It. never. ends.

And for the past 3 years, almost EVERY. SINGLE. EVENING has been filled with work.  As soon as the kids go to bed, my lap top comes out and I work. and work. and work.  And to tell the truth, I’m starting to get really tired.  And I don’t want to get tired.  I have seen my work getting more sloppy (not the photography part, but the blog part, and the marketing part, and DEFINITELY the keeping everything organized part).  And continuing down this road of constantly running upstream leads only to failure.

Oh, but by the way, failure isn’t an option.

So I’m taking a break.

And I am going to check my e-mail only a few times a day instead of 1,000.  And I’m going to play with my kids when they ask me to play.  And I’m going to hug them when they want a hug.  And I’m going to get my camera out because I WANT to.  And I’m going to capture my OWN priceless moments for a few months.  And when my husband wants to watch a movie or play a game in the evenings, I will.  WITHOUT multi-tasking. And I won’t have those super-busy days where I have to decide between a shower and getting edits done.

Wow.  This new life sounds pretty nice.

But I promise you I will come back.  Because I LIVE for my business.  (And my kids and my husband…)  And I live for my clients and their children, and I live for creating those timeless, precious works of art that make beautiful homes even more beautiful.  And I live for business, and marketing, and branding.  (Not so much bookkeeping and accounting.  But that’s why I have a husband.)  And I live for growing and creating and pushing myself further.  So here’s to a break!  And when I come back expect a new and improve and rejuvenated me.  Oh, I’m so excited for the rejuvenated part.

And if you are afraid you’ll miss me too much, make sure you are a part of my Facebook Fan page.  Because I hang out there a lot.  And I will continue to do so.  And that’s where I’ll share Mackay stories and Zack’s driving me crazy stuff, and business related such-and-such.

And I can’t wait to see you all back here in a few months! (Just make sure you come back.)

**Random and sort of awkward side note: Gift Cards are on SALE NOW!  Through the month of December from Kalli Barker Photography.  Any amount 20% off!  So if you have are looking for the perfect Christmas gift for those perfect people in your life, this could be IT.  E-mail me: kalli{at}kallibarkerphotography{dot}com for more information.**

Thank you for all your understanding!

Saturday night we went to our storage unit and grabbed out all of our Christmas decorations.  After dinner at my favorite place, Fernandos, we were going to decorate our house with the kids.  Dinner was amazing, the kids did great, and on our way home we were just talking about anything and everything.  And then we got hit.

I didn’t even see it coming–I was in the middle of a sentence.  It all happened so fast.  Once we had come to a stop I turned my head around and saw two sets of eyes looking back at me.  Nate was okay.  The kids were crying, but they looked good.  I jumped out of the car, unbuckled my kids as fast as I could and tore them out.  Zack had taken his shoes off, of course, so I had to hold him.  Mackay wouldn’t stop shaking.  A woman came up to me and offered help.  I handed her a child.  We jumped in her car and moved away from the accident into a nearby parking lot.  And that’s where we stayed for about an hour as the fire trucks, ambulances, and police arrived.  While Nate was checking on the other driver, talking with police, and trying to piece together what happened with witnesses, we colored by number. We sat in a car with two elementary school teachers and a middle school teacher.  We couldn’t have been in better hands.

Nate kept me updated on details as he got them.  The woman was drunk.  They found the bottle of Vodka in her car.  She tried to beat up police, was tackled to the ground, handcuffed, and taken to jail.  My fear for the person in the other car turned to complete anger.  I felt like I could have punched her in the face.  How dare she get into a car after drinking.  How did she not think of my children, also getting into a car, so excited to decorate their home for Christmas?

But even with the anger the blessings can’t be overlooked.  How she hit us in just the right spot.  How close she was to ramming right into Mackay’s door.  I don’t know how I could have lived with myself if my kids had gotten severely hurt.  How my friend answered her phone when I called for a ride.  How she came immediately to pick us up.  How our neighbors brought over two car seats for us to borrow that same night.  How our friends are bringing dinner over to us tonight.  How we are ALIVE and WELL.

So though our bodies are still in a lot of pain, we are so blessed.  And I thank you all for your help and support.

This craft seems SO cute using pencil erasers and paint to make an Autumn tree.  The blog that I got it from IS in a different language, but you get the idea. 

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This web-site has a lot of great printables for children to enjoy!

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Cute Turkey!

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A way to remember and give thanks AND incorporate the Thanksgiving turkey.

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This has to be one of my favorites.  Thanksgiving seems to be focused a LOT around the turkey and not so much around Pilgrims and Native Americans.  I did this next craft with my kids to introduce who the Pilgrims were and what the first Thanksgiving was all about.  And using their hands to draw the heads was just plain fun.

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This next image comes from a fellow photographer’s blog.  She has SO MANY cute and WONDERFUL ideas of how to incorporate Thanksgiving into your day with kiddos.  Games and crafts galore!

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And seriously, how could you not end the post with these adorable sugar cookies?  I don’t know if I could eat them….maybe just decorate them!

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What are you doing with your kids this year to enjoy the Thanksgiving spirit?

But not this year.

Instead of the mismatched, hand-me-down decorations, I have decided to DECORATE for REAL.  I’m ecstatic about it.  I was so excited (thanks to Pinterest) about making my home look beautiful for the holidays, that I took TWO kids to THREE different stores in ONE day.  Does anyone else recognize what a feat that is?

(Inserted note: I KNOW that this is a CHRISTMAS post BEFORE THANKSGIVING.  I KNOW to many this is a cardinal sin.  But because of the DIY nature of it all, I thought it appropriate to start early to get decorations UP before the NEW YEAR.  So don’t try to hate.)

And here is my first DIY project tackled.  I saw this display and thought it all looked so beautiful.  Realizing (from a client) that the Christmas Subway art was a FREE download completely kicked me into gear.  I immediately ordered the 16X20 print through my lab, found on-line coupons, wrote down my needed list of supplies, and found the nearest Thrift shop.

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And same day I made my glitter trees with Mackay, spray painted my thrifted antique candlesticks, and excitedly pushed everything off my mantle and put these in their place.  And they look beautiful. (Mackay was my put-glitter-back-into-bottle helper and personal consultant throughout this project.)

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And I am gung-ho about finishing off my mantle as a beautiful masterpiece.  I have a little extra space that I need to do something with.  I was thinking about creating a monogrammed B in either Jute:

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…or Moss.  And can’t decide which.  If I do a moss letter, I will do a burlap wreath to go with it.  (See below.)  If I do a Jute letter, I will possibly do a moss wreath?  Thoughts?

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Other ideas for the mantle:

Presents made from kleenex boxes.

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I also thought about doing something totally crazy and putting this branch and ornament idea above my couch.  So if you find the perfect stick, and perfect husband to put up said stick, let me know.

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An already must on my list of crafts-to-do is this Burlap Christmas Tree skirt.  No sew!

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And Christmas stockings.  I am sad to say that we really haven’t done the whole Christmas stocking thing.  Growing up we always had the SAME ONE every year.  The same, super ghetto, but super from the heart stockings that my dad made HIMSELF.  (No, he is not crafty.)  So I wanted to do something special for my family.  But nothing special really clicked.  And a lot of years we even forgot our Christmas stockings wherever we were staying and used either a)other people’s extras, or b)plastic bags.  Super festive of us, I know.

But that is going to (hopefully) change this year.  I have recently got into quilting and found these absolutely adorable quilted Christmas stockings.  The pattern is for sale for $7.95 for 4 patterns.  I have consulted with my personal quilting teacher about if she thinks this is a good idea for me to undergo, and if she thinks she can help me. 

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If those stockings prove to be too difficult and time consuming, I am thinking about doing these burlap stockings.  To go with a possible frame/monogrammed letter and our Christmas Tree skirt.

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And WREATHS!  I love the idea, but I love too many ideas.  I want something to decorate my home AND my front door, and still have to choose which ones to do.

Option A:

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Option B:

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And option C:

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And HERE is where you comment with your thoughts, words of encouragement, opinions…

Never underestimate the power of being on the OTHER side of the camera.  Each year I gain a whole new respect for those mothers that book photography sessions.  It is a major commitment, I know.  Not only are you investing a lot of money, but the amount of time that is involved with planning and prepping is crazy.  And really, it all comes down to if your kids are having a good day or not.  I also learned that you can never underestimate the faith you have in your photographer.  With all the time and energy involved with getting the kiddos in picture taking style and mood, the faith you have in your photographer, to get the images you will love, is what makes all the stress worth it.

And without further adieu, never try to hem your child’s onesie into a shirt the night before your shoot.  At least make your first attempt on a shirt that is not BRAND NEW.  Cutting into that beautiful, new-smelling cotton was painful.  Seeing my handiwork after it was all said and done was excruciating.

And don’t even try to cross your fingers.  Your stubborn two year old will STILL be stubborn during a photoshoot.

And never underestimate the power of a secret and a surprise all wrapped up into one for a preschooler.  These images that Elise was able to capture are priceless!

And this picture of Nate and Zack may or may not be after we found blood all over Zack’s hand.  And his shirt.  And subsequently on Nate’s shirt.  That he hated and wanted to take back to the store immediately following our shoot.  But now he gets to keep!

Merry Christmas all!  And I think I might have saved the best for our Holiday Cards we are sending out this year.  Can’t wait!!  And thanks again, Elise for being a wonderful photographer and an even better friend.  We had a great time!

And as a side note, I know that women are super critical when they view themselves in photographs.  But this year I am quite happy.  Not super happy, mind you, but I was able to lose 11 lbs these past few months and seeing that it has paid off, at least a little bit, in our family pictures feels great!

I was in a conversation with a friend of mine a while back when she made a comment that really moved me.  She and her husband take their son to activities and events that mean a lot to their family, (specifically band competitions), to hopefully inspire their son (who is 3) to achieve his dreams and his goals, just like they did growing up.  To find a drive and ambition that a lot of young kids don’t have these days.  I have always wanted Mackay to do what she loved, but a lot of “lessons” she is just too young for.  Her passions right now are all about singing, dancing, and acting.  And I fully anticipate putting her into voice lessons, other musical instruments, and dance lessons when she is old enough.  But I didn’t know what I could start  now. 

How about starting her dreams.

It was so moving to watch her eyes open up when she saw the orchestra playing, the curtains drawing, and then Belle coming out on stage.  She stayed awake the entire time.  She laughed when she was supposed to laugh.  And at the end I loved telling her “this is the part where you stand up and clap really loud” when everyone came out on stage.  I felt inspired telling her that she could do whatever she wanted when she grew up.  She could play the music in the orchestra, paint the sets, or even be Belle.  (And as an FYI, in high school I was in the orchestra and Nate was the one on stage.)  No surprise she wants to be Belle when she gets older.

And I fully intend on helping her achieve her dreams.

(Thanks to Nate for taking our picture before we left.)

The kids are actually playing together quietly right now.  Never mind that they are playing dress-up.  And that Zack is dressed up as part Snow White/Ballerina/Fairy/Witch.

I hate Daylight Savings time.  I ABSOLUTELY HATE IT.  And if there are any other young parents out there, I’m sure your life is a living Hell right now, too. What a stupid idea Daylight Savings time is, anyway.

I’m toying with an idea: As far back as I can remember, (probably a year or two), I have had a regular blog.  EVERY Monday, Wednesday, Friday a blog post is faithfully waiting for all of you to read.  Last year I even posted on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day.  BECAUSE I NEVER MISS A POST.  But what if I took a little break?  The  more I think about it, the more I like the idea.  My last photoshoot is scheduled for the end of November.  So as far as photoshoots go, I have a few months to my family.  But what if those months were COMPLETELY devoted to my family?  I’m thinking about taking December and January off of blog posting.  To refresh and rejuvinate.  To have time for me.  To not have quite as lengthy a to-do list.  For just a little while.  Any comments?  My fear is that my heard-earned readers won’t come back.  And heaven forbid they don’t come back…  (Or maybe I don’t care?)

Thoughts! Comments! Daylight Savings Time Horror Stories!