I have been so busy lately it feels I have no time to just sit and think about nothing. There have been so many projects and most of them I am severely procrastinating on.

As many of you know we had our Moore Photo Booth launch party last week (another thing to check off the list of things to do) and it was a lot of fun. I felt like I was in a whirl wind, but people were having a good time so I was having a good time. We have it booked so far for one wedding next year, and we are in the works of another. Next year is already looking more promising than this one was.

Jesse is still out of work (we don't really refer to 5 hours a week as a job) and we are just turning in applications and hoping for the best. This month is the hardest of them all money wise. Our bank account is empty and we have two car payments and rent due. Yikes! Weddings please!!?!! I don't really want to just complain about these things at you, but nothing else is really going on except praying we can make it another day.

Some other things I had on my plate included an Etsy purchase of two ring bearer pillows, two boutonnieres, a guest book and a pomander for the flower girl. I finally got it all done and will be shipping it out today or tomorrow. The wedding is in three weeks in Georgia, it was fun to get this job and really test my crafting skills..which includes lots of hot glue gun. I packaged everything up already without taking pictures of everything. But I have some photos to share.

The color scheme and samples...

The ring bearer pillow...

I also put on (with a lot of help from Michelle, Steph and Lacey) a baby shower for my dear friend Melanie. She is due next month with a little girl...so exciting! The shower was fun and intimate. I made the invites and decorations and I also made her a stuffed owl. I am going to make more owls as soon as things calm down. I still have an album to design and some other photos to work on.

Here are some photos from Mel's shower...

This is the owl I made her...

Moore Photo Booth Launch Party!!

SAVE THE DATE: September 17th Moore Photo Booth Launch Party, featuring music by Sierra Chavez with John English, and Black Water Union!! Where you might ask...Sally Loo's in SLO 6:30pm. ALL PHOTO BOOTH PHOTOS...FREE!!!!

If you have any questions please send me an email. We would love to have you there.

shannonmoorephotography@gmail.com

Cute Photo Update!-Jude with blueberries in his teeth

I got a phone call from my dad last week, he sold his house in Texas and was getting on his way to Fiji soon. But he is making a detour to California first...for a month. If you guys know anything about my dad and the relationship I have with him, you know that this makes me nervous. I have seen my dad once in the past 6 years and 4 of those years we didn't talk. So...as it stands we have a really awkward relationship. He got mad at me when I told him I was pregnant and has yet to meet Jude. He even came to California around Christmas and found it more important to hang out with his ex-wife (from before my mom) than me and his only Grandson. Pretty sad!, but nothing that isn't expectant of my dad. So we will see if he actually calls me, and if he does, if I see him more than once. It's his loss really, Jude is one awesome kid he really should get to know. Afterall, I don't see my brother settling down, getting married and having some kids anytime soon. My dad and brother have a better relationship, they have more in common....marijuana. And since I brought up my brother I must let you know, he isn't in jail. He has a court date in about a month, and he thinks it's going to be a long one and he wont ever really end up going to jail or prison. We will see, my brother doesn't have the best judgement.

Well, to end this blog post...Jesse's birthday is on the 25th, wish him a Happy 27th Birthday!!!!

I just got off the phone with my mom. My brother will most likely be in jail again in 8 days. My mom didn't know too much of what he is being charged with and how severe it all really is because the police are listening in to his phone calls. I just don't know what to think. I do know he needs to learn his lesson, but how many times does he have to go to jail for all his stupid decisions? Drugs are not worth this. Last time I saw him he was sickly thin, and when I said something to him about it he just shrugged me off. This sucks, I really don't need this on top of all the other things I am dealing with.

It has been a really long time since I have updated you all. And boy has there been some things going on.

Jesse got laid off from his job two weeks ago. We are trying really hard to trust that God is in the midst of something good for us, and we are hoping it's more photography work. I can't say that not knowing how we are going to pay our bills is easy, but it is easier knowing that we have a loving and graceful God on our side.

Jesse has been doing some odd end jobs and we booked a wedding, so that is really helping. We also have some other things in progress that we are very hopeful will bring in some money. But through all of this I really feel I am grasping to God more than I have in a long time, and I am so grateful for being in this position to realize how lacking I was of Him in my life. I pray daily for strength to stay positive and to have patience.

Some news on my brother...he is currently not making wise decisions and my fear that he will be going back to jail again soon is almost certain. I don't know if it's a good thing or not, but he has to learn from his actions. He thinks it's all worth it for "the cause". I think he needs a huge kick in the rear. If you know anything about my brother, you know he makes the worst decisions and I have no idea where they come from. Sometimes I wish I can get in his head and see how his brain works, and bring my tools to tighten all those loose screws. I love him to pieces though and I am glad that I got to see him yesterday.

In some happy news. Jude is doing great! Molars are coming in left and right, and he is saying some words. He now says "Hi", "Hot", "Mama", "Dada" and sometimes it sounds like he says "oh shoot", and "Dog". If he can get a phone in his little hands he will walk around the house with it to his ear saying "Hi" over and over again, and then come and put the phone to my ear. Jesse also taught him to dunk his pacifier in my coffee, so when I am trying to enjoy my morning coffee I have Jude all over me dropping his pacifier in my cup. Jude truly reminds Jesse of the joys of life and how great we really do have it.

Anyway, I am getting my haircut tomorrow...so excited!

Last night I couldn't sleep. I have been sleeping pretty awful for a few months now, well I guess pretty much since Jude was born...but waking up every two hours for feedings for the first couple months doesn't really count.

I don't know what it was about last night but I just felt weird about going to sleep. I finally laid down and tried and couldn't stop just thinking about all the things going on. I feel we have been in a never ending state of turmoil. I almost feel like things are never going to be settled for us, we will always be kept on pins and needles. It's not necessarily a bad thing, I just need to come to peace with it. Our path is never sure.

So I started thinking about my brother. Him and I have had a rough relationship in the past years. He has been through A LOT. I worry about him and feel the same never ending turmoil, but his seems different. His life isn't filled with love. I honestly sometimes feel that every time I see him could be the last. Right now his future doesn't look like what he deserves. At 2am I sent him a text: I love you. He immediately wrote me back: I love you too! I just felt like this is something he doesn't hear often. He wrote me again asking if I was ok and what was I doing up so late. I just told him I couldn't sleep and was thinking about him. He said he thinks about us all the time and really misses us. I just started crying.

I forget the power the Lord has over our lives, and that he will use us to change the lives of others. My brother needs a change and the only way he can get it is through God. Being the only believer in my whole family...this leaves it to me. I am scared, I have doubts.