Kara Elmore Photography

Look away .. LOOK AWAY!!!

(she violently screamed!!!)  ... LEST ye be green with envy!

Yaaaaa ... it happens QUITE often (like EVERY shoot I do) that I get wrapped up in this little FAMILY that is letting me in and I ***sigh*** some serious sighs and think ... "Can I have MYSELF take MY OWN family pictures .... right now - right here .. because this is MAGICAL!!!"

That's how I felt with this family.  Again.  Repeats I tell ya - LOVE THEM!  She was one of my Utah shoots - a lucky one who will get all of her images on DVD.  Ohh happy for her.  Happy for me.  She originally requested an outside shoot.  And I was happy to oblige.  Then her husband mentioned an interest in shooting in their home... and I SQUUUEEEEEEEAAALED with delight (when I add extra eeeeee you can't tell if I'm spelling correctly or not).  But really - I LOVE doing in-home shoots.  Really - one of my favorites.  FAVORITES!  It's what I chose for MY family shoot last year and every time I see my picture, I smile.  Still.

The hard thing about shooting in someone's home is you DON'T.KNOW.THE.LIGHT.  And for a photographer that is SCARY!  Especially one who shoots pretty RAW like me.  Shadows/light are my "frenemy".  :)  But I choose friend.

Yep.  That's her real wall color.  Her real headboard. And that baby is real.  Despite my baby maby coming up a bit ago calling her a "FAE BABEEE".  (fake baby)  seeeeeeee SQUEALING with me???  Somehow I'd like to have this in a magazine.  Like a gerber baby magazine ... or a wall color magazine.  Just something.  Because baby L is BEAUTIFUL and SO pretty she DOES look fake! :)

Don't even try to be this flexible.  I tried.  I cried. 

HOLY CRAP - reaaaaaaly now?  REALLY????  Can I TAKE YOU and have you as my own???

 

uhhhhhhhhhhh huh!!!  This is actually the one I choose for them to print big.  Because I want it to be big for them.  So I choose it.  Not them.  Me.  I'm choosing. :)  Ahhhh she'll choose it because I tell her to! :)

LOVE YOU DARLAN!  Love you!!!!  And ohhh there's LOTS more - this was just the bedroom!!

And a HUGE THANK YOU for my participants of my contest previously posted.  GREAT entries.  And some funny begging going on!  That was funny girls!  DARLING kids - how will I choose?  I'll get working on those and let everyone know.  THANK YOU!!!

An ARIZONA special ...

For those fellow ARIZONA residents of mine.  Those Cacti dwellers (although I know it's grammatically INCORRECT - I like to call them CACTUS dwellers.  I try and stand out that way!)  :)

Because I LIVE here, BREATHE here, SHOP here, EAT here (wellllll you get the picture...) I decided to offer something FUN to my ARIZONA FRIENDS!

I am offering TWO SPECIALS! 

FRESH FACES: I need some ARIZONA faces on my website!  So I'd like to do a little "search" if you will - of new faces!  Please submit a picture of your child between the ages of 2-8 (I'll do an older group in a few weeks) to my email at karaelmorephotography@gmail.com with the words FRESH FACES in the subject line.  I will actually have a little "panel of judges" look over the images and then public voting will begin!  The child with the most votes WINS a free session and a FREE 11x14!  And you will receive an additional 10% off my la carte prices.  Value of $245.00.   Rules are as follows:  must be willing to wear clothing I decide upon (whether from your own stash - or mine).    You must be in the Greater Phoenix area and willing to travel to the location I choose.  SEE - SIMPLE!

FRESH FAMILIES:  You know I LOVE families!!!!!  So I'm extending this SAME offer to families.  FREE session, FREE 11x14 and 10% off my wall galleries.  No minimum order required.  Rules are as follows:  must be willing to wear clothing or colors I suggest (whether from your closet, or my props) and willing to travel to a location of my choosing.  Just email a picture of your family (just grab any old photo!) to karaelmorephotography@gmail.com with the words FRESH FAMILY in the subject line.  If you absolutely do not have a photo of your family (which is SHAMEFUL in and of itself!!) - just send a picture of all of your children together (not separate).  A panel of judges will look over images - and then voting on my blog will begin.

DEADLINE for ALL ENTRIES:  midnight on Sunday, NOVEMBER 1, 2009.

*** ETA - I've had some questions about engaged couples as well.  YES THEY COUNT, too!!! :)

Any questions in the meantime... go ahead and email.

Now - I'll leave you with some sunshine induced happiness :)

 

and her brother ... see the orange dots in his eyes ... that's his MOM! ;)

 

And my favorite one today:

Can't wait to see the entries!!!  Now -get emailing!!!

I'm baaaaaaaaaaack! :)

Sorry ... couldn't resist using the "poltergeist" wording.  And, really I've been back for 5 days.  But ... you ALL know how I LOVE posting with TYPEPAD ..........  But since I've logged in, they seem to have changed a few things.  Sadly though I think I must've hurt "their" feelings (ya right) as I've signed up with two other companies.  Just waiting the "right time" to work on things.  hahaha.  Laughing at myself for putting such pressures on myself.  :)

OHHH had a GLORIOUS TIME in Utah!  Visiting family, friends and doing many, many shoots!  HOWEVER (Brandy's FAVORITE word of mine) it was SOOOOO FREAKIN' BEEEEEEEEEERZIE cold ... I must admit I MISSED the heat (INSERT BELLA holding her cactus as she peered out into the desert sun, contemplating her new life ahead of her in Oregon (eta:  OOPS - WASHINGTON!  BUT - it was FILMED in oregon!!!)... where she would SOON meet Edward Cullen).  Now - before you think I've blown a fuse and melted my innerds (a real word, yes??) ... not talking about the TRUE TRUE heat of 115.  But rather the lovely 88 degrees I left.  It was like 42 degrees in Utah. WHAT THE CRAP?

So - for lack of bla bla bla words - here's the skinny on my trip.  Flew up with the 3 chitlins on Friday, Oct. 2.  They did great.  I fake smiled the entire flight so I would train myself to be OK flying.  Only thought of barfing 4 times.  Smile politely at the idiot man who asked my children (the older 2) to BE QUIET when they were QUIETLY (and really - I mean QUIETLY) drawing pictures of clouds.  And then they GIGGLED when they opened the window and actually realized they were FLYING through clouds. I mean, REALLY.. COME ON IDIOT MAN!  They are KIDS who are GIGGLING and having a great time .. not SCREAMERS who are throwing GUM at your hair (which is what I SHOULD"VE allowed them to do).  Etc. Etc. Etc ... called Nate 40 times to see if he remembered to be nice to Oscar the dog.  He assured me he was VERY nice to him and after Oscar stopped roaming the house, perched on the back of the couch awaiting our arrival, he licked Nate's feet.  

That was Tuesday morning.  Tuesday EVENING .... I went to pick the kids up from the in-laws and was met by NATE and OSCAR!  They had driven the 12 hours (it's 12.  Not 10.  not 11.  Not 10.5 like some people say.  It's 12.)  They missed us.  So we were able to spend the remaining week trip as a whole.  Ohhh it was SO nice that way.

I've made it through 1 entire editing session... few more to go. :)  So I will post for you now.  OHHH and as a SIDE BLOG NOTE.  Remember my LAST question of "who really reads this?  Please comment!"  And like 18 of you did.  Welllllllllllll ... there are like 92 LIARS/SCARDIE CATS OUT THERE!  Because I checked my stats (you can do that, you know) and there were (hold please, let me get my calculator) 110 visitors that day.  Sooooo HELLO other 92.  Unless they were all my sister trying to be funny.  Hmm.  I'll have to "get" her for that.  By the way - I am the reason her blog is funny.  She writes about me.  And about baby maby - aka TAZ.  If it wasn't for me... her blog would be brown.  :)  Not really.  We're both REALLY allergic to brown you know.

Oops - forgot why I was writing in the first place.  To post pics...

hahaha.  No worries all those who want to call the "photography police" on me.  We asked permission.  But I STILL thought this was funny.

The apple head one (LOVE THAT!) and this swinging one are for her CHRISTMAS CARD!  Isn't that SO fun??  I thought this one was darling too!  Which swinging one do you like more?

The swinger (that's not the right verbage... but you get what I'm going for) on the left is their baby who is turning 3.  Then the middle and far right swinger are TWINS!  Born just 3 weeks after my Ava.  She's got an Ava too.  They call each other "the other ava".  

I love this one.  They were just being them.  Little Ava about to disappear.  Elsie looking SO sweet.  Ohhh these kids were DREAMY!!!!  Ohh - and this is where my LOGO comes from!  I LOVE AMY!  Remember she tooks pics of my fam last fall?? Ohhh I LOVED THEM!!!  Anyway -I love Amy.  I love doing pics for her.  She's SO creative - so BRIGHT - so FUN - so REAL!  And we GET each other.  And have since day one.  I think there's a handful of people like that for everyone.  And she's smack in the middle. :)

Ok ... I WILL post again.  I have more sneak peaks to give. So I PROMISE not to let it go 2.5 weeks again.

And as a lovely good night cap - just fyi that TWO of my children BARF-O-RAMAED on the flight home.  BUT my happiness came when Nate unloaded the van (hate that word) that I FILLED TO THE BRIM of things we had to leave behind in Utah until we could come back for them.  Mainly my pictures.  My HOUSE hasn't been a HOME without them.  I spent that first night back putting EVERY SINGLE ONE of my pictures up.  Even the kids mentioned it how fun it was to see them.  So - note to those of you who think that photography/art/memories are a waste of time ... it's what makes a HOUSE a HOME.  It's what brings a family together.  It's what LIFE is.  And it's SO happy to see!!! I can't tell you how happy I am to walk down these halls now.  The halls of my rented home that still lacks a dining room table, that still lacks a proper bed for fluffy head, that still lacks REAL dressers for ANYONE in the family.  But to have pictures clustered up ... priceless happiness.  GO GET YOUR PICTURES DONE and hang them (NOT TOO HIGH - that will ruin  it) up NOW!!!

good to be back ya'll.  (that's for my southern sister!)

Album images

You know that CRAZY terrible dream where you are back in high school and you have a class that you're LATE to and a TEST too that you haven't STUDIED for ... and SOMEHOW you are wearing a SKIRT. And you keep doing cartwheels and then you REALIZE that you don't have on UNDERWEAR!  But you keep doing cartwheels hoping that it will cover your TOP because you realize you forgot your SHIRT TOO??  And all the while you're trying to get into your locker and you FORGOT YOUR COMBINATION???????????????

Ya - that's kind of how I feel. :)  I also forgot the login to this typepad ... so I haven't posted for a while. . Serious.  Yep.  That's right.  I'm REALLY on top of my blog. :)  Ok - really ..... does ANYONE READ THIS?  I've always wanted to see how many comments I could get in a day just to SEE who reads it.  Let's try it....  Just do a YES in the comment box.  And let's see how many are ACTUALLY reading this???????????  :)  No. really.  DO IT NOW! :)

I THINK I'm going to (shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh ... don't say this LOUDLY!!!) get rid of typepad soon!  I got another blog ready to go.... IF I could sit down to my computer and make the blog PRETTY!  I know I could pay someone to do it.  But WHY would I do that?? :)  I'll let you know when the NEW one is up and running.  My images should be BIGGER and the color more TRUE TO LIFE!

Struggling w/ how to GET MY NAME OUT THERE in Arizona!  I'm seriously just NOT used to advertising.  I never even send out emails of specials to my previous clients!  Nate said I was "loosing money" by not doing that.  It's just nothing I did.  I stayed busy by just phone calls, referrals or my lovely loyal clients (like the ones having me come out next week!!!!!)  BUT NOW - no one knows me.  So that means I'll have to POUND THE PAVEMENT!  But it's weird all the same, too.  Like I have to PROVE myself and my work. ugh.  I hate that part of it.  Like "putting yourself out there" ... for all to JUDGE!  When I really just want to say "this is my work.  Love it or hate it.  But it's ME and it's what I do!"

ANYWAY ..... I thought I'd share some images from a wedding album I will be handing over to the lovely MANDY on Saturday!!!!!!!!!   Funny how it's actually HARD for me to hand the album over .. like I want to keep it for myself.  And look at every night and say "pretty .. pretty bride!!!"

Click on it to see larger.

This is the cover ... the picture part is the front - then it wraps around the back w/ the green.  These were her wedding colors.  I know that lots of photogs use templates when creating books/invites, etc.  But I just never had.  I like to do it from scratch.  Which YES takes WAAAAAAAAY MORE TIME!  LIke WAAAAAAAAAAAAY more time!  Like WAY TONS OF LOTS OF TIME!!! :)  But then it's from ME!!!

Here's one of her "bridal" pages.  I LOVE this one because see that first pic on the left... it's ACTUALLY her reflection in the window from the 3rd image.  Giddy squeal:

Another Bridal page that I LOVE.  I love the details of this.  The veil.  The shoes.  The brooch.

Isn't he DARLING with her?????  Caden is SOOOOO AWESOME!

This one below was one of my favorite pages because of the colors and layers.  Mandy just let me DO MY THING.   I miss her. :)

I HEARD that this one below was Caden's favorite page.  If you can see all the little "poses" they were doing in each box. It was SO funny to photograph!

Annnnnnd the cake.  THE CAKE!  I LOVE this cake!

Ok - that does it for me for today.  IF I can remember (and that's a BIG IF!) my login ID - I'll post again soon.  IF NOT, I'll work on my NEW BLOG and MAYBE have it done when I get back from Utah.  I'm SO excited to visit.  And SO happy to be doing several sessions up there too.  The PERFECT week for colors on the leaves.  I'm going to wear a SCARF while I'm up there.  DO YOU HEAR THAT ARIZONA???  A SCARF!!!! :)  Now ... in December, I'll be singing AZ weather praises.  But today - while it's 107 SOMEHOW - I'm singing cooler weather praises. :)

California RAMBLINGS of love ...

SO many things to talk about ... but the first things:

1) not sure why I named the post that ... but I did.

2) HEADED to California .. SAN FRANCISCO to be exact!  November 13-15th.  My sweet clients from last year are helping to get it all organized.  IF YOU WOULD LIKE ONE OF THE SLOTS ... please email me at karaelmorephotography@gmail.com .  I WILL BE OFFERING my DVD - full resolution this year!  YAY.  Popular demand looks like it ... so I'm conforming.  And happily so.  I would want my images TOO! :)

3) My sister ... hold please while I locate the post I wrote about her ... OK.  located.  Let me start again ... My GLORIOUS SISTER  started a blog.  NOW ... to be fair - I really DON'T want to give you her link.  Because then you'll all BLOG hop to HER because she's MUCH more interesting - and HYSTERICAL!  Remember me talking about trampolines, back flips, laughing, sneezing, coughing ... and the pee that comes out BECAUSE of those things???  Well - add:  "reading Lisa's blog."  Just reading it causes the same situation as coughing, sneezing, trampoline jumping ... you get the picture.  And if you LOVE HER... you'll realize I'm nothing.  That I'm NOT funny.  That I don't have talent - that SHE got the talent.  Ohhh and the house that's NOT in brownville (although I am loving az ... the brown is something I will change when I create my own world)... ANYWAY.  I GIVE YOU HER BLOG IN LOVE.  Knowing that I LOVE HER and so YOU MUST LOVE HER.  And you must KNOW HER WORDS!!!  Because more oft than not, she writes about ME and CRAZY BABY MABY ... and she brings funniness to an otherwise "let me lock baby maby outside so I don't SCREAM" moment.

And for that reason alone I SALUTE her with blue, red and yellow - glittered up of course!

SO - with NO COVETING act WHAT-SO-EVER ... I give you my sister's blog: 

www.blueandshoe.blogspot.com

And if you don't know how to type that in (like she wouldn't know how - because she is confused when her mouse reaches the end.  OR is that my MOM???) ... here's a link to follow ... 

HERE

Sadly - I don't even have an image to post.  Because I'm tired from chasing baby maby, and putting her in her room 7 times in 27 minutes because she did every single naughty thing she could POSSIBLE do ... WITH A SMILE!  Who smiles when they're NAUGHTY???  She does.  It didn't make it helpful.  Because I was past the point of "happy mom".  And for all you moms who find my "CRAZY THOUGHTS TOWARDS HER" offensive ... then you need to have another child and I PRAY you get one just like her.  :)  Yaaaaa - as I write this she's gleefully running around the room screaming "LOVE YOU!"  WHY does she do that at a time when I've been at my wit's end.  She KNOWS what she's doing.  She WAITED to say that when I was typing about her.  I know it.

I think I'll have to do another photoshoot of her tomorrow to find joy in her.  :)  Or maybe I'll just give her what she wants ... ice cream ALL DAY LONG.  Then I'll get to see her happy side.  And not her screaming side.  BETTER YET - I'll read Lisa's blog ALL DAY LONG.  Then that will help.

The children are melting into a sea of scream filled nights ... I must attend to their needs.  Hasn't anyone fed them?  Certainly not my job. :)

And with THAT whole reading up above - I'm sure that my potential new CA clients will be frightened of me.  Please tell them I'm not strange, will ya? :)

EYE KNEE KO! And ... coming to UTAH!

Anyone want to translate for me (all except the last part) ??

THREE GUESSES...

GO!

I took baby Maby to the post office just now to mail off a package to my DARLING neice who just left for her FIRST YEAR OF COLLEGE at BYU.  Ohhh BRINN ... I LOVE YOU and you will do GREAT!

After chasing her ALL around and her pointing to all the CARBOARD cutouts yelling "DADDY!!!"  (nice - the man was crazy looking w/ pants too tight and a hair line that looked like a WIG!  Do NOT tell Nate that baby maby thinks it was HIM!  He's MUCH hotter than that!) I finally thought to myself "HELLO - I need SOMETHING for ME while she NAPS!"  I know you KNOW what it is... no - not twilight - however... not a bad combo.  I made a QUICK dash into the Safeway and bought myself a Diet Coke for $1.49.  yes - double the cost of my own HUGE one from Sonic - but that's 18 minutes away.  And besides - I know you're SO surprised - but I bought my own ice from there and have it stashed in the freezer for emergencies.  Along w/ several key limes.  Now... I NEVER thought I would be a COKE drinker.  Especially because I didn't consume it for TWELVE years.  Ohhh ROTTEN stuff.  But - for some weird reason - being w/ a child all day long that runs from one thing to the other, to the knives, to the freezer, to the fridge, to the pantry, to the bathroom, to the toilet, to the freezer again, to the computer area, to the camera area, to the closet WITH TOOTHPASTE ....  yaaaaaa I DESERVE a diet coke!  Ohhh and by the way - ALL those places she RAN to today within 4 minutes.  I counted and remembered.  It's REAL!  SHE IS REAL! :)

Anyway ... while I held the coke in my hand she's SCREAMING...

EYE KNEE KO!!!!  EYE KNEE KO!!!  You guessed it... I need coke.  Nice - Nice that my 2 year old who eats as organic as possible with flax seed muffins and 10 grain wheat cereal and soy milk NEEDS COKE!  I obviously ignored her. But apparently after telling my dad the story, he confirmed that while living there he would give it to her daily.  That's what grandma candy and grandpa gum are for. :)

But at least she lets me take her picture.  Which leads me to this ... another photo shoot.  Because she's the only one home with me (besides oscar) while the other two are at school -she becomes my random subject.  And I love it!  

She was fresh out of the bath and the light was SO lovely.  Sadly 4 seconds after, Oscar stole her binky and the happy face turned to a full on bawl fest.  I would've cried too. :)

SO - OTHER HAPPY NEWS ... I'm coming to UTAH the weekend of October 2nd.  Staying for like ...12 days or something!!! YAYAYAYAYAY~!  I already have a few sessions booked (thus the travel to Utah). I do have a few more slots open.  October 7th and 9th - and a possible 10th if I can't fit everyone in.  If you would like one of them, please email me at karaelmorephotography@gmail.com.  Some of you asked a few months back when I would be traveling up so you could get on my FALL LIST.  Well .. I have NO idea where that list went.  It's somewhere.  I typed it up.  It's packed.  SAFELY.  Away.  Somewhere I would need it ... but not get to it.  So - this is your notice. :)

Now - LUCKY LUCKY me - while driving around looking for NEW SPOTS to photograph down here that was NOT BROWN VOMIT INDUCED I noticed this LOVELY little GROVE of trees.  YOU GOT IT!  No lies... REAL!  No scorpions.  Well - maybe, but I chose NOT to ask.  So I took this sweet little thing into the field and she was LOVELY!

And yaaaa - that's a REAL ROOSTER on the left.  HA!  The sisters were COMPLETELY freaked out by it.  But I'm like ... HEY ROOSTER... come over HERE!

Her little sister was dancing around and had the GREATEST outfit on.  I LOVED IT.  Told her mom that she needed to wear it for a family shoot in the fall.

Ohhh I love these images. I want them for MY wall!  Cindy is one of my dearest friends.  I've known her since 4th grade.  She was in the smart class.  I was not.  She went on to be a Physician's Assistant.  I did not. :)  So I call her and use and abuse her for ALL sorts of random stuff.  I love her.  And I love that I get to live closer to her now so I can do more photoshoots for her.  She was kind enough to drive over an HOUR to come to me.  Love her.

We are all doing well.  Adjusting.  Feeling very loved by family and friends.  Feeling strength.  Relying completely on my Heavenly Father to give me strength to do the right things for my family.  For my children.  We don't know this area.  We can't randomly just PICK A HOUSE to live in.  We will do our part - but we rely heavily on God.  And I see our little family growing closer together through all of this. So THANK YOU to everyone who sends me little emails or a text or msg.  They brighten my days - and mostly come on days when I needed it most.  I love you all.

Alright - that DIET COKE is calling my name!!!  And again - contact me if you want one of my October dates.  

FREAKIN' LOVE TO ALL!

I found another reason to keep her ...

When she looks at me like THIS and actually ASKS me to take her PICTURE!!!

I mean ... COME ON!  Really now ... REALLY!!!  Who would WANT to sell her to the GYPSIES???  Wellll - not ME.  Not today anyway.  Not when those little eyes are BEGGING me to take her picture.  And those little plump LIPS are whispering ... "TAKE. PICK. ME."  Ohhh it's a PROUD PROUD day when a photographer's daughter ASKS to be photographed. 

Now - before you think "SOOO lucky of Kara - to have an offspring who LOOKS at the camera and COOPERATES on cue.

That was not the case.  This is luck.  This is PURE luck.  And because of it - this will be a canvas for my new home on my "canvas" wall - to accompany this image of Fluffy that I posted a few months ago ...

I sigh a relief from behind my lens - knowing I have accomplished happiness in 6 minutes.  To capture CRAZY BABY MABY EXACTLY ... EXACTLY how I see her.  Ohhh the rarity.  You know how you look at an image of your child and go "huh... really ... THAT's not what she/he looks like.  shoot."  I don't want those on my wall.  And neither should you. :)

Now - to get one of Wesley. He will be harder though - he's becoming self-conscious and very aware of himself and how he looks.  He was practicing for his school pictures.  It was almost painful to watch!  I was like "think of something funny"  think of poo... think of pee ... think of oscar eating legos and pooing them out ...  But none of it did the trick for him as he looked in the mirror w/ a look of AGONY.  shoot.  So we'll work on him a bit ... taking pics secretly, I guess.

I have MANY MANY other pictures to share with you (because posting a pic of Fluffy when I already posted it really DOES NOT count).  But because I'm not quite in my photo groove ... I've "misplaced" them in a file that was obviously named something I can't remember.  Huh. 

School is going better for the kids.  Baby Mabes is BORED out of her mind!!!!!  And she's tired a lot too!  Waking up at 7:00 when the others arise is killing her!  9:00 a.m. rolls around and she's like "ti... soooo ti!" :)  (ti= tired).

Nate's hours are late right now - getting home at 9:00 p.m. most nights.  bleh.  But.. honestly - it's OK.  He's really enjoying it and I've got the routine down for us right now.  

Oooooo and LUCKY YOU (well - you know - whatever) I have a photoshoot on SATURDAY .... so you'll see OTHER PICTURES besides my kids. :)  Maybe I'll bring my kids along for the ride and they'll jump into EVERY shot so they're not forgotten.

Reality hits ...

First of all ... let's just get this out of the way.  I've been a TERRIBLE blogger!  And really have NO 'wants" of wanting to blog.  I'm not QUITE in my "grooooove" yet and don't have the usual routine.  My "usual" was to go upstairs to my cute little loft with TONS and TONS of light ... w/ the windows open ... while I sat at my computer.  The kids were outside playing - or at a neighbors - or in the bonus room.  The difference NOW... no loft - no bonus room - no outside that's cool enough to play in - and no neighbors with little kids.  So what does that leave me with??  A little baby maby who is sad that her "A A and Sesley" are gone to "cool".  And she's here and she's there and she's EVERYWHERE!  I did buy chalk for her to color on the back patio in the shade ... but she's eating it.  And then QUICKLY climbs back through the doggie door.  "BUUUGS!  gunna get choo" Yep. So thus the lack of entertainment.

That - and I've been a bit sad here and there.  BUT ... I'm good at this moment and maby is watching SPONGEBOB (thank you!) and I have about 4 minutes.  Readdddddddddy???  GO!

The kids started school last Monday.  LAST MONDAY!  UGH!  Mostly it's hard on ME (how did I make THEIR school year ALL ABOUT ME??) as I wake up at 6:30 to get everything ready - pack lunches - get clothes ready - back packs... and then all of a sudden it's 8:10 and we have to RUN out the door.  Had a TERRIBLE experience last Thursday.  Ava's 4th day of school.  ALL DAY KINDERGARTEN mind you!  Who the crap invented THAT?  Because, I'M SORRY - but she IS TINY!!!!!!!!!  She is FIVE!  And ALLLLL DAY????  Anyway - idiots who invented that ... she BROKE DOWN balling that morning.  Crying GALORE!  I tried to be SO nice - making LOTS of ideas to help her.  She cried until it was time to go.  Then calmed down.  Then we pulled up to the school and SHE BALLED and JUMPED into my lap.  I wanted to BALL WITH HER!  It was too much for her.  It was too much for me.  She had hit her limit.  There are DARLING little 6th graders who meet the kindergarten parent's car and help the kids inside.  I asked (which makes me MAD that I had to ASK PERMISSION???) to pull up, and walk into the GATES (of H***?).  I pulled up about 5 car lengths - left it running w/ baby in the car.  No fretting .. I was only a few feet away.

(btw - baby is not watching Spongebob anymore.  She found me.  She's coloring right by me.  Probably on the tile.  Look away kara ... look away).

And ... let's continue.  So I CARRIED her into her line because she was SO beside herself.  Walked her to her line - rocked her in my arms as she was SUPER GLUED to my body.  Long mean story later ... I got her a wee bit calmed down - talking about fun things we would do.  But she would still break out into tears.  I looked around and nearly EVERY TINY KINDERGARTENER was CRYING.  Tears STREAMING down their faces.  Bodies shaking as they stood their in line alone.  With their HUGE back packs strapped to their little tiny frames ... Ohhh I wanted to help them all. I all of a sudden has this HUGE urge to GRAB them all - and say "RUN orphans ... RUN!  Quick everyone HIDE in the bushes (there aren't bushes here ... who am I kidding!?)!!!!"  But instead I held Ava while she cried some more.  I overheard a "line leader" (adult helper in the morning) say w/ a very strong jerky face tone:  "Hanna!  You need to stop crying.  You're fine!"  I'm like WHAT?  Is that how you talk to EVERY little 5 year old who is BALLING???  Nice.  Nice.  Idiot.  As I'm comforting Ava - the HEAD HAUNCHO RAUNCHO confronted ME w/ a very strong jerky face tone .. saying: "Is that your van?"  I looked up - acknowleged the crime of having a van and said yes.  Her reply:  "You need to move it NOW!  You are BLOCKING the way - no one can get by and no BUS can get by.  You need to move it NOW!"  Again - I looked up to see the offense and noticed one ... ONE tiny itty bitty car behind ... or rather about 60 feet away from MY pulled up out of the way car.  No bus.  Busses don't go that way. And no other cars.  I ignored her.  Gleefully.  Turned back to Ava - set her down - gave her a hug and told her we'd go to BASKIN ROBBINS to get PINK ice cream and then MAKE A CRAFT after school.  She was happy.  Then... ANOTHER interruption:  "You need to move your car NOW!"  I, again, IGNORED the beastly LARGE WOMAN WHO SHOULD HAVE STAYED HOME that day and fed her cats!  Instead, turned to Ava again with love, making sure she was OK before I walked away.  As I turned to go I was AGAIN scolded like a wee one for LOVING MY CHILD and making sure she felt SAFE on her FOURTH DAY OF SCHOOL!  When I got in the car and pulled back around, I saw Ava (parental warning ahead - this image will alter you for life!  If it doesn't - you're probably the jerky face rotten head that was RUDE to me!) ... she was sitting on the sidewalk, with her knees pulled up to her belly, arms wrapped around her legs - head burried into her body.  I BALLED!  I balled all the way home!  I cried and cried so hard - with EVERY emotion I have been feeling for the last 5 weeks POURING out of me as I nearly vomitted into a towel!  Baby Maby said to me:  "sad?"  I answered yes with my cracked voice.  She said 'Ban ban?"  (bandaid? to make it get better.)  Love that little thing! :)

I was SO upset with that lady ... who CLEARLY had NO compassion for tiny little things!  She would probably rip the wings off a BUTTERFLY and then eat it for dinner!  Luckily Ava was fine when she got home from school - and we promptly went to baskin robbins and gorged ourselves in happiness of being together.  And chocolate.  I'm training her, you know!

I'm better about it now - although I do look for that meanie weanie everytime I pull up to the school.  Making sure my kids stay clear of her.  Just in case she fattens them up like Hanzel and Grettle and shoves them in the school oven for lunch.

It wil be GOOD to buy our home in the next few months.  So I can start to create our HOME. I need to do that.  That's SO much apart of me.  Creating a happy spot for us.  Lots of color - lots of pictures! To keep my mind going.  To not cry into towels so hard that vomit thinks of coming up!  :)  I'm not sad though ... I'm just adjusting and getting my bearings. I'm VERY grateful I have two LOVELY LOVELY friends here within driving distance. April and Cindy.  Love you girls!  And I love knowing that my kids are making friends and are good with being the ARIZONA ELMORE'S!  Ava did say the FUNNIEST thing last night.  "Mom - I have the BEST idea about winter... we just stay INSIDE!"  (she was referring to Nate and the pain he feels in the cold).  I said "Ohhh - so we wouldn't have to move?"  She answered a STRONG YES!  I said "Honey ... we already moved."  She laughed ... "ohh ya!"  Funny.

Ok - on to HAPPINESS.  Wesley - my 8 year old boy - will be getting baptised next Saturday!!!  So we went searching for a spot to do his pictures to send out to those who can't come down (that would be everyone).  The neat thing about being somewhere new is seeing things in a new way ... coming up with new ways to make brown dirt look SO. COOL!  :)  I find myself driving with WIDE EYES and a nearby paper as I jot down notes of areas that I look forward to taking family pictures in (not that I'll be able to FIND them again.  Got lost going to April's.)  FOUND the GREATEST place while we were looking at a home.  I mentioned it in my SQUEAL of delight while the realtor laughed and laughed and said "ummm can you say SCORPIONS????"  I was sad.  I had dreams of SMOOSHING the scorpions so I could GO THERE for pictures.  Finally - I went for another drive with Nate to test this spot out.  We didn't see scorpions.  My prayers were answered.  Joy dance was given.  We had to wait until nearly 7:00 so the sun was down.  Even at that it was still 110.  And by that time, lighting WAS NOT ideal and shutter speed was compromised for #2 pic ... but that's OK for now.  No other options.  Embracing.

Look how handsome my boy looks.

Ohhh makes me weep to look at.  Soon enough he'll be in high school, then on a mission, then off to college, then ....

And because I CAN NOT - WILL NOT - do the usual white shirt & tie looking at you with a STUDIOUS CONTEMPLATIVE look ...

 

I love this spot!  I guess it burned a few years ago - and has been left alone. For Kara to find.  Because I don't understand the TRUE dangers of this area yet.  My eyes are blinded for beauty I guess.  That's what boots are for.  So scorpions don't climb up your leg and BITE you.  It was worth it.  Like red strapped mary jane heels ... painful?  YES.  Worth it?  OF COURSE!!!

 

Starting to get back into the groove ... seeing the beauty in what I would have otherwise deemed brown dirt.  LOOKING for beauty does something to you - you find it in unexpected places.  And it does something to you because you had to LOOK FOR IT.  You appreciate it.  You smile when you find it.  And you want to surround yourself in it. 

HAPPY THOUGHT for the day: Look at life differently - ignoring how others perceive it - so you can find happiness for yourself.  And then EMBRACE how you feel!

btw - this took me FORTY FIVE minutes to write.  Baby walked in ... no less than 27 times.  Asking for more french toast - oscar ate hers - movie is skipping - wanting to color - eating some paper - realized it was Ava's care bear book she ripped apart - needing a diaper change - not wanting to stay dressed - stayed naked - pooed on the table - peed somewhere else - knocked over water bottle - found her sippy cup - happy now.  :)  She's funny.  I'll try harder not to yell today.

another btw - I APOLOGIZE for the LENGTH of these entries.  I hate reading long blogs.  HATE it when they're this long.  Ignore it. 

SCARED of the death threats...

from Lillian ... and Brandy .... and maybe a few more!  I KNOW it's been like 2.5 weeks since I've posted.  AND it was even in ANOTHER STATE!!!  But that's my excuse!  Ohh that - and I haven't downloaded ANY pictures yet.  Maybe I'll do that WHILE I'm writing.  Because you KNOW I can get all long winded and stuff. :)

So really now - I've laid awake at night trying to think of ALLLL the things I could write about.  And I decided to do a PROS and CONS list of living in Arizona.  We'll see how long it will go - the kids are playing and I PRAY they keep playing nice.

Ooo - let's start with the KIDS:

PRO:

Leaving early from Utah to get a head start!  Thinking ... "Oh - this will be GREAT!"

CON: 

Stopped by my sister's house - balled hysterically.  Then she gave the girls water bottles w/ holes in it. Which then became WEAPONS of war until Bountiful when Baby Maby lost her BINKI (ya - 20 minutes into it).  We couldn't make her happy until we stopped 3 hours later.

PRO: Because it's freaking STEAMING hot here ... you can put frozen butter OUTSIDE and it will soften for cookies in like 4 minutes.

CON:  Because it's freaking STEAMING hot here ... you can put a human OUTSIDE and it will MELT in like 4 minutes.

PRO: Because we don't know anyone here yet, the kids are forced to play together and be nice.

CON: Because we don't know anyone here yet, the kids are forced to play together and fight.

PRO: During the months of July, August, September it's (like I said above) STEAMING HOT HERE. (hold on ... I'll get to the PRO part of it)  So MONSOONS come and it DOWNPOURS like crazy!  The night after we got here it rained SO hard in the late afternoon and it dropped to a BEEEERZIE 91.  But really it felt like 70!   Because of the downpour, Baby Maby INSTANTLY stripped down (again - this is a pro!) and ran outside into the rain.  I took a picture on my complete piece of crap camera and can't the USB cable to download.  So picture it with me, will you???  She ran all around finally ended up laying on the back porch in 2 inches of rain.  Pretending to swim... naked mind you.  Loving every bit of her new home.

CON:  I was wearing my Grandma's pajamas (story to come later) and after Baby Maby went inside I sat on the back porch and cried.  In the rain.  Letting it hit my face.  Ohhh crap - that's bad.

Ok - enough - that's too much for me. :)  Some interesting things that happen here:  

My pantry wall backs the garage - so things don't stay as COOL as they should. So my hidden treasure of CHOCOLATE melted.  Just being in the pantry.  

Geckos are on our back wall.  The kids LOVE to look at them.   I do, too - from afar. ;)

We'll get in the car after it's been parked somewhere and it will say 122 most of the time.  We just laugh ... knowing that that's ALL we can do! :)  It WILL cool down though to like 115. :)

So - back to the story of my grandmother's pajamas... :)  My Grandma Stewart was a BEAUTIFUL woman.  And VERY strong.  Moved all over the country w/ her airforce family.  Even to Japan. The story goes that my Grandpa Boyd came home on leave for them to get married.  The day after their wedding, they packed up their belongings into their little car and headed back to Texas where they would be living.  The next morning after they arrived, Grandpa Boyd headed off to work.  Leaving Grandma Sybil (OHH love their names!) to herself.  And the boxes. And her lonesome.  So she sat down in the empty living room and cried.  She said she cried for about an hour.  Then she stopped - sat up and said "well - that won't do me ANY good."  And she went to work!  She said she decided right then and there that SHE would CHOOSE to be HAPPY!  No matter her circumstances - no matter what state or country she lived in - no matter how much money they had - no matter how freaking hot it was outside - no matter how much time she got to spend with her husband.  SHE WOULD BE HAPPY! 

And so my family's motto goes something like this:

YOU CAN DO HARD THINGS!

The day we got here I was unpacking and found my Grandma Sybil's pajamas.  My mom found them in her cedar chest and gave them to me, along with 2 of her aprons.  I was feeling a bit sad and overwhelmed that night - so I decided to climb into those pajamas - to feel of her strength. Something interesting happened.  I DID feel stronger - almost as if Sybil were standing right here beside me saying: YOU CAN DO HARD THINGS!

And I can.  Grandma Sybil actually lived in the city of Chandler, AZ back when my mom was 8.  So somehow I feel a bit more connected to this city.  She saw the same roads (although they weren't built up like this ... it was still the same dirt).  She saw the same sky.  And she raised her family - happily.  Even away from what was her "normal" home.  SO - I can and will be happy!  And I'm happy to do so!  I wear her pajamas quite frequently.  Channeling her strength and love.  And it helps me when I'm sad.  But I'm happy here - and the family is too!

I think I'll take one of the aprons and start using it as a little "sisterhood of the traveling pants" ... but insert apron!  My sister just got called as R.S. President in So. Carolina.  She needs Grandma Sybil's apron to bring her strength.  I thought it would be fun to see where Sybil's apron gets sent throughout my family.

Grandma Sybil's apron.

We also got A FABULOUS SURPRISE Friday night!  Ava's best friend Kelty was in town!!  Their family lived next door to us and they have family in Mesa.  So Kelty's mom surprised us and was about 15 minutes away!!!  Ava was giddy!  So happy to see her that way!  They played all friday and saturday.

Kelty ...

And Ava:

And because my family is DYING to see where I live I give you ... (now - don't adjust your computer screens - this is BROWN you are seeing....)

My home.  Renting it until December.  It's a good home - not trashed - but just not my style.  But VERY lovely to live in really.

Oooo and I found that if you mix one part brown to 87,000 parts BLEACH ... the brown turns into RED, PINK, BLUE and YELLOW!!!!!!!!!  :)

Again - NONE of these are fixed for your loveliness.  They are SOOC.  Kitchen/tv area.  Love the wood floors.  CAN NOT STAND THE TILE!!!!

This is what you see as you walk in the house from the entryway. WHAT IN THE WORLD?  Seriously - this space... what do I do with it? Well - besides move those boxes into the already full  garage? :)  I think it's meant for a FORMAL dining and FORMAL sitting.  Hmmm.  Ohh well.  At least Oscar looks cute atop the loveseat.

Master.  Good space - GOOD LIGHT!!! Ohhh the plans I have for tomorrow!!!  

Wesley's room.  All put together.  We didn't bring about 1/2 of our belongings due to NO SPACE here.  So his cute barn armoire is in my sister's basement.  To be retrieved when we buy.

This is the room connected to that GIANT room that NO ONE knows what to do with.  A LOT OF TILE.  Did I mention that tile isn't my favorite. :)  It's clean.  But it's echoey.  This is my PARTIAL office.  Couldn't fit the other half of it.  So it's make shift.  With lots of things in boxes still.

Entry way - which is a FUN green w/ that wood floor I love.  Ava flittering by ... :)

Standing by the back door in the tv/family room looking into the kitchen. That wasn't staged.  OR cleaned for you.  I COME AS I AM! ;)  Ohhh and that is a picture of Grandma Sybil on that bottom shelf on the right.  :)

And my back yard.  I LOVE this space.  Although we are rarely out here because of the heat.  But I LOVE the green and the pretty things the owners planted by the back wall.  There's also a doggy door right there to the left and baby Maby climbs in and out ALL DAY LONG! :)  We'll have to put one in the house we buy for sure!

I have some other random pictures that April took of me (she's my FABULOUS DARLING FRIEND that only lives 15 minutes away ... the one I flew out to see Twilight with!  Oh and THANK YOU NEW MOON for having a BEAUTIFUL trailer!!)  But .... the pics were sized too small.  I'll have her send them to me bigger.  Last Monday we went to Scottsdale and went to the premiere of PAPER HEARTS!  A DARLING new film coming out August 6 with Michael Serra.  Ohhh it's SO cute!  And I LOVED going to a PREMIERE!  It will be our new thing... so I'll post pics of another one w/ APRIL.

So ... REALLY long post later... we are HAPPY HERE!  We DO miss family and friends - but we feel GOOD HERE!  Nate loves the heat and feels great here!  His new job will work out beautifully and this experience is starting to feel like home.  But mostly because Nate just came home w/ our new ARIZONA license plates and it hit me ... I live in Arizona.  :)  I'm happy to be here w/ my children and to be in charge of them and teaching them and showing them that they too can do hard things!  Thank you to everyone for your prayers and love and emails and threats ... LILLIAN!!! :) I'm excited to get back into photography here.  Found the GREATEST place to take Wesley's baptism pictures.  If only it was so FREAKING STEAMING HOT! ;)  But I need to get my hands busy doing that... it makes me happy to create.  To feel divine and strong and like a smart woman.  I love that.  That's what women SHOULD feel like.

Now... to get ready for the day.  It's only 2:00.  :)

APPARENTLY ....

...when you are getting ready to MOVE and you've changed your address in CERTAIN places ... but not OTHERS ... typepad doesn't like that and thinks that someone has HACKED into your account.  So they FREEZE your account and won't let you post for a moment... or a few days.  Huh ... who knew?

So - I have rectified the problem - have updated my records  (which will need to be RE-UPDATED in 2 days).  But alas, all is well.

This post is actually for my neice, Stefanie - who APPARENTLY (notice the word theme???) looks at my blog daily and is ANGRY when I don't post as often as I should.  Although she didn't THREATEN me, per se, I could SEE it in her belgium bound eyes.....So I told her I would rectify THAT problem as well and create a family blog named:  www.thisisalothoterthanutah.blogspot.com.  Don't you think??  Oh - and don't go trying to click on it - because I haven't created it yet.  :)

We pick up the BIIIIIIIIG GIANT UHAUL/BUDGET/RYDER (not sure which one Nate got) tomorrow morning.  We will then spend the remaining part of Tuesday trying to assemble the truck into something that is ever-so-brilliantly-organized-but-wont-be-because-it-will-make-us-more-angry.  Really this "moving" thing has turned into something MUCH more expensive and time consumming than one would actually think.  huh. 

Everyone is stressed out - everyone has had the flu (several times), including me w/ a cough that induced a slight pee everytime a cough was executed.  Ignore that boys who follow blog.  But MOMS ... you KNOW what I'm talking about!!!  It's as bad, if not WORSE than a trampoline.  You can say NO to a trampoline.  But a cough?  Nooooo - it just COMES ON!  Even Oscar the dog has anxiety over his new hair cut that makes him look like a cowardly lion (ohhh bless him!) and now sports a BLADDER infection.  yaaaaaaaaaaaaa.  It will be NICE to get there and BE there and not worry.

BUT  - there is also that part that makes me weep in the night thinking of leaving this life behind.  So I get up off the chair that is making me feel melancholy and I pretend to do work around the house.  WHEW - this house is spotless!  :) 

Tonight we had a GLORIOUS party at my sister's house (Lisa - the one below... LOVE HER!) Hamburgers, hotdogs, candy, DIET COKE (thaaaaaaank you!!!!) water (shooooooot ... that's what I SHOULD have!), lots and LOTS of candy (wood style, of course), sparklers, trampoline fun w/ dodge ball, football playing (ohh I TOTALLY played that... no), and GET THIS ... ROASTING marshmellows in her new fire pit in her driveway!  Ohh it was SO much fun.  Sadly, though, it was wash hair day.  So I will HAVE to smell like fire pit hair while we pack tomorrow.  Because you KNOW I can not waste brand new hair color on another wash so soon. :)  Ohhh you KNOW you know!

ANYWAY ... here are some QUICK snapshots.  And when I say SNAPSHOTS - I mean that in the realest of the real sense.  Other photographers will put "quick snappies" and you look at them and want to SLIT YOUR WRISTS because even their SNAP SHOTS out-do your finest work.  yaaaa - NO need to worry about that on these. ;)

 

You can completely see how this boy of mine feels right now.  A bit anxious - a bit excited ... but overwhelmed by what is ahead of him. I hope he feels strength as a family, too.

 

And THIS little muffin of the world... I LOVE this shot.  Completely underexposed ... I had it set for sparklers and she ran in the way - perfect little face - so you get to see it!  I'm sure she was just about to chuck that ice at some unsuspecting soul.

 

 

And THIS is why we don't have a current family picture... the oldest 2 no where to be found, baby maby SCREAMING at the top of her lungs holding onto a naked barbie doll, nate trying to be calm while she screams and me thinking that ALL will be WELL in 2 hours when she goes to bed ... :) :) :)  But realy I know that I'll have to wait SEVERAL years to get my OWN family picture. :)

 

Alright ... I've coughed myself into a hissy fit w/ close encounters of vomit because of it. :)  We're off to PHOENIX in 36 hours.  Everyone pray I don't beat the children senseless in the car.  Ooo - I mean .. everyone pray we arrive safe and SOUND.

Love you, Utah.