I am more than prepared, though. All I have to do is meet with my other photographer (maybe we will go equipment shopping) and buy another big box of AA batteries. At the last wedding, I started with a full camera battery and didn’t even get close to have to changing that, despite about 900 photos or so. I had to change my flash batteries once but I like to have more than just one set on hand!

The one thing that really makes me the most nervous, though, is the weather. This wedding is outside so i am really praying for no rain and for decent temperatures. So far we are looking at a 0% chance of precipitation, 5 mile and hour winds, high of 81° and mostly cloudy. In a word: AWESOME! I could stand for it to be a little cooler, but I would be happy with that weather for sure. I am also checking the weather forecasts obsessively from here on out. (Typical.)

I have lots of ideas in mind though and I hope that everyone is cooperative and happy to participate! Not so much the wedding party – they HAVE to be – but I have a couple of photos in mind that are going to require participation on the part of MANY more people! I know SOME people are going to be hesitant… ahem… but maybe I can throw some weight around. :P

In other news, my brother gave me a ton of stuff to sell for him. All video games and accessories or systems. Stuff that I guess he’s decided he doesn’t need anymore since he’s going away to college and is about to be a billion times busier. So far, sales on Ebay are going well on the systems. I get to keep $100 that he owes me and, he says, a commission of whatever percentage I want. haha! I won’t rip him off, though! I probably will keep very very little to nothing. Hopefully everything sells, though. The last thing I need around here is more useless stuff in the way.

We are still trying to get that “lower” room remodeled and it’s a real pain so far. In the past couple of years, it’s become a catch-all room, not to mention all of the candle stuff I keep in there. A lot of that is in the basement but not everything. I’m going to have to find a place to take more down there. Going to need to keep my wax up here though, I’m certainly not going to take 55 lb cartons downstairs only to have to carry it back up when I need it!

But we’re maybe finally getting some plans laid about some stuff so I really want to get this show on the road and it seems like everything depends on something else and I have yet to find where the chain starts. I can’t do A until I do B and I can’t do B until I do C and D which have to be done at the same time but have to be done after E, F, G, etc. If I could just find the perfect starting point, we’d be good to go!

I’m going to try and blog more of my shoots, hopefully I’ll remember. :) Here are a few more of my favorites.

It was quite fun, she really is a natural, completely comfortable in front of the camera. You can’t even tell it was about a bazillion and a half degrees when we were shooting. Can’t wait to shoot her wedding in September!

I am working this week, but it’s only 3 days. Filling in for some friends – their secretary is on vacation. I am wiped out. It was a very busy day today. I am told that next time should be better, but I am not so sure, haha.

Had a photo shoot Sunday afternoon. It was so hot but I am very pleased with the results. Really, probably more than any other shoot so far, the percentage of photos that are good is probably about 98%. They were very easy-going subject, very relaxed and natural. I had fun! Tomorrow I’m going to add them to my site and get her CD out to her.

Speaking of my site, I’ve been working on something where people can order prints if they want. It wasn’t something I planned on doing but it’s been requested. I guess giving out the CD is great for most people but others don’t have time or don’t want to mess with printing what they want and would rather choose them online and pay. I looked into some services that do all of this for you (you upload, people order there, and they fulfill the orders) and a couple of programs you can install but every option I’ve found that’s meant for what I need it for is very expensive. I wouldn’t mind spending $329 on a certain program if I was making enough money right now, but if I’m going to spend a lot of money, I’d rather get another lens I have in mind! Instead, I installed Zenphoto and found a plugin for adding photos to your PayPal “cart.” I think it will work out just fine for now. I am just trying to figure out an issue my theme is having with any browser other than FireFox, and I’ll be good to go!

So, things in my life lately?

– We’re healthy and plan to remain as such. I dare say that this is the healthiest I have been in a long time, or, at least, the longest I’ve gone without being sick or suffering a sinus infection. Vitamin D rocks. So does garlic and Xyzal.

– Speaking of garlic, having recently learned a bit about its natural healing properties, I decided to plant some of my own. I did it as I was instructed but… eh, apparently it’s not cold enough here yet and it’s already growing!

– Which is quite the opposite for our dear globe willow tree that we all love so much… she is dead. D.E.A.D. I’m so sad. Apparently she got a disease that is common to the trees but by the time she was showing signs, it was too late. I’m not sure what we’re going to do about her, exactly, but she’s going to have to come down.

– School is going well. In fact, Elijah finished a math book today. Flew right through it, so already I have to get him a new one.

– I’ve gotten to do some portraits for a few people here recently. Besides the ones I’ve already posted, I got to shoot this family not long ago:

And this sweet little girl the other day:

Not to mention various things with my own kids! I need to get started on our Christmas cards, though, likely, I’m going to send most electronically this year. (And I really mean it, this time!) But wait until you see them, the photo I have is so very cute! :-)

– Been busy with a lot of website stuff lately, too. Doing some Flash sites for some people, working on a big Joomla site (which is a major pain in the butt because none of my stuff works with the newest version), and finally got to do a Chyrp site which should help further ease the loads on my server as that site was once WordPress and one of the “trouble” sites.

– Trying to get caught up in video work, too. Finally starting to get somewhere and get into a sort of schedule. I just need to remember to make a DVD each week instead of just putting it up on the internet and forgetting about it!

– Also still crocheting. Can you believe that I’ve stuck with it this long? Who knew? Have finished 3 Christmas gifts so far and am halfway through another one. This one is taking me a long time though, or at least it feels longer. But the end results will be worth it! I have plans for at least two more bigger gifts, too, then some smaller ones.

– One thing I wish I was active in lately is my digital scrapbooking. However, I just don’t have enough time in the day! I figure after all the daily activities I must do and sleeping and eating, I have about 4 hours, if that, and that is often spent working or on crochet!

– I’ve also been a candle-making fool lately. Or at least it seems that way. I’m not really making a lot in quantity but have been at it near constantly the last two weeks because of orders and what not. I can’t really make large batches because of Kayleigh, for the most part. Even just a few candles, as they are hardening, release a lot of scent into the air, and the last thing I want to do is irritate her little lungs. I’ve been covering the ones I do with a little towel and I have the ceiling fans going when I can, and the air cleaner going all the time. Having the bathroom window open when I can really seems to help, too. Orders are good, though, I needs ta pay mah bills :)

– And finally, on the work front, Steve has to have a forced week off this week. All the guys in the company, over the last 8 weeks of the year, are required to take off 3 of them. There just isn’t enough work going around these days – and it’s always slower in the winter months, anyway. So we filed for his week of unemployment, which will help some. I’ve been trying to cut corners where we can. So we shall see what we shall see. But, really, I’d rather him work 5 weeks out of 8 than none, so hopefully he will get to do that and on those 3 weeks he takes off, someone else gets to work in his place and get some income of their own. I know we’ll be cared for, though, whatever happens.

Also did some first anniversary portraits for friends:

And finally, engagement photos for my brother-in-law and his fiance.

Of course, that’s not everything, but you’re already on overload. I wish I’d had more time to spend on the engagement photos but we ended up having to hurry because they ran late, there was a miss-communication, and she had to run for her dress appointment. But all things considered, I think we did well!

Now I just need to do a better family portrait for the four of us, something special I have planned for my parents with my kiddos and my brother’s kid, and a certain friend’s little girl… ahem, I know you’re out there!! Before it gets too cold. Well, the thing for my parents is going to have to be indoors, it’s already too cold for that… But I’m an idiot and I keep forgetting to prepare for it when I have the chance so who knows what is going to happen…

The photographer guy was way prepared and I’m sure did an awesome job. He used to shoot weddings full time but doesn’t do them any more. He only did this one because he’s related to the groom – my new brother-in-law. He is supposed to mail me a CD of the photos and I’m going to put them together a book like I did for my sister’s wedding last June. This one’s not going to be a surprise though and I still have to decide on a theme. Not to mention find the time. But, ya know, if the CD would ever arrive, I could theoretically work on it at the hospital if I wanted… Hopefully it will come soon! If nothing else, I can save it for something to do when Kayleigh comes home and I’m not going anywhere for a few months!