Photo Shoot @ White Sands

Senior Pics

Anyone that knows me knows that I love to take pictures.  Last year, Echo dropped my good camera and it no longer focuses. I’ve been making do with my camera phone and the odd disposable, but Mikal Jade is a SENIOR. That means SENIOR PICS! Yikes… For the first time in my life I had to hire someone else to take pictures of my kids! *gulp* (School portraits don’t count!) Luckily, I have connections.

Ana has been an online friend for years. She started a photography business and I love her style. It also fits Mikal Jade well… very sweet and girly! We met her at White Sands on Saturday and had such an awesome time. I took this picture after Ana finished doing her thing. (Thanks a lot for using all the good light!) I can’t wait to see the shots that she took!

As usual, I made all of my kids jump. Ana was a great sport and jumped for me as well. Naturally, Echo had to get in the action and it ended up looking like he was holding her be the hair.

Echo and Ana

The best shot I got was probably of AB. Man that kid can jump!

Jump!

Little Bear Fire

Butterfly is in a softball tournament this weekend in Ruidoso, New Mexico. It is a nice change of pace for us to get out of town and into the mountains. Her first game was at 1:00. After the game we went to the hotel, took a nap and grabbed a bite to eat. Around 4:30 we headed back to the ball park. Mike noticed a little cloud of smoke in the air. It took almost fifteen minutes to get to the field and in that time the smoke had grown from a little cloud to an impressive column.

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Her second game was at 7:00. By the time we left, smoke had filled the sky and flames were visible. The fire, which was started by lightning on Monday, grew from 100 acres this morning to almost 2,000 by the end of the day. Even though it is destructive and dangerous, it is also unbelievably beautiful. The only camera I have with me is my phone, so the photos aren’t great. But I was grateful to be able to document it in some small way.

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The kids were impressed with the fire and the sky. We will go buy some disposable cameras tomorrow and take some more pictures. The news said that they are expecting it to get much bigger overnight!

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Little Bear Fire on flickr: set | slideshow

A sense of accomplishment

Technically, I’m not done yet. I still need to take a science lab over the summer, but other than that I’m done with my BA in Sociology (Minor in Anthropology). Since there is no commencement ceremony for summer graduates, I got to walk with the spring class. I’m taking three classes this summer and will start graduate school in the fall. Grades were posted today and I am more than a little relieved. I was sure that I was going to get a B in my Social Research: Methods class.

Grades: Spring 2012

In other news, I got a job.  Work during the day, school at night and five kids still at home. It’s funny… You wouldn’t believe how much crap I’ve had to listen to over the years because I was a stay at home mom. Everyone acts like I don’t do anything. Now that I’m working, I get to hear about all the stuff I don’t do anymore because I am at work. Figures. Can’t win for losing! Seriously, though, it is a big adjustment and not just for everyone else. I feel a little guilty because I really like working and getting paid for it is even better.

We are busier than ever. Butterfly is still in softball and plays one or two games a week. This weekend she is in a tournament and Mike is entering another chile cook off.  I’m tired, but happy… and so grateful to everyone who has supported me since I returned to school. It has been a lot of work, but so worth it.

Champions

first place!

Saturday was our 15 year anniversary. We celebrated at the annual red chile meat cook off at the Beverly Hills Hall. Mike and his brother entered the competition (their first time competing) and won first place!  Their red chile was the bomb. They ran out of food at the end and people were literally scraping the inside of the pot with tortillas, it was THAT good! Great job guys…

More pictures on flickr.

strangers

Everyone Needs to Eat

I ran into this guy (Mark) in the parking lot of Walgreens. He was wearing a full body Scooby Doo suit and I asked him for a photo. He was very proud of the fact that he had been featured in four newspapers and one magazine. He just got into town from Albuquerque, looking for warmer weather. I gave him a few dollars and he said he was going to Wendy’s to buy some food. This morning his photo (taken in the Wendy’s parking lot!) was in the Sun News. I guess that brings his total to FIVE newspapers.

“Scooby Doo fanatic Mark Kammerdiener, 45, shares a moment with his dog, Buddy, on Monday as they sit in the Wendy’s parking lot off of Walton. Kammerdiener, who has been homeless and traveling for more than 20 years, has sported his costume every day for the past three years. “I make people smile when people see me. Do you know how many lives I’ve affected? It makes me feel better,” Kammerdiener said.” [LINK]

In other news, I must have dropped my new (gulp!) phone in the parking lot when I went to take his picture. Mike and I were eating lunch when his phone rang. “Why are you calling me?” he asked. “I’m not! I don’t even have my phone with me.” A man found my phone and redialed the last number. Mike offered to give him $20 for finding it but he refused. He left it for me with the cashier at Walgreens. Talk about the kindness of strangers! I hadn’t even realized it was gone. There is no way I could have replaced it so I am VERY grateful!