Fickle Pickle!

Okay, so I can never make up my mind, call me fickle. :)

But I changed my logo, so naturally the blog must follow suit right?

Here's some shots of Cass from today. Love this hat, Nanny bought it :)



And this one cracks me up... Cassidy's impression of an old lady. Isn't she talented?

Happy Valentine's Day!

Yeah, a little late, but hey... better late than, well, later. :)




Me: "Tucker, why don't you pretend your giving the rose to Mama?"
Tucker:



Me: "No, baby. Pretend your giving the rose to Mama. Hold it with both hands."
Tucker:

BOYS.

Then naturally Jackson gets a little jealous of the attention brother is getting-




Can't decide if I like it better in bw or color... and I know Tucker looks like he's ready to bail on me (HE IS!) but I like it anyway ;)~

Comments, pretty please!

So I've been a bad blogger. (Woah, deja vu, I think I've posted that before!)

I've been a little busy making some changes to my website. Brenda shared a great tip with me for customizing my template, so naturally, I had to play. I'm never satisfied! :o) I'm in the process of updating the galleries, so it's still not complete, but I'd love to hear your comments & constructive criticism. Go ahead, I have my hard hat on!! (Link at the right!)

What do you think about my new logo??



P.S. - I know the dots are crooked, I hated it at first but now I'm kinda liking it, what do you think? (Can you tell I'm trying to make this an interactive post - HA! - I wanna see how many comments I can get!) Please take a sec & leave your name & where you are from, don't make me beg, it could get ugly! :)

Babythoven

Embracing the grain....



I'm in such a photography slump. I miss warm, sunny days & LIGHT!!!

Frosty the Snow-(wo)man

Okay, I've already posted today, but I can't resist sharing this picture! Makes me smile :o) She's so stinkin' cute it's pathetic... doesn't matter that she's mine :o)

I've been tagged!

Alright, already! I've been tagged by Julie to list 6 things that make me happy & by Marla & Lyndsay to list 6 weird things about myself (that was tough, ha!)

6 things that make me HAPPY...
1. Getting that *perfect* photo. Wish it happened more often!
2. Watching my husband with our kids. I especially enjoy watching him with Cassidy... his face literally LIGHTS UP when she gives him sugar (she doesn't often!)
3. Teaching. Anything. I love being able to explain something SOOO complex, in a way that a person can understand.
4. Getting comments on my blog. Isn't that silly?
5. The way Cassidy pats my back when I pick her up.
6. Being the middle part of a hug sandwich from my 2 boys :o)

Now for the weird things... I have to say, it was rather hard to narrow it down but here they are...

1. I would NEVER wear a sleeveless shirt in public. EVER.
2. I'm always shopping online... gymboree, old navy, gap, you name it - I'll fill up the shopping cart, then when I'm done, I feel too guilty to actually complete the purchase. I do it *AT LEAST* 3 times a week. (I always tell myself I'm "really" gonna buy it today, LOLOLOL!!!)
3. I won't spend $50 on a pair of jeans that I'd probably wear for 2-3 years, but I'll spend $50 on a toy for my kids that they play with for about 5 minutes.
4. Before me & my husband started dating, I tried to fix him up with another girl that I worked with.
5. Puke, poop, blood, guts - I can deal with. But snot grosses me out.
6. People think I'm sort-of psychic. (Can you be sort-of psychic?) I've had dreams before that were actually true. I've also dreamed about a friend's mother talking to me, asking me to give her son a message (she's dead) - after I told him about it, he freaked out, because it was true!!! (Okay I must confess, it freaked me out, too!!) To this day, I don't know why I had dreams about her, because I only met her 1 time. WEIRD.

Okay.... now I've got to tag 6 other people, which is going to be tough, because there are so many that have already participated... Kari, Joanna, Julie B., Amanda - okay, there is NOONE else to tag in all of blog land. I have looked. :o) 4 will have to suffice!

BAD Blogger!

Ok, ok, so I've been a bad blogger. Sorry.

I've just been a little busy with my hubby being out of town for a week, deciding on whether or not to make some career changes, Cassidy's birthday party, working 50 hrs a week - hey I didn't name it Stephanie, Overloaded for nothing. :o)

Wanted to share a couple recent pics... they aren't really much my style, but I've been in a funk since the cold weather hit, I long for ample natural light again - will it ever come????

Jackson playing outside... naturally 2 seconds after I snapped this picture, he collided with a mud puddle so we had to go inside. I feel sure it was an accident.


Little Miss Ashley (1 mo) having a grand old time in dreamland...


And last but certainly not LEAST! My little 2 month old neice, Leighton... my how she has changed!

Happy 1st Birthday, Cassidy!

I can't believe it... my baby girl has turned ONE YEAR OLD!!!

**sniff sniff**

Where has the time gone? It seems like just yesterday that I found out I was pregnant. Boy was that a shock! I don't think that Eric or I ever thought that we would have 3 children... but now, we can't imagine our lives without her! She brings so much joy to our lives... not to mention, I was WAYYYY out-numbered, but now the girls have a fighting chance :) I love watching her Daddy with her - I don't know why I was always skeptical about Eric raising a daughter, I just thought - he's such a "man's man" that he wouldn't know how to handle a girl. Every time I see them together I can't help but smile. I love how he calls her "Sweet Pea" & tells her that she's "Daddy's little princess".... it just makes me melt!

The sad part about it is, I know that I'm not having any more children - and don't get me wrong, I don't WANT any more - BUT, this is the *LAST* first birthday I'll ever experience. The last one. :( BOO HOO.

Okay enough of the sappy stuff.... tell me, what did this cake ever do to her?!?






Is she the CUTEST or what?!?

Three Sisters

I took some pics of three sisters back in October.... for some reason, I didn't finish editing the session since it was practice. Last night, trying to free up some room on my hard drive, I came across this session- there were so many pictures that blew me away! Had to process & share a few :)

Baby Sister Brooke



Middle Sister Brianna - Is it just me, or does this kid scream Abercrombie model?!?


And last, but certainly not least, big sister Jessica.


And P.S. - Lori - you do know it's not normal to have 3 girls *this* beautiful, don't you?!? Just checking :)

How many have your name?

HowManyOfMe.com

There are: 336 people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

Tucker's Take

Tucker brought a paper home from school today that he did in class this week. It reads: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. had a dream to make our world a better place. What can you do to help make the world a better place?

Tucker's answer: "I would love god for all day long. I will love him so much and Jesus to. I love god and Jesus. I love them for all. The end."

Awwwwwww, my sweet baby :)

15 Pounds Gone!

Okay, I'm not going to get too excited here. I know the weight loss is about to slow down, but I'm thoroughly enjoying seeing a difference on the scale almost every morning! I think one of my biggest helpers with this diet has been the bite-size candy bars or mini reese cups. I was craving chocolate SO OFTEN - eating candy bars daily (ugh). I know it isn't feasible for me to ever actually quit eating chocolate, so I when I get the craving, I eat one of the bite size snickers or mini reese cups & I'm done! I'm totally over the craving with one bite! How cool is that? I'm SOOOOO hoping I can keep this up so that I can feel comfortable on the cruise. If I'm heavy, I know I won't enjoy it, I'll be paranoid the entire time.

Yes, I have issues. And yes, I'm aware of it. :o)

Beautiful ~ Inside & Out

Meet Meredith.



Meredith is one of the nicest people I know. I've only known her for 3 or 4 years, but seems like much longer! She's one of those people that will not only bend over backwards to help- she'll twist herself into a pretzel if she has to! She came for a visit today ~ I hadn't seen her in FOREVER ~ & I got her to pose for me. She has the most stunning eyes & it was nice to photograph an adult who stays STILL!!!




I played with the saturation on this one a little bit... okay, okay, A LOT :o) I had to mask her face back because she was turning orange. What do you think? I love bright colors, can't help myself.



And finally, just a simple head shot. Look at those gorgeous blue eyes!

10 pounds gone! :o)

Okay, evidently I was eating a bunch bunch bunch. I've lost TEN pounds! YIPPEEEE!

Just had to share.... no photos today, just GREAT news! :o)

Tutu time!

Okay... I had to drag out the tutu! I intended to get all "creative" & make birthday invitations... the feeling has passed but I wanted to share these anyway. I'm not usually a fan of soft conversions but I'm loving this action SO much!!! It's Sarah's summer soft action- check it out! You can visit her blog on the right (Garden of Delight).

I still can't believe Cassidy is going to be a year old :( My baby is getting so big....

Here is another of my big girl... "Look Mama, NO HANDS!"

Little Miss Ashley

You may remember the maternity pics I shot for my best friend... well her baby is here & she couldn't be any cuter!!! I wanted to share a few shots I got. To be honest, I wasn't very happy with the shoot because she was wide awake & wouldn't close those pretty little eyes. I was hoping for some sleeping baby shots :( but instead I got alert, squirmy baby shots.... heck, she's so cute, I don't think it even matters. It kills me that I couldn't include the feet on the body shot, but I had my 50 & 85 lenses w/no room :( I guess this calls for a(da da da da da DAAAAAAAA) new lens!!!! Hee hee... yeah right!

100 Things About Me

I read this on Julie's blog, who read it on Amanda's blog, who read it on, okay okay. A bunch of people are doing this so I thought I would chime in. :o)

1. My full name is Stephanie Lynn Dennis Arnold. (How exotic.)
2. I laugh when I am under stress. Or to keep from crying if I'm upset.
3. I'm a fiercly loyal friend.
4. I'm 30 years old. And I don't like it.
5. I am married to my high school sweetheart, Eric.
6. I will be celebrating my 10th wedding anniversary in Mexico in June.
7. I have battled bulemia since I was a teenager. I think I have finally won. But now I'm fat. :o)
8. I am a perfectionist. That's not a good thing.
9. My husband calls me "Babe". If he calls me Stephanie, he's mad.
10. I have the same best girlfriend that I've had since 7th grade.
11. I spend way too much time on the computer.
12. I am a working mother, and sometimes I feel guilty about it.
13. I don't attend church as often as I should.
14. I wish I was organized. I STRUGGLE to be organized. But I wasn't born that way.
15. If I had thousands of dollars to blow on myself, I would spend it on plastic surgery & photography stuff.
16. I have a high IQ.
17. I have saved a life. More than once.
18. I have helped someone die with dignity. More than once.
19. Science fascinates me.
20. History doesn't.
21. All of my children have last names as first names, & a first name as a last name. I didn't plan it that way.
22. If I don't learn something quickly, I get frustrated.
23. I'm extremely stubborn.
24. I have a very smart mouth. I'm not sure how I made it through the teenage years.
25. My oldest son inherited my smart mouth. I'm not so sure he will make it through his teenage years.
26. I am very generous.
27. I'm always busy.
28. I am very critical of myself and others.
29. I am completely and totally addicted to Grey's Anatomy.
30. My Grandad is the closest thing to God that I can imagine.
31. My mother spends the night with me. A lot.
32. I love it when my house is clean. I just hate to clean it.
33. I steal my husband's razor all the time and he hates it.
34. I have a hard time saying no.
35. I'm terrified my kids will try drugs.
36. I love my camera. But I would love a 5D more! :o)
37. I have been on every diet ever invented. Twice.
38. I am a great nurse.
39. I don't like spending money on myself, but I will spend a fortune on my kids.
40. I will never be thin enough, pretty enough, or smart enough.
41. Sometimes I feel like I'm not as good a mother as I should be.
42. I'm terrified of spiders.
43. I have a deep love for music.
44. I started piano lessons when I was 5 years old. I still play, and I'm pretty good at it. After my 2nd piano lesson, my teacher told my grandmother that I had a natural musical talent.
45. It takes alot to get me *really* mad, but when I am, look out. I have a terrible temper.
46. I hate the sound of someone crunching ice or hard candy. I inherited that from my mom & mamaw.
47. I can't think of an old boyfriend that I wouldn't speak to if I ran into him.
48. I can think of plenty of Eric's old girlfriends that I wouldn't speak to if I ran into them. :o)
49. A guy that I dated before I was married died in a car accident. We had remained friends. He was married & had a young daughter. I thought about him today and cried.
50. I learn something new every day.
51. I would never hurt someone's feelings intentionally.
52. I can't stand liars or theives.
53. I try my best not to judge anyone, because I haven't walked in their shoes.
54. I am honest. Sometimes brutally honest. I admire that quality in others.
55. I am a good listener. I am an even better talker :o)
56. I have green eyes. So does my mother & Mamaw.
57. I am middle class and I like it. I can't imagine spending $5,000 on a purse.
58. My parents divorced when I was in the 4th grade & I was glad.
59. I will fight tooth & nail for what I believe in.
60. I am not easily influenced, but I do care what other people think.
61. I don't want to grow old. I'm scared of wrinkles.
63. I enjoy talking to & studying about psych patients; they're very interesting!
64. I hate voting season. The commercials disgust me and the signs are silly.
65. I'm not registered to vote (gasp) & I couldn't be more disinterested in politics.
66. I've given a million shots but I can't stand the thought of getting one.
67. I have had 2 miscarriages. 1 when I was 19 weeks pregnant.
68. I have no tolerance for stupidity. Ignorance I can handle.
69. I don't think you should use your race, your sex, or your upbringing as an excuse.
70. I love to teach. I think knowledge is empowering.
71. I don't like math but I am good at it.
72. I never, ever balance my checkbook.
73. I enjoy a good debate.
74. I dissected a cat in high school for A&P. We named him Elvis & I brought him to my house to study. My Mom had a fit.
75. I have a sweet tooth. BAD.
76. If I am wrong, I don't mind admitting it. I don't tend to make the same mistakes twice.
77. I can't remember the last time I was bored.
78. I am a photography fanatic.
79. I talk to my husband about my online friends like he knows them.
80. I hate waking up early in the morning.
81. I love all different flavors of cappuccino.
82. I don't like pork, any sort of shredded meat, or meat on the bone.
83. My favorite restaurant is Fuji. (Japanese)
84. I truly believe that you reap what you sow.
85. I am incredibly & totally happy with my marriage. :o) Disgusting, I know.
86. My husband just bought me a 1 carat diamond solitaire. He kept saying that he would one day, but I couldn't justify spending that kind of money on a ring.
87. It usually takes me a long time to make a decision because I'm so picky. But once I do, that's it. I always know exactly what I want, it's just a matter of finding it.
88. I have a brother who is 18 months younger than me. I have learned from his mistakes.
89. I hate leaving blanks on a form. I want to fill in everything. If it doesn't apply, I have to write N/A.
90. I have naturally curly hair, but I always straighten it out.
91. I see humor in most everything.
92. I don't pray enough.
93. There are few people in this world that I truly cannot get along with.
94. I never imagined how much I would love my kids.
95. I am scared to wash crock pots. Hey, it's an excuse.
96. I think there is no excuse for being nasty or having body odor. TAKE A BATH!
97. I don't wear sleeveless shirts.
98. I love to travel. I have traveled to Curacao, Honduras, Belize, Cozumel, & the Cayman Islands; but I've only been to a few states in the US.
99. I like to read celebrity gossip.
100. It's hard to tell 100 things about yourself without sounding like you need a psychiatric evaluation. :o)

New Years Resolution

Get healthy.

I'm not going to say lose weight, because that's what I say every year. So I figure it's time for a change. Maybe if I focus on my health instead of my weight (yeah RIGHT!) the pounds will just melt away.

Plus, I do have some serious motivation to lose weight, errr..... get healthy. I'm going on a cruise to Cozumel & Calica, Mexico for my 10 year anniversary in June! I don't wanna sink the boat! :o)

So anyway, since I've officially declared my resolution on my blog, I'll have to do it. I hereby officially declare to post at least once a week on my progress. If I start slacking, somebody scream at me & whip me back into shape :o)

What a Find!

I decided I would be productive today & clean out my computer files. Of course anyone who knows me, knows that I would never do that without a little encouragement. My computer sent me a sweet little pop-up message this morning, telling me to free up some space or expect a computer crash in the near future. So I figured I'd listen.

Anyway... look what I found! I don't know why I didn't process this before, hmmm... must have been in a hurry or something. Looking at this picture, I remember it exactly. I had been taking pictures of Cassidy with this bouquet & Jackson kept pitching a fit, wanting his picture made with it. I kept telling him that his Daddy would kill us both if I made his picture with a bouquet of flowers!! :o) But, naturally, I gave in to the whines... here he is post-pout (a little leftover, do you think?)... watching for Daddy out the window. I love the lighting! I'm posting both but I think I'm leaning more toward the bw?...

My 1st BW Conversion!

Yay me! This is my first black & white conversion without an action! YIPPEEEE!

Actually, I really can't take much credit because it happened by accident. I was trying to fix the colors & discovered a "channel mixer" in CS2, somehow it became b&w. I played with the different channels & that's what I got :o) Just don't ask me to do it again! HA!

After looking at Lyndsay's blog the other day (Life In Motion- it's on the sidebar!) I felt compelled to go out & shoot some pics. Mainly because I'm in a slump, but mostly because Lyndsay made winter look beautiful with her black & white images. I need to shoot more with my 50 1.4, too, so I figured what the heck. I bought this shirt & hat at Old Navy before Christmas with the purpose of taking Jackson's picture wearing it. When I saw it, I immediately thought of his eyes- & it matches perfectly, don't you think?

Whew!

Whew! So glad Christmas is finally over... not that I didn't enjoy it, but I'm just glad all the "business" of the holidays is over & done with. I'll be glad to go to Wal-Mart for groceries without fighting the shopping crowds!

I've been doing terrible on my 26 things, but here is one... ant's eye view of the Christmas tree :o)

I tried something different.

I'm really bad about getting in a rut because if something works for me, I stick with it, but I wanted to try something new. So I did.

And Julie doesn't like it! :o) HEE HEE.

But I sort of did. (We have agreed to disagree on certain things, ha!) Not something that I would do alot of, and I may not even do it again, but I kind of liked it with these pics. It's one of the actions from MarieC (Phreckles Photography)... burning I think, which is supposed to be a black & white action, only I stopped it before the gradient map, then tweaked a little, and,..... well,....

Voila.
Something different.

Tucker's Thoughts

Tucker brought home a "Christmas Journal" from school yesterday. I have been reading through this thing & getting a kick out of every page! Nothing is so funny as the thoughts of a 6 year old. I've gotta share this entry (I'm not correcting his spelling, either, it's too funny).

I think santa should wear a dinsar soot. I will be scerd. I will run away from him. He will be scery.

Where in the WORLD did he come up with santa & a dinosaur suit?!? He's got a picture & everything, I so wish I could scan it! Too funny.

Hable no HTML?

Not sure what's happened to my blog... well, I might have a slight idea... ?

I attempted to edit the HTML. HA HA HA!!!! I don't even know what HTML is! :o) I keep thinking I'm going to figure it out, but I think I better leave it alone before I cause computer crashes all over the world.

I added a header of the kids. I haven't finished it yet, but it's 2:23 am, and yes, I have to work in the morning... no wait, I have to work this morning so I better hit the sack. Let me know what you think about my header... things I need to change, add, etc will be greatly appreciated!

Christmas Gathering

Just wanted to share a few from one of my family's Christmas get-togethers. This is my neice, Trinity & nephew, Hayden. Trinity is so sassy & Hayden is a bit reminiscent of Forrest Gump- he talks slow & very, very Southern. "That too don't bwong to me." Translation- that tool doesn't belong to me. HA! So cute.

You might notice my re-decorated tree in the background! HIP HIP HOORAY! :o)

What Brady Are You?

Okay I know I'm getting totally carried away with this stuff, but I thought this was kind of funny. I LOVED the Brady Bunch! I thought I'd be Jan.... but I'm BOBBY BRADY! lol... What Brady are you? Take the quiz & find out! Be sure to tell me the result :o)

You Are Bobby Brainy

Ultra competitive, you will do almost anything to win. From pull ups to pool sharking, you're very talented. And while everyone is aware of your victories, they still (affectionately) consider you to be a little brat!

What Brady Are You?

Which of Santa's Reindeer Are You?

You Are Prancer

You are the perfect reindeer, with perfect hooves and perfect flying form. Why You're Naughty: Because you're Santa's pet, and you won't let anyone show you up. Why You're Nice: You have the softest fur and the sweetest carrot breath.

Which of Santa's Reindeer Are You?

Growing Up

I realized that I hadn't posted any pictures of Tucker on my blog. BAD MAMA.

I hate moments like this. Moments when you realize that times flying, things are changing, and there is nothing in your power to stop it, or even slow it down. My baby is growing up. I guess he's technically not "the" baby, as he's my oldest, but he's MY baby, nonetheless.

I pulled out a scrapbook the other day & was showing it to him- he was about 2 years old in the pictures. I just started crying like a baby!

"Mama, why are you sad?"
"Because you're getting so big. You're growing up."
"But why does that make you sad, Mama?"
"Because when you grow up, you will go off to college & find a girl & get married. Then you'll leave me."
"I'm never leaving you, Mama. I'm gonna marry you. I know Daddy already married you but he won't care."


AWWWWWW. How sweet is that?!?!

Mama's Happy

Had to post a picture of Little Miss Thang... isn't she the cutest! I absolutely love photographing her because she's like a mini model, always striking poses - and, well, HELLO, she is gorgeous. Very easy to photograph.

Finally got that tree RE-decorated after work tonight. I must say it's a beautiful sight in all its gold & clear light glory. :o)

Hey, if Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy.

Just Something!

I am so happy. So happy for my best friend, Jamee, who I have watched struggle to find her way. She's been through so much in her life, which doesn't help when God made her a drama queen in the first place. After kissing a lot of toads (& marrying 1!) she has finally found someone who loves her, quirkiness & all. He is so in love with her you can see it - it's not something he says, so much, just something that I can see when he looks at her. It's just something in his eyes, just something in his smile. It's "just something" that makes other people long for someone who looks at them the way he looks at her.

They are eagerly anticipating the arrival of their baby girl, Ashleigh, in late December. I think Jamee has never looked more beautiful. By the look in Chet's eye, I think he agrees. :o)

The Ladder

"Mama, I have a ladder on myself."

I'll never forget the first time I heard those words. What in the world could he be thinking? A ladder on myself? Tucker's always coming up with strange things, this was no exception. Here he came, running in the kitchen, butt naked.

"Honey, what do you mean? And why are you naked?"
"I have a ladder on myself."
"What do you mean you have a ladder on yourself? And why are you naked?"
"Because I wanted to show you. See I have a ladder on myself."

He proceeds to point to the indention his pajamas has made on his side. "See my ladder?" He was so proud of that "ladder".

It's little moments like these I never want to forget.