Excitement Ahead.

Good News: We booked our tickets home to Hawaii this summer. (Woot Woot! :-)

Bad News: We dropped an easy GRAND just to pay for them. :'(Booooooo!)

THANKFULLY, Rush is and will be free until she's two.

But seriously, plane tickets are ridiculous! I'm just glad the money we spent on the tickets will be more than well worth it. Looking forward to Sunshine, Family, Friends, Grinds, Paradise, Beach days, and allll the rest of the priceless comfort we can only get in Hawaii that we can't get here in Washington.

Also, I have shoots lining up to take place starting next weekend - throughout the next few months and I'm more than excited for each and every one of them to take place!! I will also be doing shoots when I get home (from June 23rd - July 21st) if anyone is interested.

You can either hit me up on FB or on my website.

Rush also turns 1 in less than 8 weeks!!! Where on earth has the time gone? Ahhh. Crazy. We will soon be the parents of a "ONE Year Old." Haha (:

Again, SO many things to look forward to!! Hope you all have a beautiful day <3

First 50.

The other day I had my [first] paid photography shoot. A small Contracting Company needed me to take pics of them for their business website. I was kinda nervous because I'd never worked with an actual company before...BUT...there's a first for everything, right? So anyways, it wasn't as nearly as intimidating as I thought it would be. ( phew :) I was so relieved to get there and all the workers were really nice and friendly! It was a lot of fun working with them and I learned a lot! Although I had to do my best to make them look professional, I was able to incorporate some of my style in as well. I charged $50/hour and they only needed me for 1 hour sooo I made my First 50. :)

Linc said I should [frame] it, being it was the first payment I got from doing my photography, but I told him No because if someone ever were to break into our home, they'd immediately steal it, framed and all! hahahaa. No, I really plan on using the money to buy props for upcoming photo shoots! I'm SO excited for the upcoming shoots I have booked and I have so many ideas in mind!

Anyway, back to the Contracting Company....I met up with a representative from the company today so I could give them the CD with all their pictures and they brought along a laptop so they could view them. I was nervous, but they LOVED them. Yay! Another BIG relief. I'm just glad they were satisfied with my work. In fact, they were so happy that they gave me an additional $50! (REALLY?) <--- I know right!? I was speechless at first and I tried politely denying, but THEY persistently insisted!! So, I humbly, thankfully, accepted.

Overall, my first paid photo shoot experience was a SUCCESS!! I know that not EVERY job will be as successful as this one BUT, this was a very good start for me. You live and you learn, so whenever I do come across a not so successful shoot, I'll definitely learn from it. Also, because there are SO MANY different styles of photography, clients are dissatisfied because sometimes the photos don't come out how they expected them to. Everyone is different! I am just going to keep doing what I'm doing and if people don't like it, it's their loss and that just means we weren't a proper fit for each other. But I do love photography with a passion and I hope people will be able to see it through my work.

“I always thought good photos were like good jokes. If you have to explain it, it just isn’t that good.” – Anonymous

Start.

The other day I felt inspired to start. Start what?, you might ask?; I decided to start taking my love for Photography more seriously. In a previous post I told you about Stacey and me trying to build my portfolio...well I am currently still doing that it's just I added a Website and Blog to the mix as well! So PLEASE forgive me if I start to neglect this blog: that is not my intention but I apologize in advanced in case I do.

I created a Website and Blog to showcase my Photography to try and take it to the next level. You gotta start somewhere, right? I am still getting the hang of it BUT what's the point of dreaming if you're not going to go after them? So that's why I decided to start. Now.

KPAphotography

Forgiveness.

"To forgive is a divine attribute. It is to pardon or excuse someone from blame for an offense or misdeed."

Just recently there have been a few incidents that have involved my family and I. Incidents we had no control over. I tried to search for answers as to WHY it happened, but came up empty handed. Empty handed and hurtfully angry. Hurtfully angry at those who did us wrong. What did WE do to them for them to act like this? So bitter towards us. WHY? Whatever their reason(s) being, it is beyond our control. Beyond our control so why let it control [us], right? I've learned: it's much easier said than done.

So why is my post titled forgiveness if I still have feelings of anger and irritation? Well because I.am.human...but just because I'm human, doesn't mean I am going to use that as an excuse to hold on to these fractious feelings I have inside of me. Of course that would be the EASY thing, but fact is; Life ain't easy. Let alone doing what's right. It's NEVER easy. But it IS worth it. SO worth it. And THAT is what gives me strength to turn the other cheek and [try] to be more Christlike.

Growing up it was SO easy for me to forgive those who did me wrong. It was in a way, kind of a bad thing. A bad thing because I was so forgiving that people used it to their advantage and would continue to do me wrong because they knew I'd forgive them. Sad huh? What's even sadder is that I've changed. I'm not as forgiving as I use to be. I mean, I still forgive...just not as easily as I did before. I guess I didn't realize it but I let myself give into that humanly frame of mind. I let the anger and bitterness of those who did me wrong because I ALWAYS forgave, rub off on me. I let myself hold grudges now. I let myself have vengeful thoughts of those who misdid me. I let myself be human. Is that so wrong?!

Honestly, YES! It is. Very much so, if you ask me. Why? Well because, I went from being SO forgiving to just being able to forgive. I let myself go from NOT being able to hold a grudge (NO MATTER WHAT), to holding a grudge for a day or two and sometimes...and then some. I went from everyday trying to find the good in everyone I came in contact with, to having thoughts of anger and vengeance to those who mistreated me. So for ME, I have taken 2 steps backwards. BUT I am glad I realized it before it was too late or before it would be much harder for me to regain those 2 steps that I lost.

I had a very humbling experience not too long ago: the inspiration for this blog post. I couldn't sleep, so I called my parents on Skype. I called them with the intent of letting them see Rush (even though she was already sleeping) and seeing how their day was going. Well, they got to see Rush...and we talked about how our days' went...but it soon turned into a topic I had a hard time with. The topic had to do with one of the people who wronged us. But MY dad, being the forgiving, great, positive, humble man that he is; still wanted to help them.

MY first response was, "NO! Don't help them! Why are you gonna help them when they did blah blah blah to us!? I know its the 'right' thing to do but that's SO MESSED UP what they did to us!!!!" My dad answered with, "Kelcy, don't be like that. Don't be like them. Turn the other cheek and let it go." Tears of frustration poured down my face because I knew he was right, but I still had all this anger inside of me because what they did to us WAS MESSED UP!

As much as I want to explain my life some more and go into further detail as to exactly HOW messed up it actually is, I won't. As much as I want to put those people on blast or get even with them by giving them a piece of my vengeance filled mind, I won't.

I won't because instead, I will pray for them. I will pray for them and myself. I'll pray that they will forgive me and my family for WHATEVER we did to offend them and I will pray that the Lord helps us to forgive as well and to also abandon these feelings of anger, revenge and bitterness I have built up inside myself. For how do we expect the Lord to forgive us for our sins if we can't forgive others? So, I will forgive and I will leave the judging of others' harmful actions up to him.

Passion

My wonderful Husband of mine got me my second baby last week: meet Stacey, my Nikon D3100. I had bought me a Nikon D40 back in '08 but since then, a lot has happened...to it. So after much frustration and complaining because Nikon D40 would act up (a lot) my hubby finally gave in and got me a new camera. :)

No, I didn't want a new camera just to have, I actually have a passion for photography! Everything about photography fascinates me! I owe my passion for photography to amazing Professional Photographer Natalie Norton. It happened the end of my Senior year (so around April of '08) when I had asked Nat if she could take mine and my cousins' graduation invitation pics. She took us driving around and whenever she felt inspired, she'd pull over and tell us to get out and she'd start snapping away. It was such a FUN and AMAZING experience!!! That's when I realized Photography is what [you] make it and there's no "set in stone" way to take a picture. I mean, there are certain rules you should follow but it really is anything that looks good to you. Any(and I mean ANY)thing can be photographed or turned into an amazing picture!

I'm still learning and have a looooong ways to go but with the passion I have, I know one day I will be able to develop my photography skills and hopefully make a name for myself. So for now I'm just practicing and trying to build a portfolio.

Overwhelmed.

Linc and I had just finished having family prayer. Laying side by side, eyes closed, about to fall asleep, when all of a sudden a powerful feeling of overwhelming thankfulness takes over my body, mind and spirit. With my eyes still closed and a sudden urge, I whisper, "Babe." Half asleep, he grunts, "Hm?" I reply, "Thank you." Still half asleep, he responds, "Fr'what?" Not being able to control the silent tears of gratitude streaming down my face, I say, "For being my husband. *pause* And for everything you do for me......and Rush." STILL half asleep, he says, "y'welcome." Thirty seconds later, he's snoring. (lol)

I don't think he knew/understood the depth of this little convo but I laid there for the next couple of minutes, trying to understand why I'm feeling soooo overwhelmed with gratitude for this man laying sleeping next to me. Then all these thoughts start rushing through my head of everything he's done for me, everything I've put him through, everything we've been through, how he's put up with me at my worst, seen me at my best, how he knows me better than I know myself, and the list goes on and on...

This flow of thoughts were then followed by [more] thoughts, or should I say silent prayers? Silent prayers of gratitude towards the Lord, thanking HIM for blessing me with such a wonderful, caring, and unconditionally loving husband!

I am truly and eternally grateful for being blessed with such an AMAZING husband.....and for our beautiful, lovable, ENERGETIC, daughter! I can't and NEVER want to imagine life without them! Ever. Thoughts I just HAD to share.♥

March? Already?

Is it just me, or is this year already flying by?!

Dear March, feel free to stick around awhile longer than February did ok?

Updates this month on US:

In exactly ONE WEEK, one of my besties Ms. Tilomai *Ynqe* Hill
will be visiting with us for a few days!
YAAYYY

Rush will be turning [10] Months on the 24th!
(hence my note to March; time needs to slow down. She's almost 1 ahh.)

Linc will hopefully get his Tax Return by the end of this month!!
Double YAY haha - we have plans for the money we will be getting back. (After we pay tithing, of course.)

SO many things to look forward to this month!!!!!

Another update:

Rush is learning to read!!! :-)
I saw the infomercial when I was in my last trimester of my pregnancy and was kind of skeptical about it at first but after hearing good reviews from a few people who've used it for their kids, I figured "Why Not try it?" So $200 we invested in this 'Your Baby Can Read' program. I know, $200 is ALOT to be "trying" something out BUT this stuff really does work!!!

She can't exactly "read" yet but she understands words!
Words like: Clap, Wave, Hi, Stick Tongue, and Uma.
If we ask her to do these things w/o us doing the motions, she does it!!
She also understands: No, Yes, Kaukau, Mommy and Daddy!
So if I say, "Rush, crawl to daddy." -off she goes, crawling to her daddy!
She also LOVES saying: "Mummy" (yummy) when she eats!!
Also since showing her the 'YBCR' she has been VERY vocal! lol.
She loves to talk, yell, sing and scream!!!!

If you or anybody you know are thinking about getting this program,
I HIGHLY recommend it! :)