Naperville

Well, happy Thanksgiving to all! :) I hope your Thanksgiving was as wonderful as mine. :) Mine was filled with laughter, food, games, and so much more. Here are some pictures from the past few days!

I'm back in Chicago for an entire day and then on Tuesday I GO HOME :) I will be so happy to be home. Mostly to sleep in MY comfortable bed, and probably because David comes home on Tuesday too! It will be good :)

Chicago

Well I'm in Chicago now ( I have been for a couple days). It has been so good for me to get away. Today I head to a suburb of Chicago and will be spending a few days with some awesome friends while my sister goes to Indiana with her family.

Here are just some pictures of the last couple of days.

Happy Wednesday to all! :)

November- 14 Things

It has been a rough month. I JUST finished a 3 week intensive course. And by just, I mean the deadline to send in the final case study exam is in approximately 51 minutes. Either way, that class was exhausting. It stole my weekends-- and my sleep! Now that I'm done, the most I can do is make myself get up to grab another cookie, and then I lie down again and watch more tv. Seriously, I have NO motivation today or this week. Actually, tomorrow I have a test, and it may be the first test I take without studying for it. Right now I just don't know how to care about it. Due to the fact that it has been such a rough month, I decided I didn't want to miss all the thanking and thankfulness going around on facebook and blogs. So here are 14 things I'm thankful for.

• Coffee. Oh beautiful, comforting coffee. Seriously, these past few weeks, the only thing keeping me awake is coffee. I still mind waking up in the morning, but it's not so bad when I can drink some hot coffee. 
• My housemates. They are fantastic don't you know? And three of them are just so adorable. 
• Grace, and how God just covers us in it. It's aaaahmaaazing. 
• My mom. She is so strong, intelligent, and loving. She is so great in so many ways, and I am thankful that I can talk to her about almost anything. 
• My iPhone. This may seem really materialistic, but it is amazing. It has made my life way simpler when it comes to booking shoots, knowing my work schedule, and remembering things. 
• My jobs. I almost feel like they are fighting over me. I got a call this morning from the FDC asking me if I would consider quitting my other job so that I could work there more. When my other job found out they told me they'd give me a raise. I'm thankful for having these jobs, especially after not really having a job this summer. 
• My new radio in my car. Again, probably really materialistic, but I don't really like driving, and now that I have a radio that has a CD player, and a super simple way to hook up my iphone, and listen to music, it makes driving so much more enjoyable. 
• The ability to fly-- not me personally, but that I can get on a plane, and get anywhere within a matter of hours. Although I might be more thankful if I could actually fly... ;) I am SOOOOOO excited to go to Chicago on Monday!! 
• Internet. With David gone, it has allowed us to communicate via email and we also are able to video chat once in awhile. 
• Photography. I am still freaked out about these upcoming weddings, but I am also really thankful to see my photography business growing. 
• My bed. It is always so good to me even when I get up and leave it every morning. 
• Groupon. I think I have an obsession. Seriously, I buy something off of Groupon almost every week, and then I check the mail almost every day waiting for things to arrive. 
• Forever 21. I'm starting to think I may have a shopping problem? I don't know, but Forever 21 is fantastic. I also think they are really reasonably priced. Also, their bags have John 3:16 on them. So that's how I justify shopping so much there. And on Sunday I'm driving to Denver with a friend to go shopping there! So stoked. 
• I am incredibly thankful for the friends that God has put in my life, and the timing has been so amazing. 

Happy mid November, people! 

Happy Days

I'm sitting here, tired, but oh so content. My heart feels full. Just this past Saturday my boyfriend left to go to Germany for almost 6 weeks. That's not too long, but it certainly feels long when you see him almost every day, and the time change is so different you have to work really hard to even communicate through a couple of sentences.

Right now I feel very content, and that will be such a good thing to remember as I know there will be some tough days ahead. Some days I know I will be lonely, sad, and missing David very much. But now I am content, and I am so happy that David has been allowed to go on this journey. I'm so happy that he can get to know his sister and her family even better, and to tour around Germany. I'm so happy he can have this learning experience, and hopefully grow from it.

I too am in a very good place. There are finally changes in my life that I have needed for a very long time. (and no, those changes aren't David leaving, but maybe that is what motivated the change, and pushed me to take the steps that I have taken? -- I honestly don't know what prompted these changes) And for once, I am so ready for those changes. This next month will be full of growth, I'm sure.

I know my heart will ache as I go through this next month without David by my side. I know I will miss him dearly, when I do things without him, and know he would have joined me. I also know he will miss me, but also that he loves me dearly from across the globe.

I just know that right now I need to write this down, so that when I have a bad day, I won't forget how good God has been to us.

All I can say right now is that I am overwhelmed by God's grace. It certainly does flow like a river.

Photography Survey

I have a little project that I'm doing for school. Would you mind filling out this quick, and easy! survey?
Thanks!
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LVMP8GQ

Photography

I am in awe right now as I see my business grow right before my eyes. I don't really understand it. I've received multiple emails in the past week asking me if I would photograph some very special moments for STRANGERS- these people don't even know me, and they are telling me they love my work. I don't really understand how, or why.

Just this month alone I have three photo shoots; two engagement shoots, and a newborn shoot. Two of the shoots are brand new clients. Coming up in 2013 it looks like I will have at least 3 weddings to shoot at. These people are trusting ME with one of the most important days of their life. The scary thing about weddings is that you can't repeat it if you totally mess up. I keep wondering what I can do if I mess up. What if I totally mess up someone's wedding day?

Because of this reason (and a few others) I am scared to death. I keep wondering if I jumped into this too soon, but then I think about how long I have wanted this. It's just crazy to me that it's actually happening.

This past week I have been praying for wisdom. I've been praying that I am doing the right thing, and that I make smart choices when I decide on what I should spend my money on. I am dipping into my savings to do this, and it's scary. The lens I really want is about $2,500, and although I know it's not the time to buy it, I still have to decide what I should invest in, and what I should wait for.

Thankfully I have finally stopped guilt tripping myself for only taking four classes this semester (and most likely next semester). I was feeling bad about only taking four classes (12 credits), when I knew I could take five or more and get done with school quicker. I eventually decided that it's okay to go through school a bit slower so that I can put more time and effort into this photography thing.

To get back into actively learning about photography, I am hoping to start a 52 week project at the beginning of the year. This way I will make sure to think about, and take a picture each week, which will hopefully get me to study more photography.

Just pray for me as I jump into this. It's scary, and I really don't know if I'm doing the right thing, but I'm trying to trust God, and just see where this will lead me.

Ramblings

Disclaimer: if this post sounds whiny and complainy, it's not supposed to. I feel like God has shown the way that He provides, so many ways this summer, and I'm not wanting to take that for granted.

It's been a long time. I've hardly blogged the entire summer. I think it's mostly because I know that if I don't have anything nice to say, I really shouldn't say anything at all.

The only reason I write right now is because I know if I don't, I will forget everything that has happened, and I don't necessarily want to do that.

I'm not even sure where I left off, so I'll quickly skim through the entire summer. Back in April, I discovered that Kate would not need me for the summer, and so I began looking for jobs. After a few weeks (aka, like 4 or 5 weeks- long enough for me to start feeling desperate, and start doubting) I was offered a job as a nanny for about 20 hours a week. I would be caring for two little boys ages 3 and 5. I finished up working for Kate, hopped on a flight, and went to Washington for a week for a wedding. I was able to shadow the photographer, and practice wedding photography! That week was probably the highlight of my summer.

When I returned, I started work the next day. The first few days went so well. The boys seemed like they loved me, and the parents really seemed to like me. Then I started noticing different things. I would get multiple phone calls from the mother, when I was only there for a couple of hours. Also, one day when I was there for about 8 hours, I decided to meet up with my sister at a spray park since she nannies too. When I told the boys mother this, she didn't seem very happy with me. That surprised me too, because I had invited my sister just to be more efficient... and my sister actually helped me out a lot by keeping an eye on the boys with me (the kids she nannied were older, and needed less supervision). I began to question whether this was the job for me - for many different reasons. It had felt so right when she offered me the job, but I wasn't really sure if it was or not. After about three weeks of working for this family, I had a couple weeks off, because the boys went to visit their grandparents. Part way through my time off, I received a call from the mother. She then proceeded to tell me that the neighbors had come to her saying that they saw me outside with the boys, and I wasn't close enough to them (the boys that is). She told me she didn't need me anymore, and that she was going to find someone else.

I got off the phone, and I just sat there shocked. The only thing I remember was thinking over and over again, "I was just fired." I don't know how he knew anything was wrong, but my boyfriend who was there at the time, just walked up to me silently, sat down, and hugged me. That's when I started crying. It had hit that I had spent about a month looking for a job, and here I was starting from the beginning. all. over. again.

Slowly, over the next few days, I began to realize that it was a good thing that she had fired me. Knowing myself, I wouldn't have allowed myself to quit for at least a year. One of my biggest frustrations was that she completely took her neighbors' words to be true, and didn't even ask for my side of the story. I may not have been hovering over the boys, but I was watching them, and making sure they stayed safe, and away from the street.

Over time I became more and more grateful that I was fired. I really felt that God was watching over me, and that He knew what was best, even though it hurt.

The whole situation is frustrating to me though, because if I mention anything about being fired, I feel like I have to explain myself, just so my reputation doesn't get ruined. Also, I wish I had been more assertive and quit before I was fired. I wish I had been the one to break up first, in a sense.

Since this happened (beginning of July) I've had a hard time with it. It really lowered my self esteem. Logically, I know I shouldn't be affected by it, because I know I didn't do anything wrong, but I also feel like someone told me that I failed at one of the things I do best.

So, after I was "fired", I began looking for jobs that might start when the school year started. I took it easy, and tried to enjoy my time off (although that was difficult since I felt stressed about the job situation). This was also when we had the huge waldo canyon fire that burned down almost 400 houses, and damaged countless others.

 I flew out to Chicago to drive a van back with my sister, Rachel, who lives in Chicago, for my sister, Julianna, who lived in Colorado for the summer. Julianna's car had been totalled from a crazy hail storm we had in June. I spent one night in Chicago with my sister and her family, and then the next morning we piled into the van and drove for two days back to Colorado. It was good sister bonding time, as we strained to listen to an audio book off of my sister's phone, while a toddler was whining in the background. No, but for real, Judah did amazingly during that trip. Rachel then spent a week in Colorado visiting friends, and her siblings, and then she flew back to Chicago with her son to reunite with her husband.

I then began getting ready for school to start. I found out that UCCS has a job site where people post for jobs, and I started applying for jobs there. I applied for a job at the day care that is on campus, and instantly got an interview. I interviewed that week, and was told they would get back to me in a week or two. I got my wisdom teeth out that weekend, and that was such a miserable weekend. I'm so glad I won't have to do it again :)

Time went on. I was pretty sure I was going to be offered a job at the day care, but I wasn't 100% positive. I didn't know if I should look for other jobs or not. I started worrying about what I should do, and I knew I didn't want to wait an entire week to hear about whether I had the job or not. The Wednesday after my interview, I had a bad day. I was stressed, and I was doubtful. I had pretty much hit the bottom, and I didn't know what to do. So, I called my boyfriend, and told him I couldn't be alone any longer (all of this is through tears of course, because I cry over everything... if I'm happy, I cry. If I'm sad, I cry. If I'm angry, I cry. It's just what I do. ;) He invited me over, and I drove over there. While I was driving, I was still questioning myself. I then got a phone call from the director of the day care, who said, "I can't remember if I had already hired you, or if I was supposed to call you and hire you." I laughed and said that she had told me she would call. She said, "well you're hired." I hung up and just started bawling (because that's what I do, don't you know?), but I also know that the timing was too perfect not to believe that God didn't have anything to do with it.

A week later, I began training, and then was thrown into a classroom. Currently I'm with the one-year olds, and they are so adorable. I also like the job more than I thought I would, and I love working with fellow students.

A couple weeks after starting at the daycare, I started back with Kate, and I also began school. After getting into the rhythm of things, I started realizing that I wasn't making enough to live off of. I was only working about 5-8 hours a week at the day care (due to my work study), and I was only working 5-8 hours a week with Kate. So pretty much I was working 10 hours a week. So, I began looking for a third job (yeah, all this job hunting is tiring me out too). The day after I had emailed a few people about possible nanny jobs, Kate told me she had decided to drop the class that she uses me for, and that she didn't really need me this semester.

By now, I am just so tired. I just really want to get into routine, and be content, and I want to be DONE with job hunting.

So, on Saturday I had an interview, was offered the job a few hours after the interview, and I start this new job tomorrow. I didn't realize how stressed I would feel about this job though. Part of me worries that I'll just be fired again, even though if I think about it logically that's just kind of dumb. I constantly am talking myself out of the doubts I have, because I know I shouldn't have them. If I learned anything this summer, it's that time and time again, God has provided for me. I am amazed, and I am unworthy, but my God is full or mercy and grace.

Now that I've overloaded you with information, let me overload you with photos from the summer.

Me and my sweet little nephew. 

End of June my aunt and her family were on a major road trip, and they stopped by to see Julianna and I. 

Not sure how the date got there (I don't remember writing that) but we celebrated our first year together in June. 

Thanks to David's sister, Karin, for taking some fantastic photos

Hiking around Washington.

One shot from the wedding I did. 

Beginning of Waldo Canyon fire. By the mountains, that is the glow from the fire. 

Big flare up one evening. This was taken with my telephoto lens from across town. 

Glow from the fire. 

Picture from an engagement photo shoot I did. 

Double date. We went bowling, and then out to lunch. 

Senior photos I did. 

Camping

Camping. Caiden asked if he needed to smile, and I said he didn't. Aka this face. 

Maternity shoot I did. 

Camping; dirty

This is where David asked me out 15 months ago. 

Anyway, that's been my summer. It's had a lot of ups and downs, and I just feel tired. Hopefully, now that I have written this, I might start blogging more, since things now have a context.

My "Business"

Rarely do I have Monday's that are just completely fantastic. Of course, I rarely have horrible Mondays, too.
This Monday was a good one though. Just fantastic. I had a wonderful day at work, dinner  with my family, I saw some good friends, and I BOOKED MY FIRST WEDDING!!

CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT? wow. That's a big one for me. I'm slightly nervous, but I know I have the ability. (Plus, it's not until the end of May)

It's so weird to see my "business" grow. I feel like I have so much to learn, and yet I'm seeing comments like this on facebook: "Thank you! This is one of the engagement pictures that we took a couple weeks ago with our photographerChristina Shedd!"

They called me their photographer. So strange. 

Happy Monday to you. :) 

Sweet Baby

I don't like change. At all. My parents can attest to this. They can also attest to the fact that I've learned how to handle it in a much more appropriate way now. If I had more time now, then I would actually go in to detail about some change that is happening now (and no, I'm not trying to be cryptic, and it's really not a big deal), but instead I will make it all sound like a big deal because I feel like I am completely drowning. Although, in the midst of drowning I have found some relief in the tediousness of editing photos (I actually LOVE editing photos for about half of them... but once I am 2/3rds of the way through I get so tired of it). I've realized these past couple of days, that editing is really such a calming thing when it comes to crazyness. Here's proof that something good has come from this.

Check out more pictures like this over on my website.

Spiders

So I have this fear of spiders. When I was little spiders didn't even phase me, but the older I get the more I realize that spiders are just... gross. They have tiny little bodies, beady little eyes, and spindly legs. The worst part for me is the thought that they might be crawling all over me while I sleep peacefully.

This morning I picked up some towels off of my bedroom floor, and took them to the bathroom and then returned to my room. I sat down, and then saw something scurrying across the floor. Right away I saw that it was a spider. Thankfully it stopped before it escaped, and I was able to squash it, and then flush it down the toilet. Instantly I thought, "maybe that spider came from the towels I just picked up." I went into the bathroom, picked up a towel and started shaking it out. Nothing happened. I picked up the second towel and shook it, and about the time when I started to relax, a little brown thing falls down and lands on the brown carpet that is right outside my bathroom. All I can think is that I HAVE to find that spider and kill it. I lean around the corner carefully and turn on the light for the hallway. I then start tapping the carpet to see if I can get any movement from the spider. Thankfully after hitting the carpet once the spider crawls into the bathroom, and I go find a shoe and squish that little guy and flush him down the toilet. (See, I have to flush them down the toilet so that they have 0 chance of living.) Of course, I have to admit that when the spider moved from the carpet to the tile in the bathroom, I did scream. I screamed like a little girl.

I then realized that those spiders must have come from my towels. So I immediately gather some dirty laundry (those towels included) and take it upstairs to the laundry room. As I fill the washer, I keep hearing some noises. I just figure I'm already freaked out from the spiders, and that my mind is making noises up. These noises continue, and I of course just assume that there is probably a ginormous spider behind me, ready to revenge his other spider friends lives. I turn slowly, and see eyes staring at me from a laundry hamper (one of the hampers that has a lid). The next thing I hear is, "Hi Squistina! You are up!"  and Caiden, the four year old I live with, jumps out of the laundry hamper. He then just starts talking to me, and he had no clue how much he startled me.


And that, my friends, has been my Monday thus far.

Happy Monday to you.

Hello Blogging World

... It's been too long.

I do apologize. Life has been busy, but also hasn't given me much to say. Well, I do have a lot to say... just not right now :)

Today my wisdom teeth were pulled out, and let me tell you... it's not a very fun experience... Okay, actually getting them yanked out and the few hours after that are quite blissful. Once the anesthesia wears off it's not too fun...

I'm just already sick of my swollen cheeks. And I'm sick of soft foods. I seriously am craving chick fil a, and a delicious chicken sandwich.

So far I have had jello, tomato soup, mashed potatoes, a slice of cheese, and ice cream.

I do have pudding and fruit smoothie for some point. Other than ice cream though, I definitely am more of a salty food person. And the thought of chips and salsa sound absolutely mouth watering. And veggies (just raw veggies though). mmm. Probably some of the worst foods I could actually eat.

I'm thinking maybe tomorrow I can try some oatmeal, and some scrambled eggs.

For the procedure I was sedated, and that had to be one of the weirdest feelings. I remember talking to the nurse about the shootings that happened in Aurora, Colorado. She then injected me with something... and I then after about a minute I became really light headed and content, but I did not remember feeling tired. The next thing I know, I hear that it's over, and it's time to wake up. Seriously though, it had to be the most peaceful sleep I've ever had.


Scott, my friend who had driven me, was just standing in the room. I have no idea how long he had been there. He did take a picture, that I never knew he took. So funny.

The picture Scott took of me as I woke up. Right after this I just started laughing away, but I have no idea why, and I couldn't stop. 

Me at home, and my cheeks already look swollen.

Right now I am most comfortable lying down with ice on my face. For some reason if I sit for awhile or stand (it happens quicker when I stand) I get super nauseous and my head hurts.

I am taking Vicadin and Ibuprofen regularly.

busy,busy,busy

These past few weeks have been a whirlwind... actually... the entire month of June has been crazy. Finishing up a job for the summer, going to Washington, and then coming home and starting a new job. I feel as though I'm still trying to wrap my head around it.

To be honest, my room is messy. My desk is overflowing, and my mind is cluttered. I can't even really remember why I started writing this.

I have hundreds of photos to edit. I have multiple CD's of pictures I have yet to send to people. Life is good. Life is crazy.

The problem with editing is that I love it when I first start editing a session, but about 2/3rds of the way through I get bored. Yes, bored. I understand more now why certain photographers limit the amount of pictures they put on their CD's for their clients :)

Other than the fact that I get tired of editing, it has been exciting to look back on the past year, and see how my photography "business" (if I can even call it that) has grown. So, spread the word for me, PLEASE!

Ok, now I remember why I started writing this... I've been working at my new job for a little bit over a week, and I really really like it. I think I needed the change in pace desperately. I really miss my three other boys, but I know I will see them again at the end of the summer. I am thankful, however, that the two boys that I watch now - Eshan (5), and Devan (3) have the sweetest personalities.

E and D are incredibly energetic, but their personalities are so sweet and loving. I feel as though this is a much slower pace job, and we have more time to just enjoy the beauty and simplicity of life.

That's not to say I'm not busy.... I am, and time flies when I'm at work.

I'm not writing this to compare the children I watch. I am more just writing this to be thankful for the change. I was getting so worn out, and although I'm doing something very similar, it has the differences that I needed.

I know that as time continues to move, the newness will wear off, and the boys will probably not like me nearly as much, but for now I'm taking what I can get.

The other day the boys mom called me and said, "before I forget to tell you, yesterday after you left, Eshan said, "I really love miss Christina." And we really do"

At another time Eshan commented and said, "You take care of us." I replied and said, "Well that's what I'm supposed to be doing." E then said, "well you do a very good job."

I miss the other boys I watch, I do. I miss the cuddling, and the loving, and I miss the relationship we had built. For now, I'm content to only be working the one job, but I feel as though I'll be ready to start working two jobs in the fall.

I feel as though this is one of those times that God had a wonderful plan for me, and I became upset about it, and then I finally realized that it was a good plan all along. It was for the better.

Jeremiah 29:11 

**** Hopefully I'll start uploading a few pictures to my website, soon! So be on the lookout!****

Sleeping Babies

I just realized that I have multiple pictures of sleeping children. Here are a few of the places these kids have fallen asleep.

Asher in the grocery cart

Asher on the stairs

Asher in the stroller 

Deb had left the kids asleep upstairs, and so I spent the morning downstairs. I came upstairs from the basement, and found Grady sleeping on the couch like this. 

Asher crawled up on the couch and fell asleep. 

Asher asleep in the stroller at the library

Asher asleep in the car

Grady asleep on the way home from church 

Long Summer Days

I feel like my life only became busier after I finished school. I just finished my last day of work for the majority of the summer yesterday... well at least my job of nannying the three little boys I have been nannying. I start my new nanny job a week from tomorrow. Here's a little look into our last few days together... okay, just our second to last day... I am not so great at taking my camera with me :)

We are loving the warmer days.

Asher did not enjoy the  spray park at first. He would not let me go... and he just screamed. 

Although it had to be above 80 out, the boys kept complaining about the cold. 

Finally, Asher decided that it looked fun. The first thing to do is drink it, obviously. 

And squat on it. 

Asher was funny. Every few minutes he would come to me and dry off his hands, and then run right back in to the water. 

I looked over at Max, and caught him preparing to go back into the water. What a funny kid. 

Well I'm off to Washington for the next week! I'm sure I'll have plenty of pictures for you when I get back. If I ever finish editing them.