That Guy That Lives Here

First of all, Happy New Year!

I have high hopes for 2012.  2010 and 2011 brought much turmoil and now I feel, as though the dust may be settling for good this time.  Third time's a charm, right?

I have been putting off writing this post because I didn't want to jinks things, but now, I think the time is right.  I have been telling you my story for about 4 months and occasionally I mention Michael, my husband.  I realize that you all know of his existence, but I rarely write about him.  He may occasionally get a quick mention, but that is it.  I'm not sure why, maybe because he doesn't say much?

While I have been telling you our story, he has been busy in the background trying to find a new way to support his family and enjoy life at the same time.  We did toss around the idea of me going back to work, but we all agreed that life is better and things run smoother if I am here to take care of everyone.  So that decision is final, I will remain CEO and CFO of The McConnell Household.

Michael has been studying for A+ Certification which could get him an entry level job as a computer technician.  His plan was to have a simple way to get into a field in which he enjoys and hopefully work his way up.  He had planned to take the test after the holidays.

Flash back to California, Michael was doing some freelance photography (self taught) for Southern California hotels.  He photographed the interior and exterior of hotels for their brochures and websites.  In June of 2010, he was published on the cover of AAA's Westways Magazine.  He has also done a great job of photographing our family.  Photography is some thing he really enjoys.

Flash forward to the middle of December 2011, he responded to an ad on Craigslist for a photography assistant.  He realized that it wouldn't pay much but thought that it may be a good opportunity to expand his portfolio and learn some skills from a professional photographer.  He got a response immediately and was asked to assist on a wedding the next day.  This was a "try out" or an audition to see how he did.  It turns out that the photographer is well known and a favorite in the LDS community here.  He was actually looking for someone to take over all of his overflow business.  He has been having Michael apprentice with him and plans to hand over as many as 60 weddings a year.  Michael already has two weddings on the books.

He has given Michael his own page on his website.  If you click on "Galleries" and scroll over to "Michael McConnell"  you can see some of the shots he has already taken.

cvanrensburgphoto.com

I am so happy for him.  He worked so hard as a Hotel Manager, for many years, to support his family.  He never really enjoyed it.  But, he did it anyway, so he could provide a comfortable life for his family and afford us the luxury of me staying home.  We realize that it may take a while before this provides a steady income but we feel like we are finally on the right track.  We have the luxury of a free home to live in while we rebuild our life.  He may still take the A + Certification test and try to get a part time job as a computer technician.  We are waiting to see just how busy he will be with his photography.

He has tons of photography equipment but he needed one last thing to make that jump to a "real" professional.  So this week we made an investment in our future....hopefully it's a good one!

That's right, a $2,000 camera lens!