Life since the PCS

My husband and I have been in California for 7 months, going into our 8th month now. In just this short period of time, SO many things have changed and I've been blessed in so many ways.

As many of you know, I run my own photography studio, Christina Rush Photography. A couple years ago, I had a big project in my mind. The project being working with women and showing their natural beauty. I joined other photography projects catering to women, but nothing fulfilled my idea. Every project seemed to cater to a specific look for women. To fit a project's idea of beauty, they had to be curvy, have a mom body, be fit.. etc. Everything EVERYONE, was labeled by a specific body type. In 2014, after hashing my ideas with a beautiful momma, Jessi, I decided to start putting together a plan and execute it for launch in 2015. I shut down my boudoir site, Just a Little CRush and headed in a wonderfully new direction. In January of 2015, a nationwide project called Raw Beauty Sessions was launched. Thank you Jessi for pushing me to do what I wanted, and what I needed.

Raw Beauty Sessions is on a mission to show all women, they are beautiful, just as they are. No matter a woman's body type, no matter if a woman has what society calls, "Flaws".. all women are beautiful. I'm proud to say that as of May, 1, 2015 we have photographers in 7 states and we are growing! Yeah!

Another awesome growth for me since our PCS to California? My photography newsletter is now sent to more than 40 people. While I don't send newsletters regularly, this is something I'm very proud of. This means people are looking at what I'm doing, and people do enjoy my work. I can't wait to announce a HUGE adventure I'll be taking after our baby boy arrives in a few months.. oh yeah, I still haven't blogged about that either, have I? Man, I'm behind! :D

So, the MOST EXCITING thing to happen in my life since the move and.. well, pretty much ever... We are pregnant! My last posts about doctor visits and seeing where we were heading with our journey to have a baby were actually follow up baby appointments. While there are some scary things going on with this pregnancy and a  lot of risks for premature labor, our little boy is healthy and currently thriving at 24 weeks. I feel his movements, his kicks. He there, he's alive and he's ours. We finally got our little miracle I've been praying and begging for for almost 7 years. Almost 7 years, and 6 miscarriages.. He's our lucky number 7.

We'll have more images, better quality, next weekend :)

Life is is so amazing right now.

Emotions, Projects and Homecoming- Oh My!

We are more than halfway through deployment. How exciting right? I'm extremely excited.

Yesterday, I had the honor of photographing the USS Arleigh Burke homecoming for a client. Homecomings are SO exciting- especially when you know that in a few short months you will be where she is, waiting on him to walk to you (or you run to him) and the camera turned on you. Photographing homecomings is one of the most rewarding parts to my job. So much emotion and excitement.. sometimes, even tears (on my part too!).

I am now nearing the point where I might feel a little stress. We are on the home stretch and I'm determined to finish my to-do list. As I have mentioned in a previous blog, I'm notorious for making my list of goals and things to achieve far longer than I have time to complete them in. AND, sometimes things happen to change your schedule or add more must-do's to the to-do list (like having to cut out a tree and then buy a new shed, etc!).

I feel like my list is a mile long and I'm getting nowhere with it.

I just keep telling myself, "The day he comes home, he's not going to notice anything you have done to or around the house. He's just going to be glad to be home!". Although, he might notice the love seat is gone.. Oops!

Now, I'm at the point of prioritizing my list, and the "big" projects I was going to do, will now become projects WE are going to do together. I haven't told him that just yet- so, here's hoping!

In a few months, none of this will matter. I will be waiting on the pier to welcome him home and for my heart to be completed. It's at that very moment when the world stops and all that matters is that very moment. It's that moment when you know that the month's apart were worth it. Shaking, scared, excited, nervous and maybe a little nauseous- full of so many feelings, all leading to that one moment when you see him walking to you. It's all worth it.

But for now, my ass is kicking in overdrive!

I have to finish the back yard (have the shed and fence installed, patio, hammock, grass, etc), re-do our bedroom, finish my office, Find curtains for a couple rooms and put them up, organize, organize and more organizing- the list is about a mile long. I have LOTS of painting projects to start. I need to get busy!

Today= Project day!

Now I will leave you some Arleigh Burke homecoming sneaks :)

This was their first deployment, and the first time they had seen the ship in 6 months.
They were extremely excited and fighting tears. 

 

The moment that the world stops and nothing matters anymore.
He's home, he's safe  and you feel complete again. 

Congrats to A Mili SPOUSE Blogger!!

Brittany from My Life as a Sailor's Princess is OFFICIALLY a Military Spouse. She can now wear the "Proud Navy Wife" shirt that I designed for her ;)

Be sure to stop by her blog and congratulate her. :)
I'm super happy for you Brittany and Ryan!

Sometimes You Just have to Flick the World Off and Shut the Door

Thank you to everyone who sent supportive comments to my last blog post. They meant a lot to me and were very much needed. There was more to the situation then what was posted, but only a select few people really know the whole thing. I prefer to keep it that way.

Since my last blog post, I have been keeping myself very busy, and kept myself away from blogger and away from Facebook. So, now.. I'm trying to catch up. I've missed alot! But, I'm happy I took time for myself. We all need time to ourselves every now and then.

I'm so happy I have some very supportive friends and followers on my blog. There are people who are always there for you, and in a situation when you truly need a friend, you find out who your closest friends really are.

I got tons of support, and honestly didn't really expect anything. I just needed a place to let my feelings come out.. and my blog is always that place. I received so many comments on here and also on FB (my blog feeds to my facbook profile), all of them uplifting (well, with the exception of one very rude comment), and supportive. Again, thank you. Although I do not know many of you who read this, I feel like I have someone who listens.

When all this happened, I bottled it all up. I guess I felt it was easier to deal with if it didn't get talked about. Well, as most of us know.. bottling things up isn't the best thing to do. I had my moment.

I received a text from a friend that makes me smile, and at the same time is oh so very true (minus the fact that she can be a bitch.. I've never seen it lol). It said :

"Sometimes I feel like you don't let yourself have a bad day, where you stay in your pjs and just do whatever you want. You try to be positive all the time. When sometimes you just have to flick the world off for a day and shut the door. You're so sweet to everyone all the time. Take a lesson from someone who can be a real bitch at times"

 I realize I am always a positive person. I don't think that's a bad quality to have.. however, Who said you can't have a bad day, or that you won't face hard situations? It's ok to have a bad day.. to let people see you upset. EVERYONE has a bad day from time to time.

In the time that I was away, I did 3 shoots. I did a Maternity shoot, Family shoot and just today I did a 1st birthday shoot. Once I get my photography Blog going, I will do posts about each shoot. I'll post a link here when I get it all pretty for those who want to see more (hopefully someone!)  Meanwhile, here's a little preview:

To the ladies who one my most recent contest, Please email me. I have only Heard from Brittany, and would like to get you your prizes! CRushGFX@yahoo.com.

Hopefully I will get some good posts going on this well. I now have 175 followers... Wowza! If you have anything you would like me to blog about or a question, Post a comment. I'll get on it! :)