Introducing…

my baby

Braden Gage

9lbs.  22 inches.

I quite love him!

He technically belongs to Ricki and Nathan

My sister is a champ!  Can you imagine pushing out 9lbs of baby?  She is pretty sore now, but I am amazed at what an awesome mom she is already!

  

I got to hold him when he was just 2 hours old

And spent 2 lovely days taking panera to the hospital and holding him while Ricki ate.  And then, just moments after we got home,

Oma and Opa arrived, and I shall never get to hold him again…

Lots of love in our lives tonight :)

sunset pictures. kind of.

i am going to make this post a straight out of the camera post.  Mainly because my bedtime was 13 minutes ago but also because it seems wrong messing with kansas sunset pictures.

  

I saw a beautiful sky beginning to form as I left my grandparents 61rst anniversary dinner and so I drove to my favorite park thinking I could get some awesome pictures.  Of course, in the ten minutes it took me to get there the sun was behind the trees, but the sky was still pretty.

and then, as the sun went down,

(does anyone else want to sing I see the moon, the moon sees me…)

That is my sunset pictures for the week.  I would offer back to school pictures but my version of back to school has me not having time to take pictures.

(someone remind me why I though a masters degree would be a good thing?)

Part of you capture

Sometimes

Sometimes life sucks.  Sometimes the things you want so badly don’t happen.

Sometimes families fall apart.  Sometimes tears happen and pain is so bad it can’t be changed.

Sometimes I want to run and hide.

 

Sometimes hope happens.

Sometimes the thing we have wanted for years comes true

 

Sometimes… sisters get pregnant :)

Sometimes little sisters get really excited!

     

2 weeks from today he is due.  2 weeks from tomorrow I am headed to Florida.

Sometimes focusing on the positive is the best way to survive the negative.

 

Hurry up, Braden!

Isaac

This little guy is adorable.

His mom wanted some pictures to celebrate his turning 1.

pictures not dominated by his big sisters, so we waited until they were in school.

 

Apparently he spent the first year of his life either dealing with colic or terrified of strangers. We didn’t have that problem.

He, like all the littles I have taken pictures of this summer, found things to amuse himself in the world around him.

Unlike the rest of them, however, this one lost interest in me  quickly.  I took 177 pics in 22 minutes.  Fortunately I loved them all.

I think I am getting better.  My pictures are coming out more consistently better, my editing is cleaner. 

I need to work at entertaining the kiddos, but overall?  I like.

The End.

The one in where I freak out

There are  currently 3 things going on that are working together in a not-good way.

1. currently we are seriously understaffed at worked, which  means everyone is being STRONGLY encouraged to pick up extra shifts. I am good with this, because I need some extra money, but the phone call telling me that I might not get to take my vacation to see Braden next month was not welcome.  Fortunately it worked out and I am good to go, but it was still stressful. and I am signed up for an extra shift a week until I leave, so…

2.  My current money situation is a little overwhelming… I love owning my own house, and I love taking trips, but right now a bunch of things are needing to be paid for… the shower isn’t draining, I need help clearing the gardens, my CD player in my car won’t work, I need new tires before winter, I just bought a bunch of plane tickets, reserved hotel rooms and bought tickets to a packers game, dad wants me to get my security system installed… the extra shifts will help, (actually I can probably cover most of these things with extra shifts this month which is good ) but extra shifts can’t be counted on and I really need a budget.

3. I am starting my masters program this week.  It took me approx 10 minutes reading my class schedule and reading assignments to start freaking out/having a mini panic attack. how am I going to have time to do all this?  I haven’t done school in 3 years, and I was super blessed the last time I was in school in that I didn’t have to work so I was able to focus only on learning.  Now… I have a life. and a job. crazy.

So here is how it goes.  #1?  means I don’t have a lot of time right now.  but #2? means I need to stick with #1.  But #3?  is going to be time consuming.  which is hard with #1.  ARGH!  My brain is spinning in circles.

 

Here is the part where I say I know it will work out, I know I will be alright with school and working extra never killed anyone and I get a vacation next month to snuggle my nephew-baby and I have more than enough money it is just my tight-wad tendencies that are freaking out, and everything I am doing is worth it and eventually I will be comfortable with school and I will figure out what a concept paper is and I will uncover my house from the grass and I will have a social life at the same time and…

 

breathe, Corrie.  Just breathe.

One Day

It was a day for the books.  A day where I got to spend time with some of my favorite people, doing one of their favorite things. 

(their, not mine. My favorite thing involves books.)

 

BIL Nathan got to shoot his Glock for the first time since he got it for Christmas

Skeet shooting is apparently a big deal

 

They were all much better at it than me

 

 

I gave myself a nice big target, RaDonna gave herself a bunch of little targets.  She knocked them all down. I hit the target 4/15 times.

 

The shotgun gave me a bruise, but I did hit ONE skeet thingy!  Granted, I shot it like 30 times, but I was proud of that one time!

 

I still like books better than guns.  Just saying

Love these girls!  It was an awesome day that ended with us laying down on the driveway and staring at the dark sky, followed by blaring country music out of one off  the cars and dancing under the stars.  As much as I hate Florida, some of the best memories are made here. 

(And as much as I love cameras, some of the best memories don’t need pictures… )

Linking up with You Capture.  It almost qualifies as ordinary moments… if ones ordinary moments involves shotgun shells lol.

OHH.  My camera is now flashing ERR 99 to me every time I try to take a  picture.  I might have a nervous breakdown if I can’t get it fixed soon.  As I put on facebook, taking pictures=happy Corrie.  Dead camera=panic attack.  As soon as I get off the plane I am currently on I am heading for the camera shop!