Busy, busy, busy

Who knew starting a personal business could be so time-consuming?! :) I am having a good time learning lots of new things related to photography, creating websites, becoming familiar with my new iMAC computer, and getting a business license. Can I say that I think I may actually be feeling like an adult?! It's so nice that I have a cute subject to photograph on my own time, but I am hoping to capture a few more cuties in pictures next week in order to build my portfolio. Wish me luck!

Ella Beth is growing and growing. She is now only 3 1/2 weeks shy from her first birthday. I can hardly stand it! I have her invitations, party plates/napkins/banner/goody bags, etc. Who knew throwing a birthday bash for a one year old would be so involved! We are having a big party - but most people are from Scott's family, so we're used to that!

There's something about The 4th

I don't really know what it is exactly, but I love The 4th of July.  I love fireworks.  I love having cookouts.  I love going into the mad crowd in Cumming on the 3rd.  I just love it all!  And it was so fun to share the day with Ella Beth.  She is too young to enjoy fireworks (i.e. the loud bang of fireworks), but she enjoyed everything else.  She looked so cute yesterday in her 4th of July "dress" - it's actually a 9-12 month shirt. :)  Can't wait to do it again next year!

A small sampling

Here are a few pictures that I've played around with for my first go 'round with my new camera. 

A new beginning

So, I've been thinking/praying/searching for a part time job for a while now.  I didn't want to settle for just anything; I wanted it to be worth my while if I am going to leave Ella Beth a couple of days a week.  Well, I've found it.

Amber Castleberry Photography will be in full-swing September 1, 2007 (I hope!).  I have purchased my camera, lens, website already.  I am in the process of creating my portfolio to get started with so that when my site is lauched, clients will have a scope of what to expect from their own personal sessions.  Thank goodness I have a lovely subject to capture on my own now!

Say a prayer of success for me if you think of it.  I am asking God to bless me and my new business more than I could even imagine!  Can't wait to share some of the pictures that I have captured already!  Come back soon for more!

Father's Day at the Beach!

Scott's first Father's Day was spent in Daytona...and it sure was nice!  Before we left, Ella Beth and I gave Scott two Chris Tomlin music chart books and a CD.  He is always trying to remember the words and chords for the songs we sing at church, so we decided to help him out. :) 

Well, the beach was a blast! We went down to Daytona with my mom and stayed for a week.  The driving part wasn't that wonderful (at times it was quite stinky) because Ella Beth wanted "up"...meaning OUT OF THAT CAR SEAT!  She has always been active, but now that she's starting to walk, being strapped in just doesn't suit her!  Other than that, the trip was a nice adventure.  We were a little worried the first day and a half because Ella Beth did not like the pool or the ocean.  What a long week it would have been if she hadn't changed her mind!  She had fun in her turtle float, and she had fun splashing in the big pool with daddy.  Every day we had the same routine:  Get up around 6:30 or 7:00 (even on vacation Ella Beth can't sleep in), eat breakfast, go to the pool, play at the beach, then walk the beach while Ella Beth fell asleep.  It was nice to have the ocean in the back ground as it served to be the best noise machine!  (In fact, Ella Beth now likes to hear the ocean on her noise machine at home!)  We would eat lunch, go back to the pool, come up for another nap, get ready, and then go out to eat.  Eating out is definitely our favorite part of vacation.  And, boy oh boy, does Ella Beth like fish!  She is such a good eater, but she definitely devoured any fish that we gave her to eat.  Here is a picture of her digging in at one of our favorite restaurants, Inlet Harbor. 

I have so many pictures to share, but I will send out a slide show since there are way too many to post here.  But, here is Ella Beth "driving" the milk truck at an ice cream parlor called Cow Lick's.  She thought she was big stuff sitting in the driver's seat all by herself.  Such a silly girl! 

Growing so big

It amazes me that Ella Beth is already at the point where she desires independence.  It makes me a little sad.  I had well-meaning friends and relatives who told me not to hold Ella Beth too much because she would get spoiled; I was told in all of the books that I read not to cuddle with Ella Beth while she slept so that she would learn to sleep on her own.  All of that advice I completely tossed once I held my daughter in my arms.  And boy am I glad that I did!  Ella Beth wants "down" now.  She no longer wants to be held all of the time, and cuddling is now reserved only for a sleepy baby.  I cherish every single second that I held Ella Beth because I now know that time was fleeting, and it's not coming back.  Oh, and she sleeps fine regardless of all the cuddle time. :)

I do, of course, enjoy this new stage.  Ella Beth decided that she would give crawling a chance last week after spending some time with her friend Reese.  What's funny is that Ella Beth crawls like Reese - on one knee and pushing off with one foot.  I guess babies really do watch and learn from other babies. :)  Ella Beth is pulling up on everything and becoming a little daring when it comes to taking steps on her own.  She had her first big fall, and she survived!  I am glad that the first one is over with - no concussion, no broken bones.  Ella Beth is also "talking" non-stop all day long.  She has a repertoire of quite a few words now: hey, mama, daddy, dog, kitty cat, turtle.  She doesn't say them perfectly, but if you know what she is trying to say it's easy to catch on.  She's getting so big!

We went to our first pool party today for Isabelle.  It was Ella Beth's first time in the big pool.  At first she wasn't too sure she liked it, but after Daddy walked her around she got used to it.  Mommy also got to get wet, and I understood why it took a little while for Ella Beth to adjust...burr cold!  

On Saturday night Scott and I went to a Braves game with our small group.  It was a blast, and I made it on the big screen!!!  Jennifer and I were up during the 7th inning stretch, and all of a sudden we were HUGE and famous for all of 5 seconds!  The Braves won, 9 to 5, but the best part of the game was my on-screen appearance. :)

Moo moo moo moo - It's not a cow!

My back is breaking!  All Ella Beth wants to do these days is walk, walk, walk holding on to my fingers as I bend way over and tour her around the house.  Since she has completely skipped the crawling stage for the moment, being "down" is her least favorite thing.  Scott's sister gave us a push-behind toy that Ella Beth loves to maneuver through the house, but again I am there hunched over behind her all the way.  I can't even manage to capture her in motion right now because the time it would take to get her picture, she will be off!  Ella Beth thinks she is so much bigger than she actually is.  She tries to walk off on her own all of the time.  She has had one good fall when my reactions just weren't quick enough (I anticipated her to go one way, but alas she went the other).  It hasn't hampered her attempts since then, however! 

The funniest thing Ella Beth does right now is go CRAZY over a picture of our old cat, Chevy.  When we were at the lake last weekend (where Chevy now abides), Ella Beth went berserk every time she saw him.  She had to pet him RIGHT THEN, or tears would come.  Well, now we have put a picture of Chevy as our screen saver on our computer.  Ella Beth will sit in the floor and go "moo moo moo moo" (which we think is "meow") over and over - literally for 5 minutes!  Here are pictures of her sitting in the hallway when she glimpsed Chevy's picture in the other room.  I couldn't get enough of her!  (Here is her progression of seeing Chevy, seeing him again, "moo moo moo moo," and then trying to reach out and grab him!)