then on to some ball…

my oldest son played on the all star baseball team and they WON IT ALL!!

so our trip is being cut in half to go to the sectionals for their devision!!

SO… all e-mails, text, and phone calls will be returned once we get home!

all orders will be delivered the week we get home…

LET’S PLAY BALL!!!!

oh and if you are some kind of creep and want to think about visiting my home while we are gone…

make sure you tell my man eating dog hello for us!

and… we have neighbors on the watch along with a very loud ALARM system!

….just so you know!

do you like what you see, do you want more “real life” i used to keep a blogger blog on our
family happenings, and i just didn’t have the time to keep it both blogs up. so do you want a little
of that on here or are you happy with all business! let me know!

oh, and if you feel like letting me know you read this, leave a comment! i feel like i am writing and posting to the air… i have NO IDEA who sees this!

so i am back and things are busy! while i was gone i realized i owe my clients an apology.

i did a lot of thinking and reflecting on where exactly i was going and i realized that i have made a HUGE

mistake! HUGE! i am a people pleaser and HATE to tell people NO…really that word is not in my

vocabulary and well, it has hurt me and now i am hurting others! i wanted to make everyone happy and

tell no one no. so i have severely over booked myself. and well now i feel like i am in a pit

of quick sand and i am sinking FAST! BUT once again, another lesson learned! from now on, with certain

exception, i am only booking 2-3 clients a week. and i am cutting back on my weekend appiontments.

so what does that mean to my current clients?

well, it means i am running behind on edits and galleries, so be patient with me, i am working my booty off and

getting them up one by one.

what will this mean for future clients?

BOOK in advance! we all know when christmas is coming, DON’T wait until novemeber. you know wether or not you are a senior

by the end of your junior year…don’t let it come as a surprise that senior pictures need to be taken BEFORE MARCH!

i am saying this in fun, i get a laugh out of you last minute people, but you end up rushing, and not getting things done in

time and you must remember you are not the only one who has waited until last minute and can only get

your stuff in the order you were booked.

so here is my heart felt “I AM SORRY” and to make it a little better… i am giving you a deal:

BOOK DURING JUNE AND JULY and get 15% off your total order!

*ALSO: new website is coming in less than 24 hours! and all price changes are effective MAY 10th!

UPDATE: new site is up! check it!

www.spankimillsphotography.com

not only am i swamped with editing and posting galleries, finishing cards and completing orders…

my parents are coming to my house to stay the 3 days we are going to be gone…so that means i have to spend at least 2 days

washing, cooking, cleaning, scrubbing… so know that i am working hard to get all your stuff done and up to date…

if you have any orders, place them now, don’t forget once i get back my schedule is full and if you are wanting prints for mothers day…

order them now and i will get them to you once i return!

bon voyage!

wow, how the saying “live and learn” rings so true! i have learned so much over the past year and not with out plenty of trials… but,

it is because i had an overwhelming year full of growing! and i can not thank you enough for all the love and support!

things are in full swing here and i am so excited about the things i have planned. a few things are changing, but it is all for

the better, better for me to slow down and give my ALL to each of my clients! that is my goal, to give each one of you 100%. i am a

perfectionist, i loath doing things that i know i could do better, i do not like “just getting by”

i do not want to be rushed, i want to give you the very best i have to offer. so that is my goal… i have had to “live and learn”

and it has been hard! but they key is i have LEARNED… and plan on continuing that process over time… i feel to be our best means to never

quit challenging yourself, never quit researching, doing something new, don’t stop LEARNING! so that is my promise to you… to give you my

ALL! if you have suggestions, things you like things you’d change, things from the outside looking in you see my struggling with…

please let me know! i have entered this blindfolded, most photographers have a “story”. one that sounds a little like…

“every since i was a kid i had a camera in my hand…” well, not me! i mean yes i always had a camera, but not for the love of photography,

but for the love of capturing the “story”. i never had ambitions of being a photographer, i spent thousands of dollars being trained to faux paint…

nothing with a camera, and surely NOTHING with running a business… so thank you for sticking with me , you are watching my story evolve…

i had so much fun with these kids! they are crazy!

they laughed the entire time we were together!!  it was a great day…

and look at how great kyley did with dressing them….ALL of them where total rock stars!

even little sammy man!

this is a cause that is very dear to my heart! we have all known someone who’s life has been turned up-side down by cancer.

just 4 short years ago, my husband and i lost BOTH of our fathers in a 6 month period to cancer! i watched as a sweet friend in her early 20s

battled it and fought the toughest fight i had ever seen and lost her life from it…

i watch daily about 2 precious children in our community  fight it now! it makes my stomach turn!

it is time we do something!

every year i walk in the relay for life, every year we have a candle in my father and father-in-laws name. every year my boys

and i go to the track at the high school and walk and play, and remember and HONOR those who are and

have been affected! PLESE HELP!

donate what you can… you never know who its going to get next! let’s work together to GET IT! to BEAT IT! TO STOP IT!!! if you are

interested in purchasing a raffle ticket for a chance to get a free…FREE… 30 minute session, AND

a 16×20 float wrap canvas….WOW!!!!  contact me or go to the locations listed.

if you don’t win the drawing, present your ticket to me anytime in 2010 and you will get a FREE 8×10!!!

moving back to a town we hadn’t lived in, in a few years, out of my comfort zone…

making the decision to build on our land or not…

what to build… a garage apartment, a barn with living, a house…

what we wanted our “budget to stay at that was comfortable for us”

starting a new business, me AND my husband….

and 4 kids to boot!

we rented a house that sold out from under us, had to find another rent house in a town that rentals are far and few between!

trying to keep a “normal” life for the kids… football, baseball, friends, homework…all while living out of boxes!

we are HERE! we did it… times when i wanted to turn back and RUN… we didn’t , through tears, and laughter…

our family did it! and i couldn’t be more proud of our family unit! we pulled together, and i am not just talking me and heath…

my kids have been soooo great living in an up-side down world! GOD is GOOD! he has put us on a path,

that is way out of our comfort zone, one that doesn’t always feel “right” but one i know HE has planned!!!

things happen daily that take my breath away, some that are AMAZING, others that test our faith… but i know i am in HIS WILL.

and can’t thank my savior more for putting me here!

cameras: BODY ONLY

canon 20D: – $350 SOLD

canon 50D:  $850 SOLD

lenses:

canon 18-55mm (original “kit” lens) – $75 SOLD

canon 17-85mm wide angle – $350 SOLD

canon 28-135mm fantastic lens (keeps up with my L-lenses!) – $350

canon 70-300mm tele-zoom lens – $450 – SOLD

canon 50mm f/1.4 – $300 SOLD

oh i forgot…. i have a backpack for sale too… $75

so what is actually left in my bag you asked?

well,

canon 5D markII

a canon 50D as my back up

canon 50mm f/1.4

canon 24-70 f/2.8L

canon 70-200 f/2.8L

and my flash, cards, etc… oh and my oh so cool shootsac!

i am really narrowing it down to what i use on a daily basis, and well, i do intend on purchasing a few more

once i make room by getting rid of the others!

please let me know if you have any questions about any of the items!

stay tuned, a REAL garage sell is coming soon too! if you are looking for a new purse, i’m your girl!