Carolina Dreams

Brittany and Clark

2012-01-18T18:12:00.000-08:00

By now if there is anyone left reading this blog, you know that my darling niece got married last weekend. It was a wonderful time with family and friends and I am still trying to organize my photos to show.....more in a few days... but for now, this:

Okay, I am now back with a few shots from the morning of the wedding. My job was to take a few shots of the girls getting ready for the wedding at the salon. It was a nice place with great staff who really did a wonderful job getting everyone in and out in plenty of time...we started at 8:00am.

The salon had these funky hot pink medallions hanging all over and some planters filled with deep purple and fuscia cattail looking thingies! They were very cool and the couches were a deep purple. It also had these candelabra with purple candles, that no matter how many times I straightened them, fell crooked again!

Clark's mom and little sister had the very first appointments followed by Jennifer for her makeup. It was early and Jenn was so sweet and went by Starbucks. I was brought a great cup of chai tea.....so needed it, too.

The day would be a long one for Jaden and for Jennifer, so resting at every opportunity was necessary.

Jaden, before makeup and hair...

This is Katelyn...the sweetest girl with the most gorgeous smile that was given readily and often.

This bright face belongs to Sarah. She laughed easily and made me wish I was more like her cause she made me smile just watching her.

Brittany and one of Clark's sisters waiting for their turn..

This is Casey. I kept wondering why the girl was even there! Her hair was great and I actually thought they had done her makeup when in fact, they had not even started it yet!!! Oh to be young and beautiful like Casey!!

Casey lives in Charlotte and she and my daughter hit it off at one of Brittany's showers and seem to be headed toward a very nice friendship. She is as sweet and caring as she is pretty!

This is Katie, the maid of honor. And no one has ever had as wonderful a MOH!! She did everything and I do mean everything for Brittany and my sister, Gail, before this wedding. She knew ahead of time what was expected and she handled things.....from finishing the cleaning at Gail's house to having thread that matched to fix the straps on Jenn's dress as they were dressing for the wedding.....the girl was on fire she was so prepared!! I actually have known Katie longer than the other girls, and she has a very special place in my heart since she and Brittany have been good friends for so long.

Katie got busted for breaking one of the wedding rules.....no gum!! And Britt caught her...lol!!

Taking care of the lists and of Brittany and everyone else was her calling for the day and she sailed through each command with ease...you are awesome, Katie!

Here Brittany is checking her lists and writing checks for the vendors she used on her special day.

And now it is Gail's turn to get beautiful.........she starts out with an advantage cause she already is so pretty. On this day, she was smiling and happy. Nothing will take the joy and happiness off her face today..her baby is getting married!

And then it is finally Jaden's turn....she could not wait and did her best to tell the stylist how to do her hair......

Not sure who talked more, Jaden or the stylist fixing her hair...lol. Honestly, it was a toss up.

All finished and looking great and sassy!!

Brittany finally takes her place in the chair and gets ready for her for makeup and hair for her wedding.

Now all the girls are finished with makeup and hair and they are starving. By now it is almost 1pm and they leave to get food and then meet at Rock Barn.

Gail and Jennifer look wonderful and I love this photo (even if blogger ruins it when it uploads!)

Next up, family photos and Brittany's bridals........

GREAT GIVEAWAY!!!!

2012-01-01T21:55:00.000-08:00

Please go to Crave Photography's blog and read all about her wonderful giveaway!!
http://cravemyphotography.com/blog/25000-fans-giveaway/#comment-40153

Find her on FB too! A nikon 85mm 1.8 or a Canon 85mm 1.2 lens!!!

Watkins family shoot

2011-12-17T22:03:00.000-08:00

Such a beautiful and warm and giving family!! I had a blast shooting them all. Even the dog was in on the act. Thank you to Martha Sue and Wes for inviting me into your home to photograph your lovely family.

POST!!!

2011-12-17T21:52:00.000-08:00

Oh my goodness, I cannot believe that it has been so long since I posted here. A lot has been going on and keeping Bennett everyday is becoming a lot more of an investment in my time since getting him off of things he is constantly climbing is a full time and a half job!! LOL

What have I photographed, you say?? Well, I did the mini shoot with Melissa again and here are a few from those sessions.....and some from Brittany's e-session!!

Engagements

This gorgeous couple os my niece, Brittany, and her fiance who are getting married in Jan. I had a wonderful time shooting their engagement photos!!!!

Mini session photos

Thanks to all our families that made this such a great shoot!!!

More Katie and a bridal shower

2011-11-06T20:09:00.000-08:00

I finally got finished with the edits for Katie D's photos. She is a beautiful dark hair and dark eyed girl with a small voice and a big talent. Her calm and gorgeous smile made me very happy I was taking her photos!!

Red is definitely her color. She has this china like skin that just makes me want to hand her a hat to protect it from the sun!! GORGEOUS!!

Her eyes are actually dark, but in the sun they shone almost green! It was great.

On Sunday we went to the park and she had on this red dress that just begged me to take photos that were slightly nostalgic.....don't you think so??

I have been waiting for a good time to bring my old suitcases out and this was it. Her trench coat made a wonderful addition!!

Thanks, Katie for letting me take your gorgeous selfs photos!!
Next we have Brittany's shower from Nov. 5. It was held in a lovely room at the Catawba Country Club. it was given by my sister, Gail's, friends Karen Smart and Phyliss Moore. It was a dishes theme and Brittany racked up....I believe that she got almost all of her everyday dishes and glasses.

They are 2 of Gail's best friends and they did a great job on this first shower for Brittany.

These are Clark's sweet and lovely grandmothers. How lucky we were to have them at this shower! LOVED talking to Dot!

Gail and Phyliss...not sure what they are both grinning at, but they are happy!!

Beautiful Jennifer, my niece, and her daughter, Jaden, were also there and I loved seeing them. It has been a while. Love you, Jenn.

Love that Brittany played with me and the camera while opening gifts :)

As Brittany unpacked and opened gifts...Mandy and Jenn repacked and put into a safe place all the dishes and things Brittany was receiving.

As each guest came in, they were asked to write their best advise to a happy marriage on a card. This is Brittany reading the card.....and yes, I cried at some of them!!

This is Gail and her friends.....they are so good and so supportive of her!

Mandy and I had a lovely time and are looking forward to the shower in 2 weeks!!

Hello Gorgeous!!

2011-10-28T20:55:00.000-07:00

How lucky am I?? I get to take photos of some of the most beautiful seniors in Charlotte! This sweet and simply gorgeous girl is in my daughter's Chamber Choir and she is very smart besides being able to sing!! Katie was dressed so cute and the weather was cold!! The wind was what made it awful for her. I had jeans and a sweater on and I was freezing. But she was a real trooper and never said one word about being cold....

She finally had the opportunity to change into a red sweater that was killer on her beautiful fair skin.

She is an avid reader and loves the Harry Potter series...we took several shots of her and her favorite books. This smart girl wants to be a journalist...I think she will achieve her dreams and I, for one, can't wait to read something she will write!

More of Katie later........

Busy Busy Busy

2011-10-20T21:30:00.000-07:00

Oh my!! Who would have thought that my life would start being a whirlwind again?? I have been super busy and I LOVE it!! It all revolves around my photography and that makes me very happy. Besides the wonderful senior shoots I have done a wedding, getting ready to do a mini shoot with Melissa of Cole Photography again this yr., setting dates to shoot my niece's engagement and bridal photos and of course, taking shots of Bennett every chance I get...lol!
I was second shooter at a lovely wedding this past weekend. I will not post too many photos because I will not be doing the editing for this one... :( Sorry. Here are a couple that I have done, though.

This is Mike. He was the groom and these are his lovely daughters. I loved watching as he gently held these girls close to him at different times during the evening. He danced with is oldest and it was enough to make me cry like a baby because it was obvious that he was proud of her and that she adored him.

Mike and Kristi had a special sand pouring that included the girls and it was so touching to watch them bond together as a family as the sand flowed into its container. Then Kristi reached up and brushed hair off of her new young daughter's face.....so sweeet!

I think Kristi had a really gorgeous dress. She was so funny as we walked up and down the grape vines talking about "us not worrying about messing the dress up, cause she only bought it to wear 1 day and that was it". What a relaxed bride she was. Hair perfect...check. Makeup perfect....check. Ready for Mike...double check!!

Here is Kristi and her brides maids. They looked very pretty in the deep purple dresses that they wore!
The wedding was fun and we had an awesome time photographing it!! Thank you to Kristi and to Gail :)

I also finished up Allie's senior shoot and here are a few of the ones I love!!

Isn't she adorable...I could have shot this girl all day.

Allie is a cross country runner and was 1st runner up on her Homecoming court. She was elegant and timeless, kind of like this photo.

She was so cute in the flowery dress and boots, but what made her a standout every time was the way that jean jacket made the blue her eyes pop right out!!

We were in an old barn and there was a slight breeze that blew every now and then. When it did, it made for lovely lovely gentle hair blowing!!

She is definitely her mother's child. She is kind and talented and as beautiful as she is sweet. She was so relaxed and funny at this shoot and willing to step over the "posted" sign so I could try to capture her beauty in this barn...lol!! Thanks, Allie.

More to come.......

See here are some more :)

Told you she is gorgeous!!

And this is a sneak peek of our Fall Mini Shoot....

LOVE the Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-12T20:43:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday was going to be a good one. Bennett woke after a long night of sleep and was in the best of moods. We had plans for the pumpkin patch visit!! I took my camera, but he was not very cooperative and the sun was SOOOOO bright and without my flash, I was sunk! I did manage to get a few fairly good ones. Bennett loved the hay ride. He did NOT love the cow being milked, though. Th cow was a sub since the original cow was due to calf at any time! She was a nervous sub, too. She tried to kick the milker and she kicked the crap out of a plexiglass sheet that was between her and us!! After that, Bennett started his famous.."bye bye" "bye bye" "bye bye"!!!! That is our clue that he wants to get the heck out or away from where ever we are. I took him outside and then we got to go see the animals.

Not the face of a kid enjoying himself, huh?

This pic is BEFORE the goats got so aggressive they tried to et out of the fence y going through it!!!!

(Falling asleep, so I will finish later)

New Jenna!!

2011-09-28T21:26:00.000-07:00

Here are a few of the shoot I did with Jenna this past weekend. It was actually the end of her Senior Shoot. She is one gorgeous gal!!

See how cute she was in her lace skirt and boots!!

Nice boots, huh?

She changed into this killer dress and necklace! So pretty.

These photos are NOT loading well for some reason...UGH!!

Jenna is on the homecoming court for AKHS' homecoming this Friday night....she will definitely give everyone a run for their money!

What a Long Week

2011-09-23T09:43:00.000-07:00

This has been a couple of long weeks. Since school started, Mandy has been going full speed ahead and although I am happy that she is involved and a great teacher, it gives me very little time for myself. Honestly, I got very spoiled before Bennett was born and I could keep hours that I wanted to and go and do when I pleased. It is quite an adjustment to keep baby hours again. I am NOT complaining!! I love every single minute that I get to be with Bennett. I am just afraid that with little time for my own health and down time, I will not be able to give this precious little one all that he needs to be happy and well adjusted. We are trying preschool and that is going over like a lead balloon!! Bennett has not had a day that he did not cry the entire time. I have had to go get him early 2X...one was the day before he was getting very sick with a cold and the other was when he was running a fever. Poor baby. He just can't catch a break it seems. On a good note, he is doing great in everything else. He is talking up a storm, of course, Mandy and I are almost the only ones that can decipher most of it, but none the less, he repeats almost everything we say.........bad for me and my potty mouth! I have curbed the foul language a lot. LOL
Fall is really starting to fill up on my calendar. I have the end of beautiful Jenna's senior shoot this weekend.

Melissa and I are shooting a wedding on Oct. 15 and we have a mini shoot on Oct. 22. We have Brittany's, (my niece) showers on the Nov. 5 and again on Nov. 19. I am so excited about these. She is such a wonderful young woman and I adore her fiance. He worships her and loves her mother and I have every faith in God that they will have a great life and a happy marriage.

Brittany is a kindergarten teacher and is innovative and excited to be able to reach and teach young minds and mold them into great and educated people! And she is as gorgeous as she is smart!!
Her mother is my baby sister, Gail. Gail is going through some uncertain times right now. She is a wonderful teacher asst. and may not have a job next year due to cuts in the system and budget cuts in NC government. I hate it cause she is dedicated and so hard working. I just hope that she and Britt are enjoying this time of planning and excitement about the wedding.
It is time again for the Fall Mini Shoot and here is our info for booking a session!!
I hope that we get a full day of shooting and have as much fun as we did last year.

Call soon...I will be back later to write more, Bennett is waking up and it is one of my favorite times with him. We sit in his rocking chair and grab a quick cuddle before he is ready to be off and running again. Nothing sweeter than a waking baby!!!!

Daughters are Forever!!

2011-08-25T20:06:00.000-07:00

I'll always need my daughter no matter what age I am... My daughter has made me laugh... Pushed my buttons, Wiped my tears... Hugged me tight... Seen me fall... Cheered me on... Kept me strong... And drove me a little crazy at times! But, my daughter is a promise from God that I will have a friend forever! Put this as your status if you have a wonderful daughter or daughters. :-)

A friend of mine posted this on her FB status tonight and if I ever felt it, tonight was the time. I knew going into this new life we all share would not be the easiest of tasks for me or for her. It seems I was right, but we are both determined to do what is necessary to make it work. We are both head-strong, determined and always right...lol!! See the problem? As her mother, I insist on being the voice of reason and right...as an adult woman, she is that same voice. We can't both have the role, right?? We can and we will, just not at the same time. It is hard to step back after watching a nightmare take away her dreams. It is hard not to want to protect her when I see a scary decision looming. It is hard to turn my back and bite my tongue and I don't do it very often, but I should. I truly only want her dreams to come true and would do anything in this world to make them happen. It is at times frustrating for us all, but for me it is worth every minute because she is the daughter that I always dreamed of. She has grown into a marvelous woman who bounces back with more determination after every set back life has thrown her. I am so proud of her. She is also loving, patient, caring and understanding of her old mom who is used to always being the only mother. We will have difficult times to come, but my hope is that we will weather these times with respect and love and sometimes with forgiveness.
I learned a good lesson in humility tonight and my daughter handled me with kid gloves that did more to make her point than any snippy remark or angry accusation could ever have made!! Thank you, sweetie, for being understanding and I am sorry. This is your home and as an adult, you have every right to enjoy yourself here.
I love you and Bennett more than you will ever know!!!

Jenna Continued

2011-08-24T11:22:00.000-07:00

This is a few of the last batch of shots I edited for the beautiful Jenna. We will be taking more photos of her this weekend...looking forward to it like you can't believe!!!!

This is Jenna's mom, Jennifer. She is funny and sweet and very flexible...lol. We had quite a time with all our schedules while trying to fit the shoots in. Anyway, I thank the two of them so much for allowing me to do Jenna's senior shots!

More Jenna

2011-08-19T20:53:00.000-07:00

I have not had a lot of time to edit today but managed to get a few more of Jenna's shoot edited tonight. I think I am one lucky photographer to have such a beautiful girl ask me to do her senior shots!!

I really hate the way Blogger loads photos!! They are grainy and not clear looking...UGH!!
More of Jenna coming later :)
Ok, I am back with a couple of more photos of the beautiful Jenna.....

One beautiful girl and a sweet family, too!

2011-08-18T21:55:00.000-07:00

It has been a really good week already!! I got to go uptown with my friend, Melissa, of Cole Photography and Splat Inc Designs, as she shot a really sweet family. I have never been to Imaginon or some of the areas that we walked after the shoot...thanks, Melissa, for allowing me to tag along!

This is Mary Claire, or MC as her parents called her. Such a gorgeous little girl that really was aware of the camera that was in her face constantly...lol

What a sweet family this is....how I enjoyed meeting them!!
And today I had the pleasure of photographing an absolutely wonderful looking senior!! Her name is Jenna and I loved taking photos of her...we had one of 2 or 3 sessions and will follow up with another session in a couple of weeks. I am telling you, this girl did not take one shot. She knew exactly how to turn her head and how to make her body look great!

Okay, that is all for tonight, but look for more of this beautiful girl!!!!
PS.... Jenna, you should know that those killer eyes are just great to photograph!!! See you in a couple of weeks :)

July Dog Days

2011-07-30T17:55:00.000-07:00

Man, it is hot!!!! And I like hot, but I DON'T like humid!! And when you put the 2 together you get a miserable Carolina day...or several of them in a row as in our weather here lately. But, I am not complaining too much cause we could be in a bad drought like parts of Texas...or be worried on a daily basis that the current hurricane brewing will blow our town away...or not have a nice safe home to live in!! I am not complaining! Well, maybe just a little. Ha,ha!! Okay, so I have not been here to post in a while because I can't post pics of my Bennett here and as you know everything I do these days (well, almost) has to do with him.
We have had a wonderful summer and he has changed so much it is almost frightening!! He is walking more and more by himself. Talking and trying to say everything that we do (yes, my foul mouth is curbed).
He is still not eating any real solid foods, but we try at every meal to give him something solid. Sometimes he eats a bite or two, and other times..not a mouthful. I figured as long as he is not starving, we are good, right??
The hot weather has kept us from doing some of the things we were hoping to do with him, but there is plenty of time to do them. Things like go to the beach (he is way too fair for this kind of heat), go to the zoo (not sure even the animals are out in this warmth), take longer (than we do now) walks and play in his baby pool for longer periods of time. I suppose we can do these things when the temps settle down some. But we have enjoyed being outdoors early and seeing the rabbits and squirrels and deer that frequent our neighborhood. Bennett loves being outdoors.
As for Mandy, she is enjoying her summer, too. She has done a lot of hanging out with her friends and has continued to keep in touch with school folks and is looking forward to her classes next school year.
I can't believe that it is almost time for school again....why does the summer seem to fly by?? I can remember when our children were little and we loved the summer so very much. We swam everyday and kept absolutely NO schedules. I did make the kids read each day and we did keep their math skills sharp by doing some work, but other than that we really just hung out and played and loved every minute of summer. We really milked the days and evenings for all they were worth! I always hated to see the school yr. begin. I missed my children when they went back to school.... I now miss my children being small and cuddling and tucking them into bed with a kiss. I do think that is the reason that I am more than thrilled that Bennett is here with us now. He is a throw back of our son, Casey, in almost every way!! And Casey really knew how to make the most of every summer day. I have never seen a child that played as hard as he did each day. When his little feet hit the floor he was off and running and that is Bennett, too. Summers will be so much fun for us all as he grows.
So, we have not gone on vacation yet...we will be going to the beach and to the mountains with my sister and brother-in-law, JoAnn and Ronald. It is with real disappointment that I will miss the baby shower of some of our oldest friends' daughter. It took quite a while for Lacey to become pregnant and when I saw her in early summer, she was just precious and so happy to be having a boy!!
This is Carol, our neighbor for many many years until they moved to Atlanta...her son, Keith, is Casey's age and her daughter, Lacey, is a year younger than Mandy. We have continued to be friends (despite the move) for almost 30 years!! She is funny and has the best laugh...and she is easy to amuse :)

And this is Lacey...you can barely see her little baby bump!! She has a warm and wonderful husband named Adam.

Lacey is one of the sweetest young women I have ever known. She is a former gymnast and not very big even today!! Her baby shower is in Aug. and Mandy and I had plans to attend. Now, our schedules and plans are being changed due to school stuff and things beyond our control and we will miss the shower. I am bummed! I will be trying to get to Atlanta before she delivers to take some maternity photos of her and I cannot wait!! :)
Hmmm, not too much more is happening around here. Let's see....I had a photo shoot with the most adorable little girls. Abbey and Callee were the funniest and cutest I have shot all year! (with the exception of Bennett, of course ) Here are a few of their best shots...

You can see why I love to photograph these two, huh?? So sweet and so dang cute. Abbey is the youngest and she is only 3 and it took a few minutes to get her to warm up to the camera. When she was finally comfortable...oh man, she was all ham!! And I loved it. We took these shots at a local park and it was so cloudy, I thought we would get wet any minute, but luckily, it held off and the shoot went great!
I have a couple of other shoots lined up and something new in the works, so stay tuned :)
I took a few shots of my sweet neighbor, Josephine yesterday for fun and here they are.....

JoJo the tourist..

JoJo the teaser...

JoJo the... well, let's say the caller!! (although the hat screams something different)

JoJo the fireman???

JoJo the beauty...

JoJo our special and sweet friend!!

Mandy and I went scouting for some places for me to shoot at my next couple of sessions and found a pretty nice place with a bridge and everything!!

Oh!! I almost forgot!!! I also took some shots of my beautiful niece, Brittany and her fiance, Clark. We were scoping out a winery called Millwood Winery in Vale, NC. We ran across this great field of sunflowers and even though it was 100 degrees outside, they were real troopers about giving us (Melissa and myself) the opportunity to get a few shots..

Loved this time...I love learning new places and doing new things......did I mention I have something new in the works??? I only have one problem these days and that is I am not taking very good care of myself in the exercise dept.!! And as a good friend of mine pointed out, I can make all the excuses in the world and it boils down to me putting in the time and making myself stick to the plan to lose weight and feel good about myself!! I will keep starting over until I have done it enough.....lol! Hopefully it won't take me forever.

Okay, nothing new here anymore. You now know everything in my life......open book, huh?? Dull book but open just the same.

Ta,Ta!!

Vintage

2011-07-07T20:50:00.000-07:00

Okay, not me...some photos that I was able to shoot earlier this week. My friend, Melissa, of Cole Photography and I were fortunate enough to hook up with an absolutely lovely couple who were more than happy to be our models for a styled shoot. They were so cooperative and willing to do anything we asked! I found some vintage props such as a dress (to die for red!), some old suitcases, some great chairs that I painted and an old ladder to mention a few. It was hot even early in the day...Melissa and I met at 7 am to head out to the site of the shoot. The sweet couple came shortly afterwards and we began a 3 hr. marathon of photographing them!! IT WAS FUN!!!! Want to see some of the images???

After we did several dozen shots we asked Kylie and John to change into more casual clothing and we went nuts shooting again!! Here are some of my shots.....

As you can see, this beautiful couple could NOT take a bad photo. Love that they were so cute and they had only been married a yr. and were very into each other. They cuddled and cooed during this shoot until I almost felt like a voyeur!! Just kidding. It was very sweet and I really enjoyed them so much. Okay, now on to the next thing to shoot...what will it be??? Hmmm??

She's Engaged!!

2011-06-27T07:06:00.000-07:00

This is my niece, Brittany. Yesterday her boyfriend, Clark, asked her to be his wife. They are beyond happy and I am equally happy for them. Clark is a very very special young man with a devoted family and a wonderfully generous spirit. He adores Brittany. More importantly, he cherishes her for the priceless treasure that she is. Brittany knows what a unique young man she has in Clark and will make sure that their love grows stronger and deeper as they grow and change together. I have met Clark's family and they are so loving and kind, the type of family that is hard to find these days. Clark has 3 sisters that are not only sweet but gorgeous. Clark had the opportunity to meet our family last Thanksgiving and the fact that he did not run for the hills afterwards speaks a lot of him. And he asked Brittany to marry him despite us...lol!
Brittany is so very dear to my heart. She and her Mother have been with me during the most wonderful and the most trying times of my life..

They are an awesome duo and I love them so much. I will never stop trying to repay them for all they do for me and others. Brittany has one beautiful sister, Jennifer, and a gorgeous niece, Jaden.

All her absolutely lovely girls!! And I am crazy about them.
I will leave now with a few shots of Brittany and Clark that were shot the day Brittany graduated from Appalachian, May a year ago.

Congratulations to you both. Uncle Brian and I and our family love you so much!!!

Long Time No Blog

2011-06-20T11:47:00.000-07:00

It has been a long road. We are finally settling into a comfortable routine at our home. Mandy and Bennett have now been here long enough to where we are all referring to it as "home". Her house has not sold yet, as a mater of fact, it has only had 4 showings in almost 3 months! The economy is so bad for housing. I am so afraid that my poor daughter's credit, which she has worked to build for many years now, is going to be ruined because of losing her home. Right now, she is making all the payments and expenses herself because her sorry ex will not help her. Wish I could just pick up and leave my financial obligations and say "Screw You" to whomever I owed money!! He did and Mandy will be taking him to court one day to make sure that he pays his part!!! Unfortunately, he is not in his right mind even yet. He still believes that he "deserves" to be a part of Bennett's life. Whatever!!! Bennett deserves NOT to have to deal with the psychotic loser coming into his life every other weekend for 2 hours!! THAT is NOT parenting, dude, no matter what you think! You would do Bennett much more justice if you left and stayed out of his life for good.....you know, kind of like you were planning if you had been able to find your passport 7 months ago!! Right, we have not forgotten your crazy actions, even if you proclaim your sanity now. A job and a semi-permanent place to live are NOT stabilty!
No more to this loser.....on to happier things.
Bennett turned 1 yr.old on June 4. We had a party with around 60 people here. Mandy wanted to thank some of the folks that have supported her and Bennett and their new life during the last few months as well as Bennett's birthday celebration!! We had a blast. Bennett looked amazingly cute in his little hat and outfit his Mommy bought him for the occasion.

I wish I could post more Bennett photos on this blog, but circumstances prevent me from doing so. Sorry. Along with Bennett's birthday during this time was Father's Day. Brian was more than happy to celebrate with Bennett on father's Day. Bennett loves his Pop so much! He calls him from the time he gets up in the morning and get so very excited when he walks in the door in the evenings.

Bennett loves for Pop to take him on wagon rides, his cozy coupe car rides and to swing him!!!

Our summer days will really not be officially started until Mandy is out of a workshop she has to take all this week......then, watch out!! We will be lazy campers all summer. Hopefully I will update this blog more often in the summer :) Until then, here is a nice photo of Mandy and Bennett reading one of the books we received for his birthday.

Ta,ta...and, as always, if you visit..please leave a comment. Thanks!

Prayers for little girl

2011-05-24T21:24:00.000-07:00

Please pray for my friend Cindy's little girl, Kate! She has been diagnosed with cancer and is currently on chemo. The little girl looking at the camera in this photo is Kate. I am so upset by this....I can't think of anything I can do to help her and her mom except to call and let them know that I am here if they need me. We always assume that our kids are going to be healthy and fine if we can just get them born and to a good age. Kate is 5. My heart breaks for this family and my prayers are non-stop.

Our family is moving right along. Bennett will be 1 year old in a few days and we are so excited!! A party?? Well, of course!! I will try to post some shots when I get some.
Until then, this will have to do....

They are so alike, it is scary. Later :)

It's my Birthday..oh yeah, and Easter!!!

2011-04-24T20:45:00.000-07:00

So today was a perfect day. Bennett got up early and actually cuddled with me and Brian for a little while this morning. He was so dang cute with his Easter basket and loved the cars his mommy asked the bunny to bring :) He made vroom vroom noises and we laughed and laughed at him!!
Mandy and I surprised Brian and showed up for the Easter service at church...Bennett's first time at an entire service. Well, kind of, cause he spent some of the time out in the narthex.
When we got home, we went to Mandy's to do some things and then came back to our house. We got stuff ready for the cookout we were planning for my birthday :)
Casey was supposed to come, but he ended up with a stomach bug and had to cancel on us :( I was sad since we had not gotten to see him on his birthday either. Hopefully he will show in the next couple of days and we can celebrate all our April birthdays together.
I had a big surprise when Gail and Brittany came down from Newton to join us for dinner!!
Poor Bennett woke from his nap a bit cranky and whined a lot till late in the evening. He was still cute and fun to have around though!
I really hope that everyone had a great Easter and here is my favorite photo from the day:

Have a wonderful week.............

Giveaway!!

2011-04-23T06:06:00.000-07:00

Great new giveaway!! Go here to check it out:

HTTP://CRAVEMYPHOTOGRAPHY.COM/BLOG/WORLD-WIDE-GIVEAWAY/

Long time away

2011-04-15T07:50:00.000-07:00

For the few people that still follow my blog, I am so sorry that I have been away for so long. Life it seems, is getting in the way of my blogging! Our lives are starting to take shape now. Mandy and Bennett are headed on a new path that eventually will lead them to a new home. Lots of work goes into the process of selling a home and hopefully, someone will come along and love and care for the home the same way that you do.
Mandy and myself still struggle with fact that all of this has actually happened. We wonder everyday what makes a person just up and walk away from their life at the drop of a hat? There are no real answers for us, we can only assume that the "walker" has a break from reality and a huge flaw in character to be able to do this..
Funny that while we are trying to work through this matter, our church's Lenten devotional comes to my email everyday and here is a piece of one I found particularly meaningful.......

Building Character
What we have or what we do in life is not nearly so important as what we are: for what we are is the sum of our character, and it is character that gives our lives meaning - who we are and what we do when faced with hard times and when no one is looking defines us as individuals as well as Christians.

Good character cannot be purchased, borrowed, or given away. It must be built slowly and carefully, not in an hour or a day, but during the course of a lifetime.
Author Maltbie Babcock, quoted in The Treasure Chest, wrote,"The workshop of character is everyday life. The uneventful and commonplace hour is where the battle is lost or won."

And we do not fight that battle alone. Many influence the development of our character. Although parents cannot deliver character to us in a package, they are responsible for the traits and attributes which make us what we are. We learn love from those who love us; charity from the charitable; faith from trial and hardship; and courage from endurance and defeat. And the opposite is also true: if hate is all we see, we cannot be expected to know love. We learn slowly and silently, and usually from others.

Good character does not appear spontaneously. It is developed through life and living - through exposure to light and darkness. A photograph is a good analogy - too much light and the picture is void of detail; too little light and the picture is left in darkness. And so it is with life - it takes the right amount of teaching, example and experience to build good character, and usually it evolves so slowly we fail to see when we are getting the wrong amount of "light" - when our character is poorly nourished with too much of what is bad for us or too little of what is right.

Brooke Westcott, an English prelate from the late 19th century once observed that we grow weak or strong . . . "Silently and imperceptibly as we wake or sleep, and at last some crisis shows for us what we have become.".......

Never have I believed anything as much as I do this. Our lives were turned upside down by a man that has little or no character and I know that "Karma is a Bitch" and one day he will be accountable for what he has done.
Thank you to Steve Morris for this devotional, it was very enlightening and helpful for me.

And thank you, Lord, for always sheltering us and giving us the things we need in our daily lives.

Good News?? Bad News??

2011-03-13T20:00:00.000-07:00

We have had a lot more upheaval in our lives as of last week. One was when Mandy's ex (also known as IOTAM...see last post for explanation) wanted to visit with Bennett again. She so does not want to see that jackass again for ANY reason. He was particularly mean to her, blaming her and only her for his leaving the marriage. Of course, this is just one of the many many reasons that he has told her so far, but it was extremely hurtful for her. And he does not like his new job (oh, boo-hoo!) and fights with his new girlfriend when he wants to visit Bennett. SO WHO CARES?? If he never has another peaceful day in his life, I think that is still too good for him!
The second blow was when Mandy found out that she would probably have to put her home on the market for sale. She has worked really hard to try to get financing to keep her home. Unfortunately, the timing of the downturn in housing and new rules for loans has put her in a very bad position. She is seriously considering selling now and moving in with myself and Mac until she can get enough money saved for a good downpayment on another home for herself and our sweet Bennett.
This is all a real downer for her because keeping her home has been a goal and it has helped keep her going everyday during all this mess. Mr. IOTAM did tell her that if she could still make the payments that she would not have to refinance and his name could stay on the loan (how generous of him, since he knows HE will have to fork over 1/2 of whatever the loss on the home will be) but what can of worms does that open up for her since her credit is then still tied to his?? Already she has had issues with his moving 3 or 4 times and changing addresses so much. It all ended up in HER credit reports!! How is that? Just crazy, and since his credit SUCKS, she does NOT want hers tied to him at all!!!

   She has worked hard for many years to make sure that her credit is good and she is still paying off some of Mr. IOTAM's debt where she tried to help him!!!! The man is still crazy as he can be...denials will NOT make you sane, boy!
   Mandy is a strong young woman and she will get through this with the help of her family and friends and her God!
   She and Bennett are so welcome to come and live with us...it will be a logistical nightmare till we are all settled in, but more joy will come from this than anything else! Brian is crazy about the idea of having Bennett there everyday when he gets home. He adores Bennett and cannot get enough of him.

DAMN!! I am out of storage room on my account! I can't post anymore photos!!
I will see what I can do and be back :)

Finally a Picture!

2011-02-28T10:36:00.000-08:00

Here is a photo that I took last week of Mandy and Bennett.

I love their eyes...they look just alike. And don't you just love Bennett's hat?? He is so cute in his hats, but it is a constant battle to keep them on him!
Mandy had another rough week. She was worried more and more everyday about the visitation with Bennett's father. He was giving her a bit of a hard time about the meeting place and and was pretty adamant that they meet at his mother's house or the park. WTH?? It was already decided that neither Mother's home was a neutral location for them, so it was not to be even
considered.....but NO, Mr. I Only Think About Myself (aka Mr. IOTAM) had other ideas. Bennett was very sick for almost 2 weeks and although the few days leading up to the visit were warm, Saturday morning it was pretty cool and a bit windy for a child that had a horrible cough still, so the park was not an option (although Mr. IOTAM thought that Bennett would be fine regardless). How in the hell does he think he knows one damn thing about this child??? He can not make any judgement calls for this baby since he has been gone for over half his life now!!!! He does not know this baby.  Thanks goodness, Mandy stuck to her guns about no park, and she gave Mr. IOTAM a couple of other options and he finally chose one.
    The day arrived and Mandy tried to make sure that Bennett had a good nap so he would not be fussy during the visit with Baby Daddy. Off they went to the chosen location, and lo and behold, Mr. IOTAM had brought his mommy with him. (a clear violation of agreed on visitation rules) Mandy was not happy at all. His mother has had many opportunities to visit Bennett and has chosen not to!! Mandy has made sure she knew that she has an open door for her....so why did she feel compelled to come to Baby Daddy's visit??  He was scared! Scared of my daughter!! HA!!! What a chicken shit!!! Can't face by himself the woman and child that he abandoned...OMG, what a loser!  He said he thought there would be some sort of altercation between himself and Mandy...WHAT???? She has never been ugly to him and for over 4 months, she supported everything and anything the dumbass thought he needed or wanted. But in the last therapy session that they were in together, she was honest and finally let him know how she truly felt about the situation, he is now scared of her....see why I say..... CHICKENSHIT!!?   Mandy has constantly taken the high road in this mess and the therapist's office was the appropriate place to tell him...Mr. IOTAM did not like that someone finally called his ass on the carpet for his sorry behavior. Scared him.....and I am glad! Mandy will never make a scene around her son concerning his father. She is much more mature and thoughtful of her son's well being instead of her own......Baby Daddy, not so.
Mr. IOTAM also told his mommy that he did not like the tone of Mandy's e-mails.......the tone?? How do you read a tone into an email? She had no tone...if there was a tone inflected, it was his!!! He is as crazy as they come and I hope he and his mommy's couch are getting along swimmingly.  Good riddance, you unhappy and self absorbed creature!! And to you, mommy, you broke your own rule of not getting in the middle!

On a good note, Sunday was a gorgeous day and Brian and I actually got to be with both kids and Bennett for a while. We all met at Mandy's and cooked out for dinner. It was so good to see my son, Casey. We do not get to see him often cause he is so wrapped up in his life right now. He works very hard and doesn't make time for his own family much.  Bennett was a little scared of him at first but warmed up a bit to him before the evening was over.  Casey is very funny and we love seeing him, especially with Mandy. They have a very strong bond and for that I am eternally grateful.  I love him so much and worry about him and his future, as do most mothers, I guess.
Here is the color version of that same photo as above:

*** So on Monday after I posted this, Mr. IOTAM emailed Mandy and said he had moved off of mommy's couch and back into the home of the slutty woman he was living with after he left her and Bennett in Nov......2 crazies that deserve each other! Didn't take long to see who was really going to butter his bread so he could get everything he wanted, huh? Same old pattern of using the people in his life, he will never change!! ***

Please leave a comment if you visit :) And as always, do not remove, copy or download any photos from this site!!!
Thanks :) :)

Long Time No Post

2011-02-23T09:29:00.000-08:00

Yep, it has been a while since I posted. Too much drama that makes me want to write very negative things going on in our lives right now. Baby Daddy drama, to be exact. So, I have tried to stay away so as not to be totally awful to the jerk in my posts. has it worked?? Well, hell no! I still would like to take him somewhere and wring his nasty hurtful neck. But, for my daughter and her son, I won't. She is finally in a place with all this where I believe she might would do it before I got the chance! And that is good, because the anger will get her through these very hard days. Hopefully it will be replaced with a sense of purpose and drive to do all she can do for her son each and everyday (and not just during a "visit").
She WILL be the major influence in her child's life and no one else. She is a postive person, a loving and kind person, a motivated person, a thoughtful and inciteful person, a God loving person (even though Baby Daddy does not approve) and she is a wonderful mother! There will be many wonderful things that Bennett will learn from her along the way to adulthood. He will have a good upbringing full of love, comfort , support and stability! This will keep him from repeating the paternal pattern!!!
Do you believe that psychologists and psychiatrists know everything about human conditioning and can tell what is happening someone's head? Every single day I am more and more convinced that they are as easily fooled by a liar as the rest of the world.  You do not know this child or the way he will be raised, Doc, so don't make assumptions!!
Mandy will raise Bennett to have a good heart and to take care with other people's hearts as well.
Okay, enough of this...on to other topics!

My sister, Gail, and I used to go to Ga. and visit our oldest sister when our Spring Breaks aligned. We had planned tentatively to do it this year, and lo and behold, our breaks are on different weeks again :( I am so sad cause I would love to go home for a few days to see my family.
Gail's break isthe week after Easter and ours is the week before Easter. And for the first time that I can remember, Easter falls on my birthday!!   Easter is kind of late this year, huh??
We have a couple of months fullof birthdays starting in March and then mine, my son Casey's and Mandy's birthdays are all in April! Busy month for us cause that is just a few of the April birthdays we celebrate.

We got a taste of Spring last week and I loved it. It is cold again today and I am bummed. I really want Spring and Summer to be here now! Bennett and I walked everyday last week but one (the one where he was running a fever). He is finally getting a little better but still has a nasty cough and a runny nose that does not stop all day!!

I can't add anymore photos until I delete some cause I have used all the allowed space for now . I will add some later.
For now, chow!!

A NEW DAY

2011-02-10T19:26:00.000-08:00

My daughter is one of the strongest young women that I know. She has weathered more heartache and problems in her 33 years than I have in my entire life! She now has some clarity in her situation with the husband that left her and her son. He has flip flopped again and is now certain he does not ever want her and their life again. But this post is not about him and his failures, it is about my daughter and her choices.
To Mandy:
I want you to know that your life will be what you make it from now on. You are now on a path that is not going to be easy. It will be tiring and stressful and wearing and worrisome...but even more so, it will be delighting in giggles of a little boy, watching small steps turn into bigger and bigger ones, snuggling cozily with a warm little head next to you, and holding onto that sweet hand with all your might, wishing that it would never get big! It will also be playing in the yard, and throwing balls, birthday parties, kindergarten and girls!! But more than this, it will be joy. Joy in the sheer wonder of your life with your precious son!!
I know that you are filled with doubts about your future, but know that you will weather this storm the same way you always have...one day at a time and with definitive steps making the best of everything thrown at you. Do not worry about what others may think or say. Make your plans and live by them...set small goals and be happy when you achieve the smallest of them. Celebrate your life with all the many many friends that love you so much. And take pleasure in your entire family (and it is big!) that would move heaven and earth for you. Don't ever forget how much love you still have in your life and how much that love can sustain you.
You are stronger and more capable than you know. Love will find you again......one day you will be ready. Trust that and please don't forget to pray that the Lord keep his hand on you everyday.
Life sucks sometimes...right now is a prime example. But you have turned a corner, and now you have the ability to make this stretch great!!!
I am so proud of you...and Daddy and I love you so very much!!!!

Okay, honey, take a deep breath...ready, set, go!! A new day and a new start. Make the most of it!!

BABY, YOU'RE A FIREWORK!!!!

Classes and Practice

2011-01-29T13:10:00.000-08:00

I took an online photo editing class with a friend of mine in Dec. and it was so good!! I have not had time to try any of the techniques that I learned because I have not been home long enough. I have done this one photo in bits and pieces and I am finally happy with the results. What do you think??
Do you remember this gorgeous girl that I had the opportunity to shoot with my friend Melissa?? Well, her photos were my trials. The first shot is straight out of camera.....not bad, just not great!

Okay, what do you think????? Too much? Too little?? I actually did a lot to this photo just so I could try everything the instructor had told us to do...some of the editing was not really necessary, but it was WAY fun to do!!

I can't wait to try out some more of the tips on more photos!!!!

Let me know what you think...I am open to any comments :) Thanks

Too quiet

2011-01-19T19:51:00.000-08:00

It is around 10:15 pm and it is quiet.....too quiet. I like noise. The tv, a radio, a baby's noises....just about anything (except a barking dog). I am pretty sure that this obsession with noise stems from having a houseful of siblings as I was growing up. With 6 brothers and sisters, there was never really a time that our home was very quiet. And you know what? I loved it. I don't ever remember needing to get somewhere quiet or by myself. I am not afraid of quiet, just don't care too much for it....unless I want to go to sleep, then I want the noise from a fan to lull me off to dreamland. Want to know something funny?? Almost all my siblings sleep with a fan, too! (or a white noise machine) Crazy isn't it?

In Mandy's home, at night her computer makes a lot of noise.....unfortunately it is not the soothing kind of white noise, but the erratic clickings of a machine on death's door!! Mandy says for me to turn it off, but I am scared that if I do the death will be permanent and I will be blamed for the demise!!LOL!
I am also not a person that likes to be alone too much. I love people and I love conversations and I love the interactions of friends and family. I can't wait until Bennett is really talking and I can show him things and talk to him about this huge world full of great stuff!!
I really wish that I could post some of the photos that I have taken of him in the last few days, but I have told Mandy that I would not, so I must stick to my promise :( It makes me very sad though.)

Bennett's dad is coming for a visit on Saturday and I am very worried. Worried that Bennett will be upset, worried that Mandy will be upset and most of all worried that the fragile little applecart they are both riding in will be turned over again!!
I really need to learn how to forgive, but right now my anger and hatred are winning out over forgiveness.
On a more positive note, I made a good dinner tonight....or so I thought. That is until we bit into the rice and it was so salty that we could hardly eat it!!! I NEVER add salt to anything while I am cooking or even afterwards, but the ingredients each must have had so much salt that it was way too much for the recipe...oh shit! Another one bites the dust and I am batting 2 for 2 for ruining dinners lately...ha,ah! Thank heavens I have never professed to being a great cook! I am hell when it comes to washing dishes and clothes and making beds though.
Mandy is so confused as to why I make her bed everyday....my philosphy is that the bed being made makes the entire room look neater and cleaner...even if there is crap in every corner!!

My poor hubby is sick right now with a lingering cough that has made his entire body ache from his hacking. You know my dear old Brian is sick when he leaves work early cause he feels bad....he NEVER does that and yesterday, he did. But that did not stop him from going into work today and infecting the rest of the company with his germs and illness!! NOT a smart man. I hope by the weekend he will be feeling better, if not he IS going to be drug (kicking and screaming, I am sure) to the doctor!

I had a really really nice conversation with my friend, Barb, the other day. It all started because she knows that I am breaking into the photography business and she has not 1 but 2 weddings in the near future!! Her sweet son is getting married this year to the cutest girl and her gorgeous daughter is getting married next year.....talk about a little stress!! Well, she asked me to put together some pricing and a package of sorts for them to consider for her daughter's photography. I was so thrilled, but at the same time I knew that I am not accomplished enough to take on a wedding and be the lead photographer. I asked if I could be second shooter and let my friend, Melisssa, of SplatInc Photography be the lead shooter. She was agreeable to that and after speaking to Melissa, we decided to meet with Brooke and her fiance to get to know them. Now, just let me say, that if she is anything like her mom, she will be fun, positive, outgoing and direct. Just the kind of client I would love to shoot. This was just the background behind our conversation.......but the conversation took so many twists and turns in the subject matter that it was hilarious! Someone listenig would have thought we were both ADHD becasue we could not stick to a topic. We talked about marriages, photography, children, mental illness, jobs (and the loss thereof), plans for the future, aspirations in life....I could go on and on just like we did. When I got off the phone with her, I felt like I had a little more insight to her and her life and I hope she did mine, too. It is obvious that she is a much more positive person that I am and is always looking for that good spin on things..... a lesson I could use right now! It is also obvious that she knows what she wants to do with the rest of her life and I pray that for her it comes to fruition! (I am still looking for my purpose) She is so giving and caring and it came through in every nuance of her talking. I really look forward to more good conversations with her. Barb, you are so special!! By the way, she has a blog and is a wonderful writer....the address is http://www.thoughtsaplenty-barbryan.blogspot.com/ and she is a deep thinker with words that are so meaningful. Great read and great writing from the heart!

I could not resist putting just a couple of shots of Mandy and Bennett on the post!

Bennett spends a lot of time on the floor rolling around these days!

Goodnight, everyone!! Sleep well.

No Snow

2011-01-19T07:36:00.000-08:00

Well, the snow is gone and now we are left to deal with the reality of winter...just drab days of cold and cooped up! UGH! I am SOOOO ready for some warm weather.....and NO, I am not one of those people that complain when it is in the 90's!! I love it and would not care if everyday were 90! Of course, I say that now that I am bundled up in a sweat shirt and 2 prs. of socks, but when summer comes, I will be just as bad to hibernate in the air conditioning...ha,ha!!
Today is a Wednesday and it is a different Wed. cause Mandy's piano students will come today. They usually come on Tuesdays. My daughter is so talented and loves her students so much. I listen to her talk and teach her kids and I know that Bennett is so very lucky to have this fabulous lady as his mother. She is calm and gets her point across to the kids in a way that they laugh and have fun...not like real learning at all! Bennett will be talented, too, I just know it. He already loves music so much. Anything that makes musical sounds and he is all about having it right there in front of him. He bounces up and down and claps his hands, well, really just one hand right now, and he almost keeps perfect time with the music!! He is animated and funny and I adore him!!
He has sprouted another little tooth and boy, is he biting on things with those razor sharp babies!!

Can you see them?? This photo is not the best, and it is straight out of my camera cause I do not have a program here to edit my shots. I have to load them directly into a file from the camera onto Mandy's computer...UGH!! I miss my PhotoShop program! Not even a sharpening program on here!
Anyway, Bennett is doing good these days....I am still really worried about Mandy, though. Just when I think she is doing better, the idiot ex sends some kind of note or e-mail that really sets her back. I am not sure what kind of game this ass is playing but he got what he wanted and if he thinks he is going to continue to come in and out of Mandy's life making her miserable and unhappy ....he better think again. How can he in one moment throw her and Bennett to the side and want nothing to do with their life anymore, then in the next moment he is sending notes and e-mails and talking about missing B. The dumbass needs to get on with finding his stinking excellent life, get a job and leave my family alone....yes, I know that he is Bennett's father, but he is not much of a man much less much of a father!! A real father does not abandon his family. A real father does not run away when things get hard. A real father does not lie to his family. A real father faces the responsibilities of the choices he has made....no matter the damn reason that he made them!! A real father??? No, I doubt that he will ever be that for our Bennett. He chose a path that will alienate him whether he likes it or not and one day his son WILL resent him.......history repeating itself and that is a shame. The only one suffering these days is Mandy and I really hate the fact that I cannot help her. I truly wish that she hated him because that would be so much easier to deal with. How can she ever know the truth behind such a deceitful and hurtful process? Too much has happened now to ever consider him a reliable person again!!
I hate that my blog has taken on such a negative tone and that my writings are all about this sorry state that Rik has left our family in........I will do better. Hopefully when the sun shines.
One more photo...

I promise, next post will be nicer!

New Year, New me??

2011-01-15T12:33:00.000-08:00

Like the title says...a new me!! Yeah, that isn't going to happen and I know it! I am not going to try to reinvent myself cause after all these years of floundering, I still don't know who or what I want to be! Let's just say that I will try to be a better version of what I already am...that will do, huh? I would like to be more patient, more kind, more talented, more resourceful , more thrifty, less judgemental, less fat, less argumentative, less uncaring and a lot more stuff. These things I can work on without calling it a new me, right? Now to the important stuff....can I change my attitude? Can I be more forgiving of people in my past? Can I be what others need from me? Will I be more helpful to the ones that need me the most? Can I see to it that my loved ones have what they need before I think of myself? Can I turn loose of my pride and my self loathing? Can I begin to see myself as others see me? Can I pray more everyday? Can I become closer with my God? Can I help my children become closer so that they will have a sense of peace from within when hard times hit them?
Can I do these things?? I don't know, but I am going to try.
I know I have not posted any photos lately, but I finally have some that mandy allowed me to use.
Bennett's first Christmas....

Santa came to Lolly and Pop's house this year for Bennett!!

Bennett got a new wagon for Christmas...wish you could have seen Pop pulling him around his dena nd kitchen after we took the toys and wagon back home...it was quite a sight!!

Even though Bennett was not feeling real well on Christmas Day, he enjoyed playing with Uncle Casey.

Considering everything happening in our lives, our Christmas Day was very good. But because Bennett was not well, he missed the very first snow. But this week he was fine and we took him out to be in his very very first snowfall ever!!!

He was not too sure about all the stuf falling into his face at first, and then the chill of the wind froze his brain and he began enjoying the cold and the snow!!

Crazy little kid like the stuff!! Ha! I was freezing and happy to be inside finally! I am so not a cold weather baby! So Mandy and Bennett then enjoyed the snow from the warmth of the house looking out the front door!

Okay, my main man is waking up from his nap and I have to go and get him, so I will update more later!!

Made It Through

2010-12-28T20:04:00.000-08:00

Well, we did it....jumped over a huge hurdle. We actually made it through the Christmas holiday. Not the most exciting one we ever had and Rik and his crap managed to put a damper on it anyway, no matter how hard we tried! Mandy did as well as I could possibly ask of her. She was okay with her Dad staying with her on Christmas Eve instead of me and on Christmas Day she was so sweet and excited about Bennett's first Christmas! Unfortunately, our sweet baby was not feeling as well as he could be due to a very bad cold. He was not too excited about his gifts, but man, did he LOVE the wrapping paper...lol! Typical kid, huh? We had a nice and relaxed day with Laura and Ralph and the girls and Casey. It was so sweet that he was there with us and so concerned about his sister. I just hope that he knows how very much it means to me.
Mandy got through a couple of more hurdles over the last few days...one was seeing some of their mutual friends and having to talk about the situation she is in...and the other was seeing Rik for the first time since they signed the papers. This was also the 1st time Rik has bothered to see his son in almost a month! He came to bring him Christmas gifts......as if that makes up for not being here with them!!
Mandy was not looking forward to the visit and it was as awful as she had thought it would be. He talked of being happy with his own situation and has absolutely NO regrets about leaving his wife and child. He still has no job and seems to be mooching off the newest gal in his life.
Oh yeah, and he is writing a book about his idol...Ernest Hemingway. WHAT??? Is he stupid? I would say yes to that......."How the Writings of Hemingway Have Influenced My Life". (Title: Hemingway In a Hammock) Oh give me a break!! You want to be like Hemingway?? You need to have money BEFORE you run away and desert your wife and child!! You want to be like Hemingway? You need to have at least 2 more kids that you abandon! You want to be like Hemingway? You need to have several diseases or ailments that create lots of pain in your life! You want to be like Hemingway?? You DO know how he ended his own life, right?? This is the man that you emulate?? A man that could not handle his life (failures or successes) and was constantly looking for something else to make him happy...you need to read more than the idealistic novels that Hemingway wrote and study his own life for a while...you may not be so happy following in his footsteps!!
Hemingway, my ass!!! Grow up and live in the real world, young man...the world of responsibility and living up to the choices that YOU and only YOU have made in your life!!! No excuses or blaming of others for your own short comings!!!! Stand up and admit that you are a loser and can't handle the life of a real adult man...then and only then will you begin to heal yourself of this idealistic dream world you are attempting to live in. What a mess and one day you WILL be sorry for what you have done and you will realize what true happiness is and how you threw it away. I just hope that I am around to see that day!
ON A GOOD NOTE, my own husband did find a job. He was out of work only a week before he managed to get a new one and make sure we were taken care of!! If he could get a job (at 60 yrs. of age) this quickly...wonder why someone else can't manage to do it....just saying!!!
I hate that this is the only way that I can get my hurt and frustration out over what is happening to my daughter. She is strong, but this has knocked her for a very hard loop. She is living day to day trying to get by with the love from her son and her family and friends to carry her through this mess.
You go, Mandy!! You will make it...cause...
BABY, YOU'RE A FIREWORK!!!!!! We love you!

Sunday morning

2010-12-19T07:46:00.000-08:00

Here it is a very quiet but still unsettled Sunday morning. We all awoke early...Mandy, Bennett and myself. We went downstairs and turned on the tree and stood quietly looking at the bright lights, wondering why our lives have gotten so twisted and hurt. Looking at Bennett gives us a sense of pride and wonderment that mothers feel everyday, but it does not take the sting away from my daughter's heart right now. We went yesterday to the mall to try to get some of our Christmas shopping done... I had not even started!!
We got most of the things we went there to do done, but it was very very hard for Mandy. Everything reminded her of her estranged husband. The snow started coming down very gently in huge flakes soon after we got to the mall...and that started her downward slide. Seems he had loved the snow and really looked forward to the first one of the year......I sure as hell hope that he enjoyed this one!!! Happy people, couples, families together were all a reminder for her of what she has lost.....it is not fair. My daughter does not deserve this kind of hurt and it is extremely tormenting for her since this came out of the blue with no warning signs at all. Makes it very very hard for her to put it into a place where she can live with it.
Bennett on the other hand is the light in all of this. He is such a joy and is more talkative and active than ever. He LOVES to play on his mat and rolls all over the place reaching for anything that sits still for long. Lucky for us, the dogs do not or they would have much less hair on their bodies and tails!! LOL. We took him to see Santa and he was great! Gave a huge smile and we got a very cute photo! 1st Christmas!! Is there anything more precious and exciting??
Since my last post, things have changed in my life, too. My dear sweet husband of 38 years has lost his job, too...don't worry, he is NOT going to go crazy and run off with another woman!! He is the rock that all of us lean on these days. He is optimistic and hopeful that another job will open for him in the near future. His company was sold on Tuesday and on Thursday, he was informed that he was the only employee that was not being hired by the new company. SUCKS to be the oldest employee when this type of thing happens. Mac is so sweet and was so worried about me and Mandy and how we would take this news. Granted, I did not take it very well at all, but sucked it up and realized that I am married to a man that is ALWAYS going to take care of his family no matter what happens. He will do whatever it takes to make our lives secure and happy and I will never ever have to doubt that for a minute!!! His concern is and always has been me and our children. He has given up a lot to give us what we want and need.....no new trucks, no boats, no motors, no new golf clubs or anything he might consider a selfish need or want!! I really am lucky and I love him so very much.
My deepest thoughts ask.....How can this man be so good and strong to all of us, while Mandy's husband be so insecure, selfish and hurtful to his family??? What happens to a person to a make them this way?
We also got to attend Mandy's choral concert on Thursday evening and it was wonderful!! The kids are so talented and they gave an absolutely awesome performance...and the place was packed! A lot of Mandy's former students were there, too. I love how these kids are so supportive of her.....a special thank you to AK Chamber Choir that made her week with all their wonderful and sweet gifts and gestures to her this week!!!
And thanks to the many many parents that have been there for her during these trying days!!
The days will be hard for her and our family, but we are determined not to let anyone ruin another one of our Christmas times!!
I am so sorry if these posts seem depressing and somber right now...I need to vent and this is my way to do it!
Feel free to leave your comments because they are always welcomed. Have a wonderful week!

Sorry

2010-12-08T19:45:00.000-08:00

Okay, I know it has been a while since I posted and I am afraid it may be awhile again after tonight. Our lives have literally been turned upside down in the last three weeks. My daughter's husband lost his job and had some sort of mental break and has taken off like some little chicken shit to "find himself" and to have "not a great life but an excellent life". What adult man gives that as a reason for abandoning his wife and 6 month old child?? Thoughtless, selfish and uncaring are the only words I have for the young man that I have loved for many years and I was so certain was my daughter's soulmate! He is a coward and a cheat. He will never know the happiness of sharing a funny giggle with his son as he sits up by himself, or the sweet smile that he gives so readily these days or how it feels to watch him grow and be proud of him for tiny little accomplishments. This man that I welcomed into our home and our family has taken a huge chunk out of our hearts and simply thrown it away after crushing it! Do I sound upset? Well, I am very very upset that this sorry excuse of a man has again hurt my daughter and left her to pick up all the pieces of the mess he has created. Do I hope he finds happiness?? I don't really give a rip whether he does or not...he has some sort of mental imbalance and I for one am glad that this loose cannon can't hurt my daughter and her precious son any more. I am sure that one day this man will snap back and will regret throwing away true happiness.
I can't post photos of Bennett on my blog anymore because of this situation and I apologize to my family in advance.
Please if you read this blog regularly, pray for my daughter and her son.

OMG!! Where Does the Time Go??

2010-11-16T17:58:00.000-08:00

It has been a busy busy fall so far. I am actually looking forward to getting in the car to ride to Ga. in the car for 6 or 7 hours, just so I can relax and do nothing....lol! I have shot a few more sessions and have at least one more lined up this weekend. A family of 6 that lives in our neighborhood and I am excited about this one. Melissa is going to come and help me and I know that I will be depending on her to give me some posing guidance. This past weekend I did some headshots for a friend of mine's daughter. She has a modeling portfolio and just got braces. She needed to update her photos to include some shots with the braces on. She is a very pretty girl...

I also took some shots of a friend of mine and her family. She has the most adorable little 2 year old daughter. Only one problem, the daughter has grown up with her mom putting a camera in her face (she is a photographer, too) and now the little girl is not very cooperative when she sees a camera. But I got a few good shots of her and hopefully my friend will like the ones I got for her.

Such a cute family. I really like Trudy and she and I have a lot in common with the photography stuff.

While researching a local park as a place to shoot this family on Saturday, I took Josephine with me. Melissa and Quinn came and we got a few shots with the kids.

My darling Jo was so much fun...she is so sweet and I adore that she will come with me and let me take her pictures any time I need a good model!!!

I have not been able to get to any new classes in a while, so I have been reading and practicing on Bennett every chance I get..here are a few of the most recent ones.

Today I took my flash off of my camera and used the reflector to even out some of the light..here is the results....

(Sorry, I had to remove these photos from my blog)

Okay, so the last one was not with the flash, but I am practicing and I am going to get good at this if it kills me!!!!

Lots of changes going on around here these days and I SO want my life to be settled. I want my children's lives to be on firm ground so I can take a deep breath and let it out!! I am constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop where they are concerned and I am really weary of it. Do all parents live like this?? I want to sit back and take it all in, instead of constantly worrying and hoping that their lives will be solid and safe!! Lord, help me!

If you are a reader of this blog....please do not take offense as I ask you to pray for my daughter , son-in-law and son and the things happening in their lives right now. And I will pray that nothing takes them away from Charlotte and from the support system that they have here. And I will pray for a deep exhale to come soon.

Thanks for reading, enjoy the pics and remember to leave a comment.

PLEASE DO NOT TAKE, COPY, DOWNLOAD OR REMOVE IN ANY WAY THE PHOTOS ON THIS BLOG WIHOUT PERMISSION.

Free Saturday

2010-11-06T11:09:00.000-07:00

I am at a loss today...I get to do whatever I want to..NO schedule, NO running around, NO problems!!!!
It has been a crazy fall so far.......and I have loved every single minute of it!! Of course, I bring it all on myself by wanting to do everything that I can to help myself get better as a photographer and help my family to make a good life.
Mine and Melissa's fall mini shoot was a real success. We had a total of 15 families and friends and it was super! We got to shoot young and older kids and some family shots. We had amazing blue eyes, beautiful dark eyed infants, shy smiles, total grins, curly hair, straight hair, running kids, totally into it kids, and some that were just not going to have their photos made if their life depended on it!! We had all kinds and it was FUN!! I have done all but a couple of the families' editing and Melissa will be sending them their gallery and/or CD this weekend. Here are a few of the shots that I took of the kids.......the first one is Chloe. She was such a doll!! She posed any old way that Melissa and I asked her to and she was precious!!

And this is Henry. Man, can you imagine what this little fellow is going to be able to do with those eyes when he gets a little bit older?? So dang cute!!

And this is my little buddy, Cole. He has been in my life since before his birth....I can actually remember the day that Mandy and I were in an aerobics class that his mom taught and she came running in and called us to the locker room and showed us a pregnancy stick!! Yep, that is positive. And he has always held a special place in my heart since then! He is as big as I am these days and gave me fits cause he wanted to wear his glasses in the photos. Problem was...the glasses are the kind that get dark in the sunlight, and we had to explain to him that people want to see his beautiful blue eyes and not his glasses!! We compromised and took some photos with them both on and off.

And this is Cole's sister, Hannah. Talk about a camera hog!! That kid loves to have her photos taken...and it made our job very easy. Hannah also has a very special place in my heart because I was there when her Mom and Dad found out their baby was a girl AND I was there when she was born!! What a great day for us all....but mostly for me. You see, my own daughter was in the room with Hannah's Mom, Dad, and me (got caught there while bringing Dad food). Before that time, my daughter had not thought that she wanted children. This was a turning point in her life.......she saw what a wonderful and miraculous thing having a baby is. I thank God every single day that Mandy was there and that God shared with her this wonder. Love you, Nicky, for allowing us to be there for your child's birth. Hannah, I love you, too!!!

This is Jenn and her family. They were such a sweet group. It was a pleasure to be able to photograph this beautiful and loving family. The kids were a hoot! The little girl loved her photo to be taken and to get the little boy to smile we had to keep yelling "want to go to McDonald's" and he would grin like crazy!!

This blue eyed beauty is Luke. I swear, we did not take a bad shot of this kid!! He and those blue eyes were such a dream. He had an awesome smile, but did not flash it very often. How cute is he???

And this is Gabriel. He was our first little boy of the day and could not have set a better example for all that followed him. He was playful and sweet and was very agreeable to sit which ever way we asked him to. Great big lashes and sweet brown eyes!! So darling!!

This is the daughters of a friend of mine. They are too die for sweet and were really liking having their photos made. LOVE these girls so much!! Not only are they gorgeous thy are just as sweet and kind.......just like their lovely mother!!

This is a brother and sister that were very reserved when they first came to the session. They warmed up very quickly and we got some awesome shots of the two of them!! Elizabeth and Ethan, we really enjoyed you both!!

Thank you so much to all our wonderful families......I will be posting more as I get the chance. And because I have to include photos of my Bennett...here we are!

(Sorry, I had to remove these images)

Cutting teeth so there is always lots of drool!!

Okay, that is going to be it for today...gotta go make some CDs for some folks. Hope you all have a great weekend.

Enjoy the photos, but please do not take them, or copy them or download them without permission! Thanks and please leave me a comment!!

What fun!!

2010-10-31T11:24:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween!! Can't believe that it is the end of Oct. already. That means that Thanksgiving is only a month away and I am getting so excited. I LOVE LOVE LOVE Thanksgiving because I get to see all my family. This is the only time during the year that we all try to make it home to see each other. It is so hard for everyone cause we are scattered all over. It is such a joy to be able to spend time with them all and to catch up on what is happening in everyone's lives.

This is my brothers and sisters and myself. Not only do we come home at Thanksgiving, but all our children and their children (or as many as can get there) also come. It is a more than 3 housefuls and I do mean FULL!!! We are sleeping in every nook and cranny of all the homes that hold us!! It is so much fun. I would not trade anything for the memories that we all have from these times together.

Tonight we will miss giving out candy at our home for the first time in 29 years!! We will be with Bennett on his first Halloween. They are having a parade for the kids in his neighborhood and we are going to see the kids and have dinner with M & R. Bennett will be a baby dinosaur. Yep, we have a cute little costume that M and I found at a consignment sale back during the summer. It is so funny to see him in that thing. I will be posting some photos if the little stinker will let me take some!

Just a Halloween from my neighbor's yard.

We had part two of the first Mini Shoot on Saturday. We had 4 families and 2 of them had kids that were a bit of work to get some decent shots. But we did and I am very happy with the resulting images...want to see a couple??

Devon and the Kids

2010-10-21T10:58:00.000-07:00

So here are some more of the wonderful clients from Sat. and Sunday's shoot.

This is Devon, a senior that has been part of Melissa's personal life for a while now. She was her son's first babysitter. Gorgeous girl that is very photogenic and would turn and twist any which way and go into any kind of woods or high grass we asked her to!!! LOVE this kind of model :)

Had to include the color of this one, The light was just too pretty!!

More later......

Sneak Peek from Photo Shoot and a giveaway!

2010-10-20T08:19:00.000-07:00

First check out this great giveaway from Clickin Moms on I Heart Faces!!!
http://www.iheartfaces.com/2010/10/clickinmoms-giveaway/
We had a wonderful day on Saturday at our mini shoot! We had 11 families and they were all great and such fun to photograph! We started our day with the cutest little girl! We have some awesome photos of her playing with a little hat that Melissa had brought as a prop.

And have you ever seen such wonderful blue eyes in your life?? This little fellow was so sweet and we could not get enough of him and his baby blues!

We had the sweetest families. But mostly we enjoyed the children. How could you not enjoy them when we get images like these from such sweet faces....

More to come later on this week...stay tuned.

And of course, no post is complete without photos of Bennett!! Here he is modeling some hats for me.

(Sorry, I had to remove these images)

And he hated it!! LOL! Enjoy! And please leave a comment.

Coming Soon...like Saturday!!!

2010-10-12T12:53:00.000-07:00

So, our Mini Shoot is coming up fast...Saturday will be here before you know it. The weather should be good. It will be at least 8-10 degrees cooler and sunny! Couldn't ask for a better forecast. Now let's just hope they are right!!
Here is a photo with one of the props we can use for younger kids..... isn't Bennett a good model?

I have this old suitcase that belonged to my husband's Mother and Daddy. Works great as a prop...wish I had several more of them. Bennett and I spend late mornings and most afternoons outside. He loves being outdoors and it is just perfect weather for him right now.

(sorry, I had to remove these images)

More photos and more fall late......

More Jo and Carly...practice, practice, practice

2010-10-11T14:40:00.000-07:00

I feel the need to practice my shooting before we have a yard full of kids and families over here!! I am getting so excited about the photo shoot this weekend. I still need to clean up some areas in the yard and get them ready, and I want to grab a couple of more props, but then we are ready to roll!! I hope that I can do a good enough job for all the wonderful people that have booked. I know Melissa will, there is no doubt there.
So, here are some of the shots of the girls from yesterday when we were playing in the yard.

The girls really liked the Christmas balls, so there are a lot of them with those...lol!

Bless her heart, Josephine was willing to pose and pose and pose for me. She is a natural and was so good to let me drag her and Carly around the yard!

For some reason, Carly likes to do this funky smile and Jo and I worked pretty hard to get even this kind of a smile from her. Such a serious look most of the time! Then when she smiles, she tucks her bottom lip in and you get a very different smile....most times I can't tell if she looks upset or mad..lol!

They are the sweetest thing. I so enjoy going out every afternoon and watch them play in their front yard. Laura has a glider and some chairs and a lot of the neighbors gather over there and enjoy late afternoons and early evenings. I miss it when the weather gets too cold to sit outside.

And I will miss barefeet and dirty little toes! But, by this time next year our own little monkey should be at least tottering around. I cannot wait!!

To get this smile from Carly, Josephine stood over my head making funny gestures and making faces toward me that made Carly laugh. Thanks, Jo!

Jo is a born model!! And just because I can...I will post a couple of Bennett :)

(Sorry, I had to remove these images)

Do you remember when I got this throw?? My sister-in-law made it for us. We were supposed to take beautiful infant pictures with Bennett. Well, Bennett had other ideas! He was such a light light sleeper as a tiny infant, that we could not get those sweet posed photos of him! Little stinker. He just had to ruin my plans. Anyway, I am now using it and it looks so wonderful in the sun!! Kathy, can't tell you how grateful I am to you for making this for us!!

I am editing some more of the shots with Bennett, but I am headed to a meeting now, so back at

you later, folks!

Leave a comment when you visit and come back again :) Ta, ta!!

More Fall..more photos.

2010-10-07T17:29:00.000-07:00

Don't forget to sign up soon!!

I was trying to get a few shots of something in the backyard to see how the light was going to be when we shoot on the 16th. I asked Carly to come over and be my model and she did...not happily, but with her mom she did.

I am liking the light around the yard, but don't know about having to chase it around on the day of our shoot! Got to think of something to do to get good light all day.

And you have to know that I can't post without some shots of Bennett. Set him in his little seat, thanks Kate) and put some pumpkins close to him.

(Sorry, I had to remove these images)

He was not really feeling up to his sweet little self as I did this, but he likes outside, so he was still very good. Not still........just good. I love him so much and look forward to him every single day. Don't know how I am going to get by without him if they don't get to come to Ga. with us at Thanksgiving :(

The outfit he has on in the two pictures below, is from my sister, JoAnn. He has worn it a couple of times and now the onesie is almost too short for him....but, the pants are still too long!! Poor boy, he has short short legs and a long torso. But he is still tooooo cute :)

Hope you enjoy the photos...more to come as soon as our photo shoot is done. By the way, not only will I be without my Bennett during Thanksgiving, I may end up being without my camera!!! I have to send it in to be cleaned and it will take about 5-8 weeks! What the heck?? Can I do without my camera for that long??

Please leave a comment when you visit :)

Finally some Jo and Carly

2010-10-06T18:15:00.000-07:00

First thing first...please remember that we still have some openings for our Oct. 16 mini shoot. make sure you tell all your friends and family about it and have them contact us soon!

It has been forever since I got some good photos of my next door neighbors, Carly and Jo. I finally took my camera out yesterday and captured some images of the girls. They had just come back from a bike ride where Jo had fallen off of hers and busted it on the road! She had a busted lip that looked pretty bad and had torn her pants, but other than that, was very lucky not to have been hurt worse.

Isn't that awful? Her poor lip was swollen for a while and as the evening got cooler, the swelling went down some. Jo is also taking guitar lessons and she was showing me how she played her newest songs.

And while Jo played, her sister, Carly, was a busy little bee cleaning and wiping off the bikes. She chose her own clothes (check out the photo further down) and fixes her own hair...usually, no less than three clips a day are put into place.

Carly used to be the most awesome hugger and she would run to us the minute we went outdoors. Right now she is going through a phase where she won't leave her mom or dad's site for a minute. I miss the old Carly.

Jo continued to play as I went about taking some other shots in their yard. This is Laura's new bottle tree. A friend of hers made it for her. I encouraged her to move it to her back yard after Halloween!! LOL! Let's just say that Laura has eclectic taste. I love it cause there is always something new and different showing up in her yard.

I took some photos of their dog, Milka, who is a gorgeous animal and so sweet....as long as you don't try to go into their yard without her seeing you. She will come for you with all her teeth bared!

I even got a shot or two of the girls' dad, Ralph, with the Jo and Carly.

Carly-Loo showing me how she can hoola-hoop. Now, how do you like her outfit??

Poor Bennett got another set of shots today and his little legs were hurting him something awful!! He was crying really hard when I talked to his Mandy in the late afternoon today. I feel so bad for him. I had lunch with them right after his Dr. appt. and he was all smiles while he was awake. They went home and both took a nice long nap and that is when his leg started hurting. Poor baby.

The other day, I finally introduced Bennett to our cat, Pepper. Pepper was not the least bit interested in Bennett, but Bennett watched Pepper walk around the kitchen for quite a while!!

A good friend of mine, Kate, brought some baby things over for us on Tuesday. Bennett like the little seat and I got to wash bottles while he entertained himself :) Thanks, Kate!! (and kids!)

And he was still enough for me to get a shot of his little toes, too!!

I had to go outside for something the other morning and took Bennett out with me...it was cool and his little nose and eyes got red, but he was loving the outdoors!

(Sorry, I had to remove these images)

The stupid thing would not let me load the watermarked photo like this....UGH!

So enough for today. Please pass along the mini photo shoot info to friends and as always, please leave a comment when you visit...have a good one! Ta,ta!

Wedding Wrap Up

2010-10-02T21:46:00.000-07:00

When we last left the wedding, Melissa and I were finished with the family shots and were headed out to a park where Bobbie and Matt wanted some photos. This would be fun cause Melissa and I had scouted out several more great places within comfortable walking distance from the Inn to take some other shots as well. What we were concerned about was the continuing threat of more rain. But off we went and kept our fingers crossed that we could achieve our goal. So, here are my shots of the newlyweds. Please also go see Melissa's gorgeous shots at her blog.. www.splatinc.com

I could not resist the next one. She was too cute and her shoes were shiny!!

I can't even begin to tell you how lucky we were because Matt and Bobbie were willing to go anywhere and take any photo we asked them to pose for. After getting a few of these, the sky was really threatening and Matt's Mom was very concerned about Bobbie getting soaked in her beautiful dress....so, reluctantly, we started our walk back to the Inn. We could not resist shooting as we walked.

It was so very sweet to me that Matt's Dad was the one in charge of Bobbie's train. He moved it around and carried it almost every single time she walked. Love that!!

And when we reached the Inn, it was now time for eating, cake cutting and the dancing!!

Although there were some awesome and touching toasts given by Bobbie's mother and Matt's brother, I have no real good shots of it, so to see those make sure you go to Melissa's website and check out her blog.... www.splatinc.com

I took several more detail shots and want to share them.

Make sure you read the card that was attached to everyone's napkins. Matt and Bobbie arranged to do this as their wedding favor......I just love how significant it made the choice of date for the wedding day!

None of these pictures do the flowers justice.....they were so beautiful! They complimented the vintage feel very nicely.

This tree picture was painted for Bobbie and Matt by a friend. They used it as a special part of their guests sign in. Each guest was asked to make a thumb print on the tree (to look like a leaf) and then to sign the thumb print. It turned out great and now Bobbie and Matt have another wonderful momento of their day. Good idea, huh?

All the tables were set beautifully and the entire room had a very romantic feeling.

And then there was the awesome cake!! I could not get enough photos of it...can you tell, lol?

This is Matt's Mom. Cute as she could be and was making the rounds talking to guests and only stood still for a moment for me to get this shot!! I also got a couple of shots of Matt and his Mom before the wedding started as she was helping Matt put on the watch that had come from his Grandfather.

Do you remember the phone booth that I pictured in an earlier post and said it would have a place in the day's events? Well, here are a few of the pics...

How many men can you pile into one phone booth?? We put 5 men and that booth was small!

And as we were playing around in the phone booth..Matt surprised us all! He was so funny in his SuperMan costume and Bobbie played along for our photos.

Matt and Bobbie took time to put their own thumb prints on the special tree.

Afterwards, we went dancing! You can tell that Bobbie and Matt had every intention of enjoying the Jazz Band that played that evening. They danced....

And they danced.........

And they danced some more.....

And they both also danced with their family and guests.

These little girls danced for a while, but then they got tired and just hit the floor and watched Bobbie like she was a princess...and to be honest, she was on this night.

The band was really good. I am not necessarily a jazz music fan, but this group was so good, I found myself wanting to shake my booty to their music!!

At the end of the evening, we took Matt and Bobbie to the lobby for some photos around the piano. Bobbie really wanted to get on top of the piano, but it did not go over too well with the Inn, so we settled for some shots like these.

And with that kiss, we ended our evening. Ten hours of shooting and fun had come to an end. It was a phenomenal opportunity for me and I want to thank Melissa of Cole Photography. (www.splatinc.com) And Bobbie and Matt thanks for letting me be a part of your day!!

Now, just a few pic for fun.......enjoy!

Please leave a comment when you visit so I know that someone actually reads this blog...LOL! Thanks

Mother Nature's Smack Down!!!

2010-09-29T12:03:00.000-07:00

So, the story continues of the Savannah wedding.......
Melissa and I finally got the shots that we wanted and were headed to collect the guys for the fun shots that were planned with them in the area close to the Inn. And then, it happened.. a torrential rain. I honestly thought the sky was caving in it was such a hard rain (think hurricane)! We decided to wait it out. Sept. in Ga. is notorious for steamy days with scattered rain at unexpected times. The guys were on the internet constantly and were trying to assure us (and themselves) that this was a quick moving front that would last only about 15 mins.

Yes, it was SUPPOSED to be a 15 min. front...well, that wasn't quite the way it ended up. We had things planned to the minute on this day and this rain was not helping our schedule at all!!!! Hello??? Mother Nature, don't you know we have a wedding to get to?? Come on, now. Please let up.

Mother Nature just laughed said, "Hell NO!" And then to prove who was boss, she sent a bolt of lightening straight to the transformer that feeds the Inn. That's right...out went the lights!!! So, here we are about 3 hours away from the wedding and we have no power!!! So, we waited in the dark. We went to check on Bobbie, our bride, to make sure she was not freaking! She was the calmest I have ever seen a bride. Her demeanor and assuredness made everyone in the group more calm and accepting of this little bump in her day!!

Smiling and calm...and absolutely gorgeous. Can you see how dark her room is??? The only light was from the rather small window at the end of the room.

It was about 30-40 minutes and the rain let up to a drizzly mist. The guys were itching to get the shots outside so Melissa and I planned to take them out.....wait a minute??? We can't both go!! It was almost time for us to do the getting dressed shots with our bride!! Melissa turned to me and said it was my choice but one of us had to stay at the Inn. I quickly went into panic mode. If I went with the guys, I would surely screw up the only shots that they really wanted...and did I have the right lenses to pull them off?? If I stayed with Bobbie, I would be responsible for getting those important shots of the bride and her mother in one of the closest and sweetest times for them both!! Oh Crap! What to do? Was I scared? Yes, I was scared. Melissa put a lot of faith in me and I did not want to disappoint her. I chose to stay. I watched them go and prayed a little prayer that my hands would be steady and that the lights would come back on!!!!! I went to Bobbie's room and shared with her in my most confident voice, that we were ready for her to dress. I moved her and her mom as close to the window as possible and they began the long honored tradition of dressing the bride. It would have made for better photos if we could have had the bridesmaids in the shots also, but we were crammed against a bed and a wall and had absolutely NO room. Here are the resulting shots....

Not a very good shot, but this was when I think Bobbie was really aware that her day had come and it was not long before she and Matt would be together!! She took a deep breath and settled into her excitement and anticipation. I have to say, I was not a very good poser, but Bobbie looked so wonderful, that I did give too many directions. She was a little self conscious smiling without having anyone but my camera face to smile to, but she did great and looked marvelous doing it!!

I love this photo of Bobbie and her Mom...they both just glowed! They were so happy and it was so sweet to see how close the two of them were. It really made me miss my own sweet daughter.

As Bobbie and I were getting ready to go out into the Inn and take some other shots, I got to take some shots of the ring bearer, who was as cute as a button in his little vintage suit and hat.

Very expressive, don't you agree?? He was quite a little character.

The lights are still out in the Inn and now I am getting nervous because we are going to the balcony and I know there is no light there at all.......except, remember me telling you in an earlier post that this window would play a big part in our day??

This window was on the same level as the second floor balcony and made for some beautiful light....even if the light was a muted cloud hidden kind of light!

About the time I figured out how to get a decent shot....the lights came back on!! And Melissa returned. Thank you, thank you, thank you!! And that is when we got photos of the girls on the balcony and then the guys on the balcony!

And the guys, who carried around their beer and various drinks were ready to be photographed!

His groomsmen are not happy that they are losing a buddy, it looks like.

And then a worried groom watches as the rain starts again.....and this is his response.

We decide to take a break from the guys and get some shots of the girls on one of the outdoor walkway. I was in the courtyard shooting up, while Melissa was on the walkway with the girls. See her great photos of this at her website and go to her blog. www.splatinc.com

And then we realized that the guys were on the floor right above the girls....so we got shots like this, making sure that the bride and groom did not see each other!!

And as we were shooting, the fine mist that had come on the tail of the storm finally stopped. Bobbie's Mom came to tell us that guests were gathering inside the Inn and the staff was getting ready to dry off everything and place the rest of the chairs outside. It was time!!

So off everyone went to their places. I went to the opposite balcony 2 floors up from the courtyard. Melissa and I had scoped out our shooting places the day before and knew exactly where we would capture each couple and the bride and groom.....well, that didn't happen!! There was a friend of Bobbie's that was taking video of the wedding and she stood in the area that we had planned to use as the perfect spot. All of my shots of the bridal party entering had to be taken as vertical shots because the gal stood in the area I had planned to get the group entering. Not a biggie, but it did not make for great photos either...so I will post the ones that were really meaningful. Like this little fellow. He actually did not pull the wagon himself...I believe he chickened out. One of the younger relatives that was in charge of attending to the Special Tree, pulled him in the wagon and they were so cute!

And then it was time for Bobbie and her Mom. This is not a great view, but I loved that they paused right under me and I got this shot!!

And the two of them looked really sweet and Bobbie was perfectly radiant as they walked toward their guests and Matt. As soon as she was standing next to Matt, I ran through the Inn as quickly as I could to get to the other side of the building to shoot a different angle of the wedding. And my first shot was this.......Matt was looking at Bobbie with such sheer joy and love that I could almost feel it from two stories up!!

And this was my view of the entire ceremony area. Pretty cool, huh?

There was a harpist that played at the wedding, also. I took no shots of her the day of the wedding because she was rude and not very professional and it pissed me off! Melissa took a couple of very good ones, so check out her blog www.splatinc.com if you want to see them.

Remember me telling you about the special box that Bobbie and Matt had in the ceremony? Well, the cards and letters that everyone placed in the box during the ceremony are not to be read until their 1st anniversary. I think that is so cool!!! What a wonderful way to remember this awesome day and the loved ones that shared it with them.

Just look at the faces of the bridesmaids....isn't it neat how they are all looking at Bobbie and Matt and smiling so sweetly? Then came the vows. I could not hear a word from where I was, but from the looks on everyone's faces, I know they were special.

Then came the rings....................

And you may kiss the bride.....

They were so happy!!! And now introducing Mr. and Mrs!!

And after the wedding party and bride and groom were announced and walked through a pathway made by all their guests, it was time for Bobbie and Matt's first dance as husband and wife.

They were having a good time and it seemed they were not a bit self conscience about dancing so closely and intimately in front of anyone......love does that to you, doesn't it??

They had their dances with Dad and Mom and then invited others to join them. Afterwards, a quick kiss from Mom and it was almost party time!!! After formal shots we took Bobbie and Matt to a nearby park to shoot some photos of the two of them....tomorrow, those shots and a wrap up of the Savannah wedding!

Please leave a comment and don't forget...so not copy, print, or download the photos that are loaded on this blog. Thanks!! :)

Now the Rest of the Story....

2010-09-27T11:36:00.000-07:00

Okay, I have had the go ahead to be able to post some photos from our Savannah wedding from Melissa at
www.splatinc.com Thanks to being away from home most of last week,I have yet to make it all the way through the photos editing them. But here is a start:

The couple: Matt and Bobbie
The families: Wonderfully welcoming and warm
The bridal party: Fun and funny
The setting: Mulberry Inn in Savannah, Ga.
The wedding: Gorgeous
The photographers: EXCITED!

You have already seen the photos of the beautiful area of Savannah around the Mulberry Inn. And now you can understand why Savannah holds a magical and romantic feel for Matt and Bobbie. There is nothing quite as romantic as walking around hand in hand seeing things like beautiful parks, statues, old architecture, quaint eateries and tons of sites that make you believe that life here was once more simple and inviting. I assumed it was the hometown of one of them, but it was not...simply a place that was very special to them and their relationship. And I, for one, was very happy that it was, because Melissa and I got to share in this grand place and their complete happiness despite the set backs to their planning.
Set backs, you say? Didn't they get married?? Well, yes they did. Just not in the most perfect of situations. But were they happy? Heck, yes they were!! Made me stop and think of all the little things that I let get under my skin. I need to be more like Bobbie and Matt....calm and sure that everything would work out. And it did.
Our day started early. Melissa decided that we should get a jump on the shooting by taking the detail shots before our "clock" time actually began. We knew we wanted to take them to areas that later in the day would be very crowded making it more difficult to shoot.
We started with Bobbie's shoes, jewelry, garter, dress, etc.
Her shoes were simple but elegant and Bobbie said, "Very comfortable." The beaded purse and her jewelry matched the vintage feel and look of the wedding.

This purple feathered and sequined garter was made by Bobbie.....along with lots of the other important details in the wedding.

Bobbie was trying to choose between these two hankies to carry during the ceremony, and both had special meaning to her. I would tell you which she carried, but I am not even sure. I can't believe I did not remember to ask, since Melissa and I had our own opinions of which it should be!!

This large book was not for extra reading about love...the inside was actually empty. This was how they displayed the seating for the reception. It was really neat and another example of Bobbie's craftiness.

And then we went to get Bobbie's beautiful dress. It was a candlelight color and beaded so beautifully.

Isn't the gold threading simply gorgeous?? It looks heavy in this photo, but it was really delicate and another vintage touch. (the dress itself..yep, it WAS heavey!) This is the back of the dress...buttons and rhinestones down the back were such a beautiful addition to the beading and gold on the bottom of the train.

The dress was so gorgeous that we wanted to take shots all over the Inn......so we did..lol!! On the balcony, on the piano, in the windows and in Bobbie's room. We were very careful not to let Matt walk into the areas that we were shooting.

Yes, I focused on the column in the one above cause I just loved those columns!!!

And this one, the absolute gorgeousness of Bobbie's dress is really evident!!

And look at the lovely colors in the flowers!! Purples and greens and pale pinks and fuscia flowers adorned not only the girls in the bridal party, but on every table where guests would be seated and in every decor set up for the wedding. The hydrangeas that were used were really beautiful! And the florist was a wedding planners dream! She worked extra hard to make sure that everything was beautiful.

This is the florist...can I say above and beyond her job description?? She is totally drenched in this photo......more about the rain later.

It took us quite a while to get all the detail shots...we were very excited, until...the rain started. I don't mean a little rain, either. It was a pretty bad storm. Lots of the vendors, ie. the florist and various family members and friends, were outside working and setting up the wedding ceremony area. Most came in, but the hard working florist stayed out there and got the lattice set with the greenery and flowers. She was really really soaked by the time she was finished.

Next post...Mother Nature's Smack Down!

And because I have to post some photos of my Bennett.....here he is.

First he gives me looks like this.....

(Sorry, I had to remove these images)

Then he breaks bad and gives me one of these as he shrieks in joy!! Love that face!

As usual, please do not copy, paste or download any of the images on this post. Need a copy? Just contact me. Please leave a comment and have a great day!!

Motherhood

2010-09-20T08:13:00.000-07:00

I love this video! What do you think?

Testing...

2010-09-19T08:39:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all who have already posted a comment...if you don't mind take a look at the new ones and give me your honest opinion!!!

I am working on a watermark for my photos..... which watermark do you like?? Leave your opinion in the comments, please :) There are only 5 patterns so far...working on more.

# 1 in Black

# 1 also in Black (cause I just can't delete this photo!!)

#2 in White

# 2 in Black

#Three in Black

#Three in White

#4 in White

#4 in Black

#5 in Black

# 5 in White

There are only 5 patterns...I can make them any color and turn them any way on the photos. I just need to know which one..or ones look better!! Thanks thanks thanks so much!!!

Please give me your input in the comment section or on my facebook page. THANKS!!!

Wedding Interrupted.....

2010-09-18T10:05:00.000-07:00

We take this time to interrupt the wedding posts with more important photos...lol! Can you guess what that might be? If you guessed Bennett, .....ding, ding, ding..... you would be the winner!! I try to take some shots of him almost everyday. Not only is it good practice for me...it is a good way to document how quickly he is growing.
I know those of you that do not know my family personally will get tired of these photos, but for me...there is nothing better than seeing this wonderful addition to ours lives in photos. Sorry!
(Sorry, I had to remove these images)

As you can see from this picture, he is starting to grab things hold of things. Not real good at keeping them, but he is getting there!

And everything goes to his mouth these days.

This is Monkey just waking from a good nap. He is usually all smiles and squeals when he awakes.

His favorite thing right now is blowing bubbles. He attempts to blow raspberries back at us, but so far just a lot of noise and bubbles...lol!

These are some random shots from an afternoon this week. We spend almost every afternoon outside waiting for his mommy. We play and talk to Josephine and Carly and Laura.

I have been denying the fact that Bennett's little eyes which are very very blue right now are changing..after seeing this close up photo, I can't deny it any longer. You can see the green ring starting to grow in his eyes. I am not unhappy with that because M and R both have beautiful green eyes.

Can you see the green ring??? I LOVE this baby face....green eyes and all!

And just in case you think that our days are ALL smiling and cooing....well....

But then, I get to get on the floor and play with this funny little character and it makes those times a distant blur.

I will continue the wedding review in next week's posts, but I had so many cute photos of Bennett, I could not resist posting. Have a great weekend!

Leave a comment, please. As always, please do not cut, copy, paste or steal for your own use the photos that I have posted here.

Night Time in Savannah

2010-09-16T12:10:00.000-07:00

Today my post starts with Bennett's picture. He is growing so fast...we are having a hard time keeping him in the right size clothes. The outfit he had on today before his nap, was so hard to get over the kids head!! I did not realize that his head was huge!!! I nearly jerked his head off trying to get that dang thing off! LOL! Anyway, he is doing great and I am happy as a lark taking care of him.

Melissa and I were lucky to get to the Inn early enough to go and walk around the area that we were staying and we got a few shots of nice places to take B & M's photos on the wedding day. After the wedding rehearsal, we were just starving and got a local eatery recommended to us by the desk clerk at The Mulberry Inn. She said that the place was 2 blocks up and had fabulous salads. Well, I don't know about the salads, but their chicken salad was off the chain!!!!! It had apples and cumin in it and was SOOOOOOO good! Yes, we were hungry, but it was so good I would have taken a couple of lbs. home with me had we gotten to go back to the restaurant before leaving Savannah. The restaurant was called B. Matthews and it is right on Bay St. I highly recommend it. Did I get pictures, no not really. I was too interested in feeding my face!! We walked around the River St. area and took a few photos.

I was testing out my camera to see how well I could get a night shot. This is a walkway from the park to the stores over on River St. Can you see the man standing behind the tree??

I really like the color cast by the street lights in this one! I was shooting with my D90 and had the 50mm 1.8 lens. I love the way eerily romantic look of these photos.

I am now standing on that first walkway shooting down to the River St. area. As we walked I just practiced shooting. We went into the candy store down on River St. Boy, was I tempted to buy some junk!! I took this shot for my son-in-law....he loves this candy!!

Looks like a lot of Reeses candy doesn't it?? Well, it was in this huge tub and I only shot a small section of it!!

This store is also where we found all the cokes in bottles that were stacked up. And we met this delightful lady handing out samples :)

It was very well lit on portions of River Street and on others not much except ambient light and car lights!

By this time we were spent! We headed back to the Inn and finally reached our beds! Tired but excited, I managed to finally fall asleep....tomorrow.........the wedding! ZZZZZZZ

Enjoy the pics and don't forget to go to www.splatinc.com to see more of the actual wedding shots. And I will post more when I get my copies from Melissa and George and finally tell the story of the wedding day.

Leave a comment, please. As always, please do not cut, copy, paste or steal for your own use the photos that I have posted here.

Details in the Works

2010-09-15T15:00:00.000-07:00

I am going to share a few of the details about this wonderful couples wedding...hopefully without giving away too much before they see their photos.

This box sat in the center of the ceremony and held treasures. Inside was a bottle of special wine that held a label that was the same as the groom's last name. This bottle of wine sat on a bed of dried flowers made from all the flowers that M had ever given to B. During the ceremony, each of the bridesmaids and groomsmen came forward and placed a hand written note, card or letter into the box. The box itself was found on one of B & M's many trips to Savannah.

These were the beautiful flowers that B and her bridesmaids carried. Delicate hydrangea in purples and greens were also used in all the decorations and table settings. There was a really romantic floral display in every room using these flowers. (post to follow later with close ups of girl's bouquets)

See the little bottles around the centerpiece? B & M collected these and the ones on the cake and the ones on every single assigned seating table. They were so cute and a perfect way to tie all the wedding details together since the wine bottle was what started the theme. Can you see the ones on the cake and around the cake table??

Cute, huh?

The wedding had a staffed bar that was also in the main lobby with the rest of the food and more lovely set tables.

These vintage looking candle holders and flowers were on the courtyard tables, but because it was so very humid and a lot damp due to rain (story to follow) not many people saw them.

And these little candle holders were on the tables in the room with the Jazz band and dance floor.

One more wedding photo and then next post I will go into a lot more detail and stop giving hints about the rash of things that happened to throw us all into a tizzy just hours before the wedding started!!

This telephone booth has an interesting twist...that's right...details to follow :) :)

If you want to see more sneak peeks, go to... www.splatinc.com
This is the site of the couple that allowed me to go with them to Savannah!! Thanks to George and Melissa...and Quinn!

And because no post is complete without photos of Bennett....here he is today.

Leave a comment, please. As always, please do not cut, copy, paste or steal for your own use the photos that I have posted here.

Wedding in Savannah (cont'd)

2010-09-14T12:41:00.000-07:00

The bride to be is a sweet young woman that is my own daughter's age. She was organized and calm and had lots of family and friends helping her carry out her detailed plans. She had lists for everyone. We got an hour by hour list for Friday telling each activity that was planned. We got contact lists for everything from bridal party, groomsmen, moms and dads to vendors and hotel contacts. We got a very detailed list for the wedding day. I am telling you, she was organized with a capital O!!! She was smiling brightly when I met her. B is a special needs teacher in a middle school where my daughter taught a few years ago. So she knew who I was, and I think it helped ease any worries she may have had about this novice photographer joining her special time! She was happy to have 2 photographers and I was thrilled to be there!

This is B checking out the progress and showing Melissa (Cole Photography) know where the actual ceremony will take place. We took a few shots as they were all gathering and getting ready for the rehearsal.

The courtyard was quite long and made a great walkway for the bride and her mother. I was leaning as far as I could over the rail to get this shot as they came out of the doors.

This cute red wagon was what the ring bearer was supposed to bring the ring in on. That pillow has an intricate crocheted pattern on it. Can you tell yet that the wedding was beginning to have a vintage feel?

Here is the sweet little boy during practice...it took a little coaching, but he finally made it all the way down the courtyard.

The sweet groom was in full panic attack mode on Friday, trying to find his pants and various parts he would need for the next day. He was just as cute as he could be and we enjoyed watching him anticipating this wonderful event. You could not wipe the smile off of his face!

By the way, see that branch going right across the groom's face?? It was a big issue because there was nowhere I could move that it did not cross someone's face. So, I had it cut down!! Took a while but I did it and it was not in the way on wedding day.

Yep, they are a cute couple!! We were so privileged to be able to be a part of their wedding day.

So, here is a little bit of the flavor of their wedding....without giving up too much before the couple see the photos.

And last but not least.......

Details about all these beautiful parts of the wedding tomorrow.

Leave a comment, please. As always, please do not cut, copy, paste or steal for your own use the photos that I have posted here.

Savannah Wedding Review

2010-09-13T20:41:00.000-07:00

AHHHHHH!! That is the way I feel these days. I have done something I never thought I would do the first time I picked up a camera and that is help shoot a wedding. Now I have actually helped shoot 2!! One was here in Charlotte with the PPG group and the other was with our friend, Melissa, of Cole Photography in Savannah. It was so much fun. Melissa and I were very excited (me more than her) and our travel time to Savannah went very very quickly. I don't think there was a lull in the talking for even a second. We found our way to the Mulberry Inn where the wedding would be held. It was a beautiful place. The Inn had once been the site of a Coca Cola Bottling Plant.

We were so happy to see all the gorgeous nooks and crannies in the Inn where we could photograph the bride, groom and wedding party! The place had such detail in the lighting, moldings, furniture, windows, doors.......actually everything!!!

We did not have any idea when we were photographing this second floor window how important it would become to us in the next 24 hours!!! (story to come later!)

After wandering around the inn, we then walked to a couple of sites close by where the bride wanted some photos taken. There was a very nice park and tons of great houses, railings, fences, gates, steps and colored walls of wood and brick to choose from! We were going to have fun with this couple.

Tonight I just wanted to give a little peek of what we did. More tomorrow :)

Leave a comment, please. As always, please do not cut, copy, paste or steal for your own use the photos that I have posted here.

Two for Tuesday

2010-09-07T18:16:00.000-07:00

So two things on my mind today...one, of course, is our little Bennett. The other is the wedding that I just helped shoot with some awesome photographers this past weekend.
First things first...Bennett!! He is becoming such a little character. He wakes up in the morning and is in the best of moods. He gets started talking and ends up squealing and yelling as he talks!! Is this an indication that he is going to be very loud?? If so, I don't care! He is adorable. He is grasping some of his toys now and actually engaging in music by laughing and talking when it is something that he likes!

He is quite vocal when he is hungry or tired. Speaking of tired..he is still a swaddle baby. That has led to some sleeping issues for him. He likes to sleep swaddled up tightly. But, he is toooooo big for the infant swaddlers that most stores carry. So far, I have been pretty lucky swaddling him in a larger baby blanket, but in a few more weeks, I won't be able to use them. Then I may be in trouble!

I could look at this sweet face forever and never get enough of it!!

Now, the other thing on my list today is the wedding that I have talked so much about in the last few weeks. It is over and done and I made it through!! And I did not break or lose anything. It was a truly awesome experience and I had three of the most patient and knowledgeable pros leading me every step of the way. We met at the church on Friday evening to watch the rehearsal, to see where the girls and guys would be dressing and to actually get a grasp on the wedding day plans so we would know how and where to be on Saturday. The church is a beautiful one and at the time we were there the sun came through the windows so lovely and soft that I could not imagine a bride not looking gorgeous in that light.

A beautiful day was expected for Saturday and it did not disappoint. It was the best day we have had in the Carolinas in a long time. It was in the 80's and the humidity was nonexistent. I was scared to death. I had not been to a wedding as a photographer before and it was a frightening thing to think that the memories of that special day was up to you to capture!! Mind you, I had none of the expectations or stress that the other 3 photographers had on them. I made some mistakes and big ones, too! My first was hitting the mode button and knocking it out of the mode that I was told that all photos would be taken in...yes, I am dumb! I actually lost (for a while) the dome for one of the lead photographer's flash. (I found it a bit later) I learned a ton more than I screwed up for sure...anyway, here is the way our day went.

The bride (A.)was so very pretty and the groom (N.)was as young and handsome as he could be. We saw on Friday night that the bridal party was going to be a lot of fun and they did not disappoint us. Between them and the families it was a very good time. This was a happy union and things seemed good between the families.

A. was emotional from very early in the day on Saturday. I saw her cry for the first time when her husband to be sent her a card and gift. We all held our breathe that she would not cry too much since her makeup had been done an hour before. She composed herself and went on to talk to and tease her bridesmaids as they were all getting ready for the afternoon event. As happens in many weddings some of the shots that were planned, simply did not get taken because of time. But, we took tons of shots as the girls were getting ready and lots more as they were waiting for their turn to go to the front of the church. Her dress was to die for gorgeous and her slender body looked fantastic when she slipped into it. She pinned a charm from her grandmother that belonged to her own mom inside the bodice of the dress as her something old and her something borrowed and when she told us about them, she cried again. It was obvious that her family meant so much to her. The bridesmaids were so cute in a yellow strapless dress that flattered each of them. Each had a yellow lily in their hair and wore a super cute flower ring to set the outfit off. I don't think I have ever seen so many cute girls in one room before!!

When the time arrived, A. was super excited. She walked with her bridesmaids a very long walk through the church to the staircase that led to the sanctuary. We had to stop and wait at the top of the stairs and A. could not help but show her nervousness. She moved her legs in a quick and nervous pattern and as she did her bouquet trembled along with her. When she heard the music begin to play for the girls, A's eyed began to tear. We quickly fanned and blew away her tears. They were not to be held back, though, when her father walked into the stairwell and saw his beautiful daughter. They clung to each and then her father cautioned her not to cry. This was the day all her planning had been for.....so enjoy the day and no tears! She was radiant, he beamed with pride.

As A. and N. said their vows, I took the time to look at my photos from the girl's room...that is when I realized I had hit the mode button...UGH!! I fessed up to it as soon as I could because I did not want the other photogs thinking that I had done it intentionally. (they always shoot in Aperture mode)

After packing up the equipment we moved the event to a local country club to continue the party.

The place was packed with friends and loved ones clapping and cheering as the bridal party danced their way into the place. A. and N. followed and looked amazingly happy!! The first dances, eating, the toasts, the cake cutting, the dancing and dancing and dancing was all a super part of the night for A. and N. They looked ready to tackle their new life as they were driven away in the limo. Congratulations and good luck to them both on their marriage and life!!

As for me, I was the lucky one to be able to share their night...I took a lot of photos (I can't share them because I had to give my memory cards to the lead photographer to edit) and I just hope that a couple of them turned out well enough for A. and N. to like and use.

My thanks to Chris, Brian and especially to Aleta for my first wedding shoot. I had a great time and really enjoyed working with you!!

Thanks, also, to my sweet Brian )hubby)for allowing me to jump into this passion for photography with both feet and supporting me while I do it :) Love you, Mac!!

P.S. I am going to Savannah this weekend to help another friend shoot a wedding...this one is going to be super fun and I can't wait!!!!

Please leave a comment if you visit and as always PLEASE do not take or copy for your own use any of the images I have posted here! Thanks.