and feeling like I got hit by a truck (a really BIG truck) dosen’t help with the blogging. The truck feeling is because I shot a wedding yesterday along with my friend Beth. I was up on furniture, carrying two cameras around my neck at all times, laying down on the floor. I’m popping Motrin like they’re Pez today. More on that in a few minutes…

The big boys had a big weekend. Their first sleepover ever! At Grandma & Grandpa’s apartment. They had a fantastic time. Patrick was a little nervous in going, but after assuring him I could make the long, arduous 15 block trip to come and get him if needed, he was a little better. (As a complimentary story… right now Patrick dosen’t want to go away for college. He dosen’t want to leave home. Awww. Gotta love that. I’m not so sure that sentiment will last though, but I sure am enjoying it now!) They packed up their suitcase and went to Grandma & Grandpa’s, played on the two computers (so no one had to wait for a turn- heaven for them!), got Chinese take out, tortured the cats, watched TV, read Harry Potter with Grandma, stayed up until midnight, and had an all over great time. They want to know when they can do it again. And being that I never, ever had only one child at a time at home, it was really nice here too. John and I took Timmy out to dinner with Uncle Nelson and then hit Carvel for dessert (don’t worry, the big boys didn’t get jipped on the ice cream- they got Carvel too!). It was so strange walking past their empty bedroom Saturday night and Sunday morning. Very quiet. Very odd. And I think Timmy enjoyed being the only child for a while.  

Potty training is proceeding well! We now have had two entirely dry days and two days where he actually told me (that is a HUGE deal) that he had to go potty where he pooped. IN THE POTTY! TWO TIMES!!Woohoo!! So we’ve been running back and forth to toy stores and ordering online (yeah, $155’s worth) so we have plenty of Planet Heroes for bribes. Whatever it takes. I think soon we will switch over to a sticker reward system, so after going 3 times (and increasing if he keeps doing well) he can get a Planet Hero with his stickers.

The boys got their report cards and we are SO SUPER proud of them. They were amazing! The comments were all so, so positive- about how they contribute so much to their classes, how they are well liked, how they are making "excellent academic progress". Just so proud of these boys. They are working hard, but honestly, not all that hard. They are really very smart and have a ridiculous memory. And Patrick is apparently very good at math. So not my kid (right, Maureen??!!). So that’s how the whole college thing got started. I told them that if they kept up this kind of work that they could pretty much pick their college (please god, with scholorships!). Jack said he wants to go to Boston College now. I had better start booking LOTS of photoshoots!

I had a shoot on Saturday for the rote family. I know you are waiting A, and they should all be up on the blog later tonight or tommorrow. Just finishing them up.

So yesterday was the wedding. The BIG wedding. And wow! I don’t know how "real" photographers do that every weekend (sometimes more than once a wknd). I don’t think I’ll be doing it again anytime soon. Maybe limit myself to one big wedding a year. Small, intimate weddings I can handle, but this was a whole ‘nother level. The stress level (all totally self induced) was just ridiculous. I had a doctor write me a "security blanket" prescription for anti-vomiting medicine (I was just so scared I would get a stomach virus and be in the bathroom instead of shooting the wedding!), I had nightmares the night before that I forgot how to use my camera and that I was just standing there watching the wedding and forgetting to take pictures. Nothing like waking up in a full body sweat with panic.

At any rate, beyond all that I think it went REALLY well. The bride and groom couldn’t have been any nicer (same goes for the rest of the wedding party, the parents, and the guests) and they were so super complimentary– and they haven’t even seen the pictures yet! I just hope they are happy with the results. They were great, easy, and good looking subjects – my favorite kind. Unfortunately, we didn’t get a lot of outside shots cause the weather was uncooperative and it was cold. But we did go out for a few after the ceremony which made me happy. You know how I love my natural light. I worked my butt off (so did Beth) and I had a great time doing it! It was really a lot of fun and I’m really pleased with the initial results. 4 cameras, 5 flashcards, and approximately 1700 pictures later I have everything downloaded off the cards and into the computer. Backed up the computer too. So now I have to return all the cameras to their rightful owners (thanks Sharon for the loan! and for the job!–the bride is Sharon’s good friend). Now the editing begins and I am really hoping to get the pictures up by next weekend. Hoping, but it might be longer. 1700 pictures is a lot to go thru. Thinking about doing a mosaic preview to post on the blog. Maybe later this week- we’ll see.  

And I have about 400 of my own pictures to get organized an in albums. That’s tonight’s project during scrapbook class. Oh, and I actually scrapbooked a few pages the other day. Still a year behind though.     

A big, huge, ginormous THANK YOU to all my clients this year! I really, really didn’t expect to have a business, but here it is regardless. I took pictures for  79 families/events this year. Without one little bit of advertising either. Totally crazy! So thank you to everyone who booked a shoot with me or recommended me to a friend or family member. I am so happy and surprised that bsquared photography really took off the way it did. Thank you for reading my rambling blog and looking at pictures of my kids and everyone elses, too! Thank you for being my "blog stalkers". Thank you for letting me into your homes and lives to capture a little piece of your happiness. I hope I did all your pictures justice. And thank you because I just booked a trip to DisneyWorld in February 2008 for our family. And I’m paying for the whole trip myself!!

I am busy booking shoots for next year already. So if you have a date in mind and you want me to be there with my camera, please contact me as soon as possible. I want my "original" clients to get first shot at the dates they need. I already have 5 First Communions booked, a wedding, and a few shoots. So email me at bbeyrer1@optonline.net when you have your dates in order.

I now know that I MUST have all of my Christmas shopping done and wrapped by the beginning of October 2008! Live and learn, right?! I am hoping next year will be even busier than this year was and I can’t get caught in the Christmas Crush next year. I am learning that lesson the hard way this year. I still have wrapping and even some buying to finish up. Oy!

I am working on some new ideas for bsquared photography for 2008…a contest or two where you can win a reduced price shoot or maybe even a free shoot (but that means you people out there who read/stalk the blog but don’t ever post, will have to post to win!!!), maybe a "grow up plan" where I would take pictures every few months of your growing babies (the "babies" can be big too) with a special package rate, and I might even offer some of the picture windows that I would customize with your photos, along with some coordinating papers and embellishments. If you have any ideas that you’d like to see, please email me or leave me a comment (yeah, right…like that’s going to happen!) Really, I want to hear what you have to say!

We will be leaving for Florida shortly for a very, very needed vacation (where I hope we don’t die in a firey plane crash- you know how I just LOVE to fly) and will be back early next year. I am leaving you with my three Christmas Cards I sent out this year. I hope you all have a wonderful, happy, family, picture filled Christmas and New Years. Lots of love….beth