Thanksgiving Weekend

Thanksgiving weekend was the best 5 day vacation I've had in a long time! Wednesday, Jiwoo and I spent the day getting groceries for Thanksgiving dinner and cleaning. I also had taken some time out of my day to go to Alien's Tattoo to take some pictures for him while Erica was getting her tattoo touched up. That was fun because it was the first time Jiwoo had been in a place like that. She was a hoot!

Thursday, the whole family spent the day cleaning the house and preparing the Thanksgiving feast for the next day. When we woke up that morning, Emma and I watched the Thanksgiving Day Parade which she enjoyed. She didn't get the chance to see Santa Clause, though, because she fell asleep on the couch towards the end of the parade.

Friday, we woke up and Grandma started off with the cooking and backing right away! We all stayed away from the craziness of the Black Friday shopping. No way was I going to get thrown in with that many coo coo people. Although, Emma and I did make a run to my work around ten so I could pick up a few things. We had a wonderful day celebrating Thanksgiving with all of our family that showed up. A house full of 22 people! Trust me it was a little crazy, haha. Later that night, Grandpa and Grandma took Emma to the Parade of Lights with Jiwoo, Amanda, Erica, and Blake. Emma had such a fun time there I heard. She looked sooo cute all bundled up in her snow pants, boots, and coat. I'm a little sad that I couldn't be there.

Saturday, this day was the day I was most looking forward to. CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS TIME!!! We woke up, ate breakfast, got ready, and brought down all the Christmas stuff to start decorating the house for Christmas. Emma was such a big help! She loved putting the ornaments on the Christmas tree. She took a special liking the "baby Jesus" from the nativity scene though. We've lost him a couple times since putting it up, lol, but currently he is safe and sound in his little bed. For the first time, that I remember since I was a little kid, we put up the little farm plantation and the train set this year. I made an attempt at putting the buildings together myself, but ended up having to be bailed out by Grandpa. I'm not too constructionally handy, haha. Emma helped me put all the little touches on the farm. The cows, fences, workers, riders, horses, and cars. She loves to watch the train circle the track around the farm. It was a great day!

Sunday, was an awesome day as well! We watched a handful of Christmas movies on the Hallmark channel. While we watched them, we (and when I say we, I really mean Grandma and Jiwoo) wrapped almost all of the Christmas presents and put them under the tree. I'm such a horrible wrapper, so Jiwoo wrapped my presents for me! :) Ryan and I also made some very yummy chocolate chip cookies too. Also, Grandma got started on all our Christmas cards we're going to send out this year to family and friends.

This weekend was a very fun and productive weekend for the family! I just wish we could have more weekends like this. Here are a few fun pictures to look at from our Thanksgiving weekend.

Emma holding Irelynn

I remember this picture from when I was a little girl

Grandpa Small with his coffee and 3 little girls playing

Grandpa throwing Emma

Emma had a special rough housing session with Uncle Mark

Grandma and Jiwoo

Erica and Jiwoo

Emma likes to try on new shoes!

Hobby Update :)

Well I'm sure you guys aren't too interested in this but I decided to share with you a little update on some of my photo shoots I've been doing lately. One shoot was senior pictures for a girl named Jamie who is the sister of a friend. The other photo shoot was for Josh and Amber, who are the brother and sister-in-law to my "infamous" ex boyfriend Chris. I had a lot of fun with these shoots. Especially Josh's because, as usual, he was very entertaining! Well here are some of my favorite shots.

Bambi

Just thought I'd share with everyone that my dear dog i was hoping to get in the spring, Brutus, has been adopted finally after being at the Humane Society for 11 months. Now, I have my heart set on the most adorable little puppy ever! His name is Bambi and he is the exact bread of dog that I have always wanted!!! I secretly hope he stays around until spring :))

Bambi

Halloween

This Halloween was very fun and memorable. Emma, Grandpa, and Jiwoo carved up our pumpkin together while I went to go get my hair done for my Halloween costume. I was told that Emma did not really enjoy carving the pumpkin lol. Jiwoo, Grandma, and I took Emma out trick or treating after I got back home while Grandpa stayed home and took care of the other trick or treaters. Emma was very adorable in her angel costume! She was being very shy as we went door to door on the block. It took awhile for her to get use to saying "trick or treat" and "thank you". We had a lot of fun though! She was such a hoot when we got home from trick or treating. We were watching the yearly Ghost Hunters Halloween investigation and Emma kept running around the house talking about ghosts haha. Jiwoo was taking care of the little trick or treaters. When one of the trick or  treaters came up to the door and Emma said that she was scared, Grandpa told her to go up to the trick or treaters next time they came to the door and yell "Boo!" Needless to say, my little pumpkin bear did what Grandpa had suggested. It was incredibly adorable hahah. Here are some pictures from yesterday.

The Holidays

So Mom and I have come up with an awesome idea of a couple things to do this holiday season for both sides of our extended family. I'm very excited to start working on this project. It's going to be a lot of fun! I'll need a couple things from some family members still, but ooooooooo I'm excited hahah!

Be ready because in the next couple days, I'm going to be posting a blog with some adorable pics!! :)

Really Excited!

I bought my new photoshop program yesterday and I'll admit that I haven't been able to tear myself away from my computer much after I installed it. I am enjoying playing around with it different settings and my photos so much! Here are a few photos that I've gotten to play with :))

Ready to go out and take more photos!!

Apple Orchard 2010

Not too long ago, I was lost. I got caught up with the wrong friends and the wrong boyfriend. I allowed them to take priority of the one person in my life that absolutely NO ONE and NO THING should take priority over, and that's Emma. In turn, I have missed out on quite a few things in my daughter's life that I regret missing.

I'm glad that these last few months, I have straightened myself out and started putting my life back together. I have been so much more happy not missing a day of Emma's life again and not missing any event in her life anymore. She's my little pumpkin and nothing will ever take priority over her again.


So yesterday Grandma, Grandpa, Amanda, Emma, and me went to the apple orchard. We had a great time! Emma had picked out three pumpkins for herself and had such a great time doing it. Although, by the end of the day, Emma lost one of her pumpkins because at some point a little kid came by and swiped one of her pumpkins without us noticing. Of course it wasn't such a big deal to her because she still had her other two pumpkins. We also attempted to start some of two year old pictures yesterday which ended up being not so successful because Emma got tired pretty quickly since she has a wonderful cold she's fighting right now. We did end up with some really great pictures though.

I also ordered Emma's Halloween costume last night! :)) It will be here on Friday. I can't wait to take her out trick-o-treating this year in her adorable costume. It's going to be great! She is going to have so much fun with her pumpkins too. Painting and decorating them will be a hoot of a time with that exciting little artistic daughter of mine! I'm so looking forward to this.

Here are a few pictures from the orchard yesterday........

Getting Back

I'm finally getting back on the right track with everything in my life. An amazing full-time job that I really do enjoy, going back to school (hopefully for the last time :P lol), and getting my priorities straight where the #1 person in my life is all I am concerned about. I'm finally able to say that I'm at peace with everything in my life, loving everything in my life, and very happy with the life I have. I don't have everything in this world figured out yet, but everything happens in it's own time.