Engagement Shoot -Liana & Terry

Yesterday I had a total blast! This beautiful couple won the engagement photo session drawing from the Georgetown Chamber Bridal Showcase I participated in last month and we had our photo shoot yesterday. Liana and Terry were complete naturals, finding relaxed, organic poses while not really posing at all. Funny how that works.

We took over 1600 photos and I earmarked over 200 that were fabulous. I'm just getting started editing (not that I'm doing all 200) and I wanted to share them with you! I've created a section on my photography website for clients (and everyone else) to view their proofs. Go to my website, click on the "Clients" page and view the album -at least what's up so far.

I'm seriously floored by these pictures and editing them is almost as satisfying as eating a whole box of chocolates -without the tummy ache. And you know how much I love chocolate, so that's saying a lot.

Off to edit! Happy Sunday, everyone. It's a gorgeous spring day in Texas and definitely feels like Easter is around the corner.

Whatcha Doin'?

Since Brian started his terminal leave (the month of vacation time he had saved up in the Army used prior to getting out) I think I've worked harder and definitely more often than I have in months. I haven't been this busy since the last few weeks before the Uncommon Holiday Show and Sale, but this is a different kind of busy and it has also been a blessing.

God continues to amaze and surprise me. The week Brian started vacation I got 2 days of work at LifeSize, a teleconference communications company based in Austin that specializes in HD equipment. A week later I got more work. I've had several shoots, continue to book weddings, and have the opportunity to network at the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce's New Members Showcase. Brian has stepped in as Mr. Mom while I'm busily hustling from one gig to the next, all the while in amazement of how God continues to move us into blessing as we figure out what this next chapter in life looks like.

Last night I told Brian again how much I appreciate all of his help when this is supposed to be his vacation -a much deserved one after 7 years in the Army and 3 deployments. I was touched by his response, "Honey, I've missed this for so many years, it's fun for me to be here and involved." Kinda makes your heart melt, huh?

Before Brian's leave time started I expressed concern of how I was going to share my "kingdom" all day long. It's worked out amazingly. Brian's reorganizing the garage, turning it into a home gym, and finally got his office squared away in working order and he continues to figure out when to start classes for his paramedic/EMT course. ParaFit, his personal training company, is still taking shape -and now that I'm in week 3 of his bootcamp course, so am I! Brian is a terrific trainer! He gives me just enough push while asking me to do what seems impossible. The hardest part is breaking the mental barriers, the "I can't" mode. Remember hearing that if we can't hold a conversation while exercising we are working too hard? A load of crap. If you can talk while exercising you need to be pushing yourself harder.

I used to be stuck in my "rep quota." I'd go for a run, come home and do a certain set of leg lifts/crunches and a set or two of push ups and call it good. Brian has taken me from "rep quota" into the impossible, doing things like 100 push ups, 8 sets of ab exercises sandwiched by sprints, 150 squats, just to name a few. These sound INSANE and, to us women who consider a stroll on the sidewalk exercise, it is, but it's been invaluable. Besides seeing my muscles begin to take shape beneath the remaining baby padding, the most rewarding part of bootcamp has been the mental strengthening. Conquering physical goals -blowing them out of the water- provides me with the power to conquer other goals. Expanding the territory of "I Can" and loving it.

I better get ready for the day -I've giving a free make up class to a bride-to-be this morning and have an engagement photo shoot this afternoon. What's Brian doing? Yep, watching the babies. Life is neat, God is good, and I love my family.

Happy Saturday, Everybody!

New Way to Find Us

I did it! I bought us a domain name -and I love it!

TheWilderSideOfLife.com

You don't have to do anything fancy with the capitalization, I just did so it wouldn't look like the alphabet threw up. So now when you're searching for this site, don't worry about all that "dot-blogspot-dot-com" nonsense. Just type the title and you'll find us.

Hope all is jolly with you -we're off to the park for a daily dose of physical torture. Go Bootcamp!

Variations on a theme called Wilder

Wavy and Mama

Wearing an adorable outfit she got from Grandmum Anne in Scotland I had to have some pictures of the ladies of the house, so Brian obliged. Here we are!

Advertise, Advertise

Front

Back

I made up these fliers for my photography biz, sort of an all purpose advertiser to hand out or have laying about. I can't wait to see them printed! Click on the pictures to see them larger. Recognize anyone?

8 Weeks with Miss Waverley

Tomorrow marks 8 weeks with Miss Waverley Jane and it feels like she's been with us oh-so-much longer than that. What was life like without her? I hardly remember. She is such a ray of sunshine and a joy beyond joys. I am so blessed to be her mommy and to have this tiny treasure. She's wearing one of my most favorite baby gifts, a handmade sweater from Mina Brenneman. She gets so many compliments on it, Mina, and I simply adore it! Thank you!

For a Beautiful Bride

A bride hired me to make the jewelry for her and her bridesmaids for her April wedding. Here are a set of bobby pins for her....
And here is the earring selection she'll get to choose from, all made with her beautiful gown in mind.

We'll see what she picks -personally I love them all! It's so fun getting to be creative and productive (and making such jazzy sparkles!)

Terrible Worn Out

I just finished Day 1 of Brian's booty-kicking bootcamp/training and I'm....WIPED. And today was only a test! It's been about 30 min. since I finished and the soreness is beginning to sink in. That's a bad sign. I can tell that tomorrow will be a sad, sad story -but GRRRRRRHHHH!! I am coming at this challenge with a Can-Do attitude and I'm unstoppable! (Or so I keep telling myself.)
Just a little tired.

I hope I have something to give tomorrow for the first day of "class." Today I wrote down my goals for the end of this six weeks (which hopefully we'll be able to keep up while juggling the kids -today was borderline comical and impossible.) Even if we can't keep up an official one-on-one training schedule, I am committing to a six week challenge to meet my new fitness goals. So, like it or not, it's butt kicking time.

Ouch.

A Challenge? I Accept!

This is a season for fresh starts and today I am embarking on a 6 week fitness course designed by Brian. I'm sort of a test case for ParaFit, his personal trainer/fitness classes he's developing, and I'm really excited about all that he and I will learn by doing this together. He feels strongly about turning men and women into fitness and personal defense (pardon my language) badasses and I, personally, have always wanted to be one.

We're going to have to get creative with the kids, Waverley isn't big enough to sit up in a running stroller (and won't be 4 1/2 months) and Wilder has a lot of wiggles, but we'll figure out how to make it work.

I'm excited about being challenged, held accountable and personally coached to reach a higher fitness potential while learning to be fearless through defense tactics. I will know how to protect myself and my children if ever attacked and no longer feel defenseless and vulnerable in creepy situations. Not that I, fortunately, find myself often in creepy situations, but the occasion does arise from time to time. But just having the confidence within my home and in parking lots that I have the skills to disorient and damage an attacker will give me such peace of mind. Plus the confidence that busting through physical fitness/ability goals brings generates such a fabulous feeling and boosts overall happiness.

I'm jazzed! And *clink* here's to embracing the pain and pushing through it in order to see amazing results!

I'm ready to rock and roll.

The Whosoevers @ Celebration Church

The Whosoevers, a team of talented speakers, artists, rockers and radical Christians, came to Celebration Church in Georgetown, TX and put on a great presentation for the youth of the community! Here is a bundle of shots from last nights event.

Things That Make You Say "Awwwwh" Part 2

Yep. It did it for me.

I love her arm placement, one curled under her, the other relaxed and flopped to the side. She snuggled on our bed long after I got up to get Wilder started for the day. I snuck in and cuddled her while she slumbered, drinking in this most precious time and most precious moment.

*sigh* I love my kids!

From "Hooah" to "HOORAY!"

Holy cow, the earth is spinning fast and times are a-changin'. This week marks (trumpets, please) the end of Brian's full-time Army career. Yes, that's right, folks. Brian's last day of work is Friday and he is officially discharged at the end of April, taking all of his remaining leave time for a long, paid vacation. A working vacation, that is. Brian is hip-deep in starting up an awesome personal trainer/bootcamp/challenge course program, though he probably wouldn't describe it that way. I'm really excited for what he's creating and it's fabulous seeing him passionate about his new work. He's still planning on pursuing his EMT certification through schooling, but he's working towards being his own boss. We LOVE the idea of both being self-employed with the freedom and flexibility to focus on our family while doing what we love.

Photography is taking off; lots of weddings booked and the potential for being the main photographer for a new Georgetown magazine (exchanging advertising space for photos) has me rather excited. I'm also adjusting quite nicely to being mommy-of-two without extra help -my sister and her girls left last Thursday after a wonderful visit and tons of fabulous help. So life is settling in, but, as you read, there are about to be more major changes.

Big adjustment: Sharing the house with Brian as he has a non-traditional schedule. Girls, you know what I'm talking about -this is a toughie. When Brian is at work I am the queen of the castle, I control my environment and I'm the caretaker/boss of the kids. Throw another boss in the mix and what do you get? Perhaps a bit of a circus. Thankfully Brian has an office and has claimed the garage as his "man cave" so he has several places to retreat to. Though it will take awhile getting used to being around each other and doing the "who's on duty" dance while we both try to be productive and create a fun/functional place for the kids, I am so very thankful that Brian no longer has to work 15 hour days and be deployed. We're replacing "hooah" with "HOORAY!!!!!"

Hopefully starting next week I will be Brian's first client. And I'm a little n-n-n-n-nervous. But excited! It's going to be brutal, but I aim to live up to the challenge. We're both looking forward to seeing how this "test case" goes and how it will help shape his regime he's planning. We're also eating healthier as a family and that paired with the small hints of Spring showing up are great motivators to overall life fitness. We've even been talking about taking a camping trip in the near future. FUN!!!

All of this to say we are embarking on a new frontier -the civilian life. Ideas are blossoming, our family is growing, and only the Lord knows what's ahead. I have total faith and confidence that as we continue to follow the Lord, he will make our path straight and guide us in the right direction. We are so blessed and I can't wait to see what's ahead for us!

Congratulations, Honey, for 7 years of service and for making it out of the Army with your sanity in tact! Now it's my turn to try to drive you crazy.... I kid, I kid.