PhotoJenic Photography [blog]

This post is SO LONG overdue…and it’s part one as I will have a few more beach images to share as well. In September we crossed off #17 on my 101 list, not once but twice =) We were lucky enough to head to the beach with friends during their vacation in early September and then able to go back on my birthday to stay at this beautiful beachhouse offered up to us by another friend.
This vacation was just an extended weekend but since we we had limited cell phone coverage and I didn’t bring my laptop charger…it was a really nice FORCED electronic vacation…which allowed for great downtime playing in the sand with the kids. We had so much fun! Here’s a few photos to prove it…

This kid is serious about his football…I’m not kidding…he’d play it all day if someone could last playing with him that long
This kid has more personality than I know what to do with… And maybe you haven’t heard…he kind of has a thing for his Daddy… Brennan trying to follow his uncle’s footsteps… Don’t let this image fool you…she hated the sand and was in very few photos as she cried anytime she had to touch it. I think she is crying here and definitely wouldn’t let go of Daddy’s hand… Again…loves him some football… This last image represents our trip…complete beauty and relaxation!
It’s pretty nice to go back and reflect on this trip after a very hectic monthweek =)

Ok, with New Years quickly approaching I am dedicating this week to UPDATE you on my sorely updated 101 List! I have actually been working on and actually accomplishing SOME of my goals, but actually getting them to the blog has been a bit behind! I figured with the New Year and everyone wanting to accomplish new goals this might help motivate you to ACHIEVE a few things yourselves =)

#20 on my 101 List was “Teach kids about service by helping someone else.”

I’ve been thinking about this one for awhile and while I feel we do give our children opportunities to help others and each other often, I really wanted to hit home to them how blessed they really are. Every year we have done something as a family for someone else, always around Christmas. We’ve adopted families, bought for Christmas Angels, participated in food drives and left gifts on doorsteps to unsuspecting individuals. The problem is, I wanted my kids to really FEEL and SEE the true spirit of Christmas and the blessing it is to GIVE to others, to see the look on the person’s face they were giving to and to KNOW that burning feeling inside that they have done something good and that they have MUCH to be thankful for!! My idea put us all a little bit out of our comfort zone and frankly that’s what I LOVED the most about it. We made gift bags a few weeks ago to hand out to some of the homeless people in need. Here are some photos of some of the items we gathered for our project…


We gave them canned food with easy open tops, water bpttles, a mug, hand sanitizing lotion, new socks, a new flannel blanket, headbands that wrap over your ears, crackers, granola bars and breakfast bars, a little bit of candy, hand warmers that warm for 12 hours once you activate them, wet wipes, toothbrushes and my mom later added gloves, hats, soap and the toothpaste I had forgotten. I was able to get most of this stuff at the Dollar Store and the fleece blankets were an Old Navy steal for only $5!! We put 5 bags together and headed downtown! We actually found way more than we had bags to help, if I had to do it again I would do less stuff and MORE bags, there were SO MANY people in the streets it was really very sad!

I had the boys get out of the car with each person and walk the bag up to them and wish them a Merry Christmas. We talked to them, heard their stories of many years of living on the streets and accepted their very gracious appreciation. A few experiences were weird, but most were incredibly humbling. My husband was a bit more timid about the whole “face to face” interaction and it’s “safety” factor. On our 3rd delivery the person looked a bit scary and it was now dark so I said, “your turn.” He got out and said to this person who I thought was a man, we have something we want to give you. It was actually a woman, she was pushing a shopping cart and she shrieked in excitement, and literally started jumping up and down and ran to my husband in the biggest embrace ever. I was worried…the first person he gets to give to HUGS HIM? She broke down in complete tears and then approached me in the car and cried as I hugged her out of pure gratitude for our kindness. It was the best feeling ever!! It was EXACTLY what I wanted our kids to see and hopefully feel. We chatted for a minute and as we buckled up the woman excitedly opened her bag, grabbed a bag of Lays Chips, tore it open and immediately started eating! We couldn’t have been more happy and humbled.

I am really, really grateful to have food to eat and a warm bed to sleep in. I have a family who loves me and a million people who would help me if ever in need. I can only hope this experience helped my kids to SEE and FEEL how giving to others truly blesses us. I plan to do it again in the summer, armed with frozen water bottles to help them deal with the blazing heat!

I would love any ideas for more service projects with them in the future! I am thinking a visit to see sick kids might make the list as well. Have you had any meaningful service projects that you’ve done with young kids?

Buy A Mac

This is big…really big! I’m pretty sure this very thing might change my life =) or that’s what people tell me at least! I actually bought a Macbook Pro about a year ago, but then someone decided to break into my house and steal it, I’m pretty sure there’s someone out there enjoying my stolen property now, I still miss it =)

But now my friends, now there is HOPE that maybe, just MAYBE I can edit faster than the earth orbits the sun…MAYBE I won’t keep seeing “loading, loading, loading” as Lightroom loads the image, and MAYBE when I click a slider to adjust the image, it will do just that, and not be stuck on two adjustments back still working on that one.

I decided enough was enough, you are only as good as your equipment allows and frankly, 4 years old in this digital world was just TOO old for my trusty ol’ PC and it was time I joined the club of Mac users, and what a club it is, people are pretty dang passionate about their Apples…my husband’s already giddy about the technical stuff and couldn’t wait to get his hands on it.
We did have a little help from my cousin’s husband wink, wink…thanks for that Will!

So, here we have the MAC-Daddy. A Mac Pro with a 2.66 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon processor, 8 gigs of RAM, 3 internal hard drives with about 3.5 terabytes of storage and of course a new 24inch Apple LED Cinema Display. Phew…that’s jibberish talk for SUPER COOL and SUPER FAST in my book. Here’s the new screen next to my old one…

The Cinema Display was a source of contention for my husband and I, he really wanted to get 2 new Dell HD screens instead and he told me he’d get me some Apple stickers for the screens, but check this out, my screen is AUTHENTIC…with a sticker to cover the REAL apple, just can’t get that with a measley ol’ fake sticker folks! And when do those boys learn that we ALWAYS win some way or another?

For me, it’s baby steps…I learned today how to TURN THE MACHINE ON…and which side was the front and the back. This new keyboard will take some getting used to, slimmed down, no bells and whistles…hmmm…I hope I like it.

I’m not working solely on it yet, there’s quite a bit to do to get it all set up for my new editing system, not to mention making room for it on my desk. In the meantime, I’ll be spending some last days with LOTS of quality time, just me and the PC (too much really).

And I’ll be loving that I can finally check this one off the list.

Can I get a WOOT WOOT from any Mac users or Mac wannabe’s out there? Or how ’bout some frustration from my PC friends?

Look into getting a new logo. I told you I am behind on my 101 in 1001 list updates!! Not only did I look into this, but I FINALLY got a new logo that I love.

So this isn’t new news, but here’s a shout out to the guy that stuck through it with me creating this logo! Jared Marcum was great and held out despite me wanting lots of changes and revisions =) It’s not an easy process to select a logo that reflects your company and the vision you have for it, especially when you aren’t quite sure what that is. I love the logo because I feel like it’s a contemporary, yet SIMPLE reflection of me and my work. I love that the word “Jen” is highlighted within the camera and that the body of the J mimicks a camera grip, while the top of the “J” mimicks the shutter release!

Anyway, just trying to get caught up on the 101 in 1001, so here’s to another crossed off the list!!

I am WAY behind on posting for my 101 in 1001, but surprisingly, I HAVE been crossing things off the list, just not posting about them =) So, forever ago I completed #55 “Improve the look of my blog” and I’m SOOOOOOOOOO glad I did, I love having the pictures bigger and the categories easier to sort out and view separately.

So, I should be sharing more 101 in 1001 accomplishments soon…hope others are setting and achieving goals as well!

Hire a nanny so I can work…(on goals AND work)!! I’m super excited that I can cross this one off of my 101 list! This is a long overdue post, among many other 101 goals I need to update (at what point do you give up that your husband is going to help you load some video on your blog to cross off a 101 item? Is 6months to that point?)

Anyway, meet Amber, the girl that makes working from home with 3 kids possible! I hired Amber a few months ago and decided to do a mini shoot with her husband Bret, aren’t they just such a cute couple?

Amber has been so WONDERFUL to have around. She’s got an incredible amount of patience and my kids just ADORE her. She’s one of the ONLY people Emery goes to willingly and it’s cute to see Emery squeal and kick when she sees Amber.

Bret and Amber have been married less than 2 years and remind me so much of us at their stage in life! I love it…there is definitely something to be said about the fun of those early married days (pre-kids)! Thanks Amber for all you do for my kids! We’re so happy to have you!

YIPEE!! Time for another goal checked off my 101 in 1001 list…this one was INCREDIBLY challenging and has been more than a year in the making…insert drum roll here…GET DAWSON POTTY TRAINED!! We did it, it’s been a ROUGH road, this was our FIFTH…yes our 5th go around (first try around 2yrs of age) and this last time it STILL took me 3 and 1/2 weeks!! But I can officially report after fighting the good fight, I have won and my 3 1/2 year old is officially a BIG BOY and FULLY potty trained.
So, what did we finally do that worked?? Well, we took away all the “crutches” diapers, pull ups etc. We sat in the bathroom a LOT, I mean a REAL LOT. We read books and sang songs. Dawson argued EVERY TIME (for weeks) when it was time to go and sit and the kid would honestly hold back and not pee all day, like 10 hours, then he would have an accident minutes after sitting for the 15th time that day! I would scoop him up and put him on the potty even with him screaming…he was so challenging…if you have boys, you MIGHT relate! Here’s some photos I took as he was super mad at me for making him sit on the potty…
I also bought a treasure box because I TRULY believe in positive reinforcement and that it works so much better with potty training and I tried EXTRA hard to not get upset with accidents, that seemed to help so much! Even with the treasure box FULL of $20 worth of dollar store buys, he could get one anytime he went potty (in the toilet of course), in the first two weeks he had only earned like 2 treasures, it was pretty discouraging until week 3 when he finally made a turn for the better.

So, in case you were wondering where I disappeared to this last month…I was spending my time on this goal, sitting on the bathroom counter, trying to be SO EXCITED hour after hour, day after day even when there wasn’t much success. Here’s a clip of our song singing…

I feel like now might be a good time to do #65 on my list (spend a day at the spa)!

Oh and if you made it this far…here’s one more funny thing…two days ago my husband was telling someone in our family, “oh yeah, potty training? What did it take with Dawson…like THREE DAYS??” I nearly freaked out, where the heck has he been since the kid turned two and I have had seriously FIVE rounds of trying and failing at potty training this kid? What the heck? This year alone I think we tried three or four separate sessions minimum of three days each time!

#81 CHECK

Take the boys to the Dentist
YEAH!! My first goal and probably one of the more important goals DONE! This week I FINALLY took my boys to the dentist! Sadly Brennan is nearly 6 years old and he hasn’t ever been…oops! It’s sad it took my 101 list to make it happen since it’s been a goal of mine for about 2 years, just not one I ever get to! Here’s how Dawson felt about the experience… Much to my dismay, the supposed back to back appointments ended up being both boys at the same time in rooms 4 doors apart!! So, I was left going back and forth with Emery in her seat and both boys nervous without me. I wasn’t too happy about that. Luckily Brennan was VERY BRAVE and did a good job on his own. Here he is kicking back to the movie on the ceiling.

Unfortunately they called me to Brennan’s room to discuss the dreaded CAVITIES and while I was gone they tried to start cleaning Dawson’s teeth and having him lay down…needless to say despite being brave for his X-rays he DID NOT let them clean his teeth. I swear if they would have just waited til I was in there I could have got him to cooperate a little longer!

When they are done IF they are good for the Dr. they get a token to pick a treasure! That didn’t go over well with Dawson but luckily Brennan ended up with 2 tokens and shared with his brother! And the official report? Um…not public knowledge sorry! YES, it is THAT BAD! Note to self, make dental hygiene appointments more often and be more on top of my kids teeth so I don’t have to earn the worst parent award again.

WHAT IS NOT STARTED TODAY IS NEVER FINISHED TOMORROW

Family
1. Create a meal list of foods I can easily prepare for dinner.
2. Give Brennan monthly dates w/either parent each month for a year.
3. Give Dawson monthly dates w/either parent each month for a year.
4. Organize the playroom so the kids can find their toys.
5. Take a family vacation at least annually.
6. Have weekly family night for 3 straight months.
7. Get to church on time 4 weeks straight.
8. Potty train Dawson.
9. Get Dawson swimming.
10. Make cookies with the boys.
11. Take the boys to the library more.
12. Get Brennan into a sporting activity.
13. Go on a picnic with the kids somewhere different and fun.
14. Go to the zoo again.
15. Play outside in the rain.
16. Start a college fund for each of our kids.
17. Vacation at the beach.
>18. Go to Disneyland.
19. Take the boys to the dentist.
20. Teach kids about service by helping someone else.
21. Set up a family trust.
22. Go camping
23. Implement a family chore chart.
24. Shop with a pre-planned grocery list.
25. Put Dawson into a sporting activity.

Business
26. Design and print new business cards.
27. Update and improve website.
28. Become an LLC.
29. Organize office closet and desk.
30. Improve product packaging.
31. Set up and learn Wacom tablet.
32. Order baby photo book as studio sample.
33. Get an efficient and more simple workflow.
34. Get 2-3 new studio sample wedding albums.
35. Outsource wedding slideshows/DVD proofing.
36. Evaluate and update wedding pricing, create brochure.
37. Create pricing brochure of additional products offered.
38. Evaluate and improve wedding contract.
39. 2nd Shoot a wedding with another photographer.
40. Organize Email Inbox.
41. Get a new camera AND read its manual.
42. Buy a Mac.
43. Take a seminar to improve photography/workflow skills annually.
44. Sell some old equipment.
45. Submit wedding images to be published.
46. Improve/establish relationship with 3-5 wedding vendors.
47. Create wall gallery samples.
48. Consistently edit within 1-2 weeks of session.
49. Market a new promotional session(s) to attract more business.
50. Perfect client meeting area with more photos and albums.
52. Submit photos into a print competition.
53. Implement a photography newsletter.
54. Get a custom intro to my website.
55. Improve the look of my blog.
56. Install and learn to properly use Quickbooks for business.
57. Create a promo DVD slideshow of my work.
58. Look into getting a new logo.

Personal
59. Hire a nanny so I can work on goals =)
60. Take a trip with girlfriends.
61. Get in bed by 10:30 weeknights for one month straight.
62. Exercise on average 3x a week for 2 months.
63. Take up rollerblading.
64. Pay off my car loan.
65. Spend a day at the spa.
66. Get life insurance.
67. Get a facial.
68. Take a trip with only Reuben.
69. Diet and exercise to lose baby weight.
70. Have more meaningful personal prayer daily for one month.
71. Read 3 books.
72. Complete the baby books for each kid (first year).
73. Get dressed up and go somewhere nice with my husband.
74. Run a 10k.
75. Print new photos for Reuben’s office.
76. Create a book documenting school for Brennan & eventually Dawson.
77. Celebrate our anniversary every year by staying/going somewhere.
78. Visit Jason and Amy in Texas.
79. Get a really good massage.
80. Get contacts.
81. Learn to make hairbows for Emery.
82. Set up financial goals and reduce monthly spending together.
83. Contribute annually to a retirement fund for myself.

House ($$ permitting)
84. Organize the pantry.
85. Refinish the pool.
86. Get new windows.
87. Improve front yard landscape.
88. Replace bathroom vanity, install shelves & decorate kids bath.
89. Clean out and organize the garage.
90. Get a new pool fence.
91. Hang photos and complete playroom decor.
92. Repaint base color in main areas of our house.
93. Properly organize phone center.
94. Hang photos and decorate office.
95. Give laundry room a make over.
96. Give master bedroom a make over.
97. Hang curtains in front room.
98. Replace old interior doors.
99. Get the chimney cleaned.
100. Get a BBQ.

101. Do a separate act of service for every goal not completed in 1001 days.