whose better than me today???

check this out...i grabbed this off my
Quitnet page~

My Stats:
Your Quit Date is: 5/5/2003 12:00:00 PM
Time Smoke-Free: 1705 days, 22 hours, 28 minutes and 39 seconds
Cigarettes NOT smoked: 34119
Lifetime Saved: 8 months, 20 days, 15 hours
Money Saved: $6,824.00

I quit smoking nearly 5 years ago!
Pretty amazing...Yay me! :)
On the anniversary day each month QuitNet
sends out a notice of accomplishment that
starts out..."Whose better than YOU today?!"
I like that....I like it ahlat (dumb & dumber)

Well, if you didn't notice, I posted a blog
late last night so check the one that's
just below when your done reading this one.

Today, I get to relax.
Gary and I have no plans. Feels so good.
Except that I almost feel like i must
be forgetting something....I MUST have to
be somewhere, right?
Nope, I triple checked. wheeeew!

I may dive into a new book that I got as
a gift from my friend Jacquie (notice that I
am beginning to capitalize for 2008!)
Anyway, it's called Chazown (pronounced
khaw-ZONE), from the Hebrew, meaning a dream,
revelation or vision...I'm intrigued!



Heck, I may save it for the plane...

My amaryllis bulb that I received from
Gary's mom on Thanksgiving had opened~
I think about a bloom a day this past week.
I missed the opening of each of them but
now it sure looks lovely... Thanks Bonnie!
I hate it when I'm too busy to even SEE
the flowers, let alone smell them!



Here's some fun from New Year's Eve at the
Airport Hilton in Bloomington, MN....

Check out the gorgeous ballroom at the Hilton!





Don Shelby was our Emcee for the night.



This is Kyle...he joined us this year.



Here's Kyle a couple years back at one of
the MiracleKids Triathlon in Chanhassen.
He was going through treatment at the time
and was attending the event as a VIP!!
I'm so glad you were there on New Year's Eve!



This is the gal that won the "birthday raffle" bike!



And the balloon drop at midnight!!

a twin passes...

I was lucky enough to get the call to
go to Minneapolis Children's Hospital last night.

I met an amazing family with twin girls
born on December 14th @ 23 weeks...pretty tiny.

One of the twins was just not strong enough.

They made the decision that at 7pm last night
she would be removed from life support.
Such a difficult scenario to witness to say at
the very least.

I was present before, during and after. That
little darling hung on for over an hour as if
to be certain that everyone would get the
chance to say good bye. so sweet, she was.

I met an amazing nurse there....her name is
Andrea. She was staying on well after her
shift to see this family through this
traumatic period as she has been their nurse
these past few weeks. I know I'll work with
her again someday. You were terrific Andrea!
Always smiling, always comforting.

Please take a moment to pray for this young
couple. Their other daughter remains at
Children's and is currently stable..doing well.

I have to confess that on my way down to
Children's I thought to myself that I should
maybe stop doing this. I'm not sure how
it is really effecting me...
But once I arrived and began to work with
the parents and discuss their wishes...
I realized that God has me in this position
for a reason and he has made me a strong servant.

For now, I will continue to serve as a NILMDTS
affiliate. I am grateful for the opportunity.

On to Gary....
The films show that Gary has a ruptured disc
between his C6 & C7.
We will travel to Arizona as planned and
return for some cortizone injections.
He's feeling better and his spirits are up.
I think he is really looking forward to a
change of venue...well, anything other that
the porch, really. :)

Dean & Lois, see you soon.
Scott & Jacquie, I will continue to pray for you
and Lucius...I'm so sorry.

As for those of you wanting to see some images
from New Year's Eve. I apologize to you all
for the delay. I'll be getting to them soon.

Enjoy the warm up!

wedding hairdo...

this morning i'm meeting with mandy.
she and mark are getting married next
saturday here in the twin cities.
i did their engagement photos almost
a YEAR ago!! wow!!







i'm giving her the foil of her life
today! (no pressure!) i will not be
creating her wedding hairdo the day
of the wedding but i'll be at the salon
where she's having it done. it looks
pretty cool!

jason, of staja studios, will be joining
me in exchange for assisting them in
northfield a couple of weeks ago.
i really think it's cool when photographers
get together and pitch in when you need a hand.

moving on...i've gotten many calls and
e-mails regarding gary in the past 2 hours...
he goes in for his "stand up" mri today
at about 2, from there we wait to see his
surgeon tomorrow morning for his recommendation.
going forward we ask for some devine healing.
anytime you feel the urge, pray for gary's
spine, C5 and his spirits, as he's been awful
down. perhaps even pray that he can get some
rest...he has not been ABLE to sleep much due
to the location of the pain.

he's decided that he needed an outing so he
got in the car and went to target to get
more meds...big outing! ;)

we'll know more tomorrow sometime.

thanks for your prayers and well wishes.

oh, p.s. my good friend jacquie and her family
just got bad news about lucius..their doberman.
he has cardio myopathy...terminal.





we all know what it's like to lose a family
pet and how devastating that is..please keep
them in your prayers as well.

love all people.

comin' in like a lion...

2008 is coming on strong.
another wedding booked,
web changes, more portraits for
january not to mention the images
that i shot this past week for
my non profit affiliation.
preparing to head to arizona on
monday...that's just me.

gary on the other hand is sitting
in the er at meathodist in hopkins.
i dropped him off at about 1 today.
he's waiting to see if the c5 pain
he is experiencing is only the c5.
gary is feeling numbness in his face
(left side) and his left arm.
all nerve related. he's pretty tough
most days but decided that he couldn't
wait one more day for an mri on is spine.
so up we went.

it is our plan to keep our travel plans
to arizona (dean & lois)...provided
that gary is up for it.

this is such a busy week for me that
i may not get to posting many images
from the past several days.
i'll get on it soon. but for now i am
going to take care of my boy and see
to it that he get's healthy...soon.

love and peace to all.

oh, and by the way...the wait to see a
doctor was 3+ hours so gary MADE me go
home and come back. i'll head out soon.
thanks for your prayers.

nicki, sorry to cut you off today...it
was just really crazy right when you called.
how about coffee on saturday instead???

happy new year 2008!

thank you...

i would like to take this opportunity
to thank all my clients and loyal readers
for allowing me to touch their lives this
past year, 2007 was amazing!
going forward into 2008 i pray that you all
experience health, spiritual & personal
growth as well as a life filled with love
and laughter.

if a time should occur in your life or in
the lives of those around you that you
feel requires timeless capturing, please
give me a call~it would be my pleasure
and honor to extend the joy to your worlds
beyond the moment.

whether this coming year brings us closer
together or places us apart know that you
can always pop by this blog and catch up anytime.
i welcome your comments, requests and ideas
as God unfolds another year for us all.

i am constantly inspired and encouraged by
all my friends in Christ and for that i am
so truly grateful.

tonight gary and i will be attending the
3rd annual Minnesota Miracle New Year's Eve
event at the airport Hilton in Bloomington.
please join us! here's some shots from last
year. Belinda Jensen was the emcee last year.
this year...Don Shelby.
and yes...that's John Randall from the Vikings.









God bless you all.
Happy New Year.

here's life inner city...

took megan to the train super early today.
well, for me anyway....plus we were up until
about 1 or so, that made for an early
morning! we will all miss her. even the cats!

i came home from st. paul this morning and
grabbed another hour of sleep before i
drove down to the mpls hilton for an outreach
event for here's life inner city and
john sather.

i've done some work for them in the past
and love to come along side that organization
and assist in archiving events for them.
this weekend marks about the 25th annual event
for a ton of college students that all come
together to share their faith with others.
today they set out on foot with boxes of
pantry staples to folks in need and perhaps lead
some of them to Christ by sharing the gospel.
i had NO idea that there would be so many
students..when i arrived to the 3rd floor
ballroom the music was intoxicating!
a live band on a HUGE stage playing contemporary
Christian music...i loved it. i quickly got
to work and photographed the worshiping of
Jesus then we moved on to churches throughout
the area (i was assigned to the marie sandvik
center on chicago & 11th).

there i met up with about 50 students that
were prepared to head out into the streets
of the phillips neighborhood, talk about
Christ and share the gospel all while on their
holiday break from college. pretty moving
considering that their class mates were off
skiing, working, sleeping etc...

we bundled up and set forth. i was there to
document their efforts and make sure that
the students had some fun too! ;)

came home and totally crashed! i have been
running all week. tonight we will stay in
and rest up for tomorrow's big new year's
eve bash at the airport hilton.

tickets still available...come on out!!!

running with megan..

what a day we had yesterday.
first, gary to the surgeon...
ran home, took hobie to the vet~
then megan and i ran to southdale
to shop at macy's and find boots
for her then we had to race back
to pick up hobie from the vet~
he's now poop free! :)
then megan and i got back in the car
and buzzed up to crystal to meet
with sergio (her good friend) and
his girlfriend wendy for a bite at
"el toro" in robinsdale...
sergio had to work last night so
it was a quick bite and off to
ridgedale to get the shoes that the
southdale macy's was out of stock on.
THEN i thought...wow, wouldn't it
be fun to introduce megan to von maur!
so we hit that place too and we both
picked up some lancome! we were nearly
shopped out...
the following are some highlights from
my camera as we both brought along
our cameras for the day. i nearly got
kicked out of the macy's at ridgedale
for taking pictures of shoes...yea, like
i'm going to, in my spare time, copy some
shoes and start another business...
megan and i just laughed! ;)





















today, it's off to the hilton to drop off
some things for the new year's eve event.
then....later we are to hook up with
sergio again and i also am going out
to excelsior to attend a belated "boxing day"
gathering at my brother & nicki's home.
looking forward to an outing with friends!

megan is taking the train back home in the
morning and i will be heading back downtown
to shoot an event at the mpls hilton from
10:30 to 4. megan is shooting a wedding on
new years eve and i'll be shooting the minnesota
miracle event at the airport hilton that night.
work, work, work...good thing we play hard!!

tigger point healing...

megan, tho' a terrific photographer
and friend has also turned out to be
healer as well.
last night, when she & i returned from
dinner (and skate buying..more on that
later), she talked to gary about
trigger points and they quickly
sat down on the porch and she located
one of them near his left shoulder
blade and started to go to work on
several. he slept really well last
night for the first time in weeks!
he & i are heading off in a minute to
see his surgeon who is coming off
vacation to meet with him.
for the first time, gary is hopeful
that it may NOT be rotator cuff after
all....thanks megan!
i'll add more to this when we get back.

2 sick boys...

first, gary....
miserable.
can't sleep, can't do anything,
can't get vicodin to work, can't
see his surgeon until the 31st.
i sat him down this morning and
handed him the phone and made him
call the office and request another
surgeon to see. he MUST be seen.
this is just awful. more later...
(he's on the phone with them now)

next, hobie.
the cat with a colon the size of
my forearm! poor thing.
we were at the vet yesterday to
see dr. ginger..2 enemas, some
sub-q fluids and some abdomen palpations
and nothing. nothing at the vet,
nothing overnight...back we go today.

my friend megan is here (from chicago)
visiting family west of here and is
having her mom drop her off here
around 10. can't wait to see her
and hang out with no weddings to shoot!
just some hangin', shopping, girl-time.

hope she knows that she's entering
the psych ward! YIKES!!
i gotta run...more later!

Christmas 2007...in the can.

well, it's really more of a "film" term
than a literal meaning...in that our
Christmas was really wonderful and we
topped it off with a little Christmas
fire last night. it was just gorgeous
out last night. calm, quiet, snowing
profusely...it was the perfect nightcap!
i hooked up my ipod and we sat and
listened to some classical music by the fire.
it was magical.







first we were at my sister's for Christmas Eve.





then to gary's brother's on Christmas day
for a delicious brunch and gift exchange.
gotta love this cat of theirs.."G"



i got bonnie a hillary nutcracker!~
it is a true, working nutcracker but i think
that she will keep it in the package as a
collector's piece! ;)



we left there a little earlier than expected
due to the snow that started to pile up.
and we even got another 3 inches after we
went to bed around midnight last night!
here's some shots from this morning!







nice talking to you last night dean & lois!

gary cannot get in to see his surgeon until
the afternoon of the 31st. bummer.
he'll get an mri prior..of that i am certain.
he's really struggling to keep it together.
his shoulder is in rough shape...pray for a
good outcome. thanks!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

everyone at austin images photography
would like to wish to those celebrating
Christ's birth today, a very Merry Christmas!
enjoy the day with family & friends~
and as you gather, remember that
Jesus IS the reason for the season!!

fun with jib jab...

i'll admit, i don't fall victim to
most things but this was too funny
and i wanted to introduce you to 3
kids that gary and i love down in
playa del carmen mexico.
i sent them the link and i'm postive
that they will think that their virtual
snowball fight is pretty cool!

Don't send a lame Holiday eCard. Try JibJab Sendables!

hi indiana, jose maria & talisman!! ;)

today we will meet up with a bunch of friends
at axel's in chanhassen. each Christmas eve day
they open the bar and take donations and donate
all tips to a local children's charity.
axel's has been purchased by another group and
will most likely not be able to do this in the
years to come...kind of a bummer! end of an era!

in any case, we love going there on Christmas eve
before heading off to all of our families homes.
it's become a chanhassen tradition. this year
we will pick up my mom and bring her along.
anne & pete don't live far from there so will
haul all the goodies with us in our sleigh and
have a Christmas "bump" on the way.

we got more snow yesterday and it blew around like
crazy and drifted quite a bit. definitely a
white Christmas this year!!!

here's pete on his birthday playing guitar zero...
seriously...love you man! :)



thanks jacquie for braving the crowds and shopping
with me yesterday, that was fun!

if i don't get the opportunity tomorrow...
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL OF YOU!!

Christmas eve, eve...

celebrated a little too much for my sister's
husband, pete's birthday last night.
gary and i decided to just stay the night.
we haven't had that much fun in a long
time! mostly siblings (minus mike & kindra).
first tim, laurie, gary and i met up at
mom's for a visit. that was so fun!

pete picked up his new car yesterday (on his birthday!).
black with tan interior...a 2006. nice!

we'll go back over there tomorrow afternoon.
the girls want me to sleep over tomorrow
night and do Christmas morning with them.
we're doing a brunch on Christmas day at
gary's brother's at 10:30....hmmm, can i
make it? i'm going to try. mom's going to too.

is it december or march?

we just got hit with a couple of inches
of heavy, wet march-like snow!
i simply gives Christmas a fresh coat!







here's a few shots from the other night at
ron & cindy's for a little get together..

our perfectly prepared welcome drink.
(ron always does some special drink
to hand out when you arrive!)



little will enjoying his thomas the
tank engine gift from r&c



ron doing his version of "solja boy"...



reggie got in the action too..




oh, and i hit the galaria with nicki yesterday
and picked up a little somthin'somnthin' for
myself...merry Christmas to me! ;)




do NOT get stressed out today!

(HAPPY BIRTHDAY PETE!!!)

last minute shopping...

anne & nicki are going to pick me up
around 10 today to head out and throw
ourselves to the wolves!
ordinarily i would say "let's just
slit our wrists and get it over with!"
but today i think it will be more fun
than work.

ya see, i'm done shopping and just
simply want to bop around the southdale
area and the galaria. it'll be festive
and alive and i could use that right
about now. i'be been in the house working
for too long and need to get out!

alright...i just got off the phone with
anne and she is up to her double d's in
wrapping gifts. it's the only time
she can haul the hidden treasures out
and get 'em under the tree so the kids
don't get a glimpse. i told her to relax
and get it done..no worries.
guess i'd better call nicki and change
the plan for the day.

here' ben (anne's oldest) giving me a
bed jump when i stopped over the other night.



baby eva...sheena's niece's daughter



frost from the other day...so beautiful!



momf board member gift boxes that i put
together the other day. inside each one
is a gift card for a portrait session.
thanks karen!



have i mentioned lately how much i absolutely
LOVE my iphone!???

gotta run...

byog...

apparently a new surveillance study
shows that you might want to bring
own glassware on your next hotel visit.
this is super gross!

okay, today is my last hair day for 2007.
i'll be out tomorrow and returning on the
2nd of january. gosh, that even feels good
to type! :)
what will i be doing you ask?
well, i may simply re-introduce myself to
my husband for starters, then move into
a cleaning mode for a day or two.
oh, and my sister (anne) & nicki and i are
going to throw ourselves in the middle
of all the madness of the holiday shoppers
and hit a few stores tomorrow. fun, fun, fun!

my reshoot went really great yesterday and
i dropped of my so cute boxes with the gift
certificates in them to the momf office for
their board meeting. i can't load any photos
on right now in that i have an extra external
hard drive hooked up to my monitor where i
plug my card reader so it'll have to wait.

i'm off to the gym to have sherri kick my butt
again today.

tonight our friends ron & cindy are hosting a
holiday party so we'll walk down there tonight
for a really much needed relaxing evening
of visiting! see you there jacquie!

mom, where are you??? at the casino??? ;)

poor air quality alert in minnesota!

yesterday and today have proven to be
quite strange...warm, muggy and low
lying clouds which is making the air
quality pretty bad. i'm inside most days
but i guess it's really awful out.

i'll be heading over to the momf
board meeting today to bestow some
portrait gift certificates for the
board members..14 in all.
this is a gift from the foundation.

relaxing tonight with a fire.
didn't get around to it last night
had to watch the finale of the
biggest loser!

gary's niece, mariko, who graduated
last spring from usc film school just
got word that she got the job as the
1st assistant at the ant farm in los
angeles! best movie trailer maker
around...she's pretty excited!!
kudos girl!!

woops!

okay, i must be really losing it now.
i've come down to the computer this
morning in my snowflake grandma pants and
i have my big fat hobie in my lap and i
just realizes that i'm drinking yesterday's
coffee....i never set my pot to go off today.
not good.

busy, busy, busy hair day today.....
and again tomorrow as well and a re-shoot
for a colleague of a friend of mine. yay!
the week is really rolling and i've not
got too much time to sit here.
besides, i have to go make a fresh pot of
coffee!
have a great day!
these next few blogs may be short.

peace.

congrats to anne...

yesterday marked my sister's 9th month
of not smoking! way to go anne!!
i knew you could do this!

mom is doing great in her new condo.
i've got to get back over there
this week and visit!!! :)

nicki's hair turned out fab yesterday
i forgot to take a photo in that
i needed to go back and adjust the
color so we ran long and she needed
to get going....next time i see her
i'll snap a photo.

today i ran my tail off.
first at the gym with Sherri (trainer)
then all over the city to complete
the Christmas 2007 shopping season.
It's so nice having monday's off.
you could not PAY me to hit the stores
on the weekends!

question for you......
as i was out today getting some
personal items as well i noticed
that you can't even BUY a plain tooth
brush anymore...when did that happen.
when did teeth get so complicated? :)

got my new iphone today too and it's
all set...same #. this thing is "all that",
aMAZing! and the real beauty part is that
i can actually read it with my aging eyes!
i can now watch a movie while on the
elliptical machine! not to mention
get e-mail on the fly and web access.
i'm really getting behind with the blogging
and i apologize.
i have to get back to the vikings game now
and see how they are doing.

enjoy the balmy temps!