not much to write home about...

i have a problem...

2008-05-07T16:22:00.000-07:00

fun and comfy.

sweet and sassy.

and damn sexy.

Shoes.

I love them.

I bought 3 (no 4! Reef sandals - essential- not pictured) pairs on Monday! The prices were ridiculously low and I was in desperate need of some retail therapy.

Don't worry, I am seeking help.

*BTW - who knew Keds could be so stinking cute?

for your ears...

2008-05-02T10:05:00.000-07:00

You probably have noticed by now the tunes that assult you when you navigate to my blogs (not much to write home about and allie kemp photography, the blog). If your confused, turn your speakers on. If you are reading this via Multiply, then you have no idea what I am talking about either (click here or above to tune in). Anyways, I thought I should bring this new accessory to your attention for a couple reasons.

If you were secretly surfing the www at work or quitely at home and happened across my pages and I blew your cover, I am sorry. Be prepared next time.

If you can't figure out where that noise is coming from, scroll down and look to the right of the page.

If you hate this new addition, scroll down the sidebar and hit the pause button, or mute your volume, or turn off your speakers, or suck it up and expand your musical horizons.

If you find yourself shimmy-ing in your seat and tapping your toes, then I have good news. The player can pop out and stand alone away from my sites. You can enjoy my current song choices while you work, play solitair, or stalk other blogs. Just maintain an internet connection and sing along.

If my music selection isn't your cup of tea and you want to creat your very own, check out playlist.com. My friend Missy introduced me to this nifty place a few weeks ago. I am diggin' it.

my grandpa and pink daisy razors...

2008-04-27T15:33:00.000-07:00

Most important of the two, my grandpa. Today is his birthday. He is wonderful grandpa. Whenever I see him or talk to him he greets me with a hug and tells me I am his prettiest granddaughter. There are 6 of us granddaughters in total and he tells them the same thing, but I think it is so cute. He wears hearing aids and I am pretty sure he uses this "ailment" to his advantage whenever possible. I watch my grandma, who is 2 feet away in the other recliner talk to him while he continues to stare at the TV completely ignoring her until she swipes at him and says "Did you hear what I just said?" and he jolts upright and says "I am sorry did you say something?" with this bewildered look on his face. I know he hears her, I have used this same move before. I love him.

___________________________________________

Today is also my 13th leg shaving anniversary. Yes, I know the date. This was a big deal in my tween years. Being of Mexican heritage (which I can thank my grandpa for) I was destined from the beginning to be a hairy beast. I was so embarrassed as a kid, I had these skinny little sasquatch legs and my mom wouldn't let me shave them. I begged and I pleaded with her beginning the summer before 6th grade, but she wouldn't give in.
Most kids would just go and do it themselves, but the threat of TV restriction for the rest of my teen years and the idea of carving a line down my leg if I slipped up kept any pre-emptive hair removal at bay. So I decided I would just wear pants for the rest of my life.
Then one day, after explaining to my mom how I couldn't continue to hide the fact that I was the missing link on the approaching 6th grade trip to Catalina, she finally caved. It was the night after my grandpa's celebratory birthday dinner, probably at Sizzler. As happy as I was to rid my legs of these keratinous filaments, I was scared to death of the possibility of slicing a major artery or losing a foot. I had heard horror stories from my friends at sleepovers whose smooth legs were scared up and down from razor mishaps. The marks of grown women, I was terribly jealous. All I had were bruises that were barely visible through the dark forest.
My mom handed me the little pink razor with daisies down the handle and it didn't look so bad. I made her do the first couple of strips, but once I realized the tub wasn't filling with blood I took over. Apparently there was a catch, I couldn't go above the knee. What? Stupid I know, but I think this was my mom's clever thinking to keep me in shorts with no shorter than an 8 inch inseam. Now, I was the hairy kneed girl, great. My legs looked like the island of Hispaniola. But even after just my two calves, it looked like we had just bathed a litter chocolate lab puppies.
I remember getting into bed that night and having the skin on my legs touch the sheets for the first time, I kept repositioning my legs all night just to feel the softness of my 150-thread count heart patterned covers. I was so happy, it was going to be 90 degrees the next day and I could finally wear shorts to school.

remember to ret her into your heart...

2008-04-24T17:59:00.001-07:00

If you're a myspacer, then you have probably already seen this courtesy of Tom.
But I had to share it with the rest of you.
Enjoy.

*ps. scroll down and pause the sidebar tunes

korean baby singing hey jude

key west...

2008-04-20T10:21:00.000-07:00

Think New Orlean's Square in Disneyland with a tropical twist, minus the screaming children and obnoxious teens, keep the gay/lesbian couples, but fill it with a bunch of middle aged (plus) Jimmy Buffet fans burnt to an almost unrecognizable crisp, and lots of roosters and you get Key West. Tanner had an overnight there last night so I decided to hitch along for the ride and check it out. We got in at about 2:30 in the afternoon and checked into our room (free room that is) at the Crown Plaza. We were both hungry and so we took a stroll down Duval Street to find a good place to eat. Is it too much to ask for a humburger under $10? It seems so. We decided on a restuarant we had been to before, but on another island, Oahu. Cheeseburger Key West, no not Cheeseburger in Paradise, although Tanner kept singing it. I read later that Jimmy Buffet thinks he should pretty much own all things "cheeseburger" and the restaurant basically hates him for this. I just hope the servers never heard Tanner singing, or at least only spit in his food not mine. Either way, our food was sooo good -we ate like vacationers. Chili-cheese fries and the best oriental chicken salad I have ever had in my life.

Key West has to be 10 degrees hotter than any other place in Florida, so after lunch and a stroll thru this historical site/master planned community we decided to take a nap and shower before heading out again for dessert and the sunset festivities. Key Westerner's love their sunsets.

For dessert we enjoyed the Brownie Explosion Sundae with Kaluha ice cream at Matteessen's. It was difficult to walk after that. I couldn't decide if standing up straight or if leaning over and holding my belly would make the amount of food I ate somehow shrink and take away the pain from overeating. We walked it off though and headed for Sunset Pier (I think that is what it is called) to watch the sunset (obviously). Our friend had warned us of this place and insisted we stay as far away from it as possible, something about taming (originally I thought she had said painting and I was concerned) mice, cats, and dogs to dance with each other or something, I didn't understand, but when I expressed what she had said to Tanner we had no other choice. He had to see this dancing mice/cats, whatever. So we walked and walked and found the crowds. Key West is home to many interesting people, like bag pipers, jugglers, people covered in silver paint who make "machine" noises, the Great Rondini, and yes, cat tamers. We thought if we just kept walking the crowds would thin and we could stand in a place without "performers". Well, we reached the end of the pier and there was the juggler. Tanner was instantly captivated when he started juggling 5 firey torches, this would later cost him (Tanner, not the juggler). While he stood there staring like a seven year old, the juggler picked him out the crowd to be a "helper" by throwing a cardboard block at him. He tried to hand it off to me, but the joggler caught him and publically chastised him for being a weenie. I loved this. He then was made to hold hands with a bunch of dudes in front of the rectangular crowd that had formed, but ended up holding a tightrope for the juggler to walk on while juggling knives. I was slightly impressed.

Anyways, the sun set and once it was gone, everybody clapped. Yeah, Sun! I don't know why. However, it was beautiful and boats seemed to take their cue and position themselves right in front of it to make these perfect sailboat silhoettes that really solidified the whole experience.

We had been told of a ghost that haunts the hotel we were staying at and so all night scenes from the move 1408 kept popping into my head even though I find it to be complete rubbish (sorry I just finished reading Harry Potter).

So it turned out to be a fun a little excursion and small taste of life after 40. Here are some pictures from the day...

looking out towards Sunset Pier

so happy we are about to eat chili-cheese fries and oriental chicken salad.

super cute home in the Truman's Annex community

like i said, chicken and roosters everywhere. here's a gang of them hanging out at the court house.

friendly cat. I was trying to check his toes to see if he was one of Hemingways 3-toed cats, but he wouldn't cooperate.

And here is some of the local talent...

yeah that's a dog in shorts, he wouldn't tell me what his talent was though. but what can you expect from a dog wearing shorts?

jumping cats.

here is Tanner's performing debut, check out the little curtsie the guy next to him is doing.

tightrope walking juggler, tanner said he was heavy.

the sunset. photographed by Tanner Kemp of Tanner Kemp Photographical Institue of Art and Picture Talking Abilities for the Blind and Kids Who Can't Read Good, a division of Allie Kemp Photography.

pirate allie.

drinking the night away. "milk was a bad choice"

happy birthday...

2008-04-15T18:46:00.001-07:00

Emily Michelle!

Today she is officially half my age, what does that mean? She is growing up way too fast, and I am feeling old. I mean, I changed this girl's diapers! (Sorry Em, but it's true) Now, we are practically sharing clothes (actually that used to be my shirt she is wearing)! Well, the good news is she is growing into a simply gorgeous young lady who (whom?) I adore. I love you, Emily.

happy birthday...

2008-04-15T18:25:00.001-07:00

Yitzi girl! Love, Tanner and Allie

Lindsay, You are probably saying "Where the hell did she get that picture?"

Well, I have my ways.

happy birthday mom...

2008-04-10T23:07:00.000-07:00

On this past Monday my mom celebrated her birthday. I know, I know why is this post so late? Well, I have excuses, several actually, but even so...I'm sorry.

I will be discreet and remain quiet on her actual age, but it is the same as her birth year (a little brain workout for ya'll). The good news is you could never tell. It could be thanks to Mary Kay or Avon or Arbonne, but I am hoping that it has more to do with good genes than products.

I tend to argue the "you're just like your mom" comment, but I am finding more and more that sometimes it is true.

She is a perfectionist. Present wrapping was/is an art. No one can fashion a bow from curly ribbon like my mom, and if you try she will re-do it for you. If I owned wrapping paper and all the trimmings, I would attempt to coordinate every present under the tree.

She can't pass up a good deal. Her house is filled with various unnecessary items like unused candles and Christmas dishtowels with the tags still on them that she couldn't not-buy because they were so cheap. I literally have to talk myself out of buying anything worth looking at under $5. I am an absolute lost cause in the Target dollar section.

She loves animals. She is currently housing two dogs, four cats, two lizards, two snakes, and a large school of fish. Although I could pass on the reptiles, if I had a house it would be filled with dogs and sprinkled with kittens.

There are probably a few more similarities that I haven't mentioned, but although that comment used to make me furrow my brow, now I am realizing that more and more - it's a good thing.

Happy {belated} Birthday Mom. I love you.

not in kansas anymore...

2008-03-30T18:19:00.000-07:00

I have never been to Kansas, but Fallbrook is close enough. Here's a few pics of what you won't see parading down Main Street...

(does that mean the dog is gay, too?)

That's right kids, it's Pridefest weekend here in Lake Worth. The bubble I grew up in wasn't nearly this colorful (or leather clad). I wore gray, just so that there wouldn't be any confusion.

mr.m...

2008-03-29T20:50:00.001-07:00

When I was 10 and in full dork mode, Mr. M was my English teacher. It was his first year out of student teaching and I was a bit of a turd . I signed this "petition" (written up by another turd going through dorkhood) to have him fired. I don't remember the exact accusations made on this wide-ruled, double-spaced document, but I am sure we felt some sort of injustices were being carried out and in need of being dealt with. Luckily, our efforts to remove Mr. M from his new post didn't make it past the swings and he stayed. Turns out he was pretty cool, and we quickly forgave him of whatever grievances we held after we were allowed to listen to music during "journal time" (Enya and Blues Traveler were usually requested). Now, the fact that he was my middle school English teacher has nothing to do with my inapplicable use of commas or dire frequency of misspellings. Somehow I developed these handicaps on my own. No, he was/is an excellent teacher and an authority on grammar. He taught us so much, not just out of a book, but in real life. Although I tried to model my career (kinda short lived for now) as a teacher after his example, I could never measure up. So like I said, luckily that whole firing-think didn't work out. I have been extremely blessed by his knowledge and most importantly, his friendship.

Today, Mr. M is Mike and he and his wife, Amy, and their two amazing kids are of my best friends.

Happy Birthday Mike, and thanks for everything.

*this was suppose to post March 29th

of course they're scissors...

2008-03-28T09:32:00.000-07:00

I got this from my sister-in-law, Lindsay:

QUOTE FROM THE MOM:

THIS IS MY KINDERGARTNER'S ARTISTIC RENDERING OF A PAIR OF SCISSORS.

I WONDER WHAT HIS TEACHER THOUGHT.

I ALLOWED MYSELF JUST A SMALL SMIRK WHEN I SAW IT.

I WAITED UNTIL HE WAS OUT OF THE ROOM UNTIL I STARTED CRYING FROM LAUGHING SO HARD.

WELL, OF COURSE THEY'RE SCISSORS.

IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE WITH A SMALL CHILD OR IF YOU ARE A TEACHER YOU WILL LOVE THIS!

AS YOU ALL KNOW I WILL BE REQUIRED TO PROUDLY DISPLAY THIS ON MY REFRIGERATOR FOR A LENGTH OF TIME...

Thanks for the laugh Linds.

i think i'm gonna like it heeeeerrrrrrre...

2008-03-28T06:08:00.000-07:00

Read the title again, but as if you were singing the lyrics in the Annie musical.
You know, when she's running around the mansion when she first gets to Daddy Warbucks? No? Ok, nevermind...

Moving on.

I am now living in my "own" space in Florida. "Own" being a seperate studio/guestroom in the back of a real house. It is quite lovely though and definitely an improvement to our Puerto Rico dwelling (we have air conditioning!!!) I have yet to take pictures, but I will post some soon. Lake Worth, the town we live in, and the surrounding areas are really great. I posted some pictures of downtown here a while back. We don't have a car, and I am really liking that. There are some obvious draw backs, but for the most part, everything is really close. The beach is just 15 minutes by bike, and downtown is just half of that. The grocery store is a bit of a hike, but there is a seaside Farmer's Market on Saturdays. And oh the stuff rich people throw away! I am not talking about food anymore, so don't worry about that, but just stuff in general. Furniture, appliances, etc... My friend, Sarah, and I rescued an awesome chaise lounge that I plan on re-upholstering, so stay tuned for updates on that.

Here are a few pictures from our first few days here in Lake Worth...

Breakfast at La Bonne Bouche. This place is so cute, so French, and sooo good!

The cabanas on the beach. I don't know which resort they belong to, but I like them.

Big reason I was hanging out in the cabanas: Jellyfish had washed up all over the beach.

Tanner has started running daily, and since I don't run unless I am being persued by something big and scary, I bike along singing Eye of the Tiger and humming the tune from Rocky for inspiration. Yeah, I know, I am just cool like that.How funny is this odd couple? Squirrel (who I like to call Jasper) and old man here, were just hanging out talking a break from their tedious day to day life sharing a bag of peanuts. This crazy mini poodle ran right up to Jasper and he didn't even flinch.

i did it...

2008-03-22T20:14:00.000-07:00

check it out.

to blog, or not to blog...

2008-03-12T12:07:00.000-07:00

that is the question.

It has become the "in" thing for photographers to complement there website with a blog. This gives their clients a little sneak peak to their recent sessions, as well as, the rest of us a look at the photographer's updated work.
It is a great marketing tool, too. I mean, people don't frequent your website to see if you have updated it, but will check back almost daily to see if the blog as new content. You stay fresh in the minds of potential clients, and your work is viewed way more often than when it just sits on your website.
However, I don't want to do the "in" thing, because it is just that. Also, it would be one more thing for me to remember to do. I have a hard time just responding to emails. My current blog is becoming more about allie kemp photography rather than just allie. I don't like that.
So, what I am looking for is a little input from you. Not just Missy and Molly (my faithful commenters), but all of you. Simply tell me what you think, or if you have any better ideas or suggestions I would love to hear them.

Please.

girls...

2008-03-11T10:37:00.000-07:00

this past weekend i got to photograph miranda's 14th birthday party. this one is my favorite.

jayden kai...

2008-03-07T03:33:00.000-08:00

one of the best parts about hawaii was this little guy, jayden. he belongs to our good friends trevor and molly (expecting little boy #2 in three weeks!). he will be turning the big 2 this friday.

happy birthday jayden kai!

hawaii in pictures...

2008-03-06T09:30:00.001-08:00

yo ho yo ho a pirates life for...

2008-02-27T00:49:00.000-08:00

sam.

happy birthday dad...

2008-02-26T01:47:00.000-08:00

Today my dad turns...well, I don't really know how guys feel about their age being known at this point. It really doesn't matter, I mean, his eligible for some discounts so he's got that going for him.

Anyways, he is a good dad. You know, always checks the tires and wants you to call when you get where your going. He's quite the musician too (a trait that has not been shared with either offspring). I took countless baths as a kid while being serenaded to Bobby Darin's Splish Splash. Good times.

So, happy birthday Dad! Don't worry, tomorrow you won't look a day over 58!
(oops, sorry)

I love you.

just a girl at work...

2008-02-20T10:22:00.000-08:00

Here is a little video from Christabelle of our fun little downtown photoshoot on Monday. I met up with fellow photog, Ariana, and her friend Christabelle in San Diego. Enjoy...

It was a lot of fun. If you couldn't tell, I am the scroungy looking one in the black sweatshirt rolling on the ground. Yeah, I sniffed my arm as I got up, I am pretty sure someone had vomitted in that exact spot in the past. Yucky. Anyways, I took almost 400 pictures in an hour and a half, a little much I know, but I will post a few more of my favorites pretty soon.

Thanks Christa for the shout out!

the magic kingdom...

2008-02-18T00:03:00.000-08:00

Friday was a good day. I spent the day soaring of California, looking for Nemo, and floating through the pirate infested waters of the Caribbean. That's right kids, I went to Disneyland! I was invited along for a day of family fun with the Majewskis. I went to California Adventure back in October for the Halloween festivities, but it has been about 3 years since I have been admitted into Disneyland.

Em and Nate - waiting in line for the ferris wheel.

We left about mid-morning and arrived to a beautiful sun-shiny day. We first hit up the Tower of Terror, then snacked on free grub (tortillas - mmm and bread), and rode the roller coaster. Before leaving the California side, Emily and Nathan conquered their fear of the unknown and braved the ferris wheel and the Maliboomer. Those kids crack me up. They have no problem repeatedly falling several stories on the Tower of Terror or hanging upside-down from a rollercoaster, but the ferris wheel is a death trap. Needless to say we all survived, though I have to admit, I think I have had my fill of that ferris wheel. Half way through I became nauseated and walked off with a raging headache. However, I came prepared with Motrin and was quickly back in full Disney-fun mode.

Nathan - on the ferris wheel.

Over at Disneyland, we went straight for the submarines. Neither Amy or I had experienced the new underwater adventure yet. That area of the park is one of my favorites. I don't remember what the submarine ride was like before, but the new version was cute. After, Nathan chauffered me around the tracks of Autopia, I am glad he still has 7 more years to go before he is let loose on the streets. Although, I walked away with what felt like a bruised tailbone, a couple cracked ribs, and possible internal bleeding - it was my favorite part of the day.

Nathan and I racing through Autopia - That's not the look you want to see on your driver's face.

Much to my dismay Space Mountain had been closed for what seemed like 3 of the 4 years I owned an annual pass back in college. However, it was open and better than ever...I think. Actually I have no idea what they spent 4 years fixing/improving on that ride, but I loved it anyways.

Later that evening we met up with Marilyn, Mike's sister, and her gang of seventh grade girls. They had been there since before 8 that morning and the girls were quickly fading, they would just kinda heap together and sleep whenever we stopped. Marilyn had been informed of several Disneyland "secrets" that she shared with us, so maybe their not really secrets, but new information none the less, about hidden Mickeys and other "secret" things that I can't share with you or else they wouldn't be "secret".

The evening ended with three trips on the Astro Blasters where I kicked some Zurg butt with over 120,000 points. Like I said, it was a good day.

i...

2008-02-14T12:23:00.000-08:00

you..

becoming one of them...

2008-02-13T10:25:00.000-08:00

Last night my mom hosted a lia sophia party (think homebased business like tupperware, candles, etc...) and I attended. Instead of selling storage and scents, lia sophia offers jewelry. Those of you who know me, know that I very rarely don more than my eng./wedding ring when it comes to bling. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy accessories, but I have a hard time pulling off more than a t-shirt and jeans accompanied by a pair bedazzled flats. I start to look like a 3 year old who just riffled through her mom's boudoir. Instead of saying "classy" my ensemble begins to scream "trying way too hard!". Obviously, I am ok with that.
Anyways, women arrived and the estrogen soared. I walked around aimlessly and perused the necklaces and strings baubles with an attempt to care, but it all looked the same to me. I paged through the catalog and tried to imagine what I could possibly wear with any of it, but nothing came to mind.
After looking, touching, and trying on a few pieces, I actually began to enjoy this stuff. I have, in fact been wearing a bracelet lately (in support of those with breast cancer) and I kinda like it. The clickity-clack it makes when it adjusts to my movements sounds dainty and delicate - two words that I have never been associated with my name. I tend to be described as unrefined and clumsy. That was ok when I was a kid, but I am twenty four and maybe it's time to step things up a bit. Like I was saying, I think I might like this stuff - I don't know. Maybe it's just the brainwashing of the fervent sales pitch, but I am willing to give it a try. I have even offered to play hostess to a show (mom, this one's for you).
So now that I have stepped into the realm of entrepreneurial housewife (if I could just have a house...) owning jewlry is one thing, but what do I wear it with? I often click through websites like anthropologie, H&M, Express, Banana Republic, and this cute little find, Shabby Apple, but if it isn't on the Old Navy or Target clearence rack (75%, not 30% - please, thirty percent isn't clearance, that is simply on sale) then I don't buy it.

.....

I am beginning to feel rather shallow as I type. These things aren't important, and who cares about my clothes. Oh well, I didn't start this blog to change the world, rather to inform those who care to know what is going on in my life. So that's it, jewelry parties and wasting time on the internet.

downtown lake worth...

2008-02-11T20:52:00.000-08:00

new fun...

2008-02-10T19:55:00.000-08:00

I added a new sidebar element to my blog. Take the poll and watch for the results. If you're a multiplier (you know who you are) then click this link and join in the fun too.
www.volume23.blogspot.com

good times in the sunshine state...

2008-02-09T20:06:00.000-08:00

I have been spending the last few days in a little town in South Florida called, Lake Worth. Tanner and I are looking for a place to call home for the next couple of months while Tanner flies his last month out of San Juan and starts flying out of Miami in March. We have found a couple possibilities, but have yet to make a decision.
Today was a good day though. It was a bit of a late night so the day didn't begin until late morning. We started with a walk to the local farmer's market. It was a pretty good walk, through the town and over the bridge of the intercoastal waterway, where we spotted several dolphins frolicing in the calm waters. At the farmer's market we dined on pastries, conch fritters (Tanner, not me), and fresh squeezed oj while listening to the a school music group play Kokomo on the steel drums. I stopped at the local chiropratctors booth and was told I have scholiosis. Hmm. I should probably get that checked.
It was pretty warm today (like 85) so we went to the beach where the water was rumored to be 75, but I thought it was rather chilly. Tanner went for a dip and I cooled my shins (that's as far as I could roll my pants up). We had an appointment to check out a little one bedroom apartment and so we headed back. We checked it out and decided to think about it. Very cute, wood floors, new paint, separate kitchen, etc... Anyways, next we took a bike ride down to our friend's rental to help her get it ready for it's new inhabitants. We were both pretty gross when we came back and enjoyed an outdoor shower at our friend Sarah's house, where we are staying. Don't worry folks, it was totally PG, bathing suits and everything.
We enjoyed a lunch of Mexican food from Lupita's (remember our cat in PR? Poor little Lupita Francesca, I miss her) with Sarah and her parents who are in town escaping the low temps of the Virginian winter, they call them snowbirds.
The rest of the day consisted of various errands and the like. I just finished the evening with a delicious dessert of carmalized plantains and pinapples atop Breyer's Natural Vanilla ice cream (my favorite). I think I am going to like Florida.

oh happy day...

2008-02-05T20:46:00.000-08:00

it's good stuff.

back to business...

2008-02-05T11:29:00.000-08:00

I am not super into new year's resolutions, but I reluctantly made a few anyway. Of course, the obvious eat healthier and exercise ones went right out the door, however, I did keep one...

Stay FOCUSED on business.

allie kemp photography has been around for a couple years now, but is still just a wee fledgling in comparison to what I hoped it would be by now. So, even though my life is in bit of upheaval, I am doing my best to stay on track and make some headway. However, over the past couple of days/weeks many good things have begun to unfold that I am super excited about it. Oppurtunity has been opening doors in all directions. I am trying to follow them all, and yet stay focused. Here are a couple of my current developments:

Front:Back:

As well as Kindergarden Graduates, I am marketing to graduates of all ages: Preschool, 8th Grade, and Seniors. I am also looking into the world of corporate and event photography. I had a fabulous time this weekend at Zion Lutheran School where I step up a little booth (it was like my own little studio) and photographed children and their friends and family. It was a bunch of fun and turned out way better than I had expected. My hopes are high and I am really looking forward to what this year may hold for allie kemp photography.

twenty seven years...

2008-01-31T14:54:00.000-08:00

they met (no, that is not Fez)...they married (check out those sweet pants) ...
today was 27 years.
happy anniversary mom and dad.

tessa, 8 months...

2008-01-19T21:01:00.000-08:00

Remember this little one? Here she is now, eight months and sporting her first tooth...

*last photo taken by Emily:)

madi got a new hat...

2008-01-16T19:59:00.000-08:00

Here is another slideshow of my neice and nephew...

http://alilerae16.multiply.com/journal/item/80/so_madi_got_a_new_hat...

kids and the cruiser...

2008-01-14T01:16:00.000-08:00

for the ladies...

2008-01-03T23:18:00.000-08:00

I saw it. I liked it. Go see it.

p.s. bring tissue

lots of tissue

just a little photo shoot...

2008-01-02T13:33:00.000-08:00

I took a few photos of Madi and Sam the other day. These same pictures are over in the little sidebar, but here is a link to a larger slideshow.

http://alilerae16.multiply.com/journal/item/74/slideshow_of_madi_and_sam

it's been a month...

2007-12-30T21:24:00.000-08:00

since I have graced the pages of this blog with any updated information. I was just over it.

However, December was a good month.

Killer was returned to his rightful owners sans his reproductive equipment. Although the owners were none too happy about his alteration, they were happy just to have him back and we were more than thrilled to be rid of him. Needless to say we didn't get much feedback in the adoption department and began to fear that we would have to keep him for good.

Tanner worked less than half the month and so we got to spend plenty of time with each other, it was almost like we were married for reals.

We are moving again. Tanner has been transfered, per his request, to Miami. He starts flying his new route January 31st.

I had a few family photo shoots this and the past month, so business has been good, but I am welcoming a short break from all things Christmas card related. I designed, ordered, and delivered several sets of Christmas cards in record time and have made the decision to enforce a strict December 1st deadline next year. Although I got slightly stressed, I love love love photography. There is nothing else I would rather do (as far as jobs are concerned, well ... maybe be a baby-holder if there ever was such a job, but just hold the babies, no changing diapers or anything, just holding them ... yeah, I would like that).

On a much more serious and tragic note, Tanner's good friend, Mark Carter, died December 12th in Iraq. I had only hung out with Mark a handful of times, but he was a very humble, kind, and enjoyable person to be around. Whenever the boys would go out on one of their adventures I was always put at ease if Mark was going along. We attended his funeral at Arlington Cemetary where I was left speechless by the amount of love and support bestowed upon his family by his SEAL teamates as well as how highly he was regarded by so many. Listening to story after story about Mark, I realized what an amazing person he was and understood the great amount of respect Tanner and so many others had for him. He will be greatly missed.

When we finally returned to California from the east coast on the Friday (apparently referred to as Black Friday in the airline industry) before Christmas (we had started trying to get back Thursday morning), the countdown to Christmas began. I had tried very hard to give only handmade/personally designed/recycled/eco-friendly gifts this year. I need to try harder and start earlier next year. I admit, I did make a frantic run to the local drugstore on Christmas Eve in search of a last minute gift.

Speaking of Christmas Eve, my godson Nathan turned 9 years old that day. I am shocked every year this boy gets older. I swear just last year he was turning 5. Although he may be getting older, he is still the sweetest, cutest, cuddliest, most affectionate, considerate, generous, lovable (I could go on and on) little boy I have ever known and loved. Happy Birthday my sweet Nathan-Boy!

Christmas, although busy, was good. Tanner was battling a head cold that spawned 3 days earlier, but other than that I enjoyed every minute and every mile I drove from the time we landed at LAX to Christmas. From bowling with friends to birthday lunch to candlelight service and Christmas morning at three different houses and one more in the evening. I am slightly relieved, but very sad that it is all over.

We had a few more festive gatherings followed. We got to join the Powell's (Levi's family) celebration the day after and then we enjoyed a pizza and game night with the Heid's and Levi the following evening. Sadly, I had to return Tanner back to Puerto Rico (somebody has to work in this family) on Friday which means we won't be spending New Years together (sad pouty face).

As a result of my saddness, I have slipped into this depression which ignites this desire to shop relentlessly. My first evening in the mall ended with a bit of drama. After digging through a heap of sweaters at Old Navy, I discovered my wedding ring was not on my finger. I was with Emily and Nathan and so I tried very hard to keep it together and not flip out, but after searching through piles, crawling on the floor, and notifying the staff, my phone rang and it was Tanner calling, I lost it. How could I tell him that I had lost my ring? I had this feeling in my stomach and chest that I imagine people feel when they drop a puppy or something (I have never dropped a puppy, but if I did I think I would feel the same way). Tanner, however, was so sweet about it and said everything right to try to comfort me. It worked a little, but I was still rather distraught. I called my friend Mike to let him know why I was out so late with his children and to inform him of my loss, when he discovered it sitting on his dining room table. Glory, Alleluia! In that moment I went from almost vomitting to complete relief and this sort of stupid giddiness. Crisis averted.

Shopping spree number two began the following day. After enjoying a wonderful meal and great conversation with my friend Danya, we hit up every open thrift store in town and filled her Celica with numerous treasures. That evening I returned to the mall to finish what I had started. That was yesterday, I even contemplated going out shopping again today! What is wrong with me? I find myself so annoying right now.

Anyways, tomorrow is New Year's Eve and I am anxious to see what this next year has in store. Two thousand seven was a great year, a long one. We started in New Mexico with steady home-bound jobs and here we are today footloose and fancy free with endless oppurtunities to make 2008 whatever we want it to be. I'll keep you posted.

killer on the loose...

2007-11-29T17:19:00.000-08:00

I was running late on Wednesday for my DMV appointment. As I wound around a sharp turn, a fluffy white dog was running in the opposite direction down the the other side of the road. If I would have been in Puerto Rico, I wouldn't have thought twice, but I noticed it had a collar and as I watched it in my rearview mirror, I could see other oncoming cars swerving to avoid the pup. I had 10 minutes to make it to my appointment 25 minutes away. I stopped and turned around. I was already late.

I got out and called out in my most non-aggressive inviting voice in hopes that it would just come to me and I wouldn't have to chase it down or watch it get flattened by the cars rounding the blind curve. It worked. He ran up to me and sat at my feet. I checked his collar for tags and read the name, Killer (?, somebody thought they were pretty funny). I called the number on the tag, but it was disconnected. The address was not a Fallbrook address. In hopes of still being able to keep the appointment that had now come and gone, I took him to my mom's for safekeeping until I could return to further look into finding his home.

I got to the DMV 50 minutes late. It took me two loops around the parking lot to find a spot and the line was out the door. I went to the appointment counter in hopes they would still accept me. Turns out I wasn't late, but a week early. The appointment was for the following Wednesday. Great. The lady was kind enough to assist me anyways and so I was given a number and sat with the rest of the crowd. For further reference, a DMV appointment means nothing. You still have to wait until your number is called just like everybody else, you just don't have to wait in the first-come-first-serve line for your number (that line moves pretty swiftly anyways). All went smoothly until I found out that I had to retake my driver's license picture. What? No! Unlike most of the licensed population, I love my driver's license picture. It was taken on my 16th birthday, and I look young and vibrant and, well, pretty. Normally I would never say this in regards to a photo containing my likeness, but this is the one picture that I honestly like. My hair was still half wet and had been pulled into a knot all day. So I was totally unprepared, but I had no choice but to grin and bare it. We'll see how that went in 2 to 3 weeks.

Anyways, I returned to Fallbrook and took the dog to a vet to be scanned for a micro chip. He had one. Turns out he is a Cockapoo. A What-a-poo? Cocker Spaniel + Poodle = Cockapoo. Huh. The scan led to a vet in Escondido, but all the information there was invalid as well. They told me to take him to the Humane Society. Instead I took him to Jane's where he stayed the night. We decided to find a home for him ourselves. He is a pretty good dog. Here's my sales pitch:

This is Killer. He needs a home. He is a male Cockapoo who is still carrying around his little extras in the back, but that can be "fixed". He looks to be between 1-2 years. He has a very sweet dispostion and seems to getting along great with other dogs (cats?). He is mostly white with underlying tan patches. He knows simple commands such as sit, down, and stay (kind of). He is good with kids and walks fine on a leash (though he does pull). Only con, is the leg lifting and I don't think he is house trained since he pees on everything, but neutering may alter that. He is very cute and he loves to snuggle. He rides in the car well, too.

new friends

on the road again...

2007-11-27T00:22:00.000-08:00

so I took a little vacation from blogging. it felt good to get out and smell the fresh air. no, actually, I just got lazy and ignored it for awhile.

novemeber was a good month. I headed to albuquerque to visit some friends and take some pictures. it was nice to be back and see all my friends. even though I lived in new mexico just 6 months ago, it feels like years. things change so fast. my little preschoolers have grown so much. little eli is crawling. and my friend added baby #5 to her crew.

simple math 4+1=a lot of socks

sweet baby eli

after new mexico, it was back to PR. our good friends mike and megan, from albuquerque, were visiting so we spent the next couple days hanging by the resort pool and going out to fancy places for dinner. I bailed a little early and headed back to fallbrook to spend the weekend at home before going to hawaii.

hawaii was awesome. this time we went to the big island. I have only been to 3, but it is now my favorite. there is so much diversity on this island. we flew into kona and stayed with our friends trevor and molly. levi met us out there the day after we arrived and we spent most of the time touring the island and envisoining living there. we did not want to leave. we were sceduled to leave on the 16th (my birthday, birthday+12hours on a plane = no fun), but tanner called in a sick day and took one for the team. apparently that was also my birthday present. hmmm.

our first black sand beach

this is levi, taking his match.com profile picture

sweet baby jayden

molly prego with baby boy #2 and Jayden

it was back to the rico, but we sneaked in a 12 hour layover and hung out in Fallbrook for the day before heading back. lindsay and the kids picked us up and we went out to breakfast. sam is potty training so it made everything a little more, well...interesting.

sam, deciding where to poop next "hmmm, on the toliet, no. in my pants, maybe. grandma's backyard, yes."

upon arrival into the rico the following morning, we met up with our friends jon and dixie from california. they decided to skip out on thanksgiving and go on a little family vacation. puerto rico is so much better when you are a tourist and not a resident. we cruised old san juan and went to dinner at places other than costco. they were staying at the rio mar resort (5 stars) and kindly invited us to lounge by the pool. we were planning on staying the rest of the month, including thanksgiving, but an emergency landing and "smoke inhalation" rendered tanner unable to fly and that was our ticket home.

thanksgiving was lovely. dinner with the kemps at 1pm (technically, it was lunch) and then over to the gonzales' for thanksgiving #2 at 5pm. tanner ran out of illnesses and had to go back to work. i am still here and it is back to business.

the gonzales family

tagged?...

2007-10-29T12:29:00.000-07:00

I am officially part of the blog world and, from what I understand, in the blog world when one gets "tagged" that means you share 6 little known facts or habits about yourself and then "tag" 6 other bloggers who do the same. I don't know what is accomplished by doing this and I am sure I have better things to do, but why would I want to do those things? So...

1. I am not really a creature of habit. I don't think I really have habits. Yes, I fold towels and t-shirts a certain way (thanks to my OCD mom), but I am totally open to new ways of getting the job done.

2. I am very opinionated when it comes to kids. I view this as a character flaw. I have never had kids, nor do I plan to in the near future, yet I continually think it is ok to share my thoughts and opinions on how they should be raised. I am sorry to any of you who I have offended, and for the record I find myself just as annoying as you do.

3. I love to sing. I used to think I was actually good at this and recorded myself singing You Gotta Be by Des'ree on my Talkboy (Home Alone). Tanner found this tape when were dating and locked me out of my room while he listened to it on my stereo. He then stole it, and has been hiding it from me ever since. As embarrassing as that was, I am over it now, and one of my favorite things to do is drive byself, turn up the music and belt it out like no one is watching, although they probably are.

4. If I had a time machine to the past(Back to the Future - style) I would want to go back to the 50's. I would have missed WWII and had a really cool refridgerator. Like this:

5. My first "kiss" was in 5th grade at the Presbyterian church. It was a total sham. My "boyfriend" at the time, Andrew, and I had been planning this for weeks. Every Tuesday after school I went to a program called Logos, kind of like a vacation Bible school during the school year. Andrew went with me one day and we snuck away during snack time to get this whole thing over with. I laid down on the grass and he leaned over to kiss me, but we both closed our eyes and missed (just cheek). We had been followed by some classmates who witnessed what they thought was an actual kiss and told everyone at school about it. This made me cool (just a little bit) so I never argued about it.

6. Halloween is my least favorite holiday. I am looking forward to Thursday.

So, who am I tagging? I don't know any other bloggers that haven't done this before. So if you are a blogger and are reading this, consider yourself tagged and leave me a comment that you'll post something similar on your blog and I'll read it.

the guacamole crisis...

2007-10-26T20:38:00.000-07:00

I am not sure how to, or if I even should, share about my experience with the fires. Southern California, particularly Fallbrook is/was my home, but with the gypsy lifestyle I currently live out I am somewhat conflicted on how I should emotionally react to all this. I, of course, was mostly concerned with the safety and well being of my family and friends and, thankfully, the only hardships anyone I personally know has endured is the inconvenience of being evacuated.

Evacuation is a scary word and with it comes the feeling of imminent danger. I heard this word several times on the news Monday morning. I have a hard time watching tragedies unfold on the TV. I am never sure how to react. Yes, I think it is sad. Yes, I wish I could somehow do something to help. However, I have honestly learned to look at this world with a calloused heart in order to keep myself from living in a state of constant depression. I react with sarcasm and dry humor and find something more pleasant to replace my thoughts (ie. puppy dogs and ice cream). Monday was no different. I watched the news, watched people fleeing from their homes, watched as pictures of charred debris flashed on the screen and I continued to busy myself with my personal agenda. Then it changed. Fallbrook showed up on a burn map, and I started to pay attention. Evacuation notices were streaming along the bottom ticker and Fallbrook showed up again. Should I worry or would I be simply overreacting? Then gas station lines were holding up traffic and the sky filled with smoke. The reverse 9-1-1 call went out to almost every Fallbrook resident and then it was real.

We packed up the dogs, pictures, and Grandma and joined the Exodus out of Fallbrook. Sitting on Mission Rd. with the rest of the town was like a scene out of Independence Day. The traffic moved so slowly people were getting out of their vehicles, exchanging valuables, and relaying messages to the rest of their caravan. Emergency vehicles raced down the street in the opposite direction and a convoy of over 20 cops blared by with sirens on against the flow of traffic. Llamas and other large farm creatures took refuge in Rite Aid's garden center, and a couple of young girls walked alongside traffic with their horse who had large white numbers painted on it's body (phone number in case it spooked and ran away?). I am sure they got to wherever they were going a lot quicker than we did.

Four and a half hours later, I arrived with Jane, GG, and two neurotic dogs in San Juan Capistrano. We spent the night at Jane's good friend Jan's house glued to the TV praying for a morsel of information on what was happening in the little town we left behind. My father-in-law, Steve (he is the ultimate non-over-reactor), had stayed behind with the cats. After ignoring the reverse 9-1-1 and the sheriff announcing a mandatory evacuation over a loud speaker driving through the culdesac, Steve received a knock on the door and was told to vacate immediately. So Steve, Jack, and Cali spent the night on the floor in Steve's office in Oceanside. The visual I get of this little slumber party makes me laugh. Unfortunately, since it wasn't Bring-Your-Cat-to-Work Day, Jack and Cali spent the next night making new friends at El Camino High School which was now an evac center.

The following day we packed up and headed towards Hemet to my sister-in-law's house. Tanner flew home to join the fun and we set up camp. Moving from place to place is no big deal for us. We don't even own a bed, so sleeping on anything that doesn't double as a couch is a treat. We stayed in Lindsay's camper/trailer out on the front lawn. That's right, Hemet-style. I have wanted to go camping all summer and haven't gotten the chance, so this was the next best thing. The accommodations were far from shabby (the place is twice the square footage of our Puerto Rico dwelling) and I am seriously considering a Weekend Warrior as a future purchase. Anyways, moving on...

Tanner woke up and was convinced that we needed to get back in to Fallbrook to save his Land Cruiser from looters (I am rolling my eyes as I type and if you have ever seen the Land Cruiser you would know why). So with the threat of possible jail time, we drove past a "road closed" sign on North River Road and entered town. We had tried at several patrolled barricades to simply ask if we could be let through, but no one wanted to listen to our story about our need for the dog's medication and Grandma's medical supplies (this was partly true, I don't like to lie and I am pretty bad at it). We got pretty far on Olive Hill and were stopped by sheriff's deputies. They were much more reasonable than the CHP officers and let us in with ID and proof of residency. It was so strange driving around these familiar roads that were now empty and so forbidden. We grabbed a list of forgotten/needed articles from Jane's, decided that there was no impending danger to the Land Cruiser, soaked down the house, and checked on my parent's and several other friend's homes to assure them that their houses were still standing and to check on their animals left behind. Afterwards, we went to Oceanside to rescue the cats.

The evac center at El Camino High School was something I had never seen before. The gym was covered in cots where families and people who had never met now slept side by side. Tanner and I walked through past children playing on the floor with donated toys, parents just sitting on cots with these helpless looks on their faces, a young couple propped against a wall watched as their new elderly neighbor sitting on the cot next to them talked to his pet bird in a little white cage. I have only seen this stuff on TV. Even turning my thoughts to puppy dogs and ice cream couldn't change the way this all made me feel. However, what lifted my spirits was the sight of all the volunteers that buzzed about purposefully - providing food, handing out toys, and taking the stir crazy dogs for walks around the campus. The Humane Society had set up what looked like a huge petting zoo just outside the baseball field. Goats were in pens right next to dogs. Horses, cows, pigs, and chickens were kept in makeshift corrals and cages. The cats were all in a greenhouse. We walked past stacks of carriers and small kennels filled with cats, looking in each of them for the ones that belonged to us. Now I know where the word catatonic comes from. We reached a cage where two little girls who looked to be about 10 years old were sticking their fingers in and cooing reassuringly. Before I had a chance to peek in they told us that this cat was the saddest of them all. Yep, it was ours. Poor Cali just sat there in her donated litter box meowing softly in response to every word that was said. Jack was stretched out along the back of the cage opening his eyes just a crack at the sound of his name only to close them again and ignore us completely. Had they been totally traumatized? Once we got them in and set them free in the car they slowly returned to normal. Cali was a little stressed, but finally positioned herself over my shoulder and became my co-pilot. Jack, who loves cars, rested contently across my lap.

Our original plans for Thursday were to all go to Disneyland for Halloween trick or treating. When is it ok, to begin resuming normal life during such a tumultous time? There were no road closures or reasons for us to just stay and sit at Lindsay's so we decided to keep our plans. Madi dressed up as Tinker Bell and needed a Peter Pan, so Sam donned last year's costume and resumed the role. Last year she was Captain Hook (or Jack Sparrow, I don't know) so Peter Pan was the essential side kick then, too. We all met up at California Adventure and enjoyed the late night festivities although I constantly had this obstinate feeling of guilt. Our friends Jonathon and Emily met up with us, too. I really did have a good time. But Disneyland has a way of draining all one's energy and after only 5 hours all I wanted to do was climb into that trailer.

Today the news came that we could come back. All of a sudden the ghost town Tanner and I had snuck into just days earlier was like it had never changed. The winds have shifted and the sky is becoming clearer, and people bustle about just as before. The llamas are still at Rite Aid, but other than that nothing seems out of place. This is why I almost don't want to share the story of my last few days. While people slept on cots in a high school gym agonizing over the status of their home only to return to a pile of unrecognizable char, I slept on a Tempur-pedic, mattressed topped bed and went to Disneyland. Sure "my heart goes out to them", but that doesn't bring back their home. I have no idea how they feel, I can't empathize with them. I just go back to watching the news and paying more for avocados imported from Mexico. I don't even like avocados.

a show of hands...

2007-10-19T16:37:00.000-07:00

who has seen the brave little toaster?

Tanner and I are in an on going debate in regards to the popularity of this movie. If you grew up in the 80's you must of seen or heard of this movie. I mean don't you all remember Lampy, Radio (when he sings/plays Tutti Frutti by Little Richard) , Kirby, Blanky, and Toaster? C'mon help me out here. Let me know, even if you have just seen it once. I know I am right on this one.

happy birthday sam...

2007-10-18T22:38:00.000-07:00

October has been marathon birthday month for my nephew. Dinner at Macaroni Grill, party at home, and Disneyland next week. But today Sam is officially 3. I really can't believe how fast time goes by. He started out as a calm, easygoing baby who seldom moved, but just rolled around as he shifted his weight. Today he has morphed into a non-stop ball of mischief and fun, constantly bounding about on his hobbit-like feet. I love you Sammy boy!

take two...

2007-10-15T21:22:00.000-07:00

I woke up Saturday morning to what I hoped was the neighbor's fountain. Unfortunately, it turned out to be rain. Good thing for drought-striken California, bad thing for the Villarreals. The Villarreals are the family who I had scheduled for a portrait session that morning at the Balboa Pier in Newport. Once we had arrived in Newport the rain had stopped and so we decided to go with it. They were good sports and the girls were troopers. smiling through the biting 60 degrees and the strong breeze in their little Hawaiian print dresses. Even in my jeans and sweater, I was getting the sniffles, so I decided the best thing to do would be reschedule and start fresh. They were kind enough to take me along with them to Cappy's where we enjoyed a warm breakfast and nice conversation.

Sunday, differed greatly from Saturday. The sun was shining and the breeze was crisp but refreshing. We got a fresh start on the pictures and they came out great with real smiles that truly reflected the good time we all had.

The Villarreals are a family I met back in my Turtle Rock days. I have watched both their little ones grow from tiny babies to the super sweet little ladies they are today. I have really enjoyed being a part of their lives. From being their babysitter, attending birthday parties, giving swimming lessons, and now, being their photographer. Here is a little taste of the fun and some of my favorites from yesterday:

Click here.

fun...

2007-10-13T22:38:00.000-07:00

That is pretty much how I would sum up my week.

I came into town a week earlier than I had expected with nothing much planned to fill my time. I laid in bed Monday morning wondering what to do with myself. As I finished Harry Potter 3 (the movie), I got a phone call from my friend, Jen. Normally Jen is in Nor. California (well, about as much as I am normally in Puerto Rico) so it was nice to hear that she was calling from here in Cali. Neither of us had any going on and so we decided to meet for lunch and hang out in Newport at Balboa Island. We had a fun day in the sun which included a ferry ride, ice cream, the carousal, and the beach. Here are some cute pics of her little darlings and a couple of seagulls on our little impromptu adventure.

Monday ended on a good note when I drove to the airport to pick up Tanner. He had three days off and wanted to spend them here at home.

Tuesday, Lindsay came over with the kids. This is the day that we shaved Sam's head. Shaving people's heads is always fun.

Wednesday, Tanner and I took Spiderman on a few morning errands in the Land Cruiser and then to the Fallbrook Preserve. Although, our dog's name is Spiderman, he lacks the grace and agility his name infers. In all his excitement of being out and about he ran off a 6 foot concrete wall into an algae encrusted pond. I was worried about how to get him out, but out of pure fear he scaled the ninety degree dirt slope and took off around the corner. No looking back. Tanner chased him down and coaxed him through the rest of our walk as we had to pass another concrete structure along the trail. I laughed about this the rest of the day. Then we spent the afternoon kayaking around the Oceanside harbor with his mom and our friend Mikael. The sea lions were the best part! They're so cute. Later we went to my parent's for my all time favorite, Parmesan Chicken and Ferris Bueller's Day Off. "Thank you, Grace. I think your wrong"

Thursday was Tanner and mine's last day together before he went back to work. We decided to go on a date. Lunch at Johnny Carino's and a movie, the Heartbreak Kid. Not what I expected. I left the moving kinda wishing I hadn't wasted my last few hours watching it.

On Friday, I enjoyed a lovely lunch at Panera with my friend Missy and her little girl Avery. Later we took some fun pictures of Avery all dolled up in a little fairy skirt and butterfly wings. So cute. Here are a couple of my favs:

Today was crazy, but fun. My photography appointments started today with a family session and a baptism. Unfortunately, the unforseen rain made the first shoot difficult and ultimately ended in a reshoot. However, we had a lovely time at Cappy's Cafe off PCH and I did manage to get a few cute ones before calling it quits.

The baptism was held at a Catholic church in Lake Forest. I am not Catholic nor do I speak Spanish, so although I am a church going girl, I had a hard time following the service. The baby, Giovanni, is a complete cutie. I had previously taken his mother's pregnancy pictures so it was really nice to see who was actually in there when I was taking pictures.

The evening ended with a great dinner at Macaroni Grill for my nephew's upcoming birthday. I had never dined there before, but I was impressed. Good food, good service, I give it a thumbs up. In fact, this whole week gets a thumbs up.

haircute...

2007-10-09T17:00:00.000-07:00

My nephew Sam will be turning 3 next week. He has a personality that gets him in him plenty of mischief, but makes it hard not to completely adore him at the same time. Along with his tendency to create complete pandamonium, his cuteness tends to draw attention as well. I would bet that 9 out of 10 women would give their right pinky toe for his eyelashes. So not fair, he will never appreciate them. Unfortunately, his current hairstyle was not allowing us to see this gorgeous feature. So out came the clippers (dog clippers to be exact...it's a Kemp thing) and I went to town on his little head. My sister- in-law, Lindsay, came close to tears, but it is pretty hard for this kid not to be cute.

Before:

After:

2007-10-07T22:16:00.000-07:00

I got pretty lazy there. Some cold was kicking my butt for awhile and then I just got kinda, well...lazy.

Here is are some of last weeks events...

- Anniversary #2 came around on September 30th. We drove to a town called Isabela in search of a restaurant we had heard about, never found it, ordered a pizza, and ate it on the beach. It was quite lovely.

-Broke down in Puerto Rico. That was not fun. I hit a pothole the size of a crater and took out my front passenger side wheel. After an $80 tow to the mechanic's, a guy at a tire stand (no building, just a bunch of old used tires under a tent) hammerd on the wheel for a while and after twelve bucks we were back in business.

-Went to the beach, alot. I know I live on an island so this isn't really exciting news, but I just love it. We've been going to this beach in a town called Loiza. The beaches are deserted and you just drive on this dirt road along the beach until you find a good spot. You pass people picking berries and men at the top of coconut trees, like that rum commercial, but coconuts not bananas. Since I have been recovering I haven't been in the water too much so Tanner builds me these little cabanas out of palm fronds and tree trunks that I sit under and read while he exercises (swims, runs, throws around a big log - weight lifting...island style).

-I am pretty proud of myself. I am not a reader. By my third year of college I stopped buying textbooks or I would buy the old versions of the required textbooks on ebay for like penny because I never read them. It use to take me months just to get through a single 200 page book. Cliff (of CliffsNotes) was my best friend. I am telling you all this because I have read the first three Harry Potter books. Not just this week, though I did start and finish #3 in the past 4 days, but his past month or so. I have never understood this crazy Harry Potter phenomenom. I had seen the movies and wasn't that impressed. Several people I know have raved about them and would discuss the happenings of the books as if these characters where their old college roomates. I came to the conclusion that they were just all dorks. But than I sat there and watched my little 12 year old friend, Emily, devour the last three books in what seemed like days. It had to be somewhat interesting. So you can't knock it 'till you've tried it. Now, I'm hooked, and a little scared. Number 4 is fat. But I've made the commitment and I am gonna keep going.

- I was in 3 states and a US territory all in one day. Traveling is crazy. I started in PR, went to Miami, next was Dallas, then ended up in San Diego with an extra 3 hours added to my day. I didn't even decided to go on that journey until 11am that morning.

That about covers all the www-friendly stuff. This month is a going to be a busy one. I have quite a few shoots lined up in Cali and NM. I am very excited about this, I really haven't taken too many pictures since the summer season ended and I have been feeling rather creatively stiffled. I am really ready to get back to doing what I love. At every job I create something new and every shoot is a different experience. I simply love being a photographer.

sick and tired...

2007-09-25T18:54:00.000-07:00

tired and sick.
Blah, blah, blah, blah.
That about sums it up.

happy birthday madi-moo...

2007-09-24T17:31:00.001-07:00

My adorable niece turns 6 today (Sept. 25). I love her to pieces.

visit to san fran...

2007-09-21T22:11:00.000-07:00

My good friend Jen just recently moved up north to Petaluma, a small town north of the Bay Area. A cute little town established around 1850, with adorable Victorian homes and a quaint downtown district with little shops and a riverwalk. Previously, all I had ever heard of this place was that the Ugliest Dog Contest that was held there.

Jen and her twins picked me up from SFO and we went downtown to have lunch with her hubby, Ron. While we waited to meet up with him, we strolled around the Palace of Fine Arts . I was totally impressed.

The remainder of the trip we spent redecorating her living room. So much fun. I will do a little post on that another time. We also dolled up the kiddos and took them out for a little photo shoot. I have been taking pictures of her kids since before birth, now they are 2 and have developed a bit of an aversion to having their likeness digitally captured. Although they kept me on my toes, I managed to get some pretty cute ones. Here are a few of my favorites:

back to new mexico

2007-09-10T08:12:00.000-07:00

I just spent 4 days back in New Mexico. At first, I was so excited to go back. I had actually begun to miss Albuquerque which is something I didn't think I could do. Once I had moved I was jusr so ready to get out of there. However, recently I had been feeling quite reminicent especially with Puerto Rico being such a drastic change I was ready for a little familiarity. I had also really been missing my preschoolers, their cute little faces and their hugs. My friend Holly called about a week back and asked if I could come into town and stay with her while her husband was out of town with their two oldest children. She is due with her 5th baby in about 6 weeks and need an extra pair of hands. I was happy to go with the opportunity to see my friend and get back to New Mexico.

I flew in Thursday. I forgot how brown and dry everything is out there. I remember flying in back when it was home and having that same blah feeling that I immediately got when I looked out the window upon arrival. My attitude changed once I was off the plan and in the terminal. The smell of tortilla chips filled the air, it has been such a long time since I have had any sort of Mexican food, especially good Mexican food. As I descended the escalator to baggage claim I could hear mariachi music. As I got closer to the bottom floor I could see six pairs of white pointed leather boots with fringe. Ah yeah, a mariachi band! There were little old women dancing with their little old husbands and a large group of stone jewelry clad women whooping and hollering along, soaking it all in. This made me smile. I just love the ability I have to travel from here to there and to somewhere else and to observe the diversity that is out there.
My friend was there to pick me up with her two youngest boys and we spent the rest of the evening at her house. The next day we took the boys to the Aquarium and the Bio Park. These were two of my favorite places to go when I lived there. The aquarium is small, but there is still plenty to see. They don't have a very large array of sea life and it is easy to recognize certain animals in the tanks, so going back was like visiting old friends. Usually the last large shark tank is my favorite, but this day, the best part was watching the sting ray feeding. A girl would just sit in the tank and the rays would swim up and eat out of her hand. It was so cool. They would come out of the water and flap all over the place and their tails (stinger and all) would slash about the sides of the enclosure, I took a few steps back.

After the parks, we stopped by Immanuel so that I could visit the children. I had called their teacher the night before and she had kept it a surprise from them all day. She had them all sitting at their desks with their eyes closed and the lights off and I walked in. "Surprise! Look who's here." she said. They opened their eyes and Carson, one of my best little buddies, stood up and started clapping "Yeah, alrigfht!" he shouted. So funny. Several others were whispering to each other "Miss Allie, that's Miss Allie." I talked to them about Puerto Rico and they asked me a bunch of questions and shared with me all their new accomplishments and experiences they have had since I'd been gone. We all went out so that they could play and show me how they could get on the big swings and swing by themselves. I got lots of hugs and heard many more stories of summer vacations and kindergarten. Although I was only there for about 40 minutes, I was exhausted. I had forgotten how much energy it takes to keep up with all of them and keep them focused and behaving properly. That, I don't miss. Remember how I had been feeling slightly jealous about my friends having to go to work? Those feelings are gone.

The rest of the day and the following Saturday I ran errands with my friend or hung out at her house helping her order pictures from a previous family session I did with them back in February.

I am very happy that I got to go and see my friend and I plan to go back soon to see my other friends and spend more time justing visiting, but I am happy that I don't live there anymore. It is funny how we remember only the positive things about a place, but focus mainly on the negative while we are there. Not funny ha ha, but funny curious. One of my prayers is that I can stay positive and enjoy every place I go and experience, making friends and memories that I can always look back on and smile about as well as enjoy them while they happen.

st. thomas and st. john

2007-09-02T21:08:00.000-07:00

Click on the link to see pictures of our weekend on the US Virgin Islands.

http://alilerae16.multiply.com/photos/album/8/St._Thomas_and_St._John

new friends...

2007-09-02T18:52:00.000-07:00

Tanner and I have been making new friends on our morning beach trips.
Puerto Rico has a bit of a stray dog problem and everywhere you go you are bound to run into a few. At first, this was a very hard adjustment for me. I don't see a stray animal on the road and just drive on by. And where I come from any animal (dog, cat, iguana) wandering the streets probably belongs to somebody and needs to find its way home. Not so here. The first few weeks were rather heart wrenching, but now it has unfortunately become a part of everyday life. A couple days ago at Pinones we saw a lady walking with two little dogs. Now, I am not positive that these dogs were actually hers or if they were just along for the walk, but a third sandy colored dog joined in the pack. She soon became bored with her new friends and traveled on over near Tanner and I. I was rather hesistant to call this little dog over, but as she got closer it was obvious all she wanted to do was play, and beg for food of course. Tanner called her over and she was so cute. She wasn't full grown and still had her sharp puppy teeth. She had these huge radar enforced ears and webbed paws. We named her Foxy Pincha. She jumped right into the water with us. She would chase us around the beach and rummage through our bag. She tried to escape with one of my sandals, but I traded it back with a little toy dragon Tanner had brought up from the sea floor (he likes to bring home all kinds of crazy crap). She's a leaner too like Spiderman. She would sit at my feet and lean agianst my legs. I soooo badly wanted to take her home. She was so cute and just a puppy, she and Spiderman would have been best buds. However, we can't have dogs where we are currently living, not to mention we are gone alot. Like when I was in California last time and Lupita Francesca disappeared. Sniffle. So our time at the beach was up and we had to go home. When we left she simply began following another couple who were walking by. I felt so used. I have been back twice since, prepared with food to share with her, but I haven't spotted her. Maybe someone took her home.
Then today we went to a different beach were Tanner made two little fish friends. I am slowly getting over my fish phobia. Before the Caribbean, I used to freak out anytime I was in the water and saw a fish. They are just so sneaky in that murky Pacific water. While we were in St. John I got over it. The fish are just so beautiful to look at and, oddly, very friendly. While at Trunk Bay in St. John, we were just standing in the water hanging out and Mikael noticed that there were like ten little fish swarming around our feet. They would occassionaly "nibble" too, like they were trying to groom him. Today, Tanner noticed that something had "nibbled" on his toe, he looked down to find a little fish with black fins circling his legs. He swam away, about 30 feet down the beach, and noticed he was still there. He swam back, and there he was agian. He bent down to get a closer look and he swam right up to his hands. He named him Tommy Fransisco. The fish followed Tanner around everywhere, practically onto the shore! Every once and a while a second fish would join, we called him Timmy Renaldo, but mostly it was just this one fish. He would brush up agianst his legs and Tanner could feel him brushing up agianst his feet while he was swimming laps. Tanner even go out of the water for about a minute to see if Tommy was really as loyal as he was leading on to be, but when he jumped back in, he looked down and there was Tommy swimming around his legs. I tried to stand close to Tanner to see if the fish would transfer over to me, but he wouldn't.
I know you all probably think I am crazy for playing with stray dogs and naming fish, but I like making new friends.

i'm such a brat...

2007-08-30T16:24:00.000-07:00

I have recently found mself slipping back into my negative ways. I am disappointed by this. We recently visited some friends of ours who own there own home. Instead of walking away filling fullfilled with our friendship, I went home insanely jealous. that they had a choice of what color to paint their walls. Stupid. Then just a few days ago, I was actually jealous of my friend who had to go to work! What the....?!? Why am I feeling like this?

Just so you can understand how dumb I am this is a layout of how I usually spend my days:

-Sleep in 'till...whenever.

My one and only resposibility is to get Tanner, and occasionally our friend Jason, to work by 2pm,

-Eat breakfast.

I can usually talk Tanner into making me pancakes with strawberries.

-Go to the beach.

Tanner tries to get in some snorkeling before work since it is usually dark when he gets home. I actually argued with him over this, wanting to stay in bed and watch What Not to Wear. My television addiction is sickening.

-Float.

That's right, just float around. The beach we go to is a local spot called Pinones, a place I wrote about briefly in an earlier post. Contrary to my first vist, the beach is usually vacant and with the lack of people comes a lack of trash. Smile. Pinones is this little area of the beach that is surrounded by lava rock which forms these awesome pools and protects them from the big waves. I feel totally safe and so I just lay back and float around.

-Eat lunch.

Once agian, I can usually talk Tanner into making me something tasty.

-Take Tanner to the airport.

This whole month Tanner has been assigned an S3 schedule, which means he has to hang out at the airport on his days on from 2-10pm as a standby pilot. He naps, watches tv, listens to my iPod, and occasionally takes an airplane for a spin, all in air conditioning. Hard work.

-Choose what to do with my day. Hmmm....

While Tanner is at work I try to find ways to busy myself until I have to pick him up. Sometimes I grocery shop (when necessity and finances allow), or hang out at Borders and use their free wireless internet, or go to Costco and sit on their big comfy couch sample with a book (I am currently reading this. So funny.) Yesterday I went to Old Navy and tried on a bunch of clothes, just for fun, essentially played dress up. Today, me and my lazy arse just vegged out on the bed and watched tv. Until now, of course. I work on my computer and my business, too. But it's not all fun and games, I do the laundry occasionaly and the dishes, too. However, many of you know how much I hate doing dishes and so Tanner usually gets stuck with those.

-Eat dinner.

I am trying to cook as much as possibly and I have been inspired by the Food Network and shows like Take Home Chef (I mean c'mon, Curtis, he's so...Australian). I recently managed to make organic whole wheat fettucini with a ground turkey meat sauce with mozzarella (for Tanner) on our little electric toaster oven/burner. Followed by fresh baked chocalate chip cookies and milk. Mmmm, tasty.

-Sleep.

In the evening I'll watch a little tv (I still don't like this), sit on the roof and pick up the nearby McDonalds internet signal, and hang out with Tanner. Since there is no early wake up call, we usually doze off around midnight.

-Repeat.

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I know, I'm a brat. Why can't I just be happy? I mean, I am happy, but why must I get these feelings of discontenment? Well, I got this way for a while in New Mexico, too. I just need to snap out of it and enjoy the life I am living before I get a mortgage, job (hopefully I can remain "self employed"), kids (don't get any crazy ideas, Mom, I'm speaking in stereotypical terms.), car payments, and all those other big responsibilities. I mean I don't even take care of my own dog! Ok, ok, I am officially over it. Life is good and that's that.

updates and vacations...

2007-08-27T12:05:00.000-07:00

So, I just re-read my last post and things have changed.

I no longer have the excuse of no computer in Puerto Rico to use for my lack of keeping the www informed of my life's adventures. I have finally purchased a laptop, and I love it. It isn't anything super fancy, but it was an awesome deal and those of you who know me know I love a good buy. This has taken the edge off of Puerto Rico living. Now I can venture out to an air conditioned wireless hot spot and stay in touch with life in the States or sit in front of the turbo prop engine we call a fan in my room and design fun photoshop creations and keep my business updated. Good things.

On the sad side, I have to mention that my little Lupita Francesca has disappeared. She has been missing since Hurricane Dean blew by. Tear. I miss her.

Tanner and I have been doing some serious house hunting. We really need a place with a little more leg room. We have narrowed the choices down to 4, but there are other components that need to fall into place before we pack up agian. We are planning on living with a few friends we've made out here. Hopefully, all will work out soon. I'll keep you posted.

This past weekend was pretty awesome. Our friends Mikael and Chrissy flew out from Cali to spend the weekend with us in the USVI (United States Virgin Islands) where right is wrong and left is right. Basically, they drive on the other side of the road, it is so strange. Imagine making a blind left hand turn while on the left side of the car. We left the driving to Mikael and that kept us alive.
Flying through the Caribbean is awesome. I was a pasanger on one of the planes that Tanner flies. He wasn't flying, but it is a pretty impressive piece of machinery. I got the window seat and couldn't stop staring. Flying around the islands is like flying into Neverland, rainbows and everything. We arrived in St. Thomas on Friday and stayed at the Sapphire Beach Resort. This place was beautiful.
The next morning we woke up and took a dip in the water. I summed up the courage to go snorkeling more than 15 feet from shore and was glad that I did. I got to swim with this huge sea turtle. It was so cool. He just glided along with a little fish friend and didn't seem to mind us a bit. However, then I swam into a jellyfish and took that as my cue to vacate the premises. Tanner will spend the entire day in the water snorkeling around the reefs and diving through underwater caves, picking up little treasures from the ocean floor. He saw a lot more than I did, so I will report in his findings. He saw several sting rays, turtles, jellyfish, eels, a baracuda, and hundreds of tropical fish. I tend to freak out about sharks and my throat stops allowing me to breath so I just kinda wade around the shallows. Hence the snorkeling I did do I call courageous.
Later that day, we took a ferry over to St. John. Amazing, is all I can say. The sand is blindingly white and the water is unbelievably clear. I felt like a celebrity laying on the beach. We went to several different beaches along the northeastern coast, my favoite was Hawksnest Bay. My friend Chrissy brought her camera and took some great pics. I will post a link to all the photos later. We spent the day going from beach to beach and they just got prettier and prettier as we went. We took the ferry back and spent the rest of the evening drinking pina coladas and mango daquiries on the balcony overlooking the bay with views of St. John and Tortola.
The entire weekend went swimmingly until Sunday morning when we woke up early to head back to the airport to find that the rental car had been stolen. Crazy. How it happend remains a mystery. I blame the pirates. Anyways, we took a taxi to the airport and all flights were made.
There are so many interesting little observations to share about these places and the weekend, but my battery is very low.
All in all, this a fantastic little vacation and I can't wait to go back.

ps. oh, and I got a new freckle.

month in the life...

2007-08-18T23:22:00.000-07:00

So it has been over month since I have informed the world about the goings ons in my life, so here is a quick overview of the past month in the life of allie:

-I have no comp/internet in Puerto Rico (excuse #1 for not writing)
-I have actually spent more time in California than Puerto Rico (this cancels out excuse #1 and just makes me lazy)
-I fell and almost cracked open my noggin. This was one of those falls where it feels like you are falling forever and you actually have time to think things over like, do I have health insurance? what is today? i have 3 more days to mail the proof of eligibility. where was that post office again? crap, i am still falling. I missed this huge rock by inches, but the ugliest bruise showed up on my thigh two days later and felt like I had been hit by a semi the following morning.
-Tanner ran over an iguana. It was sad.
-I am redesigning my website (excuse #2)
-I have edited around 2000 pictures in the last two weeks (excuse #3)
-I read The Wedding by Nicholas Sparks. I am proud of the fact that I actually finished a whole book in under a month, but a little embarrassed that it was that one.
-Our car was broken into in Puerto Rico. They busted out the passenger side window and stole Tanner's shorts. He was snorkeling and so that is why he wasn't wearing them. Unfortunately, his shorts contained his wallet. Fortunately, we are poor and they only got away with one dollar and a pair of khakis that probably hadn't been washed in weeks.
-I got my hairs cut. I don't know why I was holding on to those hideous 10 inches. It was a much needed change.
-I have been watching a lot of TV. TLC and HGTV are my favorites. Thanks to Stacy and Clinton (What Not to Wear) I now feel the need to go buy a whole new wardrobe and I am pretty sure this show is why I cut my hair.
-I have a new friend, her name is Lupita Francesca. She weighs about 2.5 pounds and has green eyes. She drools a lot too, which is weird. Oh, she's a kitten.
-I saw Superbad. The same old story of boys and their weiners trying to acquire alcohol for a parents-are-out-of-town party and lose their virginity by graduation, but it was insanely funny and I thought Tanner was going to pee his pants. Warning: not for the squeamish or those over 40 who attend church regularly.

That's about it. Tanner is on the red-eye back to San Juan as I write and I am still in Fallbrook. I am not sure when I will be going back, perhaps Tuesday.

bekah & ryan

2007-07-15T23:24:00.000-07:00

Bekah and Ryan

July 14, 2007

Yesterday I photographed Bekah and Ryan's wedding with a fellow photographer, Ariana. I also hired my little sis to tag along and help with equipment, she did a great job and got the chance to do a little wedding photography herself. The wedding took place at the groom's brother and sister-in-law's house in Fallbrook near the golf course in the late afternoon. A bunch of mid-western family and friends flew in for the event and brought with them scads of children. Everyone was pretty calm and somewhat collected due to an abudance of Heineken and Bud Light. Classy. To top it all off, one of the main bridal party attendants was a little Rat Terrier named Romy. Romy liked to run and skipped out on his walk down the aisle for a run up the back hill taking with him several tuxedo clad boys, a ring bearer, and a few flower girls. Despite all that, the ceremony continued in a very short, sweet, and to-the-point fashion. The beer had taken over and all these kids wanted to do was party, and that they did. Below are a few of my favorite shots from the day.

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bienvenido a puerto rico (this is a long one)

2007-07-13T11:41:00.000-07:00

It has been quite some time since I have been able to post. Here is a not so quick overview of what life has handed me so far this month:

saturday, 30th of june: I love love love fireworks. I just look up in awe and feel like a little kid agian. For some reason Pechanga decided to have their 4th of July fireworks on the 30th of June. Doesn't that somewhat defeat the purpose? Woo Hoo, June 30th! I don't know. Anways, there were fireworks and so I am not going to complain. Tanner was in town and so we went to our good friends Remy and Jackie's house that over looks the valley and ejoyed some wine while we watched the show. Apparently several other parks thought that the 30th of June should be celebrated as well and so we got to watch 3 other shows too.

wednesday, 4th of july: I love this day. I love bbq's, warm weather, hanging out with family and friends, and of course, fireworks.
The day started off with a great photo shoot. My friend Amy, her daughter Emily, and I headed downtown to Mission Theater to take some pictures of Emily in her dance recital outfits. We also took Pip. Who is Pip, you ask? Pip was my 2 hour pet. A super cute silky terrier I found on the side of the road. I picked him up and took him with me to take pictures.

Pip

Unfortunately, we found out who Pip belonged to and he had to be returned. Although I can't stand those girls who walk around with small dogs in the purses, I was ready to buy a purse and tote him with me anywhere. Anyways, the pictures of Miss Em turned out great and we had fun. She's a beauty.

Emily

Later, I was off to Murrieta to take some pictures of the rest of the family, including some black and whites of Emily's cousin Sam. Those were beautiful as well. We all hung out, ate bbq, and went swimming. Then I was off to my grandparents. Grandma and Grandpa aren't to big on fireworks, so I scurried over to the other side of town to watch the Grand Traditions show. Have I told you how much I love fireworks?

thursday, 5th of july: I spent the day getting ready to depart for PR and drove out to Irvine to have dinner with my friend Hillary and her adorable little girls, Darby and Audrey. I met this family back in my TRP (Turtle Rock Preschool) days and watched these two spunky little girls grow from tiny little babies to super cute kids.

Darby and Audrey

friday, 6th of july: I got up bright and early for a full day of flying. Remember my post on first class? Yea, well I sat in coach the whole time, but oh well, I suppose I will live. In total un-American Airlines fashion we arrived ahead of schedule in San Juan. However, in total Puerto Rico fashion the jetway was broken and we were stuck on the tarmack. I wasn't in a rush really since upon my arrival I had no were to go. We are kinda last minute people and when I had talked to Tanner on my stop in Dallas we still didn't have a place to stay or any way of getting there. However, he managed to have American put us up in a really nice hotel for the night and found us place to live by the time I got in to PR. That's my boy. Our really nice hotel was right next door to a cockfighting arena, I knew then that I was in a whole different world.

saturday, 7th of july: Tanner and I moved into our new 150 square foot home. The owner of the house-turned-studios, Miguel, is a flight attendent and only rents his place to crew members. He claims to be a feminist and his good friend Luis visits often. We met a few other American Eagle employees who come and go and everyone seems very nice. The place is very clean and has everything we need, even a washer and dryer (a huge plus for me and apparently anybody living in Puerto Rico). Since we had no car and therefore no way of finding one, we walked down to the Dollar car rental place, brokedown and rented a vehicle (not in the budget). We aimlessly drove around Puerto Rico, stopping at every dealership and using a handful of Spanish vocab: Mas barato, no mas caro, and, of course, no. Cars is Puerto Rico are ridiculously expensive. And buying anything under $5000 is most likely a losing bet. After going to several private (Happy Auto for example) and corporate (Ford) car lots we found Losada Auto and Senor Vega. We went for a spin and chatted with the dealer like we were old friends. Puerto Ricans are very friendly. We spent $1500 and got what we paid for. Aside from the inconvience of carrying several jugs of water and filling 'er up at every stop, our 1995 Chevy Cavalier is a good little car. However, we said we would pay cash and they wanted it, and so we had to wait until Monday to pick it up. Then we went back to our place and settled in. Our room opens up to the house's back patio filled with plants, vines, bird houses, wind chimes, and various reptiles. The lizards here are something you would find in an exotic pet store and the iguanas on the island will one day take over. One little lizard found his way into our room and we named him Emilio.

the door to our room
Tanner in the living room/bedroom/kitchen
our efficient bathroom
Tanner being manly in the kitchen/bedroom/living room
Emilo
Emilio next to a quarter
Emilio being a good little pet and guarding the front door.

sunday, 8th of july: We still had no car, so Miguel kindly drove us to the grocery store. I was a little nervous and wondering what Puerto Rico grocery stores carried on their shelves, but I found that the only real difference is the price. Food is much more expensive and there is a lack in organic alternatives. I have yet to see anything that resembles a Whole Foods, but that is ok, you can't really go wrong with a PB and J. Miguel wanted to give us a little guided tour of his home town and took us to Pinones (peen-yon-es), a popular beach nearby. Very popular. It really is a cool place, but the city's waste control is seriously lacking. Miguel bought us some tasty smoothies made from such tropical fruits as pinapples, mango, passion fruit, papaya, and such as well as some sort of fried something. It had a meat inside as well as what I think were mashed plantains (similar to banana). It is going to take sometime before my stomach warms up to that agian. Next he took us to Old San Juan and pointed out some interesting sites, like were parts of Captain Ron were filmed. Very historic. But for reals, he should us how to get around and where to park and what to see. That was very kind of him and turned out to be very helpful.

where the fried meat thing came from
Tanner and Miguel
Pinones

monday, 9th of july: We once agian rented a car to go pick up our car. First, we needed money. Accessing our money in the states turned out to be more difficult than I had anticipated. We managed to open a bank account, once agian with our very little Spanish vocab, but still did not have the cash we had promised Senor Vega. We visited several ATH machines, not ATM, ATH (a todo hora) and managed to take out all but $80. Luckily, Senor Vega liked us and we could pay the rest with our credit card. Whew. He liked us so much that he even put $10 worth of gas in it for us. Apparently it isn't customary in PR to wash/cleam or put gas in a sold vehicle, so the gas was a plus.

tuesday, 10th of july: We are not city people. San Juan was taking its toll and Puerto Rico was turning out not to be the island paradise I had envisioned, so we went exploring. We had already traveled to the east and we were not impressed. So we thought we would head west and stick to the roads that were closest to the water. Beach front property is very different from in the states like proyectos (projects) with a view of El Morro and San Juan Bay. However, the further west we went the better it got. We came across a beautiful beach somewhere between Vega Baja and Manati. This is exactly what we were looking for.

We were getting hungry and we went to taco place. While Tanner and I were discussing our food choices the man in front of us turned around asked us how we found this place, that not that many toursits make it out this far. We explained that we weren't tourists and we continued our little meet and greet session. His name was Bill and he has lived on the island for 25 years. We found out alot more about Bill, he was very personable, but it wouldn't be that interesting to read about. One thing we did learn about Bill was that he is very kind. He said goodbye once he paid for his order and drove away living us his business card only to return 2 minutes later to say that he knew somebody who was renting a condo in the area and that he would take us to him later that afternoon. Bill returned 45 minutes later and we followed him to a restaurant to meet a doctor, on a road with beautiful scenery, to a beach where he knew everybody, to a snack bar so he could get a beer, to another beautiful beach so he could drink his beer, introduced us to his Cuban neighbor he spotted walking on the beach also drinking a beer, to a man named Nelson's house who had places to rent, and finally to his house to meet his wife, Judy. Judy was not happy with Bill for bringing home a couple of stray white kids or for drinking that beer on the beach, but she warmed up to us and we sat and talked like old friends.

wednesday, 11th of july: We decided to be tourists and walk around old San Juan. It is a very interesting place and we had orignally planned on living here. The cobblestone streets and old European style buildings are very charming and you feel like your walking through parts of Disneyland, except the buldings aren't replicas and you don't have to pay $62 to get in. The city is built inside the walls of El Morro, a fort at the point built in the Spanish. The buildings are all very colorful and El Morro is very impressive itself. There are no guard rails or fences or anything to really make it feel like a toursit attraction, it has remained very historical. The downside to that however is that there is probably a small child or inebriated adult who falls to there death every week. Next to this historic site is a cemetary and "the most picturesque slum in the world" (I read that somewhere). Interesting. I thought the slum wouldn't really be a slum since it was sitting on such prime real estate and since it was so famous, but alas, it is truely slummy.

black and whites of Old San Juan
odd naked sculptures (there are lots of these)
the cobblestone streets and colorful buildings
walking through the Jardines de Casa Blanca
El Morro
the cememtary, slum, and historic San Cristobal fort
one of many fountains
me, attempting to photograph myself
Tanner and I at El Morro

Toursits began to pour into the tiny city and we need to head to the beach. So we decided to go on another island road trip, but this time we headed south across the island to the Caribbean Sea. Driving through the hills was beautiful and the lack of traffic kept the air moving in our no-ac car. Once you pass through the center of the island the climate totally changes to dry and the land becomes much less tropical. I wasn't impressed with the Sea and its towns, but we only drove through two. The water itself is beautiful but the beaches are either inaccesible or unclean. Once agian, I think if we head west next time things will improve.

Obviously I am undergoing culture shock, but I think I will get over it soon. I am totally intrigued by this new place and it's lifestyle. I want to understand it and know what it is like to call it home. I heard somewhere that home is a place you want to belong. I want to belong here, even if it is just for a little while.

baby tessa

2007-06-26T23:45:00.000-07:00

About two weeks ago I got to meet my newest little family member, my cousin Nikki's first baby girl, Tessa Marie. She is so cute. I went to visit with my mom and Kim. It was so weird seeing my sister hold a tiny baby. I mean she is 18, but has she never had an interest in babies or small children ever. I was so nervous watching her, still thinking she was a kid. I kept wanting to tell her to sit down and be careful. However, she amazed me and didn't drop her, so that is good.

Tessa is just so cute. My cousin Nikki commented on the fact that she looks like a little Who from Whoville. It is so true. She is like a tiny little pixie baby. Here are some pictures from my visit.

madi and sam...

2007-06-23T23:39:00.000-07:00

My niece and nephew are super cute. They are my best models. Here are some fun pics from our Father's Day/Grandma's B-day celebration last weekend.

Madi got new sunglasses and was pretty excited to show them off. She told Lindsay that Uncle Tetter (that would be Tanner) wouldn't know who she was and think she was a grown up.

Sam and his cheekies, both pair are equally cute.

Madi strikes a pose...or two. I think I may have created a monster. A beautiful one at that.

Sam is no stranger to the camera either. He loves to see pictures of himself.

I just can't get enough of these two...actually, I can. I mean they're amazing kids and I love them to death, but the silence that exists after they head home I cherish as well.

my cousins

2007-06-23T16:36:00.000-07:00

Gabriela...4 going on 24, she is beautiful.

Brhet...could he be cuter?

Kyle...easy ladies, he is only 12.

Chubbs...one of the newest additions, how could I not post this picture?

G-L-A-M-O-R-O-U-S

2007-06-23T15:36:00.000-07:00

We flying the first class
Up in the sky
Poppin' champagne
Livin' the life
In the fast lane
And I wont change
For the glamorous, oh the flossy flossy
-Fergie

I have no idea what the flossy flossy is, however, I can give you my take on flying first class. It is flippn' fantastic.

First of all, the seats. The seats are like living room recliners. I had never really understood why people choose to pay more money to fly first class. As I would walk past the first 6 rows of the plane, everything looked the same. Yeah the seats were bigger, but they were still just ugly blue pleather seats. Oh, oh, then I sat down. Nice. And oh do they recline. Nothing like coach seats.
I always thought that it was so stupid that the first class passengers were allowed to board first. Everyone would have to walk past them (depending on the plane) and that just didn't (and still doesn't) make any sense to me. Why do we poor folks have to be paraded infront of them on our way to seat 24E? Shouldn't they board last? Well, then I got to board first. No waiting, no searching for a spot in the overhead compartments and having to put your bags 8 rows behind you. I felt like a traitor though when all the other passengers walked to their seats and I sat there sipping the drink of my choice...out of a glass! Real glass, not a one-time-use flimsy peice of plastic.

Drinks. Not only are drinks served (and refilled often) in a glass cup, but it's all on the house. So before the plane is even pushed off the tarmack, you are sitting in your big comfy recliner refreshed and/or slightly buzzed.

Next comes the attendent to take your order. A real meal. I got to choose between a chicken salad sandwhich or a turkey wrap. I went with the chicken, it sounded more filling and I was really hungry. In coach, even on a 2+ hour flight, all you get is a beverage. You can't even get a little bag filled with 8 pretzels if you asked. I wondered how long this chicken salad sandwhich was going to take, but before I could even finish wondering, the attendent handed me a little ceramic dish filled with a variety of nuts. Not a bag of peanuts but a dish on a cloth napkin filled with almonds, pistacios, cashews etc... and they were heated. Warm nuts!

Then the attendent came out with a platter of what I thought were egg rolls. Turns out they were hot towels. He extended one out to me grasped by tongs. I thought that was kind of showy, I mean how hot can they be? The answer: Really flippin' hot! I had no clue what I was supposed to do with it. I tried to look around with out obviously moving my head to see what all the other first classers were doing with theirs. They wiped their hands and their faces, kind of like a mini sponge bath (wierd), so I just waited for mine to cool off and then wiped my hands with it. Then came more drinks, and finally our food.

The food was served on a tray covered with a black cloth, a wine glass, real utensils, and on a glass plate. I thought I was going to get a pre-made, saran-wrapped sandwhich, but it was cut and served on the plate along with a vegetable medley (good-veggies, no peas or carrot squares). In retro-spect I should have gotten the turkey, it came with fruit, like a whole grape vine! On the side were some crackers and brie. I don't know what brie is, I assumed some sort of cheese so I didn't eat it, but it sounds fancy. After the food was served, we were offered either chardonnay or cabernet.

I was so full and had already gotten up like 4 times to pee, so I refrained. But then came dessert. A big, warm chocolate chip cookie. I forced it down (it was really good) and then reclined all the way back (almost totally flat) and had myself a little siesta.
You may be wondering how ended up in first class. Well, since I fly standby I get whatever is left, and so they asked if first class would be ok from San Diego to my connection in Dallas (I was on my way to Jacksonville, Florida) and I said "sure", I figured I would at least get a bag of pretzels.

Man, once you go first class, it ruins you. I hate coach. But for that 2 hours and 37 minutes I was feeling pretty glamorous.

update...

2007-06-13T08:14:00.000-07:00

So it has been quite a while since I have posted. So here is an update...
I officially moved out of Albuquerque June 2nd. Jane flew out the night before and drove back with me. She drove us out of New Mexico and into Flagstaff by 7am and I drove the rest of the way. From Flagstaff to Fallbrook. 500 miles. 8 hours. I am extremely proud of this. I have driving issues and can barely stay awake on a 2 hour drive through So Cal at 12 in the afternoon. This was a big deal, at least for me.
I spent the next few days visiting friends and family and taking lots of pictures. I will post those soon. Tanner was able to come out and spend some time out here and that was lovely. I have been so excited to get to the beach and I finally made it out there on Thursday. We went with Jane, Lindsay and the kids. Taking kids to the beach is insane. The big Seqoia was packed like we were going to be stranded on an island for the next 2 months. I took a towel. We only ventured as far as Oceanside and set up camp north of the pier. I had planned on basking in the sun in hopes of regaining some hint of color, but no. It was so flippin' cold! I sat in a chair, wearing a sweatshirt and a towel wrapped around my legs while I tried to bury my feet in the top layer of sand to keep them warm too. So no tan.
I went back to D/FW with Tanner that Friday and stayed the night and came back Saturday. Tanner isn't exactly in Dallas, he is in Arlington. Arlington is so very boring. Tanner is wonderful of course, but when he isn't around I have nothing to do and no where to go. I don't have a car when I am out there so I make use of the free shuttles and such. I could take the trolley out, but it only takes you to 6 Flags and the Rangers Stadium. Places you need money to have any fun at. I could take the hotel shuttle to WalMart, but I hate that place for so many reasons. Or I could take the flight academy shuttles to the flight academy or airport. None of these options really spell out a good time when one is by themselves. So I am back.
I went to my friend Jessica Russel's wedding on Sunday. Jessica was what most closely represented my neighbor growing up on Santa Margarita. She is two years older than me, but we became best friends. We carpooled to and from Zion and played with our Balica dolls incessantly through JR High. This was a well-kept secret since playing with dolls while in JR High was frowned upon by or peers. I am over it now however and so the truth is revealed. Anyways, she had won the Fantasy Wedding from the Grand Tradition. There was a horse-drawn carriage, swans in a heart shaped pond, and a dove release. It was fantasytastic. In all my Fallbrook years, I had never been to the GT (as the locals like to refer to it). I could never figure out how to get in, nor did I ever have a reason to go. But it is quite beautiful, I have to say I was impressed. The reception was held at the Pala Mesa Country Club. I have been there for such things as a Mother's Day Brunch, but have never really explored the grounds. Once agian I was impressed. The wedding was lovely and I am sure she will live happily ever after. And since Jess's goal in life was to be a mom, I am sure there will be a kid by this time next year.
Speaking of kids, I also got to meet my cousin's new baby, Tessa Marie. She is small, soft, and rosey, everything a tiny baby should be. She has this thick velvety mop of hair that looks fake, like a dolls. I took a multitude of pictures, very cute. I still don't want one.
I have been running here and there, hanging out with Emily and Nathan and now I must focus. Tanner and I will be heading to Florida next Monday and PR later that week. I need to repack and organize what is left of our stuff. I need to pack and prepare for the unexpected. I don't where we will live, but I can't wait to figure it all out.

joe vs. the volcano

2007-06-01T18:57:00.000-07:00

Patricia : I wonder where we'll end up?
Joe : Away from the things of man, my love. Away from the things of man.

pray...

2007-06-01T15:35:00.001-07:00

for Tanner's cousin, Coral. She was in a car accident and is in ICU. Please keep her in your prayers as she recovers.

"And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up."
James 5:15a

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."
Philippians 4:6

i will miss...

2007-06-01T09:07:00.001-07:00

-living in a town that many people misspell

-my morning tea from the daily grind

-the sandia mountains at dusk (disclosure: I did not take this picture)

-cool places like the carlsbad caverns

-the changing seasons (esp. snow at Christmas time)

-dog parks

-going to the zoo for only $5

-downtown

-all my friends (the kerrs, mike and megan, hans and iris, all my immanuel co-workers, all my preschoolers and their families, the folks at the daily grind, the crowleys, esp. little eli.)

Although I may have had my share of negative comments about albuquerque (and new mexico in general), as this is my last day in this town, I wanted to share about all the great things that I have been blessed with in my year here. There are more I am sure, but these are the things, places, and people I will never forget.

*peace out 'burque*

[intermission]

2007-05-29T23:56:00.000-07:00

intermission (noun) 1. the act of suspending activity temporarily 2. a time interval during which there is a temporary cessation of something [syn: pause]

This is how I would describe my current status. Someone at the Dallas/FW airport asked me where I was from and I didn't know what to say. Last week I would have answered Albuquerque, today...I don't know. The answer is much to complicated to force upon someone who is just looking for some friendly pleasantries.

I was feeling overwhelmed on my way to my friend's house in Albuquerque and upon arrival I decided that I would take sanctuary in Target. I needed to clear my head and find a planner to organize what was left. Deciding on a planner was a chore, but 2o minutes later I had talked myself into the cheapest, smallest one. It fits in my purse and complements my wallet. Superficial and shallow, I know, but it makes me happy.

I sat down to fill it out and got as far as today. Where I will be tomorrow or Saturday, or June 4th? I don't know, I have never not had somewhere I needed to be. No obligations, no deadlines, no responsibility. It is a very strange feeling, and I am beginning to like it.