love
I love my husband. He makes me laugh. I took this picture without actually seeing what Josh was doing. I looked at it afterwards and just laughed. The other day I had a complete emotional breakdown. Josh was there with a drink, a blanket, and a smile for me. He rubbed my back while I cried and reassured me that everything would be okay. Every chance he got, he'd try to make me laugh. I feel like such a lucky girl that I got to marry him!
Edit (11:48am): I just had to add this. My husband stopped by my office to say hi today. To cheer me up he put on my coat and did his own rendition of Fat Man in a Little Coat (Tommy Boy). Here is my out of focus, snapped in a hurry picture of it... Makes me laugh.
one less christmas present
Tuesday, December 12, 2006Labels: all you need is love, christmas cheer, retail therapy
Yesterday the UPS guy delivered a box to me at work addressed to my husband. The big black sticker on it read "Russell + Hazel". I called Josh to tell him what had happened and that I knew he got me the Audrey Tote. We were both disappointed that I knew.
My parents had planned on getting me the Audrey Tote for Christmas but everywhere they looked they were sold out. Delivery was not expected until middle of January. Josh heard about this so he emailed Russell + Hazel! I guess they were really willing to work with him and promised him the first black tote with black handles that they get. Wow. Unfortunately there was a mixup between the billing and shipping address and the tote got sent to our apartment instead of my parent's house.
Josh asked if I wanted him to wrap it up and give it to me for Christmas. Uh, no way...I'm using it! It's perfect and I love how much effort he put into getting it. I think that makes me like it even more.
the one where I'm a bad wife
Tuesday, October 31, 2006At the beginning of every month I put Josh's schedule in my PDA so I know when he works. Yesterday he was scheduled to work his usual shift on Monday evening...or so I thought. I had it stored on my calendar that he was scheduled and I even talked to him in the afternoon and told him to have a good evening at work. Labels: all you need is love
My dad had called yesterday afternoon to see if I wanted to meet him and my mom up at our town's restaurant for supper. Since I was running late after work I didn't go home to let Bebo out and just went straight to the restaurant.
As I was headed home after eating I checked my cell and realized I had missed a couple calls from Josh. He occasionally calls me on his break so I listened to his message and didn't think anything of it. I pulled into the apartment and saw his car parked there.
I came inside and asked why he was home. He said that he didn't have to work and had been worried about me because he couldn't get a hold of me and didn't know where I was. He had called my cell phone, my office and my parents.
I felt TERRIBLE. Not only did he miss out on dinner but he was worried about me too. Seriously I felt like such a bad wife... He just laughed about it but I have a feeling this one might come back to haunt me.
how to charm me
Friday, October 20, 2006Last night when Josh got home from class we were catching up from our days. In mid sentence he handed me a tiny little scrap of paper less than an inch long. It said, "I love you". It made me smile like when we were first dating. Throughout the evening I came coming across little scraps of paper with "I love you" printed on them. Even this morning I found one tucked in my shoe, in my purse... So far I have collected probably around 15 of them. Labels: all you need is love
It's so silly but it makes me incredibly happy. Funny how a little scrap of paper can make your day.
hand holding
Thursday, October 12, 2006Labels: all you need is love
I recently read this article in the NY Times about holding hands. It was very interesting to read that most people believe hand-holding is more intimate than even kissing. There was even a study done on women and how their brains respond when their hand is being held.
I'm lucky. When I get out of the car with Josh, no matter where we are, he's usually waiting there to hold my hand. It is reassuring and comforting. But it's also nice when girls check out my hot husband to subtly remind them that he's mine.
worry
Wednesday, September 06, 2006Labels: all you need is love
I'm a worrier. I don't like to be, but I am. I try not to, but I always do. I worry about stupid things too, things I can't control. Yesterday Josh got a letter describing his student loan stuff. We realized that something wasn't right and we were going to come up short. Of course, I freaked out. Josh stayed calm as usual. He emailed one of the financial aid ladies and planned on going in early today to see what can be done. Josh checked his email first thing this morning and the financial aid lady wrote back. She has already taken care of it. Yep, just like that.
My mom reminded me that you can't have faith in God and doubt Him at the same time. Something that I always need to be reminded of.
incredibly beautiful day
Saturday, September 02, 2006Labels: all you need is love
...especially when you sleep until 11 and get to spend it with your husband. Josh and I bought a kite and took some lunch out to the Lake. Gorgeous.
my fun boots
Wednesday, August 30, 2006Before I met Josh, I briefly dated a guy who was incredibly nice. In fact, when I would describe him to someone I would ask them to imagine the nicest person they know and then multiply by 10...that was him. Although he treated me better than any other guy up to that point, there was just something off about our relationship. I could never quite put my finger on it and it really bothered me. I mean, he really was just the sweetest, most geniune person. Labels: all you need is love
When I still could not describe what was wrong with the relationship, I came up with an analogy to describe it for me. The Analogy: I was in search for a pair of brown boots. Not just any brown boots either, the most perfect pair. Brown boots to wear for the rest of my life. I had finally found a pair that I liked. They fit well, were affordable, but the brown was just not quite the right color. I then had to decide if I wanted to get those brown boots and settle or wait to see if I could find the "perfect pair". Hopefully you can understand the analogy and realize that I decided not to settle and chose to wait for the perfect pair.
Not too many months after that I met Josh. We started dating and I was sure that he was just a fun little fling. When asked where he fit into my analogy, I said that he was just a really fun pair of boots. You know, the red snakeskin boots that go with one outfit and are so completely outrageous that you buy them to feel wild. Yeah, that was Josh.
After just a few months of dating I suddenly knew that I was supposed to marry Josh. Of course this shattered my analogy...or did it? I had thought that I was looking for sensible brown boots but actually I needed "fun boots" in my life. Josh still laughs about this and will often remind me that he is the "fun boots".
It's funny how sometimes in life you can be so sure you need/want something, only to find out that there is something completely different in store for you. Thank goodness those crazy fun boots came into my life when they did.
custom chucks and the 26th
Wednesday, August 16, 2006Labels: all you need is love, coffee talk
Did you know that you can now custom design shoes at Converse? You can design your own Chucks, right down to the thread. Josh convinced me that he needed new school shoes so he designed some. His last pair were custom but with a sharpie. "I love KMK" is embroidered on there. How great is it that he can declare is love for me on his shoes?
Also, today is my 26th birthday... That means that I am now officially closer to 30 than I am to 20. I don't really feel like I'm 26 or that I graduated from college FOUR years ago. I still kind of feel like a college kid. I think the older you get the less exciting birthdays are. I am, however, drinking coffee right from Hawaii today (thank you Nicole!) and Josh got me an awesome hoodie. I think it'll be a good day.
Edited (9:28am): Josh just brought me an "Official Birthday Smoothie". Mmmmm...banana, kiwi, strawberry smoothie. Doesn't get much better than that.
