I'm Thinking About...

adding pet photography to my offerings. I have done several now...only one being my very own. And I have to say that I really do enjoy that. It's a WHOLE new set of challenges and adventures...but I think I really like that. I had a couple of dobermans in a couple of weeks ago...I was nervous about them...but they were so delightful and photogenic. And then tonight I had two beagles that were just so fun. They were all howling and wanting to go play elsewhere...it was just fun. Somthing new and refreshing. At times I think it might be nice to never photograph people...just pets. They are WAY less sassy than my average 2 and 3 year olds! They don't dismiss me even before I take the first picture. They don't pronounce me "all done" and they generally look right at you when call their name or make a funny noise. Kids are amazingly immune to the sound of their own names! I am feeling restless with my photography right now I think. Maybe that's why I welcome the change so...Something new. A new learning curve. Something totally unpredictable in life to dance with! I'm kicking the idea around. I definitely like what I've done so far. And it's been fun. I'm not so against the idea of moving out of my comfort zone anymore. I really REALLY fought the idea of outdoor photography...but I feel like I've really kind of learned a whole lot in that area and I really enjoy it now. Before I literally lost sleep if I had an outdoor session or anything with any sort of natural light at all. But I am pretty happy with what's coming out of those sessions here lately. So that's good. And at one time I DEFINITELY shuddered at the thought of pet photography...but here tonight...I find myself thinking it might be a good bit of fun! And while I can grumble over my two and three year olds...on some deep level I think they are my favorites! Talk about wild cards! You just don't know what in the world they will ever do! What a totally fun and versatile job I have created for myself here! I feel like one of the luckiest ladies on the planet tonight! Dogs...Kids...Moms...Dads... Grandparents...it's all good!

More Hawaii Pictures

Luau!

Day two of Hawaii was yet another day of fun and sun here on the Big Island! I started the day with another walk down the beach while Chris was in his meetings. I came upon another sea turtle, freshly climbed up upon the beach. She was still wet and glistening with sea water and just laying there sunning herself so peacefully. So of course...lots more pictures! I find them to be so facsinating and would love to see one swimming underwater...but only if I was underwater with a camera in my hand! Not sure if that is going to happen! Anyway. That was a neat thing. I found two more heart shaped rocks on the beach and a huge heart shaped chunk of lava rock! Isn't that so cool?! Then Chris and I walked over to the King's shops and had lunch, then returned to the resort to lay by the pool and listen to the crashing waves on the beach. Not a bad way to spend the afternoon really! Then we hit the fitness center for a quick workout. I got in just over a three mile run, and then it was time to head upstairs and shower because Chris had gotten us tickets to the LUAU!!! How fun! I have to say the Luau was NOT what I was expecting...at all! There were no roasted pigs and only a couple of hula girls in grass skirts. As we are there we find out it isn't really a Luau at all, but a Polynesian dinner and theatre...but we were there and that was that. They had tables of food from all of the Polynesian islands. I can't say that it was all yummy...but it was all interesting, for sure! Oh...and there were unlimited Mai Tais to be had...all you could drink! Now those...YUMMY! So we ate and sampled all sorts of interesting things and drank beautiful Mai Tais (they all come with these beautiful blossoms in them!) and watched the show. It was a delightful evening to be sure! I will post pictures here with this entry when I get back! So if you are reading it now sans pictures...you will have to tune back in later! Then we returned to our resort and sipped wine by the pool while Chris and his coworker got some work done. It's a rough life here in Hawaii...what a pace! All this relaxing can really wear a girl out! We fell into bed exhausted last night and slept deeply and soundly. Today is another gorgeous day here in Paradise! Chris has headed down to meeting and I am going to clean up our little room here and head back down to the beach. I think we are going to spend ANOTHER day relaxing and laying out by the pool! Tomorrow we are heading over to Volcanoes National Park to see the lava flows and hopefully a botanical garden or two! Until then! Aloha!

Aloha!

I am posting this blog entry from Kona, Hawaii. Also known as the Big Island. We are staying at the Marriott Resort here...I wish I could recall the name...or the spelling...but alas, it escapes me! I spent my first morning here walking the beach here. It's a tropical paradise! The sand is soft...not firm like in San Diego and it definitely shifts when you walk in it. There is NO running on the beach here. This paradise was not meant for that hurriedness! No. It's a walking beach. There are few to no shells on the beach. The sea does not toss it's treasures upon the sand to be found by chance like at other beaches, but rather, it invites you into it's crystal clear, blue waters to search and choose those treasures that you would like. That is part of the adventure. However the beach revealed plenty of treasures today, even upon the warm, brown shifting sands. I found three beautiful heart shaped rocks, for starters. I was thrilled with them and was so happy with my collection of these that I nearly stumbled upon my next treasure. There, RIGHT at my feet, was a large sea turtle, sunning herself on the warm sand in the morning sun. WOW! I've never seen a real one up close. She was so ugly...and yet so very beautiful in her own way. I took lots of pictures...of course! It was awesome! But you have to wait until I get home in order to see those! After my walk on the beach Chris and I struck out for a drive across the island. We came upon a beautiful Japanese garden. SO beautiful. I just loved it. And had lunch in a little pizzeria in a quaint little town just up the road. We saw clouds, and snow high on the mountaintop. We saw pasturelands and land that looked much like our desert at home. We saw tropical beaches and rain forest-like areas. And we saw total slumlike dumpy areas. And that was just the top part of the island. Tomororw we are off onto different adventures. Who knows what the day will hold for us!

In the meantime, in true Roberts fashion in this new year of 2008, the Roberts kids (who I left behind in the tender loving care of my sister) are all attempting to come down sick. Maxwell started at the ripe old hour of 4 a.m. screaming with a temperature and dire misery. We decided it best that he see the doctor, so poor Donna sat through the pediatrician's office this morning while they ran test after test to see if they could determine the source of Max's misery. Everything came back negative. Possibly just viral. So she has dealt with his misery all day long, and then this afternoon Ben started complaining as well. UGGGH! I am going to be SO mad if those boys miss school tomorrow Donna doesn't get a break. I'm not totally sure that they are really sick. I have a hunch that they are just so excited and glad to have my sister there that they are suddenly coming down with great illness to avoid having to go to school and miss out on the fun. In all fairness, Max did run a temperature in the night. But still. I am not totally convinced of their illness levels as the school hour draws nearer and nearer. It has certainly made relaxing in Hawaii a bit of a challenge knowing my children are ill!

More updates soon to come from this land of paradise! Until then! Oh...pictures are of the sea turtle and of the island resort where we are staying!

So Hard to Say Goodbye

Today, we had to make the decision to let our beloved dog, Casey, go. She was fourteen years old and her health was failing rapidly before our eyes. This past week she had seemingly gone totally blind, mostly deaf, was getting up on her feet less and less and was not sleeping through the night. Last night she got stuck in our bathroom closet. I was in there putting some laundry away and she came in...but when she went to leave, she could not seem to find the doorway and was trapped and confused for some time. It was all I could do to guide her out of there. I realized then that she really was totally blind. Then, when I let her out to go potty for the night I watched in horror as she walked right into the cactus. And I knew then that she was no longer safe. I wrestled with the decision all night long and this morning, on the way into Chris' surgery we discussed her situation and we both felt it would be in her best interest to let her go before she hurt herself badly. It was a painful decision to be sure. Then I had the rest of the day to just agonize over it while Chris was in the operating room. By the time I got him back home from the procedure I knew that my time with Casey was short. I spent it just sitting in the floor with her. Petting her and just being with her. She hardly lifted her head. I think she was ready. I gave her some yummy Black Forest ham as a treat, and then Chris and his mom took her to the vet and that was it. I have cried at least a million tears since two o'clock this afternoon. Ended up with a fierce migraine. Not fun! So far...2008 has SUCKED for this family. First the hike with the broken hand. Then the surgery. Now the dog. And it's only the first seven days. Good grief! I know that Casey is resting well tonight. That she is not thirsty, or hungry or aching or hurting in any way. More importantly, I know that she is safe. And that she went in a calm and loving and peaceful way. That we loved her enough to not endanger her and that we were selfless enough to say goodbye before she was in desperate pain or suffering. It's pretty much been one of the worst days of my life. So far, the worst year...no doubt about that. Everyone keeps telling me that the worst is behind us and it can only get better from here. I sure hope they are right. That was the hardest decision I have ever had to make in my life. I hate knowing that I had a hand in her death. I am still really, really grappling with that tonight. My mind wanders in a thousand directions on that one. I keep seeing her sweet little face and sad little eyes and I just can't believe she is not with us tonight...and it's my fault. I know deep down it's for the best. But my heart and my head and my deep down can't seem to get on the same page tonight. Chris keeps telling me it was the right thing to do. That she would never have gotten any better. Only worse. And I know that. I really do. It's still hard to sit here tonight knowing she's gone. The vet said she had all the symptoms that her body was shutting down. Chris did not stay all the way until the end. That is my one regret about not going with her. I would have seen it through to the end. To the last moment and the last breath. But he didn't. He left her there, in the care of strangers. Casey always hated the vet. I hate myself more than a little bit tonight that I wasn't there for her. That noone that loved her was there for her at the very end. That one's going to haunt me for a long time. I hate having to say goodbye. I hate having regrets. I hate this year.

And The Verdict Is...

BROKEN! Yep. Chris has broken his hand and we are heading into surgery first thing Monday morning. Now how is THAT for a start to the New Year? UGGGHHH! I certainly hope this is not an indication of the year ahead of us! Timing couldn't be worse since we are heading to Hawaii in just over two weeks! I guess Chris will be going all screwed and casted! Those of you who are praying folks can just start praying for Chris and I right now. Chris for rapid, supernatural healing. And me for the strength to endure the whininess that is sure to come with all of this fun surgery stuff. I think I'm gonna have me four kids instead of three for a while here and I have to say that I already find 3 to be QUITE enough! So prayers for me to be brave and sensitive through all of this. I know Chris is in lot's of pain and the past week hasn't been a bit of fun at all for him. Now...I do have to say here that IF he had listened to me and gone on into Urgent Care as soon as it happened, we might well have gotten through all of this process faster and have this whole surgical adventure behind us by now. A real "I told you so" kind of situation...but hey...men are so danged stubborn sometimes! Now that I think of it, why don't you throw in an extra prayer for his stubborness to be healed too!

What else is going on in our house? Well. The kids and I just got back from a fantastic visit with my sister in Phoenix. My kids all adore her and her husband so much! It was fast and furious (seems that's the only speed life moves at these days!), but so much fun. It's scary how much alike my sister and I are...especially since we did not grow up together. But we have crazy similar tastes. And pretty much the exact same tastes in clothes. I love shopping with her because we love all the same things. And if one of us tries on something and it looks good, then it's almost guaranteed to look good on the other! We're pretty much the same size too....so we just always look for two of the things that we love the most! I love that she lives so close now and that I get to see her. Though it always leaves me wishing I could visit even more often! Next time I head up there I'm going sans kiddos! And staying overnight and it's going to be girl time all the way! I can't wait! Okay...back to getting caught up with life around this dirty house!

New San Diego Pictures

Here are some of my favorite pictures from our Christmas break camping trip to San Diego! My dear friend helped me out on a few so I am actually in three of these! A RARE, rare occurence to be sure! Enjoy!

Off To A Rough Start

Chris and I decided to celebrate the new year with a hike through Pima Canyon. It was SO very beautiful! Gorgeous really. We hiked three miles into the canyon. We had picked up Subway sandwiches and were looking for our "perfect" spot to sit down and enjoy our lunch...when Chris slipped on a big rock and took a rather nasty fall. He did manage to save it some. If he had fallen the direction he was heading, he would have most certainly broken his arm. He managed to twist himself a bit though and landed hard on his side with his arm slightly behind him. Unfortunately, his hand was in the way and we think it might be rather broken. We saw our doctor friend and her family there at the canyon. She looked at it and after a very gentle pressure about made Chris do a back flip there in the parking lot, her professional opinion was that he should definitely have it x-rayed. He is off to the doctor as I type this and will begin the x-ray process to determine the diagnosis. It was swelling yesterday and his pain level is quite high. It had him awake several times in the night as well and he quite willingly sought medical attention this morning (he would not even entertain the thought last night, stubborn man!). So...we are awaiting the verdict on the broken hand this morning and will proceed accordingly. I managed to turn my ankle on the hike as well. It wasn't too bad until last night. Then it really, REALLY started hurting a bunch. I took some stuff and then this morning it feels just great. Go figure. Needless to say...our New Year is off to a bit of a rough start! I hope it is not any indication of the year ahead for us!