Holiday Maternity

My niece Gail and her husband Tristan will be bringing in the New Year with the birth of their first child. I am incredibly happy for these two who have been waiting quite awhile for their first little one. Congrats you guys! Can't wait to meet the new addition to the family : )

Baby Sayers is on the way!

Our oldest niece Gail and her husband Tristan will be expecting their first child in late January. Last weekend was Gail's shower and of course I captured some photos to remember it by.
Gail and Tristan have decided not to find out the sex of their baby so it will be a surprise for all of us.
I am very happy for these two. After almost two years of dealing with infertility (they were wed in November of 2007, three weeks after our wedding)- all their hard work and patience has paid off. The baby looks healthy and everything is right on schedule. Unfortunately Gail does have Gestational Diabetes, so she will have to watch certain things she eats. But, all and all things are going well.

(Teresa and Elaine)

We also found out our youngest niece Teresa is expecting her first child next summer...who would have thought...the youngest and oldest sisters pregnant at the same time!
In 2007 at our wedding our other two nieces, Elaine and Debby were pregnant - apparently in this family, babies come in pairs!

Happy Birthday Amelie!

Last weekend we celebrated my beautiful new cousin Amelie's very first birthday! She is such a joy to be around and so goofy and funny! And stubborn too- which makes me laugh just that much more LOL!
Here she is while opening presents, that huge smile on her face is what I love most and while I'd like to claim full credit for it...I have to admit Elmo had something to do with it : )

The yummy cake she dug right into...made by Uncle Jason...so cute!!!

Happy Birthday baby girl, I can't wait to celebrate many, many more...although I wish you would grow up just a little bit slower! It seems like yesterday I was holding you the day after you were born!

Two Year Anniversary

My husband and I just celebrated our two year anniversary this past Monday. To commemorate the occasion we had a wonderful weekend. Since I am the wife, and I am sure not the only one, I do most of the planning. So this year I told my husband it was up to him! He had to plan the entire weekend- where we would go, what we would do.

So, he did- and it was wonderful.

Friday night, we spent the night in- watching movies, ordering take-out and relaxing. Then Saturday, after attending a family birthday party hubby surprised me with tickets to the Fox Theatre in New Center Detroit to see David Copperfield! I had never been to a real magic show before, not even during my trips to Vegas, so I was very excited! The show was pretty good, and surprisingly funny!

And then Sunday we visited Yates Cider Mill and took a long walk along the river. Unfortunately I started feeling sick Sunday night and have been sick most of this week. But I am feeling much better now thankfully.

I am thankful to have had these last two years with my husband, he really is an amazing man and he loves me and takes care of me, what more could I hope for.

pouty because I couldn't find a good spot to prop the camera for a photo together....

yes....a spot at last!

LOL- this is the look I get when hubby has had juuust about enough of my antics....haha love it!
I told him his forehead looks like a Shar Pai when he does this....LOL!!!!

New (er) Car!!!

Finally, after years of driving "the death trap,"- the nickname I gave my 1997 Contour, I have a new(er) car!!!!

It is a Saturn L200 V-6, and it is fully loaded. The car was a special order so it has a lot of features that do not normally come on the L200- like heated leather seats, moon roof, electric seat adjustments and automatic lights.
Even though the car is 8 years old, it only had 60,000 miles on it and I got it for a very, very good price. It is way comfy compared to my other car and it actually makes me not mind driving so much (well, not too much anyway). And being that I have a sometimes hour ride to work and back everyday, comfort makes a world of difference.

Time to Trash It !!!!

So, since my husband and I have our second wedding anniversary creeping up I wanted some sexy-type gift to give him. And after seeing how amazing my friend Lori looked in her "Trash the Dress" photos, I thought that would be perfect!

I contacted my friend Rachel of August Tea Photography and last Sunday we trashed it! The session was so much fun- first we started behind a vacant building, then we moved on to a local beach and finally I took the big plunge and got my booty in the water!!! It was a blast! I always loved being in front of the camera when I was younger- and lately I've been spending most of my time behind it- so it was nice to step out in front again for awhile and feel sexy.

Here are a few of my favorites...so far...

Update

So, let's see- not too much new going on. I passed my State Boards Exam for my full Social Work licensure- so that is super exciting! The test was a killer and I am so glad its over!

I am settling into my new position at work- and liking it for the most part. It is a bit crazy right now with the start of the school semester but for the most part faculty are staying sane...so far.
My new job mostly entails managing all of the research projects that come through the School of Social Work. Whether its government contracts on health promotion with the elderly or assisting faculty in running statistics for a large survey conducted with the population of Haiti- I manage the processing of it all. I also help faculty in writing, and editing, manuscripts for professional literature and preparing course work for students. I guess you could call it the managing all the busy-work involved in the research process. LOL. But, I like it.

Hubby and I have started to look for houses, but in this market and with how the banks are reacting to potential buyers who knows if anything will come of our search. I am hearing horror stories from almost everyone I know trying to buy bank-owned properties- so we'll see. We're trying not to get our hopes up too much- if it happens, it happens. If not that it wasn't meant to be.

Other than that nothing too new is going on. My momentum with P90X has slowed a bit. I am still managing 4 days a week but the program demands 6 days and I really need to step it up again. I noticed results really quickly but its amazing how those results can start to slip if I don't keep at it. Plus I really have to buckle back down with my diet. Its just so hard for me. I can work out until I am blue in the face but I have a really hard time resisting the foods I like. It is probably the thing I struggle with most. Ah well- I need to love myself the way that I am and realize my body is what it is. I will never stop trying to improve it but maybe I will be much happier if I can just accept it for what it is and realize no one is perfect- everyone has flaws.

I have a Trash the Dress session coming up on soon and I am very excited about that. I hope it will be a chance for me to play model and feel beautiful again. Ever since I got sick last year its been very hard for me to see myself as anything but flawed, broken and sick. I feel like I've been battling my body in one form or another my entire life. Maybe for a few hours I can feel good about my body again- that would be so nice.

P90X Killer!

So as most of you who follow my blog know, my husband and I are constantly in the battle of the bulge. It would be nice one day to not have to worry about what we put in our mouths, but I don't know if that will ever happen. I wonder what its like for those people who have never had to watch their weight- they just "naturally" don't eat a lot. Or they could take food or leave it.
Seriously? I think they're aliens.
Anyway, at the beginning of this year hubby and I really got down to business and I lost about 15 pounds, hubby lost 25. Well as summer went on and we attended BBQs and weddings and parties...I've put 7 back on and so has hubby.

Enter- P90X.

We knew our gym membership would be expiring soon- so after hearing how wonderful the P90X program was- and how intense...we thought we'd give it a try!
Well the first week was PAINFUL- I mean, can't walk and want to cry painful! ...and mind you I work out regularly and was still this sore...
The second week was a bit more tolerable but it was still kind of hard to walk, and as we finish our third week, true to what Tony Horton claims, our bodies are starting to get used to the workouts...and we are kicking some ass!
I've been diligent- doing the full 50-90 minute workouts, 6 days per week. Hubby hasn't been quite as good, but he has still managed about 4 days per week- not so bad.

I thought once I started working full time I really wouldn't be able to do it- but I am and I am proud of myself. Its just a top priority for me. I hate having this extra weight on. I once got down to my goal and I remember how good it felt. It was easier to move; easier to breath and I felt so much better! Now I know I am not morbidly obese or anything, but I wanna be fit. I wanna be- damn look at her abs!!! kinda fit- so I'm working on it. I probably always will be.

But I honestly recommend the P90X program. If you don't want to pay for a gym membership and prefer to work out in the privacy of your home- but you don't want some whimpy workout where you don't see results and its easy to slack off. I started noticing a huge difference by day 7 !!! And now we're on day 20 and I can't believe how my body is changing.

Let's hope I (we) can keep it up.

Mary's Wedding

Yesterday hubby and I attended my old friend from high school, Mary's wedding. It was a good time- I got to catch up with some old high school friends I haven't seen in a long time, so that was nice. The party was a good time and Mary and her new hubby Alex look incredibly happy together and I am very happy for them.

I will admit however that I was a bit sad after we left the festivities. See Mary and I were very close friends in high school. We did everything together and we were there for many of each other's milestones. While we got along well, we often clashed as we are both stubborn....
Over the years she went away to MSU for college and I stayed home and we kept in touch for awhile but after a few years we started to drift apart.

When I invited Mary to be in my wedding in 2007 we were still hanging out- but only about 3-4 times a year. And at my wedding I was a bit disappointed in a few things she did leaving me less than motivated to maintain the friendship. She was somewhat anti-marriage at the time and not as supportive as I would have liked her to be during one of the most joyful times in my life.
So, time went on and our relationship dwindled.

And at her wedding, while I was immensely happy for her I could tell...I won't see much of my old friend again after this.
She and her husband now live in California and even if they were closer, the truth remains... we have simply grown apart.
I love her dearly though, and always will, and while I wish we were able to be closer still- I guess that's just life...times change, people change- and that's ok.
Congrats Mary- I wish you and Alex all the best.

The Bride and I

Me and hubby

High School friend, Nichole and me

Me and Jenny

The bridesmaids, Nichole and Mary's sister Katie

The new Mr. and Mrs.

Annual Visit to Tawas City, Michigan

Last weekend we went up to Tawas City for our annual visit. Most of my husband's father's side of the family lives up there; and every year during the second weekend in August all of the family (down here) go up there for a visit. We usually have a wonderful time and this year was no different. Fred took the kids fishing and we spent some time on the Au Sable- our favorite body of water by far...and of course I got some cute shots of the kids and the rest of the family.

It was a good time...and nice to have some relaxation before beginning my new position at work.

Richie
Fred and Mother

Gentry and Connie
The Woods

Beautiful Gentry

Steps leading down to the Au Sable

The beautiful Au Sable

Fred and Jeff taking the kids fishing

Samantha

Richie caught the most fish the first day...and always wanted to put them in the Live Well LOL!

Happy, oh so happy!

So this is what its like...to have a REAL JOB!!!!
I've been busy, busy, busy on the computer- researching medical plan options, retirement account options and basically figuring out how to take advantage of all my BENEFITS!!!
I know it may sound like something silly to be excited about but being an independant contractor for so many years and having mostly part-time jobs, I've never been paid for a day off or had health insurance through an employer- I've always had to buy my own (or my mother bought it anyway : ) ...and yes my mother is awesome by the way.

I think I have it all figured out...I have to go with a pricey plan though, since I really USE my health insurance a lot with all my conditions.
I am just so thankful.
I am thankful that I gambled on this job and stuck it out for six months...
I am thankful that I jumped at the opportunity to work at Wayne, eventhough it was low paying and part time in the beginning.
I am thankful that I made good connections while in school and kept my GPA high- I am in the one field where that actually matters!
I am amazed by the excellent benefits Wayne offers and look forward to using them.

But what I think I am looking forward to most is feeling valuable and worthy...after all these years of working my butt off in school I not only have a decent job with great benefits, but a job I actually enjoy!
You can't ask for much better!

The hubby and I are so optimistic about our future for the first time in awhile.
It feels good.
It feels good to be so happy : )

YES!!!

After over six months of waiting...and waiting...and waiting- I finally found out that...
I GOT THE JOB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have been wanting this job for so long, and I knew it would utilize my skills and be a really good fit for me. The job is at Wayne State University, and I love the academia world- always have. I used to tell hubby and my parents, "If I could just get paid to go to school..."
Well now I will be!!!!

My new title will be : Manager of Research Support
I will basically be handling all the research projects and work that comes through the research center; delegating tasks to students, organizing support for the school and participating in research tasks.

I am absolutely ecstatic. Even more ecstatic because they offered me more money than I was expecting and the benefits are out of this world.
Finally, after all of the hard work, graduate school and health hardships I've had- it has paid off.

A birth, a loss and a holiday

This past 4th of July weekend hubby and I went to Illinois to visit our friends Jake and Carrie. In addition to celebrating the holiday we were also excite to meet their newest addition, Cain Augustus. There were many friends there visiting also and we had a great, relaxing time.

Here is a shot of the kiddies waiting for Jake to light the fireworks. Later in the night the girls curled up with Fred to watch the larger fireworks and the boy piled on my lap.
(Maverick, Quinn, Electra and Emma)
And here are a few shots of Cain, the newest Newman- what a good baby! He is so calm and relaxed. He rarely fusses and is pretty content. I had a ton of fun snuggling him and taking care of him for mommy so she could get a rest- I actually miss caring for infants, its been awhile since I've fed, bathed, clothed and changed a baby...although I was not the one getting up with him LOL!...but then again she is breastfeeding so I couldn't do that for her LOL!
I also gave the tired mommy a massage while Cain took a nap.

In much sadder news Fred's mother's sister passed away this past Sunday from complications of Cancer. Fred's mother was devastated and it was pretty hard on the entire family. She left behind a husband, two sisters, four children, twelve grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

Aunt Shirley you will be missed!

Happy Birthday Zuzbol!!!

Had a great time last night with some friends. We were out celebrating my good friend Lori's big 29th birthday. We went to Fishbones in St. Claire Shores for drinks and pool. It was a pretty fun night, we hung out with some of Lori's work friends, super cool people, and got to catch up with a friend I hadn't seen in awhile- good times!

Glad you had a good night girl and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! : )

A gift for myself ; )

Well after months of not buying myself much of anything, except desperately needed work clothes, I thought it was time to treat myself to a new camera lens.
I got the Canon 50mm f 1.8/II - and I absolutely love it! Such a great portrait lens!Love, love, love this shot of my husband...

...and practicing with my new lens on one of my favorite models...Ms. Sugar Fatbelly