Dzana Gets Older

Thirty-six was a year to remember.
And it is in the books.
Over.
Done.
Gone yet still a part of me.

And now I get to start thirty-seven.

This was a photography birthday for me.
Every time I have a child, I feel like I learn volumes about photography for the next year.
First Charlie, then Ephram, now Macie.

Whether it's true for others or not, it is true for me.
And the truth is, I love photography.
I really, really do.

And my husband supports my love of it... which is why, for this birthday I:

• Attended my first ever workshop the weekend before. (And learned a ton!)
• Got Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4 (way more fun than Aperture)
• Got yet another helpful piece of equipment (a reflector)
• AND - got an amazing new camera, that I spent quite awhile wondering if I was really worthy of it.  (Jury's still out on that one, but I LOVE it.)

So it was a great birthday in support of my ever-growing photography habit  addiction obsession hobby.  I did have to wait another few days for the camera... but when it came I started playing with it right away.  (Yep folks, higher volume of pictures... from the Mom who already took too many.)

The day was a good, yet tiring one.

The day of that photography workshop, little Miss Macie started a nursing strike.  That will be a post unto itself.  But for now suffice it to say, I was getting nil sleep for the four days preceding my birthday.  We're talking none.

In part because of said strike, and in part because I had already waited too long, I made an appointment for her 9 month check-up on her pediatrician's next opening, which happened to be.... my birthday.  So I also made an appointment for Ephram to get his flu shot on the same day.  (Still need to do his 3 year well child check-up.)  So two of my children had shots that morning.  Fun times.

Then, as we headed out the door to said appointment, we got a call from the school nurse for Charlie.  He had a 100.5 fever and wasn't feeling well.  I explained the situation, that I was already 10 minutes behind for the doctor's appointment, and we agreed I'd check on him as soon as the appointment was over.  When the appointment was over his fever had climbed more... so we went off to the school to pick up Charlie.  He had... The Flu.

So I had three children that really, really needed Mama that day.  And only two arms to give.  So it was an exhausting day.  But, I think that's kind of perfect for a mom.  All of our days are a little out of our control.  You never know what will be thrown your way.

So my birthday was the way it should be.  Me, all my family and some presents and a cake.  And here are the pictures: