My Favorite Holiday!!

Well Christmas has come and gone... It is my favorite holiday and it has been an unconventional one. Last friday We celebrated christmas with mom because she was going to orlando with the boys for xmas. We had a really nice lasagna. I got a really nice Wolfgang Puck Pot set. Much needed. Thank you mom. And Dad got me the waffle maker I wanted. I got a lot of really nice kitchen stuff. I got some books, including a really awesome weight watcher 15, 20, and 30 min meal cookbook from Amelia and Ross. I can't wait to start eating some delicious healthy dinners. Ashby got me jewelry. And my boyfriend got me a much needed BRAND NEW FLAT SCREEN TV. It's awesome.

I was supper excited for Collin to open his presents. I got him a ton of clothes, a certificate for shoes and boots, and of course to finish an Xbox 360. It was hard to pull him away from it long enough to see family.

This morning we started with some delicious waffles and bacon. Then we opened presents, starting with stockings of course. Lots of candy in those. After presents, and pulling Collin away from the xbox; we went to see his sister who thankfully was able to be home for xmas. She had a baby boy, JT, on monday by emergency c-section. Then we went to his others sisters house to exchanged gifts. Then we went down to mimi's for xmas dinner. Everyone was there. Well except my family besides myself. We had all the goods; perfectly cooked roast beast, YORKSHIRE PUDDING mmm.., cooked tomatoes with bread crumbs on top and asparagus. YUUMMY!! then we had the MOST delicious cheese cake made by Darien and I dont even truly enjoy cheese cake. All in all it was an Awesome day!!

MERRY XMAS!!

NEW NEW WEBSITE!!

I have a New new website.. This one is going to be permanent. Please check it out. I dont have the purchase thing working yet cause i gotta figure some stuff out before i open up my website for selling artwork. Please check it out! http://www.wix.com/lullabyephotography/LullabyePhotography

I have a WEBSITE!!!

So I finally set up my website.

 lullabyephotography.squarespace.com

Though I think i might be changing it over to a completely different website company in the next few weeks, it's a step in the right direction. I've been wanting to do this for quite awhile and I dont really know what I was waiting for. I really would love to start selling my work. As I wouldn't mind taking clients, I prefer just making work and then selling it. Everyone please take a look. It's a little limited for now on what I have up there. I gotta work on getting images of all my finished pieces. If there's anything you want, let me know. We can negotiate a price. I'm so excited to finally get things going. 

Well thursday was Thanksgiving.  I had so much fun hanging with the family. Everyone was there but my mom. Collin and Amelia and my cousin's boyfriend, Nate were also in attendance.  The appetizers I made/ brought were a hit. Dad made an organic turkey which tastes just the same as regular turkey. The stuffing and mashed potatoes were amazing!! I had so much fun just hanging with the family. 

 Last night we celebrated my Dad's 49th birthday. We went to the sushi resturant Kyoto. Collin and Amelia were both able to get off work in time to be there. We got him some wine glasses and a new shredder and just in time cause the old one was on the way to the dump. Amelia made him the famous Red Velvet Cake that he has every year and loves so much. He had made a comment about how he didn't get his cake this year. We made sure he showed up after everyone else and had them bring it out with candles that were in the number shapes of 49 (it took 23 candles to do so, dad's favorite number which was NOT on purpose). He loved it and i'm glad he was surprised and able to get his favorite cake. Thanks Amelia! 

 Tonight is my 1st year anniversary with Collin. Collin was very impatient so we opened gifts last night. He gave me this really nice photosmart printer so that i can work on my photographs. I believe it's wireless and can't wait to get it working. I got him a foot pedicure spa thing cause he is always on his feet and complaining about his feet. I also got him a case for his shot glasses. Every time i go on vacation  i get a shot glass from that place for myself, as well as for my boyfriend, so i got a really nice wall case for them to sit it. Collin took me to this restaurant outside of Saugerties, which is north of Kingston, called New World Home Cooking. It was amazing. I had this Hempnut Crusted Salmon followed by dessert which was New Orleans Banana's Fantas (or something like that). It was to die for. I had an amazing anniversary. I love my man so much!! Thank you for the most wonderful night. 

November 28th and Holidays !!

Well I know it's been awhile since my last update. My life is pretty boring right now. I'm super excited cause it's getting to be my favorite time of year. I love the holidays. I love thanksgiving. getting together with family and getting to eat all the good food while sharing everything thats going on in your life with everyone. It's just so warm and refreshing. Christmas is my absolute favorite time. I love shopping for the perfect gift or variety of gifts for every person in my life. And then getting to see their face while they open that gift. It just gives me such joy. This year i'm celebrating the holidays with my boyfriend for the first time. And when i mean the first time, i've had a boyfriend during the holidays before but we've never been able to celebrate the holidays together. So this is the first time we will be together celebrating with our family's as a couple. I'm so excited! Though things will be different this year. Looks as though christmas might be a much lonelier time for me than i had expected this year. Mom and the boys are going to Orlando, So Collin and I will be fending for ourselves. I wont get to see everyone's face while opening their gifts. But I will have my boyfriend who i love so much by my side celebrating together. It will be different and interesting. 

             I love Collin so much. For those who don't know, Collin is my boyfriend. We dated back in High school and then stopped talking for 5 years. We found each other again last september and have been dating for almost a year again. I am so in love with him. He is the most amazing man. He takes care of me in every way possible. He respects me in all ways. I didn't think i'd ever find love like this. And i was given a second chance with my high school sweetheart. Nov 28th will be our 1st year anniversary. I'm so happy to say we've made it this far. It's so exciting. Our main focus right now is trying to work hard to make money and find a place locally to live together. It definitely isn't easy but I'm excited to be making the next step in our journey. Now if i could just find the perfect appropriate gift for a 1st anniversary... LOL!

Update

Well I finally had a whole day off. I got a whole lot done. I cleaned my apt which i haven't had much time to clean. Did some laundry; among other things. it never seems to end.

Do you remember those old floppy disks? Well I've been going thro some boxes of mine and found some so I spent about an hour or so at the local library to get rid of what i didn't need. It was interesting to see how i perceived the world as a kid/teen.  I started working on my christmas list and getting together some xmas gifts. This year is going to be a tight one. I cleaned my car, which was worse than my apt and realized that dad's shopvac is not as powerful as it once was. I cooked lunch and made extra's for later. I love making plenty of extra's. Lately I've been making hash brown casserole and freezing it. I'll have to put the recipe up on the other blog.  On other news Collin finally bought a car. A 1987 Toyota Camrey. He got it registered and everything and is loving his new found independence. It's been 2 years since he owned his own car. He has been loving his new job and is looking forward to Headless Horseman to be over. On the weekends, he works at a local but famous halloween attraction. http://www.headlesshorseman.com/

Halloween is his fav holiday. I'm looking more forward to Christmas. 

   

I got a lot more coming up in the next few weeks. I'm dealing with the fact that my insurance is running out at the end of the year. My jobs can't insure me due to several reasons. Not to mention I can't afford much. So i've been making appointments to get all my doctors before i'm not covered. I got an auction to attend and auction some stuff off including one my own prints for the women's group my mom is a part of that i also joined, PEO. Dad's birthday and then Thanksgiving. It's going to be a busy month! Can't wait... 

Words of Wisdom

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

 

8. It's OK to get angry with God.. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.

16.. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

24. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

25. Frame every so-called disaster with these words ''In five years, will this matter?".

26. Always choose life.

27. Forgive everyone everything.

28. What other people think of you is none of your business.

29. Time heals almost everything.. Give time, time.

30. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

31. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

32. Believe in miracles.

33. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.

34. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

35. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.

36. Your children get only one childhood.

37. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

38.Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

39. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

40. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

41. The best is yet to come.

42. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

43. Yield.

44. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

nothing exciting

Well i guess some of you have been wondering where i've been... Basically all i've been doing is working. i work 7 days a week.. if it's not one job it's the other or both... it's been really hard with the economy ... my boyfriend, Collin, finally got a job. he did get a job working for this one place but they had to let him go only have a week... But he got a job a local appliance store delivering and such.... It seems to be working out ok... He's working on getting a car and I can't wait. i'm glad to finally be getting our crap in order. But other than that I dont have a whole lot else to update on cause i dont have a life... My parents are calling it quits.. Collin also works at Headless Horesman which is a halloween attraction... he loves it. halloween is his favorite holiday. i'm glad he has something that makes him happy and make money.. So this is my boring life. just trying to get my feet upright and back on firm ground... 

Cool Free Stuff

I found another interesting article about websites and stores that offer certain free stuff... The one i liked the most was about the websites offering to buy your old electronics... Sounds like a sweet deal... check it out

http://finance.yahoo.com/banking-budgeting/article/107638/fabulous-freebies-2009.html?mod=banking-budgeting

Camping part 2

We had so much fun visiting with Nana and Papa. They made us homemade buns and really good carmel cookie bars... We also had fish, soup, salad, and peach pie/ cobbler. So much good food. And good times.. At camp we made smores. MMM... 

We made breakfast one morning.. Pancakes with blueberries. Thanks mom for the mix. They were Delicious.. Collin here wasn't so happy i was taking his pic while he was trying to eat.. Lol. oh well..

the yummy pancakes...  and the cook making them...

on the trip up to North Country we found these huge chairs so we decided to take pictures in them... 

Camping part 1

So I went to visit Nana n Papa in Canton, NY. I decided to combine my camping trip that I had planned with my boyfriend with going to see them. We had a blast.  

Nana took us to an Amish house where they sell vegies. The amish dont like getting their picture taken so we took pics from far away... We got a 5lb bag of onions for $1.75 !! and Raspberries for the cheapest. They were delicious.. 

Above is the amish house and how they do their hay.. 

An amish buggy at the Aldi's.. 

This is our campsite... Collin was surprised that i actually went camping, though i'm not really sure why because I have been camping before...

Oh and by the way, last weekend I went and got my hair permed!! Loving it... 

Olivia is getting big...

she loves the water... 

Olivia is learning to crawl... she's getting so big

New Car

So for a graduation gift, My parents bought me a 2004 ford Taurus. TA DA !! here are some pics.. All paid for. Thank you mom and dad!

Trip to Canada

So this past weekend My Cousin Graduated from High School Valedictorian. My other cousins from Norway came to visit. It's only their second time to America. They'd never been to Niagara Falls and I haven't been to the Canadian side since I was just a kid. So since I had two days off, I took them up in my new car ( 04 white Taurus). We stayed in Ross's apartment in Buffalo. We went to the Anchor Bar and then we went and saw MY SISTERS KEEPER... SAD SAD movie but SO GOOD... I recommend everyone to go see it. But bring tissues... We got up and went to breakfast at Panos. I had difficulty explaining what French toast, Belgian waffles, and Cheese. How do I explain cheddar cheese? IDK. So Then we headed over to the Border. Got asked a million questions about who we were, where we were from, how long we were staying for, etc. Then we found the falls and went and got wet on the Maid of the Mist. It was so much fun. And finally a day without rain!! We got lost in Canada trying to find the Rainbow bridge to get back to the USA... Lol. So then we packed up and headed home. Needless to say, I treated the girls to a lovely stop by the NY State Thruway Police because I was going 80. Oh well, he made me get out and asked us a million questions, but let us go with a warning THANK GOD. All in all it was a fun day. 

Elizabet, Me, and Kirsti

Maid of the Mist

trying not to get wet... 

The Niagara Falls... from the canadian side

Boring Life

SO I know it's been awhile... But honestly nothing interesting has been going on. I live at home, go to work, make my parents upset cause I dont spend enough time with them because of the hours I work, hang out with Collin when I can, pay bills. Thats about it. I did happen to get a second job at the Children's Annex (where I worked last summer) working with autistic children which starts Monday July 6th. I can't wait. I loved that job number one but number two, that means more money for me. A second pay check. Maybe then i'll be able to pay off this debt faster.. hmm... yeah I dont know. It's been a month already and it's a slow pace here. But at least i'm making progress. Thats a plus. And i'm getting closer to my friends at work. I'm slowly being inducted to the full time circle of people at Hannaford, where everyone knows everyones business if u let them. lol. Anyways, I guess I wont be coming to the family reunion. It's not my say and I'm really upset over it. But I guess it's probably a blessing in disguise. No worries, I hope to be out there to visit within the year with Collin. It's off to pay the cell bill and then to work again. Ugh... Work, sleep, hang out, sleep, work.... it's never ending lol

It's All Over

It's finally May 09.... I am officially a graduate... Now comes the hard part, or so they say... i'm just happy it's finally over... 

graduation pics

The last of my Senior show pics ...

Looking back

Here it is. The end of the road of my college career. Thank the lord. It's been a long one. I went thro the 28 photo albums i have on facebook. I have no pics from my first year at college which happened in Miami shores, Fl. I have definitely grown as a person. I'm so glad it's over. However I dont think it will hit me till i walk. And maybe not really till i dont have to go back in August. Crazy! So here's a look at the past 4 years. 

Me n Tabitha together working on foundations work first semester at ECU

Parents weekend!

Went to beach for the first time in NC

Ross, Darien, and I went to NYC with Anastasia

Katie n I baked together and had fun times

I had my work in a show

i took katie to NYC

riding on the subway

went for a weekend on the lake...

learned how to jetski

I saw the beach and had a great time

had fun going out to dinner with friends

we went to the Hoos vs the Pirates ... dad won, i lost... but we had a good time

                                                                 we had a little snow, the first time in 4 yrs

23rd birthday celebrated with my family in NC

finishing with my senior show