Up and Running

I am celebrating!! My studio has lights and electricity and is capable of having clients now!!! It is still a work in progress as I furnish it with backdrops and props and new computer, but hey we are progressing!! I am so excited. I took my first shots today. I did a couple of high key shots of Abby. Now I have to get all my seniors in for shoots and setting up lighting. I am so excited!

Business is going well right now. I have really enjoyed doing seniors this summer and fall, they are so much fun! School is also going well, but it is so busy. Our shooting schedule is full with new assignments on a daily basis. But I am learning lots of new stuff, and am really excited about the multimedia and digital color stuff. I did shoot some slide film last week. That was really fun! I forgot how much I love film. I want to try my hand at some infrared film here soon. I will let you know how that goes.

Oh, I also got to try out a lensbaby. It was a fun litte lens! I shot both slide film and digital with it. I will have to post some of those images here soon. In fact, I need to post a lot of images, I have been doing some fun stuff lately.

One more item for the to do list. . . .

Today at church I was really blessed and challenged. Our Sunday school lesson was on the parable of the master who entrusted his servants with talents. Two of the servants multiplied the talents they were given and one hid his in the ground. I pray that God will give me the wisdom and courage to multiply my talents (by telling people about Jesus). At school I often feel very isolated as a Christian, and often am not bold for Christ. I really have a desire to be bold for my faith, even if it means I will be ridiculed.

Well, I better go for now. I still have some chores left to do before the weekend is over.

Family

I am so thankful for my family. This week I haven't been able to spend much quality time with them. But today we went to church together and then to Grandma and Grandpa Carvers for dinner. We were able to visit with some of Chad's cousins we haven't seen in a year and a half. It was fun and the first time we have not been working for a while.

However, work was accomplished over the weekend. Chad gave up his whole Saturday for me and primed and painted my studio! Yippeeeeeeee! The end is in sight. I have been up editing all nights on nights I am home. And yesterday I shot a bunch of school assignments. I can't wait until I have free time again in my life. I want to spend it with my family! Only 8 months to go!!!

Three Weeks Down!!

Well, here it is Sunday night. I have completed three weeks of this semester!!! Yippeeeee! I have traveled six of 30 trips back and forth to Powell. I have to thank my good friend Kendra and her hubby Dusty for letting me stay with them in Cody a couple nights a week. I love you guys, thank you for all you do for me.

I also have to brag about how great my hubby and kids are. They are really sacrificing for me to go to school and I just am so grateful to have a family that is so supportive. I know the kids miss me when I am gone, and it gets lonely for me too, but we just keep saying "it is only nine months, we can do this" .

I am so tired this weekend. Chad and I were working all weekend on the studio. It is coming along. We got everything taped, mudded, sanded and textured this weekend! That is a huge praise. The speed of this project has been discouraging for me, but I am starting to see a light at the end of the tunnel. And we have learned a lot of good stuff by remodeling on our own! That wisdom should be shared in another blog.

Most of all, tonight as I sit here in the quiet (everyone is asleep but me) I am thankful for everything God has done for me and given to me and let me walk through. This is a tough year for our family, but God is using it to grow us. Sometimes I am stubborn and independent and think I can do everything on my own. But last week was hard, I missed my family, school was overwhelming, Chad and I were not connecting, and I was doubting everything I was doing. But God reminded me who I am. I am a His child, I was saved by His Son and I am to live for Him! And I never have to go it alone, He is always with me! Plus, God sent me some wonderful encouragers last week. This week I pray, I can be an encouragement to someone else! Thank you Jesus for always being with me.

Camping!!

What a fun way to end summer! After the kids and I started back to school, we went camping over the last long weekend of summer. The picture above was from a hike into West Ten Sleep Falls. You may notice Rae's splint. She broke her arm the second week of school! First broken bone in the family! Way to go Rae!

We spent the weekend with Mom Anita in her camper. The camper was really nice, but I still love tenting it! It was an exceptionally warm Labor Day Weekend in the mountains and we fully enjoyed it. We took a long hike into Lily Lake, well Anita Abby and I hiked it, Chad Aaron and Rae rode the four wheeler. Then on the way home we stopped by west Ten Sleep and hiked to the falls. I got some great images for the Gallery and even better ones of my family.

Aaron got to go fishing with Dad, Pepper got to pork out on camp food and we got to smell like camp fire for a couple days. It was awesome. Abby even serenaded us with some flute music, man she is coming along!