I Heart Faces -- "Beautiful Eyes"

I normally don't enter these contests (although I probably should as a way to challenge myself in the photography world), but this one was easy. The theme was "beautiful eyes," and I had just finished a shoot for my friend Kim where I snagged this shot of her second-to-youngest, Carla.

Those eyelashes just reach to the heavens! What a doll face! I had told here there were monkeys in my camera, and she was trying to see them: "Monkeeeeey? Monkeeeeey?" lol

You can check out more "beautiful eyes" entries at I Heart Faces blog. Just click the button below.

Forgetful

Today I was almost an hour late to a play date with a very patient and forgiving friend. It's not that I was running behind; I simply forgot about the play date altogether and wouldn't have shown up at all if not for her phone call. I happened to be in the car with my kids already, so we simply scratched our other plans and headed straight to Elm Creek Park...you know, where we were supposed to be.

I wish I could laugh and roll my eyes at this isolated incident of forgetfulness, but alas, it's becoming more common than I'd care to admit. In fact, I've been having such a problem with concentrating, focusing, and remembering things that it's been a daily prayer point. I've also started researching different vitamins and/or supplements that can help in this area.

It's driving JP nuts. We will have full conversations that I can't recall the very next day. He will ask me to do things and I will fail to follow through because I have no memory of him asking in the first place. If JP is trying to talk to me and the TV is on or the children are in the room, I'll have to look him directly in the eyes and focus all of my attention on what he is saying if I want to comprehend it. Sometimes, even though I'm looking straight at him, he'll finish a sentence and upon seeing the glazed look in my eye ask, "You have no idea what I just said, do you?" And he's right.

It's also driving me nuts. Yesterday I failed to put diapers & wipes in my diaper bag, and when Rosie exploded at PetSmart, I could do nothing but rush the kids back into the car and flee to Target where I could buy some. If I'm focused on doing the dishes and Rae asks me a question, I'll have to ask her to repeat it, sometimes multiple times. I can't multi-task to save my life anymore, and I feel like a ditz.

I've looked into what things might cause these symptoms. Most of the medical websites suggest depression, stress, or pregnancy as common reasons for losing focus. I am currently none of these (besides the regular stress of being a mother of three! But in general, I'm not stressed.). I'm not having any other accompanying symptoms, like headaches.

I've also looked into natural supplements to help keep my brain sharp. Most of them are fatty acids & vitamin E, ginkgo biloba, stuff like that. My friend also suggested playing some memory games to strengthen that part of my brain.

I'm at a loss right now. I know God has given me a sound mind. Perhaps I'm just lacking discipline in my life right now. Maybe I'm more stressed than I think I am. Whatever the case may be, I ask that you all keep me in your prayers, too! I want to be the sharp, thoughtful woman I'm meant to be.

Ramblings

Not a lot has been happening out here in Princeton lately. We've been inside a lot escaping the heat, and when we do go outside, water is usually involved. We found a nice little beach not too far from our house; it's small, never crowded, and the water is extremely clear.

We were there just this morning, and I had a very scary mom moment. I was sitting at a picnic table on shore with Rae and Rosie while Ruby swam in about waist-deep water with her friend Ethan, who is five. I was keeping an eye on her, but had looked away to get the baby a banana. When I looked back, I saw Ruby under the water with her little arms and legs flailing above the surface. I all but dropped the baby and sprinted to her side. After I picked her up, it took a couple seconds for her to cough and catch her breath again. Her lips were the palest white, and we just held each other for the longest time. It happened so fast, and that's just the thing -- it only takes a second. You get so used to looking up and seeing that everything is fine; then the one time comes that you look up and everything is not fine, and it's horrifying.

I didn't mean for this blog post to get so solemn so quickly. My apologies! Ruby is just fine.

In other news:

My friend Zandrah has been helping me come up with a good logo for my photography stuff. Choosing a logo is hard! The final product is so permanent; I really want to make sure that I love it, without driving Zandrah crazy with my nit-pickiness.

The countdown is on to my brother Joseph's wedding! The big day is September 24th, and his fiance Becky is full-tilt-boogie into wedding planning & preparations. Rae and Ruby are flower girls, and we met with the seamstress who is making their dresses this week for measurements. I have to find them little cowgirl boots to wear with their dresses. I have a bid in on a pair for Ruby on Ebay, and so far I haven't been able to find a good deal for Rae anywhere. Time to start hitting up the Goodwill stores!

I'm also going to get to take some official engagement pictures for Joe & Becky, which I'm super excited about, and they've asked me to sing in the wedding, which is such an honor.

I really need to get to bed. Love to all...

Rosie's First Steps

Of course, Rosie chose the one night I slipped away for a Norwex party to take her FIRST STEPS at only 10 months old! I was sad to miss it, but thankful JP got to see it (he missed the other girls' first steps). She had taken one step before, but never three in a row.

Thankfully, JP handed Rae the iPhone to record...lol!

Operation: Clean My House - UPDATE

Here are a few more before and after photos as "Operation: Clean My House" continues. It really is very hard for me to post these photos. I'm far too prideful to easiliy admit to the way my house looks on a normal day. But I FEEL SO FREE having this clutter and dust out of my way, I just want to tell the word!

Mail Center before

Mail Center After

Bedroom 1 Before

Bedroom 1 After (the ugly thing along the left wall is a desk we need to assemble)

Bedroom 2 Before

Bedroom 2 After

Grandma Dellas

This week, our family lost a very special and beloved matriarch. JP's maternal grandma, Della Mae Bowar, went to be with Jesus and the love of her life, Chip. (Those of you who have been reading the blog for a while may remember the letters I used to post that Chip wrote to his family during his time in the military.)

Grandma Dellas meeting newborn Rosie

Click here for a link to her obit.

Grandma Dellas, as we called her, was one of the dearest women you'll ever meet. She carried herself with such class and grace, and she was extremely witty. Even after suffering congestive heart failure, she found a way to smile and crack jokes.

JP and I had a chance to visit her in the hospital shortly after her heart failure, and I took the girls to see her once while she was in hospice care. We treasure those special moments with her.

I'm continually amazed and blessed to be a part of a family with so many living grandparents. It's hard to see them go, but I'm so thankful to have married into the legacy these dear grandparents are leaving behind.

Rest in peace, Gram, and we'll see you again.

Quotes from Rae + Rosie Cuteness

Rae has been on a roll again lately. Again, apologies to those of you who have heard these already from my facebook posts.

Rae: "Mom, your outfit is swanky!"

Me: "Do you even know what that means?"

Rae: "It's Spanish for 'nice outfit.'"

______________________________________________

Rae: "Dad, can we watch a show before bed?"

Dad: "I don't know, it's already past your bed time. We'll have to ask Mom."

Rae: "Dad, who runs the show around here? You, or mom!?"

______________________________________________

Me to Rae: "If you could meet anyone who ever lived, who would it be?"

Rae: "Ava."

Me: "No, I mean someone you've never met before, like Jesus or Laura Ingalls."

Rae: "Moooom! I've already MET Jesus! We know each other!"

Me: "Amen, Sista!"

______________________________________________

And here is your Rosie fix for the night. :)

Makena

I just finished editing photos from this shoot today. Makena is turning 2 on the 30th. Most of the shots I got were blurs of her running past the camera! She was so fast and always moving! But we did catch a few super sweet photos.

Operation: Clean My House

I do not claim to be a very good housekeeper.

In fact, when JP first went to talk to my dad about marrying me, my dad warned him.

"She won't clean," he said. "She doesn't know how."

When JP first told me this, I was quite offended. Of course I knew how to clean! I had been doing chores my whole life! Vacuuming, dusting, mopping, laundry, dishes, bathrooms, you name it, we had to do it all!

It didn't take me too long (maybe 2 years?) to figure out that I really wasn't that good at keeping my house clean and tidy. Our house is full of clutter, and while I do enough cleaning for it not to be gross, don't look too closely or you may notice the cobweb in the corner or the dust all over the bookshelf.

Now, I'm on a mission to deep clean and de-clutter every room of my house. Each available day I have, I'll pick one room and tackle it. Starting with the kitchen.

This is the kitchen before (sorry, it's a little dark, I didn't edit it at all). Don't judge.

And this is the kitchen after. Ta da!

Ah, that feels better! I can breathe again! I've also done the downstairs living area since this post, but didn't get pictures. That area is even harder to keep un-cluttered because it's where JP dumps all his junk.

Next up is the master bedroom (it's REALLY bad, but at least it's hidden), followed by the upstairs living area, then the bathrooms, the kids' rooms, and the laundry room.

Now if only I could believe that it could really last....

Name Update

Thanks for all of your input on choosing a name! I'm serious, I really appreciate the input people have been giving. And although there is still one day left on the poll, I have made my decision on a name.

But guess what -- I'm not going to tell you yet! BWAHAHAHA! I know, evil, right? I'm working with a friend to design a logo, and when I have it, I'll do a big fancy reveal.

I will tell you this: it's none of the names mentioned here OR in any of the comments. It's something JP and I came up with together in one of our conversations. I like it. JP loves it. You might hate it. That's okay with me. :)

Here is a peek at another shoot I had this week.


That's Sam (or did you pick up on that already?).

This is his big sister, Alison, and her pony, Diamond.

Alison is only six years old and races ponies competitively. She is Rae and Ruby's new superstar. They came with me to the photo shoot and were enraptured with Alison and Diamond. They even got their own pony rides.

___________________________________

On the home front:

We are all doing well. We are enjoying the summer and doing our best to be outside as much as possible.

Rosie is so big, and she's cruising around the house, walking along the furniture, and getting into everything. She has definitely entered the "clingy" stage where she wants to be with Mommy all the time. She whines when I leave the room or hand her to someone else, but for the most part, she is a happy baby. We've started calling her "Ducky" or "Ducka-ducka" because one of the babbling sounds she makes sounds like "ducka-ducka."

My brother Micah and his family are in town for a few weeks before they are stationed at Ft. Campbell, KY. We got to spend all day with them on Tuesday, and tomorrow (Sunday) we're heading to Taylor's Falls with my side of the family.

I'm loving my new van! I think my favorite feature so far is the remote operated dual sliding doors. It's amazing. No more struggling to get the doors closed with a baby in one arm and groceries in the other!

Ok, baby's crying. Gotta run.

Poll: I Need a Name

I've been thinking about making some business cards to give my photography "clients" (I don't even like calling them that because it sounds so professional), and possibly incorporating. I'm starting to get more paying clients, and they've been referring me to others. I feel like maybe it's time to make things a bit more official.

But I have just one problem -- I can't figure out a good name to call my "business." I'm now turning to you, my faithful and hopefully honest readers, for help.

I've set up a poll on the left side of this page with some name options. Below, I'm going to explain the pros and cons I see to each name. Considering these, please vote on your favorite. If none of them seem great to you, please say so and tell me why in the comments! I need you to be honest here, people!

I'M ALSO OPEN TO SUGGESTIONS, so if you have a good idea for a name, please leave it in the comments section or click "email me" on the left and send it to me in an email!

Here are the options I've been considering, in no particular order

OPTION ONE -- Audra Charlebois Photography

I know, stunning, right? All kidding aside, this is a very common and straight forward name for a photography business. I know several photographers who simply use their name, and it works very well.

My only hang-up is that my name is sort of complicated. "Audra" often gets confused with "Audrey" or "Andrea," and NOBODY can pronounce or correctly spell my last name.

Nevertheless, I like my name. I think it sounds pretty; I just wonder if it would be too complicated.

OPTION TWO -- Audra C. Photography

Whoa! We're switching it up a bit now! :)

A good solution to my complicated last name is just to abbreviate it. I like this and also like the way it sounds when you speak it; but alas, I stole the idea from a photography friend and hero of mine. The fabulous Jacki Vaughan has a business called Jacki V. Photography. Jacki goes to my in-laws church; we are friends and have many mutual friends. "Audra C. Photography" seems a little copycat to me, even though I like it.

OPTION THREE -- Tentmaker Photography

Where did that one come from, and what does it have to do with photography?

Glad you asked! In the New Testament, the apostle Paul had two gigs. His first/main gig was his call to bring the gospel to the Gentiles. This was his ministry and his life. However, Paul also had a side gig. He was a tent maker. He used this job to supplement his income and help provide the funds he needed to facilitate his higher calling (gig #1).

As a wife and mother, this is the way I feel about Photography. My main gig, or ministry, is to my family -- my husband and three daughters. They come first on my list of responsibilities. Photography would come only after those responsibilities have been met.

I like this name because it's a reminder to me of where my heart and focus will always be, even though I love photography. It's also a conversation starter with clients, and a way to open the door to talking about Jesus.

The down side to this name is that it doesn't sound very...photography-ish?

OPTION FOUR -- Fake It Photography

This isn't really an option. It's an inside joke, and those who understand it will laugh along with me! :)

Please weigh in, both in the poll and in the comments section! I'll keep the poll open for a week. And again, please be HONEST!

Update

It seems I just don't have the time to sit down and put my thoughts on paper (er, screen?) anymore. We've been having such a fun summer! The girls are a blast, and we're at a nice stage where they can go longer without falling apart (and the baby is still small enough to fall asleep in her car seat or stroller), so we can fill our days with even more activities than in years past.

We've been trying to spend a lot of time outside. I'm taking my first swing at a flower garden this year, which is going surprisingly well so far! Our veggies are still in paper cups, waiting to be transplanted. Last year they never did get transplanted, and I'm fearful these poor seedlings may meet the same fate.

Little Rosie is not so little anymore! At nine months, she's already starting to stand on her own for a few seconds before falling to her butt. She's walking all along the furniture, and I have a feeling she'll be our earliest walker (Rae walked at 10 months, so we'll see!). She has two little teeth on the bottom that are so cute, and is all about "real" food; she's so over the baby food & breast milk thing! "Please Mom, that's for infants!"

I am aspiring to take nine month photos of her SOON and get them on here!

Speaking of photos, I've had a few more amazing photography opportunities. I photographed another wedding June 11th and just finished editing all of the photos. Once the couple has had a chance to see them, I will hopefully post some here, too.

I also got to take some newborn & children photos. This is Olivia.


You can view more of her photos by clicking here.

And these are the Perreault Children, Aidan, Ellix & Aurora.


More of their photos here.

In other big news, we're getting a new van! My current van has been breaking down on me over and over and over again. My dad was planning to get a new van already, so he offered us his old one -- for free! When I say "old," I mean a 2002 Chrysler Town & Country...that still has that new car smell! It's gorgeous, and he's kept it in immaculate condition. We are so extremely blessed, and I can't wait to pick it up tomorrow!

I'm too tired to even think straight right now, so I'm going to stop now. But I will get some more photos of MY beautiful children up soon. xo

Mystery Cave Camping Trip

The first weekend in June, we headed south with our friends, the Knoblauchs, for our first camping trip of 2011. We had reservations at Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park, just south of Rochester, MN. The weather forecast was perfect, and while we were all excited for a weekend of fun, nobody had any idea just how eventful the trip would be!

When we got to the campsite, the first thing I noticed was that Rae's shoes were missing. Her ONLY pair of shoes. It didn't take long to realize that the shoes had probably fallen out of the car when we stopped on the side of the rod for her to go potty. We put her in socks and sent her on her way. Then I realized that MY shoes were also missing. Thankfully, they were not my only pair! We later found my shoes at the ranger station -- they had fallen out when we stopped to check in.

Once we got out of the car in into footwear, we found that the Knoblauchs (who had beat us there) were having car problems. Their security mechanism had somehow been triggered, and the key would not turn to start the car. James and JP spent most of Saturday morning rigging the car up so that it could start until James could fix it properly at home.

The campsites were lovely, and there were hardly any mosquitoes. Perhaps the best part about the site was a huge, fallen tree directly behind it. Rae is part monkey, and she was in climbing heaven!

Rae loves to climb, and she's good at it!

Our friend, Ezra

All of the kids spent the majority of the time at the campsite playing on that tree. However, what the park lacked in mosquitoes, it made up for in biting flies. Being in the woods, the kids were attacked the worst, and all of them had big, bloody bites all over their heads and necks. Even sweet little Rosie had bites (but she kept on smiling!).

This happy camper even cut her first tooth during our trip!

After the guys fixed the car, we decided to head to the Mystery Cave. We hadn't gone far when JP had to slam on the brakes as two deer jumped out of the tall grass and onto the road, just a couple feet in front of our car. We were almost relieved until we saw what happened next.

One of the deer, in its panicky effort to make it across the road, made a giant leap. At the height of its jump, the deer smashed directly into the windshield of an oncoming vehicle. The windshield crumbled, tires squealed, and with huge pits in our stomach, we pulled over as quickly as we could. We thought for sure the passengers of the car would be severely injured, if not dead.

JP snapped this photo on his phone

Thank God, besides some minor cuts and scratches, neither the couple in the front seat nor their two young children and dog in the back were hurt. The deer had landed in the wife's lap! She literally had to slide out from underneath it to get out of the car! We were thankful to be there as "first responders" with a big water jug and first aid kit on hand to help however we could.

After that adventure, we continued on our way to the cave, but we had to stop in town to get some more ice for the coolers. Since the suspected site of the lost shoes was near there, we went on a shoe hunt as well. And can you believe it -- we found those darn shoes right on the side of the road, just like we had thought!

I didn't get any pictures inside the cave, but it was cool (and cold -- 48 degrees!) and the kids loved it! This was actually the second time we had been in the cave; we camped there once before with my family when Rae was just a baby.

On Sunday, we visited a historic town called Forestville. It's a restored village from the late 1800's that is now operated by the Minnesota Historical Society. Many of the original buildings are still in tact and available for tours, and the guides are all dressed in character as actual people who lived there in 1899. We did take the tour, but the kids favorite part was exploring the old barn and chasing the chickens in the hen house.

The kids meet a costumed guide -- "oh my, your ankles are showing!"

The Knoblauch family in front of the old barn

Rae in the barn

Checking out the chickens

I love this photo! Ruby on her horse, watching in wonder as the real horses go by.

Cute baby!

We headed home after visiting Forestville, and by the time we reached the edge of the park, the girls had already collapsed with exhaustion from the fun and eventful weekend. Camping with three kids plus dogs isn't necessarily relaxing, but it sure is fun!

Just Let Them

Sometimes, you just have to let them jump in mud puddles with their clothes on. Then you might have to let them take off their clothes and jump around some more. Just let them.

Prairie Land

Today, we visited a lush, green prairie. The tall grasses swayed in the wind and buzzed with busy insects.


Actually, it was just our back yard, which hasn't been mowed once this year.


You see, our mower has been broken. It needed a new belt and an oil change.


This is easy work for JP, but he's been working 16+ hour days -- every day -- for the last month. He finally had some time to work on it this past weekend, but just as he was finishing, he threw out his back and had to stop.


So until he can finish it up and we can mow, we will continue to live in our little house on the prairie. Don't judge.

Garage Sale

This weekend, I held my very first garage sale. It's something I've been wanting to do for a long time. I had done a lot of mental preparation and took my time getting things organized and ready to do so that I wouldn't feel so overwhelmed. And it definitely paid off!

When I mentioned it to my neighbor Judy, she offered to help, as did my friend Crystal and her husband. We chose Memorial Day weekend, hoping to bank on the weekend travelers along Hwy 95. Despite the weather man's grim forecast, we ended up with three glorious days in a row!

I had lots of fun watching all of the different people who came to look and buy. It was interesting to see people's choices, what they found valuable, and what they passed up (seriously, nobody wanted that crock pot?) I had a couple friends come by just to hang out as well, which was very fun and helpful.

See that scooter on the right side of the photo? That belonged to my neighbor Dan. He had it on craigslist but figured he'd set it out anyhow. On day three, someone asked for a test drive and came back with a big smile on his face. He ended up buying the scooter, our big ticket item!

In the end, I got rid of a bunch of stuff that had been cluttering up my home, made a couple hundred bucks, and got a great tan. I think I will leave things set up in my garage and open up shop again in a couple weekends when Princeton has it's big community sale. It can't hurt!

Homeschooling, Part 2

I bet you thought I was never going to get to Part 2, did you? Well, here I go. My thoughts are a jumble tonight, however, so there's no guarantee any of this will make sense.

As I mentioned before, we attended the MACHE annual conference in Duluth last month. One of the key attractions of the conference is the very large and very overwhelming curriculum fair. Imagine a very large conference center room flooded with every type of homeschool parent you can think of -- from the "be free earth mama" to the buttoned up, bearded Amish father -- packed with booth after booth of options on how to homeschool your children. Imagine all of the books! Shelves and shelves of books everywhere you turn! How are you supposed to pick the best ones for you and your child?!!?

Can you tell I was feeling a little inundated?

I had done my homework before attending the conference. I had heard there were too many options available to look at them all, so I took the time beforehand to try to figure out my teaching style, identify Rae's learning style, and narrow down my options to 3-4 curriculum to get my hands on. I felt prepared and confident. But once I got there, I was sucked in by all of the amazing options, many of which I had never even heard of before. By the end of the weekend, I was feeling more unsure about what I'm going to do with Rae in the fall than when I started.

Then it hit me -- this is supposed to be fun. I was feeling all of this pressure to pick a curriculum, do a bunch of research, and have a plan ready to go. I was stressing over whether I should do a preschool or kindergarten curriculum, whether it should be 4 or 5 days a week, and what math program I should use. But as I attended the sessions, almost all of the speakers were repeating the same thing: stop stressing and have fun. If you're not enjoying this, your kid probably isn't either! It defeats the whole purpose if your children end up hating school. The goal is to develop Biblical character traits and a love of learning.

Rae just turned four in February. There is no reason to jump into some big, official curriculum right away. We may sample a little from here and there and see what works well for us; but mostly we are just going to practice getting into the habit of doing school a couple days per week. It will be fun stuff -- not stressful. We'll turn over rocks and talk about bugs. We'll read stories from around the world, then find them on the map. We'll make patterns with marshmallows, then add them all up before we eat them. It will be fun, and hopefully, Rae will love to learn.

So, with that said, my "plan" for this fall is to...
1.) Get in the habit of setting aside time for school 3-4 days per week.
2.) Practice some reading & handwriting, but not push it
3.) Do lots of reading out loud with the girls, especially classic childrens' stories & the Bible
4.) Have fun!

When Rae is five, we will start kindergarten. She is "past" preschool (colors, shapes, letter recognition, etc.), but I don't want to turn her off to school by jumping right into kindergarten at age 4.

And just for you curious ones out there, here are some of the curriculum I've been looking into for once we DO get going.
-Heart of Dakota
-Sonlight
-5 in a Row
-KONOS
-Math-U-See
-A Reason for Handwriting
-Spell to Write & Read
-Charlotte Mason approach

Here are some photos from a day at the park last week!

Rae & Rosie

Their relationship...

...is so...


...unique.


They love each other so much.

Easter 2011

I don't have the time or the energy to recount all that happened on Easter weekend, but suffice to say it involved another car malfunction and missing out on two out of three celebrations with family.

Let's skip the details and just look at pictures today, shall we? :)

Vinnie's loot

Matching dresses courtesy of Auntie Lisa

On the hunt
Rosie & Gammy
Cutest ever!