Thankful
The gratitude I feel for a day like today should be bottled up and given out like sunshine. I spent the day with 2 beautiful, loving families and while not 'blood' related they are very much a part of mine. Landry was the center of attention for most of the time and she just ate it up. She showed off all of her tricks and even added a few new ones. On a day like today when I couldn't be with my own family it was really nice to spend it with people who mean so much to me.
This holiday has in the past been difficult for me for many, many reasons. I was able to enjoy this holiday with a renewed sense of appreciation for what it means in my life now. The sadness that was attached to this holiday is gone now and I can't even begin to express what a weight that is off of me. Thank you to my extended family, Dave(PawPaw), Jadeen(MoMo), Matthew, Jay, the whole Barnhart clan, Julie, Jonathan, Joey, Jason, Butch, and Dot....The Mader's absolutely loved spending the day with you and feel so blessed to have you all in our lives.

My sister sent out an email today and she said that she asked that her 4 children tell what they were thankful for so they wrote a list out. It had 26 very meaningful and some very colorful answers. Here they are...

Welz Family Thank You's
1. God
2. Unicorns
3. Ladybugs
4. Health
5. Family
6. Friends
7. Earth
8. Church
9. Mommy/Dad
10. Chickens that do not bite and you can pet (Zoe-age 3)
11 Classmates
12. Home
13. Freedom
14. Enough Food
15. Flowers
16. Pumpkins
17. Babysitters
18. The Army
19. Pets
20. Music
21. Pictures
22. Dancing
23. Love
24. Silliness and laughter (Zoe too)
25. Books
26. Grace

If Landry could talk, many of the same would be on her list(especially the one about the chickens) but here is her list the order I think it would be in.
Landry's List (11 months)
1. Mommy & Daddy & God
2. Milk(formula) - 4 times a day!
3. Puffs...especially sweet potato
4. Toys with a button that play ANY kind of music
5. Bella
6. Bath time
7. Bananas
8. Being able to run...not just walk!
9. Upsy-daiseys
10. Kisses...giving, receiving and now blowing them ....mmm-wah!
11. Flash cards - learning is FUN :)
12. Lots of LOVE from Friends and Family

What's on your list?

Moving Forward...
Well, I have decided to pursue my photography passion more seriously these days and have been booking sessions for Christmas photos like crazy. I created a new blog and am working on some other things to get it off the ground. I will post the link to my photo blog in mid-December or at least not until after I know that Christmas cards have gone out. All in all, I am very pleased at what I have produced and more importantly, so have my customers.
On the Landry front.....that girl is something else. She is always so happy. I wish I could bottle that smile and sell it! She is learning so many new things and words. She can say Bella, Mama, Dada, thank you(yes, you read right), uh-oh and several others! She can use the milk sign to tell me she wants milk, blow kisses, give kisses, waves bye-bye, sometimes uses the diaper sign, hug, love the baby, give you five and even up high, she is running all over the place and can almost feed herself entirely. She still sleeps 11 hours every night with a rare exception when she wakes up and she usually goes right back to sleep. I have already written to Harvard to see if I can get her in to the early entry program. At 11 months old, she is well on her way! Yes, all that and a beauty to boot! How did a Mama get so lucky AND blessed?!

Special Request

I have a nephew that just got shipped off to Iraq a few weeks ago. They only gave him about 72 hours notice and he was off. Last year he went to Iraq and volunteered to go during the holidays so the guys that had families could stay home. He is really THAT kind of guy. Anyway, he just got married in September and he married not only a beautiful wife but two knock-out children. They are such sweet, happy children and for the first time in their lives they have had a dependable male figure in their lives. When they found out he was leaving the older one(and a boy) took it really hard. He asked if he was going to come back and it just broke every ones heart to think that he even had to ask. Mark is such a great Daddy and they absolutely love him. I was so proud to see him step into such a big role and embrace fatherhood the way he has. I don't know who is more fortunate...the kids or Mark! I think they all are. Anyway...here is where the special request comes in. They told him that he would be home for Christmas and now they are not sure. The earliest he could possibly leave is Dec. 20th. They told Gavin and Sarah that he would be home in time for Christmas and it is going to devastate him(and them) of he misses his first Christmas with them. I also understand that he is in a volatile area too so please keep my nephew and his sweet family in your prayers. Pray for God's will to be that he comes home safely first and foremost but that he also is able to spend the most blessed of days with his new wife and family. Thanks friends....

Happy Birthday to Me!
Boy, did I have a good one! Thursday night the girls took me out to Fondren Unwrapped! It is an open house in the arts district of Jackson. It is always a lot of fun. They always have a good crowd and the food and drinks are always flowing. I didn't buy anything but saw lots of good stuff. After we walked around we went to dinner at Bravo! and had a pretty much the whole place to ourselves. We really had a great time and it was so nice spending the even with some of my best girl friends. I love them all very much and we have a great sisterhood among us.
Today was my actual birthday and it started with a quick trip to the pediatricians office. I wanted to have Landry checked out again before the weekend so I could rest easier. After I got back we ate lunch and later in the afternoon I left Landry with Mike and went to Hand Works. It is a place where vendors mainly from the south and mainly MS come and sell their handcrafted items. There are some beautiful hand painted things, ceramics, food items, children's clothing, picture frames and many other items. There are some really talented people here and that place really showcased many of them. I bought a few things but mainly just spent the time enjoying a few hours to myself. I also ran into some of my friends who own Crossroads Pottery. I met them a few years ago and I loved their work. I had them make crosses for me to give out as thank-you's for all of the kindness that was shown to me when I lost Sophie. They made me them special for me and put her name on the back. I loved how they turned out and I was very proud to give them in her honor. They are just really good people and I always enjoy seeing them.

When I got home, we got the Bug down and Mike and I went to dinner at AJ's on the Lake. It was fabulous and I just wanna tell you, if you live here in MS, you really need to go check out there new restaurant. It is not even in the same league as their old one and the decor looks like it stepped out of a magazine. I would put it up against any restaurant in Vegas, New York or LA. It is that beautiful and stylish. Their service was top notch and they really produce some fantastic food. It was a great birthday dinner. To top off the evening Mike bought me the mother load of photographic software. It is called CS4 and it just came out. It will take my images to another level...now I just have to get another degree so I can figure out how to use it! It was a complete and total surprise since I told him that I wanted to get the lens I bought a month ago for my early birthday. I wasn't expecting anything but a card and a little happy from the Bug. Out of all the great presents I received and how great the events were leading up to my birthday, the greatest gift I got was spending my first birthday with the most wonderful child I could have ever dreamed of. I feel so blessed to have such a beauty both inside and out. She makes me feel both young and old but in the best possible way. This picture is of me and Landry on my 38th birthday.

Landry's 1st x-rays

One of the funniest things in Landry's short life happened today. I decided that I wanted her to have a chest x-ray just to make sure she didn't have pneumonia so today we ventured out to the radiologist. When I got there and we headed back, the x-ray tech looked at Landry and said 'You aren't going to like me very much in a minute.' I wasn't very amused and asked her why. She went in to telling me how the procedure had Landry strapped into this machine and that I was going to have to put a lead apron on and hold her arms over her head and blow into her face. She said that all babies cry but that it doesn't hurt. She handed me a gown and left. I changed her into her gown and called Mike immediately. I needed a little moral support because from the looks of that contraption they were going to put her in I just knew that she wasn't going to be happy AT ALL! She had to sit in this hole in the middle of this table and then this Plexiglas cylinder wrapped around her and a leather strap secured her head in place. Well, I guess I was wrong....she laughed the entire time! The tech said through the wall "I KNOW she is NOT laughing!' I was just cracking up at her. I took this picture from my Blackberry so the quality isn't great but you get the idea. That kid of mine is just a smile a minute....even when she's sick. She makes my heart smile.

The Croup
...or the crud as I call it. Landry wasn't feeling too well yesterday so I decided that I was going to take her to the doctor today. She was in good spirits last night so I didn't think anything of it until 4 am and she was a miserable wreck. She was feverish and so stopped up. At 4:05 we had her in the bathtub trying to cool her down. She fell back a sleep for a little while so I got showered and dressed and we had her at the pediatricians office when the doors opened. We spent the better part of the morning getting her treated for what we found out to be the croup. She got poked, prodded, took a Decadron shot and two nebulizer treatments. Her chest was just a mess. After the second treatment we noticed a difference in her breathing so we went home with prescriptions in hand. After she woke up from her afternoon nap, she was very congested and very unhappy. I called the doctor back and they could hear her erratic breathing over the phone. They told me to come back and to be prepared to be admitted to the hospital. I went into panic mode. I thought about my friend Theresa and her ordeal with Audrey last week and I just went pale. I packed a bag and headed back to her office. Fortunately, the RSV test we took earlier came back negative and while her breathing was labored, she felt like she could take nebulizer treatments at home to see if that would help instead of being admitted. So for the next 24 hours, Landry will get a treatment every 4 hours around the clock. Sounds like a fun night for Mama, huh? Anyway, there are some really great things that she has done the last few days. I will post a video and the story tomorrow. Right now I am going to straighten up this place and head to bed. I gotta be up in 3 hours to play nurse to my sweet baby.

LBS
I have to mention a few comments I have had since I posted that picture of me on Santa's lap. I have heard everything from 'You don't look any thing like you did back then!' to 'Wow! I can't believe how skinny you've gotten!' Now I know I was no delicate flower about this time last year but was I THAT big?! I have to admit I did gain over 40 lbs with Landry..okay 45 but who's counting? I was dead set in getting it off and fortunately, I didn't have too much trouble. When I had Sophie I had no interest in working on getting it off because it was my hope that I would be putting it back on pretty quickly. I only gained 23 lbs with her so it wasn't that hard to lose. I am proud to say that now I am almost the same weight I was in college. My 20th high school reunion is in June so I have a final goal in mind for then. Not just my weight but my fitness level. I feel so out of shape with the exception of the 21lb.8oz. curls I do several times a day, I really don't exercise much these days. I do get quite the workout with her but don't ask me to lug her up the and down the stairs more than a couple of times. I just feel YUK that my cardiovascular side stinks so much. My friend Pam runs every morning and when I see trotting through the neighborhood, I feel so lazy. She makes me tired just watching her! Anyway, I am going to try very hard to maintain during this holiday season allowing myself a few special days that I can splurge. How about you?

Miss Fancy Pants

I don't know about you, but I think little Miss Fancy Pants is pretty darn cute.

And oh so sassy!

11 months
I can't believe that Landry is already 11 months old! It actually happened on Monday but my super long blog entry could not take one more word.
I am in party planning mode now. Actually, I have been planning her birthday party since July but whose keeping track?! I just got her invitations in yesterday and they will go out sometime later this week. I am very excited about her(my) party. They say that the first birthday party isn't really about the kid...it's about the parents...or in this case I have to admit, me. I want for her everything that I didn't have and more. Mike gently reminded me that she wasn't getting married. :) If you know anything about me then you know I love to throw a good party. I have never been one to say no to helping for an event and this one is going is no exception....it is going to be grand! I'll give you a hint by saying it's going to be a Winter ONE-derland! As I plan this out I find myself excited and at the same time a little sad. Where did all the time go? Where is my little squeaker...my little blob that just laid there and didn't move. I'll tell you where she is. She just ran over me with her cute new boots! She is not walking anymore. She is running....literally. She knows where her nose and her ears are and sometimes where her head is and she just gets smarter and smarter every day. She is so amazing to me.

BTW...my friend Theresa's daughter Audrey is in the hospital tonight with pneumonia. Please pray for her and her family as they get through this ordeal. She had a fever of 106.8 the other night and it finally dropped to 103. She needs prayer so please be thinking of this little girl as she recovers from this. Thanks...r

Where does the time go?!
Okay...I have been a bad blogger. I want to play catch up ONE more time and then resume my regularly scheduled blogging. Since my last post I have been very busy and very sick! Last Wednesday night Mike and I went to the Preview Party for Mistletoe Marketplace. We went with our good friends Sid and Cerissa and we had a blast. It is the largest fundraiser that the Junior League of Jackson holds every year and it funds most of the projects we have in the community. For those of you who don't know what it is, it is a shopping extravaganza! Over 150 vendors from all over the country come to Jackson to sell their stuff. There is something for everyone there and we raise almost $1 million dollars. On Thursday, a friend of mine from high school came to visit me. Theresa and her sweet daughter Audrey came and we had a great visit. We had a nice lunch on Friday and then headed to Mistletoe where we shopped and shopped. We headed back home and got Landry and Audrey for Pictures with Santa. Landry did great! We have the best Santa year after year at Mistletoe. He comes from Ohio (I think) and he never disappoints. I took the photos with Santa last year so I had my photo taken with him last too...what a difference a year makes.

We left out on Saturday morning and headed to see Bama play LSU. The was not before we made a pit stop to the doctors office so I could get a Rocephan shot. I wasn't feeling very well and I almost canceled on the whole trip but I decided to go anyway. I am really glad I went because it was the best game I have ever been to. I almost had a heart attack...like 4 times...during the game but we prevailed and won it in over time. We tailgated with some friends who are LSU fans and had a great time. They had quiet the set up with a big motor home and a HUGE blow up projection TV screen. They had it catered with boiled shrimp and gumbo. It was a great day and a great win. Roll Tide! After the traffic cleared up a little, we headed down to New Orleans. We were absolutely beat but hungry so after we checked in we hit Bourbon Street and got some thing to eat. It is always fun to people watch in New Orleans. There are some real characters there and always something to see. After we got back to the room at a respectable 12:15 am we both passed out and didn't get up until 10 the next morning! I didn't realize how badly I needed the sleep until we woke up the next morning. We had a little lunch and headed to the Barnharts to get the Bug. On the way home, we stopped by the Fuel Stop in Manchac and picked up some fresh shrimp right off the boat. There is nothing better than fresh Gulf shrimp! We never dreamed that we would be able to go and do some of the things we have done since we don't have family close. The Barnharts (aka Momo and Paw Paw) have been so good to us and they absolutely love Landry. We know that she is in the best of care when she is with them.
All in all we had a great week. I had a good friend come visit, watched Alabama win and ate good food and Landry got a new pair of boots! How much better does it get than that!? Theresa, thank you for coming and bringing that sweet girl of yours. Bella misses her! Momo and PawPaw, thank you for taking such great care of our girl. She loves you and knows how much you love her.

Now....back to my regularly scheduled blogging.

Wordless Wednesday

Good Stuff
Today I chaired a Bingo Party for the patients at Whitfield State Mental Hospital. It is a project that my church has been doing for years and it was my turn this year to head it up. I enjoy doing things for those who are less fortunate but today was special. When I looked into the eyes of those patients, I recognized someones sister, or mother, or daughter or grandmother. They were someones friend, aunt, cousin or neighbor. All of these people meant something to someone at some point in their lives. Most of them didn't start out this way nor did they imagine that they would end up this way. My family has a long history of mental illness so there are times when I don't feel comfortable in those surroundings. I was doing really well until I saw this one woman and she reminded me so much of my mother. She was well groomed, quiet and very polite. She had the same look as my mother and for a second, I had to take another look. I felt myself very drawn to her and wanted to find out a little about her but I refrained. It made me miss my mother a little more today but it also reminded me how incredibly fortunate we all are. A funny thing happened tonight when I was checking Joe Photos blog and he was talking about the same kind of gratitude. He found a poem and it was really sweet. I am going to borrow it from his blog and share it with you.

" When you think you have it bad, take a look around; there is always someone who has it worse than you. So laugh when you're happy and cry when you're sad. Don't get angry or get too mad, live one day at a time and be thankful for all that you have."--- Written in 2008 by Christina P. --- Ohio
**I wrote this one looking back at the pictures of one of my friends who has cancer.

It's pretty basic but very true. I pray that Landry will always have a sense of gratitude and thanksgiving for all of the things, people, experiences and love that she has in her life. That lesson starts at home so I hope to always be an example to her. BTW...thanks to Nancy and Cerissa for helping me! You were great!!

The List
I have been a bad blogger lately. I have been so busy just trying to catch up from my trip that this has fallen by the way side. I am ready to explain the 'list' so sit back and enjoy the ride.

1. Rock star experience-I went to Las Vegas last weekend for another photography experience. When I got there I was asked to second shoot a wedding at the Bellagio for the super talented Joe Photo. He is one of the best wedding photographers in the industry and does the most high end weddings you can imagine. He travels all over the world and has been published in numerous publications. I compared shooting with him to a Saturday hacker playing golf with Tiger Woods. Yep...he is just that good. The other photographer he hired to shoot was Nick Adams and he his work is incredible too. To learn from these two was a total Rock Star experience.....now on to the real rock star!

2. Wasting away again in Margaritaville - After I left the Bellagio after shooting for 6 hours, I went straight to the MGM Grand and got to see Jimmy Buffet in his last concert of the year. As always...he didn't disappoint. My seats were on the floor and dead center! They were really great until this wall of a man came and stood right in from of me. He was nice but he blocked my view a little. I did make note that every JB concert I have ever been has been home to the 'white man overbite'. Bless their heart. There is truly a reason that most white men get a bad rap about their dancing skills. JB Concert...case in point.

3. Decadence and fabulosity - this one goes back to #1. The wedding we shot was so beautiful. It had all of the trimmings of a platinum wedding but it was very tasteful and fabulous. They has so many special touches and more importantly, the bride and groom were so happy. It was a day to remember...oh, I guess for them too. :)

4. Viva Las Vegas - That city just rocks! It has so much to see and do. I did go to the wax museum and walked for MILES!! I can now say I did a marathon without any quilt. Okay...not really but kind of.

5. Orange Crush - Did you see my Crimson Tide beat Tennessee?! It was a beautiful thing because Phil Fulmer stinks!

6. Feel the fever - While I was gone, Landry got her first fever. She is 10 1/2 months old and she had never had a fever before now. Of course it was a time when her mama couldn't be there! She also has a minor ear infection but Daddy took her to the pediatrician and got her all fixed up. She had to have a Rocephan shot and for anyone who has never had one, they HURT!! Mike did a great job of taking care of her and I felt awful for not being there with her. I am so thankful that I have someone who can 'handle it' when I'm not around.

7. 6 Chiclets -Landry waited and waited to cut her first tooth. It seemed like it would never come but it finally came when she was almost 10 months old. I looked in her mouth the other day and 5 more decided to come on out. She was a little grouchy at first but for the most part, she has been quite the little trooper. I hope she is always this tough.

8. Daddy Rocks! - See #6

9. Rookie Mistake - When I got to the Bellagio to meet with some photographers on Friday night, Joe asked me if I wanted to shoot some of the after rehearsal party. I said 'Sure!' I went to get my camera out and I realized that I had left my only battery in my other charger....at home! I was in Las Vegas with no camera battery. How embarrassed was I?! I ended up borrowing one from him so I was able to shoot but I was mortified at the whole thing. He must have thought...what a rookie! I mailed him his battery back with a thank you note and a box of some Mississippi goodness. I sent him cheese straws, Mississippi mudpuppies, lemon straws and Trailer trash. Only the finest for my new friend. :)

10. Home Sweet Home - I have been going going these last few months. It seems like it never slows down here but it's all good. I am so happy to be home but it will be short lived because we may be headed to Baton Rouge next weekend. When does the fun ever stop!

The Bug

Landry was a ladybug for her first Halloween! She looked so cute with her little antenae sticking up! I guess you noticed that she is WALKING! Full steam ahead and with a mission! I meant to mention this in an earlier post with a video but I have been so busy lately. I will post a cute video soon. In the mean time....

Whirl Wind....
I can barely hold my eyes open so trying to do post all that has happened to me in the last week right now would never do it justice. For now, I will leave you with a top 10 list to tease you...
1. Rock star experience
2. Wasting away again in Margaritaville
3. Decadence and fabulosity
4. Viva Las Vegas
5. Orange Crush
6. Feel the fever
7. 6 Chiclets
8. Daddy Rocks!
9. Rookie Mistake
10. Home Sweet Home

When I catch my breath, I will resume my regularly scheduled blogging. Ta Ta for now!

Wordless Wednesday

Pure joy.....

Image X-update
I just wanted to give you all a link to some of the photos that John Michael Cooper took of me in New Orleans. I watched him along with people all over the country edit live online. I was the first of several images cleaned up. With mine, he took 11 of the same image with different lighting positions and he merged all of the pieced he liked into one master image. I was in awe at how he took such totally different images and made them into these. Also, this was taken at 2:30pm in the bright New Orleans sun. When you see them, you will wonder how he did it. Check them out here: JMC-Image X
Keep scrolling down....I am all the way at the end of the post. Hopefully there will be more to show you later.

First Communion
I know it's early for us to be thinking about Landry's first communion but today she took the bread/body of Christ for the first time. When one of our priests was bringing communion around I took my bread and Mike took his. He was holding Landry and my priest looked at and asked if she could take it. We were like...okay, sure. She took it and put it straight into her mouth. We were kind of stunned at the whole thing and I got a little teary thinking about what she was actually doing. It was a great moment for us and it reminded me again just how special the days of her first year really are.

Think PINK!

I was so proud to be a member of Team Whispy in this years Great Strides Walk. It is a 5k walk to raise money for Breast Cancer Research. My friend, Shay, decided on Tuesday of this week to put a team together and raise money for the cause and to honor our friend Laurie who was diagnosed with breast cancer less than a month ago. She has already had a double mastectomy and will begin chemo this week so please keep her in your prayers. Our goal was $1000.00 and I raised almost $400 of it myself! I am hoping a few more donations will trickle in as it will still count toward our goal. I started by asking for only $5.00. Most people can give $5 even in this economic fiasco we are experiencing so when I got more, it was an added bonus. Thank you to all of my wonderful friends for helping me help Laurie. If you want to make a contribution..even $5.00!..please click HERE. Any amount will help toward fighting this terrible disease. This is a photo of our walking team. Mike even pushed Landry and she was so pretty in her pink!

Landry's First Haircut

Landry had her first haircut today by our good friend Pam. She cuts both of our hair and now Landry is an official client! I will have to say that my girl did a great job. She never fussed and didn't act like it bothered her one bit. I think she was really into all of the attention she was getting. Check her out...we were so proud!

Grandma
Today would have been my Mother's 71st birthday. She passed away 6.5 years ago and this year it is hitting me harder than the last few. I think it's because I look at Landry and think about how much she is missing in not knowing her Grandmother. I think about the day that I will have to tell her that my Mommy isn't here anymore and possibly have to explain death to her in the same conversation. At some point in her life, I will also have to explain why she isn't here and how her life ended here on earth and that won't be a good day for me either.
I've been thinking about the things that I used to do for my Mother for her birthday and how I would always try to do something special for her. She didn't expect much so whatever I did was a big deal to her. She always appreciated the little things and I have come to see how truly special the every day little things matter in someones life. I hope I can somehow instill the gratitude that she had in Landry.
I hope you know how much I miss you and how often I think of you. Please give Sophie a kiss for me and know that I love you both so very much.

I've dreamed of this day...

Today was Goat Roast Sunday and it is a time honored tradition at our church. It is a Blue Grass Mass and a bar-b-que. We cook out on Saturday night and have a true Blue Grass Mass with a band & BBQ on Sunday. We have a jumpy thing for the kids, face painting, games and the playground to keep the kids busy. Last year when we were there, I was getting pretty big and pregnant. I kept thinking that the next Goat Roast that I would have a baby to share this day with and play on Sophie's playground. Not only did I have that, I got to see her with Charlie Crump and it just made my heart smile. Here were two babies that were loved and wanted not only by their parents but by an entire congregation of people. Landry gets so much attention from our church family and she completely eats it up! I hope that she will come to understand how special this kind of love is. I couldn't have made it through the last few years without my faith in God and St. Philip's is where I truly found Him. We built the playground in August of 2006 so the Goat Roast was the first time that I got to see a bunch of children enjoy it. I have prayed for the day when we would get to go out there and enjoy the playground and know that Sophie was smiling down on us. It wasn't sad...it was peaceful and it was a feeling that I wouldn't have believed I could ever have again. I guess that's what happens when you have your own special angel looking down on you. :)

Her new found love is the slide. And personally, I don't think a smile can get much better than this one.......

Hold on to your boot straps...

This post is going to take a while so you might as well get a snack and make yourself a cocktail. I want to tell you how crazy this last week was but in order to do that, I have to go way back to last Friday. Mike and I went to Tuscaloosa to visit some friends and watch Alabama play Kentucky. We won but it wasn't pretty. Hopefully, they won't come that close to giving me a coronary again but somehow I know that as long as I love Alabama football, they are going to find some way to make me work for my loyalty. We won and really, that is all that matters. We left as soon as the game was over and made it back to Jackson by 11pm. We got up, went to church and I left for New Orleans, sans Landry, for 3 days. Mike had her on Sunday and took her to the Barnharts for 2 nights Monday morning. I missed that little girl something fierce! I got ready to check in to the hotel and realized that I had left my drivers license in Mike's wallet from the game Saturday. I checked in with my Sam's card. Seriously, a Sam's card. I was hoping for the first time that I looked old enough to NOT get carded if when I went somewhere. The first night I was there, I met 2 girls and a guy that were also attending the workshop. We all went out to eat and ended up hanging out while alot while we were there. We were literally from one end of the US to the other. It was nice meeting new people and talking about something that I am really passionate about. They all shoot for a living so there was a little different perspective in how they shoot as opposed to mine. On Monday, we started at 8 am with breakfast and went to my first workshop. It was a class with one of my all time favorite photographers, Jessica Claire. She is so good and her following is almost cult-like. She was very nice and shared a lot of herself with us. She really stressed the importance of confidence in your work and pricing. She also gets $12-25k to do a wedding too so I guess her confidence level ought to be waaay up there! I learned a lot from her and it was just nice to be around so many enthusiastic photographers. We were with her from 10-5 that day and shot a lot with her. We had models to shoot so it was really fun. Our class even made it on her blog. My mug is on there....ever be it so small! After that, the big kahuna, Jerry Ghionis did a 3 hour class from 7-10. I thought...Omigoodness, I am sooo tired! How am I going to listen to this guy for 3 hours?! I am so glad I hung in there because he is a ROCK STAR! His work is amazing and he has won so many awards for his work. He does very high profile weddings and he gets an obscene amount of money to shoot a wedding. The best part about him was he was so nice and funny. He was very giving of his time and talent and made himself available to anyone who wanted to pick his brain. He is from Australia and he has been traveling doing teaching events for the last few weeks. He was so good and I am glad I hung in there for it. After that, I was about to go up to my room and pass out and I ran into my new friend, Manolo(great photog, BTW) and he said 'Go get your camera...we're going to night shoot!' I was like..'No way, I am going to bed!' He ended up talking me in to it and I am so glad he did. I got to shoot with 3 of the presenters and 25 other photographers in the streets of New Orleans. It was unreal. I learned so much that night that I would have never learned if I had not sucked it up and gone. We got in at 1 am. I took a shower and passed out. Tuesday, I was up and out the door at 8 and had a class with Audrey Woulard. She is an amazing photographer specializing in Child Portraiture. She has the style that I would love to have. I even found out that she shoots with the same exact camera that I have! I am in search of the lens she uses...may be soon! We shot until almost 5:30 and if I had had Landry there, she would have been one of our models. We had some but not any little ones and we ended up getting one of the other participants 14 month old son to model for us. I was so wanting Landry to be there! At 6:45 we had to meet in the lobby for a parade and we were in it! It is called a Second Line Parade and it had a jazz band that led us along with a guy dressed in a purple suit carrying a fancy umbrella through the streets of New Orleans. We had umbrellas, masks and bandannas to wave in the air as we paraded to our party. It was one of the funnest experiences I have ever had in New Orleans. Several of the photographers brought their cameras so it looked like the paparazzi was shooting us. When we got to our destination, we had a fabulous party in a beautiful courtyard with an open bar, authentic New Orleans food, 2 caricature artists and a band. After it was over we went out on Bourbon Street for a little while and finally made it back to our hotel. Of course, we were up again at 8 am for a video class and finally and open forum to ask questions and wrap up the event. Right before the Q&A, one of the presenters, John Michael Cooper asked me if I wanted to model for a shoot that afternoon! His work is over the top! He is a free spirit and is so talented. Of course, I said yes but that meant I was going to be a few more hours before I got my hands on that child of mine. It was a once in a lifetime chance so I went for it. We finished up around 3pm and I got my stuff together, said my good-byes and was out the door. I had to get one the road so I could beat rush hour traffic and get Landry before she went to bed. All of that would have been possible if some dude hadn't hit me right in front of the Super Dome. I was almost to the interstate and he hit me. URGH! It took the police officers 45 minutes to get to us and another 50 to fill out the reports. I was about to lose my mind thinking that I was not going to make it to Landry before she went to bed. The other guy got a ticket so at least I know it won't be listed as my fault. He was definitely in the wrong. I was so rattled over the whole situation that I called the Barnharts and asked them if they would keep her one more night and I would just pick her up in the morning. I turned around and went back to the hotel and got up with my friends that were still staying and I ended up staying one more night with a new friend that came all the way from Australia to attend this workshop. She was kind enough to let me get a roll away bed and bunk in her room. Four of us went out to eat, we walked into a few galleries and turned in. I got up that morning and headed out. I was driving across the Lake Pontchartrain Bridge on my way back and I was on the phone with my friend Theresa. I looked over and my gas gauge said 0 mile to empty. My heart fell to my toes. This is the longest bridge in the world.... 24 miles to be exact! No gas for miles!!! I saw a sign for Manchac and since it was 8:50 in the morning, the only business that I knew of on that exit was closed. I asked someone to help me but he said he was too busy. He told me of a place that was 'down this dirt road, near the railroad tracks...blah, blah, blah. Needless to say, I thought I was going to get myself in to some real trouble but I didn't have a choice but to go where he told me and hope for the best. My friend Theresa thought I was crazy for going back in the boonies in hopes to find gas but I was running out of time. I took my jewelry off(I know, I am crazy) and pulled up to this business right on the water. It ended up being a gas station for boats and they just so happened to have a pump with premium gasoline! I have never been so happy to spend $3.95 on a gallon of gasoline! Inger, the woman who owns the store was so nice. She knew I was a little frazzled and calmed me down. I asked her if they sold shrimp there and she took me down to a boat that was docked and I bought some of the best shrimp I have had in a long time right off the boat. I bought 15 lbs for me and 15 for the Barnharts. It took me 30 minutes to get my gas and shrimp and be on my way. Finally!! On the road again and going to see my baby. That was until I saw these blue flashing lights in my rear view mirror. At this point, I just thought, is this FOR REAL!? A state trooper pulled me over and yes, I was speeding and yes, my inspection sticker was expired oh, and yes, I handed him my Sam's card for identification. OK...Stop laughing. It isn't funny. It's really not that funny. OK...It is hilarious but quit laughing anyway! Bless his cute little heart, he felt sorry for me and did not give me a ticket. HELLLOOOO!!! Could I please just get to my child?! I finally made it to my love bug at 11:30. She was so excited to see me at first and when I picked her up she got really quiet and acted a little mad at me. It was like she thought....'Hey, where the heck have you been?!' She got over it and she has been my shadow ever since.

So...how was your week?

Are you kidding me?!
I thought this blog post was going to be telling you about all of the wonderful people I met at Image X and about how incredible the whole experience has been. Instead, I'll just tell you about the Buick that hit my car on the way home. Yep, my front right panel and side bumper are toast again. This time, it wasn't my fault. I was really upset because I was so anxious to get home and see Landry but by the time the New Orleans police got there and filled out all of the necessary forms and wrote the other guy a citation :), it was going to be too late when I picked her up. She would have already been asleep for an hour. I was so frustrated that I just turned back around and found a few of my friends at the hotel and I decided to stay over and pick her up early in the morning. Right now I am sitting on a roll away bed in New Orleans getting ready to dream about my sweet Landry for one more night. Tomorrow, I will not be able to peel myself away from her and that will be just fine by me.

Image X
I am so excited about a trip that I am going on next week. First I will go to the Alabama/Kentucky football game in Tuscaloosa where I will see some old friends and good football....oh and what about that Tide beating those Dawgs! We will turn around and come home so I can pack up and go to New Orleans for a 3 day photography workshop on Sunday afternoon. This is no ordinary workshop....it is Image X. It has the industries best and I am going to learn all I can from them. Photography is one of those things that I have loved for a long time. I worked for a few photographers and freelanced for a the Tuscaloosa News. I shot for the AP at Talledega (oh, the stories!), a few SEC sporting events and several other great events. When I moved to Jackson in '98 I put my camera down. When I was expecting Sophie, I jumped into the digital world and I decided to start shooting again. I can shoot till my hearts content and it doesn't cost a thing like film photography used to. I want to be better and this is a rare opportunity to learn from some of my favorites. As a matter of fact, I was able to get into Jessica Claire's class and I am psyched! There are several incredible photographers that are going to be teaching and I was fortunate enough to secure a spot in her class. I can't wait! Little Landry will be with her Daddy until Monday and then he will take her to the Barnharts for a few nights. They will keep her until I pick her up on Wednesday. I feel so fortunate that I have somewhere I know she will be taken care of, spoiled and most of all...loved. Since we don't have family here, they have easily taken that role and we feel very blessed to have them. They asked me if they could pick her up on Sunday and bring her home on Friday. I told her that she wouldn't be worth having if she was spoiled that long! My biggest challenge will be being away from her for 3 nights. I just can't even think about it right now. I have asked them to be on standby if I needed to meet them half way so I could see her! If you're curious, check out Image X and Jessica Claire.

http://www.imagexworkshop.com/

http://www.jessicaclaire.net/

9 Month Check up

Landry and I had dual doctors appointments yesterday since her pediatrician is also an internal medicine doctor. I had to get my cholesterol rechecked and I also got an EKG. It was routine and the results normal. Landry was 28.5 inches long and 19lbs. 2 oz. Why is it that she feels like she is 39 lbs some days?! She had to get her finger stuck and never even batted an eye. I can't say the same for her first Flu shot. She cried like I haven't heard her cry in a long time. I felt so badly for her. She recovered pretty quickly but I still hated to see her get so upset. All in all, she is right on target and is healthy as a horse! (BTW..How healthy are horses, really?)

Landry has never had a fever or really ever been sick. I am sure that will change since she is in Moms Morning Out....we'll see how that goes. As I type this she is reaching out to play with Bella (or Baba as she calls her) and talking up a storm. Now she is dancing to the beat of her musical piano. It plays a song that has kind of a funky beat and she starts dancing with this huge grin on her face like she knows she is got it going on. It is really funny to see. She is taking 2 0r three steps at a time now. She looks like a drunken sailor but she is definitely making progress.

Another milestone....

Check out the Chiclet!!