Just look UP!

Lately I feel like my head has been in the clouds. (Ok, no pun intended here... ) Life comes at you at funny angles sometimes but I'm learning that it's mostly the position you choose to carry your head that makes all the difference in the world. When in doubt... just look UP!

This picture is one that didn't go 100% the way I wanted it to. As you can see, my daughters expression lacks luster. She was pretty much over the whole photo shoot outing. I saw her just kneeling there (wanting so badly to be DONE) and then I saw those CLOUDS! Wow. They were blowing by so fast that I only had a few frames to capture them. This is what I ended up with. Expression on Sophia's face is kinda sad.. but those clouds make me so so happy.

xoxoxoxoxox

Shattered!

So, I threw up a little in my mouth after this one! GOOOOOOD LORD! I almost died!

Let me preface this one a bit before you scroll down to the very very graphic photo..... {beware}

Ok, so we were at Disneyland. Everything is WONDERFUL. Having a blastidy-blast~
No lines, perfect weather, happy kids, not a care in the world. What could go wrong?

As we make our way to the Small World ride, my young 2 year old son is very excited to board the boat. Because Lukas is still just a little guy, he of course needs my help getting into the boat. I have my camera in my camera bag, slung over my shoulder. Lukas makes a very fast excitable move to jump into the boat, so I quickly have to bend down to grab his hand and make sure he doesn't fall in. As I do this, my camera bad slumps off of my shoulder down to my elbow and slams to the floor of the boat.
Taking a deep breath........ stomach getting a little nauseated... hands kinda feeling sweaty and shakey... I know this did NOT sound good.
Trying not to make a scene, I muster up as much composure as I possibly can and reach into my bag to find THIS!!!!
W A R N I N G!!!
GRAPHIC MATERIAL ENCLOSED!
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{Vomiting occurring right about.... NOW!}

AAH!!!!!! As you can see, the image on the left is very graphic!!!! I'm so sorry you had to see this!
The picture on the right???
WHAT A RELIEF!!!!!!!
I have NEVER been more grateful to have a UV filter on my big fat 17-55mm lens in all my life!!!
Not only does (did) this filter improve the quality of my images, it saved me a TON of money. Had I not had it on my lens, my lens would've been destroyed. The filter allowed juuust enough room between itself and my actual lens glass. Not even a scratch on my lens!!! Now, I'm not suggesting that filters will prevent epic failures from ever occurring, but.... in my case.... it certainly did.
WHEW!
Once the blood/color came back into my face and limbs, I was able to enjoy the rest of our Disneyland trip with my family.

btw. Nooo, that is not dust all over the filter. It's glass fragments. I would never treat my baby so cruel. ;o) LOL
xoxox

A Toy Story.....

Things have changed for my little man. He's learning to adjust to his big sister being at school for 6 hours of his day. Although he is not liking it.... he's adapting. He's also (what seems like for the 100th time....) potty training. Uuuuuuuugh! This has been painful for the both of us! Miss Sophia seemed SO much easier to potty train for the most part. She was using the potty regularly by her 1st b-day! Can you say,
H -E- A- V- E- N?
Anyway.....
A big perk to having Sophia at school for a good chunk of the day is that Lukas and I do have our own special time together now. This is something I look forward to each day. Not that I like being without Sophia.. but... you know... just one on one time. I love laying on the floor with little man while he plays with his cars, trucks, action figures... etc. I can see the gears moving in that little head of his. His eyes are so expressive. Such a wonderful view to his soul. I am SO completely blessed to be able to be home with my children. How truly awesome is it to be able to be there for all of your child's "firsts" & all the in betweens? I am so very grateful for this time.

Here is a glimpse of today's hang out with the little man.
xoxox

Time out!

Well, I'm not sure if I have any readers left out there... but if I do... THANK YOU! I'm still in the middle of chaos, but there is a lull on it's way I'm quite certain! Between vacations, school, a bazillion photo sessions (which I am ever so grateful for!!!), family functions, and regular day to day routines and schedules... time just gets away from me! I know most of you know exactly how that feels. On one hand you wish there were more hours in the day because the day flies by... but on the other hand, if there were more hours in the day, you'd probably just fill them up with more work and tedious errands. lol

I'm so looking forward to Fall! It just seems like the change of season makes everything slow down a touch. Today was technically the first day of fall, but at almost 101 degrees outside today... it was a faaaaar cry from that! Once the weather shifts and colors start to change, I'm sure there will be many photo opportunities and projects brewing. I'm looking forward to making some new changes and hopefully thrusting myself out there more with my work. Should be fun! (stay tuned)

Anyway.. thanks so much for those of you who keep following my blog. I hate that it's been so long between posts. Honestly.... I do. Please don't give up on me! :O)

Our family has been on the go go go for months now. This image pretty much sums the toll it's taking on everyone. :O) I wish I were in that picture napping! lol

Mind the Gap..

Ok..I know I know I know... I am SO far behind with posting to my blog. I just can't seem to wrap my head around all of the changes that are coming my way. In some cases, feels more like THROWN my way. I'm just rolling with it and trying to do my best. I hope you guys don't give up on me. I really do value you stopping by and leaving me blog love. Oooh how I love my blog love.

Sooooo. We will just flash forward to the most recent stuff. I'll back track when I have a moment to catch my breath.
I simply cannot believe that my daughter turned 6 at the end of July. WHAT? She's a 1st grader now? Un-be-lievable. I can't say she's too excited about the transition though. 1st grade is TOUGH! How do you go from going to school for 3 hours a day in kindergarten, to 6 hours the following year. Not to mention...... my daughter has 35 kids in her class!!!! Wooah. I'm so not diggin' that. Needless to say, she's overwhelmed and I do not blame her one bit.
All of the changes have no doubt effected Sophia's personality. I think she's frustrated with longer days, too many peers, different teachers certain days of the week, and being away from me a lot longer than she's used to. She's been grumpy, sad, and anxious. What a roller coaster. I'm trying to do my best to remain patient and together. It's been challenging to say the least. I hope and pray for better days. Right now things are a little upside down for us. It's all about adjusting our sails and moving in the direction that brings us success. We shall see how this pans out.

Anyway. There was some excitement this last Sunday. Sophia lost her first tooth! YUCK! I don't know about you but loose teeth give me the creeps! I can handle blood. I can handle a lot really.. but something about a tooth wiggling around making all kinds of gross squishy noises plucks at my raw nerves. EWW EWW EWW. The tooth was not "that" loose the week prior, but Sophia was determined to force that sucker out of her gums! I have NO idea why.. but.. she just kept pulling on it forcefully and the more it moved the more excited she got! Then.... finally... the final pop and she had a gap!! She didn't cry or freak out. She just danced around and grinned from ear to ear. So proud of her new smile. She felt she had grown a little older when her tooth came out because "only big kids lose their teeth mommy!". She was THRILLED and happily posed for my camera! It's great to see her smile... especially with having such a rough week prior.

Thanks for coming by you guys. I promise I will post more frequent soon. SO much on my plate. Just trying to sift through it all and organize my thoughts. Bare with me.

Well, a blog post isn't complete without an image... so.. here you go!

When friends become clients.....

....a shoot becomes twice as much fun!
Meet the "P" family. Who would've ever guessed that the neighbors two doors down would become such great friends of mine? It's been almost 5 years now that I've known the P family, and we have FINALLY done an actual family photo session!! YIPPEE!
Check out the love this family oozes for one another. Nothing makes my heart happier than seeing a couple and their children so truly successful as a family unit. I admire and adore these guys!
Thank you guys SO much for believing in me and my work/passion. It means the world to me.
Hope you guys love your photos!
{hugs}
xoxo

FREE LENS!!?? OH MY!!

Hey you guys! Ok, I just had to blog this because it's a super super chance to get your hands on a free.. yep... FREE lens!!! Hop on over to mcpactions.com and find out how YOU can enter! I'm all over this one gang! Good luck to you photog fanatics!


Oh.. and um... I will be posting some pix very soon. Summertime fun has kept me pretty busy with family functions etc. but I will get on track asap!!!

Hugs and kisses!
J

Adventures in.....

Puppy-sitting!
Meet Oscar. This little package of energy is just TOO much cuteness for one to take! Just a little over 11 weeks old now, Oscar melted our hearts in a matter of seconds! The kids had a blast running around with him. By the end of the day, everyone was exhausted.
It was a good time had by all..... minus the chewed hole in my screen door. But hey! I learned how to change out a screen all by myself! I'm quite proud of my new skill. Thank you Stacie for showing me how to do that! You rock girl!!! ;O)
We miss Oscar, but are happy to be good friends with his owners. A play-date is only a phone call away!
xoxox

Wonder pup!

Who says dogs don't smile?

They also make little girls smile too!

A big red couch......

.... and a beautiful family!
Well, this family and I have shot together for over a year now. From their youngest son's 1 year shoot, to Stacie's maternity pix with her 4th child, to the birth of their beautiful daughter, her newborn pictures, 3 month shoot and 6th month shoot (coming soon to the blog as well) to this adorable family shoot! I must say that Stacie and Gabe have such an amazing family. They seriously glow with love for one another. Their sons are always polite and charming, and their new daughter.... sweet as a can be! I just love hanging out with this family. Not only are they fun to photograph, they are also becoming good friends of mine.

Thanks for continually trusting my work you guys!
xo

This one absolutely cracks me up! Makes me laugh each time I look at it!

Hammin' it up....

In April, I had the wonderful experience of hanging out with Jeremy and Shannon. These two were SO fun to photograph. Shannon has the most free spirited attitude and an infectious laugh to go with it! She was so laid back and mellow throughout the day. Jeremy... Jeremy is such a gentleman. The way he looks at his wife.... wow. You can certainly see the sparks fly and chemicals react! They are SO cute together.
Shannon and Jeremy... Happy 6th Anniversary. I wish you a lifetime full of happiness and wonderful memories.
Thanks for letting me capture you being.... YOU!

Meeting Jo

Oh-my-GOSH! It has been crazy busy around the Krzyzek household lately. My apologies for not keeping my blog updated. It was not intentional.

Whew! Now that my head is above water, I'm going to take a little time to catch up on some of my most recent shoots.

Meet Jo...

This little cutie pie turned "1" in March. *(yes.. I know, I said MARCH! how sad is it that I'm that behind huh?) Anyway. This big brown eyed handsome boy and his family were soooo much fun to spend the day with.
Thank you Amanda, KC, and Jo!

Fast asleep after a big day.....

It was no joke......

THIS.... is NO WAY to start off your day!!! Not to mention, it was April Fools day. Certainly no laughing matter. How could I forget such a thing? How could I forget to replenish my stash of coffee with the numerous trips out the day prior???

(warning: disturbing image below)

This truly messes with my happiness.......

It's early, kids aren't dressed, nor are they yet fully awake. I certainly am not pulled together for an early run to the store.... so what's a girl to do? I sit down in front of my computer and express my utter disgust to anyone who will listen, on Facebook. Before I know it, I have a very kind and sympathetic audience chiming in commenting on how they feel my pain and suffering..... so much so that within about 45 minutes from my first post, the most AMAZING thing happened.
I hear my door bell ring! I stumble to my front door and open the door.... I've been Ding Dong Ditched!!!! But there... sitting in all it's glory, glowing radiant beams of sunshine is......
THIS!!!!

I squealed out the most kid like giggle EVER! My daughter baffled by such behavior over a bag of "smelly dirt" as she calls it. Nothing could bring me down now.... nothing. Sporting my very fancy pajamas, messy hair, and bare feet, I step out onto my porch to embrace the little bundle of joy that had been left for me in my desperate hour(s) of need.

Aaaaaah!
The aroma! The sounds of my coffee machine hard at work making me my "morning essence". I swear to you... I heard angels singing!!! Angels I tell ya!!!!

Oooooooooooooooooooh Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

Complete and total HAPPINESS!!!!

Feeling life enter into my bloodstream!
"Today is going to be a great day afterall! For me AND my children!!!", I exclaimed aloud!
The beast within had been tamed.

Thank you SO much to my fantastic neighbor and friends C & J!!!! O M G!!! You have completely made my entire week. I got the biggest kick out of your ever so kind gesture!!
Thanks for the JOLT! You guys ROCK!!!!!
Man... I love my neighborhood!!
(I {heart} facebook too! who knew that it could bring such happiness right to my doorstep!!?? Maybe I will leave a message that I'm out of CASH and WINE too! See what happens then! LOL)

XOXOXOXOX

Perspective

"so go ahead. fall down. the world looks different from the ground."
Oprah Winfrey

Under the weather....

There should be "caution" tape around the parameter of our home. Everyone here has been so sick. It first started with my husband and I. 24 hours (or so) of the stomach flu. Vomiting, body aches so bad it felt like poison surging through our veins. Good times. Then it was Sophia's turn to be sick. She got lucky and did NOT get the stomach flu, but instead a lovely cough and very painful ear infection. She healed SUPER fast though and was back to her cantankerous self. She's my tough one. She hasn't the time to be ill. Too many things to do!

Bringing up the rear of all of the sickness is our little guy Lukas. It's always sad when any of your kids are sick, but when your baby is sick, it is even more heartbreaking. The fact that they cannot tell you EXACTLY how they feel or where it hurts is the part that makes me the most sad. Lukas' symptoms just came on so rapidly. BOOM! In the wee hours of the night, the screams came from his room. "ears not working! owie" and "ears broken... fix it mommy!" Fever, chills, earache, cough, congestion. BLAH! A trip to the doc the next a.m, and sho-nuff... a big fat ear infection and fluid on the eardrum. No doubt Lukas was miserable. It's funny though, Lukas still remains SO sweet even while sick. Giving him his doses of his medicine wasn't the easiest task, but he still tried his hardest to use his manners. "no thank you mommy. that med-cin taste yucky. you have it." or "uuuum. no that's ok mommy. i take a nap."
He cracks me up. Such a sweetheart and gentleman under even the worst condition.

Well, we are nearing the tail end of the "ick" that has taken over our home. Time to air it out and sanitize EVERYTHING. Looking forward to getting back into the groove!

I leave you with a picture of my little man while he was not feeling so well. It's a rather special picture to me because this image is the last time he actually needed/used his pacifier!!! With his cold and cough, he learned to adjust to not using it. Ahhh! I'm glad he has kicked that habit, but it's still a little sad to see he's not such a "baby" anymore.

xoxox

Monday Monday......

Aaaaah Monday. Nothing like staring down the beginning of a new week! Fresh clean slate to try again or try something new. Either way here's to Monday!