Animal Filled Weekend Pt 2

To conclude the animal filled "weekend", I took my lil man to the Dallas Zoo today. Yes, I realize it is a Monday but with just him and I together, it felt like a weekend. I was expecting sunny skies, some clouds and a really nice warm day. Instead, it ended up being very cloudy, very windy and a bit on the chilly side with temps in the mid 50's but feeling like low 40's with the wind. It was all worth it though.
I decided last night before going to bed that I would not bring the 20D with me today. I kept thinking that zoo doesn't put lids on their cups nor straws in them. And with a very heavy camera bag on one shoulder, a camera around my neck, holding the hand of my lil man and a large drink.....well that just spells disaster. Even with a stroller and he, in my mind, is too big and too heavy for one of those contraptions. I need to get him a wagon!!!
Either way, I ended up bring my Sony Cybershot camera today which is pretty much small enough for lil man to use...which he ended up doing.
Here are some photos from our cold and windy zoo date today.

All in all, it may have been a cold and windy day, but it was just my son and I enjoying a mommy and me day! I couldn't have asked for a better Monday. Well, if I did, it would've been sunny skies and warmer weather but today was a GREAT day.
Now, to get my lil man in bed, finishing watching a Lifetime movie and then crawl into my empty bed and sleep myself! 

I hope everyone has had a great Monday as well. 

Animal Filled Weekend Pt 1

My husband works evenings on a schedule sort of like a fireman's where he works 5 on, 2 off and then the next week 2 on and 5 off. So, I UNDERSTAND if his sleep schedule is all awry but he has been doing this for well over 8 yrs now so in my mind he should be used to it by now. Maybe I AM just giving him a hard time.
Either way, I complained about his "sleeping antics" the other day as he got about 14 hours of sleep the night before and then slept another 2-3 hours during the day. I can understand if he was out and about doing stuff or staying active around the house but he had woke up at around 1pm that day and then watched Tv and that was it. So, ummm, ya!
Therefore, he surprised the family with a "spontaneous outing" as he called it to the Dallas World Aquarium Sunday.
Here are just a few (as I have A LOT) photos from that outing. (If you are a friend of mine on Facebook, you can see more or you can find me at Photography By Teresa on Facebook and check them out there.

This bird scared lil man to tears. He was sitting on a fence post about 2" from his face and then when he finally realized it was there, the tears started to flow. Poor guy, although it was a bit funny!

One of my favorites

Giving my lil man kisses as the sharks swim by

I am still editing photos from that day. It was my first day of really shooting with the "new" Canon 20D (I used to shoot with a Nikon D200 so it is a BIG change). 

I got home ready to crash as that was so exciting and so tiring at the same time but I enjoyed every bit of it. 

Meet Me on Monday

Questions: 

1.  What are you wearing right now?
2.  Do you have any freckles?
3.  What is your favorite Lifesaver flavor?
4.  What is the last movie you saw in the theater?
5.  Would you rather live without tv or without music?
---------------------------------------------------------------
My Answers!

1.  What are you wearing right now?
I am now wearing skinny jeans, black socks and a tshirt. I was wearing something a bit "nicer" but just got comfy. Earlier I was wearing this as it was a bit chilly this morning

At the Dallas Zoo with my lil man (who took the photo)

2. Do you have any freckles?
Not on my face but I do on my shoulders
3. What is your favorite Lifesaver flavor?
Definitely would have to be cherry

4. What is the last movie you saw in the theater?
I saw Sanctum with my husband

5. Would you rather live without tv or without music?
Definitely music. I get bored easily so I would rather HAVE tv than music. 

Kindle

No, I don't have one. Well, yes I have one. Sorta of. I have a Kindle for PC from Amazon.com and was able to "buy" some free books from there as well for the Kindle for PC.
One of the books I downloaded is called "Craving for God: A 21 Devotional Challenge"

I actually just started reading it. To me, it seems more about a person's battle with the scale and with food but for me, I turn it around to fit my lifestyle and see it as a battle of the heart and mind. Yet, at the same time, I have to agree with the writer because I am in this "struggle" with losing weight. I will tell my husband while staring into the fridge, "man, those Dr Peppers won't stop staring at me. I have to have one." "So get one," he will respond. In my mind, I tell myself that I should. No one but myself and him will know. THAT, my friends, is the problem. I will know. I will feel the guilt. Today will be 14 days without a Dr Pepper. I have done so well. I have only had 2 Root Beers in those 14 days. The rest, water and milk. I have done well. *Pat on the back* "Why are you not drinking Dr Pepper anymore?" You know how many times I have heard that question in the past 14 days? Well, for one, my brother stated he lost quite a bit of weight by giving it up. To me that was a tick mark on the Pro side of my "Why not to drink Dr Pepper Anymore" list. It will help me lose weight. Imagine how many calories and how much sugar you are putting into your body by drinking a soda. Another reason as to not drink it is, it was my addiction. I have never done any type of drug in my life. To me, Dr Pepper and chocolate....mainly M&M's were my drug. I had to have them. If I went a day or so without it, my head would pound, I would get moody and you just did not want to be around me that day. Therefore, it was time to kick the habit. The third reason and I think the most important reason of them all is strength. Can I do this? Can my mind and my body cooperate and make this happen? It has been 14 days, so I think I am showing some strength.
I have also heard in the past 14 days that I do not need to lose any weight, that I look good for being a mom close to her 30's, that I need to stop worrying about losing weight. In my mind I hear "blah blah blah" and look in the mirror and see wide hips, a not-so-tone set of abs and large thighs staring back at me. In the past 2 weeks, I believe (if my scale does not wrong me), I have lost around 3 pounds. Technically, to reach my "goal weight" I only have to lose another 7 pounds. I can do that! I can! That is, if I keep my mind strong and faith in my heart.
I know, that if I don't have a great support system in this realm, the Lord is a great supporter. He will listen to you when you need to talk and no one else is around. He will be the shoulder to cry on when you try on those clothes in the fitting room and just want to call yourself fat and ugly. The Lord will be there to hold your hand as you walk down that path to your goal.
Please, join me as I try to go along with this 21 Day challenge in recalibrating my soul and hold God's hand as I walk down this path.

Day 17: Staying In

Kelly from Willette {Classic Children's Portraiture} is hosting this Joy of Love course for the entire month of February.

What do you do when you stay in the house? I like to think of myself as a homebody, independent and sometimes just to myself.
When I am NOT alone and with my husband or my family, we like to sit around the TV and watch TV shows or even movies.

Day 13: Routines

I'm trying to catch up on my Joy of Love "project" as it will be ending in 5 days. Can you believe February is almost over with??? Wow.

Kelly from Willette {Classic Children's Portraiture} is hosting this Joy of Love course for the entire month of February.

Day 13 was about routines. There are many routines that go on in my house.
Such as my lil man comes and wakes me up by coming into my bedroom and saying "mommy, time to get up", we eat breakfast (usually he just does) and then we watch some cartoons together. Afterwards, we go upstairs where I check email and Facebook and he plays his video games. We then eat lunch and just go about our day.
There is one person in this house that has a "routine" and I wouldn't call it an every day routine but it seems like it.
He likes to play his Call of Duty: Black Ops after a few episodes of House or whatever else he may watch and before he goes to work. If he does not work that day, he will play some COD: BO before he goes to bed. In all honesty, yes it does get annoying because as his wife, he should be paying attention to me or even the kids but instead he is playing game. Yet, I think deep down I would sorta miss it if he just stopped. Like it is called, a routine.

Day 10: Where They Are Most Comfortable

Kelly from Willette {Classic Children's Portraiture} is hosting this Joy of Love course for the entire month of February.

FINALLY, day 10! Ha!
Where are you most comfortable? I am HONESTLY most comfortable in my bed all snuggled up and sleeping, and so is my dog! Well, not my bed but his bed. My husband had an old shirt he didnt wear anymore so he gave it to the dog as a blanket. He is so smart, he will actually cover himself up without our help.

This is where he is most comfortable.

Meet Me On Monday

Java hosted Meet Me On Monday typically each Sunday night or sometime during the day Monday.
Unfortunately she did post yesterday "Never Say Goodbye". The jist of the post on her blog was that she would like to spend more of her time with her family and not on her blog. I don't blame her.
Fortunately she said today she will continue to host Meet Me on Monday as well as other blog hops she has hosted in the past. Phew. Thought she was gone forever.

No work done

Secretly I was wishing for NO work done today. I got my wish. Actually the dentist told me today that if I go to a Root Specialist, they can save my wisdom tooth and even move it forward to where my molar was extracted from a couple years ago. That is good in 2 ways. 1) I don't have to have it pulled and 2) since it will be moved, it will give room for the top wisdom tooth to be shifted downwards and make more room in my mouth. I just wish he would've told us that at the first visit.
Also, the tooth that HAD been bothering (hasn't hurt in a week) is the one that the dentist will do a POSSIBLE root canal (he won't know until he gets in the tooth) and a crown. If a root canal is not needed, I will just get a crown.
The reason I didn't get any work done today is because it costs about $700-$800 MORE out of pocket than pulling the wisdom teeth did. Give it, our insurance is GREAT and pays at least 1/2 the total cost but still that is too much to pay out of pocket right now. Therefore, it looks like we are "shopping" around for a "cheaper" dentist and if we can't find one, we will go for the payment plans or financing the dentist has available.
Yay, here is to being able to eat!!! I was going in mentally thinking I would not be able to eat for about a week but I can now!!!

Will be MIA for a few days

I am going into the dentist at 9am tomorrow morning (central time) to get either 1) 2 wisdom teeth removed OR 2) 2 wisdom teeth removed AND a root canal all at the same time. Therefore, I will not be around the blog for a day or so.

Spring Cleaning

What is it about Spring weather and having the windows open that make a human being want to clean the house? I have never understood that. Today, I kept telling myself....I need to start cleaning the house. Well, I sat, and I sat and I decided to sit a little bit longer until I looked at my desk and looked around the office and said to myself "oh my Lord, how did things get to be this way?" Laziness was my first response. Yes, I talk to myself, so? I then decided that I might as well start with the office because next month, March, the office will become a bedroom. I cannot say why, just wait for that post next month sometime! Actually, I started with the closet in the office because technically this is the 4th bedroom in our 4 bedroom house. This closet is filled with everything from holiday decor to boxes upon boxes of cords, cables, electrical stuff, computer stuff, etc of hubby's. You know, my way of thinking is "if it hasn't been used in the past year and may not ever be used then trash it" but all Hell would break loose if I were to throw out the pack rat's crap! Ha!
Okay, so the office closet is not completely cleaned out but at least you can see the floor in there! That is a plus, right? My desk is cleaned and even dusted with cheap Walmart Pledge (don't judge---it still does the job) and even the floors are vacuumed!
I felt very accomplished so I decided to do some laundry while I was at it. I have folded/put away 1 load and I have one load in the dryer. Because our dryer is obviously dumb and slow, I have to wait until that load is SOMEWHAT dry before starting another load in the washer. I still have at least 2-3 loads left to do before the night is over.
After folding the laundry, I cleaned the island off in our kitchen. Now you can put a nice tiki hut on it and maybe roast a pig! Kidding. Ha ha! It is actually so clean you can see your reflection in it. Now THAT is clean. The kitchen and dining also got swept but I have yet to mop the floors. The dining table got cleaned, the dishes got put away, the living room got vacuumed, the entry way got swept and I even had time to work with my little man on his flashcards and writing his name.
I am actually ready for a nap. BUT....no time for that. I have such a bad headache though. Too bad, I am in the process of working on marketing material for my photography as well as sipping on a Root Beer because it has been 10 days since I last drank a Dr Pepper. I am not sure if I have lost any weight because of the lack of soda but I actually feel a bit healthier if that is even possible.
So, how did you spend your Saturday?

Are You in a Healthy Relationship?

1. You can be your true selves with each other.
2. You feel comfortable sharing your deepest thoughts, fears, and emotions with each other.
3. You rarely lie to each other, but you also refrain from being brutally honest.
4. You give each other space and/or “Me time.”
5. You make it through rough times as a couple without splitting up.
6. You agree (or genuinely agree to disagree) on financial matters.
7. You treat each other the way you would like to be treated, not necessarily the way you feel you’re being treated at the moment.
8. You and your mate completely deal with your problems, refusing to leave them unresolved until resentments form.
9. You forgive each other for mistakes.
10. You don’t tell each other what you should or shouldn’t think/feel.
11. You both listen without interrupting.
12. You respect each others’ privacy.
13. You speak each others’ Love Language, even if it’s different from your own.
14. You willingly make sacrifices for each other.
15. You share mutual interests and activities.
16. You respect each others’ individuality and make the most of your differences.
17. You act as each others’ backbone, providing loving support without guilt.
18. You share spiritual beliefs or a spiritual connection.
19. You show sensitivity to each others’ needs.
20. You discuss and negotiate instead of fighting.
21. Each partner takes responsibility for their own thoughts and feelings.
22. There is mutual trust and dedication.
23. You have a strong friendship.
24. In addition to loving each other, you genuinely like each other.
25. You don’t judge or force your opinions on each other.
26. You take quality time to nurture your relationship.
27. Both partners maintains his/her own set of boundaries and respects the boundaries of the other.
28. You are both attentive to the needs of yourself and the other.
29. You enjoy physical contact (hugs, kisses, cuddling, sex) together.
30. You show appreciation for each other.
31. Hardship, uncertainty, and disagreements are accepted as a part of life.
32. You communicate openly and meaningfully with each other.
33. There is equal power between you and your mate.
34. You keep your expectations of each other in check.
35. You genuinely apologize to one another when feelings are hurt.
36. You and your mate speak up assertively instead of expecting the other to read minds.
37. You both eliminate passive aggressive behavior (ignoring, silent treatment, eye rolling, stomping, hanging up the phone) as much as possible.
38. You have a strong sense of interdependence (mutual responsibility) to each other rather than dependence or co-dependence.
39. You avoid going to bed mad.
40. You CAN live without each other, but you choose each other over every alternative choice.

I'm not really sure I am in a healthy relationship after reading all these. Not sure what that means now!

Brag Book

I have to brag on my son.
He wrote his name for the very first time today by himself and I am so very very proud!!!

75 Ways To Show Love

February is the month of love...or so I hear. Therefore, I ran across this link and thought I would share with you 75 ways to show someone you love them. VERY SIMPLE stuff too.

The ones in italics are the ones I have done so far.

1. A kiss on the forehead
2. Uninterrupted quality time
3. A note under the pillow
4. Tell him when he looks masculine, sexy, or hot
5. Turn a regular day into an All-About-You day just for your mate
6. Breakfast served in bed
7. A romantic picnic indoors
8. An unexpected dinner cruise
9. Propose marriage on one knee
10. Don’t complain when he leaves the toilet seat up
11. A rose on the pillow
12. Tell her she’s beautiful
13. Pour on the chivalry (open doors, pull her chair out)
14. A bubble bath with rose petals and her favorite scented candles
15. Verbalize what your relationship means to you
16. Surprise her with her favorite flowers and candy (except I did cookies and ice cream for my husband)
17. An “I love you because…” list
18. PDA (public displays of affection)
19. Heart shaped pancakes or cookies
20. A walk in the park together
21. Hold your beloved a little tighter and longer than usual
22. Do some of his/her chores
23. A handwritten card sprayed with your scent
24. Spoil each other
25. Renew your marriage vows
26. Be first to say “I’m sorry” after an argument
27. Personalize (i.e. engrave) gifts
28. Place an “I love you” flyer under the car’s windshield wiper
29. Send a surprise gift to his/her workplace
30. Support each other’s dreams
31. Make love slowly, passionately
32. Run his bath water
33. Give your spouse space when needed
34. Buy her feminine hygiene products (before she asks)--well he has done it every time I ask and even when it is just on the grocery list
35. Bring him a cold beer while he watches football (wasn't a beer but a soda and not football but another show)
36. Put a love note in her purse
37. Hold hands
38. Take showers together and wash each other’s back (or whole body)
39. Look deeply into your lover’s eyes
40. Always kiss goodbye and goodnight
41. Boast about your mate and your relationship to mutual friends
42. Arrange for a babysitter so you can have an unexpected date night
43. Say how much you love each other even if you think it’s known
44. Use cute pet names for each other
45. Rub your noses together
46. Remember to say thank you (often)
47. Excuse each other’s mistakes
48. Meditate together
49. Sleep in his t-shirt
50. Wash her hair (he has done that when he colors my hair...yes he colors my hair)
51. Step outside of traditional gender roles to help each other (Cook dinner for her; take the trash out for him)
52. Verbally reassure your lover
53. Take photographs as a couple
54. Give up the last piece of food on your plate
55. Write a short fairy tale using you and your mate as the characters (Once upon a time…”)
56. Listen more intently
57. Flirt with each other
58. Sing your significant other a love song
59. Get up early to help him/her get ready for work
60. Say “I adore you”
61. Watch a chic flick with her
62. Kiss your mate somewhere you never thought to kiss before (i.e. elbow, knee, toe)
63. Initiate affection (hugs, kisses, spooning)
64. Take good care of yourself so that you’re at your best for the one you love
65. A handmade gift or card
66. Write a sweet message on a fogged-up mirror so he/she will see it after exiting the shower
67. Cook your significant other’s’ favorite meal
68. Feed each other chocolate covered strawberries
69. Cuddle by the fireplace
70. Laugh and have fun with each other
71. Rub his/her feet--done it once or twice
72. Create a scrapbook together
73. Start a hobby together
74. Dance indoors to your favorite song
75. Ask about each other’s day


I feel like we have done quite a bit but there is still a lot to accomplish

Behind the Blogger

I am "friends" with many vendors on FB therefore, it has apparently been "face behind the business" week. I already have my photo posted on my profile of my business so there is no need for that. Therefore, for those just reading my blog for the first time or have been reading for a while. I am going to post the "Face behind the blog"

I am going to try doing a few more as I have a more ideas and technical ways of doing them in my head. Just have to "put them on paper" he he. And for those photographers out there who read my blog, yes that is the way I hold my camera....which is known to be the "Chicken wing" and no it is not uncomfortable and yes these were all done while looking in a mirror.

ME! Challenge: Week 7

Shopping, Lunch with mom, playing at the playground, pedi/mani!!! Those are the highlights of my week.
I made an effort this week. It started out with trimming my nails and toenails. I didn't paint them as I figured it will come off anyway so what is the point. Once, flip flop season is in full bloom, I will paint them as my feet are ALWAYS out of shoes come spring/summer time!
I then headed to the store where I got a pair of leggings (yes, I did), along with 2 tank top/camis and 3 shirts. Also, went to another store and got 2 more shirts. All these except one shirt and the leggings were on clearance. I know how to find deals!
My son and I also made an effort to have lunch with my mom/nana this past week. I haven't seen her, I swear since Christmas but I may have seen her afterwards. I don't remember, it has been that long. So, I asked if she wanted to do lunch this week where we ate at Rosa's Cafe. YUMMY food! We had many laughs and had a great lunch! Definitely need to do that again.
Also, the weather has been so nice here, I took my son to the park (with hubby as well) and we played for 2 hours.
It was great to do stuff for me but also spend time with family!
Not to mention I had 2 dates this week with hubby. Once was dinner on Valentine's Day at Texas Land and Cattle and the other was to the movies to watch "Sanctum" which is a really great movie!

Now it's YOUR turn!

What did you do this week to get your groove back?