The Mountain.

Have you ever stood on top of a mountain? Looked out to see all God's Glory on display? I have. Once in summer church camp we took a hike up to the highest part of the trail on the mountain and we could see the world from up there...okay maybe not the world but certainly a lot of the forest and 3 crystal clear lakes that seemed to be untouched by human existence. It was so gorgeous. Peaceful and serene. But getting there that was another story!
   We hiked for about 2 hours. Traversing huge rocks and ducking under fallen trees and a few times the trail went too close to the edge for comfort. We were constantly on the look out for mountain lions and bears. It was a regular wizard of oz experience..Lions and Tigers and Bears OH MY! okay without the tigers, but you get the picture. Our Leader just kept saying, it will be worth it when you get to the top. 
   A few times we questioned if "the top" really existed or if this was just some ploy to get us out of the rec hall and into nature! "Just keep going, were almost there" he'd say encouragingly. At a high altitude that none of us were accustomed to we stopped a few times and every time there were one or two people saying, "Go one without us, were just too tired to go." A few asked if we were lost and going in circles. 
     Then at long last, there it was. THE TOP. It was everything He promised and more. And though the climb was grueling to say the least, it was all worth it in the end.
   Sometimes life is like a trek up the mountain. There are dangers along the way and often time it ventures too close to the edge. But if you just keep pressing through, You'll find the whole world laid out in front of you, at the top. 

Survivng the TDY

Do I dare try to catch up? How about the highlights?

Fall Festival
I volunteered to set up a photobooth at erik's school fall festival. it was tons of work, but also kinda fun. Everyone seemed to like their pictures and the school made a decent amount on it.

Electrical Issue
saturday morning I was cleaning up. Went to use my vacuum cleaner and it didn't turn on all the way, then the microwave blew up...litterally. It turned into a huge and pretty dangerous electrical problem called a floating neutral. my father in law jumped in the car, made the 4 hour trip to come fix it. By sunday mid morning all was well after a few new breakers and a new outlet installed...it did cost me a microwave though. Going from a really nice $160  mircrowave to a $60 hotel special...sucked. But I'll live.

Photoshoot
   I had the honor of taking Lori and David's engagement photos in Santa Clarita. The kids had to go with me and drive me NUTS the whole time, and i dropped my phone towards the end of the shoot and...

Phone broke
Broke my phone. That sucks. THe screen is shattered, and everytime i touch it more pieces of glass fall off...

cake smash
Monday morning I had an appointment with a client ive known since she was 9 days new. Little Remi. It was time for her cake smash. Man this year went by so fast!! Unfortunately we weren't able to make it to her party because we were all quite sick.

kids are sick
The kids started showing signs of being sick, runny noses, sore throats and little coughs

pumpkin carving
BUT we carved pumpkins anyway and went trick or treating with Erik's friend Dade and his family.

halloween parade/trick or treating
Erik's school had a costume parade, It felt about fifty degrees below zero outside. But all the kids were pretty cute. Some made me shake my head at parents these days...but most were pretty tasteful.

skype with the be-fri dude
I spent the rest of the weekend recovering. Then saturday I surprised my BE-FRI Dude by attending her Bridal shower in PA via skype! She cried, which we all know is the most flattering surprise reaction there is!. It was sooo nice to see everyone and be apart of the festivites! Def the highlight of this month! I can't wait to see her in 26 days!!

epic desert shoot.
saturday night I had the most epic shoot ever! Beautiful model, and her loving and wonderful mother. Gorgeous desert sunset. I loved everything about it.

Welp. that brings me to today. I feel like death...not even warmed over...just death. lol. I'm going to put the kids in bed. have one MORE mikes hard lemonade...and then hit the hay. I spent last night tending to one child puking, who slept in my bed and i slept on the couch with the other childs feet in my spine pushing me off the couch...needless to say im tired.
Lets hope tomorrow brings a better day. The house still needs cleaned...like really really cleaned. The lunch still needs packed and clothes laid out. SO my work for tonight is far from done. But there is only 3 more days until my love comes home. I can't wait!

bathtub water

When all is said and done, and my daughter is clean from head to toe, we turn the shower water off and say, "Time to get out!" To which she responds with a resounding, "NO!" and lays down in the last quarter inch of water that is making it's way down the drain.
   She wants to soak up every single last drop of the goodness. Can I blame her? No. When we all find a good thing we hold on until every single bit of it is gone. Even then we don't want to admit that there's nothing left. The last bite of ice cream. The last hour of sunshine. The last 3 minutes before our alarm goes off (even though we are already awake). The last of the baby months, the last year before they leave for college. (it's only a blink between the two)
   As much as I want to pick her up and dry her off while explaining that I don't have all day for her to lay in the tub because there are too many chores left to do and not enough time left to do them....I will let her lay there. Soak it all in little baby. Hold on tight to those warm droplets. Even when they are gone, don't get up. Just close your eyes, just for one minute and hold on to how it all felt. Too soon the water will turn cold.