So much to be thankful for

I bet you have seen these posts everywhere, right?  Sorry to be so cliche with the season, but I really am so thankful for so much this season.   As most of you know, the Midwest was hit heavily with tornadoes on the 17th, the town I live in Coal City/Diamond happened to be one of those hard hit towns.  I drove through the devastated area today, I could not believe my eyes.  In 10 days, the volunteers, home owners and the community has most of the debris out of the area and all that is left are very badly battered homes.  I was almost in tears as I rode through the neighborhood today. This was posted by the church that ran the collection site for the community, it describes this community perfectly. 

Now for my thankful list.... 1. Thankful for the family that I married into, I miss my mom dearly this holiday season and I know that even though I miss my mom they are here for me 2. My husband, he works so hard to provide for us.  I miss him a lot while he is working overnights and is gone 15 hours a day.   3.  My best friend Trisha, she has proven time and time again what an amazing person she is.   4.  My nieces and nephews, they keep me on my toes but I love them so much and am very lucky I get to have them in my life as often as I do.   5.  Thankful to have the support from my family for opening my photography business, I have a long ways to go, but they are supporting me 100%.   6. The group of women that have been a constant support system over the past 2 years; The September 2012 wives group....lobe you all Happy Thanksgiving to all.  I hope you are all able to spend it with family and loved ones. 

Frustrated with my novice skills

I bought the camera, I have been practicing with the camera and now I am feeling very overwhelmed.  I have always only shot in AF mode and I have switched over to full manual mode, I have a lot to learn.  Then I downloaded the free trials of photo shop and light room and I have NO IDEA HOW TO USE THEM!  I did not pick up the camera today, I am feeling very frustrated with it.  Any photographers out there that can offer any advice?  I am just getting started and I am looking for any tips, tricks or advice you are willing to give.  
Here are some straight out of the camera photos, with no edits. 

I bought it!!

If you have been reading along, you will know that I have been back and fourth about "pulling the trigger" about buying my very first DSLR so I can pursue my dream of photography.  That is exactly what I did last night, I bought my Canon Rebel T5i and I am in love!  This purchase also marks another completed item on my 30before30 list.  

Canon Rebel T5i 18-135mm STM lens

I have spent all day playing around with it, I have ALWAYS been an auto focus gal, until I switched that dial to manual focus...Oh my goodness, I will never go back.  I have so much to learn, but I am having a great time so far. The weather was not very nice today, so I was limited to shooting from my front porch.  Here are a few unedited, straight out of the camera images I took today. 

Goals, dreams and a bucket list

October Daily  asks us to write about  goals and dreams for the future? You can share to us your dream house, dream workplace, or even your bucketlist before you turn 25!
Well since I just turned 29 3 days ago, I am out for the bucket list for "under 25", but I did do my "30 before 30" list.  It is a good list that is very attainable, I look forward to completing it.   Goals and dreams; start my photography business!  I want this more than anything, well almost, I want babies more than anything. I want to be able to come to my husband and say "I'm pregnant"!  Until then, photography business.  I think it will be mostly out door family shoots, at least until I can come up with a suitable studio place to lease.  I am very motivated and excited about this upcoming adventure!  

A friend took a picture of me! 

30 Before 30

So here it goes my "30 before 30" list, in no particular order. As I complete them I will cross them off and also link it to the post with photos (I hope, still trying to get a hang of all of this).   I hope to have it completed by October 13, 2014  1. Buy the Nikon D5200 kit with extra lens and accessories 2. Host a holiday 3.  Run a half marathon 4. Get at least 10 clients, that are not family to start off my photography business 5. Go to NYC 6. Get Prego 7. Continue to blog 8. Bring my husband to a Chicago Bears game, it would be my first Bears game 9. Start paying off student loans 10. Make a scrapbook of our anniversary notes from our wedding guests 11. Host a dinner party for some of my girlfriends 12. Organize my pantry; labels and containers for flour, sugar etc.  13. Organize my craft supplies and.... 14. ...make a craft area in the basement 15.  Go unplugged for at least 2 days 16.  Have a 2nd anniversary photo shoot 17.  Get another tattoo 18. Catch a fish or two  19. Do something awesome for stranger 20. Find and attend a murder mystery with my husband 21. Go to a pumpkin patch 22. Volunteer somewhere 23. Go ice skating down town Chicago 24. Attend an event where I have to dress up in a fancy dress 25.  Complete a full photo a day monthly challenge through instagram 26.  Print, organize and make photo albums of a lot of the photos I have taken 27.  Write a love note to my husband in "our book" at least once a week for a month 28.  Go camping 29.  Read at least 5 books 30.  Send a random note to at least 2 friends a month

Photographer, maybe one day

Have you ever wanted something so badly that it literally hurts some days?   That is where I am with pursuing my photography.  I borrowed Bill's aunts Nikon D3100 and have not put it down since I have had it in my hands.  It has been great practice for me and I can not wait for the day I go and purchase my Nikon D5200! Here are some of the recent photos that I have taken this week with the camera.  I am loving this opportunity to learn more about the camera and try to figure out what kind of photography I want to do.  I know I want to have a studio and take photos of kids and families.  A lot of my pictures that I have been taking are of the neighborhood birds, I let my sparrows, that I raised go 2 weeks ago and I know they are still around, in the mix of birds that are here. After I raised the birds, I realized I have quite the love affair with birds.   

Our niece Brooklynn

Our niece and nephew 

Birthdays all weekend

Phew!  What a weekend and it was amazing, it was a nice reminder how amazing my family is especially the family I married into.  We had a couple birthday parties to attend this weekend, one of the parties was my husbands cousins son, he turned 3.   I am a picture whore, I love to take them, print them, hang them and give them as gifts.  So I thought to myself  "what if we could get all the grand kids and great grand kids together for a group photo for Grandma Darlene (my husbands gram) and give it to her for Christmas"?  I messaged all the cousins a week ago and we figured that the day of "LJ's" party would be the best time, everyone will be together.   I set the self timer and we took several photos; one large group photo and then each family by themselves.  This is going to be an amazing gift for gram.  

Group shot of all the grand and great grand kids.

My husband Bill and myself.

From LtoR: Sister in law with our niece and nephew Center: Bill's cousin Randy and his family R: Bill's cousin Shelia and her family.

This is going to be an AWESOME gift for gram and I can not wait for Christmas!  We also celebrated our nephew's 1st birthday this weekend, his birthday was on Friday and he had his BIG 1 year old party today(Sunday).  

Brandon on his new 4 wheeler.

SMASH cake!!

We had a great weekend with family celebrating birthdays.   ...and for a quick apology; my laptop screen has gone out, then the laptop completely died, it will be getting a tune up at some point, until then I am sharing a laptop with my husband, but I promise I will do my best to post. 

LIfe as I currently know it-

Blogtember; Life Lately Whoa, where to start?  It has been so crazy here in the Draino household, some days I wonder "what house have I just walked into"?  Then I realize, it is my house, it is what I have going on....craziness!  

I babysit our niece(4yo) and nephew (11mo) 5 or 6 days a week from 7:30p-11:30a it makes for long nights and even longer days and about 5 days a week I watch our other nephew (5yo) that lives with us while his mom works.  My hands are full, I enjoy it though, I love kids and always have and can not wait for Billy and I to announce one day, that finally it happened, until then I get my fix with our niece and nephews. 

Meet Collin one of our nephews, 5 yo.   He is little cutie, with the biggest brown eyes you will ever see.  He loves playing soccer, minecraft and going fishing with his dad.  He is my littlest best friend.

 

This is our niece Brooklynn, 4 going on 14.  A little spit fire, full of energy and attitude.  She is super active and loves her Barbies.

 

Now Brandon 11 mo.  He is learning to walk, feed himself and getting ready for his big Mickey Mouse birthday party.  He is one of the quickest crawlers I have ever seen and is so happy.

Brandon's 10 month "photo shoot".  Photos taken by me, with my point and shoot.



 

Now that the kids are out of the way, on to life!  Billy left today for the week to work out of town, we have not been away from each except for two nights since we have been together, even during all his health stuff, I was by his side in the hospital.  I miss him and it will be a long week and an empty bed.  

 

I have had an extreme interest in starting up my photography, pursuing the dream of having a studio, being able to provide quality photographs without charging an arm and a leg to do it. Few things need to happen first; I need to purchase a camera, take some classes and learn a lot before I can even call myself a photographer.  I have always loved to take pictures, there is something about capturing something that is right there, in that moment that you will never be able to get back.  I have my eye on the Nikon D5200, now to pull the trigger and purchase it.  I have been saving and am waiting for my next payment for babysitting to buy it.  I have spent countless hours comparing, holding and playing around with different brands of cameras, reading reviews and making sure this is the one I want.  With some guidance from a photographer friend, she swayed me from the D3200 to the D5200 and when I purchase it I am sure I will be very happy with it.