the hocus focus photo blog

SPEED?

My husband is a HUGE -  and I mean SERIOUSLY HUGE racing fan.  And I married him anyway.  (TOTALLY KIDDING!)  So Wednesday night he went to some race while I stayed home to edit.  YEE!  HAW!  This morning he emails me this picture of him and Clint Bowyer and below is the email conversation that transpired.

CHRIS:  Look, honey.  I'm even holding his beer so he could sign my shirt and take a picture with me.  Very cool guy.  It was fun.  Love you, baby.  Have a great day. 

ME:  Sweet!  The only thing that would have made this picture better would be if it were Jamie McMurray instead of Clint Bowyer.  WOO!  HOO!  Just kidding, baby!  You know I love you.  [And no offense if Clint Bowyer happens to read my blog. *wink*wink*]

CHRIS:   Very funny!  Jamie McMurray??  Oh, yeah.  He is cute (not to me), I forgot.  You are too funny.  Honey, there is one cardinal rule in racing, especially dirt track racing.  Pretty boys don't go fast!!!

ME:  Uhm, hello!  Do you really think I watch racing with you for the SPEED?  Here's a clue for you...uh, NO!

CHRIS:  Wow!  We have a lot of work to do with your racing etiquette.  Speed, compression ratios, tire pressures, etc.  "America is all about SPEED, hot, nasty, BASS ASS SPEED!" - Eleanor Roosevelt. 

ME:   Dude!   You've seen  Talladega Nights one too many times.  And no, if we have more kids we're not naming them Walker and Texas Ranger.  This conversation is soooo going on my blog.

CHRIS:  Good.  Post it, baby.  You dirty pirate blogger.

Now, THAT is why I married him!

Have a wonderful day, everyone!
H

 

 

Soup, Salad and an...AUTOPSY?

Most of my readers know that my husband Chris is a firefighter and a paramedic.  He recently got a promotion for which he earned the title of CSI.  And you have to know how hard it is for me to say "CSI" and not get lost in a daydream about Erik Delko from CSI:Miami but I've got a blog to write, people.  No time for daydreams here.   

So anyway, back to my other man, Chris. 

He's now a Coroner Scene Investigator.  He's not a police officer.  He works with the coroner's office from a medical standpoint to determine the cause of any death that occurs in Lawrence that doesn't happen in a hospital or other medical facility.  And my crazy,  twisted husband is just loving it.  He's been bringing home the most disgusting (yet utterly fascinating) books about death.  You know, things you don't want to see but can't stop looking at?  Yep, I'm one of those people.  Last week he spent the day at the morgue in Topeka to sit in on a few autopsies and this week he's attending what they call "Death School" at St. Louis University.   He called me during lunch yesterday to say they were eating and watching an autopsy video.  At the same time, people.   

OH!

MY!

GAWD!

I've got a strong stomach, but he's told me all about the autopsy process and it's definitely not something I want to watch while I'm enjoying my soup and salad.  All I can say is that he's one helluva man.  Thank God for people like him who do what they do because I'm certainly not the man (or woman) for that job.  I'll just stick to photography.  Of people who are alive, thank you very much.

I miss you, honey!  See you next week!

Love,
H

Haven't You Heard?

Four is the new three.  Birthdays are a pretty big deal in our family.  We start celebrating weeks in advance.  And the party doesn't stop ON the birthday.  Oh, no.  It goes on and on and on.  And in Lucee's case on and on and on and on and on and on some more...until we finally tell her, "enough already".  And then she looks at me with those chocolate-y brown eyes and her devilishly sweet grin and says, "Mom, am I still the buthday guhl?"  I dare you to tell her no.  Double dog dare you. 

So, in honor of The Lu's fourth birthday we headed out to snap a some pics, because like I said, four IS the new three and it must be documented.  (I mean, really.  Have you people been living under a rock?)



And here she is with her partner in crime.

And speaking of partner in crime...

All in all, they were pretty good to me today, but believe me I paid for it.  It cost me two blue raspberry sorbet cones from Baskin-Robbins.  And five hundred wet wipes.

Until next time,
H

I Never Thought I'd Say This, But...

I'm a Soccer Mom.  Now don't get your panties in a wad and start thinking you'll see my driving a minivan.

Not.  Gonna.  Happen.  But I am loving this new role.  The Ruler had her first game yesterday and she TOTALLY ROCKED! 

I think Chris and I were just as (if not more) excited about it than Rilee was.  This is her first team sport.  She had a great time, ran like crazy and even braved the freezing cold and windy weather we had that day.  Her coach said she played well and fit right in with the rest of the team.  Check out our little superstar in action.

Warming up at practice. 


Getting a few tips (uh, secrets) from her best buddy. 

WOO!  HOO!  Score for the Tigers!





Rilee sat with me while I downloaded the picutres.  We were talking about how to play soccer and when I told her she was supposed to run ahead of the other team and get the ball her response was, "Mom, that would be cutting.  That's not polite."  I love that innocence about her.  Then I told her, "Screw polite, honey.  This is soccer.  Get out there and kick some ass." 

Not really.  But, I had you going didn't I?  I actually told her she did an awesome job and that I was super proud of her. 

A quick hug after a teammate scored a goal.   

And my absolute favorite of the day.  Snuggling up with Daddy on the sidelines.  I think she's the sweetest soccer player ever!

Look Who Fell Asleep On the Sofa

As a mom, these are the moments I don't ever want to forget and I couldn't resist sharing this one. 

Lucee + Eggo = BFF  (Yes, we really let her name her kitty Eggo.)

Happy Sunday,
H

What A Long Month...

Even though February was only 29 days long I think it was officially the longest month of my life!  This Bell's Palsy kicked my ass.  But then I put on my big girl panties and kicked it right back.

I've been seeing Dr. Deb Bigogno of Inner Wisdom Healing Center and thanks to her I'm almost fully recovered.  I still have a few more weeks of treatment, but you would not believe the difference she's made in my condition...even after the very first visit.  She's amazing!  Dr. Deb, as most people call her, is a chiropractor who specializes in Network Spinal Analysis (NSA). 

I had the pleasure of photographing Dr. Deb for the first issue of Her Life Magazine, which is how I came to know her.  I had originally called her about acupuncture after hearing that it was helpful in the treatment of Bell's Palsy.  Dr. Deb told me that she didn't do acupuncture, but that she'd like to see me anyway as she thought NSA would help. 

We started with a scan of my spine that looked at nerve inflammation and irritation as well as muscle imbalances.  Then she began treatments based on the findings of my scan (which basically told her that in addition to my BP, my spine was WHACKED OUT!).  There was no yanking, jerking or popping - just a series of low force touches to the specific areas of the spine that dissipate tension from the spine and nerves.  After the very first treatment I showed major improvements with all of my symptoms.  My eye was closing more, my mouth began moving more, my neck and facial pain was gone and my vision has improved.  With each treatment I continue to improve and am so excited to say that I'm ready to get back to work.  Dr. Deb has made such a big difference with my Bell's Palsy, but also alleviated a lot of my pre-existing neck and back pain.  I've been sleeping better, which is so rare for me.  The first few times I saw her I came home and was ready for bed by 7:00.  And anyone who's ever read this blog knows that alone, is nothing short of miraculous.  Before seeing Dr. Deb I was more likely to go to bed at 7AM than at 7PM!

As you can imagine I have oodles and oodles of emails and phone calls to return.  Thank you to everyone who has checked in on me, sent well wishes, cards and flowers and even brought me cupcakes (Monica).  I cannot tell you what your support means to me.  I'll be working hard over the next few days to get emails and calls returned and will soon be opening up the calendar and booking.  YEAH!  You have no idea how excited I am to begin shooting again! 

Before I returned to shooting I had to have a test shoot so I grabbed my partner in crime and we headed out for what would be a super quick itty bitty mini-mini-mini session.  I think it lasted all of 20 minutes but, WOW, was she good to me or was she good to me!!!



While I love these in black and white they just don't do our location (or her outfit) justice.  Check them out in color!  These may end up on canvas in her room.  (If we can find the wall space...)


And one last shot of MY snuggle bug with HER snuggle bug. 

Told ya she was good to me!  It felt great to get out and shoot.  Even though it was quick I just needed my fix!  Now being on the computer is a whole 'nother story.  I really have to limit my time on the computer or my neck starts to bother me, but my between Dr. Deb and my awesome husband who never says no when I ask for a massage, we're working that out.   

Until next time...

Much love,
H

In My Best Carrie Bradshaw Voice

Hello, Luvah! 

I hope everyone is having a terrific Valentine's Day with their sweethearts!  My celebration started yesterday when some of the moms at Rilee's preschool brought an entire dinner and dessert for me.  It was such a thoughtful thing to do and the food was absolutely devine.  The girls and I enjoyed it while Chris was at work and even saved him a few leftovers.

Then today I celebrated with all three of my Valentines -The Baldy, The Blondie and The Babe.  And the day couldn't have been any sweeter.  Mr. Clean came home from work this morning with dozens of the most beautiful pink roses for me, flowers and balloons for the girls and then we gave them some little gifts from us.  Roo got a pink and white soccer ball, The Lu got a black and pink basketball and of course, we added to the Morrow movie collection.  This holiday it was Disney movies - The Game Plan starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, which we all loved (and thankfully so because if Chris or I had to watch High School Musical 2 one more time we'd be fighting over which one of us got to use the meat pounder on our own head first.  You know it's bad when I call the firehouse and I can hear him singing HSM songs in the background AND THEY'RE NOT EVEN WATCHING THE MOVIE.  He just can't get them out of his head!)  And we also snatched up the Original Cinderella before they put that puppy back in the vault. 

Add carry out from Pei Wei and some chocolate mint ice cream followed by some serious family snuggling and you've got the perfect Valentine's Day for us.  Some years Chris and I really look forward to going out by ourselves for Valentine's Day, but this year we wouldn't have done it any other way.  It's not where we go, what we eat, how dressed up we get....it's WHO we're with.  And this year we're with the ones that make us a family.  Our little sweethearts!  And we love 'em!

I've been spoiled all day with love and gifts, but I wanted to show off what I bought Mr. Clean.  THE MOST AWESOME GIFT.  I grabbed the Keurig B70 Coffee Maker and he LOVES it!  I had it all setup and ready to go when he walked in the door this morning and the goof ball was so busy scurrying around he didn't even notice it until I pointed it out.  I will admit it was a bit of a selfish gift because I'll get quite a bit of use out of it, too, but that's all good.  He does love it.  And this things ROCKS - It spits out a 12 ounce cup of gourmet coffee in less than 60 seconds!  Did somebody say Hello, Luvah?

Oh, and when I thought the day couldn't get any better Beth stopped by and surprised me with homemade chocolate chip cookies and some chocolate candy.  Talk about being a superhero!  Bell's Palsy has stripped my sense of taste except for the far, back, left corner of my mouth and there are only a few things that actually taste good...lucky for me chocolate is one of them.   And she brought LOTS!  (Thanks, Bethy!)

Hope you and your Valentines have a terrific day filled with love and laughter.   Mine was (but some of that could be because of the Vicodin/Flexeril/Ambien cocktail I just had and if none of this makes any sense, that's definitely to blame!)  Hee!  Hee!

Much love and a Happy Valentine's Day to you and yours,
H

An Extra Happy Birthday

She invites friends and family to Thanksgiving dinner via email. 
She's been known to pull an all-nighter playing Nintendo Golf.
She can strike up a conversation with anyone, anywhere, anytime.
She's got no enemies.
She's always got an extra hug just waiting for you.  And they're the best hugs I've ever had.
She's not afraid to sit your butt on the garage step to give you an attitude adjustment.  (Whether your 3 or 33.  I've been there - and it works.)
She ALWAYS tells it like it is.  ALWAYS.
She always tells me I sound great when I play the piano. (Okay so sometimes she doesn't exactly tell it like it is, but I won't hold that one against her.)
She's competitive.
She's one of the most kick-ass Slugbug players I know.  (And we've played a lot of Slugbug in my days.)
She loves when I aggravate her. 
She's a killer garage sale shopper.
She's got a quick wit and an amazing sense of humor. 
She loves to play jokes on people.
She has an infectious laugh. 
She's tough as nails.  Maybe even tougher. 
She's the world's best listener.
She's the hardest worker.
She somehow always seems to understand and be able to fix all my problems. 
She's magical.
She's beautiful. 
She's beloved.
She's my grandma.
She's my best friend. 
She's simply THE BEST.
She makes me want to be a better wife.
She makes me want to be a better mom. 
She makes me excited to someday be a grandma.
And I know that I couldn't have made it this far in life without her.

Happy EIghty-Sixth Birthday, Ma! 
I love you with all my heart!

Here she is with the girls last summer. 

And they adore her just as much as I do!

She's Got My Back

After a rough couple of days, a seriously sleepless night and a super early morning I know I can count on The Lu to have my back.  She knows wassup.  Just listen.

Sicko

Grey Goose, take me away!  FAR.  FAR.  AWAY. 

Just a quick post to let everyone know I will be out of the office for the next several days with limited access to voice mail and email.  (WARNING: Large amounts of whining ahead.  Thanks in advance for humoring me.)

After getting The Lu over a nasty, little - no make that big, no HUGE is actually better - five day bug that involved more trips to the restroom than I care to count and numerous changes of pants per day than I can even remember, all while the spousal unit worked four out of five of those days. 

[Uh, Heather - a breath would be good now.  There you go, girl.  INHALE......EXHALE......AHHHHHHH!  Your lungs are thanking you, dear.]

Where was I?  Oh, yeah.  Now The Ruler has come down with the most rotten cold I've ever seen.  It started with a simple runny nose on Friday night and ended with a FIVE HOUR trip to Urgent Care last night.  The poor thing not only has a nasty, nasty cold, but a severe double ear infection AND an infection in her eye that all came on so quickly.  Poor kid looks like she's been run over by a Mac truck that backed up and ran over her again.  And again.  And again.  And the spousal unit is on duty again today so I've got one kid stuck to my lap (even as I type this) and another who is bored out of her mind.  Needless to say I'm barely finding time to shower, let alone answer the phone and reply to emails. 

I'll be getting back to everyone as soon as she's feeling better.  Thanks for your patience (and for letting me whine about it all.)  And since she's sitting here asking to see pictures from our last trip to the fire station I'll share with you guys, too.  These were taken last week when some of our preschool friends joined us for lunch in Lawrence and a visit with Chris and his crew.  They had so much fun.  I can't wait to see her smiling like this again! 


And guess who just called from work to say he's sick now, too? 

Grey Goose, here I come! 

Until next time, let's all pray I survive these next few days!
H