2008 is going to be the ride of my life! I have so many incredible weddings lined up for 2008, I have baby shoots galore, I'm in training for my first triathlon, and best of all, I'm a bride to be! With this new blog, I'll be kicking off a new platform to document (for me) and share (with you) all the trials and triumphs, all the dreams and successes, and all the photography of this monumental year.
I promise to be more consistent in my postings and I'm so excited that all my readers can now leave comments (easily) and hope they do so often. Yes, I am excited about 2008, when I hit the finish line, and when I say I do, I hope I have a ton of new friends cheering me on, and a ton of new friends that I can cheer on with their endeavors. Now, let's do this!
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All my life I've been completely convinced that I am not a "bird person". We had a canary growing up - but I never felt that attached to it. I don't even remember it's name - I think we just called it - little yellow canary. Then, one warm summer day, while cleaning the cage, the little yellow bird got out and our big black lab had an extra helping of protein.
Well, Seamus, our little parakeet has made me a believer. Mark and I adopted him from our dear friends Laura and Matt who moved away and fled to Germany. I was a little hesitant at first, but Mark was excited, so I willingly shared in his enthusiasm.
Seamus is like a little green and yellow person, with feathers. He has the quirkiest personality and has made me laugh out loud numerous times. We let him fly around a lot and our heads are the perfect landing pad. It's like he's on top of the world up there. He always says, "whatcha doin'?" or "I love you" or he has this little hissing laugh thing that he does. Mark is trying to teach him how to say "Go Packers" and I just want him to say - "Have a baby already!" LOL.
We just love him so. His newest thing is, he loves to be on my laptop when I'm working. He just plops himself down right on the keys. He's a really smart bird and he loves Apple products.
He also has this un-dying love affair going with a clothes pin that we named Penelope. He loves her more than bird seed. You can get him to do anything with a few clips of this plastic clothes pin.
He really entertains us to no avail.
No matter how many times Uncle Gary tells me - I still try to do vertical video!!! Ah, I hate that. But, it's only for a moment, so please bare with me. You'll notice that we really like to say, "Whatcha doin'?" A LOT. WORLD, MEET SEAMUS!
O.K., small technical problem!!! Trying to upload video....Uncle Gary - how do I upload video?
I guess hydrating, hydrating, hydrating definitely has it's consequences. I crawled out of bed for the fourth time that night. My limbs were barely functioning and my eyes were still comfortably glued shut. My fragmented dream of being some illustrious Olympic champion faded into the recesses of my mind and I wobbled aimlessly to the bathroom. It was 3:30 a.m. Knowing I had only one hour left to sleep sent a wave of nausea through my body- NO! Nothing can prepare you for that - getting up at 4:30 a.m. that is... You can't train for it. You just do it - because there is no other way. Nike had it right on this one. Just do it - just get up!
Our car pulled out of the dark alley at 5:10 a.m. packed with every single ounce of gear we owned. We knew we were headed towards an unknown adventure. But, it was an adventure that had called us. We had chosen it. It was an adventure that we were willing to go on - together. Our bikes were secured tightly to the back of the car. I never thought I would wear a spandex outfit before the sun rose - but vanity was the last thing on my mind.
As we entered the transition area, Mark and I gave each other a longing look and departed ways. We raced to our separate racks to get a good spot to set up camp. I was so grateful that the most beautiful, comforting face was set up right next to me - Amy. She had done this all before, she was a veteran, she knew what to do...so I would follow her. I convinced myself that breakfast was a good idea as I tried to force down a peanut butter Zone bar. Nothing really tastes good when you're standing in a parking lot, in a wet suit at 5:30 in the morning.
I looked around at the 820 other contestants, with their perfectly toned bodies and sponsorship jerseys. You could almost see all of the years, months, days and hours of training on their face. You could feel all of the blood, sweat and tears that brought them to this day. TODAY. All of the sacrifices and pain and fear and doubt all become worth it... I felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude for every single person there. They were male and female, old and young, short and tall, first timers and elite... We were all there for one common purpose. We were all there to prove to ourselves that we are in control of our own destiny - that we get to chose and we get to overcome, and persevere and in the end - we get to WIN. Each and every one of us...
The day was overcast, which made the ocean look like a sea of darkness, a black hole of never ending water. The swim was just as I expected it be. It was long, wet, cold - but the sense of accomplishment I felt as I stumbled gracefully out of the water is beyond description. I swam a mile in 39 minutes, which is completely slow - but to me - it was a personal record. Why? Because I have never swam a mile before! So, see - it's all relative. I shredded my wet suit and began the process of becoming a road biker. It's not an easy transition, for there are very few things that a swimmer needs, that a biker also needs. In fact, there isn't anything besides my spandex shorts and top.
The bike was a very enjoyable feat for me. I did 35 miles in 2 hours. We road over hill and dale. It was a lot of work and I could have pushed myself a little more, but I always had the end in mind. I knew I still had to run 10 miles and finish with some sort of smile on my face. So, alas, I held back and really tried to pace myself. I played cat and mouse with a lot of the riders, back and forth, pass and be passed...it is a never ending cycle.
The run hit me like a ton of bricks. It's really hard to get biker legs moving like runner legs. They want to keep going around instead of up and down. It's really weird. On top of that, we really didn't run enough in our training - so by the time I hit the run, my legs were spent. So, what did I do? I kept going. I ran the 10 miles in about hour and thirty minutes. Which is not a great pace, but considering what I had just gone through - it was acceptable. I stopped at every water station and even stopped to stretch out the ol' legs a few times.
In the end, I finished in 4 hours and 16 minutes. There is nothing like coming down the final stretch, people are lined along the sides screaming for you. I saw Mark right away and I've never been so glad to see a familiar face - and a cute one at that. I mustered a smile as I saw Amy and Emily and a group of friends cheering my name. JANEY! JANEY! It's like you've never heard your name before. And all you want, is to be the best you can be for a moment. One moment. And then it's over and you're done. But you know somehow that moment will carry you throughout your life.
Just when you think someone can't get ANY cuter - THEY DO. It's just unbelievable how much this little chunker has stolen my heart. I definitely feel like we are related. I just love him so. I photographed his parents wedding, and I've been photographing him since he was born, a little over 9 months ago. I can't wait to put together a book of his monumental first year. He changes and grows so much from month to month. It makes me wonder how many photographs I will take of my own children. WOW - scary.
He makes his parents so happy - oh, and his grandparents, aunts, uncles, you name it - just glow from head to toe when he is around. He is so very loved...and it shows in his toothy grin. I love his two little bottom teeth.
O.K., the past 7 days have been a complete whirlwind! I'm settling in very well to being a Mrs. I always thought that after saying "I Do", I would miraculously wake up and be domestic - you know throwing together pancakes from scratch and humming while I do the laundry. Turns out, that only comes with years of experience. But, I love being married! There is something so comforting, secure and just plain fun about it. We don't have to play house anymore. This is for real.
We're also preparing for our first triathlon which is a little bit like preparing yourself for 4 hours of complete torture. I've somehow managed to do it with a smile on my face because in my own twisted way, I enjoy torturing myself...now that takes skill. Because like I always say - I'll LOVE doing it when I'm DONE doing it! It's the weirdest thing. But, I can't wait to race on Saturday. Prepared or not - I know I'll survive and it will be a great story to tell our kids someday.
I've also been very busy shooting and haven't been able to blog ANYTHING yet! Until today, finally. I am so excited about the shoot that Mark and I did with Eryn and Scott. Eryn and Scott are from Texas and are getting married at the Four Seasons Biltmore this September. They are the kind of couple that you think just might explode because they love each other so much! They were natural, joyous and completely beautiful. I fell in love with their laughter. It was intoxicating - see for yourself. Can't wait for their wedding...
Emily and Nick's totally awesome "southern" wedding in Santa Barbara is featured on Southern Weddings. There is a delightful 2 Part feature that includes an interview and lots of fun photos from the wedding! Thank you Lara for putting this awesome feature together!
