Orange groves...and pigs

That's what we were surrounded by on our last trip to Yuma. I would've posted about the humongous water slide at Gma/Gpa's house, but Gma wasn't about to haul that thing out...she did promise next time though...
Anyway...at "Auntie M's" or (Marsha's for short), we played on the trampoline, picked oranges (even blood ones), watched the piggies settle in on their new home, suffer through traumatic experiences with Uncle Rod (so that he can have us in therapy for the rest of our lives :) and the list goes on....and on...

Notice...no dirt...

Uncle Kent...sleepwalking perhaps...but at least he cut his hair ;)

The pig palace...

Music and the workout

So about 2 years ago...I bought myself an Ipod shuffle (yes the cheapest version possible...much to my husbands dismay). I bought it hoping that I could download every song that made me happy and would help me get through labor...it worked...nothing like a little Led Zepplin "D'yer Maker" or Prince's "Kiss" to get you through those labor pains.

I always seem to be on the lookout for songs to add to my little collection (I say little because the second you try to "think" of songs to put on there...you can no longer remember what you like!) I mainly listen to my ipod when I workout and the songs need to get me going enough to forget about the torture I'm putting myself through.

Well, I just added my favorite songs from the "Across the Universe" soundtrack and I am singing once again! I had to make sure that the people surrounding me at the gym also had on earphones because I could not contain my singing and had to let it out....okay so it was probably like a whisper (can't really verify that since it was cranked so loud and I had to constrain myself from doing dance moves), but it felt like I was singing! My favorite workout song is "I've just seen a face" (I think that's what it's called)...anyway for those who aren't familiar with the soundtrack...it's from a movie that has taken a bunch of Beatles songs and "modernized" them and put them to a story. They cast a really good looking British bloke and the rest is history. I really loved the "freshness" of the songs and its been a long time since I've pumped up the music at home and made my kids dance with me. Laina, Mac and I have all the moves choreographed to "All my lovin" (we had to include McLaren 'cause he was extremely upset to just be watching from his high chair and strongly expressed his desire to join in the fun.)

UFI

Every year during the Yavapai County Fair, the United Families International hosts a booth, and has a raffle for a family photo session with ME! This year the winner was the mayor of Prescott Valley and his wife. I think I might have been a little "overwhelming" for them...especially when they told me afterwards that they were expecting to take just one picture! Umm...nope...not with me!!! I'm just glad I got her to laugh!

Storyboards

What is a storyboard??? It's a collage or series of images that I create in Photoshop and then it is printed on 1/4" foamboard. These can be directly mounted to the wall with velcro tape, or made to "stand out" using a few sticky foam squares, or they can be displayed on an easel. Here are some computer generated (sounds so sci-fi) and an "actual" one that I rememberd to take a picture of...
The sizes are 10x20 or 20x20. Colors/styles?? Anything we can dream up! They are only included in the portrait collections.

Skull Valley

UPDATE: The puppy featured in the shoot was BORROWED...if it was our puppy then it would have had to drive to Yuma and back with us--NO animal will ever ride in my car...I already have 3 human animals...that is enough.

However, on the subject of "puppies" a certain husband has promised a certain boy that after tax season and after finishing the book "Golden Retrievers for Dummies" they will be getting their own golden retriever puppy. I can no longer argue against this statement since I bartered with that certain husband for the third child...If you hear about this family getting a second puppy you know what will be arriving soon after...

I've been dying to stop at this little gas station in Skull Valley...it has very funky paint and the old-school gas pumps...so when I realized we would be driving through minus a husband/dad I was sooo excited to be able to stop and shoot...the only bad thing- it had to be right in the middle of the day, so the lighting was a bit harsh and tricky...I found myself some models...one apparently has a 21 year old in stiletto heels trapped inside her 4 year old body...ahhhh she cracks me up! (WARNING: ridiculous amount of images coming--just had fun playing around)



See what I mean...where are the stilettos???

She was CRACKIN' me up! She and Indy were having a "model contest"

Looks fine to me!

Question:

Can you send your child BACK to school after the nurse has called you to come and get him...because he has BARFED all over himself??

Indy was complaining of a sick stomach, but not with the usual psycho tears of trying to stay home. He ate his breakfast and we loaded up and went to school. Next thing I know...Matt is bringing him home (I wasn't near my phone) saying he's covered in barf (just thinking of matt singing Laina's song "Why's everybody barfing" got me laughing)...So I get home and there's Indy in his pj's with a little smirk on his face (children this age don't know how to make themselves throw up right???) and he proceeds to tell me all about it...I'm of course laughing the whole time (look--it was kinda funny)...I asked him why he threw up on himself and didn't make it to the sink or the trash can...and his response was "I was raising my hand...it was during announcements"...so he threw up in his pencil box and his buddy next to him yelled out "INCOMING!" (see...how can you not laugh?) So his friend took him to the nurse and even picked up the barf rag that he dropped (this was all described in great detail by someone who was OBVIOUSLY feeling much better)...so just to document what he gets to do all day...(I do feel really really really bad for his teacher...how awful to start the day off with barf!) Now if he had stayed home from school because he was sick...he would be confined to a bed and a blanket, but since he was given clearance by the school nurse and was ready to eat a half an hour after he got home...what do you do???

P.S. I have lots more to post...I'm way behind - due to the tax season widow thing, kids valentines parties (who knew valentine's day/week could be soooo stressful???!!!), photo sessions, YW, teaching enrichment, cleaning, laundry, playdates, and now barfing...I've found that I just like to read other's blogs and forget about my own :)

Happy Valentines Day!!

So even though I know this falls under the "Nerdy Mom" category...I couldn't help myself...and luckily my kids thought it was cool (but I know better :) I knew that when my brother-in-law Ray sent me this "comic" action that I HAD to find a way to use it :) and then after this little "shoot" I ended up loving the image "un" cartooned, but by then Indy was sold...and of course Laina had to get in on the action as well (but only after a 15 minute drama sob-fest). So to all the family...we're sending out our love this Valentine's Day...the Holdsworth way (would that be messy hair, messy faces, and messy beds??? nah...)

THIS was what his momma wanted to use ;) sigh....

I'm sure he meant "I love you" and not "hang 10" or whatever Taylor's friends say....dude...

"Oh...hold on mom...I just need to do one flip..."hmmmm...

Ahhh...here's our little cherub...all smiling and happy...we like her that way :)

Trying out a little "vintage" heart action. (I still think I'm a color gal...)
OUTTAKES-Rascal Style:
(can you guess why he, a.k.a "Rascal" or "MINE", is not pictured in any of the above ones? we've got a long way to go...)