The Treat of the Trade

Unless you follow me on Instagram will you ever see me use a hashtag. That is also the only place I talk about my husbands job. The only place i see other women in the same boat as me. I understand his line of work and why he chooses to do it. Its something he has been doing since he was 18. I met him in 2006 and he was doing this line of work. So when the oilfield crashed in late 2007 and he was out of work, I understood then how this line of work affected the men and women of this industry. He waited until our son was old enough to understand that dads job required him to be out of town. A LOT. Away from Saturday mornings, from birthdays and holidays, away from seeing some first happen. We all had to adapt to a lifestyle that had him gone more than it has him home. It gave me a greater appreciation for all the military spouses that patiently wait for that 2 minute phone call. It made me appreciate more all the single moms I know. Because I have to be a single mom 14-21 days out ...

I've never really been a HUGE Valentine celebrator. Even more so now that the hubby works out of town and is gone for this "holiday". That in my opinion is highly over-rated. But whatevs. I got the kids a card and we went out to lunch. I got leftover candy and hugs. Best day ever :) Why do we need a certain day set aside to buy flowers, candy and a card? You know what I love about my love with my husband? We do those kinds of things (minus the flowers...cause I'm horrible at keeping them alive and to me its a HUGE waste of money for something that will just die) through out the year. We have our date nights, movie nights in, lunch dates, he cleans the house, he cooks dinner, takes the kids to school and piano just to give me a break when he's home. Yup, best husband ever. Hes been there through some of my pretty rough moments over the years as I dealt with some health issues and hair loss, and he never once skipped a beat in loving me and taking great care of me...

i have always had an interest in photography. i have always wanted to carry a camera with me every where i go. And most of the time i think i will just remember what my eyes see. Forever. And i don't always remember. I want to capture things, in case one day, my son wants to see the world the way i saw the world. the way i saw him growing up. that is really all i have done is capture him over the years. but i have always wanted to turn that hobby into a part time job. a job that allows me to help families capture what they cant. moms aren't always in the pictures. so i want to make it my job and have moms in the pictures with their families.  I started my business in October of 2014 and since then I have captured a wedding, beautiful children, families, an engagement session and of course the countless pictures of my kids. we took Jill's 8th grade pics to a whole new level this year. and i cant wait to capture her high school years. i have 2 more weddings, an engagement...

Today I found myself at the Rail Road tracks. The same tracks my dad would make it a point to drive by in hopes we would get stopped by a train. The same tracks i had pictures taken on after my divorce. And today I was there with a dear friend. We laughed.We cried. And as she takes on this new long and scary road in life I am reminded that the tracks take the old and the new. You can walk it in hopes it will take you to new places. You can hop a train in hopes it could take you back to where it was all comfortable once before. I look at the place. The place where i had so many memories flood me today. And I made it a point after taking her pictures so sit and get stopped by a train. So i could sit and finish crying with her in silence and have some tears of my own. And finish laughing at what her and I thought was funny and then had some laughs of my own. Then I just finished sitting there in a much needed silence. I needed to clear my head. I needed to sit and listen to the loud train...

i do everything in my power to keep this house germ free. Lysol. clorox wipes. I wash bedding in hot water. i exhaust myself deep cleaning the house 2 days a week. YES you read that right. 2 days a week. i try my hardest to keep the kids in a little bubble of well during the cold and flu season and up until this year we have gone 4 years with NO flu! but Jaxon was hit with a 12 hour stomach bug a few weeks back that sent him home from school and came with a low grade fever. after a quick run to the local pharmacy, lots of rest, soup and crackers, plenty of fluids he was himself again. 12 hours that thing lasted and we kicked its butt outta here. 3 weeks later i get a fever of 102.5. came with body aches, bone chilling chills and weakness. a cool shower, plenty of Tylenol and fluids later i was done with what lasted an eternity in my mind, only lasted 12 hours. so i convinced myself that had I only deep cleaned the house once a week we would have 24 hour bugs, but i do it twice a week a...

My last post was in October when we went to the pumpkin patch! Its amazing how quickly the days can go by. We had a fun Halloween and a great Thanksgiving. The kids are kicking butt in school and orchestra and piano. Jaxon and Jessie are taking piano lessons this year and next. Jaxon has been so musically inclined since he was 2. It was time to get him some lessons. We are firm believers that this also helps them with school. But then again, we do have some pretty smart kiddos :) My Christmas shopping and wrapping is complete. I did all this before the big "Christmas Bonus" hit. And for that I am so proud. We can add to the savings account going into the new year. Speaking of the new year..... I need to get busy on that list I always make but never do anything with.... HAPPY SUNDAY!

  My famous pumpkin patch pictures, I told the kids this year might be the last year and they said NOOO! So i guess we will be doing this into their adulthood :) Jessie. Growing like a weed....errr pumpkin!   Jill is looking so mature!   All three. Annual Fall photo for the Johnson household and for great-grandma!   Love the colors in this!   My nephew came along for some photos! Hes 10 months old and full of curiosity!   He was more interested in eating the hay than smiling for pictures! Any way he could sneak it, he would! MOM!! I WAS EATING THAT!! There is nothing wrong with a little hay, right? HAPPY WEDNESDAY and HAPPY FALL!