Finally...

I bought a Mac.  After dealing with my piece of crap computer for about 8 hours on Sunday afternoon/evening.  I gave up and decided that I just needed to invest in something new since I hadn't had a new computer since 2001.  As of Sunday, I could not open up Photoshop, which doesn't work well since I need to be editing pictures!! I always told myself that once I got to the point of needing a new computer that I would switch to a Mac.  After a lot of research today we drove down to Pleasanton and bought it.  I love the 24" screen that I got.  I can actually see everything really good.  (That says a lot coming from someone who is blind!)  I can't wait to edit my first pictures.  I am going to see every detail great.  I am a little overwhelmed about everything that I need to transfer to the new computer.  I just need to focus on it a little at a time.  =)  Speaking of I better get back to that since it is 1:15am.  Ahhh!

(I had a way cool picture to put on this post but I don't know how to right click on the Mac.  So, if anyone knows how to copy a picture to the blog on a Mac just let me know. )

Refection of Christ

I am completely in awe of this website that I just found. I had to share it. It is called A Reflection of Christ. They are the most amazing photographs that I have ever seen. They have depicted images from Christ's life. There aren't words to describe how amazing they are! They have an exhibit at the Mesa Arizona Temple and I sure hope they come to a temple close to us. I will be there in a second. These images pull at your heart strings and bring tears to your eyes. I hope you take a minute to check them out and reflect on all that Christ has done for us.

Clean Sweep...

Well, I am on a roll. I bailed out my room today. I have worked on it ALL day except for when my kids were at gymnastics. I have three huge black trash bags that are going to Goodwill. It feels so good to be free of all that stuff! It also feels good to be going to sleep in a room that is clean. I even pulled everything out from under the bed and vacuumed all the dust bunnies. It was pretty bad. =) Well, I am off to sleep in my clean room and clean sheets...ahhhh.

I am thankful for fish..

If I haven't told you already, Chase has the best nursery leader that anyone could ask for. She always goes above and beyond! One week the lesson was, "I am thankful for fish." So, of course Chase came home with two real fish. He loves them. Three weeks later, they are still alive.

Scrapbooking at its finest!

Well, this year is a Scrapbook Expo that I will never forget. I am glad that I was sitting down when my sister-in-law, Lori, told me that my brother was going to Scrapbook Expo. At first I didn't believe it but I have pictures to prove it.

The first picture is Jimmy with paint all over him. Lori said that in their first class that he got paint everywhere. It was on the floor, table, his shirt and his hands. So, I had to take a picture!

The second picture is of him shopping and finding a cool piece of 12x12 paper. He was so excited!

The third is of him showing his excitement when Heather gave him a paper about her Heartfelt Blessing scrapbook charity that she is starting.

Then at the crop Heather and I celebrated her birthday. Heather and I had lots of fun in classes, shopping, and at the crop. Heather and I don't get to see each other very much anymore and we don't do things that often together but, when we do we have tons of fun! I wish we had more opportunities to do things together!

Banana Slugs String Band...

On March 14th Isabella had another field trip for school. We went and saw the Banana Slugs String Band. Isabella loved them. (I thought Greg and Steve were better.) After we went to the concert we went to lunch for pizza with Kylie, Makayla, and their Mommies. It was a great day!

Easter...

Our Easter this year was busy. It all started with finding the filled baskets for the Easter bunny. The Easter bunny also brought Isabella and Chase an art easel and a baseball launcher. They were both a big hit!

Then we went to church. I was in charge of sharing time for Primary so I filled eggs with scriptures starting from when Christ was given up to his Resurrection. I put the scriptures in Easter eggs and hid them around the room. The kids loved finding them. Then we made an edible tomb. Of course they like this the best. I was worried that Isabella would have on and Chase wouldn't and then they would fight over it but Sister Richards and I were on the same page and she made edible tombs with the nursery kids too. So, Chase got one too! =)

Then we came home from church and I started the ham for the family shindig. Little did I know that our "little" shindig would turn into a "HUGE" shindig! There were a lot more people than we expected but everything turned out great. The hunt was good, the food was good and the company was good. It was a GREAT Easter but, we will never have it at our house again! =)

(Leave it to Isabella to wear her Christmas PJ on the eve of Easter! )

A new Misty's Portraits...

I have been working on a new website. I have been looking for a user friendly website because for me to change my pictures and text it just takes so much time. I have also wanted to have a password proofing gallery so that my clients have privacy. My new website is going to have just that! I have found a new one and have been working on it so new things to come for mistysportraits.com. I'll let you know when it is live.

The Fly Lady...

Well, I am so tired of the clutter and chaos in my house. I am now looking for a change in my life. I wen to an Enrichment Circle on Wednesday and the class I went to was an organizational class. My really good friend, Laura, taught it. She gave some AWESOME ideas. One of the things she talked about was flylady.com. She gave us a handout of zones and it got me curious. I checked it out on Saturday night and I'm hooked. I am really excited as to how she has everything broke down. She tells you to take baby steps instead of overwhelming yourself.

What I always do is:
-I get tired of the way my house looks.
-I work like dog for a few days straight getting it back in order.
-Then I don't do ANYTHING because I am so burnt out from getting it back in order.
-It goes right back to the place it was in the first place that I HATED!

When I saw the little things that I can start off with to get my house back in order. I was sold. I don't have to work like a dog to get it back to the way I want it. I love how she tells you to do certain things on a certain day.

I also signed up for her emails. She ends out about 8 a day reminding you of little things. I love it!

So, I started today with Day 1-3. Did everything I was supposed to.

My new goal: make my bed EVERYDAY! I NEVER do this! I never saw the point in making a bed that I was just going to unmake at the end of the day and no one ever saw it. Well, I see it and I want it made now. =) I'm hoping that this new clean me is here to stay!

A poem...

I just read a poem about my Dad that my niece Lindsay wrote. It is amazing and I thought I'd share it!

Adieu

Pain surges from left to right,
my chest collapses and holds tight.
Quick, short gasps of life i barely grasp,
my sight and voice leave, "why?" i ask.

My daughter labors at my side with love,
she say's that i'll soon be with those above.
I hear her voice, but i can't respond.
A tear escapes, all hope now gone.

Next my granddaughter's voice full of sobs,
lays next to my gasping body, soon joining God's.
she tells me "i love you and always will"
again, no response, only tears that spill.

I fight, i reach for my life, i'm not ready...
Suddenly...it's quiet...i begin to feel steady.
My wife's soft touch felt so warm on my cheek,
then it fades...my world now bleak.

My family weeps and weeps,
I now only talk to my granddaughter while she sleeps.
I can finally say "I love you too!
For now, forever, Adieu..."

Lindsay Darlene Clemmons

Projects complete!

These past few weeks my goal has been to clean up my house and get rid of a ton of stuff! I am just so sick of clutter. Actually I watched an Oprah show on a hoarder and I don't want to be ANYTHING like that. I know that I am not even close but I never want it to get even remotely close to that. Right after watching the show I went through the cabinets in both bathrooms. It felt so good to get rid of stuff and make tons of room.



Then I started cleaning my formal dining area which is my scrapbook area. As, I was doing that I found a project that I bought about 6 months-1 year ago and never completed it. Well, last weekend, I was going to make sure that I finished it. I actually did. I've always wanted something creative to hang up my kids art work. I would love to have something in each of their rooms but I don't have room. I decided that since I tape it on the back of the door that I would just put my idea on the back of the door. I bought wood letters that spell A-R-T, spray painted them black, and added clips to the bottom of them to clip their art work on. I love the finsihed product.



I also wanted to put some current pictures in my frames on the wall. The pictures that were in there were 2 years old. I have also completed this!



I also thought of a great idea to start doing with my photography business but needed a model to try it out and have examples for people to see. I have completed half of it by casting a prego belly! I can't complete the other half until my friend has her baby. BTW, thanks Terri!! =)

I don't know if I am getting the itch because it's Springtime and I have Spring Fever or what. But I am liking the results! =)

Easter Party at Snell's....

When I first got to Snell's they had already started the party. They made these Easter baskets and they were filling them with the goodies that the kids brought in. Above is Isabella and Kayla. I just love this picture of the two of them with their adorable bunny hats on.

Then all the kids went into yellow room to play a racing game. Here is a picture of all 45 of them!


Then they went back into blue room to have their cupcakes, ice cream, and candy. Right before they eat they all hold hands and say a prayer. It is really cute. Not sure who the boy next to Isabella is but they look like they are flirting to me! =)


Chase got to sit down with all the big kids. Boy did her love it. He felt so special. He had to show the little girl next to him the M&M he got.

Then the kids got to go outside and play. Isabella's favorite part. They first had an egg hunt and then they were searching for the Easter Bunny that Miss Mary and Miss Colleen almost caught! The first picture is Isabella and Natalie. Isabella loves playing with Natalie. The last picture of a few of Isabella's good friends.

The Easter party was a definite success!!

Catching up..

On the Friday before Easter, March21st, we had our play group at Sister Lee's house. She lives in a house out in the country. Isabella and Chase had a ton of fun. We started off by feeding the animals in the back. Her goats had just had babies before we came and they feed and petted them. Chase was a little freaked out at first and clung on to Tanya, his nursery leader. (I LOVE that picture!)

Then we went to the front yard and had an Easter egg hunt. After that we had cupcakes on the grass. It was a lot of fun and Isabella had a ton of fun with all her girlfriends from church!

Better than Paypal....

I just found out about this company through a good friend today. I currently use PayPal and they take a cut of my income every time that I receive money from my clients and I thought that was my only option. Revolution Money Exchange offers its clients $25 just for signing up with them....that is a free $25 to spend as you'd like! To top it off, it's free to add money from your bank account, free to send money, free to receive money, free to request money, and free to transfer money to your bank account...AMAZING! To top it off, anyone who signs up with their own account and uses the link I've given in this post, I get $10! You heard right, if you sign up with an account you get $25, and then if you send a link to your friends, you get an extra $10 put in your own account! I did a search online looking for any negative feedback about this site and found nothing. So, let's start receiving our money without any charges to our own account or to our clients, and receive free money...go sign up!


Just an FYI, they do ask for your social security number. I have given mine and I know other who have given theirs and there hasn't been anything fraudulent happening. =)

Just click on the link below!

Hard day...

Today would definitely be classified as one for many reasons. The main reason is today marks two years since the death of my sister. Wow, I can't even believe that I wrote that. Has it already been two years. I miss her more than I ever imagined I would. You'd think that it would get easier as time goes on but that is SO not true. It makes it worse for me because I look back and reflect on all the things that she is missing that I know she'd want to be a part of. She was so a part of Isabella's milestones and loved being a part of it. Now that Isabella will be starting Kindergarten this year it makes me sad that my sister can't be a part of it. She would have loved to have been a part of it.

One good thing that I have discovered through the death of my sister is that my brother-in-law loved her unconditionally. It is amazing how much he misses her. I would have never had thought. He put a memorial in the Bakersfield California today for her. You can read it by clicking on the link below:

Gina's Memorium