Merging...

After a lot of thought, I've decided to merge my personal blog with my photography blog. I will no longer be updating this one... From now on, you can read all about our lives HERE.

I'm embarrased to say I feel like I'm saying goodbye to an old friend or closing a big chapter of my life. It's now painfully obvious that I'm a BIG, blogging geek.

Sleeping Dog

I'm sitting here on my couch, doing some editing. My 70-pound lab is laying across my lap, sleeping. He just started dreaming, because he's shaking and twitching rapidly. It always makes me laugh, especially after coming across this video last week.

If you haven't seen it, it's TOO funny!!

12 1/2 weeks pregnant

I can't even count how many people have asked me to take a picture of my growing belly and put it on my blog. I'm all about documenting, but I have to admit, I've kind of been fighting this "gaining weight" thing. I may be living in denial, but I really think people are noticing "the wrong thing."

It's funny. My entire life, I've had "the pooch." The one that sits right below the belly belly button and protrudes a bit. But, it seems that it wasn't until I announced my pregnancy that the entire world seemed to notice. Unfortunately, right now, I can't tell where the "I eat too many burgers and cheese fries on a regular basis" pooch ends and where my sweet baby bump begins. My family says they can tell a difference, the scale can obviously tell a difference, my pants seem to notice a difference, but I'm still skeptical.

So- I guess I'll leave you to draw your own conclusions.

These are my first pregnancy pictures, taken at 12 1/2 weeks.

Sydney: An Inside Look

Needless to say, I am much more of a photographer than a videographer- something I hope to get better at. I always post pictures of Sydney that I hope capture her personality, but with a personality as large as hers, that's something that's hard to do. 

Sydney was in town for Father's Day Weekend. We had the BEST time- so much that I didn't have time to pick up the camera. It was nice to put work down and just enjoy time with the three of us. 

Fortunately for us, Sydney got a hold of our point and shoot camera on her ride back to Missouri with her dad. She found the video feature and was pretty much unstoppable. I just now took a while to look through all FIFTEEN videos, and could NOT stop laughing at her silliness. 

I posted a few of my favorites below. Also, just as a disclaimer... we took Sydney swimming before Zach and Syd left for Missouri, so try to overlook her wild hairstyle she was sporting. I'm about 100 percent positive she's going to hate me one day for putting these videos out to the public. 

This one cracks me up. I like to call this one "Theology By Sydney":

Sydney also LOVES to sing along to the radio... as well as she possibly can. Unfortunately, I don't know that she's ever taken time to learn ALL the words to this Britney song. I also like this one, because you get a good 30 second look at my husband's "dancing in the car" skills. 

And lastly, here is Zach and Syd saying goodbye to their video audience. It felt like a nice conclusion. 

Weekend in Guntersville

Zach's 10 year high school reunion was this weekend in Guntersville, AL. We're still trying to recuperate from the busy weekend, but it was SO great. We got to spend a lot of time with friends and family. We had a small bit of alone time (with our dogs) tucked away in a cozy cabin on a ranch. It was the perfect weekend, but we're definitely happy to be home. 

Baby Wiggs!

My first trimester has officially passed and it looks like Baby Wiggs is doing good- healthy and growing! We couldn't have been more thrilled! I have to admit, I was much more emotional than I expected when I saw his/her little body, fully formed. This whole process is still a little surreal to me.

Random updates from our 12-week appointment...
1. Baby Wiggs had the hiccups which was HILARIOUS. I wish I had the capabilities to show you what a baby this small with the hiccups looks like in the womb. I could NOT stop laughing. He/She reminded me of a really funny wii character.
2. I'm RH Negative
3. I'm NOT immune to rubella and I can't be vaccinated until after the baby comes, so if you hear any word of the measles or anything related to rubella- send me a big warning so I can go into hiding. :) (By the way, my mom SWEARS I was vaccinated as a child, but I guess in some small cases, the vaccinations can wear off)
4. So far, Baby Wiggs has long legs (which isn't surprising to either of us).

Other baby randomness... we've decided on names for a boy or a girl. If it's a boy, it will be Zachary Allen Wiggs, Junior and we will most likely call him Zachary. If it's a girl, she'll be Marlee Elizabeth Wiggs.

Vacation Help

Zach and I are planning a 4 day getaway in November, before the baby comes. Fall is our FAVORITE time of year, so we're looking for something kind of cool, with mountains and maybe even the ocean. We're wanting something nice, just the two of us... but have no suggestions.

I suggested Missoula, MT- a small mountain town where I spent a summer in college. We are also looking at Cape Cod. Seriously, we need help. Anyone have any ideas???

Behind on Blogging

I am SO behind on blogging. I have SO many things I want to update- Father's Day, Sydney's Visit, Etc...

Unfortunately, my busy summer schedule is keeping me from doing that. For example, tonight I blogged SEVEN shoots on my photography blog. The crazy part- I still have about 10 more family shoots and a wedding before I'm caught up.  CRAZINESS- but I really am enjoying it! 

I promise to update more soon.... even if I am talking about Father's Day in August. :)

I'm a PROUD big sister

Every day, I'm thankful for the relationship I have with my little sister. She is one of the most amazing women I've ever met. Although, I'm sure I'm a little biased, she really is one of the most tender hearted, compassionate people I know.

Personally, she knows everything about me. I can tell her anything and know that I will never be judged. She's THAT great.

Several months ago, she started working for Crossroads Hospice in Memphis. When she took that job, she lit up in a new kind of way. It is her calling to serve people... and when she is serving, she radiates. I've been SO happy for her and for the people she's called to serve. I can tell that even though her job is to help others, those special people are teaching her new things every day. It's SO great to watch her blossom. I've been SO proud of her, but apparently I'm not the only one who's been noticing the change she's making.

THIS was an article in today's Commercial Appeal, featuring Crossroads Hospice and my sister (Tori Smitherman). You can read it here.

I love you sis, and am SO proud of you!

Should I or Shouldn't I????

I've been deciding whether or not to post about this for awhile now, but obviously I've decided I will. ...

On Wednesday, Zach and I attended my first ever prenatal doctor's appointment. I am apparently a little more than seven weeks pregnant and have a beautiful, healthy baby growing inside me with a strong, healthy heartbeat. 

I debated whether or not to post about this since it's still so early, but after hearing the heart beat, I have already started to feel connected to the little guy... and I figured if something were to happen, I would need the support. 

I have our baby's "first photo" that I will post later, but for now, "I'm pregnant!" I feel absolutely perfect so far, except for having to lower my caffeine intake each day. My official due date is February 6. We're really excited and will post much more along the way. 

Random Things

It's been FOREVER since I've updated, for a LOT of reasons... mainly busyness. So, here's a very brief and organized update.

1. I'm privileged enough to get to have a three hour road trip this weekend with the most beautiful little girl in the entire world. Syd's coming into town and for the first time ever, the two of us will get some one-on-one girl time in the car when I go pick her up. No doubt, a cherished time.

2. I shot my first three weddings in the past two weeks, one of which was my grandmother's. The third was the night of Memphis's big storm. We lost power all night at the ceremony and reception, and it never returned.

3. I received a letter from the TN Dept. of Safety this week warning me about my number of "points" on my driving record. Apparently, I can't get too many more.

4. I'm now working part-time for my salary job, and working full time as a photographer. My last day at my salary job will be October 30.

5. My sister-in-law will find out tomorrow whether or not she's having a boy or girl. One of my best friends, Katie, found out today the sex of her baby- but she's being stubborn and won't tell me until tomorrow. It's KILLING ME!

6. I've fallen in love lately with taking naps. 2-3 hour naps. I try to take them at least 2-3 times a week.

7. Sydney and I are throwing Zach a birthday party this weekend at my parent's house. It's a swimming party/cookout... SO excited.

8. I've developed a crush on zuchinni... grilled zuchinni, brushed with olive oil, salt and pepper, to be exact. SO GOOD this summer!

9. I hate Memphis's humidity in the summer, but I'm LOVING the thunderstorms and cool breeze that follows.

Overall, there's not too much to report right now. A LOT of big changes in our life, trying to figure out what the future looks like professionally, personally, and spiritually. I'm really focusing on simplifying and worshipping. I've really been convicted lately about my "busy body personality."

I'm sure I'll have pictures to post from this weekend.

Fayette County's Farmers Market

Last week, I received the following announcement in an email.

Ribbon Cutting/Grand Opening
Fayette County Farmers Market

Wednesday, May 13, 2009
1:00 PM

Located in the Parking Lot at Dan Buckley Gym
Hwy 76, Somerville

Please join us as we celebrate the Grand Opening of the NEW Fayette County Farmers Market. Made possible by a USDA Grant, this will provide a permanent place for local producers to sell fresh fruits and vegetables in Fayette County, benefitting farmers, consumers and our community.

Hours of operation for the Farmers Market will be Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturday from 7:00 AM - 1:00 PM. For applications and policy/guidelines, farmers may go to the Extension office located at 302 Midland St. or call 465-5233.

I love all things fresh and locally grown, so I was instantly excited. I even twittered about it. I called my friend, Jennifer, who also lives in Oakland and made plans to get up early Saturday morning to drive into Somerville for the Fayette County's Farmers Market. She was as equally excited as I was. Before we left, Zach warned me not to get my hopes too high. He said "I know you're expecting lush flowers and tons of fresh food... but I would hate for you to wake up early and drive all that way, only to be disappointed."

I told him I would give whatever they were selling a chance... even if it was just one man selling fruits from his truck. Turns out- I lied. I did not give it a chance. I was too busy laughing hysterically at what we found when we arrived at the market. When I say I was laughing, I mean, I had to pull over the car because there were tears streaming down my face and I couldn't see straight. Of course, Jennifer had her camera and took these pictures for proof.

"The Fayette County's Farmer's Market...."

I'm hoping the market is still new and will continue to grow over the next few months. However, I think it is safe to say, I'll be waiting a while before going back and probably won't be waking up so early to get there.

My Family

I have this dream that one day my husband is going to love photography as much as me, and he's going to become addicted and start studying it as much as I do. In my dream, we ultimately both quit our jobs and run our own business.

There are a couple of problems with my dream, however.

1. While Zach appreciates a good photograph, he gets very bored with things like ISO, Shutter Speed, and Aperture. He also is overwhelmed at the editing process and the all the things photoshop can do.

2. I'm pretty sure if aforementioned dream DID happen, we would probably drive each other nuts. We do pretty well to have our own time with our individuals passions. It makes us better for each other.

All that to say- he is one of the most creative people I know and is always up for learning new and random things.

Last night was the first night in weeks that I didn't have work or some sort of plans. It also happened to be one of the most gorgeous nights of the year, with beautiful light. So Zach and I decided to grab our cameras and our dogs and go for a walk. My goal was to get a picture or two of each of us with our dogs (something that is not easily done). Bear never did cooperate with me, so as always- I ended up with a few sweet pictures of me and my baby... When I got home and looked at the pictures- I was OVERWHELMED by my husband's skills. Maybe there is hope for my dream after all?

Zach is always able to get the dogs to cooperate. I don't know how he does it.

Zach snagged this picture during our walk. I was so impressed with it (the light, the exposure), I've actually updated my website with it.

Thanks for such a great night, sweetie!

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to you all!! Here's a few pictures from today with my mom on Mother's Day and her birthday! I love you, Mom!

Mom, with her new birthday/Mother's Day present.

Weekend With Sydney

There are really no words to describe the awesomeness of this past weekend. My husband summed it up best when he described it as "the best weekend of his life."

We laughed, we played,... we enjoyed every second of it.

A few things we did included cookie-making, swimming, wii-playing, a slumber party, movies, reading, ice cream, and cooking out. This weekend will be, by far, one of the most memorable of my life.


Yes, Syd LOVED her new room. I think she really feels like she has a place here in Memphis.


I decided not to pull out my big camera this weekend so I could enjoy every minute, but here are a few photos we took with the point and shoot this weekend. We also have a couple of videos, but I'm still in the process of trying to figure out how to load those, so hopefully I'll post those later.




I took Caleb's pictures this weekend at Faith and Jason's home. While we were there- Faith grabbed this picture of the three of us. Thanks, Faith!

Tagged

Well, Renee tagged me, so here goes...

8 Things I look forward to:

1. Sydney's visit to Memphis this weekend
2. The day I can quit my 7:00-5:00 job and be a full-time photographer.
3. Having someone calling me "mommy" every day (and no, Zach... you won't suffice).
4. My first cup of coffee- every morning
5. Sinking into bed every night curled up against my husband
6. Seeing me by brother, sis-in-law, and nephews this weekend
7. My grandma's wedding
8. lunch :)

8 Things I did yesterday:

1. marketing stuff at my M-F job
2. a photo shoot at Collierville Town Square
3. Small group at Kyle and Elyssa's- and got WAY too emotional while saying our goodbyes to J.R.
4. gave the dogs a bath after Bryant got sick (again) in his crate.
5. went to the doctor for a routine check up
6. Edited pictures from Grace's photo shoot
7. helped Pat find a way to break into our house (over the phone) after we forgot to leave a key for her. Thank goodness for removable screen windows!
8. Had Church's fried chicken for lunch! Mmmm...


8 things I wish I could do:

1. Quit my day job
2. Get pregnant
3. travel anywhere I wanted, whenever I wanted
4. Be around Sydney on a daily basis
5. keep a cleaner, more organized home
6. have more free time
7. live in the same city with ALL my nieces and nephews
8. cook every night.


8 shows I watch:

**This part is going to be EXTREMELY embarrassing... but I can't help it. I have a need for mindless, pointless television after long, exhausting days.
1. American Idol
2. One Tree Hill
3. 90210 (the new one)
4. New Adventures of Old Christine
5. Grey's Anatomy
6. Private Practice
7. Desperate Housewives
8. Brothers and Sisters


Now I tag 8 bloggers:

1. Mom
2. Mandy Upchurch
3. Jennifer Lajeunesse
4. Jennifer Shackelford
5. Tami and Dan
6. Katie Cordell
7. Melissa
8. Anne Camille

I've Caved

http://twitter.com/LizWiggs

Before/ After

Ok, so Zach was right and I was wrong....

Sydney's room turned out GREAT!!!

Here's the before:
Here's the "in between":
And here's the After:

For some reason, the green in these pictures is turning out to be a yellow-ish color, but in reality, it is much more of a "green apple" color and it looks FANTASTIC with everything. The paint color was "plantain" from Color Match, a Wal-Mart paint brand.

The curtains, shag rug (which I just realized isn't showing up in the pictures), wall decals, side table and desk are all from Target. The bedspread and sheets came from Wal-Mart. The headboard is the same one from the previous room- we just painted it white.

The pictures above the wall are mounted on foam board. I drilled holes in them and tied ribbon through them and hung them on wall pegs that I also bought from Target. The pictures are alternated between 18x12 and 8x12s. I really can't take credit for this idea AT ALL. I pretty much stole the idea 100 percent from Life in Motion Photography.

Record-Breaking Snowfall & Jess's Bachelorette Party: Better Late Than Never

It's been exactly one month and 13 days since Jessica's bachelorette party, but I've put off blogging about it, because it is a post that DEFINITELY needs pictures, and I didn't have my camera with me. BUT, Martha Jo just released her pictures today, so I'm stealing them.

Jessica lives in Knoxville, but REALLY wanted to have her bachelorette party in Memphis, where she grew up. Months in advance, I kicked it into gear and tried to get the details ready for February 28th. Our plans were to meet at Crystal's house for a lingerie shower and games, then head downtown to Rio Loco, a great Mexican restaurant in Downtown Memphis for dinner and margaritas, and then we were going to do a little dancing downtown. Almost a dozen girls were expected in from out of town for Jess's party.

About 5 days prior to the party, the forecast said snow was a possibility for that night. If you're from Memphis, you know that whenever snow is a possibility, it almost NEVER happens. Not to mention, even if it did happen, there was nothing we could do about it. Jess was getting her party! Our plan was to meet at Crystal's at 6:00. At about 5:00, the snow started coming down pretty hard. The snow moved through Memphis that night, dumping about 4 inches on the ground. BUT, in a weird, freakish way, the snow system made a big circle, and came through Memphis AGAIN... dumping another 4-8 inches on the ground.

We perservered and made sure Jess had an amazing night, but there were NO shortage of stories from that night (girls sliding all over the street in their heels, cars spinning out, the people we ran into downtown, etc.). Downtown Memphis felt like a weird snow day in college. There were very few people around, everyone looked rough after getting caught in the snow, but no one seemed to care. Note to self, if the forecast even remotely calls for snow or ice, do NOT wear peep toe heels.

That night, at about 1:30 in morning, I decided to make the trek from Downtown Memphis back to my house in Oakland. I had photo shoots scheduled for that next day and all my contact information and camera equipment were at the house. I finally got home at 4:30 AM, 3 hours later, after driving 10 miles an hour the entire way, spinning out at least a dozen times, and at one point getting stuck on the road and having to flag down a nice man in Oakland to help pull my car out of the ditch. On the way home, I saw at LEAST 30 cars abandoned in the snow and ice.

Of course, I didn't have much time to sit back and enjoy the snow or take any pictures, but according to the news, Oakland received about 11 inches of snow, the most in 40 years!

Overall, I don't think anyone will forget Jessica's bachelorette party. I'm SO glad Martha Jo finally released these pictures.

What in the Shrek is Going On??

We've been planning for Sydney's first visit for a LONG time. Most of you who know us, know that Sydney's regular visits to Memphis will begin in a couple of weeks. From this point on, she'll be spending weekends with us every few weeks, and will be with us on or around certain holidays and will have a week of vacation with us every year. This is something we've been praying for forever now.

Ever since all these developments came about, I jumped into action, trying to turn our guest bedroom into Sydney's PERFECT room. My top priority right now is making sure Sydney feels at home in our house and has a place she can call her own.

BUT- I'm REALLY starting to second guess my paint choices about now.

This was the guest bedroom about two weeks ago.


We asked Syd to pick our her bedspread and told her we'd surprise her with the rest. This is the bedspread she selected. When I started shopping for her room and all the accessories, EVERYTHING was pink, so I did NOT want to paint a pink room. But, I also didn't want to paint it white, so I decided to paint the room a NEW shade a green. I matched it to the green in the bedspread, thinking it would look fantastic.



This was the picture I took last night, with only one coat of paint on the walls. It looks like Nickelodeon slime green or, in my words, like Shrek exploded onto the walls. Zach keeps telling me it will look great once we're finished painting and everything is in the room and in place.

So... stay tuned.

I SWEAR this will be my last Snuggie post... BUT, my friend Angie sent this to me this week and I couldn't help posting it.

April Fools

IF ONLY IT WERE TRUE

Thanks, Dan for sharing. Whenever I get over this state of nausea and depression I'm experiencing, I may share my thoughts on this whole thing.

My Punks

This is Punk A:


And Punk B:


Most people who know us will tell you how much we love our dogs. Zach is much more of the disciplinarian, laying down the law. The dogs are fully aware that their Dad means business. I'm much more of the nurturer. I'm always looking for an excuse to sneak the dogs into bed with me or just spoon with them. There's something about their big heavy weight that just melts my heart. It's actually pretty shameful how much I love them. But sometimes (just sometimes) I think to myself "what were we thinking?"

Exhibit A: Our patio furniture. This was the second chair that took a hit from our beasts. The first one has already found a home with the city waste department. You can still actually sit in this one, so we've been holding onto it until we get the money to replace it.


Exhibit B: Our screen window. Our dogs can definitely be defined as "needy." They are loved on and cared for and they LOVE being around us. BUT, this is what happens if you leave them in the backyard while you're cooking dinner. This was Bear's attempt a few months ago to make his way back into the house. Spoiled much?


Exhibit C: The holes in the backyard. And when I say holes, I mean HOLES. There are about 5 or 6 of these babies throughout our backyard. One hole is SO deep that I am convinced someone is going to fall in it and sue us soon. These holes are on our to do list for this week to get fixed. OH, and that drain you see used to have a cover on it that has gone MIA somewhere in our backyard (or our beasts' stomachs).


Exhibit D: Last, but certainly not least: Our shower door. This was our most recent incident (and the motivation for this blog post). Apparently Bear was very excited as his dad was getting out of the shower yesterday... so excited, in fact, that he took the door off its hinges!

It is very important for me to stress again that I LOVE my dogs so much and I really do think they're worth it. Does anyone have any ideas on how to calm these beasts down?? Shock collars? Obedience school? We'll try anything!

Happy Anniversary!

Two Years and Counting...

It has been an amazing ride, Wiggs. Every day, I am in awe of how far we've come and where we're headed. I thank God every day for allowing me this journey with you. I couldn't be more proud of you for everything you are.

I love you! See you tonight. ;)

Weekend With Sydney: Part 2 (Lots of Pictures and Even a Face-Making Contest)

Saturday morning, we woke up to get Sydney to her early morning soccer game, where she scored the ONLY two goals for her team. She made the winning goal within seconds before the game ended. She was SO proud of herself, as were we!

We went back to the hotel, where we swam in the indoor pool and goofed off- A LOT. It was kind of cold, so we stayed inside most of the day, making up games. For example, one game was to see who could make the silliest face. We all thought we made the silliest, so we decided we'd post them on my blog and have a contest. Who's face is the silliest?

Here's a lot more pictures from our weekend together. I've also got some up on my photography blog.





Zach and I are getting new pictures for our house, and we wanted some updated pictures of the three of us. This was our HORRIBLE attempt at using the self timer. FAB FOUR GIRLS, do I have any takers for a trip to Memphis OR Cape Girardeau the next time we're with Syd for a day????