Almost HuUuuuuUmP Day!

Day 10 postop…
WHAT!?!  I've almost made it over the hump!  My days of strictly drinking my meals are almost behind me!  I'm not gonna lie, though, I haven't even really cared.  There is always a rumbly in my tumbly (Pooh-ism), and I'm never sure if it's hunger, thirst, or just plain old gas.  I can tell, however, when it's time for a protein shake because I feel like a battery-operated toy running out of juice.  Of course, the hour it takes me to drink a protein drink is a little annoying, BUT I have been able to get almost all of my protein in over the past two days, plus all my recommended water and my vitamins and minerals!  Yay!!!  I'll take a victory, no matter the size!

It has been so inspirational to hear from some of you who read and appreciate my ramblings!  Just yesterday, a sweet friend stopped by my office and offered me such encouragement!  Her first words were, "You're already getting thinner!"  This journey, like so many of its kind, is so much nicer with friends to encourage and lift you up!  Thanks, Brianna Sam!  And then there was the phone call from our precious pastor's wife, and the daily words of encouragement from Todd and my kids, friends, and family…you just cannot put a value on having a great support system. I am blessed way beyond what I deserve in that area!

On a different note, we (being Todd, me, and our kiddos) all went to have our photos taken for our church directory.  It was pretty fun, and the guy did a great job.  He was very friendly, professional, and the photos were ok.  It's just so funny how portraiture has evolved so much over the past few decades.  There was a time when folks didn't feel they had a good family photo unless it had the name of a studio scrawled across the bottom right-hand corner.  You know, standard backdrops, unnatural poses, weird lighting.

When I first began taking photos for the public, my goal was to capture the actual personality of the subject.  Of course, it took me a bit to get away from the "studio" setting and out into the world around us, but those photos allow the subjects to truly relax and be more natural.  "Lifestyle photography" is the term used.  I haven't done this in such a long time because I felt I didn't have ample time for it, but I really had a knack for it, and I miss it.  I'm thinking I will ease back into it.  Maybe not so much commercially, but a dream of mine has always been to capture the inner beauty of people in my life.  I love natural lighting and heavily contrasted black and white photos.

Both of my kids have inherited their momma's love for the camera.  Eric loves to shoot outdoors shots in RAW, and his photos have a grunge, rugged feel.  Of course, he has the helicopter hog hunting business, Pork Choppers, and takes great shots for his clients as memorabilia.  Emily, like me, is more of a lifestyle photographer, capturing her subjects at special events such as weddings, births, etc.  Both of them are extremely talented, self-taught, and make their momma very proud.

Anyway, the name of my blog is "Missylaneous Me" for a reason.  I am very sporadic and have MANY interests!  I just felt I should write a little about that.  I am still relatively new to this blogging world, but plan to continuously tweak the blog to include tabs for my missylaneous interests.  Thanks for reading and giving me a place to share! Be prepared for my next post because Todd is going to drive a race car at Texas Motor Speedway tomorrow!  I'm sure there will be a LOT to write about!

Blessings!