Rehab.

Poor Koda....
.... it's a slow process, and I'm not sure we are getting anywhere with this stuff or not! He's still **really** sore in the back, especially on the back right.

I'm giving it another week like this week, with the same work schedule - and if I see no improvement, I'm calling in the vet. Ugh.

This is from today... as I said goodbye from our morning workout regime. That's his "is that your last carrot!?" look.

Time flies when you're having fun....

9 years ago today, I married Stewart. Back then, the odds were stacked against us. I was 19, he was 18. We had only known each other a short time, having met face to face only a few days before we tied the knot. Only a few people truly believed in us, only a few people had faith that we would survive.

Here we are 9 years later! We have a fantastic marriage. We listen to each other, we talk to one another, and most importantly, we have fun together. People always ask me why we have such a great family... honestly, it's because we put a lot of work in keeping us "us". We put our marriage first, as the number one priority in the house. When we are happy, when we are meshing together... our family works better. Our kids are happier.

We have made a wonderful family together. It's nice to look back over the past nine years and say "I told you so" to those people that were skeptics. We might be impulsive, but we think with our hearts. And so far, our hearts have never steered us wrong.

Happy Anniversary Stewart!

Kodachrome

I am a horse lady... not a cat lady, but a horse lady. I prefer to be at the barn in my free time. I have been known to spend hours just sitting with my horse while he grazes in the field. It's how I stay sane, horses.

This is my horse, Kodachrome. When I bought him at the start of the year, his name was Silver Eyed Joker. But come on, how could I keep him with that kind of name? It was only natural for me to name him Kodachrome... as a homage to my love of photography and to Paul Simon.

Right now, Koda's injured. We aren't sure what is going on with him, but what I do know is it''s worrying me and bothering him. I hope he heals quickly... not because I need to ride, or any of that stuff -- just because I know he is in pain, and there isn't much I can do about it.

Like Paul Simon said:

Kodachrome

They give us those nice bright colors

They give us the greens of summers

Makes you think all the world's a sunny day,

Oh yeah

I got a Nikon camera

I love to take a photograph

So mama don't take my Kodachrome away

Charlotte is 5.

Her birthday was a month ago, but I guess since her party was just this past Saturday it's just now begun to sink in. 5 years old. I have two bonafide"children" now that are no longer babies. They're kids!

Charlotte has a had a rough five years. It started at 18 days old when she scared us half to death with a fever of 105 and a hospital stay for suspected meningitis. Then a couple of months later she came down with RSV and complications. Before her first birthday, she was diagnosed twice with pneumonia. Then last year she became the kid with the weird ear, which ended up requiring surgery, skin grafts, and numerous hearing tests. She did come out of that one with perfect hearing, which I think none of us expected with her history for drama!!!

She's had asthma for life. She owns her disease, but it doesn't mean that she still doesn't worry me on a daily basis. It has been hard for me this year to let go of her a little bit... to let her stretch her wings. Since she's in Kindergarten, I have to trust that she will take care of herself to some extent. It's been hard. But you know what, she's done great... she's really showed me that she's ready to fly the nest, even if it's just for a few hours every day.

Trees.

I have always had a thing for trees. Even when I was younger, I loved just being near trees. Where I grew up, we were literally surrounded by the big umbrella shade of old dogwoods, and oaks. I would run in my backyard in the breezy evenings of fall, and twirl in the showers of brightly colored leaves.

Trees are magical. They seem to me to be more alive than your average plant... perhaps because they live such long lives. If only trees could talk, they could tell us so many stories.

I enjoy photographing trees. This one here was on the outskirts of the southern downs in Portslade, England. Stewart referred to it as a "climbing tree", and I have to agree with him. If I was a little younger, I think I would have attempted to climb up in there for respite myself.

Meet My Inspiration.

I thought it would be only appropriate to start this blog off with the people that inspired me to pick up a camera for the first time and MEAN it. :) These are my children. No one ever told me before I became a parent, that having a child means literally walking around with your bare heart exposed. They give me more joy, happiness, grief, worry, and love than anything else on the face of the planet. It's only natural that they are the gifts that grace my lens more often than anything else.

Madison. She is the oldest one, and the most stubborn. She was born 10 days late, none too anxious to be born. She is still like that today... slow to wake up and get moving, angry when you disturb her rest. She's very methodical and dedicated.

Charlotte. She is a classic middle child -- eager to please, truthful to a fault, and always able to see the good in everyone. She wants desperately to be heard. She has always had what I refer to as "an old soul".... and has always been wise beyond her years. It might have something to do with her illness (she is asthmatic) - I think owning a disease gives you an early sense of maturity and responsibility.

And finally, the baby. Christian. He's the funniest kid I have ever met, and I'm not just saying that because I'm his mother. He's a natural performer, a comedian, and he has an enormous heart. I hear "I love you" and "I'll miss you" more from him every day than anyone else in the house. He definitely values the relationships in our family. And he's definitely the littlest one... the baby. He won't let you forget it, either!

So these are my children. My heart. My inspiration. Every picture I take might not be of them, but they are definitely the reason that I take every picture. They are what makes *MY* world as beautiful as it is... they make it worth the picture taking.