around here.

around here,
happiness looks an awful lot like this.

now,
get off the stupid computer,
and go do something awesome.

See you Monday.

xx!

Me

Starter DSLR: DEAL!

I get multiple emails every day asking

about a starter level DSLR.

Today I got an email from my gear provider
of choice, B&H,
and they've got some smokin' deals on jut such Canon cameras!

Canon Rebel xs

Canon Rebel t1i

Canon Rebel t2i

Check all the deals out here.

These cameras are not only great starter cameras
for the aspiring photographer,
they're also FANTASTIC all around family cameras!

I would recommend any of the above.
Just measure out your budget and select the camera
that is the best fit financially!

Happy Thursday!

(THURSDAY?! SERIOUSLY!??)

xx.

N

PS. Be cautious buying gear online
unless it's from a reputable site like B&H.
There are MANY scams out there in the
online camera sales industry.
MANY.SCAMS.

past my bedtime.

it happens to be a full 2 hours and 24 minutes
past my bedtime.

I'm already grumbling about having to
get out of bed so early.

but I'm learning that this weight isn't going to fall off
my bootay without a concerted fight.

so, up.I'll.get.

today I looked at images that made me sad.
relived a fight I wish I'd never had to fight.

a war I continue to wage day after day after day.

then I look at my living children
and I wonder.

"what am I giving you now
in a better way than I was before our goodbye?"

because it's either bitter or better
through these types of things.

or so I hear.

I choose better. . .
at least most days I do.

I try my darndest.
and that's all any of us CAN do in the end.

Give it VERY our best go.

we can do it.

I think.
I KNOW.

Off to read my favorite book
then say goodnight to Wednesday.

even though it was actually gone a full 27 minutes ago.

xx,

Me

good times.

holy.hannah.

I spent the day in line at the Health Department
and then off to get passport pictures taken of all my crazies.
(um world, PLEASE never get pictures taken at Sears)

as if that weren't magical enough for a Tuesday. . .
I lost the car keys.

at the mall.

far.far.FAR away from home.

already exhausted from the hell
that is every government office on Earth
and from navigating the worst portrait studio EVER
with 3 rambunctious children.
(thank Heaven for the Jonas Brothers sing along DVD,
who ever woulda thunk it?)

3 hours later,
literally 5 minutes before they booted us onto the street
at closing time,
besties M + L were on their way down
to our rescue with the spare. . .
when magically the security guard called to say
"tada!"

miraculously the keys had been turned in.

home.

tired to my core.

and so thankful that we have wonderful
friends like M + L who
(after searching high and low for our spare
AND driving 45 minutes-WITH baby in tow- to come save our sorry little booty butts)
just laughed the whole thing off and said simply:

"good times."

good times.

good friends.

GOOD NIGHT!

xx,

Me

Canlas + Me + Workshop + UT = WIN!

$800 early bird registration
very limited seating still available

email for more details

natalienorton{at}gmail{dot} com
jonathan{dot}canlas{at}gmail{dot}com

Jon and I would be HONORED to have you there!

xx!

Me

something else.

sorry if that last post seemed obnoxious.

it's bothering me to have had it front and center
all.weekend.long.

I promise I'm not psychotic.

It was just a sad day.

But I'm VERY happy now. :)

I'm far too tired to blog anything important tonight,
the purpose of this post is simply so that something else
will show up instead of my sob sob sobbing. :)

I'll be back soon with more.

In the mean time,
lets talk about how my husband is HOME
and I survived my hardest.week.yet post tragedy.

all by my lonesome!

I'm feeling fancy.
I'm not going to lie.

fancy.
fancy.
fancy.

Normally I'd buy myself ice cream to celebrate
(as in an entire pint of new york super fudge chunk. yum.)
but since I've still got that last 10 to go
(which seems to have congregated right around my booty and midline. bleh.)
I'm settling for pretty fingers and toes.

Love,

Me

PS- I'm kinda holding off on posting recent
shoots until the launch of the new blog. . .
HOPEFULLY THIS WEEK!

just fyi. :)

today I ran.

today I was mad.

mad.

it was ugly and uncomfortable.

so,
I ran.

I ran.
and I ran.
and.I.ran.

pounded.my.feet into the pavement.

why was my face was so wet?

the sweat.
the tears.
the pouring rain.

I pushed the stroller haphazardly into the driveway and ran right on.

sprinting now.

I knew exactly where I was headed.

and when I got there,
the gate was closed.

it was locked.

WHY do they lock it?
WHY do they try keep me from him?
from them?

I stopped.

I kicked the gate.

I KICKED THE GATE.

In broad daylight.
there were people around.
I kicked the gate.

twice.

heaving sobs.

then I wiped my sweaty, teary, rainy face,
turned, and trotted on home.

I fed my children tv dinners and sent them off to bed.

now,
I am happy.

and sleepy.

and my tummy is FILLED to the brim with cherry tomatoes.
(which I will likely regret in the morning)

sometimes,
you just have to RUN.

goodnight.

xx.

Me

this is Sarah, and you can help.

photos by jon.

This is Sarah.

I do not know her,
but I have a feeling we would be friends.

She is a wife.
a mother.
a neighbor.
a friend.
. . .

and Sarah has been told she is dying.

“There is no one in your situation.
Others who have had your type of cancer have not lived this long.”

Find out how you can help here.

Learn more about Sarah and her courageous fight here.

Sarah,

Our prayers are yours.

and they are fervent.

Love,

Natalie


“Your faith will perform miracles,
especially when you get your hands and feet involved.”
Gordon B. Hinckley.

mice, funerals and benadryl.

um.

did I mention uncle richie is out of town all week?
(for yet ANOTHER funeral)

oy. oy. oy.

flying solo is not nearly as cool as tandem.
not.even.close.

on a happier note,
as we speak the kids are drifting peacefully into an oblivion.

I've never been so grateful for allergy season in my life.
they're all sniffly and miserable. . .
which gives me a bona fide excuse to drug them at bedtime.

what?

. . .

oh, and there is DEFINITELY a mouse living in my kitchen.

who I refuse to kill,
but also have NO intention of sharing KITCHEN space with.

vomit.

sooo. . .
the boys and I set up boobie traps.

they find it absurd and hilarious that said traps are called "boobies".

we'll see how successful our humanity turns out being.

uncle jase?

plan on a hysterical early morning phone call
if we actually end up catching him.

xx.

Me

just play ball.

I just got this little message today from a blog reader.

I was taking clothes out of the dryer, folding, etc. today. We are home , Nash has an ear infection and is feeling puny. He kept asking me to play ball, play ball, play ball. Today I put all the clothes down , put all my other chores aside, thought of you and baby Gavin, and played ball. Thanks to you and him for the beautiful reminder that time does not stand still , so grab it. Please send the laundry fairy too, when you get a chance...

________________________

play ball.

just do it.

and if anyone has any connections with the laundry fairy,
I'm in dire need as well.

xx.

Me

up to my neck in magic.

I read something this morning that moved me to my core:

(among other things, this quote makes me particularly excited about the workshops! mind blowing things coming with those people. A couple of seats open in Seattle if you're interested.)

"Often the difference between a successful person and a failure is not that one has better abilities or ideas, but the courage that one has to bet on one's ideas, to take a calculated risk- and to act"

- Andre Malraux

the bottom line is,
I am neck deep in magic.

and madness.

I'm working on millions of projects simultaneously.
. . . each of which really could be a full time job in and of itself.

Some of which are purely awesome and wonderful.

Some of which scare the dung out of me,
and have a high probability of landing me flat on my chubby kiester.

________________________

though I will proudly mention that said kiester
is in fact 32 lbs lighter than it was only a few short months ago.

(as I've mentioned before, baby fat + no baby = insult.to.injury
and also = plenty of incentive to work hard and get healthy, quick).

_________________________

despite the risk, all these projects make me feel
alive and excited beyond words.

It's time.

and I'm brave.

I've been proving that to myself
every.single.day
since that dreaded one.

and I'm only a little shy to tell you how proud of myself that makes me.

Today?

feeling thankful that I inherently have a high tolerance for risk
and. . . still feeling the weight of the scaries I'm consciously walking right into.

but again, it's time.

and I'm brave.

loving the ends.
loving the new beginnings.

welcoming it all.

xx.

Me.

PS. hey YOU, go for it!

happy sunday.

click to enlarge, it's fun!

I am so completely in love with this photograph.
I hope it makes your Sunday bright.

xx.

Me

discount ends TOMORROW!!

prices raise $100 tomorrow at 5pm PST!

Calgary: SOLD OUT
Seattle: 1 seat open

email me for information stat.

natalienorton{at}gmail{dot}com

xx!

N

ps. jonathan canlas and I might (and by 'might' I mean 'totally are')
bringing an Envision on over to Alpine, UT!

pre registration has begun, email either of us to secure your seat.
more info coming soon.

I heard it.

I hate this video from the depths of my soul.

I.HATE.IT.

. . . because I heard it.

and now,
all I hear is silence.

resounding, silence.

please, get your adult pertussis vaccination.

please.

xx.

Me

july workshops: Seattle | Calgary

I would love to see you there!

email for details fast.
natalienorton{at}gmail{dot}com.
very limited seats still available.

xx.

me

sleep.

during the early weeks
(including, and perhaps especially, during those dreaded ones spent in the PICU)
intense feelings of anxiety overran sleep.

this (via mom) saved the day:

Natural Vitality - Natural Calm, oz, 16 oz powder
(all natural and all amazing)

just thought someone out there might like to know.

and, I'm not sure how to say this gracefully. . .

it might give you the runs.
but only at first.

xx.

N

ahh! I talked about poopies on my blog!

PS.

Oy! Just read that there's also a kids calm!
I'll definitely be checking into that
as I've got a munchkin with SPD who may really benefit!

Don't worry.
I'll return and report.

mornin' monday.

50mm, 1/60th, 2.8, ISO 1000

This made me amazingly happy today.

peek-a-boo.

peek-a-boo.
did you miss me?


this week was south of crazy.

(in the best way possible).
___________________________________

here's what the to do list looked like on Monday:

lots of mommyhood.

check.

find an Ashley.
ps. she's magic.

check.

glenn and jill's (above) wedding album.
(jill, it is going to blow your mind)

double check.

wrap things up with genius designer.
(meaning the new blog is coming before I turn 73, which is really encouraging)

check.

get promo material for 2 workshops coming this summer.
(info coming soon: july 1, seattle | july 9, calgary. email me pronto,
they both almost sold out before they've even hit the blog. BAM!)

quadruple check!!

shoot + edit squared.

shazaam!

survive the 3 month mark.
(yes, he's offically been gone from this world longer than he was in it)

sigh. check.

wrap the sad in your heart in yoga and tears.

check. and another sigh.

now, date night with Uncle Richie!

in progress.

here's a thought for your Friday night
inspired by dear family friend
Stephen R. Covey:

don't get caught up in the "stuff" of your day ins and outs.
avoid the "activity trap."

(insert addiction to social media network of choice)

You'll find that you're working harder and harder to climb
that latter of success, only to realize:

IT'S LEANING AGAINST THE WRONG WALL!

(gasp!)

If the ladder is not leaning against the right wall,
every.single.step we take,
will just get us to the wrong place. . .

faster.

love you guys.

xx.

N

happily easter.

Happily, Easter means life.

Happily, Easter means forever.

hope.
love.
mercy.

. . . joy.

eternal.joy.

Happily, Easter represents everything I long for
and everything.that.sustains.me.

Because of Him,
amid the hollowness and horror of my broken soul,
there is hope.

. . . and miraculously, there is peace.

Because of Him,
all will be made whole in the end.

. . .which will actually only be the beginning,
won't it?

OH!
What a beautiful beginning it will be!

_________________________________

It takes an inexplicable amount of courage to post this.

Somehow, showing this here,
well, it makes this horrifying nightmare a reality.

permanent
(except that it's not, of course it's not,
but you understand).

. . .

I have to just say it out loud.
(deep breath)

My son is dead.

He left this Earth in the wee hours of the morning
on January 7th, 2010.

I held him in my arms,
tears falling from my cheeks to his sweet chest.

His chest where his daddy's hand lay,
feeling for the last pulsations of his perfect,
dying heart.

While family looked on,
helplessly.

Their hearts breaking with our own.

All of us already having seen too much sorrow.
Having already said too many goodbyes and too soon.

My son may be dead,
and yet.

AND YET HE LIVES.

Because of Jesus Christ.

He lives.

Because of this sacred day,
that other, terrifying day,
was not full of utter hopelessness and despair.

Sorrow? Absolutely.

AND hope.
AND love.

and little by little as the days go on,
even rejoicing.

and I think you'll see a little of that here.

and Uncle Jon?
we will love you. forever.

Photography by Jonathan Canlas
Music created just for us by Micah Dahl

Oh, and one more thing.
We're walking away from the graveside ceremony and. . .

Richie: Jon, do you know what the best thing about film is?
Jon: What's that?
Richie: It's not dead.

Some of you are laughing really hard right now.
For the rest of you, see here.

harses.

name that movie:
"harses, harses, harses, harses, jingle bells, jingle bells. . ."

They're all better bigger:
feel free to click to enlarge. :)

above: doubly better if you click to enlarge. . .

above: also far fancier if you click clickity click.

sneak to the power of peek.

definitely worth clicking to enlarge, just sayin'.

how could everything about this picture not make you want to smile?

to let go.
to laugh.
to love.
to live life to its fullest.

oy.

it does it for me.

in every.single.way.

more coming soon!

Lincoln + Totally Rad.

I can tell Lincoln needs some serious
one.on.one.

so...

I'm ditching everything else,
to give him just that.

In the mean time,
I was interviewed by the Totally Rad Actions Blog,
see the full piece here.
(blush blush)

xx.

Me.

PS. Jon, your comment on TRA totally teared me up.