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.