ipone-ography. complete craziness

It's been a whirl wind of a summer if you could say that. I still CAN NOT believe that we are halfway through September.. WHAT?? School has been underway, we are working our heiny off at staying on top of it all, and I leave in about two weeks for a crazy photo extravaganza in Missouri. I'm looking forward to seeing some old friends, swimmers and clients!! Some of them have even added to their families so it will be awesome to meet their newest little ones. yay.

In the mean time, we have just been trying to fit it all in. I've taken the kids to the museums, river, Busch Gardens, lake, for walks, bike rides and of course lots of teaching. :) In case you haven't realized, I LOVE my iphone. I've had it now for about a year and it's the best invention since sliced bread. Ok, not really.. but you get the idea. I am gone so much and not home to be at the computer that it gives me the option and possibility to email clients, friends and anyone else with questions. I live on it, I use it and I carry it with me at all times. It's probably the only thing I feel that I "have to have." And just so you know, we are not those kind of people that can't live without our things.. cause we can. My husband and I have NEVER had cable for the entire almost 9 years we have been married. My kids don't even know what that is. Even now, we get no stations. ahh. crazy huh? So what do we watch and do?? We have box sets and catch up that way. I get the news on the internet and we spend our time outdoors. It's been nice. You don't know what you are missing if you never have it, right? Anyway, here are some snapshots for Aug and Sept. Now I need to get some things done for my heroic brother, who gave his life for our freedom. He would have turned 27 tomorrow. :(

It's all about the shoes..

You know the saying, "you can tell a lot about someone by the shoes they wear?" Well, that's exactly the same saying for the brides I shoot. I have shot many brides and most of the wedding shoes have been different. Each bride has a personality that could be matched with the style and type of bridal shoe they chose for their big day.

I love shoes!! Always have and always will. I used to, at one time, have 35 different pairs of flips flops! I know, crazy right?? That could have gotten me through summer with only wearing each pair about twice. When I got married, I wore the flip flop heals.. I'll admit, I had a problem.  I quite collecting shoes, as my husband calls it. I've gotten rid of them all and now only have 3 pairs of flips flops, running shoes and boots. There is no need for me to have that many and I've found that I wear the same ones over and over. So, there is no point and I can save that money. However, that does not stop me from looking at them all the time.

When I show up to a wedding, I love to see what the bride and bridal party are wearing as far as what is on their feet. The more the unique, the better. I love things that are different and that stand out. But then again, I love the simple, white and elegant look as well. It's just amazing to me to see how their personality matches the colors, the design and the look of their shoe. It's what makes every brides wedding their own.

Freedom Walk

On 9/11 we went to the Operation Homefront Freedom Walk in Hampton. They gave us space to sell our Honor and Support shirts to help fund the playground being built for Paul. They are the kindest people and are always so willing to help out whenever they can. It was a great feeling being there on such an important day. That morning I taught my son about the events that happened that day 11 years ago and even though it's a very hard concept for a child of that age to truly understand what went on, I felt it was important.. it's the reason he lost his uncle as well.

At the walk, there were lots of different booths handing things out, selling things and sharing things. It all felt patriotic in every way. We even had the opportunity to meet some of the Tuskagee Airmen, Freedom Flyers from WWII. The boys thought that was neat of course and loved the plane they got from them. There was music playing, people dancing and kids running around (mostly mine!)

The walk itself was simple and slow. We all started where the event was being held and walked to the other end of the street where they did a tribute to the fallen from 9/11 and for all those who had lost their life since then defending our country. It was nice. I was honored I could be there and take part in such a special ceremony as well as be there with my family on an important day.

Below are photos of my family from the event. I don't usually post a lot of photos of them on the site besides my immediate family, such as kiddos. One of the twins (Brian,18) is in college now and my other sister (Michelle) is stationed in Japan with her husband. Other than that, they are all here to help and of course, Paul is with us in spirit... we do it for him.

enjoying fresh air..

We are an outdoor family. It's as simple as that. Pretty much everything we do for fun consists of spending time in the gorgeous world that God created. If we had our way, we would travel every weekend, visit places we have never seen, and bring the kids along to enjoy the beautiful outdoors. Unfortunately, we don't have the funds for that so we end up spending a lot of time in the areas surrounding our neck of the woods. 

This past weekend we took the kids to the river in Richmond. My husband is a whitewater kayaker and hasn't been able to get much time on the water since he joined the military. The weather was perfect and the water level for the kids was just right. They caught minnows, splashed in the water, got a little bit of sun and had a yummy picnic. I took all of my lenses, shot for fun and watched the kids giggle and be happy. Life was good. 

where were you...

On Sept 11, 2001 we were attacked and it became one of the most watched and documented tragedies in history. On Sept 12, 2001 I witnessed the United States come together like never before. Never before had I seen so many flags hung proudly from homes stating the fact that "we are Americans and we will fight back!" Everywhere I drove I saw red, white and blue. It was a such a sight and made me honored to be an American. It was then that I realized how strong we were and how proud we are to live in the U.S.A. My only wish now, is that Americans would still have that sense of pride and remember the many men and woman fighting every single day for them. Flags are still up but not nearly to the extent of what they were in the weeks following the tragedy of 9/11. Today, my flag hangs proudly from our house and I notice the American flag everywhere I go. It means even more to me today because I now know how many people have died protecting it and my brother is one of them.

Today is Sept 11, 2012. Today we remember the many men, women and children who died on that fateful day and we honor the men and women who have fought since then. We are Americans and we are proud!

I think of 9/11 and I think of this song by Alan Jackson because he sang it right.. "Where were you when the world stopped turning.. ?" If you were old enough when the attacks happened, you will never forget where you were when those planes crashed into the Twin Towers.

Where were you when the world stopped turnin'
That September day?
Out in the yard with your wife and children
Or workin' on some stage in L.A.?
Did you stand there in shock at the sight of that black smoke
Risin' against that blue sky?
Did you shout out in anger, in fear for your neighbor,
Or did you just sit down and cry?

Did you weep for the children, they lost their dear loved ones,
Pray for the ones who don't know?
Did you rejoice for the people who walked from the rubble
And sob for the ones left below?
Did you burst out in pride for the red, white, and blue
And heroes who died just doin' what they do?
Did you look up to heaven for some kind of answer
And look at yourself and what really matters?

I'm just a singer of simple songs.
I'm not a real political man.
I watch CNN, but I'm not sure I can tell you
The diff'rence in Iraq and Iran.
But I know Jesus and I talk to God,
And I remember this from when I was young:
Faith, hope, and love are some good things He gave us
And the greatest is love.

Where were you when the world stopped turnin'
That September day?
Teachin' a class full of innocent children
Or drivin' on some cold interstate?
Did you feel guilty 'cause you're a survivor?
In a crowded room did you feel alone?
Did you call up your mother and tell her you love her?
Did you dust off that Bible at home?

Did you open your eyes and hope it never happened,
Close your eyes and not go to sleep?
Did you notice the sunset for the first time in ages
And speak to some stranger on the street?
Did you lay down at night and think of tomorrow,
Go out and buy you a gun?
Did you turn off that violent old movie you're watchin'
And turn on ""I Love Lucy"" reruns?
Did you go to a church and hold hands with some stranger,
Stand in line to give your own blood?
Did you just stay home and cling tight to your fam'ly,
Thank God you had somebody to love?

I'm just a singer of simple songs.
I'm not a real political man.
I watch CNN, but I'm not sure I can tell you
The diff'rence in Iraq and Iran.
But I know Jesus and I talk to God,
And I remember this from when I was young:
Faith, hope, and love are some good things He gave us
And the greatest is love.
I'm just a singer of simple songs.
I'm not a real political man.
I watch CNN, but I'm not sure I can tell you
The diff'rence in Iraq and Iran.
But I know Jesus and I talk to God,
And I remember this from when I was young:
Faith, hope, and love are some good things He gave us
And the greatest is love.

And the greatest is love,
And the greatest is love.

Where were you when the world stopped turnin'
That September day?

Spielplatz

Oh how I love Germany. I have so many photos from our trip that it's just too much to post about at one time so from time to time I will post certain things or topics from our journey.

Spielplatz means playground in german and Germany sure does has some unique and fun playgrounds. They are by far way different compared to what we would have here in the U.S.  Some of the greatest things I can remember about living over there are my memories of playing for hours on their playgrounds. The U.S is amazing and I am beyond proud to be an American but I'm not so fond of the way that everyone over here is "sue" happy. It gets ridiculous the amount of times that Americans have sued over something so trivial just because they want to blame someone for something that went wrong. Which brings me back to the playgrounds. Alot of the playgrounds you see in Europe would never fly in the U.S and it's for fear that someone would get hurt and in turn sue. Ours can only be so high, can only have certain products, have to go along with code and all that fun jazz.

As we traveled throughout Europe, we found that playgrounds are built into every nook and cranny. They were on the sides of hills, on top of mountains, built with water running through them as well as water built in to them. They usually had alot of ropes for climbing and swinging and the higher, the better. Of course, we stopped to visit them all. The boys loved searching for new ones and something way different from what we would have over here. I guess you could say we became "spielplatz" connoisseurs.

It all started with having just arrived in Germany. We landed, got our rental car and hit the road. About halfway to Heidelberg we stopped at a gas station/rest stop. It was the COOLEST gas station! Did I say  coolest, because it was definitely cool! It had a restaurant, convenience store, playground, and sitting area. I could have spent hours there just hanging out and enjoying the new country we were in. The kiddos played and we had our first "drink". The lifestyle is so laid back... have a drink, sit, talk and play. I think I can handle that. :) The boys loved it and it was then that it became part of our trip... searching out the most unique playgrounds. Here are a few that we enjoyed playing at.

wedding updo

One of the main concerns for brides on their wedding day is the updo. How are they going to wear their hair on the big day. It's hard to decide if you want to wear it all up, half up or let it all hang down. Are you going to wear a veil, a tierra, a pretty pin or be natural? It's a tough decision. Many brides will have a trial run to see if what they decided or what they think will work, actually looks good. It's also a good time to plan those bridal portraits if you are going to go that route as well. Not only do you get some good images of you in your dress, you also get to see how your updo will look in photos. I used to stress alot about my hair and when I wore it down it stressed me out even more. Having it all pinned and stuck in place seemed a much easier route for me on my wedding day. Then I wouldn't have to deal with the wind, dancing and all that fun jazz. That's the road that I took for deciding on how to deal with the hairs on my head. :) Remember, everyone is different and although people may give you their opinion, in the end it's only your opinion that truly matters. What is going to make you feel your best? Here are some of my past brides and the route they took when getting their hair done.