5 Reasons Business Trips aren't all bad....

5. My music, my tv, my schedule: Without Karl here I can listen or watch whatever I want without considering his tastes. No sharing the remote. And I tend to stay up later when he's not here too. Sometimes that means increased productivity. This week...not so much.

4. Shrimp: Karl hates shrimp. I love shrimp. So you can pretty much count on some shrimp dish being on the menu when Karl is on the road.

3. Sleeping on the correct side of the bed: When Karl and I got married, we were both used to sleeping on the same side of the bed. I, being the amazing wife I am, gave up my side so he could sleep there. But when he's gone...I totally sneak back to my preferred side of the bed.

2. Walker the hot water bottle: When Karl is home, Walker sleeps at the foot of the bed with his head resting on my legs. When Karl travels, Walker assumes the water bottle position. He sleeps just like a person would, with his back against my back and keeps me warm all night.

1. They don't last forever: Karl is home tonight and it looks like it could be a month before he has to hit the road again. I'll gladly trade shrimp, late nights, and even my favorite side of the bed to have my husband home again!

You know you've got a good friend...

When she'll get up at 6am on a Sunday and spend all day standing around talking about weddings for you :) Barb rocks...and looks very good in In This Moment Photography Blue :)

Karl whipped out the self portrait to capture the three of us ready for yesterday's bridal show. You can see our booth in the background. A couple of minutes after he snapped the picture, Karl left to go home and pack for yet another Minneapolis trip, leaving Barb and I to manage the brides of 2009.

The show went great, due in large part to having Barb around to help keep me sane. We're off to celebrate with pedicures this morning. My poor worn out feet will definitely appreciate it!

Today

• Is Monday. Again.
• Karl is travelling. Again.
• It's still August, which is sad because I'm ready for this month to be over.
• Because I'm feeling a little like I'm living Groundhogs day and I'm ready for a change of season to snap me out of it.
• Plus, the grown up couch comes in September.
• And I have fondue plans with some of my favorite girls who still love me even though I don't work in a newsroom anymore.
• And Karl and I are going away and staying in a fancy hotel just blocks from Millenium Park in Chicago.
• Because he's turning 30. And he's doing so before me.
• Like I said, I'm ready for September.
• And October. My month to host the dinner party.
• And our 4th anniversary.
• Come to think of it, November sounds pretty good too.
• No weddings.
• No travelling for holidays
• Day after Thanksgiving shopping with Trish...the only one crazy enough to get up at 4am with me.
• Does it seem like I'm rushing life along?
• Or is this just about having something to look forward to?
• Groundhogs Day. I swear.
• This entry makes no sense and the bullets are only making it worse.
• Bring on 2009.

Remember when I said I was going to post here more?

Yeah, I remember too. Apparently I set my August goals not taking into consideration exactly what this month entailed. Weddings, engagement sessions and bridal shows OH MY!

So now, while I have a few minutes, a few random observations and recaps from the past few weeks.

• Recap: We bought a new tv. Or shall I say, Karl bought a new tv and I stood around stressing about the bill for said new tv. While I know we can swing it, apparently my subconscious didn't feel the same and I went on to have anxiety dreams about the tv for the next several days.
  
• Observation: Why exactly did we buy new tv when we don't have a free weekend between now and Halloween to actually enjoy new tv?
  
• Recap: Karl is wrapping up week one of three weeks of business trips. I'm lucky to have him home for the weekend, but come Sunday afternoon he'll hit the road again.
• Observation: Signing up for Netflix just before said business trip was the best idea ever. Also, watching a tv series on dvd goes very quickly without commercials! I am now hooked on Weeds. Ha! That sounds funny.
• Recap: This past weekend's wedding was amazing. The couple did a sports themed reception complete with foam fingers, thunder sticks and noise makers. I had a blast and shot way more than we normally do.
• Observation: A day of lugging camera gear followed by three days parked in front of the computer in a less than comfortable chair is bad news for the back.
  
• Recap: By yesterday morning my back was in one heck of a spasm.
  
• Observation: Muscle relaxers make for really weird dreams.
  
• Recap: Walker is doing his best to keep me company in Karl's absence.
• Observation: He's not going to be happy when he has to give up his spot on the bed when Karl returns.
  

And that's that. I am giving up my plans to hang out with Angie and Luke in favor of another day of editing to make up for yesterdays drug induced slacking. Hopefully I'll blog again sometime before the month is over.

The Luckiest

Every wedding Karl and I make sure to get one slow dance in. Often it's late in the night and the party goers who have had a *very* good time, get quite a kick out of seeing the photographers on the dance floor. For us, it's a couple of minutes to be together after a day of working seperately. A couple of times we've been lucky enough to dance to our own wedding song, "When you say nothing at all" by Alison Krauss. That one always makes me tear up a little.

This particular Saturday night our dance almost did me in. I'm a lyrics girl and we danced to "The Luckiest" by Ben Folds.

I don't get many things right the first time
In fact, I am told that a lot
Now I know all the wrong turns, the stumbles and falls
Brought me here

And where was I before the day
That I first saw your lovely face?
Now I see it everyday
And I know

That I am
I am
I am
The luckiest

There is no doubt in my mind that I *am* the luckiest. Lucky that five years ago this month Karl became my very first Eharmony match. Lucky that just a few weeks later he gassed up his car and made the 16 hour trek to visit Knoxville. Lucky that we made it through a year of long distance dating. Lucky that almost four years ago we promised each other forever.

Lucky that I get to wake up next to him. Lucky that we can talk about photography with the same passion. Lucky that when we're shooting we communicate without words. Lucky that others comment on our teamwork. I couldn't have asked for a better partner in life and business.

My dream of motherhood may not be a reality yet, but my dream of being a wife has been more than fulfilled. Yes, I am *definitely* the luckiest.

Happy August

I can't believe August is here! I'm off to bed for some rest before tomorrow's wedding. I can't believe we're about to start 12 weekends straight! What a wild ride this will be.

So here's my list of goals to get me through the next month. I made this list for a little weight loss challenge I've got going with a few friends. After way too long off the wagon, this challenge has inspired me to hop back on the Weight Watchers plan. It's been good to have some structure going into such a hectic time.


Food:

I want to track my points every day this month.
I want to get all of my water in daily, at least 6 glasses
5 fruits or veggies every day.
Try one new recipe a week.

Weight:

I'd like to lose 2 pounds a week for a total of 8 pounds over four weigh ins.

Exercise:

Four trips to the gym every week.
Walks after dinner with the dog 5 nights a week.

Other:

Edit 200 photos a day Monday, Tuesday and Thursday to keep up on weddings.
Blog at least 20 times in August.
Plan a fun date night for Karl and I.