all it took was a dirty diaper

I don't know how to say it, other than this pregnancy has been hard. Brutal, even. In every way possible. Thankfully I do have good days, but this past week(end) has been mostly bad days.

Yesterday I woke up feeling even worse than the day before for no apparent reason. Then I looked out the window, saw how the wind was bending our neighbor's tree, and remembered we're expecting storms all week. Which means a change in pressure. Which means my pregnant body hurts.

But I still went through our morning routine and showered and fed the kids and got them dressed. But it was so hard to keep moving. All I wanted to do is crawl back into bed and forget everything I had to do that day and have to do the entire week. But I finally pinned Nick down so I could change his diaper, and because it was poopy, I took it to the outside trash. Something I was dreading because of the crazy wind, since wind here means dust, and that's the last thing I need a face full of.

And that's when it happened. I got a whiff of the air moving quickly down the street and am instantly transported back east. It's moist. And smells like green things. And is chilly. And I'm sure I looked like a crazy person as I just stood there and soaked it in. After throwing out the diaper, I headed inside then went straight to the backyard and leaned against the house for awhile just soaking in the wind.

And it's amazing how much better I felt after I went back inside. My whole day was turned around and I was able to face my kids and my list with energy and motivation.

All because of some wind carrying the promise of rain. And a poopy diaper that forced me to go outside.

It really is the little things in life.

news for jax harmon photography!

I've been working really hard the past few months, especially the past couple of weeks, to finalize things (I've made lots of changes) and get my business, Jax Harmon Photography, up and running and legal again! There's still a couple of things left to do, but all the big stuff is done (like contracts and business licenses and tax IDs). But the biggest "big" thing completed that I'm terribly excited about is the fact my website is done and live!!

So check it out at www.jaxharmon.com.

Let me know what you think! (and if everything works for you.)

Also, down on the right in the sidebar is a link to my business page on facebook if you'd like to become a fan there!

There's also a whole lot more information on this blog if you go to the 'Jax Harmon Photography + Design' tab at the top.

And finally, thank you to everyone who has supported me in this endeavor through the years! (you know who you are) I'm so lucky to be able to do what I love!





I also owe a HUGE debt of thanks to my friend James for his help with getting it done. Definitely an awesome person to work with. He's in the process of rebranding his business, so keep an eye out because once he's done you will hear all about it!

sunday best!

Unfortunately, no pregnancy outfit this week. I spent too much time in the sun and heat Saturday and paid for it Sunday. (the one good thing I got out of it is I now know that I'm going to have to take it very easy this summer. The last thing this baby needs is a dehydrated or heat stroked mama) So today's outfit is from the week after Christmas (right when my pregnancy sickness was starting to hit full-force). I apologize for the poor quality photos, my usual photo spot was "taken" so I just handed the camera to Rob (and we know how that goes...). But I loved my outfit so I wanted documentation of it no matter what.

shirt: Old Navy

jacket: Old Navy

skirt: New York & Company (from high school...)

hose: Christmas gift from my grandmother! I never would have picked an animal print (I admit, I'm scared I can't pull it off) but I LOVE these! I can't wait until next winter when I can wear them again. (I'd totally do it now if it weren't so blasted hot already)

boots: Charlotte Russe

necklace: Forever 21 (it's a little turquoise owl. I know, so hipster)

overall "roughness": first trimester

Man, that really feels like a lifetime ago instead of 5 months.

weekly interrogation: Kjrsten Madsen!

Today I present to you another photographer friend, Kjrsten Madsen!  Despite having never met in real life I know she has killer style (in every way from her shoes to her website) AND a killer eye because her work is gorgeous. She also makes me insanely jealous that she lives in Europe, looking at photos of the trips her family takes makes me groan with how much I wish I was there too:)

name: Kjrsten Madsen

website: www.kjrstenmadsen.com, www.kjrst.blogspot.com

1.What do you “do”?

photography, mothering, wifery, and more photography

2. Why do you do what you do? 

I see better with a camera

3.Where are you from? 

Tacoma Washington, but now living in London England

4. Favorite color? 

Blue, in all shades but leaning towards the lighter and green-ish hues

5. Favorite food? 

cookies

6. Favorite shoes? 

this is an almost impossible question! But if I have to choose I pick these (attached)

7. Favorite place in the whole wide world? 

the Black Sea (where I fell in love with the Mr.)

8. Favorite piece of playground equipment? 

the merry go round or tire swing (I like to spin)

9. Your funniest story? 

it's too inappropriate to share over the internet!

10. Mac or PC? 

Mac

11. Manual or automatic? 

manual (my first car was a '79 silver VW convertible Bug, that was the first and last time I ever loved a car)

12. What do you consider your best asset? 

my ability to keep the peace, around me and within myself too.

13. Guiltiest pleasure? 

cookies everyday for breakfast.

14. Biggest pet peeve? 

the lack of proper Mt. Dew in London.

15. What do you consider priceless? 

time with my mom. she has terminal cancer. her days are numbered.

16. If you could sit next to anyone on an airplane, who would it be? 

same as above.

17. What would you choose as your last meal? 

a roscoe sandwich (fried chicken + waffles + maple syrup + mustard dipping sauce)

18. What era in time do you connect with the most? 

the 60's. I love that women wore dresses everyday- even to the grocery store.

19. Your motto for life? 

I like to break rules, live in the present, and not freak out over stuff until it's really time to freak out, but it hardly ever is.

20. Best advice you can give? 

Always be the first to forgive.

And here are some links to some of my favorite stuff she's shot recently:

First, I love what her daughter said about Paris. And then Paris itself is spectacular:

http://www.kjrstenmadsenblog.com/2012/04/when-we-first-announced-to-girls-that.html

My brother lived in Jamaica for two years but did not take any photos that do it justice. These do!:

http://www.kjrstenmadsenblog.com/2012/04/jamaica-one-love.html

I just love these. In a big way:

http://www.kjrstenmadsenblog.com/2012/03/paris-wheel.html

Why don't we travel by train in this country? So much lovlier than cramming in a car for days... :

http://www.kjrstenmadsenblog.com/2012/03/planes-trains-and-automobiles.html

If you don't groan looking at these I don't know what to say:

http://www.kjrstenmadsenblog.com/2012/03/cardiff-castle-wales.html

I hope you're a fan now too!

If you'd like to participate, just click on the 'weekly interrogation' tab at the top and follow the instructions there. Hope to see you here!

gift ideas

This post is pretty much for family who may read, so feel free to disregard if it doesn't apply to you!

I am an online shopper. I never used to be, then I had kids. Now it is so much easier just to order something and have it delivered than drag all of us out of the house and drive all over looking for what we need. (and often not being able to find it!) So at some point I discovered amazon's wish list thing and started using it to keep track of the stuff I planned on buying. And I never planned on sharing it with anyone, it was just another list I could keep. (believe me, I am a big time list maker too)

Well, the time has come to spread the word on it since 1. we no longer live close to the people who get gifts for us so we get lots of "What do the boys like now?" and "is there anything you want?" type of questions.  Which we don't mind answering, but I know sometimes something very specific is the most helpful. And 2. we are now up to our eyeballs in toys (which I'm sure every parent can relate to) and have plenty of clothes for the boys (especially Nick as I kept everything of Max's and the born-in-opposite-seasons dilemma is no longer an issue as Nick gets bigger) but we DO need various homeschooling items. Which I (of course) keep track of on our wish list.

So, without further ado, here is the link: Jacqueline's Wish List

If you do take a gander at it, I'm sure you can pick out the stuff that are my wishes for "someday when we have tons of cash to spend on whatever we like."

And, of course, this is not to beg for gifts or anything like that! I personally love giving gifts and the brainstorming that goes into finding the "perfect" gift so if that is how you are don't change! (and we've had some FABULOUS gifts show up in the mail so don't feel like we are criticizing anyone!) This is simply to help out those who do not find the "hunt" so fun.

Lastly, I have to say that we are so incredibly grateful for all the gifts and cards we do receive. It can be really hard (especially for holidays) to be so far from family and can feel like the long lost relatives sometimes. So when we find goodies in the mail from those we love it really helps to remember we're not forgotten.

2011 in review: march

The original plan was to post about 2011 at the start of the new year... then my body decided to freak out over being pregnant. So you get them now!

first row, left to right:

1. I am so in love with Nick's lips. I have no idea whose genes contributed these beauties, but I love whoever did.  The same goes for his eye color; Rob and I both have green-hazel eyes and pretty much everyone else in our families have brown (including Max).  But Nick has these beautiful dark blue/gray-hazel eyes.

2. Max's army pj's are my favorite!

3. Baby feet!  Nick got his dad's hobbit feet as well:)

4. Nick and I at an army picnic, one of the few pictures of me that exists.

second row, left to right:

5. Someone found all the bath toys and bottles while brother was in the tub.

6. Max in either a striker or a bradley vehicle. We have a feeling he may be a soldier like his dad...

7. Field Artillery!

8. I can't get enough of his squishy face!

third row, left to right:

9. Max is very left brained, numbers and all that "math stuff" comes easy to him, but he's not as interested in reading. (this is SO hard for me because I'm the exact opposite!) (although he is learning, just at a much slower pace than the numbers) But what little interest he showed at first came in the form of reading video game labels and manuals.

10. Nick wishing he could be in there too!

11. Checking out Max's freshly painted room. With a nerf dart in hand.

12. Max has inherited his dad's gift of falling asleep anytime, anywhere. (I do not have said talent.)

bottom row, left to right:

13. Gotta love cloth diapered bums! And I know I've said this before, but the light is AMAZING here. It can get a little intense at times, but it's nice to have perpetual sunshine.

14. This is what I get 98% of the time I try to take Max's picture.

15. If you can't hear the maniacal laughter in your head when you look at this you have no imagination.

16. Always checking to see what big brother is doing.

Next up, April!

2011 in review: february

The original plan was to post about 2011 at the start of the new year... then my body decided to freak out over being pregnant. So you get them now!

first row, left to right:

1. February was pretty uneventful for us. We stayed at home a lot and I continued to unpack/organize. And my kids looked very cute, even simply munching on some cheerios.

2. The Goodwins made a slight detour to visit us on their way to Ft. Lewis! Their visit was WAY too short, but we'll take any time with them we can! It does make for some sad goodbyes though.

3. Max was VERY upset when they left, if it were up to him (and me!) they would be our next door neighbors everywhere we go.

4. Mom's studio has the best toys. (ahem.)

second row, left to right:

5. I'm amazed I can get two kids on my lap. But that's what happens when you play Yo Gabba Gabba videos on the computer.

6. My happy, smiling baby! We had the best walks this month, the weather was gorgeous! And the light is DIVINE here!

7. Again, so happy!

8. Poor exhausted Rob. Being a soldier means long hours, which means passing out every time you sit down.

third row, left to right:

9. Playing with our shadows on one of our evening walks.

10. That, my friends, is astro turf. It is legit here. Before moving here I had NO idea people actually used it in their yards. I thought it was just for sports arenas and trailer parks. But no, you will have a mansion with straight up astro turf instead of grass. Craziness.

11. Max looking at the camera for once!

12. It must be nice to be so little and get pushed around everywhere.

bottom row, left to right:

13. Max noticed we have the same type of shoes. Twinners!

14. Love that face. And those eyes. Gah, I just love babies!!

15. Again, mom's studio is the best place to play! (he's holding a big knitting needle.  Don't worry, he was supervised the whole time. Nick mostly used it to beat on furniture)

16. Our house has that magical circle in it that means lots of chasing and lots of running laps!

Next up, March!