Clones, the harmless kind.

These were my first attempts at this. It's fun.

Oh yeah, this is what it's like.

I forgot how annoying being burnt is until today.

Yesterday I spent about 3 hours outside at a track meet in Elwood taking pictures for my dad. He really wanted a good shot of a girl on his team named McKenzie because she's a super good 400/800/1600 meter runner. So, I took pictures of her and lots of other people. I meant to grab some sunscreen before I went but of course I forgot. Now, I'm burnt. Well, let's get this straight: my arms, my face, a patch on my chest, and a strip on my neck/back are burnt. I also was wearing my watch yesterday...yep.

I just forgot how stupid burns are. I'm freezing, then burning up...and I'm tired. I took a nap but woke up because I was just unbearably hot on that futon. It's like my body heat warms things up to 200 degrees even though I should be a good 98.6. Oy vey.

In other news, I have tons of pictures and I don't feel like editing any of them. I have senior pictures from Monday that I'm moving unbelievably slowly on and these track photos that my dad really wants to see that I only edit when I'm tired of looking at the same people.

And I need to wash dishes. I just don't want to. It's just so much easier to not wash them than it is to wash them.

I was happy that I ended up not having to go take pictures today. I am just a little worn out on pictures for the week. But, I will be going to take some tomorrow at 11. I'll be tired, but I can always attempt another nap when I get home.

I'm starting to actually feel pregnant. I finally feel the pressure on my lower abdomen area...it's comforting in a way, but strange. I'm excited for the 12th so I can hear the heartbeat again. That's my favorite so far.

Ohhh, pictures.

I'm full.

I should really be sleeping right now. It's currently 12:34 am and I have a doctor's appointment at 8:45 tomorrow morning. I'm going to need to wake up in about 6 hours...4 by the time I actually get to sleep. I think I might get to hear the heartbeat tomorrow. I think... They didn't say anything about it last time, but from what the internet tells me I'm right around that time. Miles is going to try to come with me, but if he's too tired my mom is coming along and bringing Collin. I don't know how well that will work, but I guess it'd be nice to not have to go alone.

The big bonus to having the appointment so early is that I should be able to stop by Burger King in Platte City on the way home to get a Croissanwich (surely, that's spelled wrong). I love those things. They're delicious. I wish they sold them all day...but I guess it's good that they don't because I think that's the only thing I'd ever eat.

Miles and I worked on taxes tonight. What a confusing time. All of that goes way over my head from lack of exposure. I've never had to deal with that stuff on my own before...or really at all.

In other news I'm fairly close to being done with the wedding pictures I took on the 27th. I'm now at the excruciating point - all of the family/bridal party pictures. Bleh! There are so many of each picture and I have to lighten and take down the contrast on all of them and it's just not fun. I do hope to finish them by Saturday, though...especially since I told Deidra that I'd probably have them done by the end of this week. I guess that turnaround is way too fast so if it's not that soon it can't be too big of a deal.



I think those are pretty. They're from the first couple of pictures I took that day. It was bright and pretty cold that day, but at least it wasn't freezing/raining/snowing/something else horrible out.

Now I should definitely try to sleep since my eyes are getting a little tired...I'm going to take advantage of this moment!

Oh! That's why!

So, over the last couple of days I've been feeling much better than a few weeks before that. Previously, everything food wise had sounded disgusting and I really just wasn't very hungry. I'd try to eat something, and feel better after that, but not 100%. Then I'd occasionally get a nauseous feeling that wouldn't last for very long.
Lately I've been eating more, so that's good, and I've been taking my prenatal vitamin a night (because when I wasn't eating much I'd always eat at night and you're supposed to take the vitamin with food). So, I've been just keeping with that schedule and taking it at night. Last night and tonight have been the same in that about half an hour after taking the vitamins I start the feel that same nausea that only lasts for a few minutes. It's the vitamin! Sure, the whole pregnancy thing isn't really helping, but it's totally the vitamin that's making me feel sick. That's why I've been feeling better during the day lately.

Tomorrow is my last day at Kmart. I'm pretty stoked, but also a tad bit sad. I really do like most of the people I work with. And some of them I've worked with for a few years now, so that's a little sad. But, I think I'll get over it quickly. It'll be nice to be able to spend these next months at home. Growing in the belly and taking pictures. I look forward to both of those things.

I'm fairly tired at the moment. Not tired enough to sleep, though I really wish I was. I've been a huge bum today. I woke up right before noon, and just sat around. I designed a birthday card for Justin, played a game on Facebook, looked at a couple of craft/design blogs, messaged Deidra about her wedding photos, washed the dishes, ate way too big of a lunch, and watched a couple episodes of The Practice with Miles. I think that's one thing I will miss about work. It always gives me an excuse to get out even if it is to go to Kmart for hours. I guess with the pending warmer weather I'll be getting out to take pictures and just to enjoy it. I'm really looking forward to that. I've been wanting to go to my parents for cook outs lately. I just like that. And I like walks and just trotting along with my camera. I plan on going to Squaw Creek when it's not so dead outside to take pictures. Then I have two senior photo sessions set up. I really need to work on getting more of those figured out, so I'll be contributing something to this household til I get too big to where I'm going to pop. Then I give myself the okay to stop the money making.

Sometime next week I'm going to (attempt to) make Miles steak, shrimp, baked beans and corn on the cob. Now I know I can make the baked beans and corn and the shrimp because it's coming from a box and all I'll have to do is throw it in the over. It's the steak that I'm a little concerned about. I've never made steak before...but I guess I'll learn for this occasion.

Now I think it'd be a good idea for me to play this game a little more then read some and try to sleep. I hope I will be successful at it.

I should really just go to sleep.

So, I'm sitting here working on pictures from the wedding. It's not fun...at all. I really don't want to be the main photographer on weddings anymore. There are too many people and just far too much pressure. There were many times when the flash on my camera didn't go off because the batteries weren't super brand new anymore (I went through so many batteries it's almost ridiculous). Those pictures looked pretty dark on my camera, but after uploading them I saw that they are basically black when on a computer. Oops.

They didn't really want any fun pictures and it was super cold. Not to mention the fact that it was a Catholic wedding and they're super long and boring. They had to do all these things that really weren't photo-worthy but I felt like a slacker when I sat down for a second to say something to my mom and get new batteries.

Hopefully I can get these pictures done fairly soon. In February or March I am going to take some maternity photos of Rebekah's sister. The baby is due in April, so hopefully it'll work out.
Then on June 5th I am taking photos at a reception. That should be pretty laid back and fun. I don't know how much they expect from me...but I do look forward to it not getting dark so early. We could actually do some pictures outside!

Saturday I was super tired. I couldn't get to sleep on Friday night since I had been closing all week I didn't have any reason to go to sleep early. I got to sleep around 2 and woke up at 6. I went to the hair place to take some pictures, but that really wasn't very necessary, though I thought I would get some good pictures from there...I really didn't. I got there around 8:30, then I drove to the church around 11. I had no idea where I was going, so they tried to tell me before I left the hair place, but of course I drove too far the first time. I had to do a U turn right by 36 highway. Finally I got there and got some pictures of her dress taken.
Then we did the groomsmen pictures, bridesmaids pictures, some of Rebekah by herself and Steven by himself. Then the wedding....oohhhh the wedding.
Then the family pictures, which was torture.

Going off to the reception was a relief, and driving home was an even bigger relief.

Miles and I got home probably around 9:30 and I went to sleep at 10:30. I was exhausted and my eyes were so very tired. I woke up at 9:40 today. I drank coffee, ate cereal, then went back to sleep until noon.

I'm glad it's over, but I wish these pictures would edit themselves.

I just don't get it.

So, as a Christian there's constantly the expectation that you will not talk about your beliefs at work, in school, or basically anywhere public and it's just completely inconsiderate to say anything about your religion that could be offensive in anyway.

BUT, it's completely acceptable for the unbelievers to bash your beliefs and religion, and basically call you a close minded, insane idiot...with absolutely no argument or repercussions.

This stems from Miles' friend Ian's status on Facebook...

"I love feeling confident in the fact that when earth is finally destroyed by insecure people supporting the fictitious will of their fake ass deities... I will have not contributed to it."

That just makes me angry and I don't like it one bit.

But, I really don't have much else to say about it...probably because I don't feel like typing and because I'm quite tired.

In a completely unrelated, but totally awesome, subject...I don't have to work tomorrow! Finally a day off! I am stoked.

Oy vey.

So, I can't say I'm excited about the next week.
Here's how my work schedule is looking:

Friday (tomorrow): 3-7 at service
Saturday: 11-7:30 supervising (which isn't that bad, it's just a long time to stand)
Sunday: Off (I'm super glad I never work on Sundays)
Monday: 2-7 at service
Tuesday: 11-7:30 supervising
Wednesday :2-7 at service
Thursday: 11-7:30 at service (that is going to be the worst)
Friday: 7-12:15am (yep, we're closing at midnight next week...how do they think that's a good idea?)
Saturday: 7-12:15am

That's a total of 36 hours for next week, and I'll be working 6 days in a row.
Blah!

Okay, I know lots of people work way more hours than that all the time, but I'm just dreading the people. Everyone has problems and everyone needs help with something and I can't help everyone at the same time.

The good news is that I'll be quitting in the hopefully near future. I do enjoy about 75% of the people I work with, but I'll be much happier when I'm not working there...I think. I do wonder if working makes me appreciate the days when I'm not working more, but I guess it's something I'll have to find out first hand.

And I want a baby.
If it's in the plan...
But I do hope it is...they're just so cute!

Cassie came over for lunch today. We had planned on having it yesterday, then her work was closed so we postponed for tomorrow. She called me around 1:30 asking if we could do lunch today instead, so I whipped up little smokies and seasoned fries. She got lost on the way here, but eventually found it. The bad thing about people getting lost in this neighborhood is that I can't direct them to go the right way because I really don't know my way around it. We ate food and chatted a bit, then it was time for me to go to work. She had mentioned how her car was having trouble getting up hills the past couple of days because of the snow. So, of course when we were leaving her car couldn't get up the hill. Luckily this guy walked down the street, saying he was from Colorado, and he helped her figure out how to get out. I really didn't want to leave her, but she called and told me just to go. Probably around 3:20 she showed up at Kmart and I saw her leaving after she bought some milk. She said she had just gotten out of there. I think it's time for her to get some new tires. Her car should totally be powerful enough to make it up very slight hills in the snow.

Now I've lost the desire to type...I don't think I have all that much more to say...other than blah, again.

Blah.
or Bleh. I think bleh actually fits better.