So It's Been Awhile, Huh?

I love writing and posting pictures on this little blog of ours. I really do. But when things get hectic -- or crazy, perhaps -- the blog is, unfortunately, the first thing to go.

Here's what I've been up to over the past week or so...

1. I've cleaned mascara off of Jack's face.

2. I've worked tirelessly to the point of falling on my face on the 2009 Christmas card designs.
3. I've worked tirelessly to the point of falling on my face on last weekend's session.
4. I've banged my head against my desk approximately 4,127 times due to the fact that items number 2 and 3 took WAY longer than they should have because of a wicked virus my computer contracted last week (Free Hint For The Day: When your virus-protection software tells you not to go to a website -- even if it's a well-known photographer's blog that you've visited countless times before -- don't do it. The software really knows what it's talking about when it tells you the site has been infected with a virus that threatens to destroy your hard drive -- and your sanity.)
5. I've double-dipped in the virus pot by taking care of Josh last week when he came down with a bug that greatly resembled the flu. Although it started off with a nasty bang (see item #6 for further explanation of nasty), it was over and done with in 24 hours. Thank you, Lord.
6. I've cleaned up various and sundry bodily fluids from a sick husband and a potty-training son. Enough said.
7. We've gone to Childersburg to visit with my sister, her family, and our parents.
8. I've gone to Gadsden to visit my post-knee-surgery Mom -- who's doing wonderfully!
9. We've gone to Atlanta with some amazing friends who treated us to a day at Six Flags for our 2008 Christmas gift. (No, that's not a typo. We're all aware of the fact that we're staring Christmas 2009 in the face. We just had a hard time coordinating our schedules.)
10. I've stared horrifically at the biggest and creepiest spider I've ever seen outside my kitchen window. The picture was Abby's idea.
11. And most recently, I've spent precious time in prayer for one of my oldest and dearest friends, Anna, as she's gone through an extreme trial over this past weekend. You can read her blog for the details, but I will go ahead and tell you that she is pregnant (with twins!) and she and her husband were hours into their tenth-anniversary trip in another state (I was her maid of honor when she and Paul married, and she was my matron of honor two months later when Josh and I married) when she had a very unexpected medical emergency. Praise God that everything is on the upswing now, but it's an extreme understatement to say that this has been a very emotional and trying weekend for all involved.

Whew! I'm tired all over again just typing all that out.

I mentioned the session I've been working on. I can honestly say that I've had a blast with every session I've ever shot, but this most recent one was so special for me. Back in my pre-little-one days, I taught special education in a local school system. One of the most precious angels in my last class was this now older, taller, and even more beautiful girl:
And not only did I get to visit with her and her sister (who was just a wee one back then), but I also got to meet her baby brother, who I didn't even know existed until their mom called a few weeks back to schedule a session. Little Man had the most adorable nose-scrunch, and his single tooth was too cute!
I never load the SOOC (straight-out-of-camera) shots from a session into a client gallery. I do every stitch of editing I want to do -- to get each shot exactly how I want it -- before I submit the photos. But because my love of Photoshop grows everyday and because I want you all to appreciate it as much as I do, let me share with you something never before seen on the Five Lewis Crew blog.

I give you...the Before and After shot.

BEFORE:
AFTER:
I love the creative freedom I have with Photoshop and the countless different ways I can post-process a file to get the exact look and feel I want...not to mention the fact that I can make pesky black posts completely disappear! (As much as Photoshop costs, shouldn't Adobe pay me a little something for my glowing recommendation of their star product?!?)

As I sign off, I thought I would leave you with a little "Overheard At Our House Today"...

1. Abby: "Jack, let's play Mommy and Daddy. I'm the Mommy and you're the Daddy. Now let's pretend like our kids have the swine flu."

2. Me: "What's that smell?", quickly followed by "Did somebody poop in the bathtub?"

3. Me: "Guys, I've got a super-fun surprise for you today."
Children: Squeals
Me: "Do you know what we're going to do?"
Abby (with wide eyes and a big smile): "Are we going to McDonald's to eat in the trunk?!?"

It doesn't take much, folks. It doesn't take much.