Painful and Embarrassing!

You're not going to believe this...I fell off the treadmill today. Yes, you read correctly, "Fell Off", not just trip or stumble...cause I've done that plenty of times in the past. I mean it...the treadmill ate me up and spit me out! Here's how it happened: I wasn't paying attention, tripped, fell to my knees, but was still holding on and the machine was still going so, I tore all the skin of my knee and when I finally let go, I smashed my face leaving black tread marks on my cheek and lip! I was jogging/walking with a friend so I had a witness...I'm not sure if that's the good news or the bad news. She was so sweet to me...didn't laugh and even wiped the black rubbed off my face. Now that's a good friend! It may sound funny now but at the time it embarrassing and painful. I bashed my leg, face and back too! I'm on ibuprofen and feeling better.

Anyways, for all of you inspired by the olympics and wanting to get in shape...I hope you have an easier time then me. I'll be back at it soon but, for now I'm resting. Any goo/painful working out stories that you want to share to help my broken pride?

waiting...

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The Olympic Craze!

I'm one of those die hard fans of the Olympics! I love every part: the small clips sharing the background stories that (without fail) have me tearing up by the end, the underdog achieving the impossible, the newcomers faces filled with awe and wonder, the cut-throat competition, and most of all the cheering for the individuals who have spent their lives working for their moment in history!!!! I love seeing American rise to the occasion (and Canada too!) The world of Tivo means I get to watch even more then ever before. We record everything and then skip the commercials and sometimes even watch events on fast forward...there's a lot to watch...no offense to the sports we sped through!

I'm addicted. It makes me want to start training...well, at least it gets me thinking about getting my butt to the gym.

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Wedding Double Header

I had a wedding in Alexandria on Friday, stayed overnight at a hotel in St. Cloud and then shot another wedding in Ham Lake on Saturday! It was a little crazy and tons of fun!I did a couple of these double headers last year but, this is my only one this year. It's go-go-go for two days straight and then I dieing to get home and look at all my new pictures! Plus, it's almost sweeter to come home and hold your baby after being away. Matt had the kids for two days straight. I'm not sure who worked harder. Thankfully, Leyton is in an amazing schedule and sleeps through the night! (One of the greatest milestones known to nursing moms!) He's eating every 3 1/2 hours and sleeps 2 long naps during the day. AND on top of that Adriah is pretty much happy to just be with Daddy. I noticed that he wrote out both of their eating and napping schedules and checked off each one as it was completed! I love my husband!!

Both couples were amazing and the wedding parties were really easy to work with. I love what I do! It's amazing that I get excited for every wedding still...and then turn around and be excited to come home!

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Family

This month has been all about family for us. First we took a 10 day trip to Canada and then I had my husband's sister and her family staying at our house for the last 2 weeks...I have loved it! There is nothing like family. Of course, they are the people that can push all your button's and make you madder then you knew you could get AND THEN on the other hand they are the people that know you the best and you can be yourself! They bring out my best and my worst. They help me remember who I am and who I want to become. Do you know what I mean? I love my family and the spouses my siblings married. What are the chances of that? AND, on top of that, I love the family I married into. Spending time with Matt's sisters is like being with my own sisters. I never thought I would be so lucky. Family is a blessing!

Life is short. Shorter then I'd like to admit. While I'm here I will pour myself into family and friends. Don't forget about friends. When family live far away friends become family. I have women in my life that I would happily say they are my sisters. Sometimes we even fight like sisters! I am thankful for the people God has put around me. I don't take it for granted.

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More of my Random-ness

What decides success? Who defines it? Better yet who really achieves it? I remember when I worked full-time...at the end of the day I'd walk to my car and feel full cause I had done a ton, finished a bunch, solved problems and impacted people. I was thinking about this a lot today. I had fun with my kids and didn't "do" a whole lot besides "be" with them. I love being a mom and there's so many times during the day that I laugh at my life...it's a sweet gig! But, having said that, I didn't "do" anything that fits into the category of a successful day. Unless the definition of success was: teaching my son blow bubbles and laugh, setting up the water slide and watching my daughter giggle while running through it and slide into the mud, listening to my mom and the hard things she's going through, being there for my husband as he walks another family through the loss of a loved one. If this is success then I had a very successful day.

I know a write about a lot of different things on this blog and I know a lot of different people read it: brides wanting to get to know me, friends and family who want to stay up to date with what going on in my life, photographers who get bored editing their own pictures, women who starting reading because they were concerned about the Morrison babies and others who just stumbled on it. All that to say, today I want you to know what ever you did it was someone else's definition of successful. If only we could all relax and enjoy our own lives. Instead of everything you didn't do think about everything you did and did right!

hmmm. I'll try to do that better tomorrow.

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Facebook

I was just on Facebook (yes, I do Facebook and I love it!) and on the left hand side there's usually an advertisement right? Well, today's said "32 and needing to loose weight?" WOW! I thought that was a little too close to home! Is someone writing to me specifically? I don't know but, it was kinda annoying and funny at the same time. I'll be crying myself to sleep tonight for sure. Anyways, moving on to a happier subject...I love Facebook for so many reasons! I play games with my sisters who live in England and Canada...it makes me feel like there really close. I can know what everyone is doing from their "status" but not have to comment unless I want to! I can be in touch with tons of people with very little effort on my part! AND I can feel good about myself every time someone asks to be my friend...it really is an ingenious invention!

I'm giggling about this blog...totally random.

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Tim Horton's

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If you're wondering if we've been to this famous coffee shop...we have! How could we not. They have them everywhere! We try and go every day. I love the multi-grain bagel (toasted) with herb & garlic cream cheese! AND i love that Tim Horton's knows how to make my tea perfect. They brew tea just like coffee and load it with milk and sugar...i don't have to do anything! My one indulgent is the chocolate donut with chocolate glaze. :)

I will buy timbits for the ride home! Nothing like a little bribes in confined quarters.

Today

Today I went on a picnic with my family. My brother and his family, my sister, my mom, step-dad and my real dad...weird eh? I'm never in Canada and when I am I try to see as much of my family as possible. So, we went to a park, played badminton, ate  milanesa (thin pieces of beef, breaded and fried)  in  yummy fresh buns and ketchup chips. :) Now, I don't have a perfect family but, I love them and they are MY FAMILY! It wasn't as weird as I thought it would be. I have wonderful parents. I love them and they love me. I want my children to know them...I can deal with weirdness for that! Thinking about today...the picnic was fun and I loved being with my family. I know that they love me...there's something cool about people knowing you (and you're whole life) and still loving you!

night.

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Going out for breakfast!

I love the art of breakfast food! We've been out for HUGE breakfasts twice in the past couple of days and it's so yummy! I'm huge on Omelettes packed with ingredients...I figure I'm getting more for my money AND I didn't have to chop it all! These are the kinds of breakfasts that come with 2 pieces of toast, homestyle fries, pancakes and then a huge omelette! I'll be full for ages but it was worth every last bite!

Normally I'm a mixed cereal girl (I like buy tons of cereal so I can mix and match all the different kinds) but, when I'm on vacation I love BIG BREAKFASTS!

What's your favorite breakfast?Anything I should try?

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Oh Canada!

We're finally here! After a two day car trip with a 2 month old and 3 year old we were ready to land and start our vacation. Our kids did great but, we sure were glad to get to my sister's house in Hamilton. It was beautiful here today...like 90 degrees with a cool breeze. We spent today visiting friends, shopping in the area and of course we went to a park with Adriah! AND to top it off my sister cooked dinner for us! I love it! Tomorrow we're going to the African Lion Safari...it's got a train so, Adriah's going to love it! Of course, I brought my cameras and can't wait to start snapping! Hopefully I'll be able to get some up soon!

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Count down...

When planning a trip as a mom there are so many factors to consider. We leave for Canada on Monday and I can't wait! Well, except for the 2 days drive part. We have a 3 year old and a 2 month old so between potty trips and nursing it will take us forever but, having said that, it will be fun to just be with our family. I'm not a big fan of road trips but with a growing family I guess I should just embrace it! I'm sure I'll be taking pictures and blogging while I'm there so look forward to some vacation shots in the near future.

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This is the life!

I know stay-at-home mom's can get a bad rap and it may not be the glamorous job but, I want to say how much I love it! Raising my kids is the hardest and most fulfilling work I've ever done (and you know how much I love photography :) Having them in my care and knowing that they are at a stage of life where they need me and I'm here to serve them! Having said that...I did spend three days at the club lounging at the pool! I got tons of freckles and even a very little tan! I'm a 50+ sunscreen-er and my poor daughter (even though she has her daddy's skin) has to bathe in it too!

Hope you're having a wonderful summer. Take time to close your eyes and feel the sun and wind! Then open them to see all the amazing beauty everywhere. Summer is gorgeous. When I was in my 20's I used to make a list every summer and try to do everything on the list before the summer ended. I knew it would go by too fast! Sit outside...look for flowers...listen to kids playing...splash in the water...lay in the grass and look at the stars...forget to put on your make-up...let your sunglasses hold back your hair...smile!

What's your favorite part of summer? Give the rest of our readers ideas for what to do in the next couple of months.

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Are you a Garage Sale-r?

I totally love garage sales! I got this email from a friend and wanted to give you another chance to be a blessing! "I wanted to let all of you know about a garage sale that's coming up on June 19-21 (from 8-4 each day). One of the pastors at Wooddale Church has a young daughter (I believe she's six or seven) who has been fighting leukemia for several years now. The family was all set to pack up and move to Africa to become long-term missionaries there when Mikayla was diagnosed. Several MOPS moms have gotten together to organize a garage sale to help them out, and I thought you all might be interested in checking it out - it's going to be full of family related stuff.

The location of the sale is 3136 Highway 13 in Burnsville, next to the Black Dawg Grille, which sounds far away, but isn't as far as you'd think. Just take 169 south to 13, and it's just a bit down the road on the right hand side of the road. Hope to see you all there!"

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Leyton is growing and changing before my eyes!

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My son is almost 2 months old! Although I am a little anxious for him to sleep through the night I don't want him to grow up too fast! I don't know if he's my last baby or not and I want to treasure the newborn days for I know they are short!

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A photographer friend came over this week and we made Leyton our subject...he's wasn't happy about being stripped down to his diaper but, we still got some cute shots.

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I love that about photography...it slows down time and helps me to hold onto these precious days.

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Here's my chunky baby! Can't wait until his 2 months appointment to find out how much he weighs!!!

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Here's my beautiful blue-eyed baby boy...I have a crush on him!

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Assessing your life!

Do you ever sit back and take inventory? I do. All the time. Probably too often. Matt and I are coming up on our 8th anniversary (which means we made it successfully through the 7 year itch - YEAH!) We sat on the couch a couple of nights ago talking and taking inventory. I love those kind of conversations and Matt's learning that they are very helpful!

When looking ahead to the rest of this year we want to intentionally spend more time alone together, more time alone as a family (without friends), and more time alone doing our individual hobbies. I saw an episode of Oprah a while back. (Note: I'm not a regular viewer but sometimes I'm flipping and watch a show or part of one!) It was on married couples keeping tabs on each other and exchanging "time" for what they want to do. I don't like that. I want to bless Matt and encourage him to have fun in other ways (kayaking, fishing, going out with the boys etc.) and I want him to do the same for me (letting me go shopping alone and hang out with the girls). I don't want to "owe" him. I want to do it because I love him and want us to have well rounded lives. AND I truly believe that giving each other time away means we love being with the family when we're together. Do you know what I mean?

He could look at me and say "You get to do what ever you want you're home all day!" and I could look at him and say "You're out all day having fun you need to be at home!" But, I'd rather we ask each other how we can bless the other...so if we do go out, there's no guilt! I don't know if anyone else struggles with this but, I think it's a normal family life thing.

I want to be more in love with Matt this time next year then I am right now. I believe the way that's going to happen is to: spend "hobby time" apart and intentional time together. What do you think? Got any ideas on the subject? Remember I'm not a marriage counselor just a wife and mom blogging about my thoughts!

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I'm getting behind...

I have been "under-the-weather" this week. The stomach flu has been going around and I got a vicious version of it! I was so sick yesterday I couldn't do a thing...but thankfully I have an incredible husband and he let me stay in bed while he came home to take care of our kids! I was really sick! I would go from being drenched in my own sweat to so freezing I couldn't stop shaking. I have other ailments but I want go into the details. I don't know what people(mom's) do when they don't have anyone to call and they are "stay in bed" sick. I was truly thankful for his help. Not only did he take care of the kids he made meals, did laundry and vacuumed! Sorry ladies he's already taken! I'm feeling a little better today but still shaky. Sorry to the brides who are patiently waiting for pictures...I'm on it...just a little slower then usual.

So, all this to say, wash your hands! I hope you don't get this virus.

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I am so tired!

My son is going through a growth spurt and has changed from eating every 3 hours to every 2 hours. It makes a big difference! I know that this is just a stage and he'll be sleeping through the night soon but, wow, you forget how hard it so to function on so little sleep. The up-side is that he's absolutely beautiful and starting to communicate with his eyes...he will stare adoringly at anyone holding him! He's incredibly alert and has a sweet disposition. I love him and even at 3am he makes me smile...I can't believe he's mine!

I have a son. He'll someday tower over me and eat all the food in the house but, for now I get to hold him and take care of him!

Adriah has a little brother and she adores him. This morning when he was crying she says to her daddy, "Dad, can you get the bottle ready? Baby brother is crying and needs milk!" She is a little momma. I love it when she's trying to comfort him and uses all the sayings I use: "It's alright buddy," "I know - I know - I know," and "Are you hungry?" I am truly blessed by this 3 year old little girl.

Sometimes I blog for you but today I needed to write this blog to remind myself that I could focus on how tired I am and be miserable for the next few weeks OR I enjoy this stage, slow down, rest, and realize I will never have him this tiny again! It's a precious time in our family. I going to choose not to complain today!

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