Christmas Has Come and Passed......

What a month this has been!  Between Christmas, New Years and everything in between, I haven't been on in a month to post!  Well, I've got so much to update you on!

First off, after Thanksgiving, my fledgling photography hobby began to turn into something more!  I had three photo shoots in about two weeks!  They were amazing, and most of all, they showed me that I CAN do this!  The families were ecstatic about their photos, and that was the best feeling of all!  One of the most validating moments so far, was when one of my families called me to tell me they had submitted a few prints for a quick Christmas gift, and they were stopped at checkout!  The salesperson asked if she had "copyrights" to these photos because they were "obviously professionally done."  What an ego booster, for sure!  I also have several shoots in the works, including several family shoots, maternity shoot, newborn shoot and an engagement shoot all coming up this spring!  Also in the works is a new website, which has become an increasingly daunting task!  I've become a computer nerd overnight trying to learn the ins and outs of computer HTML, Flash, hosting, domains, etc.  A new logo is also in the works!  A friend of mine, Sheri Chen, is custom designing a logo for "Danielle Raine Photography," and I can't wait to see what she whips up!  I don't want to give too much away....BUT, here's a hint:  Fleur de lis! ;)  You'll just have to wait for the rest!

I'm enjoying this new journey, and this newly resurrected hobby might just be lucrative to boot!  And honestly, even if it's not, every time I snap a photo, I get this rush..... Will this one be my new "favorite" photo?  Each photo is an opportunity to do better than the last, and if you know me, you know I'm always looking to outdo myself!  I'm not much for competing with others, so it's the intrinsic challenge that gets me going.  To know that this next photo might just be my best, and the ones after that.... who knows!

Aside from my photography, Caden has been keeping me uber busy!  With his first real steps on Thanksgiving, he's been non-stop since!  Around Christmas he really go going fast!  Now, he can walk from room to room, without needing to pull up on anything first!  He's a true walker, cruising all over the house and giving mommy a run for her money!

Christmas was a BLAST this year!  We kicked it off with decorating the house right after Thanksgiving!  Caden helped Daddy and I hang lights outside:

And Inside, too:

For Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, we had a full house with my parents, Trav's parents, my sister and my grandmother, Meme!  It was such a great celebration!  Caden thoroughly enjoyed his Christmas experience.  He scored several gifts, including a wagon from Bunny and Paw, a Ball Pit from Gigi and Pipi, clothes, toys, movies and even a DVD player for the car from us! 

And yes, that's Travis in his new cowboy boots and PJ's! 

We spent our New Years in Lafayette, LA, with friends and family!  We got to enjoy some much-needed cajun delicacies, as well.  On our way home, we stopped off in Jennings, LA, where my Uncle Tommy has a dentist practice.  We got our teeth cleaned, and Chumbie had his first dental check-up, too!  Doc said all six teeth were just perfect.

But, that's not all for the busy season.... We are planning Chumbie's First Birthday, January 22!  I can't believe how fast time as flown by.  It seems that those tiny little infant days were so far away......  But, I'll leave the nostalgia for another post!