Laura Vegas

i’m posting this from the girls laptop … apparently my computer is tied up. i was so excited to get my blog book totally done and ready to go on saturday morning. spent forever on the cover … but finally got it done. was so excited to hit the "publish" button. and it started to send the book over to be ordered. but wait … there was no way to minimize it while i did other things? after a few hours i finally just pulled up the internet on top of it … thinking it would be ok. well, it wasn’t! canceled everything out. so i waited until last night … and before i went to bed, i started it over. and that was 22 hours ago!!!

from what it’s telling me on the screen … the amount of pages i have (even with heavy image filled pages) should take about 6 hours to order. and my computer has been going for 22 hours?!?!? i havn’t touched it … i have literally just left my computer on for 22 hours with that darn "upload and order" box on the screen. it says it’s processing my photos … of which i have 310 in the book total. i’m assuming the text part is done. this morning when i got up … it was on photo 78. right now (14 hours from when i got up) it’s on photo 214. i really hope it’s done by the morning. my poor laptop … totally working overtime on this.

in the meantime … i can’t do anything else. i can’t upload my photos from easter today … can’t show you the girls searching for easter eggs and swimming in the pool (yes, swimming in march!). i can’t start going through all the fun photos i took of nikolas’s sister, vanessa … she came by yesterday for a little photo shoot. i edited 5 of the photos last night just to give her parents a peek … but i can’t get to the rest of them or work on them. i can’t upload some recent photos to a few online photo sites to place some test orders … i got some pics this past week that i am NOT happy with and i’m really bummed since i always loved using that site. so i need to try a few other places to get my pics printed the way i see them. i can’t visit all my favorite blogs … because all my links are on my computer.

what i have been doing in this downtime is organizing my albums. i have pics of it too … just can’t show you. i started this last week actually. i’m pulling out some layouts to share with others (daycare kids mostly). i’m re-arranging layout within the albums … adding sections and dividers. i’m re-thinking the way i’m doing our family layouts. i’m tossing some layouts out … shocker, i know. but i’m finding duplicate layouts … where i’ve scrapped the same photos again and again. a lot of those were layouts i did when i taught classes at the lss … so i would just toss some pics on there afterwards. i’m getting all the themed albums (like holidays and seasons) put in order and sectioned off by year. i’m adding little clips and tags to the spine of the albums so that i actually know what’s in them … knowing what order they go in. and i’m moving most of my albums to my ikea expedit shelves. i’m freeing up some space in the large red cabinet where my albums used to be … and storing things that i don’t use as much. larger tools, older paints, altering stuff, etc. nice to see the albums out displayed … they never get looked at when they’re in the cabinet.

so hopefully … if all goes ok … i will get control of my computer back tomorrow! lol! and then i can grace you with some photos … this blog gets boring with no new photos to look at. i know you don’t come here just to hear me talk, talk, and talk! lol!

update: 38 hours and counting … and it’s still working. lol! and i have totally lost internet access … my girls laptop isn’t connecting to the wireless and i have to restart the modem (which i have to do everyday for some reason). but i can’t restart the modem without losing my computer too. lol! i’m at the parents house checking in right now.

the past few days have been crazy. i’m one that keeps me laptop on all day long … usually on the kitchen counter during the day. just to check in and make sure i’m not missing out on anything. i’m the first to admit that i live and breathe by my computer … i stalk my email and blogs all day long. but the past 3 days … i have barely checked anything. because apparently, this other program doesn’t like to easily "minimize" itself … so to switch from that to my email is a huge process. i am determined to get that darn blog book done and printed. and i’m almost there … i have about another hour to put into it. a few more pages to fine-tune … and then have to do the cover and title page. and then it is done … all 286 pages that it turned out to be.

one thing i can say … is that when i go to do the next book … it will be so much quicker. i know the program now. i know the in’s and out’s of it … and when to click … and when to have patience and hold off on clicking. lol! once i get this one printed … i want to go back and do a book for 2006 and one for 2005 (which will only have 6 months worth, since that was my first blogging year). and then i’m going to get a head start on 2008 … and this years will be so much prettier since i’m going to add to it each month and can take my time on it. might seem like a lot of work … but i really love the idea of having all this blogging in print somewhere. i have spent so much time blogging and writing things down … and i want to be able to look back and read these things. it’s not all exciting … but it’s my journaling which means something.

so that’s why i havn’t been around much … and that’s what i’ve been up too. in between work, kids, etc. gotta love naptime to get the un-interrupted time … and then just little spare minutes here and there. which is good since part of that book stuff is a little slow … so i can walk by and click on something … and by the time i walk back over it’s ready for another click. also this week? took the van in for repairs … only $400 this time. funny how a year or so ago we had a repair that was about $1200 … so now, anything under $500 sounds like a bargain to me. lol! we also had 2 nights of softball practice … and 2 nights of softball games (one of which is actually tomorrow night). joe has umpired 4 high school baseball games in 3 days. the girls had half-days 2 day this week. and now they’re off school until the end of april.

and today … i did a little slurge and got an ipod nano. actually, i got 2 of them. a little treat for us both … with a little of our tax refund. joe has been wanting one for a few years for work … something to listen while he works nights at the store. all the other guys have them … so it’s not like anyone can hear him anyways. i found them on sale … with a free giftcard that came with them (for a future purchase) … and i had a store coupon … and also had another giftcard that i used on them. so was actually a pretty good deal. and it only took me about 2 hours tonight to figure out how to get one of my cd’s on there. lol! i kid you not … it seriously took me that long.

and i love it .. all 12 songs that are on there right now! lol! my first choice? mandy moore … i’m a country girl at heart … but i love mandy moore’s newest album. anyways, i am a huge music person … i love music. and yet i don’t listen to it much. usually the girls are hanging out with their music or watching tv … so it’s not like i turn on my cd player or anything. i have so much down-time though … just time that nothing much is going on and no one is around to talk to. time when i’m creating … or working on photo editing or something. time when the kids are napping and the house it quiet. part of my problem is that my mind never stops … it never quits thinking. one reason i think i talk to myself when i’m alone … i can’t be quiet and NOT think. will be so nice to retreat into the songs and music and melodies that i love. because when i’m listening to music … my mind does stop and i can be still. now i just have to sit down with all my cd’s and see if i can remember how to get the music over there again. lol!   

just random stuff in list form for you today.

• i spent a good part of my day yesterday working on my blog book for 2007. the idea of having your blog actually printed in a hard-bound book for years to come … pure genious! the actual making of this book … pure hell! lol! maybe it would be easier to just pull it all up (the easy part) and then hit "print". but no, i wanted to go through and check each page … changing the design for if i had photos on that post, and how many photos i had. i started with 420 pages. i went through the last half (did the first half earlier this year) yesterday. now it’s down to 320 pages. not bad. but last night and today … i cannot get the book to open up … it keeps locking up on me. i’m seriously pissed … i was totally on a roll with it and coming close to being done and ready to print.
• and to think … i want to do 2005 and 2006 books too! lol! i think this year, i’ll upload a month at a time and work on it. that way i can make it all look prettier. when you have a year at a time to do … you go for simple!
• i’m in between projects right now. i do have one layout that just needs to be journaled. but nothing else started … and no assignments as of right now. so i’m doing some organizing. i went through a bunch of albums yesterday and am trying to re-think my process with all these layouts. i actually took some out and peeled off the pics to use on something else … more on that later.
• we had opening day for softball last saturday. kind of spread out. opening ceremonies in the morning. then a 4 hour gap. team pictures. then we watched amanda’s game while we waited for sarah’s game. we had the last game of the day … at 5:15. it was crazy cold and super windy … and it even poured rain for about 5-10 minutes in the middle of the game. nice, right! they did pretty good for it being their first game.
• one thing i thought was nice … was that sarah was having so much fun saturday. she’s a crazy kid … but yet really quiet around other people sometimes. she was having a blast! goofing around in the dugout, yapping and dancing with her teammates. i don’t know if it helps that she has her friend tawny on her team. they’re both silly, crazy girls … and yet like to pretend to everyone around them that they never talk. lol! but i’m glad to see her having so much fun with all the girls on her team!
• while i was practicing my patience during this blog book making …. i thought i’d listen to some music to try and calm me. so i dug out sarah’s cd player. but the only headphones (or are they called earphones?) i could find didn’t have a very long cord. so there i am with this cd player (remember those?) balancing on my lap … not being able to move too much or the headphone plugs would come out. a few times i got up to do something and clipped the darn thing to my jeans. so NOT cool! am i the only one that doesn’t have an ipod? joe’s been bugging me for one for a while … he says all the guys have them at work. although since he’s one of the dudes in charge at night at the store … i’d think he’d need to hear what’s going on around him. lol!
• slow week here so far. yesterday i only had nikolas … and amanda after school. today i only have haley … and amanda after school. although wednesday and thursday are half-days for the older girls at school … so then it’ll be busier. and then they’re off track for a month.

guess that’s it for now. i’m off to try to get the blog book to pull up again. then it won’t work … and the computer will lock up … and i’ll spend another 5 minutes trying to get it to close out … and then i’ll be tempted to toss my computer across the room. not sure why i put myself through these things!

so last night i got this sudden surge of creative energy. which is unusal … because by most friday nights, i am totally exhausted and do nothing. i managed to get every single photo i had on my computer edited and uploaded and ready to order … including my christmas photos which had been sort of forgotten. and in addition … i did 2 layouts.

i found these gift tags from american crafts a while back … and thought they’d be fun to use on a layout. and i happened to have this photo of ashlen laying downstairs … from her 9th birthday last september. i ended up pulling out some american crafts pattern paper and chipboard stars to go with the tags. and it would actually be a really cute idea to write something inside of each tag … but i didn’t. lol!

love this girl … and miss her. all the girls go off track at school this coming week … and they’re off for a month. so i’m going to miss running into her after school each day. she always comes up and gives me the biggest hugs … the super tight ones that you know mean something.

i actually started this layout because i had these foam hearts and butterflies that i really wanted to use. i also had this photo of ady laying downstairs … and it was a perfect match. found some papers that looked good. but then i had this package of making memories buttons laying on the desk … and i decided i like them much better than the foam shapes. i think the yellow did it for me … added that splash of color. so the foam shapes sit here unloved … will have to find another use for them.

and the title … "cherish". i almost didn’t use it. not that i don’t cherish ady … because i do. lol! but i have read so many people talk bad about scrappers that use the typical "cherish", "beautiful",  "dream" type titles and the sappy journaling … and how over-used they are. not that i care what anyone else thinks if i use that sort of title … but it did pop in my mind for a few minutes. lol! i was really just looking for a rubon to use … and this one is really cute and i’d never even opened the package. so i went with it.

i do have a few more layouts that are just about finished. so i should have those to share in the next few days. also have a "random stuff" post started … gotta have at least one of those each week!

so i heard today that a certain grandma has been looking for current pictures of her grand-daughter. i know … i’ve slacked a little. lol! but i actually had the camera out for a bit today. so i figured tonight i’d post some shots of haley and nikolas … and i have quite a few. be prepared to "ohh" and "ahh" … because they really are THAT cute!

miss haley … 16 months and such a cutie.

nikolas … just about 9 months and just as adorable!

haley keeping her eye on nikolas. she is so good with him. is always so excited to see him in the morning. and yet, on occasion … when he crawls over towards her she comes flying over to me all hysterical and clings to me for dear life. yeah, because what would he really do to her?!?! lol!

to the normal eye … this might look like haley went over to help nikolas or play with him. to my trained eye … haley went over to make sure that nikolas didn’t have anything that she thinks is her’s and her’s alone. lol!

look at that face! so incredibly cute! those eyes! not sure why there is one lone tear. but the little drip of drool on the chin … that’s always there lately … just got his first 2 teeth this past week.

this has been one of her things lately … to dump out entire baskets of toys … making sure to get every single toy out.

then she proceed to pick the toys back up. sometimes that is done in the normal way … picking them up and tossing them back in the basket. but the other way is to climb into the basket and sit … and then to pull up all the toys and plop them in the basket on top of yourself. both work effectively.

and love this … she puts the baskets away too! i don’t even ask her too. this is her trying to get the basket back onto the shelf. and she’s good about getting everything back in it’s normal spot. and yes, we’re that organized that the toys do have normal spots on the shelves. lol!

little dude is standing up all the time now! he will pull himself up where ever he can … and usually just stands there until i come and help him get back down. and today when mom was picking him up … he actually cruised about 4 feet down the side of a table … and even rounded the corner! so glad that mom was there to see him do that!

this one was from last week. not a great shot … but i think it’s so cute. look at the way haley is looking at nikolas … you can just tell how much she enjoys him!

no special story to this one … just thought it was cute.

just love these two kiddos! both are at such fun ages … ages that i just have so much fun with. i know i told them earlier this week that i was going a little crazy. but it’s only because they have both been babbling non-stop this week … and yet, none of it makes much sense. lol! haley has words that she’s been saying … so i do catch a few things. but i have to talk ALL the time … so i’m always talking away … having these one-sided conversations with them. although, come to think of it … they’re probably thinking the same exact thing about me! lol!

i know it may appear that i’m super organized and efficient when it comes to my scrapping. i think that’s the way i portray things to be anyways. lol! here’s the truth … i have tons of unfinished projects laying around. just waiting for me to finish them up.

my "christmas journal" that i did in december. yes, i have 17 pages completed … which is amazing. but i had a few more pages that i wanted to finish to make it complete. and i also have all our christmas cards that we got that i want to add in some way. all papers, embellishments, etc are all stored together in this box … nice to keep everything in one place.

my "thankful album" that i did for the MM blog back in november. halfway done … but just need to add some more things i’m thankful for. once again … all products, embellishments, etc that go to this are all neatly stored in a box for easy access.

and my "faces of my day album" that i also did for the MM blog back in august last year. i only had to do a few pages to turn in … so i only have 3 of the daycare kids in there. i have the papers and cardstock all cut and ready … and notes on the photos i wanted to use for the others. lol!

and this came about after this post i did last year in may. i took tons of photos of my studio and posted them on my blog with tons of details … took me forever. and since i had the photos all done up … i decided to print them all up into little prints. then i found this 4×4 little felt album and cut 4×4 pieces of cardstock using only scraps from my stash. thought it would make a cute album. in the baggie it still sits!

i started this after doing this layout. i had the photos already … so i just printed them and thought i’d do a little 4×4 album about my favorite things. i even put them in the album … but that’s as far as i got.

another chipboard mini album. the papers and transparencies are all in there … and some painted chipboard pieces too. i don’t even know what this was going to be. i literally just had some fun papers and products that i pulled together … and was really just playing around. i had no plan yet for what it was about … whether i’d use photos or not … no plan. and yet i still have an entire box dedicated to it. lol!

i started this one ages and ages ago. it’s 5×7 chipboard pieces covered with colorful pattern papers and some of my favorite photos of all the kids. then i pulled out a bunch of cardstock frames that i’ll never use and added those in. this was going to be a chunky, chipboard album held together with metal rings. this is far as i got.

i actually loved the idea of this album. it’s an 8×8 album that i was doing of the daycare kids that we have had over the years … every single kid. i think i have about 14 of the kids already in here. i used up a ton of 8×8 cardstock that i had laying around … and then lots of fun pattern papers. super simple design … but that’s what i loved about it. each kid has a few pages … and i used up a bunch of totally random photos i had laying around. i even had extra pages ready for new kids. but i never added their names or journaling or anything.

i like the idea so much … that i also started one for just my girls. this is a years worth of photos … just random ones that were extras or ones i hadn’t scrapped. same thing … papers, cardstock, and photos are all done. just needs the extras added in.

so there you go … a peek into my unfinished scrapping world. all neatly organized and stored nicely on the shelves. i won’t even show you the unfinished layout i have laying around. lol! i don’t do that anymore … i always finish the layouts i start. but a year or so ago … i did do that kind of thing. start something and then tuck it away while i "think" about it.

so many ideas … and so little time! lol!

i always feel quilty when i don’t blog for a day or two. why, i have no idea! just been busy with life, kids, babies, doctors appt, laundry, prescription filling, softball practice, "chimpanzee" report writing, cooking, cleaning … you know, all that good stuff! i’m going to go get me a big bowl of french vanilla ice cream with lots of chocolate syrup and chopped nuts  (didn’t happen since it got to be too late and i can’t eat that late or i can’t take my medications and then i wouldn’ve been able to sleep.   so i curled up on the couch and watch american idol and rachael ray! back tomorrow night with something a bit more meaningful or inspiring … or just pretty to look at! lol!

yesterday (friday), we had an awards ceremony at the school … they do them every trimester. i knew alyssa was getting one for honor roll. but then i had gotten a few phone calls on thursday from the school about each of them getting additional awards.

turns out the principal has started a new award. the kids do this STAR testing starting in 3rd grade … i believe it’s just once a year (although don’t quote me on that!). so the principal decided that he wanted to recognize the kids that were doing extremely well on their testing and in their school work. so he choose the top 4 students in language arts scores and the top 4 students in math scores … from each grade (out of all 4 tracks). and they get awarded … and he’s taking them out to lunch anywhere they decide … his treat. how cool is our principal!

and how proud was i! sarah got chosen for language arts for 3rd grade … and alyssa got chosen for both language arts and math for 6th grade! such a proud mom to see both her girls standing up there and being recognized! and i know what you’re thinking … alyssa gets 2 lunches, right? lol! i’m sure they’ll go in groups by their grades … so i had hoped to see another girl up there for 6th grade. looks like she’s going with a group of boys. lol! most of the 3rd graders chosen were from sarah’s class … so she has some friends that made it. and nikolas’s brother … he got picked for both language arts and math too! should be fun to see where they all pick to eat!

and a few extra photos of sarah. yesterday we got this target toy catalog in the mail … and she studied that thing all night. she kept trying to make me deals … she knew she could bribe me for a toy if she agreed to take some photos. what the heck … she has me figured out?!?! lol! she wanted some designer CD game that cost $30 … but she also found the coupon on the back for $5 off. so she figured if she let me take 150 photos … that it would be an even trade. she kept telling me "just think about it". that’s even how she woke me up this morning (which by the way, was on the couch were apparently i had fallen asleep and stayed there all night). i was barely even alert … and i hear this "did you think about it?". i think she was trying to send my subliminal messages. lol!

it seemed to work … because she got her toy! she still owes me more pics though … i only took a few today since she wasn’t really feeling that well. but for not feeling great … isn’t she cute? although she could use a little chapstick. lol! but check out her one dimple … on her left cheek … just like her mom! alyssa got my freckles … and sarah got my dimple.

let me say up front … for the most part, i have no idea what i’m doing. and i don’t all the technical mumbo-jumbo. i don’t know much about lenses … the ones i have are because i read about their rave reviews from other scrappers/photographers.

i got my canon digital rebet xt about 2 1/2 years ago. came with a regular kit lens that i never use. the first lens i bought was the EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM … because i knew i needed a good zoom for soccer games. my next lens was the EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM … i think this is a great overall lens. this is the lens that i use when we’re in the house, taking pics of layouts and projects, and even sometimes outside. next up was the EF 85mm f/1.8 USM … awesome portrait lens. this is the lens i use for about 70% of my photos … but mostly with portrait style shots. most of the close-up shots you’ve seen here have all been with this lens. no zoom on it … so you have to actually be the cameras zoom and move around to get what you want. i also have the speedlite 430 EX external flash … which for me is a must have for indoors. i still struggle with where to bounce the flash off … but i usually just play with it until it looks right … usually off the ceiling or a side wall.

when it comes to camera settings? i shoot on "P" mode … still gives you some choices, but figures out all the hard stuff for you. i don’t even pretend to understand aperature, shutter speeds, white balance, etc. seriously … i read up on it … but it just hasn’t clicked in my head yet. i also just havn’t taken the time to really sit down and give it my attention … so part of it is laziness. i want to shoot in "AP" mode … aperature priority … and someday i will. but for now "P" mode it is.

i really only change a few things. i have my exposure bumped up +1.5 stops all the time … from what i understand canon’s are known for underexposing. and i like my photos to be light. so i bumped it up and have left it there ever since. almost 90% of the time, my ISO is at 400 … no idea why, that’s just where it is. on occasion, i may take it down to 200 … in fact the ones of alyssa from tuesday were on 200. but almost always it’s at 400 ISO. i leave my white balance on auto … not what i should be doing … but that’s where it’s at all the time.

that being said … i shoot in RAW format 90% of the time. unless it’s sports or something. otherwise, i always shoot in RAW. so when i pull up my photos … i can fix anything that is not right. not the best idea … i should really learn to get the shot better right out of the camera. it would maybe save some time on editing. but until i understand all the other stuff … RAW saves me!!! that is where i can adjust my white balance, my exposure, my temperatures, etc. so in some ways i’m just being lazy again … because i know that i CAN adjust it later.

another big thing is focus. i’m not always great on my focus … sometimes i don’t get as much in focus as i would like. but i don’t think it’s all that bad. i always focus on the inside of the eye closet to me … then hold the button down part-way … and then recompose the shot to what i want. always focus on the eye … and then recompose. every single time. it’s quick and easy once you get the hang of it.

i know … none of that probably made sense. lol! and it just shows you how little i know. i know the editing i do makes a huge difference. i don’t know much about editing either … and i only use a few steps. but if you saw my photos before and after … you’d realize how much editing plays in it. that one of alyssa from tuesday … it was actually really dark. i would show it to you … but i don’t know that i know enough to be handing out editing tips. lol! actually, i have handed out some tips to friends … but it’s different putting them out there where i come off as knowing what i’m doing. so if you’re interested … email me or leave me a comment. i have some info typed up and saved … so it’s easy to pass along. just the basics … nothing crazy.

there are so many great sites for photography and camera information. but sometimes it’s a lot of stuff to weed through to find what you want. a few of my favorite spots to go for some good and easy to understand info are karen russell’s blog (i linked it to her section on photography tips which you’ll find on the sidebar) and the BHG photo blog. i’ve also been printing out the 2peas 12 weeks to better photography coarse that has been going on. havn’t read them yet … but they’re there when i’m ready.

somehow, i’m not sure any of that was helpful. lol! at least you know what equipment i use if nothing else. lol! feel free to ask me anything else … i’ll answer if i can … or send you to where you can find out!

you all know i love to get tagged, right?!?! lol! well, kim and tracie both tagged me today … so i figure i’d better play along.

rules of the tag in simple terms? to list 7 things about yourself … tag 7 people and link their blogs … and then leave comments on their blog letting them know they’re tagged. easy enough!

1. i have this really weird thing about making noise at night. i am seriously quiet as a mouse at night after my girls go to bed. i will literally tip-toe around the house doing what i have to do … and believe me, i don’t do much. not sure what i’m afraid of … not like they’re babies that are harder to get to sleep if you wake them.
2. i use the baby monitor all the time! sure, while daycare babies are taking naps upstairs. but also while my girls sleep at night. lol! i’m just always worried that i won’t be able to hear them if something happens or they get sick or whatever. i think it goes back to about 5 years ago when alyssa got really sick … as in throwing up more than any kid should … all over her bed. and she actually got all the way downstairs before i heard her. i felt so bad.
3. i have been changing diapers for almost 12 straight years. i can’t even tell you how many different kids tushies i have wiped. and a huge amount of those have been boys. and yet … i have never been pee’d on. i’m not sure why i find this interesting enough to share with you … just something i think about time to time. lol!
4. even when i cook … i still like to do the dishes myself. it’s just faster. i know how to get them done and load the dishwasher to fit the maximum amount of dirty stuff. and i’m fast … 5 minutes tops.
5. one of my favorite chores on saturdays is to empty all the garbage cans … and do all the laundry. there’s just something to be said for emptying things out. collecting all the clothes from all the hampers … and getting them all cleaned and put away. love seeing empty garbage cans and hampers … makes me feel like i accomplished something huge!
6. i have a really hard time taking time to do something to treat myself. first off, i don’t have the money for it. but i actually have 2 gift certificates sitting in the drawer … one for a facial/massage and one for a pedicure. i’ve had them for months. and i want to use them … i just always have 5 million other things that i feel i "should" be doing.
7. it really bugs me when things are a little "off". like area rugs that aren’t quite centered or are crooked. if one slat on the window blinds is turned the opposite way. if a frame is hanging crooked on a wall. something turned just a little too much on a shelf. i fix stuff like that all the time. otherwise it’ll bug the daylights out of me.

and my lucky "taggies" … deneen, sara, carla, laura, nichol, erika, wendy, danni. i think that was 8 … i started going through some of my bookmarks and then didn’t want to leave anyone out. lol! if i didn’t list you … feel free to play along … i’d tag you all if i had more time. just to get even for the amount of times i’ve been tagged. lol!

for those of you on the edge of your seat wondering how my tax stuff went … it was good. i get worried sick every year. what with the daycare business stuff, joe’s umpiring stuff (which is now also a small business), and now my scrapping stuff (another small business since you can never have too many). way too much to keep track of really. but it all worked out … and there will be a nice refund heading into our account by next week. nice. too bad it’s already been spent … why is it we always have bills to pay with our refunds?!?! lol!

it still seems that i have one email stuck out in cyber-space … so if i owe you one, let me know. i’m totally caught up on emails as far as i can see. but that one lost one … that little red "1" is still taunting me … and it’s still bugging the daylights out of me. also, some of you have asked about my camera and what settings and stuff i use. so i plan on posting a bunch of my info for you on my blog tomorrow. i will give you my secrets for whatever they’re worth!