Saturday, May 24, 2008

Wow time flies when your having fun!

Fun I guess is what you call it... we have been busy as usual. Same ol' stuff nothing new.
Work, adoption classes, photography stuff, biggest looser, school.... thats about all that happens here at the Puhak house!

Today I think I made a break through in my photography! I think! I struggle badly with ISO & Shutter Speed... Its all a back wards crazy math & numbers game that I hate & its just to difficult! But I think today for some reason it clicked. Now I dont want to go jinxing myself but I think that this will improve my images a 100%! Now more grainy fuzzy images!?!? (I hope)
I went to http://www.opkansas.org/_vis/arboretum/ today with a friend from flickr. I toyed around with ISo a bit. I think the problem that I was having is I was confused which number was the ISO on my camera! Stupid me! That is an easy thing to figure out. Tomorrow I have a super fun maternity shoot planned & hope to get to toy with it some more. Shooting people is a totally different ballgame than shooting flowers! ( Flowers hold there smiles forever people expect suckers or chocolate if they have to smile to long!)

GO here to see some of my stuff http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenniferpfromkc/
Sorry you wont see much, I have alot of it marked private because some of my images are of friends children & for some reason people (weird perverted people) go to sites like flickr & steal photos(stealing photos means if you didnt capture the image with your camera & you dont have permission by the photographer to use it ... thats stealing & its against the law! pubilic service announcement over) so to prevent that from happening I have to set to private to protect the images I have on there. I share with other photographers to learn from them. man they have all taught me so much!

I am going to spend my free time this summer re-vamping the website. I have ideas in my head but its a matter of translating them to the website that I have an issue with. It works in here but to get it all out & on paper is where we loose some of the quality! :) ok even that doesnt come out right but I know what I am trying to say.

Ok its dinner time, I have updated you on whats up here. Im hungry & in need of a shower. Its only 75 but the humidity was nuts at the park. Nuff said.

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Quick post...

Quick updates..
Jasper is fine. Went back to the vet blood work is fine no cushings disease, no thyroid issue, vet thinks its an allergy.
Went out of town for Mothers day weekend was a short trip to Iowa & back made for a short weekend but it was good to see the Bishop side of the family.
Biggest looser... well we lost but it wasn't much! We are both doing better this week!

Check out the link at the bottom of my blog to get to our adoption blog to see where that is at!!

Now back to your regularly scheduled programing... I have to get back to work!

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

May 5th Biggest Looser

Hello friends!
John won again.... this is getting old... I still lost but he lost more.
I dont remember the numbers but what matters to me is the scale is going down for both of us!
So I have to put yet another $5 in the pot....
I said I was going to kick butt this week & really make him work hard to win next week however he is traveling so he wont be able to work out, I am busy everynight this week (again) so I wont be working out. So as of today (wed) I will be happy if the scale just goes down.

Yesterday I took Jasper to the vet. Her coat looks funny. I noticed about 2 weeks ago that her fur is really short on the sides & kind of clumpy on her hips. So I finally took her in. Dr Beggs is wonderful & explained the worst case scenario to me (Cushings Disease)& then what he thought it might be Thyroid problems. Then discussed dental cleaning that Jasper needs & has needed for a while. I guess dogs need their teeth cleaned every 2 years(I didnt realize how important this was) she has an infection in her teeth that could cause bigger issues. If left untreated could spread to her heart, liver, lungs, ect.
So by this point in our meeting I feel like the worst person every that I havent taken care of her & now she is sick, I dont know if she is in pain because of any of this. I am stressed beyond believe & broke down in tears. Not only because I feel like i havent taken care of Jasper but because vet bills are NOT cheap! I had to run out to the car to get my check book & called John to tell him I was going to be spending $300 on Jasper... thinking he wasnt going to be thrilled & we would have to move money around but he was as usual the best husband ever & said so what do you need to do & dont stress over the money.
I love him. He keeps me sain when I feel like my world is falling down around me.

I got a call this morning that the blood work they did yesterday came back & that Jasper doesnt have the Cushings disease but that the thyroid work isnt back. Everything else is fine she is in excellent health other than the thyroid issues. So its an easy treatment.
What a relief. Treat that & get her teeth cleaned & she will be good.

Sunday, May 4, 2008

May 4th The WALK!



Yes, today was the March of Dimes walk! It was a blast. Great weather, great friends, great fun for a great cause! This picture is of Lindsay & Michael Heard & there once preemie babies Eryka & Josiah! They are this years Ambassdor Family!!

We walked on the Zander's Zoo team! Which included the Fread's(of course)Curry's & Angela's mom Pam, John & Myself! We stayed together for most of the 3 mile walk but in the crowd going down then back up one of the hills we got seperated. It was a fun walk.







There were TONS of people!







We were entertained by the Marching Cobras, a marching drill team from KC. They were so fun & energizing! What a way to start the walk!








Here are a few more photos from today! Thank you to every one who supported us with donations & prayers!







Joshua with a fresh painted face!












Molly & I getting our faces painted! Next image is the start of the walk... see the lady in the blue shirt & tan hat... :) She shows up in a few random photos ! (Just kidding thats Angela... not sure why I didnt get any real pictures of her or Pam today?)


Marching Cobras starting us off! (Notice There is Angela's back to me again!)... that Short Route is for wimps! We took the long route! The long 3 mile route! It was easier than I thought it was going to be. I think I was remembering back to when my old roommate & I did a 5K for breast cancer & the after effects of the walk about killed us! I was worried I was going to feel like that again. I feel fine tonight other than a small blister on my foot. (Someone has a BRILLIANT idea to wear new sneakers for the walk!) Also I am so tired I could sleep for a week. I have been getting up early & staying up too late for about a week now. So with that being said good night friends! Thanks again for your support! I will check in later in the week for Biggest looser Puhak edition!














Thursday, May 1, 2008

May Day!!! 5.1.08

Last night I went to the bellies & babies tour with Sandy Puc' (this translates to super awesome photographer) It was fun! I met 3 new contacts. I had time to chat with Rae from RG photography who I knew from KC meetup, Janie (Janie Jones Photography) who doesnt have a website yet but I know her from a photo class we both did at different times & still chat on the forum for the class. Also met Jennifer Leiker from Lasting Images Photography.
Last but not least I briefly met Susan Robichaud! She is havnig a UrbanSafari workshop in KC in May!!
I learned alot! Most important thing I learned... next time remember the note book!!I took lots of notes & Sandy talks fast so I had to write faster!

This is what else I learned.
1. I need a business license & I need to figure out the sales tax thing. I thought since I wasnt selling much I wouldnt need to worry about it yet. Honest, I really didnt think about sales tax, I thought about income tax. I am not making much so I thought it wasnt a big deal. Todays agenda is to find out what I need to do to get a business license & deal with sales tax/income tax.
2. I learned some new marketing that wont cost me much. Every image that leaves my "studio" should have my name on it that is free advertising. Then I have to spend a little to make alot. So Each order as a thank you gift will include a little something. (Are you excited to place your order to see your little something!?!?)
When Mom hands little Johnny's picture to her friend, her friend now has my info, on holiday cards or baby announcements when grandma or aunt susie get the holiday card they have my info. When someone gets a graduation annoucement they have my info... ect (I am sure your bored to tears by now huh)
3.I learned new EASY no prop Poses. However I dont really like the studio feel, I really like the home-y feel.... but I learned that also. I dont know that I ever want a real studio but I might be interested in testing the waters. I learned that last night also!
4. I learned I LOVE these seminars!
There is another workshop (mentioned above) in May that I asked John to let me go to(lets just say he was less than impresed at midnight to discuss a workshop that costs $275! But said I can go I asked how we will afford it (the whole Dave Ramsey thing) & he sid dont worry he will find the money for me to go. Isnt he the bestest husband ever! Which leads me to the best thing!!! ******* # 5***********
My husband is amazing. I love him. Pretty simple. For many many reasons I love John but this week he has taken the Best Husband award many times for not once giving me crap about being out or doing something every night(which means not seeing him). He has cleaned our house top to bottom pretty much this week(I am still secretly hoping the toilets magically get cleaned but if that is all I have to do I will GLADLY do them Friday morning before I go to work??). Though everything we have read & been told says we dont need to white glove clean the house ... John has done it! Its kinda cute he is the nervous new dad already! :) To get ready for our home study he has sprayed for the ants that tried to take over our kitchen(one thing I hate about Spring), he has kept up with the yardwork, he CLEANED HIS OFFICE!!! While I stamped monday night with the girls, he cleaned our bedroom he dusted, vacumed, PUT AWAY LAUNDRY! AMAZING I say!
*~*~*~* Well the cake has been topped~*~*~*
I came home last night (remind you at midnight!) I pulled into the drive way wiped my eyes to clear the dust out, the yard was beautiful he had cut it again! Then as the garage door opens slowly the heavenly garage angels from above start to sing a glorious song & a bright light appears & I am surprised to see My garage, MY GARAGE where I park My car, at MY house, CLEAN... Not only clean but Swept out, things neatly stacked up, my photo props neatly on shelves, patio cushins neatly stacked on a shelf. I had to back out of the garge & check the house number. I really thought I had pulled in to someone else's garage. I pulled back in & looked around, amazed. I put the car in park & looked around amazed. I got out & looked around amazed. (did I mention it was midnight?) I thought I might be dreaming. I shut the garage because I was worried the neighbors might laugh at me for hanging out & "viewing" my own garage. Then I remembered I had 7 hours until I had to be up & at 'em again so I had to go to bed & I still needed to check email.... But I was so happy about the garage!!! Now just to get the cabinet built to put my photo stuff in it to keep it organized & clean! I love you John & your magic fairly garage cleaners! Thank you for all your hard work this week....

Friends I am still collecting your donations for the March of Dimes walk. The walk is THIS WEEKEND!! YEAH! I am super excited! I even have new sneakers to wear for the walk. They were suppose to get broken in on the tredmill but I havent been home enough to walk...
On that front( Puhak Biggest Looser...) John won this week but I still lost... sorry Monday was to many days ago for me to remember how much I lost but I lost & that is what is important!