Shannon Holden Photography

Isn’t it funny, looking back on the stages in your life and remembering what you thought your future would be like? I just had this conversation with a friend and fellow photographer over lunch this week. When I was younger and working in the corporate world, I thought I’d have all this free time once I became a mom and quit my office job. Yeah, right. Then, when I was a stay-at-home mom, and even later after I began running my photography business, I thought I’d have all this free time once my kids were in school full time. Well … as of last year, all three of my kids have been in school full time, and suddenly I realize, I have never been busier in my entire life! Daily life … laundry, cook dinner, pack lunches, clean the house, volunteer at school, weekly church community group, one kid’s three football practices a week, the second kid’s soccer practices, another kid’s dance lessons, kids’ sporting events and church on the weekends. Oh yeah … and run a full time business!

At the same time, as time runs away from me faster each day, I’m clinging to every single second I have with my family. It’s like trying to hold vapor in my arms. Time together is so much, much more precious than it has ever been.

Thus, the neglected blog for the last 6 months.

But now it’s time to catch up. To get back on track, I thought this would be a good time to run another of our fun Catch Me Not Blogging contests! This year, we’ll add a new twist.

If you catch me NOT blogging for a day, and you are the first to post a comment here on the blog, you will win a $50 gift certificate to Shannon Holden Photography!

Here is the new twist … Catch yourself on the blog, and you can win, too! If I post one of your past sessions on the blog, share it with your friends and ask them to post a comment. If you gather 20 comments in 24 hours, you will receive a $20 gift certificate to Shannon Holden Photography. Gather 40 comments, and you’ll win a $40 gift certificate! (Do you want to be sure I include your past session in the contest? Post a comment here to let me know!)

Here are the rules for both contests:

• Contest will run from September 1 through September 21, 2012.
• All comments for both contests must be posted here. Facebook comments will not count.
• Any gift certificates issued will expire September 1, 2013. Gift certificates are not redeemable for cash, and are not-transferable.
• Your gift certificate will only be valid on portraits, not session fees, specialty items, or shipping costs. You are welcome to use the gift certificate on a current or future session.

• I have until 12:00 Midnight (Eastern) to publish my blog post. Each “day” will be the calendar day, midnight to midnight.
• IF you catch me not blogging, you must post a comment on the most recent blog post to claim your prize. You also must post this comment by 12:00 Midnight EST the next day.
• Only one winner per day. But IF I miss more than one day, the same person can win twice!
• If two readers catch me not blogging and post at the exact same time claiming their prize, I will split the gift certificate 50/50. The blog will time stamp your comment. If two readers post within a few minutes of each other, the comment with the earlier time stamp wins. (If you have never posted a comment on my blog before, it will hold your comment for moderation by me – this is to prevent spammers. Rest assured I will receive your comment via email as soon as you post it, with the time stamp in tact.)

• Comments must be submitted by unique individuals with unique IP addresses. Duplicate IP addresses will not count. These means two people can’t post from the same house/internet connection.
• Comments must be posted within 24 hours of the blog post’s publication time to be counted. (Again – If you have never posted a comment on my blog before, it will hold your comment for moderation by me – this is to prevent spammers. Rest assured I will receive your comment via email as soon as you post it, with the time stamp in tact.)
• Comments contest awards will be limited to $40 per person.