odd mom out

Wii!

After much cajoling, nagging, begging, and pleading, we now are the proud owners of a Wii!

I cannot wait to hook it up and try it out!  ( The hunting game was so that Steve would actually learn to love the Wii).

Also, a while back I entered a nationwide photography contest.  I had kind of forgotten about the whole thing, and then the other day a letter comes in the mail.  I was sure that it was the type of letter that starts out  "Thank you so much for entering, while we appreciate your entry, it was not chosen.  We wish you luck in your endeavors....blah, blah, blah." 

As a matter of fact, I was so sure that was what it was going to say that I almost threw it in the recycle bin without opening it.  Well, I am glad I didn't!  My photo was chosen as a finalist in the contest!  Over 3,000 people entered (and you could submit multiple photos: I submitted 5) and mine was chosen to be one of the 100 finalists!  Yippee!  The photo they chose was not my fave, but I do like it:

It's funny because I took this photo on a whim, just snuck in while she was sleeping...glad I did!  Now I have absolutely no delusions about actually winning, the entries to this contest are amazing!  But, it's really an honor to be chosen (boy, I sound like one of the losers at the academy awards), and it also means that my work will be published.  So yeah me!  Yeah Eva!

OK, now I have to go play the Wii.

25 Random Things

So I was tagged on Facebook by my best friend from high school to write 25 random things about myself. Since I don't want to type it out twice, I am posting it here.  If you are reading this, consider yourself tagged, and email or post a comment with your 25 things.

Here it goes:

1.  I spend entirely too much time on the computer (see my last post about Etsy).
2.  I was once a model / jet ski rider for Marlboro.
3.  I have had 13 surgeries, and only got a prize for one of them (C-section: my son).
4.  I have three dogs...which is two too many.
5.  Sometimes I don't get dressed until noon.
6. Sometimes my kids don't get dressed at all.
7. I love watermelon and gooey brownies.
8.  I was a vegetarian for years...but bacon turned me...mmm, how I love bacon.
9.  I can't keep houseplants alive so please do not give me one as a gift.
10. Here's a secret:  I buy self-help books, but never finish them.  In fact, I rarely get past the first  chapter.
11.  My fireplace has no mantel, which makes it very hard to hang Christmas stockings.
12. I know I am going to get hate mail for this, but I don't believe in organized religion. 
13.  My favorite quote is: "I am not what has happened to me, I am what I choose to become."  -Carl Jung
14. My husband and I have been married for 15 years, together for 20, and I am still madly in love with him.
15. I hate getting wet...even though I was a river guide for 13 years.
16. I am not a great housekeeper...and I hate to put laundry away.
17. I love to travel, especially internationally.  Especially to tropical beaches.
18. I have way too many handbags.
19. And my husband would say I also have too many shoes.  He just doesn't understand.
20. I am a magazine junkie.  Love 'em.
21. I won't tolerate dishonesty,  I can handle anything, just give it to me straight.
22. Sounds silly and girly, but I love hearts. Call me silly and girly.
23. I don't know what I want to be when I grow up.
24. I secretly wish that I lived a life where I could wear fabulous heels all the time.  Sigh.
25. I am very glad to have the life I do, with all the ups and downs. 

Slacker

So, I must admit, lately I have been a slacker about blogging.  No excuses, just a slacker.  I will tell you what I have been doing with my time:

Surfing Etsy for items that I really don't need but that I LOVE...like this:

I know that I don't need him, and even if I did buy him, Eva would claim him the second she saw him.  But isn't he adorable? 

And also this:

 

Yes, it is a toilet decal.  Hilarious!  I think I may have to buy it.

And, even though we are certainly the only family in America to yet purchase a Wii, I have been spending time at the neighbor's house playing Rockband with the kids...(don't tell Steve...he's the reason we DON'T HAVE a Wii)

See Steve, the kids love it...and it's teaching them about music!  Not to mention I *KICK ASS* at "Wanted, Dead or Alive"....

I have also been  scrapbooking like mad lately, I have done several layouts in the last few days, catching up on Thanksgiving and Christmas layouts.  This one is the most timely:

Last but not least, I have been watching a little football.  No, your eyes aren't playing tricks on you...football.  I am, however, a fair weather fan.  The Cardinals never interested me in the least when they were losing.  I never went to see them at training camp (here in our fair city), never cared when one was at the same restaurant as we were, and certainly never watched any games.  OH, sure, I would go the neighbors house and pretend to watch, but it was really just for the food or an excuse for a party.  But now, NOW, the Cardinals are going to the Superbowl!  I may actually watch the game this year instead of the commercials...

Maybe.

Project 365

So I have decided to take a photo everyday in 2009, write a little about what the photo is / means in relationship to that day, and put it in an album.  I got the idea here, and so far it has been a really cool project.  I am excited to see what it will look like at the end of the year...just a slice of my everyday existence.  How cool will that be?  Or how boring.....

OK, on to other things.  Last Saturday I attended the Imaging USA conference.  It's a convention for professional photographers (which I am NOT) but I was going to be in Phoenix anyway for the weekend, so I thought "why not?"  I went to an all-day photo seminar, and while it was for people who do this kind of thing for a living, I did learn a lot, and took some cool pictures.

This little girl was so adorable!

Then there were these two....

I realized that it is easy to take great photos when you have adorable models, great lighting, and terrific props.

After the photo shoot it was time for SUPERCROSS!
Steve and I go every year to Phoenix and to Las Vegas (the finals).  It was a blast as usual, and fired up from my new knowledge from the photo shoot, I took my camera.  I ended up taking over 350 photos.  About three turned out...but it was good practice shooting motion!

Ryan Villapoto taking the triple ....

and James (Bubba) Stewart throwing up some roost....

All in all a great weekend!

San Diego

So, last week we were sitting around anticipating our exciting New Year's Eve (laying on the couch watching TV until 10 and then yawning and going to bed), I realized that if we sit at home for the next five days with no plan, my family will go nuts.  They will drive me nuts.  And since I am already well on my way to the looney bin, I really don't need to speed up the process.  So I went straight to Expedia and booked us trip to San Diego.  It was cold, damp, and cloudy...and absolutely fabulous!

We stayed on the beach at a great hotel,  The Pacific Terrace, in funky Pacific Beach.  Of course, when you are in San Diego you have to go to the....

Actually, Cael and I did not go to the zoo because as we pulled in he decided to take a nap. Thinking that he would only sleep a bit, I volunteered to stay in the car while everyone else went in.  I napped....I checked my email....I downloaded a few new apps to my Blackberry...I called a friend...Steve called me for baby nap updates...I read some blogs....I jotted a to do list.....and two and a half hours later he woke up.  And everyone else had seen the zoo.  OK, well I have been before, when I was 12.

We then had lunch at Anthony's Fish Grotto, and after lunch we checked out the USS Midway.

On Saturday, Amanda and I walked around and checked out all the funky shops.  Then Amanda fell in LOVE....

A Felt beach cruiser, in the Patchwork edition.  EVERYONE in Pacific Beach has a beach cruiser, and we were both green with envy.  I think if Amanda could have gotten the bike home without riding it all the way, she would have that bike right now.  Alas, we live in a snowy climate, and in a rural area, and on a dirt road, so the beach cruiser is not terribly practical here...but it was waaay cute!

On Sunday we went to Legoland.  Can I tell you how excited my kids were?  Wait, let me show you...the moment we pulled into the parking lot they were....

 

Since we had a late flight that night, and a long day ahead we let them sleep, so again, in the car for an hour and forty minutes, checking email, watching other people and their awake, excited children pile into Legoland.  Ah, but we had fun when they woke up, and that's what it's all about, right? 

 

PERSEVERE

I have so many things that I want to accomplish for the New Year...I don't make resolutions because I can never keep them.  As a matter of fact, I usually forget all about them by mid-January.  However, I did see this great idea on Ali Edward's blog.  Just pick one little word.  This word should symbolize what you want for the year.  My word is PERSEVERE.  For me it symbolizes what I want for myself in the coming year.  I want to keep moving forward despite what life throws at me.  I want to keep reminding myself that when I have a bad day, I get a another chance to get it right the next day.  I even had a necklace made with my word on it to remind me the no matter what I should PERSEVERE.  If you have word, or would like to join me on my journey (I plan to blog about this from time to time) leave me a comment, let me know what your word is!