Getting back into it...

I've been MIA for a LONG time, and I need to get back into it. I'm missing my work, and posting pretty images of pretty subjects. WOW what a sabbatical, huh?? It's been a combination of choosing to step back, and HAVING to step back. I chose to step back over the summer months. It's a hot summer in OK is partly the reason, but the main reason was that I WANTED to enjoy uninterrupted time with my kiddos. My kiddos are growing up, and I don't want to miss any of it because of work. After school started, it's still warm outside, and we found out we were getting the opportunity to host an exchange student from Spain this fall. So, I chose to focus on getting ready for our adventure! Our exchange student arrived on September 10. I thought once we were settled into a routine, I could start taking up photography again...but THEN I was given NO choice but to step back until....well, I'm still trying to recover. On Sept 12, I woke up with a dull back ache. By 10am that morning I was in Urgent Care unable to walk. Turns out, I managed to somehow hurt my back--and have been suffering SCIATICA since that day. So, I read that "SCIATICA" is not a diagnosis but merely a symptom. After 4 weeks of gruesome pain, and lack of sleep (I'm talking about 3-4hrs of sleep a night), I finally got an MRI which revealed that I have a protruding disc in my lower back that is pinching my sciatic nerve, and the pain decided to settle into my foot, and toes. I finally started PT and 9 weeks later, here I am. Still suffering from pain, but doing so much better and finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. I hope to be able to get back into the full swing of things in a few weeks. For now, the PT has ordered that I CANNOT "bend, twist, pick up heavy things..etc etc..." So, when you think about it, say a little prayer for my continued and complete recovery from this painful ordeal. For now, I will leave you with a pic of one of the prettiest Spaniard girls we know. I did a very quick 15 min mini shoot with her and got a few lovely images. This is just one of them...Enjoy!