Busy, Busy, Busy...

After a short break, I am busier than ever.  We moved back to the McKinney area in July.  This time I had a business to move along with a family.  Since my business is fairly new you wouldn't think there would be that much to do, but there was.  My daughter started homeschooling online for her freshman year and so far is not liking it.  She chose this so she will just have to deal with it, at least for this year.  And of course we are not without our financial troubles... nothing new there.  All that aside, I am now able to focus on my photography business once again.  I have also been working with the youth department at our church.  I love it!


My mom and I are involved in a women's bible study group every Wednesday morning.  After the first class we went to she said she was glad I dragged her there after all.  LOL   We are really enjoying the class and learning so much.  God is really using this to answer some questions I've had and to reveal his truth to me.  It's a devotional study by Kay Arthur to deepen faith by studying the sermon on the mount.  It is a great book and I would recommend it to everyone who wants to go deeper in their relationship with God.  The book is called "Lord, I'm Torn Between Two Masters."  

Right now I'm having to use my Facebook as my entire portfolio until I can get another website going.  However, I'm hoping to have a website up again very soon.  I've been out a few times lately taking some nature shots.  I think that is my favorite thing to do.  I'll be uploading some to my Facebook page tonight. I'm super excited to be putting my camera to good use again.  I am currently trying to save up for some more equipment I really need as well.  


Here are some previews of what I will be putting on my Facebook page.  

Thanks for reading "All About My Business"
Crystal Campbell
Crystal Campbell Photography
www.facebook.com/crystalcampbellphoto

Summer Tent Camping in Texas... Boooo!!

We left last Monday to go camping at Possum Kingdom Lake.  The lake is surrounded by the Palo Pinto Mountains, so it is very pretty there.  We also saw lots of deer.  They just walked along the campgrounds, grazing, in the evening and early morning hours.  Those were the two best things about our experience.  It seemed from the moment we began unpacking at the campsite, we were bombarded by a million flies.  OMG!!  I have never seen so many flies in all my life!  Especially while we tried to eat.  We had to eat with one hand while fanning off flies with the other.  They would disappear late into the evening, but return with even more friends first thing the next morning... geez.  Where do they go at night??? Do they have little "fly homes?"  

On Tuesday morning, we switched campsites to be closer to the marked off swimming area.  At first it seemed there would be less flies there too; however, we quickly found out otherwise.  There was also a nasty wasp there too.  We kept cool in the lake when we could; however, the sun was just too much.  There was just no escape from the heat.  Also, we had to keep moving while in the lake.  If we stood still too long a minnow or small fish of some sort would come and bite us!!  We all got nipped several times... ugh...  Our dog, Bentley, loved the lake.  He swam so much those two days that we had to make him get out of the water before he drowned from exhaustion... but he did sleep well at night... LOL  

No matter how much sunscreen Cheyenne and her friend used, they still got very burnt.  In fact, Cheyenne got sick that night so we decided to go home the next morning, (a day early).  The last night we were there it was still so hot, but there was at least a good wind blowing.  Of course, we didn't get the wind in our tent, so we laid out some blankets and slept out under the stars.  It was very beautiful watching all the shooting stars, (once Cheyenne stopped puking up her guts), and we all slept fairly well.  

Wednesday morning my wonderful husband got up early and packed up the campsite while me and the girls sat in the air conditioned car because it was already almost 90 degrees by 10:00 am.   That's when we all decided that we would never, ever, go camping during the summer in Texas again unless it was in an air conditioned RV, cabin, hotel... etc.  I also woke up Wednesday morning with a small place on my leg that itched.  I thought it was a bug bite, but I was wrong.  Since then, it has spread all up and down both my legs and my back.  It itches like mad and it's driving me crazy!!  I soak in oatmeal baths and use itch cream as much as possible.  I have no idea what this is, but hopefully it will go away soon.  It's probably some funky fish disease from whatever was in that water biting me!

Needless to say, we all rested well Wednesday night in our nice, cool, beds at home.  =)  I have a renewed appreciation for my "creature comforts" at home.  Thursday was better.  Scott and I met my parents up at Choctaw Casino in Oklahoma.  We didn't win anything, but had a wonderful time.  =)  We rested on Friday and didn't really do much.  Yesterday we went to a pool party at my sister-in-law's new house.  It was so nice.  She has a wonderful huge pool with a deep end at least 10 ft. deep!!  They just don't make pools like that anymore.  I got to actually "dive" into the water for the first time in almost 20 years!  It was a great party with great food and lots of family.  =)  After the party we came home, showered, got ready and went out to dinner with my cousin, Lisa, and her husband, Chris.  Lisa and I were inseparable as kids and teenagers; however, life, (and stupid ex-husbands), got in our way as adults.  Last night was the first time I've spent time with her in over 10 years!  Never again will I let that much time go by between me and any of my family members or friends.  We had a great dinner then went and shot some pool until the wee morning hours.  

Today, my hubby and I are just chillin' out.  We are going to my parent's house tonight, then we are all going back to Choctaw tomorrow for some more fun and fireworks.  Maybe we will win something this time... LOL    Wish us luck!

Thanks for reading "All About My Business"
Crystal Campbell
Crystal Campbell Photography
www.crystalcampbellphoto.com

Here are some camping photos taken with my daughter's "Baby Nikon."  

Vacation time is here!! =)

So Scott officially began his vacation on Wednesday.  It's been wonderful having him home!  =)  Tomorrow we will be celebrating my Mom's birthday at my brother's house all day.  In other words, we are taking a trip to "Margaritaville."   Woo Hoo!!  There will most certainly be lots of great food and alcohol there.  That's just how we roll in our family.  LOL     

We are leaving early Monday morning for our camping trip at Possum Kingdom Lake.  I have never been there, but it looks so beautiful online, (no, they were not affected by the recent wildfires), and I cannot wait.  We are going to spend 5 days just eating, swimming, and relaxing... exactly in that order and repeatedly.  We will most likely not have cell phone service out there, so we will be completely out of touch, (which means peace...lol).  That also means that I will not be able to update my Facebook Fan Page or this blog for a week... sorry.  But I should have plenty of photos and stories to share upon my return.  

A friend of mine from high school, Diana Almand, is in the process of creating a logo for my business... yay!  I am super excited because she is an awesome artist!  You can see her work on her Facebook page: Click here.  I will also have a special surprise for all my Facebook Fans when I return, so tell anyone who is not already one of my fans to become one before the end of next week.  Well, I need to go finish up our laundry and begin packing for our trip.  Hope you all have a great upcoming week!

Thanks for reading "All About My Business"
Crystal Campbell
Crystal Campbell Photography
www.crystalcampbellphoto.com 

Fun and Busy Times

This past weekend was the most fun I have had in a while.  On Friday, Cheyenne, Madi and I spent the day with my cousin Tonya.  We hung out at the mall for a little while, had lunch at Taco Bell, then went to see Bridesmaids, (yes, again).  It was just as funny the second time around.  My cousin had not seen it yet, so it was fun watching her experience it for the first time.  After the movie we went back to my cousin's place to swim.  =)  Later that evening my husband joined us and we had burgers from Wendy's, some Mike's Margarita coolers, and sat in the hot tub!  Yes, it was 100 degrees, in Texas, and we were in the hot tub... LOL  It was very relaxing and we all slept so good that night.


We got up early on Saturday morning and hit the water park, (NRH2O).  We were there from 11:00am til about 10:00pm.  The park officially closed at 9:00pm, but they had fireworks after so we stayed for that.  It was a fun day of swimming... eating.... applying sun block... swimming... eating... applying sun block... etc.  All of us reapplied our sun block every hour to hour and a half and we all still got burnt.  What??!!  Isn't it called sun block for a reason?  I guess it's time for a different brand.  Oh well, it was still very fun.


On Sunday, we all went to church and saw the Annie Moses Band perform.  They are a wonderful christian family music group.  They are amazing!  You can check them out here.  Then we came home and rested for a while, and Scott cooked steaks on the grill for dinner.  


Today I began writing in my personal journal again.  I have been kind of astray from God the past several months and felt that I needed to draw closer to Him.  I had my prayer and Bible study time, then wrote in my journal.  My journal helps me to keep track of how God is constantly working in my life, and helps keep me on track with my spiritual walk.  I don't want to neglect my spiritual life anymore.  I get too close to that dark place in my mind, and heart, when I do.  The love of my Lord and Savior has been a miracle in my life.   

I also worked on the photo shoot I did with Cheyenne and Madi.  I now have them on a website for viewing and purchasing.  Tomorrow I will need to do some tweaking on my business website and Facebook page.  Scott's 2 week vacation begins on Wednesday.  I'm so excited to have my man all to myself for 2 whole weeks!!  =)  Right now we are having a very intense lightening storm, so I had better get off the computer before it gets hit by a power surge or something.


Thanks for reading "All About My Business"
Crystal Campbell
Crystal Campbell Photography
www.crystalcampbellphoto.com

Worn Out... in a good way

Today was a big day.  I spent most of the day with Cheyenne and Madi doing their "sister photos."  We shot some in Downtown Southlake, Downtown Grapevine, and at Grapevine Lake.  It was great!  =)  I will have some "sneak peaks" of the photos on my Facebook Page in the next few days, so stay tuned.  You can find me on FB under Crystal Campbell Photography.  My fan list is growing, but we still need more, so please go "like" my page, and then share it with all your FB Friends.  

We finished off the day, after the last part of the shoot, with BBQ chicken and swimming at the lake.  It was so refreshing!  We even took our Golden Retriever, Bentley.  It was his first time away from the house, so he was a bit nervous at first, but once he hit that water there was no stopping him... LOL  Now I am sooooo tired.  I feel like I could sleep for days.  I have a ton of work to do the next 3 days, because I'm taking Friday off to go out with my daughters and my cousin, then taking the girls to NRH20 on Saturday.  It's going to be quite a week, but I love it!  =)

Thanks for reading "All About My Business"
Crystal Campbell

Crystal Campbell Photography

www.crystalcampbellphoto.com