July 31, 2007

Nonna is in the hospital today and will have to stay a few days.  She is having a procedure done due to a complication, and she'll have to spend a day in ICU as well.  She is strong (even if she doesn't think so!) and is doing well, and we are praying for her.  We just wanted to give an update for those of you who are always kind enough to ask how Nonna is. 

July 30, 2007

Last Friday I got to meet a little baby!  It was exciting for me because my own baby brother is coming soon.  Dad was photographing Gary and Kristi's beautiful daughter.  Gary and Kristi were married in March of 2005 (I wasn't quite born yet, so my blog didn't exist for any blog archive pictures) and they had a baby girl at the end of June.  In fact, her birthday was on mom and dad's own anniversary! 

Besides being the nicest people, they are awesome parents and make such a loving family.  Since they are both teachers, they have been able to enjoy being at home together with their little girl for the last month.  (On a random side note, Heather and James just got married and they are both teachers, Berni and Chad's trash the dress session is Wednesday and they are both teachers, and Erin and Matt, one of our past couples, are both teachers and recommended dad to Berni and Chad for their wedding!  We know you are all dreading summer ending!)

We all had fun a fun visit and we want to get together again when my brother is born so he can play too!  Here are some of the pictures we loved from the session:

Look at the pure joy Gary has when he looks at his baby:

And Kristi is so in love:

What a happy family!  The baby was so good and Kristi says she hardly ever cries.

While they were here, I kept asking if I could see the baby.  She was so tiny and it fascinated me!  Kristi let me touch the baby's feet and hands and I was very gentle.

Now I am even more excited for my brother to come!

July 29, 2007

This was in the bulletin we got today at church and I thought I would share it here on my blog:

Cell Phone vs. Bible

I wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat our cell phone?  What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?  What if we flipped through it several times a day?  What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?  What if we used it to receive messages from the text?  What if we gave it to kids as gifts?  What if we used it when we traveled?  What if we used it in case of emergency?  What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it?

Unlike our cell phone, we don't have to worry about our Bible being disconnected.  And no dropped calls!  Makes you stop and think, "Where are my priorities?"

July 28, 2007

My grandma is the best at yard sales!  From organizing all the stuff to setting up and even cleaning up afterwards, she rocks!  Even when mom was a kid, she remembers yard sales almost once a year that grandma was in charge of.  That must be why whenever anyone in the family wants to have a yard sale, they ask mom if they can do it at her house.  We have been planning to have a yard sale for a while to clean house and make room for my baby brother.  Dad had taken this Saturday off from weddings so we decided a couple months ago that today would be the day and everyone has been filling grandma's garage with stuff since then.  Even though there was a lot of stuff that wasn't even hers (besides us, other people in our family had stuff they wanted to sell too), grandma still did most of the work.  She had it all priced and organized before any of us came over yesterday to help!  I helped her put out all the signs last night, and this morning she was the first person awake to set things up on tables and start moving them into the yard.  THANK YOU GRANDMA!

Mom, dad, and I also want to thank our special guest photographer who helped take pictures at our maternity session last Wednesday.  She is new to the field but enjoys many types of photography, though she often prefers to be in the pictures rather than taking them...It was my Aunt Kellie!  We think she did pretty good for being only 10 years old!  She took all of the pictures that have dad in them (though dad set up the lighting and adjusted the camera settings for her).  Thanks for your help Aunt Kellie.  In a couple years, maybe you'll be going with dad to weddings!!

When we first got started I was having lots of fun, so daddy took some pictures of me and my silly faces.

Then I got to be in pictures with mama and my baby brother too.  These are mom's two favorites of me and her belly.

A week or two ago, mom, dad, and I had a fun day out buying a few last things we'd need for my brother.  While we were out, mom and dad took me to Build-a-Bear Workshop so I could make a bear to give to my brother when he was born.  I had a few choices of what to make, and I chose a bear that had a couple heart patches on him and has $1 going to a kids' charity.  Then I got to record a special message for my brother and put that inside the bear.  I also got to kiss a little silk heart to put in the bear and mom says that means that every time my brother hugs his bear, it is like he is getting a kiss from me too.  After he was stuffed and sewn closed, I took him to the bathtub area to brush him and fluff him up.  Then it was time to pick out something for the bear to wear.  Because my brother is going to be a tiny baby, I found baby clothes for the bear.  I got a diaper and baby pajamas, and even the matching baby hat and socks to go with the pajamas.  Dad showed me the baby rattle and I wanted that for the bear too.  We got the bear all dressed and then I even got to type on a computer to make a certificate for the bear to name him and say he was made by me for my little brother.  I can't wait to bring the bear to the hospital when my brother is born and give it to him!  Dad took a few pictures of the bear for me, and we even let the bear be in some of our family pictures too because he is such a special bear.

Dad had also bought matching shirts for all of us boys at the Disney Store (they had sold out of the matching dress for mom), so we took some pictures in our shirts.  Dad is in his, I'm in mine, and mom has my brother's over her belly.  It is going to be fun to take pictures again when my brother comes and can really wear his shirt!

When I didn't want to be in pictures any more, Aunt Kellie took some of just mom and dad.  Here is one of mom's favorites:

And to end the session, dad took just a few more of mom alone, showing her belly with only a short time left to wait!

Mom says she is feeling huge now, so she won't let me put any more pictures of her on the blog until after the baby comes .

On Friday, I got to meet a little baby when dad did a session for a one month old girl.  I'll be back to tell you about that and share some pictures soon!

July 25, 2007

Congratulations to Lauren and Clifton!  They were married last Saturday at the Westshore Marriott.  Both Lauren and Clifton are incredibly kind and caring people, and together they are such a sweet couple.  We are so happy for them!  We photographed the wedding of their friends Joe and Jenna (check out the November 13th entry for our November 2006 blog archives) and dad said it was good to see them again too.

We had been lucky so far with the Florida storm season, but it was a rainy day out on Saturday.  Though the sky had dark clouds, it looked awesome outside.

The bride and all her girls inside were having fun getting ready for the day.  The flower girl was so cute!

Following the modern tradition, Lauren decorated the bottoms of her shoes with rhinestones.  She used initials for "Lauren" and "Clifton."  I'm not sure if she meant it to be or not, but it works perfectly as her something blue.

Darla Stafford did Lauren's hair and makeup.  Lauren was just beautiful.  And she has such stunning blue eyes!

The couple's first dance:

After a wonderful evening with their family and friends, Lauren and Clifton stole away with dad for a few pictures outside.

Dad said this was a genuine and kind couple.  Thank you for letting us be there as you join your lives together.  We wish you all the best!

We've been busy getting things ready for my new baby brother.  We're cleaning the house, washing the dogs, and today was one more maternity session for mom where I got to be in the pictures too!  I'll have some of those pictures to put on my blog soon.

July 21, 2007

Thursday was Tara and Mario's big day!  What a great couple, with an awesome sense of humor.  Their ceremony was at the Embassy Suites USF, with the reception following at the Dr. Blaise F, Alfano Center in Tampa.  Dad was happy to see Darla Stafford again (she will be at the wedding dad is photographing today as well.  Book her!) and Rob Sword was the DJ and did a terrific job as he always does (book him too!)

Tara's gown was white with black detailing, and her black shoes were perfect with it.  It looked great on her!  The bridesmaids wore black dresses with a white accent to decorate the back.

The ceremony was in the lobby of the hotel, and dad said people were watching from all the balconies to see the happy couple.  As Tara came into view, Mario looked so proud!  The smiles didn't seem to leave either of their faces the entire time.

The new Mr. and Mrs.!

Dad saw another couple whose wedding he is going to photograph at Tara and Mario's wedding.  How fun! 

It is always a wonderful experience to witness two people truly happy and in love joining their lives together.  Thanks so much for letting dad share your day, Tara and Mario!

Today dad is photographing in Tampa again to capture Lauren and Clifton's day.  It is going to be beautiful!  And then Wednesday is probably going to be mom's other maternity session, where I get to be in the pictures with her!  As long as the carpet cleaning guys leave on time, that is.  So there will be many more pictures to come this week.

July 20, 2007

If anyone tries to call dad in the next week, you may have to leave a message and wait for him to call you back.  While mom and dad were busy today, I snuck under dad's desk with a water bottle and his cell phone.  Needless to say, his cell phone isn't working very well any more.  Half the keypad doesn't work, some incoming calls are going right to voice mail, and the phone turns off randomly.  But dad will still be able to check his voice mail, so if you leave a message he'll call you back from another phone.  We are ordering a new phone and hopefully it will be here soon, and of course you can always email at any time.  Sorry about that; my blog title is my warning to all of you .  And NO, dad, mom says this does not mean you get to buy that super expensive new IPOD phone thing. 

I'll be back tomorrow to blog about the wedding dad was able to share in yesterday, and Lauren and Clifton's wedding is tomorrow so good luck you two!

July 18, 2007

Congratulations Erica and Jonathan!  Their baby boy was born just last week and dad was so excited to photograph him on Monday.  Erica and Jonathan were married just over a year and a half ago and they were one of the first weddings I got to talk about when I started my blog.  You can see dad's favorite cake ever from their wedding on the November 13th entry in the Nov. 2005 archives.  That was back when my blog was the same color as my nursery since I was still a baby when I started it .

Erica made it seem like motherhood came very naturally to her and she was relaxed and confident.  Jonathan was so sweet with his little boy as well.  Here are a few pictures from the session:

Erica, Jonathan, and their son make a beautiful family and we are excited that we were able to be there as it all began, both on their wedding day and now as their family grows. 

We've gotten so many emails, letters, and cards lately from our awesome couples and we want to send out a huge THANK YOU to everyone.  Our couples are THE BEST EVER!!!  Mom and dad say that they have been meaning to update the "fan mail" section of our site, but in the meantime I wanted to share some excerpts that meant so much to us:

From wedding couples

"I am so glad you are my photographer.  You were the first vendor I booked, and the best!"  --Lani

"Thanks so much, the photos look fantastic!  I can't say we are surprised (because you rock) but there are just a ton of great pics!  I think [the bride's] mom shed more tears viewing the pictures then at the ceremony (if you can believe that)."  --Sam and Alaina

"All I can say is WOW!!!  Our wedding pictures are so beautiful!!!  I've been on the computer literally all morning looking at them.  So many of them have made me laugh...There's just so many beautiful shots.  They turned out sooo nice!  It's great because looking back on the day I feel like it all went so fast, but now I can remember everything that happened!  I want to thank you again for everything.  I could not be happier with the pictures!  You truly are an amazing photographer!!!"  --Lauren

"LOVED LOVED LOVED all the pics- they are allll awesome!!!"  --Leslie

"WOW!!!  When I looked at our pictures I laughed out loud, I cried, and I couldn't stop smiling!  They are just so great and it was so much fun to relive the wedding day by looking at the pictures.  I have no idea how we are going to choose pictures for an album!  We really appreciate your hard work on our wedding day.  Everyone thought you were so nice and you really captured our wedding day."  --Carly

"The pictures are absolutely BEAUTIFUL!  We love them.  They are more than we could have ever dreamed of!  You really captured the essence of the wedding.  I so appreciate everything you did to capture all of the 'small' moments that we didn't get to see.  Your style is exactly what we were looking for.  I can't stop looking at all the pictures!"  --Diedre

"I just wanted to say THANK YOU for everything.  You have been great.  I am so happy with the way the pictures turned out.  I would recommend you guys to anyone.  You really captured my special day perfectly.  You are a true artist in your field.  Thank you for your time, thank you for your patience, thank you for your dedication, thank you, thank you, thank you."  --Tanya

"I was in complete awe as I looked through the beautiful album.  Brandon and I absolutely loved it.  I went down to Miami to visit family...and everyone said what an amazing photographer you are and what a great way to capture our story through pictures."  --Denise

From portrait sessions and engagement sessions

"The pictures just came out wonderfully!!  Thank you so much.  It was a fun experience.  It was my first 'studio' experience and I was surprised at how comfortable I was...Everyone is just raving about the pictures again.  I think you've given my mother the hardest decision of her life."  --Sarah (Baby Session)

"These pictures are amazing.  You did a great job and I couldn't be happier.  Thank you so much...I will treasure these pictures forever."  --Riley (Newborn Session)

"THE PHOTOS ARE BEAUTIFUL!!!  WE LOVE ALL OF THEM!!!  THANK YOU THANK YOU.  I have forwarded the link to EVERYONE - Can't wait to show off the beautiful photos!!  You are the best - THANK YOU AGAIN."  --Elizabeth, Bryan, and Cadence (Baby's First Year Session)

"OMG I LOVE them!  I don't think that I can express to you how much I truly do love them!  And you finished so quickly!  Thank you again for your amazing work."  --Casey (Engagement Session)

"I absolutely love them...I love love love love them.  THANK YOU again for such a fun session.  I really appreciate you working with us and you did a great job."  --Lindsey (Engagement Session)

An awesome letter from a travel wedding

And then there was this letter from Shannon and Duane that was so touching.  It is really why mom and dad do what they do and love it so much.  We are incredibly blessed to "work" with such amazing couples like Shannon and Duane and to be a part of their lives by capturing a day that means so much.

"I don't even know how to begin this letter as the words 'thank you' seem boring in comparison to the actual words you deserve.  When Duane and I began planning the wedding, the first thing I did was look for a photographer as I knew that the most important thing to us was that our day was captured in a way that best represented us for the future generations in our family to remember us by...We have no doubt that what you did for us in those few days will pale in comparison to other artists we could have hired.

The first thing we are asked every single time we speak to anyone who was involved in the wedding is 'Where did you find that guy!? I have NEVER seen a photographer so incredible.'  You are so talented Jason and I can't thank you enough for the days you were a part of our lives.  We appreciate how fun, professional and just plain awesome that you were.  The best words I have given people when we talk about you are these...

Jason did not take one picture of me and Duane, rather he captured a million moments...

[The pictures] look fabulous.  I really haven't stopped looking at them since you sent them and Duane and I can't believe the comments people are making.  They are like, 'WOW you must be so happy.  I mean he captured EVERY moment!' Ain't that the truth?!  I love them Jason.  I love the moments that are held still for me to just stare at and remember that moment where it was like the world stopped for our special day!  You amaze me with your ability to do what you did for us."
 

Thank you Shannon; we can't tell you what your letter meant to us!  And thanks to all the couples we work with.  We cannot tell you how much it means to us to be a part of moments so meaningful and important in your lives, from a wedding day to a pregnancy, to a new baby to your families...a lifetime of treasured memories.

July 16, 2007

Yesterday was a fun day!  It was pop pop's birthday party, so grandma, Aunt Kellie, and I went out to buy balloons and cake and other party stuff.  While we were doing that, mom and dad went on a tour of the hospital where my baby brother will be born.  They are delivering at a different hospital than where I was born, but when they got back they said they liked the policies at this hospital better, and the labor and delivery room was nicer.

At the party we all sang and ate cake.  Pop pop got a new guitar for his birthday and he even played "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" for me.  Happy Birthday pop pop!! 

Dad was a bit tired from the party he went to the day before.  It was Lani and Chad's wedding day!  It was a fun day that ended in a reception that was a huge party for all the guests.  The day began with Lani and her girls getting ready.  The bridesmaids all wore matching pink bathrobes, and Lani had a personalized white bathrobe with her new last name on the back.  When dad went to take pictures of Lani's dress, he was excited to see that she had read the blog and had a padded hanger to use .  Her shoes were decorated with rhinestone initials on the bottom.  Dad has noticed that this is replacing the old trend of having bridesmaids sign the bottoms of the bride's shoes.

The wedding colors were pink and blue, and there were starfish everywhere.  The ceremony site was decorated with pink and blue paper lanterns and the gazebo had starfish garland draped on it.  Lani and Chad thought of their guests and had bottled water with a variety of monogrammed labels, as well as lemonade for everyone to drink.  The favors were personalized beer koozies with a cute sign that said, "To have and to hold and to keep your beer cold."  Mom thought that was cute.  She found a website for The Palm Gifts that also sells cute koozies. 

At the reception, there was an ice block set up for people to do ice block shots.  That combined with the keg stands led to some people REALLY enjoying themselves!  Chad and Lani looked like they had so much fun.  Dad laughed as Chad did karaoke to White Snake's "Here I Go Again" (a song that mom loves!)  Did you know that in the original version of that song, they say "Like a hobo I was born to walk alone" rather than "Like a drifter."  Mom looked up the lyrics and it said the word was changed in 1987.   Chad's dance moves had him all over the floor until his shirt was all dirty and he cut his chin open!

Have a wonderful honeymoon Lani and Chad!  Here are a few pictures from your day:

Lani looking beautiful getting ready that morning: 

The guys:

That's a dip!

Chad at the ice block:

Lani dancing:

Chad entertaining the guests with his singing:

The couple's other vendors included Davis Islands Garden Club as the location, Starstruck Video for the videographer (727-480-3285--Dad said he was a great guy!), and Keith from Sword Sounds as the DJ.

July 14, 2007

For the last day in our week of wedding tips, today is for the grooms:

Your wedding day is the one day you should be sure that chivalry is not dead!

Open doors, pull out your new wife's chair, formally ask her to dance...and don't forget to do the same for your mother and mother-in-law.  Your moms will think you are sweet and your wife will appreciate the romantic gestures.  It's your wedding day after all!

July 13, 2007

It's Friday the 13th!  Mom says that has to be why I woke up FOUR HOURS earlier than I usually do.  She only got around 3 1/2 hours of sleep and is exhausted today.

Our wedding tip of the day:

Declutter the room where you are getting ready

Often the getting ready room becomes cluttered with bags, clothes, makeup, and everything else people bring in to get ready for such a big day.  This is totally understandable, but remember that all these bags and other items laying around on the bed, floors, and everywhere else is creating the background for your pictures.  As you have the emotional moment of putting on your gown and having everyone see you as a bride for the first time, a messy room can be distracting.  Keep things in a closet, or some where else out of sight as much as possible in the room where you will be getting dressed.

Yesterday grandma came over to babysit while mom and dad went into Ybor City for mom's maternity session.  Mom wanted to do something different than she did when she was pregnant with me, so they decided on an urban look with a hint of 80s flashback .

It was ridiculously HOT outside!!!  Mom said that as soon as she got out of the car she was all sweaty and as time went on she just started swelling.  But despite all that after she saw the pictures she said she'd do it again in a heartbeat because she loves how they came out!  Here are some of her favorites:

Yes, her belly really is that big!

As dad took pictures of mom in the street, a whole bunch of police officers (or maybe students at the police academy?) walked past.  Mom was convinced they were going to say something about her and dad being in the street, but they didn't.

This is mom's favorite picture of the whole day:

After leaving Ybor, dad took mom to the railroad tracks for a few more pictures before heading home.

We are still going to do one more shorter session at our house because mom and dad want me in the pictures too, so look out for that in the next couple weeks! 

July 12, 2007

Today's tip:

Walk slowly during the important moments of your day

This is especially true during the processional, recessional, and any sort of send-off, from guests throwing rose petals to holding sparklers.  Not only do guests want to see you, but your photographer wants to be sure to get lots of pictures!  You don't need to walk so slowly that it seems unnatural, but just slow your pace a bit.  When walking through guests lined up on either side of you, some couples even stop for a kiss at the end of the line.  The one exception to walking slowly is when guests are throwing bird seed at you, as one of our past brides learned .

And while I am sharing funny pictures, I have one more from Alaina and Sam's wedding.  You can't get much cuter than a flower girl with her finger in her nose as she walks down the aisle!!

Tonight mom has her maternity session.  I can't wait to share the pictures!

July 11, 2007

I almost forgot the tip of the day!  But I made it with 22 minutes before today is over.

Hold your bouquet at waist level

Be sure both you and your bridesmaids hold your bouquets at waist level (use your belly button as a guide) both when you are coming down the aisle and during pictures.  Instead of bending your elbows almost at right angles and holding your bouquets in front of your chests, carrying it at waist level shows off your dresses and just looks better.

July 10, 2007

Tip of the day:

Plan for "down time" in your wedding day itinerary

When one thing runs behind on a wedding day, it can make everything else start late.  For example, many brides don't realize how much time hair and makeup can take.  If this runs late the bride might not be ready for the ceremony in time, which cuts into picture time afterwards, which can push back the introduction into the reception.  As you make your itinerary, talk to your vendors about how much time they estimate needing for the various parts of your day and then try to plan some buffer time in case people or events are running late.  It is better to have extra time during your day to relax and let the emotion of the day sink in than to feel rushed and hurried all day.

To finish off dad's 4th of July weekend, he was at the Sirata on Sunday for Raina and Scott's wedding.  The awesome Darla Stafford (who is good about finishing things on time) was there for hair and makeup.  The couple also had Rabbi Baseman (727-531-5829) for their ceremony.  Dad has worked with him several times in the past and he is great.  Raina and Scott had Doug from Grant Hemond as the DJ that evening, which was fun for dad because he had just worked with him the night before!

Raina and Scott had bright, colorful flowers!  The bouquets looked tropical (perfect for a beach wedding) with bright oranges, purples, and yellows.  The florist was For Better For Less.

The cup for the wine during the ceremony:

When Scott saw Raina for the first time that day, he got teary eyed and you could tell how in love he was.  They are a wonderful couple, with so much to look forward to this year...they are expecting a baby as well!!

A romantic kiss before sunset:

Congratulations newlyweds!

July 9, 2007

Today for our "Week of Wedding Tips" we have an idea rather than a tip:

Instead of a money dance, auction off a dance with the bride and groom

If you are planning on a money dance, a fun twist is to hold an auction where the highest bidder gets the dance.  It can be a fun contest to see whose dance goes for more (though the bride always wins!)

July 8, 2007

Our "Week of Wedding Tips" is back!  I'm going to share a tip or idea for your wedding every day all this week.  We did this in June (check out June's archives for the week beginning June 11th) and got emails from people saying they enjoyed it, so we are doing it again.  Today's tip is:

Buy a padded hanger for your dress

Padded fabric hangers or even nice wooden hangers are inexpensive (you can find them for under $5) and so much nicer than the metal hangers that your dress probably comes with.  When your gown is hanging for pictures, having the nicer hanger in the picture is a small detail that can make a big difference!  If you are going to have your dress hanging at your house for a while before the actual wedding day, you can also spend a bit more and get a hanger designed for gowns to prevent damage to the fabric or any stretching.  Check out www.foster-stephens.com for one example.

Linen Padded Hanger from Foster-Stephens Inc.

Dad had such a great time on Thursday for Jennifer and Carlos's wedding in Marco Island.  The couple was so relaxed the entire time and enjoyed themselves with the group of family and friends that came to share in the day.  Marco Island is a beautiful area.  The rain earlier in the day made the flowers glisten.

The ceremony was at San Marco Catholic Church.  Mom thinks the stained glass windows there were gorgeous, especially the ones framed with bricks.  Her favorite detail was the aisle runner decorated with Jenny and Carlos's name and wedding date.

Jennifer and Carlos sharing a loving look during their ceremony:

A kiss on the staircase:

The reception was held at Marco Beach Ocean Resort.  The room was decorated with lots of candles, including a tall metal display of little candles behind the head table.  The cake had the couple's last name initial on the middle layer, and the ribbon and flowers on it were so pretty.

Thanks for a wonderful time Jennifer and Carlos.  Congratulations!

7-7-7 as a wedding date has been in the news as a "lucky" day for a marriage to begin.  Some people are calling it the luckiest day of the century.  The popularity of the day was even in the news!  NBC news reported that the number of weddings that took place on July 7, 2007 was more than double that of the normal number of weddings taking place on a Saturday in the summer and other press releases have said that it is likely to be the busiest wedding date of this year.  Even actress Eva Longoria (from Desperate Housewives) and basketball player Tony Parker chose the day for their wedding in Paris.  You can see a few pictures of the couple and some guests arriving for their day with this link  but for pictures from the actual wedding you'll have to wait for OK! magazine which bought the exclusive rights for more than TWO MILLION DOLLARS!!! 

During their engagement session (check out the blog archives for November 13, 2006), dad asked Heather and James about choosing 7-7-7 for their date.  They said it had nothing to do with the number and just happened to work out for their schedules.  They didn't think the day would be the big deal it turned out to be!

When mom and dad got married, they had so many ideas for their reception and it was hard for them to choose.  One thing they loved was the idea of a citrus theme, where each table would have a centerpiece of a different citrus fruit and the table assignments would be a matching fruit with the guests name on it.  They ended up with different colors and flowers for their reception but they loved the idea of citrus so much that they used that theme for the brunch the next day.  Heather and James had a similar fruit theme, and it looked awesome!  There were oranges with "leaves" that had the guests' names and the name of a fruit.  Each table had a centerpiece that corresponded to the fruit.  The centerpieces were vases filled with sliced fruits and decorated with greenery. 

The menus at each place setting on the tables:

The wedding was held at the always terrific Lange Farm.  Emily Russell was the coordinator for the day.  The Lange Farm has so many place for pictures.  Here is Heather looking gorgeous by the barn:

The newlyweds:

The night ended with the couple leaving in a Rolls Royce as guests held huge sparklers to light their way.  If you are going to have a sparkler send off, the really long sparklers are definitely the way to go! 

Heather and James, even though it wasn't planned for you to choose 7-7-7, it really was a lucky day and gave you a terrific wedding!

We have already booked 8-8-8 for next year as well .  The couple getting married that day chose it because of all the great things that happened in August for them, from birthdays to their anniversary.

Dad is at the beach for another wedding today, and later this week is mom's maternity session so be sure to check back for updates (and more of our week of wedding tips!)

July 5, 2007

I hope everyone had a fun and safe Independence Day!  We started our day waking up early to go to the parade in Brandon. 

There were some floats with things that I recognized like choo choo trains, pirates, and McDonalds.  Mom was a bit sad that I so readily recognized McDonalds but when I saw the float, I said, "Happy Meal!"

After about an hour I told daddy that I was ready to go home.  I had fun while I was there, but I was done.  Mom, dad, and I left but the rest of our family stayed.  Here is a picture (before we left) of Aunt Kellie, her friend, and cousin Josh trying to catch candy and beads that people on the floats were throwing.  Some of the other people around were getting a little too into trying to catch 5 cent bubble gum and plastic necklaces, but we still got plenty of beads and such.

Later that day, we went swimming.  Here is dad jumping into the pool.  I love when he does that!  I'm not sure if dad will love that I put this picture on my blog though .

Me and dad in the pool:

For dinner we of course had 4th of July food:  hamburgers, hot dogs, steak, corn on the cob, pie for dessert...we all ate too much!

A couple people emailed to ask why I have 2 different borders for the pictures on my blog.  All of the pictures above were taken with our family's point and shoot camera, not dad's "real" camera.  We use the thin red border for those.  Pictures with the black border that we have been using, like the ones below, were taken with dad's professional camera and lenses.  The border just differentiates the two.

Even though it was raining lightly, we still went outside for fireworks.  The bugs were definitely out as well, despite our bug repellent.  We started with some sparklers, and this was the first time I got to hold a sparkler!  I thought it was really cool and kept asking to "draw" with the sparklers more.  Mom of course was right next to me and held the sparkler with me to keep me safe.

Dad put on a little fireworks show for us to watch.  We sang 4th of July songs and cheered for the colors and lights.  I was a bit nervous when we did loud ones, but I just sat on mom's lap and that made it all better.

After the fireworks, mom, Aunt Kellie, and I wanted to go inside because we all had bug bites.  There were lots of sparklers left and dad wanted to use some of them before we went inside, so he put a big bunch into one of mom's vases and lit them.  Mom told him not to do it because the fire and heat in the vase would make the glass explode.  Dad didn't believe her.  Mom is usually right.

Today dad is going to Marco Island for a wedding that is sure to be great because the couple seems so wonderful.  Dad hasn't met them yet, but from talking with them on the phone they are both kind, down-to-earth people.  I'll have pictures soon!

July 4, 2007

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!!

July 2, 2007

We are starting off July's blog with a GORGEOUS wedding!  Saturday, Alaina and Sam were married at Phillippi Estate.  Their wedding was filled with beautiful details, from the "bride" and "groom" door hangers on their getting ready rooms to the personalized activity books for kids to the servers walking around with trays of chocolate covered strawberries and so much more.  Everything came together so well!

It all started with a great location, the Edson Keith Mansion at Phillippi Estate Park.  The mansion is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Mom and dad both loved Alaina's dress!  The lace and the sash are so romantic.  It looks a lot like the Monique Lhuillier "Vida" dress on the January blog.  Of course the fact that Alaina is a "hottie" (as Sam called her!) makes the dress look even better.

Sam and the guys looked good in their tuxes too.  The junior groomsman's tux came with a real bow tie.  Dad said that no one knew had to tie it and someone had to run out to get him a clip-on to wear.  Dad said he felt bad that he didn't know how to do it either.  Just in case anyone else has this happen, here is a link for instructions on tying a bow tie, from Tie-a-Tie.net. 

The ceremony was held out in the lawn so to keep the guests cool there was a table with pink lemonade champagne punch and cucumber water.  Dad said the cucumber water was really tasty.  The programs were also printed on fans, which were placed on every chair, and there were parasols for guests to use as well. 

Alaina and Sam are so happy and in love!

The beautiful details of the day continued at the reception.  The place cards, menus, linens, reserved chair markers...the couple did a wonderful job planning for all of it. 

One of dad's favorite drinks is bottled root beer, so he was really excited to see that Alaina and Sam had it at their reception!  Dad also loved the music, lots of Jack Johnson and Dave Matthews Band.   

It was such a fantastic day and everything was just gorgeous.  Thanks for having us there!!!

The day before Alaina and Sam were married, dad, mom, Aunt Lora, and I went to the park.  Aunt Lora and I played while dad took a few maternity pictures for mom.

I was giving mom some posing suggestions, but she didn't listen.

What a beautiful day!

Mom's favorite pictures were of me giving my baby brother a kiss. 

Next week mom has her "real" maternity session with dad, so stay tuned for more pictures of mom's ever growing belly.

Today was a big day for me.  I had my first dentist appointment!!!  Mom and dad didn't realize that I was supposed to go when I was younger and my pediatrician told them it was time at my last doctor's appointment.  I wouldn't let dad take any pictures, but he managed to sneak this one.

I was in the waiting room watching the video of the monkey brushing and flossing his teeth, which I thought was very funny.  It was a good thing I liked it because we were waiting to be called back for almost 40 minutes!  I was excited about the dentist until I had to lay down in the chair.  Mom suspected that I might get upset so she came back with me even though they said she should wait in the waiting room.  It was a very quick cleaning and then they counted my teeth and did a fluoride treatment and I was done.  Besides being a little scared and crying a bit, I did a great job.  Mom and dad said they were very proud of me!

The other day dad got a call from Jeff Mason, another photographer who dad met at WPPI.  Jeff told dad that he saw his picture in the May edition of Rangefinder, which is a magazine for professional photographers.  Dad was confused because he had looked through the magazine and hadn't noticed anything about himself, so he pulled it out again.  Sure enough, dad was in there!  There was an article about WPPI (the photography convention we all went to in Vegas this past March) and one of the pictures showed dad photographing a couple at Bally's monorail stop.  Here is the picture of dad, and one of the pictures he took of that couple: 

If you haven't already looked, be sure to go back to the first entry at the bottom of my April blog to see the rest of the pictures dad took at WPPI, and to read about all the fun we had there.  Thanks so much Jeff for pointing out the picture!  It made dad's day, even if it was just the back of his head .