HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL!
I want to start by saying that this year has been such an amazing whirlwind. I have SO MUCH to be thankful for... Many of you know that I am not a natural born American, although I have been a citizen for a few years now... I was born and raised in Brazil. Thanksgiving does not exist there of course and I never really knew what a pilgrim was until much later than most :-) BUT none the less, it is my FAVORITE holiday ever! It trumps birthdays, Easter and even Christmas. I LOVE the idea of family, food and existing together... something that these days is so hard to come across. Its non-commercial, there is no stress of gifts... it's just a day to exist, eat and love each other. SO.... I am now in Florida now... flew down this morning and I am staying at my little sisters house. She has an adorable house in Sarasota, FL and her and her husband are having us for a few days. My children are having an awesome time between their aunt and uncle and my parents who also live down here now. They are currently in SPOILED zone. :-)
So what am I most thankful for? Well, I have so much I am thankful for ... I could not possibly list everything, so I think this year, I will share what I am MOST thankful for other than my children and their health. This year, I am more than anything, most thankful for my husband. Now... considering my husband is not much of an internet person unless he is searching for something... he will probably not read this blog posting unless someone says to him, "Hey! Did you read what Maria wrote about you?" I am not writing this for him to read, rather I am writing this just to share. Like all couples that have been married for more than 5 minutes, my husband Sean and I have had our moments. It has been 13 wonderful years but it has not always been a bed of roses. The stress of daily life and children can at times be overwelming and I know that you are now, at this very moment nodding your head in agreement.....right? BUT, here is why I am most thankful for my husband this year. My husband has, this year more than ever, become my best friend, my psycologist, my rock. He is always so quick to help me at the drop of a hat, he makes me THE BEST iced non-fat lattes in the morning (he has is down to a science) and he is always concerned about me. He often shows up at the studio with lunch for me (even though I never ask) but most of all, he is so kind and loving towards me. Every morning when I am leaving the house, he tells me how beautiful I look (I trained him REALLY well!!!) and coming home he always eager to hear about my day. I LOVE to share with him about my babies, my families and seniors etc... I often go on and on about what I did and images I created. Some people may think that this is just my "job" BUT it's not. My camera is like an organ to me. I need it for survival. It is who I am, not just what I do. I love to create... and there are certain images that move me so much. We talk about them... we share ... and it's awesome. So this year, I am most thankful for my husband. He provides me with a huge source of strength and confidence. I could not do what I do without him... he is an honorable man, a great husband and an amazing father.
This past week as many of you know... I spent 3 days photographing babies for our baby contest... I was SO MUCH FUN and exausting too!!! They were all so cute! ALL the proceeds from the votes will be going to St Judes Childrens Hospital for children with Cancer. Now, I don't know about you guys BUT Canvcer has taken SO MANY loved ones from me, both young and old. I have lost many friends to this awful disease and it angers me. So... I came with the idea to do this contest to help St Judes. I love how St Judes helps ALL children, including those that cannot pay for their care. NO CHILD, NO FAMILY should have to go through this .... let alone have to worry about money! So PLEASE.... vote on your favorite baby and donate money to a GREAT cause! It's only a dollar a vote.... so vote as many times as you can afford. We are NOT keeping any of this money at all.... and we are super excited to see the results of the contest. So far, it's doing AMAZING. Both baby winners (one boy and one girl) will get $500 gift certificates and a $100 savings bond too! Here are the current numbers....
Wednesday night at 8:55pm.....
GIRLS:
1) Elisabeth
2) Lia (Elisabeth and Lia are SUPER CLOSE!!!)
3) Amelianna
BOYS:
1) Aaden
2) Dominic
3) Dante D
(ALL three very close as well!)
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