Missing my baby...

I know this sounds crazy but I can not sleep because Cassi is not in the house tonight. She spent the night at a friend's house and you would think I would be elated but NOOOO...

It's almost 1:00am and I am missing her!

She is growing up to be such a little lady and although she can be a beast at times...mostly she's a beauty!

I took these pics of her last week.

Enjoy!

Are you ready for some football???

Here's Cassi sporting her LT jersey while supporting her cousin Darrin. I love this picture as the team comes on the field for the first time this season. Their team name is the Patriots and I like how this Patriot seems to be watching over them as they come down the hill.

I didn't realize I captured this image until I was editing these but from all of the news reports...Number 28 Dillon Baxter for the Mission Bay Buccaneers is supposed to be some kind of phenomenon. He scored millions of touchdowns as a freshman for their Varsity last year and was named second team All CIF last year...as a freshman. There was a news article about him on Thursday calling him "the Next Reggie Bush" so I figure I'll hang onto this image and maybe someday it'll be worth something. And..of course I thought it was a really cool shot!
I love this image of my nephew Darrin carrying the ball. I take pictures at his games and it gives him a chance to see the game and see parts of the game he didn't get a chance to see.

I am so excited for football season to start!! There are so many names and teams I will be watching this year and it'll be fun to see how they all do!

Of course we love our San Diego Chargers and after the crushing loss that ended last season I think all of San Diego can not wait for this season to get under way!

My favorite team to watch is my nephew Darrin and his high school team. Darrin has played organized football since he was 5. When my sister chose his name I recall her saying to me, "Don't you think his name is a good name for a football player?" Little did I know how prophetic those words would be.

Darrin has already been on a football team (American Youth Football) that won the National Championship in Florida (as their quarterback), has been named to the 2004 American Youth All-American Football team, was MVP offensive and overall for his freshman high school team, and is on his second year Varsity (as a junior) playing both offense and defense.

The last two years Darrin has been a running back but the team needed his expertise and leadership at quarterback so he is filling that need on the team this year.

Last night was their first scrimmage and I have to say they looked petty good. They were playing Mission Bay High School which is a really good team and I think they held their own. The score doesn't tell you much because they played 1st, 2nd and third string so everyone could get some time on the field.

I will be keeping you up to date on his team and their progress this year so I will apologize in advance for my ramblings.

Enjoy!!!

My excuses why...

Where the turf meets the surf....

We spent an amazing day at the Del Mar Racetrack where my sister and her husband have season box seats that are amazing. My brother in laws best friend is a very successful horse trainer here in California and he had two horses running last Sunday including a stakes race so we got to be a part of a very special day.

We could not have asked for a more beautiful, more eventful... fun day than we had.

These are taken down in the paddock. Because Eric had two horses that ran (AND WON!!!) this day we were able to go down to the paddock in the owners area while the horses were prepared for their races. We even got to be in the winner's circle and picture after the horses won. The first horse...Scat Thief was a long shot that came in and paid pretty well and the second horse Salute the Sarge was the favorite in the stakes race and won it. This horse is unbeaten in three races and they have huge plans for it.

Cassia and Mackenzie got tattooed (okay...their faces painted!) while in the infield of the racetrack where they have family entertainment.
Cassi throwing the peace sign...
My gorgeous nephew Brendon!
MacKenzie, Cassi and Steven in their season box at Del Mar.

Michael Baze is the jockey who rode both horses and is having a phenomenal run here at Del Mar.
Mac posing in the paddock!
Steven, My Mom, Brendon, Cassi, Diane, Mac, Kathy and I down in the paddock before Scat Thief ran.

This is Eric Guillot (My brother in law Brian's friend) being interviewed after the stakes race. He is a big deal now in the horse racing business. My sister tells all kinds of stories from when he was just starting out years ago and I have to say this man is hysterical!!!!

(By the way...all of the above images are taken with my Casio Point and shoot!)

I feel like all I do is make excuses why I don't post more often on this blog and then I realize that although my life moves at 100 miles an hour I wouldn't change it for the world...so you are getting a random post of everything I have been up to since last post...along with some pics to prove it.

My wonderful Aunt Kathy was out from Ohio and when she is in town we just have a blast!

A simple rundown of our week:
Harrah's
Del Mar Race Track
Anthony's on the Harbor (seafood)
Wind and Sea Beach
Viejas
Coronado Ferry across the bay
Barbeque at my Mom's
and that isn't all the wonderful meals we had...and the great conversations on my Mom's backyard patio...

My aunt is a joy to be around and we just have loads of fun when she comes to town! In between all of the entertainment...I worked and had a staff fiesta to go to so I have had very little time for anything else...(evidenced by the loads of laundry waiting to be done!!!!)

Enjoy!!!

Tim McGraw and Faith Hill

My sister and friend Erin had front row seats to see Tim McGraw and Faith Hill perform. Here is their proof of how close they were to the stage.
Tim and Faith opened the concert with a duet.

Faith Hill performed first and was amazing although there were times she didn't seem all there. At the end of the show Tim McGraw said she had fallen ill backstage and wouldn't be coning out for the encore so I think that's why she seemed a little out of it...

I love this picture because you can see how close my sister was to the stage. At times she had to shoot UP to take his picture. My seats were awesome but no where close to the stage!
I love this mans arms...MY WEAKNESS!
I am not sure which song he is singing here but it looks like he is singing "Live Like You were Dying" which was the most awesome thing to sing along to. It must be amazing to have thousands of people sing along to one of your songs and know ALL of the words!
My sister had the privilege of sitting super close to two of the San Diego Padres Star pitchers...Jake Peavy and Trevor Hoffman (definite Hall of Famer!) They were enjoying the show just as much as we were. Diane texted me that they were sitting by her and I have to admit I spent a lot of time watching them!!!

So...I was hoping to update everyone since the last time I posted. I...as always have been incredibly busy these last few weeks. It's 1:00am again and I have so much to share I know that if I don't start posting soon I am just going to get overwhelmed and never do it! These pictures are courtesy of my sister Diane and her great seats at the concert last week in San Diego. Her friend Erin was given these tickets at the last minute by a friend and so Diane passed her seats on to Angela and me.

I have to admit to not really being fans of Tim McGraw and Faith Hill but after this concert I went home and did some damage to the checking account on ITUNES. They put on an amazing show and every seat in the arena was a great view.

Tim McGraw has a new single called "If You Are Reading This...." and it is the most amazing song out there right now. I don't think you can get through the song without choking up. It's a letter home to a military man's family after he has passed away. San Diego being such a military town this song was especially sentimental.

One of the radio stations the next morning talked about the fact that Tim McGraw gave 100 floor seats to a military family here in San Diego that lost their son in Iraq and he dedicated the song to them when he sang it. It was really an amazing thing for him to do!

So...I have an aunt in town from Ohio and we have been on the go all weekend. Today we went to the Del Mar racetrack and had the most amazing time...I will post pics tomorrow...

Enjoy!!!!

a new baby girl!

A friend of mine had her third little girl last Monday and me being one never to miss an opportunity to photograph sweet little babies I went to visit her (of course with a camera in tow...I had a new lens I needed to break in!). I have been photographing her two oldest daughters for about 7 years and this new little one is just as photogenic as they are.

I am really loving bright bright colors and baby Addison's room is painted in neon pink and green and I fell in love with it. They really did a great job making her nursery a happy place for her to grow up.

I thought I would share some of the images we captured that morning. Her middle child loves the camera and the camera loves her back so I added some of hers on here too. Her bedroom has exquisite paintings on her walls and the wall behind her says..."It's good to be Queen" and it totally sums her up!

Congrats again Cindy!

Enjoy!

My achy breaky heart!!!

Cassi and her friend in front of the Billy Ray Cyrus display at WalMart.

Fan who waited all Night shared this signed glossy of Billy Ray looking prettier than his daughter Miley.

That's as close as we got to Billy Ray because of the big balding guy in the white shirt...Walmart body guards if you will!!!

So...today...I think I jumped head first into the preteen years with my 8 year old. My phone rang this morning and it was my sister calling to inform me that Billy Ray Cyrus was signing autographs at the local Santee Walmart (yes...gotta love the venue!!!). My daughter told her I was still asleep so she asked her to pass on this delicious piece on information to me...unbeknownst to my sister that he is the father of Disney's teen sensation Hannah Montana. I think my sister thought I would get a kick out of the fact he had fans.

Well...my daughter and her friend were ecstatic. There was no doubt in their minds that we were going to brave the crowds and the heat to meet Miley Cyrus's hunk of a father. Me...I'd already seen him sing in the pouring rain after a Padres game years ago when Achy Breaky Heart was huge. Even then we had absolute front row seats to see this mullett wearing country singer.

Off we went to the local WalMart because I was sure no one would be standing in line waiting to see this "Dancing with the Stars" loser. Boy was I wrong! In the 90+ degree heat the line was all the way around the WalMart and getting longer by the second. There were fans of all ages everywhere! I was told that from the spot we had in line it would be at least a four hour wait. Guess we should have got there at midnight like the rest of them!

I talked the two girls into seeing if we could catch a glimpse of him in the store and then buying the new Hannah Montana CD...

So that's the pics you have up top. Our glimpse of Billy Ray Cyrus signing autographs for all of those adoring fans who braved the WalMart parking lot in the super hot heat...TRUE fans if you ask me! We asked one of those fans if we could take a picture of their signed photos...after all Billy Ray had touched it!!! Sooo...here goes the next few years of my life chasing down the stars for Cassi...wonder who'll be next???

Oh...yes..I did buy his newest cd...there's always a chance it's good right?????

Enjoy!!!

Christmas in July

This is going to be a quick post for a couple of reasons:

1. Cassi would not get off the computer tonight because she had important Barbie business to take care of.

2. It's 12:20am

3. I had a busy day at the park photographing and I am tired tonight...

With that being said....

The above photo is my Christmas Card from last year. I figured since it has been 7 months today since Christmas it was time to share it with my friends. Last year was a really hard year for me around Christmas and I guess I wasn't up to my jolly old self because the Christmas card you see I created on December 24th (actually Christmas day if you get technical about it). It was 1:30 in the morning and I usually at least have a card for my family. So I quickly created this card...printed it on my home printer and made enough copies for my family. I never got around to sending it to my friends because I never made any more copies.

However, I brought one to work after the New Year and Renee has it posted on a wall by her desk with all kinds of staff pictures from throughout the years. It has been hanging there for 6 months at least.

This week, (coincidence????) three of my best friends have commented to me that they never received a Christmas Card from me. And now I feel bad. All three of them sent out their cards like they do every year with gorgeous family/children's pictures on it and I didn't send them one. And now I realize they see the one hung in the studio so they know that 1. I did take the time to make a Christmas card 2. I gave one to the studio and 3. I didn't send them one.

I feel bad. I know all of them are teasing but what if they secretly have a Christmas Card stash of all the Christmas cards I have sent them since Cassi was born? Now there stash is missing the year 2006. Shame on me!!!

So...my three friends (and you know who you are...) look for one in the mail soon and I promise never ever ever to skip the annual card again. Promise!!

On another note:

My oldest sister Debbie celebrated her 20th wedding anniversary today. WOW!!! If you know my family history you realize what a big WOW!!! that actually is. I want to congratulate them on those twenty years and let them know that I think they are wonderful people and great parents and wish them another 20 years of happiness. That's a long time nowadays to stick with my sister...bless you Art!!!!! My brother in law has officially lived with my sister longer than she did with us growing up. He's a saint!!! Seriously Debbie...Congratulations and I love ya both!!!!

Anyways...Merry Christmas to everyone else I missed!!! Only 5 months before the next one!!

Enjoy!

I love these two!!!

I wanted to share this photo booth strip that Cassi and MacKenzie did at the San Diego fair a couple of weeks ago. (Thanks Brittany for scanning it for me...these aren't copyright protected are they??? ) we went to the San Diego Fair with Diane and family and had a blast. I think we ended up buying $100.00 worth of tickets so they could ride the rides and then her and I shopped.

We bought homemade soups, homemade hairclips, watched a few salesmen try to rope us into all the things they talked us into last year (yes...we learned our lesson...the stuff NEVER works as good at home as it does at the fair!!!), and Diane saw a psychic for a tarot card reading that left her speechless. She couldn't tell me what the psychic saw in the cards because then somehow I would change the course of her fate and destiny. I know she definitely seemed to have been dead on with her reading for Diane. Maybe next time I'll try.

The last tarot card reader I saw said I would meet the man of my dreams within three months (this was last December so he must have come for me when I wasn't at home!!!!) but she did impress me with her reading!

Back to the fair...I posted this photo strip because I see these girls everyday together and although they fight...and bicker...and bitch...and moan and groan...and rant about each other...They truly seem to love each other. I have seen them throw punches at each other and the moment seemed like the end of the world...and yet...10 minutes alter it's like nothing happened.

I love these pictures because someday the memories are going to be reminisced about (LOOK Geri!!!) and what they are going to see is two cousins who grew up loving each other so much they fought and teased and pulled hair just like sisters do. I believe that Cassi loves her cousins as she would siblings and we are lucky to have a family that is part of our everyday life!

Now...off to bed for me...I seem to be staying up later and later these nights trying to get things done!

Enjoy!!

Melissa and Linfords album

HI!

I know I have been remiss in writing in my blog but for good reason. My computer decided that it needed to be replaced with a newer model. Of course...she was in the computer hospital for two weeks prior to making this decision. So...here I am today making my first post from my new computer. It has Vista Windows so I am spending a lot of time searching for things but I am sure with time it'll all make sense.

I wanted to share the completed album we had created for Melissa and Linford. I think it truly shows their happiness!
Here's the link for you...

www.redbootdesign.com/galeria/RBD-163-377-V1.pdf

Enjoy!

Hi!

I wanted to post tonight and was too lazy to go into Photoshop and find something to share...yes...I am lazy!!! I promise to post pics soon...PROMISE!!!!! So I thought I would share some random thoughts for with you...

1. I recently photographed a wedding (previous post Melissa and Linford engagement pics and wedding day) Geri and I received a thank you magnet from her that was so sweet, thoughtful and artistically done. I promise to post it this week. She has been sooo gracious and thankful that she gives me confirmation why I have the career I do. I love that she entrusted the most important, special day in her life with Geri and I. THAT IS SOOO HUGE!!! And she has been genuinely the sweetest thing ever! If you happen to be reading this Melissa...Thank you from the bottom of my heart for trusting me to capture your memories for you. I was truly honored!!!

2. Most of you know me well enough to know how much I personally love books. Poor Cassi is subjected to me wandering the book aisles on a weekly basis, going to the library book sales and me ignoring her until I am done getting to the good part. I came across this website www.paperbackswap.com and love it! You post your old books online for others to swap and when someone decides to swap one of yours...you ship it to them and then get credit for a book for yourself. They advertise that they have over a million books. I kept coming up with names of books I wanted and they had most of them.

Once you post 9 books (really easy...type in the ISBN number and everything shows up!) you get a credit for three books. I have already had someone take one of my books and I have used two of my credits for books that would have cost me 12.95 and 16.95. You just pay media mail shipping.

To those interested...I promise you I wouldn't have wasted my time writing about this if I didn't think you would love it!!! For every person you refer to the site who signs up...you also receive a book credit towards a book. I think you type in my name or email address. Cassandme@hotmail.com

And if you love this...I have a online savings account I signed up for that there is no fee for...has a great interest return, really easy to use and if you open one soon...They will give you 25.00 in your account for joining and I get 10.00 in mine as a referral fee. Just thought I'd throw that one in.

Totally dorky and I hate when people email me stuff like this but since you are reading my blog...maybe just maybe...you are a little interested in a referral for free books like I was!!!

3. We adopted two dwarf hamsters tonight from my sister. We originally gave them to my niece as a gift for her birthday two years ago. The three hamsters we have had have died and so it's kind of scary crazy that I have these ones. The joke is I spoil them to death! They get apples, cheese, spinach and almost anything else I feed my guinea pigs. I think mine have died from sheer Ecstasy living with us!

Anyways...their life expectancy is two years and one of them has a nasty cyst growing on it's belly. It doesn't seem to effect him at all but I need to find out if it's causing him any pain. Anyone out there a hamster expert??? I thought about putting an antibiotic ointment on it but if it eats any of it...I'll be burying it under the palm tree in my Mom's backyard along with Mommas, Angel and Josh!!! God bless their all-night-wheel-running souls!!!

MacKenzie named them all sorts of things throughout the years (I think Beavis and Butthead most often!) so we decided to give them proper names tonight. After one of them nipped Cassi tonight...he got named Jaws...the second one...Nemo. So welcome to our family Jaws and Nemo!!!

I totally promise pictures soon!!!! And I have a website of personal work I am working on and should have up soon! The domain name is Cassiandme.com if you want to bookmark it!!!

Enjoy!!!

I am so embarrassed that I haven't taken the time to update my blog! Time seems to get away from me and I don't know where it goes. I am in the middle of prom season, drama at work, All-star tournaments for my niece, preparing for our busy season at work, and endless other tasks and projects that keep me going until late at night.

I spent last week at my sister's house so she could go to Saint Lucia in the Caribbean with her husband. I went from a single Mom of one to a single Mom of 5. Thank God for my Mom helping me out! I thanked God for many things that week but amidst it all...the first few days home were empty. Kind of sad...I know but I just have to go visit and be amongst the chaos again!!!

Anyways...Since it is three minutes to midnight...I am making this short but I promise within one week to update this blog of mine so my three readers will be once again caught up with Cassiandme.

Enjoy your day!!!

Stagecoach Festival

I can not believe I have not blogged in this long! I guess I have been a busy girl! The days are not long enough anymore!

I didn't win the photo contest...came in third place but thanks to everyone who helped me out by voting!!!

I had the opportunity to go to the Stagecoach Festival in Indio California (right outside of Palm Springs) this weekend. It was a woodstock-like festival with an incredible line-up of country stars...young and old.

Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris, Kris Kristofferson, Alan Jackson, and George Strait were part of the lineup that I didn't get to see.

I got to see Kenney Chesney, Brooks and Dunn, Sugarland, Gary Allen, Jason Aldean, Pat Green and Carolyn Dawn Johnson. Each one of them played for about an hour and was a once in a lifetime event!

There was an eclectic group of people who attended and I think the people watching was the best!

There was:
- a girl who looked like a Nicole Richie wanna be with a fake orange tan that was applied really badly who wore knee high UGG boots in the 90 degree heat
-plenty of skin with a multitude of tattoos and messages written all over their body.
-hysterical tshirts such as, "Hi...you'll do" or "The trailer park called...they want their trash back" or "My Give a Damn's busted" and many many more...
-Grandpas and Grandmas with young grandchildren
-Hot cowboys
-Not so Hot cowboys
-My sister thinks that a woman who sat behind us was a star on HBO's show about a bordello in Las Vegas (I am not sure of the name of the show!)...Anyone know of All American Amy?????
-People for as far as you can see enjoying country music in the desert.

It was so cool!!! I have posted a few pics to show you how cool the venue was and how many people attended...the pictures don't even begin to show how many people were truly there.

I believe the estimate was 50,000 people and there were never any lines for the mixed drinks/ beer or the bathrooms (and yes...we visited both plenty of times throughout the day!!!) and the shows went off on time and everything was perfect!!!

This was the first festival of it's kind in SoCal and hopefully not the last!!!

Enjoy!!
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