Monday, August 30, 2010

Duet

In case you did not see it on facebook:

Closed

It was delayed and it took forever because I wanted to actually read what I was signing much to the other parties dismay but it's done. Will post pictures soon. Moving day is Saturday!

Stop the Madness!!!

Having one of those weeks that I recognize my life may have temporarily spun out of my control. Which sucks. Because I am a control freak. And I try to keep it in check and am sometimes more successful than others but this, not one of those times. Instead I have decided to tackle my stress with my favorite coping mechanisms - coffee and ice cream. So healthy.

So we are supposed to close on the house today. I have no HUD statement yet. Which means I have none of the other paperwork. Which means I am going to being frantically reading massive amount of paperwork written in legalese this afternoon prior to our 4:00 closing. It also means that I am somehow going to have to juggle my caseload today at work while trying to stay on top of the bank and their progress towards closing today.

Did I mention I have to work today? Exactly 8 hours after I got off work last night. (On a complete side note the psych population has more than doubled since I started this job - literally the madness is doubling. I used to see 5-8 patients on an ER shift and maybe 4 of those would be admitted. Last night I saw 12, and only 2 went home. We have a wait list for our psych unit. Scary really. Ok - side rant over.)

And then I just have a few other things to do...you know pack my house, work Mon-Thurs, attend Tori's open house Tuesday night, Tristan's open house AND Tori's gifted open house on Wednesday, first practices for softball and baseball and shoot some pictures of a customer I don't want to lose on Thursday night!

4 words: Coffee and Ice Cream

Friday, August 27, 2010

The Big 3-0

My twenties have come and gone and I am officially 30. The twenties were good to me. I enjoyed a decade of marriage. The joy of motherhood - not once but twice. I graduated college. I gained a couple of sisters, something I always wanted but never had. I worked multiple jobs and eventually started a career. I met amazing people along the way and built on the relationships I already had. It was a good decade.


But I am excited about my thirties. It's like having blank paper just waiting for a good story to be written on it. Unlike my twenties I am familiar already with most of the characters and settings but the plot...well that's all mine to create. And sure sometimes God or fate or whatever you may call it, will take the pen from me and add a few pages that are not the story I would choose, but I will be there ready to pick up where He left off. Writing what He taught me in those pages.



I love a good book, a great story. So I have no educational goals, no fitness goals, no monetary goals for my thirties. I have a goal to write a great story. To have a story filled with love and laughter and friendships and family. Maybe even an adventure or two. And maybe some pictures thrown in for good measure.


To those of you that have been and will continue to be main characters - much love to you! I can't wait to write another chapter with you!


Wednesday, August 25, 2010

First Day...of School

The night before school starts reminds me a little bit of Christmas Eve. There is a flurry of preparations and we tuck the kids in to bed earlier than normal where they will lie awake later than normal thinking of things to come. And then you wake up before the alarm goes off in anticipation of what the morning will bring. Fun!

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And it's special because this is the last school year where the kids pictures will be here in front of this oddly painted mauve porch. Where we have started 4 other school years and where Tristan started kindergarten. And its the last year they will go to the same school until high school.

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And it was a great day. Wonderful teachers. Revisiting old friends. The excitement of switching classes for Tori. An invitation to join a soccer team for Tristan and an invitation to All State Chorus for Tori.

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And in traditional Maddex family tradition we heard the details over ice cream. Nothing says first day of school like a DQ blizzard. It was a good day. A very good day.



Oh yeah and one more thing, I turned 30, more on that later.

Monday, August 23, 2010

Playing catch up...

I have been a bit behind recently...on blogging. Packing. Laundry. Life. So this week I am getting caught up...I hope. I mean I am.

Last week was "the last week." Of summer vacation that is. So we made the best of it. We made treats. We had sleepovers. We watched movies. We went swimming. We went bowling. We shopped for new school clothes, shoes and supplies. We did everything but pack and do laundry...which might explain why I am behind.

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Despite the lack of actually placing our belongings in boxes in preparation of moving them we DID clean out a ton of junk. From crockpots too small to make a real meal in to Rock Em Sock Em Robots no one ever played with it was garage sale time. Bad timing considering 100+ temps but we made enough to cover the new rug I want to purchase for the new living room and the kids got the opportunity to have the lemonade stand they have begged for 2 summers in a row. The pictures kind of suck but it was a nice time despite the heat. It was at my bro's house with his wife, her mother, my mother and I all trying to pawn our junk off on other people!

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Photography stuff is still going well. Did some really fun maternity pictures with a really great pregnant woman who was open to anything - even sitting in the water in her cute dress. You can see more on the Barefoot Summer blog.

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We also started birthday celebrations early. Thursday my coworkers hung banners over my desk and brought in a delicious cookie cake. Sunday we celebrated with family and had appetizers and cupcakes at my parents. We played games and generally chilled out. While I still have this last day left in my twenties this picture is the 27th picture of Jonathan and I celebrating together.
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Before I end this entirely too long post - final update. The plan on the house is still to move on September 4th...we were originally set to close this Thurs the 26th but compliments of our slow moving bank we will probably have to delay that until the 30th. I know I just said we were not planning on moving until after that but I was hoping to have the weekend to paint away the horrible mural and tear down awful wallpaper and clean before our stuff got there. Oh well plan adjusted. So will keep you updated!!

Monday, August 16, 2010

To Do

When it rains it pours is usually said in conjunction with tragedy or hardships but I believe that it applies in general. We have been so blessed and at this moment experiencing one of those times in life where things really come together. Todd's work is growing and expanding quickly. My job has given me solid hours for awhile. My photography business is gaining momentum. The kids are at this fabulous place where they are not too cool to hang out with us but old enough to really do fun things - play sports, go to theme parks, watch movies, even just chit chat! And we found the house we have been searching for....but along with most of that is this crazy to do list.

In the next 3 weeks...
- the kids start school
- we move
- fall little league starts
- having a garage sale
- 4 scheduled photography sessions
- I turn 30!

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Lotsa Pictures!!!

Really enjoying the whole photography thing and business is going well. Three completed sessions this weekend, four more booked from those three, and another couple of people who have inquired about more information! Check out whats new by following at Barefoot Summer Blog

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Wedding bells, umbrellas, and cardboard boxes.

Yesterday I shot my first wedding. I am a case manager in a psych ward. I should be used to pressure. I decide if people are stable enough to go home without killing themselves on a regular basis and I don't freak out. I often face violent psychotic patients with very little support at my immediate fingertips (they will come running just for the record) and still do not freak out. But yesterday I shot my first wedding. And it freaked. me. out. The idea that this is one unforgettable moment in a person's life NEVER to be repeated and you are partly responsible for preserving said memories - well Eek! The only reason I agreed at all is because A)there was another girl there hired first so the responsibility was really on her B)I warned them in advance that I had never done this, had no idea what kind of pics they would get from me, did not do indoors usually, AND did not charge them (they are former students of Todd and I's from youth group). Pics to come later...not looking at them because I have two more sessions today...well if the sky stops letting lose all this darn water...and if they are not perfect, which they won't be, it will psych me out. One...I knew I liked and was safe to look at is posted below.

Which leads to the umbrellas...so I am scheduled to take a family of fives pictures at noon today. It is pouring. Cats, dogs, gerbils and hamsters even. Really nasty. So you reschedule right? Um, first time the five have been together in 3 months and probably last time until the week of Christmas. Great. Then I have round 2 - engagement pictures at UT tonight. Please let it clear before that!!!

In other news the bank had some questions from the loan processor which I assume means that the appraisal was all good. Will confirm this because I would hate to assume something big like that and be wrong...but all is moving forward and that is a great thing. Hard to believe that August 26 (aka probably closing) is SO close. While we are not packing yet we did go through a bunch of junk and are planning a garage sale at my bro's house on the 21st. And we started collecting boxes...so no one has to stalk the nasty rear doors of Publix and Target while the house is half packed and the rest has nowhere to go! I LOVE new places - new walls to paint, new rooms to decorate, new layout, etc...but I HATE moving!

So how's your weekend going?!?

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Thursday, August 5, 2010

Step 2.5

Appraisal is complete but the results are not yet in. Apparently it takes 3-4 days. But at least its moving...

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Finally...

took a few pics of Tristan.
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