Is this better

There just was something not quite right about the last temple picture. The temple wasn't standing out enough. Let me know if this is better, or if you prefer the other one.
Thanks for all your advice!!

Testing

So, I love the temple. I love seeing temples everywhere and would love to visit all the temples in the world one day. That was my goal, until we started building them everywhere!! Now my goal is to see as many as possible in my lifetime. Along with that, I love taking pictures of the temple. I have just started and haven't done very many. I also love all the new temple pictures out there but don't want to pay an arm and a leg for them. So, I have been experimenting with doing my own. Here is my first attempt of the Los Angeles Temple. I actually got in trouble taking these pictures because I was at my brother in laws wedding and thought we were done with group pictures. So, I went off taking pictures of the temple. Well, my frantic mother in law came and got me after a while because we WEREN'T done. I am afraid she and others weren't very happy with me!
Anyway, here it is. Let me know any changes you would make. Ask yourself, "If I were to display this in my home, what would I want changed (besides the actual temple!!)"

Thanks for you help in this.

(Click on the picture to see it larger)

Dear Patience

Dear Patience,
Where did you go? Ryan prayed today that "mom might find her patience". Please come back. Obviously I need you!!
Sincerely,
Tamara

Breaking Point

I do believe everyone has a breaking point. I know I do. I have been feeling myself heading down that road this past week. We have had tons of late nights and that has affected the kids, including the baby. I have just about had it by night time. Poor Brad, get's me at my worst. Anyway, I believe that Heavenly Father loves me very much. I could list the millions of reasons, 6 of which are Brad, Ryan, Makayla, Ashlyn, Becca, and Benjamin. However, this day I know because he has given me tender mercies to help as I am on the verge of breaking.
The first breaking point is sleep. I really have been so tired. Today I was at the park with some friends from the ward and our kids and I was having a hard time staying awake. Definitely not for lack of stimulating conversation. I love the friends I was with, and they were very entertaining. But between the allergies I was having and the late nights, not to mention middle of the night feedings, I was toast. I can't even totally blame Benjamin. He is seriously waking up once before 6am, and the past two nights his first waking is 4:30. I can totally handle that. Part of the problem is I no longer get to nap. There are several reasons, 5 of which are each of my children. I also don't love to nap, as there is so much else I need to do. But, I know a little 15 min nap here or there really would help me. Well, today after the park and library I got my kids lunch and Benjamin was still asleep. The little girls went to Brooke and Clair's house so I told the older kids I was going to take just a quick 15 min nap while he was sleeping. Over an hour later I woke up, looked at the clock, and then panicked!! Is the baby okay? I jumped off the bed and found him sound asleep in his car seat still. Now, the nap AND him sleeping so long is a tender mercy. He doesn't nap that long right now in the afternoons. I am usually fighting him with cat naps. I know I will be way more refreshed and that I needed it. Hopefully this will ward me off from reaching my breaking point for a while.
The second tender mercy has to do with me reaching my breaking point on trying to lose weight. I gained way too much with Benjamin. It wasn't any more than my other kids, but I started heavier with them and ended the heaviest. Well, I have always been able to lose the baby weight. It just takes work. I have found the older you are and the more kids you have the harder it is. I have been trying but it has not been coming off. Seriously, as of Monday I had lost 5 lbs from the initial weight loss after having a baby. Now, that being said, for two weeks I was on vacation in California and with California family up here. Not conducive to weight loss. So, this week I said "ENOUGH!!!" After many prayers I really felt like doing weight watchers wouldn't be enough and just counting my carbs wouldn't be enough. I needed to do both. So, I am now doing both together. It can be quite tricky but not if you eat really healthy. I can't chow down on fruits as much as I would like, but I can on veggies. I have to watch the amount of sugars I eat.....hardly any now!! But, I have found the last couple of days I have not even reached my amount of carbs or points in a day and I haven't been hungry. I have been downing water like crazy and exercising at least 25 min a day. Best news of all.....I have lost 5 lbs since Monday. I had been praying that if I was doing everything I could do lose weight that Heavenly Father would step in and help me, and that is exactly what he has done. Now, I know it won't fall off like this all the time and I will have moments of frustration still, but for today I am happy.

I love good customer service!!!

So, not much makes me happier than good customer service. When people really go out of their way to help you with a problem that is really not their problem, well, it just brightens my day. Two days ago I walked upstairs to find my brand new only been used once nice tripod in 4 different pieces on my closet floor. It isn't supposed to be 4 different pieces, only one. It had fallen a few feet onto the carpet and fell apart...literally. I was beyond furious and sick to my stomach. I had waited awhile to get a new tripod anyway, and now that the weather is getting better I am planning on taking more pictures and such. Well, on the tag, which was still on the tripod, it said it had a limited lifetime warranty. There was just NO information ANYWHERE on the tag and who to contact for that warranty. I searched, diligently I might add, online for the company. It was bought at a ritz camera and that is the only contact information I could find. So, I went online and contacted them. They then informed me Ritz online and Ritz stores have different policies. After much frustration, I finally called an Inkley's (linked with Ritz camera shops) in Orem and explained what happened. They told me to bring it in and they would see what they could do. I brought it in this morning and they replaced it for me. No questions asked!!!! I didn't even buy it from that exact store. So, they are now one of my favorite stores on this planet and if I need some camera equiptment I will definetely check with them first. So, lesson learned....good customer service provides customers for life!!!