March 31, 2008

COMING SOON ON APRIL'S BLOG

I still have to share pictures from weddings dad photographed yesterday and today, but we are going to save those for the start of April's Blog!  As always, mom is boycotting April Fool's Day and since she is the one that helps me we'll be back on April 2nd.  We have a lot going on the beginning of April as well so I'll have lots to tell you about and lots of pictures to share!  Until then, here are a couple more email forwards:

To the Spoiled Under 30 Crowd

When I was a kid, adults used to bore me to tears with their tedious diatribes about how hard things were when they were growing up; what with walking twenty-five miles to school every morning ... uphill BOTH ways...yadda, yadda, yadda.

And I remember promising myself that when I grew up, there was no way in hell I was going to lay a bunch of crap like that on kids about how hard I had it and how easy they've got it!  But now that I'm over the ripe old age of thirty, I can't help but look around and notice the youth of today.

You've got it so easy! I mean, compared to my childhood, you live in a Utopia!  And I hate to say it but you kids today you don't know how good you've got it!

I mean, when I was a kid we didn't have The Internet. If we wanted to know something, we had to go to the library and look it up ourselves, in the card catalog!!

There was no email!! We had to actually write somebody a letter with a pen! Then you had to walk all the way across the street and put it in the mailbox and it would take like a week to get there!

There were no MP3's or Napsters! You wanted to steal music, you had to hitchhike to the record store and shoplift it yourself! Or you had to wait around all day to tape it off the radio and the DJ'd usually talk over the beginning and mess it all up!

We didn't have fancy crap like Call Waiting! If you were on the phone and somebody else called they got a busy signal, that's it!

And we didn't have fancy Caller ID Boxes either! When the phone rang, you had no idea who it was! It could be your school, your mom, your boss, a collections agent, you just didn't know!!!  You had to pick it up and take your chances, mister!

We didn't have any fancy Sony Playstation video games with high-resolution 3-D graphics! We had the Atari 2600! With games like 'Space Invaders' and 'asteroids'. Your guy was a little square! You actually had to use your imagination!! And there were no multiple levels or screens, it was just one screen forever!  And you could never win. The game just kept getting harder and harder and faster and faster until you died! Just like LIFE!

When you went to the movie theater there no such thing as stadium seating!  All the seats were the same height! If a tall guy or some old broad with a hat sat in front of you and you couldn't see, you were just screwed!

Sure, we had cable television, but back then that was only like 15 channels and there was no on screen menu and no remote control! You had to use a little book called a TV Guide to find out what was on! You were screwed when it came to channel surfing! You had to get off your butt and walk over to the TV to change the channel. There was no TIVO so if your big mouth Aunt Tilda stopped by in the middle of the Six Million Dollar Man . . .. . you missed it! AND no Cartoon Network either! You could only get cartoons on Saturday Morning. Do you hear what I'm saying!?! We had to wait ALL WEEK for cartoons, you spoiled little brats!

And we didn't have microwaves, if we wanted to heat something up we had to use the stove or go build a frigging fire .. imagine that! If we wanted popcorn, we had to use that stupid Jiffy Pop thing and shake it over the stove forever like an idiot.

That's exactly what I'm talking about! You kids today have got it too easy. You're spoiled. You guys wouldn't have lasted five minutes back in 1980!

Regards,
The over 30 Crowd

Ten Peeves that Dogs Have About Humans

'1' Blaming your farts on me...not funny.. . not funny at all !!!

'2' Yelling at me for barking.  I'M A FRIGGIN' DOG

'3' Taking me for a walk, then not letting me check stuff out. Exactly whose walk is this anyway?

'4' Any trick that involves balancing food on my nose. Stop it!

'5' Any haircut that involves bows or ribbons. Now you know why we chew your stuff up when you're not home.

'6' The sleight of hand, fake fetch throw. You fooled a dog! Whoooo Hoooooooo what a proud moment for the top of the food chain.

'7' Taking me to the vet for 'the big snip', then acting surprised when I freak out every time we go back!

'8' Getting upset when I sniff the crotches of your guests. Sorry, but I haven't quite mastered that handshake thing yet.

'9' Dog sweaters. Hello ??? Haven't you noticed the fur?

'10' How you act disgusted when I lick myself. Look, we both know the truth. You're just jealous.

Now lay off me on some of these things. We both know who's boss here! You don't see me picking up your poop do you?

March 30, 2008

SARAH AND NICK'S WEDDING

Just over a year ago, dad photographed Sarah and Nick's engagement session at the beach.  Near the beach, the spring break traffic was so bad that it took ten minutes to go a block!  Luckily nothing ran too late when traffic looked like this yesterday morning.

Sarah looked absolutely gorgeous.  Dad loved her hair style which she had done at Aacardi Salon in St. Petersburg.  Mom loved the sheer jacket that went with her dress during her church ceremony.  But what made her prettiest was the big smile that didn't leave her face all day.  As mom was looking at the pictures, she couldn't help smiling along with her!

The ceremony was at Chapel by the Sea in Clearwater.  The officiant and coordinator there were organized and good to work with.

Sarah and Nick had their reception at Tucson's Southwest Grill in a private room.  Jamie from Grant Hemond was the DJ for the night.  There was a kids' table set up with play-doh, construction paper, and markers and one boy in particular really seemed to enjoy having the markers!  I wish I was there to play with the play-doh.

It was great to see Danielle, who was Sarah's maid of honor.  She gave a great toast about friendship that made people misty-eyed.

The newlyweds having fun dancing as a guest blows bubbles at them:

Sarah and Nick are headed to the mountains of North Carolina for their honeymoon.  Have a great time!

MORE EMAIL FORWARDS

Since today is Sunday...

Kids in Church

A little boy was overheard praying:
'Lord, if you can't make me a better boy, don't worry about it.
I'm having a real good time like I am.'

One particular four-year-old prayed,
'And forgive us our trash baskets
as we forgive those who put trash in our baskets.'

A Sunday school teacher asked her children as they were on the way to church service,
'And why is it necessary to be quiet in church?'
One bright little girl replied,
'Because people are sleeping.'

A mother was preparing pancakes for her sons, Kevin 5, and Ryan 3.
The boys began to argue over who would get the first pancake.
Their mother saw the opportunity for a moral lesson.
'If Jesus were sitting here, He would say,
'Let my brother have the first pancake, I can wait.'
Kevin turned to his younger brother and said,
' Ryan , you be Jesus !'

God's Children

Whenever your children are out of control, you can take comfort from the thought that even God had trouble raising his children.

After creating heaven and earth, God created Adam and Eve and the first thing he said was, "DON'T!"

"Don't what?" Adam replied.

"Don't eat the forbidden fruit" God said.

"Forbidden fruit?  We have forbidden fruit?  Hey Eve, we have forbidden fruit!"

"No way!"

"Yes way!"

"Do NOT eat the fruit!" said God.

"Why?"

"Because I am your Father and I said so" God replied wondering why he hadn't stopped creation after making the elephants.

A few minutes later, God saw His children having an apple break and he was ticked!

"Didn't I tell you not to eat the fruit?" God asked.

"Uh huh," Adam replied.

"Then why did you?" said the Father.

"I don't know," said Eve.

"She started it!" Adam said.

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"DID NOT!"

Having had it with the two of them, God's punishment was that Adam and Eve should have children of their own.  Thus the pattern was set and it has never changed.

March 29, 2008

DANIELLE AND RYAN'S WEDDING

Yesterday dad photographed Danielle and Ryan's wedding at Mirror Lake Lyceum in St. Petersburg.  The day started with the girls getting ready.  All the girls looked great, especially Moxie who didn't even need her hair and makeup done to be this cute!

Throughout the day, everyone kept saying how Danielle and Ryan were made for each other.  When they saw each other for the first time as Danielle came down the aisle, this proud yet calm joy showed in both of their smiles. 

Danielle and Ryan's friends and family were great people.  The guys had so much fun!

The bride and groom sharing a romantic moment:

Rob Sword was the DJ at the reception and it was a blast!

Thanks for having us there, Danielle and Ryan!  Have fun on your honeymoon cruise!

SPRING CLEANING MOM'S INBOX

Mom has been saving email forwards and magazine clippings that she thought were funny or had a good message so she could have me share them on my blog, but then she never gets a chance to share them when we are updating.  So I'm going to help out in my next few entries!  Starting with today's about pets:

To All Non-Pet Owners

1. They live here. You don't.
2. If you don't want their hair on your clothes, stay off the furniture. (That's why they call it "fur"niture.)
3. I like my pets a lot better than I like most people (and the more people I meet, the more I like my pets).
4. To you, it's an animal. To me, he/she is an adopted son/daughter who is short, hairy, walks on all fours and doesn't speak clearly.

For All of You Pet Lovers

*Note:  We wish we knew the photographer to give them credit for these pictures, but they came in an email forward so we unfortunately do not.

Pets help you when you're down

They are happy to "test" the water

And they are always good for a smile

March 28, 2008

LISA AND CHRIS'S ENGAGEMENT SESSION

Yesterday evening dad met Lisa and Chris for their engagement session.  It is awesome when a couple makes good photography a priority in their wedding planning.  Lisa and Chris wanted the session so they would have beautiful pictures to use on their Save the Date cards.  Dad said they were a really fun couple and it was a great evening.  Here are some of the images:

We are bummed to be already booked for your wedding date, but we know you'll have an awesome wedding.  Thanks for having us photograph your engagement session!

March 27, 2008

SIMPLY JUICE

When you find something good you have to tell people about it.  Mom said she learned that when her Fresh Express parmesan salad kit and her smores cookie dough were discontinued. 

A while back dad was at a morning wedding and they had orange juice out for everyone.  It was Simply Orange, made by the Simply Orange Juice Company in Apopka, FL.  He came home and told mom how good it was and we switched ever since.

Months later at grandma's house, she told mom that she had to try this apple juice because it tasted like true apple juice; the kind you would get if you squeezed it out of an apple yourself.  Mom was skeptical but tried it and it really did taste like biting into an apple.  She bought it for dad who loved it and can drink a whole thing in a day if he let himself.  And it was Simply Apple, made from the same company.  The ingredients were very simple.  Apple juice.  It isn't sweetened or watered down or clouded with preservatives. 

So when they saw Simply Lemonade they had to try that as well and it was so good.  The lemonade became mom's favorite while apple is dad's favorite. 

Seriously go out and try this stuff!  It really is simple, good juice.  And so yummy!

March 26, 2008

KELLY AND SHAWN'S WEDDING

Brooksville Country Club was the setting for Kelly and Shawn's wedding on Saturday.  As dad was driving to the site it was raining hard.  He was worried about how that might affect the wedding but then he saw a field of cows standing in the rain.  The baby cow in the spring rain was such a rejuvenating scene and dad thought that there was no better way for a wedding, a new beginning, than in the spring rain.

The ceremony was moved inside but when it was done it wasn't raining as hard.  Dad thought it would still be good to go outside for pictures and Kelly, Shawn, and their families were up for it.  Dad wants to thank them for listening to his suggestion!

Mom loved the picture of the couple kissing under the colorful umbrella with the drop of rain in the foreground.

Fred Campbell was the DJ and dad thought it was neat that he has been doing weddings for around 20 years!  I hope our family is blessed to be photographing weddings for as long and longer!

Kelly and Shawn were on the dance floor most of the night celebrating and enjoying the party.  They were so sweet together.

Just before the night ended, dad took Kelly and Shawn to the lobby for a couple more quick pictures.  Mom thought this one was a lot of fun!

Thanks for having dad there to share your day!  You two are a great couple!

OUR EASTER

Grammy, we know you've been waiting for these .

Our Easter morning started with Everett and I finding our baskets.  I think Everett's was a bit too easy...his was just hidden under a blanket.  I found mine in my favorite hiding place under mom's desk.  Mom didn't think I would find it so fast but it was one of the first places I looked.  I got a vroom basket.  I thought that was so cool!

Everett's basket had a couple books and next to it was a big inflatable penguin that had balls inside and it made noises when he batted it down.  I think he liked it.

Then we all got dressed in our Easter clothes to go to church.

It was awesome to see our church so packed with people celebrating the Easter miracle.  Afterwards we went back home and mom got all of the food together to take to grandma's house to cook.  I think mom's dinner was pretty yummy.  Everything was homemade, from the bread to the mashed potatoes to the green bean artichoke casserole.

After dinner was the Easter egg hunt.  Everett had a little help from grandma and pop pop.

I had fun finding all my eggs hidden around the backyard.  Here I am showing off all the eggs I found.

It was a wonderful day spent celebrating God's love for us and enjoying time with family and friends. 

JIM HJELM GOWNS

Somebody sent mom an email with a picture of a few wedding gowns.  One of them was this Jim Hjelm gown and mom thought it was gorgeous!

Style JH8801

www.jimhjelmvisions.com

When she went to the Jim Hjelm website to see the gown there, she also saw this one.  It is not the traditional gown in the least, but it is certainly unique and mom thinks it would be fun for either a more casual morning wedding or even a spring beach wedding.

Style JH8815

www.jimhjelmvisions.com

March 23, 2008

H A P P Y   E A S T E R

Wishing everyone much peace and happiness as we celebrate God's love for all of us.  Enjoy this blessed day!

March 22, 2008

IT CAN'T BE!

There is no way Kristi and Gary's daughter is already 9 months old.  It is just too soon!  But she is, and Kristi and Gary brought her over last Sunday for pictures.  They have become good friends of ours since dad photographed their wedding and dad was really excited to see how their daughter had grown.  She was crawling all over the place and was in a great mood so the session was a good time.

Their family really is as happy and kind as they look here.

Cute faces:

She is pretty good at standing with just a little help from mom and dad.  It won't be much longer before she is taking her first steps!

Mom's absolute favorite picture from the session.

Hope to see you all again soon!

JENNIFER AND OMAR'S GRAND PLAZA WEDDING

While Aunt Lora celebrated St. Patrick's Day in Ireland (lucky!) dad was celebrating the wedding of Jenn and Omar at the Grand Plaza in St. Petersburg.  Dad said that neither Jenn or Omar were Irish but the date worked for them so they went with it.  But there wasn't any green in this beautiful beach wedding! 

Dad was happy that Jenn read the blog and remembered a pretty hanger for her pretty gown.

Clear blue skies with gorgeous weather...perfect for a FL wedding on the beach.

Mom always likes yellow and blue as wedding colors and Jenn's grandmother did a terrific job in decorating the reception room with those colors.  The centerpieces were especially gorgeous.

Shells, starfish, and sand dollars were the accents on the couple's "under the sea" cake.

Fun dancing:

Thanks for having us capture your day.  Congratulations Jenn and Omar!

COLORING EASTER EGGS

I had lots of fun coloring Easter eggs with mom, dad, and my brother!  I had a dozen of my own eggs and mom and dad ended up giving me more of theirs.  I didn't want to stop dropping them into different colors and "painting" them with the dye.

Here I am getting ready with my plain egg:

This is Everett's first time coloring eggs so he didn't know that you aren't supposed to eat the shell.

Me creating one of my masterpieces.  This egg was mom and dad's favorite until I dropped it into the blue dye to color it again.

Mom made an egg for Everett:

Me showing off one of my finished eggs:

Happy Easter everyone!

March 20, 2008

LEAP DAY BABY

If you didn't know the end of the old rhyme, it goes:

Thirty days hath September

April, June, and November

All the rest have thirty-one

Except for February alone

Which hath but twenty-eight, in fine,

Till leap year make it twenty-nine

There are other variations as well (visit Wikipedia to read more).

Congratulations to Emily and Steve on their new baby boy.  He'll be walking and talking before he's 1, he'll be driving when he's 4, and he'll graduate from college before he's 6!  He was a leap day baby!!  According to www.mystro.com/leapdays.htm, there is about a 0.06% chance of being born on February 29th, so he chose an extra special birthday.  He even made the television news already!

Emily and Steve were married in January of last year.  I shared pictures of their wedding on my blog in the same entry that I shared the news that I would be a big brother.  They brought their son over for some newborn pictures on Sunday.  Dad said he had such an expressive face and was a great baby. 

What a gorgeous family!

Dad said it was so wonderful seeing you two first as bride and groom and now as parents.  Thanks for letting us capture these amazing moments!

March 19, 2008

KARA AND NATHAN'S GARDEN WEDDING

Saturday was Kara and Nate's wedding in the wedding lawn at Sunken Gardens.  The couple put together an awesome team of vendors, with Darla Stafford for hair and makeup, Dana Dineen as the florist, and Rob Sword as the DJ.

The day started at the Vinoy in Kara's massive suite.  The room had its own terrace which attached to a walkway down to the pool.  The exterior colors at the Vinoy are pink and green, the same colors Kara and Nate used for their wedding!

The wedding took place two days before St. Patrick's Day so Kara was sure to wear something green.

Throughout the ceremony, both Kara and Nate looked at each other with such peace in their eyes and happiness in their smiles.  It looked as if they always knew this day would come and they would be standing there joining their lives together.

The reception was a good mix of a candlelit romantic atmosphere and a beer cozie party!  The newly married Amanda and Jason were guests at the wedding and it was fun for dad to see them again just one day before their three week anniversary.  Here are some reception images:

Congratulations Kara and Nate!  You had a beautiful wedding.

March 18, 2008

BUTTERFLIES AND SPRING

Jacqueline and Joshua were married on Friday at the Rusty Pelican.  Their wedding had a spring theme with shades of yellows and blues and butterflies everywhere.  Their spring theme even brought them some spring rain!  Though the ceremony had to be moved inside, Jacqueline and Josh were too happy to let it bother them at all.

Darla Stafford was on hand for Jacqueline's hair and makeup.  Dad was happy to see Darla again; she is so wonderful to work with.  Frank Lebano did a great job as the couple's DJ.  Everyone had lots of fun doing the hora during the reception.  Dad thought it was awesome seeing Jennifer and Steve whose wedding he photographed in 2004, and Tara and Mario who were married last July.  They are all such kind people.

Jacqueline and Josh put together such beautiful details that mom wanted to make an inspiration board for them.  Here is their wedding with a theme of spring in yellows and blues with butterflies:

Congratulations newlyweds!  We'd wish you luck but you already have it!  Superstitions say that if it rains on your wedding day that is good luck!

Check back soon for Kara and Nathan's wedding, Emily and Steve's new baby, and Gary and Kristi's daughter turning nine months!

OUR KITTY AZRAEL

If you look at the picture from my last blog entry of Everett's first lock of hair, you'll see the ribbon mom used to tie the hair together.  Mom cut off the extra ribbon and left it on the floor.  Apparently our kitty ate it but didn't finish passing all of it (we will spare you the gross details involved there).  This morning she had an emergency visit to the vet to be sure the ribbon wasn't caught around her intestines.  Luckily it wasn't and they finished removing the ribbon, but geesh!  They ran a couple other tests while they had her there and then she came back home.  Poor kitty!  Though what was she thinking eating a ribbon?

March 14, 2008

IT'S FUN TO BE ONE

I think it is fair to say that we knew this little girl when she was still a sparkle in her parents' eyes.  Dad photographed James and Allison's wedding...

...and we were thrilled for them when they told us they were expecting!! 

Dad met their beautiful daughter for a newborn session...

...and shared in her Christening soon after. 

We feel so lucky to have been welcomed into the family as friends and to have shared in her first year.

Unbelievably she is already one year old!  She came over last Sunday for her first birthday session.

Isn't her tutu the cutest thing?!!!

Now THAT is the way to eat a cake!

Sometimes a mom has to do what a mom has to do.

Happy First Birthday!!  We feel blessed to have you as friends and to capture so many wonderful memories of your family's beginnings.  THANK YOU!  We can't wait until next time!!!

MY POOR BROTHER

If you follow my blog at all, you know that mom has not wanted to get my brother's hair cut.  Dad has tried to convince her, and even the poll I put on my blog had 82% of the votes saying he should get a haircut.  Mom finally reluctantly caved and decided Everett should have a hair cut before Easter.  Today was the only day we could do it before Easter so we headed over to the place for kids to have their hair cut.

Here are some "Before" pictures at home:

Mom's friend said he looks like Will Sheff from the band Okkervil River.

Another cute "Before" picture:

Here is his first lock of hair that mom cut as a keepsake:

As we were about to leave, even dad almost changed his mind!  They remembered how much older I looked after my first haircut.  I was almost one year old when I had mine.  Here is my before and after from the March 2006 blog archives:

Mom and dad wanted to go to the same place where I had my first haircut but it was closed so we went to a different place that specializes in haircuts for kids.  I have been there twice already and had one good and one not so good haircut.  Everett was in a good mood as he waited for his appointment.  I was playing in the toy area so I didn't see how nervous mom was.  She was getting a tad emotional and even cried a little.  But when they said it was Everett's turn she wanted to make it fun for him so she got into excited mom mode.

Mom and dad told the hair stylist that they wanted to get the hair out of Everett's eyes and off of his ears, but they didn't want a buzz cut.  They left the rest up to her.  Mom held Everett on her lap but as soon as the woman started to cut his hair he was not happy.

How sad that after debating whether or not to even do it, his very first time he gets a terrible haircut!!!!!  Mom was not happy with how it turned out, but you can see for yourself.

Of course mom and dad won't let Everett know they don't like it.  They won't even say it to me because they don't want me repeating it.  They told Everett he looked awesome, which he does no matter what his hair looks like because he is my baby brother.  Dad says they are going to make time to take Everett some where else next week.  Does anyone have any recommendations of a good place for infant haircuts?

And by the way, yes, that is Everett's first black eye in the pictures.  I am only two years old and I am still learning that I need to be careful around my brother.  I was swinging my vroom around in the air and accidentally got him in the eye.  I really didn't mean to do it and when my brother started crying I felt so bad for him that dad didn't have the heart to tell me that I was the one who did it! 

EVERETT'S FIRST TRIP TO THE BEACH

It has been more than a week since we took Everett to the beach for the first time, but I said I was going to share pictures so I wanted to be sure to blog about it. 

On Tuesday of last week mom's friend was in town so we all went for a quick trip to the beach with him before he had to leave for the airport.  It was about to rain (in fact it started raining hard just as we were leaving) so it was very windy.  Our game of frisbee did not go very well.  Everett was sleeping when we got there but he soon woke up and came to put his feet in the water.  He loved the wind blowing in his face and he had fun splashing his feet into the water.

Everyone was distracted by Everett and thought I was playing with my buckets and collecting shells.  They didn't see me as I laid face down in the water and then the sand.  I was a mess!  But  I think I had the most fun.

I told you it was windy!  Mom wished she remembered a hair tie.

When Everett first woke up he was very curious about where he was, but soon he was laughing and having a great time with the rest of us.

Thanks for staying longer so we could go to the beach, Pat!  Everett enjoyed his first trip there.

March 13, 2008

JACKIE AND BILL AT CARLOUEL

The sign outside of the Carlouel Yacht Club says it is so named because the three founders couldn't agree on a name.  They decided to name their place the first syllable of each of their wives' names.  Dad was at the Car-Lou-El on Saturday to photograph Jackie and Bill's wedding.

The couple live in Northern Virginia where mom and dad met and got married.  Jackie had a beautiful and unique dress that she found there at a small shop in Manassas.  If dad understood it right, the entire dress was made with bands of ribbons.

Jackie in the mirror as she got ready:

Here in Florida dad has had a few weddings that have had to have back up plans because of rain, but this was his first wedding where the wind was a huge factor!  It was blowing so hard that the ceremony was moved from the beach to the inside.  After the ceremony, Jackie and Bill braved the wind for a few quick pictures on the beach.   

The wind was so strong that it knocked a glass off of a table!  Dad didn't stay out there long and brought Jackie and Bill back in for pictures inside the Yacht Club.

The reception was beautiful and the band, DeLeon Entertainment, did a good job getting people on the floor to dance.

The food at the wedding was amazing!  Sushi, crab legs, sliders...there were stations of a variety of foods.  Dad wasn't quite sure about this one, but he noticed no one had picked up the fork on that platter!

The cake was actually a cupcake tower and each cupcake was topped with a piece of chocolate.  Some of the guests must have thought that the cupcakes were too big of a temptation to wait because by the time the bride and groom went to cut the cake, some were already missing!  Bill is from Texas and had a groom's cake in the shape of the state so he and Jackie cut that cake instead.

The wedding was a terrific mix of beachy fun and elegance.  Congratulations Jackie and Bill, and have fun on your honeymoon!

March 11, 2008

FIRED UP.  READY TO GO.

When you meet a couple as genuinely happy and fun-loving as Erica and Kirk, the laughter is contagious.  Dad said Friday's wedding at The Lange Farm was a great time.  From the vows to the first dance, Erica and Kirk made sure their guests were entertained.

The wedding colors were bright pinks and oranges, which was perfect for a very cloudy day.

Erica brought her stylist from New York City.  He did some of the best airbrush makeup that dad has seen!  Mom liked that Erica decided to wear her hair down.  And the beading, brooch, and bow on Erica's gown was amazing!

The ceremony was set up so the guests' chairs circled the gazebo.  The officiant was a friend of the couple and he was a laid-back, nice guy as well.  Everyone in this image is all smiles .

After the ceremony, as dad was taking a few pictures of the bride and groom, it started to sprinkle.  Michelle came out in the golf cart and not long after it was pouring out!  The power even flickered briefly.  But inside everyone was too busy celebrating to care about the weather.

Dad said Kirk was so funny during the first dance and had everyone laughing!

Yummy food:

The DJ was Jamie from Grant Hemond and he had the dance floor crowded for much of the night.

We hope the laughter never ends!  Congratulations Erica and Kirk; you two are an awesome couple!

March 10, 2008

LEIGH AND MIKE ON LYNN LUGO'S WEBSITE

Leigh and Mike have joined Rachel and Seth in the Real Weddings section of Lynn Lugo's website.  Be sure to check out their pretty bridesmaid dresses.  Both Lynn and Rachel had a color scheme for their bridesmaids but did not have them wear matching dresses.  The girls all coordinate but they are able to pick a style of dress that they like, which I'm sure they appreciate.  It comes together beautifully! 

Here are Lynn and Rachel's images from the Lynn Lugo site (Images by Jason Angelini Photography):

While mom was looking through the pictures, she loved the look of the bridal party in Brandi and Dennon's wedding.  The bridesmaid dresses were all in lemonade dupioni with matching organza sashes, the maid of honor was in persimmon, and the flower girl wore white with a persimmon sash.  So pretty!  Here is the picture from the Lynn Lugo site (photographer unknown):

TIP FOR YOUR WEDDING DAY

Just a tip for all of you brides who are getting the details together for your wedding day...don't forget a fabric hanger for your dress!  They look much better in pictures than the wire or plastic hangers your gown comes in.  White or even a hanger in one of your wedding colors will be great to hang your gown on as your photographer takes pictures.

March 8, 2008

SPRING FORWARD

We lose an hour of sleep tonight.  My brother and I don't let mom and dad get much sleep anyways so it isn't a big deal for us, but I thought I'd help remind the rest of you.  Daylight Saving Time (yes, it is Saving, not Savings) is earlier this year than it has been in the past.  It begins at 2am tonight, or technically tomorrow morning.  Everyone remember to set your clocks one hour ahead when you go to bed, unless you live in Arizona or Hawaii who like to be different and stay on standard time all year long.

The California Energy Commission has some interesting information on their website about energy use and Daylight Saving Time.  Visit their site at www.energy.ca.gov/daylightsaving.html.

STEPHANIE AND LOUIS

Last Tuesday dad went to St. Pete for an engagement session with Stephanie and Louis.  Their wedding will be just over a year from now  and dad is excited to be part of it from the beginning.  Louis is in grad school but he came into town for a few days, and an engagement session was a great way for him and Stephanie to spend one of those days together.

Tuesday started as an overcast day and dad told Stephanie he'd check in with her before he left for the session to see if it was raining.  We spent the early afternoon at the beach with mom's friend and sure enough it started raining hard.  Dad called Stephanie to see if she wanted to reschedule but she decided that she wasn't going to let the rain cancel her fun!  The session was still on, rain or not, and dad headed to St. Pete.  Luckily the rain was mostly gone as dad took pictures and it was an awesome evening.  Dad said Stephanie and Louis are one of those couples who you meet and know right away they are made for each other.  Here are some of their engagement pictures: 

Dad says to tell you thanks for a fun evening and for braving the rain, or at least the possibility of rain before it stopped!

March 7, 2008

I'M A FEATURED BLOG

I may only be two years old, but people still like to come visit my blog to hear what I have to say!  Well, that and maybe to see dad's pictures too.  We were all excited to find out that my blog was on the Blogs of Photographers blog.  (That's a lot of "blogs" in one sentence.)  Mary writes the blog, so thanks to her for sharing mine!

NEW ARRIVAL

Last Monday, Weslie and Jeremy brought their sweet new daughter to meet dad and have some pictures taken.  She is just under a month old and she has already stolen her parent's hearts.  Her mommy and daddy were very loving and tender.  Here are a few pictures of their sweet new family:

We can't wait to share the wonderment as you grow and grow!  My mom and dad say it happens much too quickly.

March 5, 2008

LOTS TO BLOG ABOUT

It has been almost a week since I last updated my blog.  Sorry to keep everyone waiting!  We've had so much going on!  Dad photographed a wedding, a baptism,  and four sessions, mom's friend was in town for a visit, we helped grandma move into a new house, we reorganized my room, Everett had his 6 month visit to the pediatrician and we brought Everett to the beach for the first time!  I'll have lots of pictures to share over the next few days.

TIFFANY AND COREY'S WEDDING

On Saturday Tiffany and Corey were married at the beautiful Lange Farm in Dade City.  They had gorgeous flowers done by Chris at Brandon Floral Boutique and their DJ was Jacob from Music on the Move.  Here are a few pictures from their wedding.

Congratulations to the newlyweds!

MICHAEL'S BAPTISM

On Sunday dad joined James and Lara for the Baptism of the youngest of their three boys.  Both sets of grandparents came to celebrate as well so dad took some family pictures before everyone headed over to the church.  In Catholicism, a Baptism is a sacrament just like marriage.  Dad thought it was great that he was  able to document this special day for their family.

Dad said I would have had a blast playing with the boys.  He said that the boys even like the movie Cars as much as I do!  I am the same age as the middle brother.  Here he is helping to clean as everyone got ready for the Baptism.

Michael had a super happy smile looking at his daddy:

He is really watching the Priest intently!

Big Brother:

Thanks for inviting dad to share in this important day.  You have a wonderful family and all of your boys are great!

AND THEN TO THE BEACH

After the baptism dad headed to the beach for an engagement session with a couple who is getting married in Iowa.  They just moved to the area so a session on the beach was perfect.  Dad was excited when Jessica told him that she wanted her pictures to be unique and fun.  Dad said they were a wonderful couple and made the session great because they were up for anything!  Here are a few of their pictures: 

This was one of mom's favorites:

Dad said it was great spending the afternoon with you, and when you are back in town after the wedding be sure to call him for a Trash the Dress session !  Good luck!!

CLAIRE AND SHAI'S ENGAGEMENT SESSION

Claire and Shai live in Georgia but will be getting married at Mirror Lake Lyceum next March.  They came into town for a visit and met up with dad Sunday evening for their engagement session. 

While they were photographing inside one of the buildings, a woman approached dad and asked him if he was picking anything up on his camera.  She told him that she felt a disturbing presence in the corner of one of the dark rooms and though she was drawn to it, she just had to move away.  She said it was very difficult for her because of the strong pull she felt to this presence.  She even had a necklace that moved toward the spirit world and she said it was moving in that direction.  Dad said she was really freaked out.

After she left, what could dad, Claire, and Shai do but go to that very corner for pictures!  Nothing showed up in the images though and since it was very dark they left the room to continue the session.  Dad would have loved to branch out into spirit photography, but here are some non-paranormal images from the session:

The next year will go by quickly and we cannot wait to share in your wedding day!  Dad says thanks for a fun evening.

Sunday was so awesome for dad and he loved meeting all of you!  I have so much more to blog about before this weekend when dad will be photographing two more weddings and a birthday session.  March is going to be an amazing month!!