Well, by the time many of you will read this, I'll be on a 7:15am jet plane bound for home - to Indiana - after having been gone for the past 4.5 months. Oh how awesome it feels to be headed back home to see my Dad and Step mom, my girlfriends, etc. I've missed them all so very much. I should be in bed considering how I need to be up in four short hours getting ready for the airport but I thought I'd blog first. I thought I'd blog and let you all know that because of me being in Indiana and because my laptop is still in the shop, I most likely won't be blogging again until next Tuesday. I'll have access to my emails but probably won't have the ability to blog while I'm gone. Good news is...I talked to Best Buy and my left arm (a.k.a my laptop) is being shipped back as we speak. It should be in by the end of the week. Of course I won't be able to pick it up until next Tuesday though once I'm back in Florida. Bummer I say. Bummer! At least I know my life can return to normal once it is back in my hands. I have photography sessions to blog about and tons of random photos to share with you guys. It's been a looonnnggg 2.5 weeks without it. :(
For now though, I'm focusing on the positive. I'm centered on the fact that in less than 24 hours I'll get to see my Dad again for the first time since moving from Indy to Florida. I'll get to give him a big ol' hug and will thoroughly enjoy vegging out on his couch for the next week. He called the other night and told me all of the things that him and my step-mom were doing in preparation for our arrival. Then Cathy emailed (my step mom) and said she was headed to the grocery store to stock up on our favorite items. They are too good to me. Way too good to me. I've missed them dearly. Moving away from home for the first time in your 34 years of life is tough - very very tough. And when you move across 5 states, it is even more tough. Honestly though, the only thing I miss about Indiana is them and my friends. There isn't much else I miss. I love living in Florida and I love the perks that come along with living here as well. The sea and I are total B/F/F's and are truly thick as thieves. However, there is a familiarity that comes along with "home." I'm looking forward to that familiar way of life when we touch down there tomorrow. I can't wait to spend Easter night with my girlfriends. One of them has a new apartment and a new chapter in her life. I can't wait to see her, raid her new pad, and just hug each of them. I miss the consistent get togethers with them. I'm definitely ready to whip out big Pappa and snap some shots of some fun moments with the crew while in town. :) I need some new images of all of us for the frames within our new home here in Florida. As I type, I'm looking at all of our feet sitting here on my desk - framed in a picture frame - as we sugared our toes in the sand here on the beach when they came down last time for a girls trip. Love those memories!
So...as you can see on the map below...I'll be visiting Indianapolis (dead center on the map below), as well as the city below Indianapolis (Greenwood) which happens to be my hometown, and then also the city above Indianapolis (Carmel) which is where we lived when we moved away from Indy. I've got lots of rounds to make while home but it will be worth every minute of it.
The best part of it all...Indy is supposed to have gorgeous weather this week while we are in town. My friends and family called in some favors and adjusted the weather accordingly for our arrival apparently. Gotta' love that! In the meantime, I hope each of you have a FAB week/weekend yourself. Our plane doesn't fly back into Florida until late next Monday night. Stay tuned and be watching for all new photos and updates from our trip come next Tuesday. I've got tons of back-logged blogging material now. YAY for new content! LOL! Thanks for being patient while I take this short hiatus. Our regular scheduled programming will return on April 6th. Wink wink! ;)
GREENWOOD, INDIANA HOME FOR SALE OR LEASE (CENTER GROVE, HIGHLAND PARK)
Remember this house???
This is our old home in Greenwood, Indiana. This was our home two houses ago. We sold this house on contract and our contract buyers defaulted. Thanks to the slow Indiana court system, after not being paid for six months, we finally got the family evicted and our home back. So...here we are with it on the market again. If you know someone who is looking to buy or lease a beautiful home in the Center Grove area, please have them contact me.
The house was built in 2003. It's located in one of Center Grove's most prestigious neighborhoods called Highland Park. It has 4 bedrooms, 4.5 baths, a large basement (great for entertaining) with sauna and workout gym. The backyard speaks for itself with a gorgeous pool. This is a J&R Eaton masterpiece. If you are familiar with his custom homes, you know he holds nothing back. He builds a stunning home with all of the extra custom touches. The home is located in the 4-star Center Grove school district.
Since we live in Florida full time now, it is obviously not convenient to still own a home in Indiana. Therefore, we'd love to sell or lease this home quickly. We appreciate any referrals. You can contact me via my email address at: Angie@AngieSeamanPhotography.com
We will be in town all this next week and would love to show it if anyone is interested. Thanks a million! ...Angie
I'm pulling photos from the archives today because I am without my laptop. And without my laptop means I'm without any of my most recent images. Grrrrr! On Friday my laptop screen decided to take a nose dive. It just went blank with a bunch of stripes going up and down it. I immediately ran it over to Best Buy and their Geek Squad told me I'd have my baby back in 3 weeks. THREE WEEKS??? That is like death to some people - me included. How in the world am I supposed to go three weeks without my left arm? Needless to say, I'm feeling the pain. Photoshop, all of my actions, my current and past images over the last year, etc. are all on my laptop. I'm lost! I'm currently using my desktop computer which I don't necessarily care for. It doesn't have any of my current programs or anything on it. What a mess! So...for now it looks as though I'll be using older images that you've already seen anytime I plan to blog over the next three weeks. Oh what a joy that is going to be. LOL! Bare with me...I'm keeping my fingers crossed that three weeks goes by in a jiffy.
Karen flew into town and spent that past 4 days with me before she had to head on over to the East coast of Florida for a concert she was attending. We had a great time eating at all of the restaurants I've wanted to try but just haven't had a chance yet. For those of you heading to the Sanibel Island area over Spring Break, you must eat at the "Island Cow." It is this quaint little restaurant that I've always wanted to try but never had the chance until last week. It's always packed out and therefore we never attempted stopping there because of the wait. It's an outdoor restaurant with the most adorable hand carved Adirondack chairs in every color of the tropical rainbow calling your name in their front yard. The chairs are handmade by a company here in town called "Tropic-chair" and I'm bound and determined to save up for some to place around our pool. They scream beach, tropics, sun, fun, etc. Definitely a new favorite find of mine. The Island Cow restaurant has a menu the size of Texas which includes everything under the sun. I tried their lobster and shrimp wontons that were plated with a plum dipping sauce that day and devoured them along with their hand squeezed orange juice and their chocolate chip muffins as a side filler. Oh yes, my tummy was in heaven. Keep in mind this stuff followed a bowl of guacamole dip that Karen and I woofed down in the car on the way to Sanibel that morning. Yes, can you tell it was my "cheat day?" I think it goes without saying that it was my one day off my diet and I made the best of it. And when my blender broke at home and it appeared that our lime chips and avocados were about to go to waste, Karen suggested duck tape for a quick fix. I never wavered - headed straight to the garage for Brent's duck tape and we made that daggone blender work. You know your a guacamole addict when you tape up your blender with duck tape in order to make it work at 9:30am in the morning. HA! Thank you God for brilliant friends who suggest duck tape and for the duck tape itself. :) Oh and here are a few photos I found on the Internet of the Island Cow atmosphere...
As you can tell, the Island Cow is a MUST when on Sanibel Island. I love the atmosphere. I love the colors. I love that it is an open air restaurant. I love their food. I love their shirts they wear there. I loved it all. We will go back. I want to take the kids there sometime. Too fun!
Lastly, I've had many people writing and asking how my doctor appt. with the cardiac electrophysiologist went yesterday. In a nutshell, he doesn't think that my issues are the AV Node Tachycardia. THANK GOODNESS! Praise Jesus! Thank you for all of your prayers and well wishes. The doc says he is 90% sure that it is due to stress rather than the condition that requires surgery. He thinks my body is releasing a surge of adrenaline at night while I sleep and while my body processes the day. Because of that, I'm having severe palpitations like I've never had before and my medication is no longer working to help them. He basically told me that I needed to quit "stifling" my stress. (meaning don't hold it in or push it deep down - deal with it!) Anyone who knows me well enough knows that it takes a lot to get me down. No matter what is going on in my life, my main goal is to keep trucking along. I refuse to let anyone or anything get the best of me. I read a quote yesterday that said..."Those things or those people that tried to destroy you, haven't! Those things or those people who tried to kill you, didn't! YOU'RE ALL THAT!!!" (by Paula White) I loved it. Thought the quote was a must share - so I did share it on facebook with my crackbook friends. :) However, that attitude is apparently part of my problem. I need to start accepting my stress and owning it a bit more I guess. The doctor reiterated that the normal person who is stressed out hasn't undergone a move across 5 states away from family, a life altering heart diagnosis last year (the PFO), personal issues last July nor do they parent a special needs child on an hourly basis - day after day - and so forth. He told me that my stress level is beyond the norm and that I have to start balancing that out even though I might not feel stressed or feel as though it is as bad as it is. My problem is that I don't look at my life as stressed. I won't give in to the enemy and allow my joy to be stolen. After my talk with the cardiac doctor yesterday though, I realize now that I can OWN my stress and still have joy. He said I needed to give myself extra long bubble baths, extra walks on the beach, pedicures, etc. that focus on me and me only. He said the body needs to balance and the only way to balance your life is to give yourself the time your body is requesting. I laughed and said "Well, apparently my 1-2 walks on the beach each week aren't cutting it then. I'll follow the doctors orders and increase that amount." He twisted my arm. LOL! Looking back on it, in hindsight, I guess I do have a lot to be stressed about. I'm just not one to let those "stressors" win. Even knowing what I know now, I still won't. However, I will throw them away with the seaweed as the wave caps come washing up on the shore each time that I'm taking my walks on the beach here in sunny Florida. I'm making the decision to own those stressors and send them packing in the cool gulf waters with the sharks and the bottom feeders on the ocean floor. Yes, yes...that is the best place for her them...on the bottom of the ocean floor - in the darkness for which they so consistently beckon.
And today...where am I headed...to the beach of course. Today begins the start of a FL warm up here in Naples. Our temps are expected to reach the low to mid 80's over the next 10 days. Not only due I plan to hit that beach over the next several days in order to return to Indiana next week tan and actually looking like I "live" in Florida, but I plan to hit that beach to feed my stressors to the almighty powerful ocean and the monsters that lurk within it. My stressors will soon be their problem now and not mine. And when I report back to my cardiologist in 4-6 weeks, I intend to prove to him that he was right and that the sea is confirmed yet again as a huge and ever so powerful tool in life.
Happy, happy, Monday peeps! Make sure you are all de-stressing even if your "sea" is the toilet in your nearest bathroom. Let's be honest...that is where the stressors best fit anyway - in the commode.
If you haven't seen the movie "Remember Me" yet, then as my friend Heidi said...RUN, don't walk to go see this movie! Karen and I went to see it yesterday since it was raining here in Florida. Had it not been for a few of my friends seeing it already, I wouldn't have been overly anxious to go watch it because the previews just didn't look all that exciting to me. Well...of course "Edward" looked all well and exciting in it but the plot line didn't show much detail on the previews. However, we went and we LOVEDDDDD it! I won't go into much information about it here because I don't want to ruin the movie for you. In a nutshell though, the movie starts out with a very violent opening which alarmed me at first. I began to question what type of movie it was going to end up being. Then, for the next few minutes of the first half, it reigns pretty simple and pretty predictable. You must stick with it though and follow it thru to the end. The end of the movie is the WHOLE MOVIE. There are many spoilers out there right now but I'm urging you not to read the spoiler just this one time. If you find out the ending of the film by reading the spoilers before seeing it, you will be so disappointed. Way disappointed! I'm usually one that reads "spoilers" because I'm so impatient. This time though, I urge you not to. I didn't and am so glad I stuck to my guns and didn't read about the ending.
Of course Robert Pattinson (Edward) was phenomenal in this film. I was worried for him and had hoped that he would shine in this movie beings that he had been made famous by his Twilight/vampire movies. I hoped that he would prove to everyone that not only was he HOT but he has extreme talent as an actor as well. The Remember Me film proves just that. He ROCKED the big screen in a whole new way this time. Oh, and for all of you ladies yearning to see the racey romantic love scenes with him in Twilight, go see this movie - you'll definitely get your fix. LOL! There are a couple of racey moments within it. He isn't with "Bella" in these but his co-star is a great actress as well along side him in this film. For those of us who fell in love with Edward long ago and are obsessed with his very name, this movie will only make you love him more. He plays that same romantic, loving, caring, supportive, guy that he does in the Twilight films - only he is REAL in this show. He is a real guy in a real relationship and the movie leaves you wanting more and more of him yet again. For those of us who are currently and already obsessed with him, we might as well check ourselves into an institution and ask for help now after seeing this Remember me film. We are officially lost causes. HA HA!
And the end of the movie - oh the end...it totally takes your breath away. Karen and I left the theater in shock. The ending is a shock and awe ending - a true surprise twist that you never saw coming. I left feeling as though someone had hit me in the stomach with a baseball bat. I'll quote my friend Heidi again...it was epic! The ending made the movie what it was. Well and Edward too. (in this movie his name is Tyler but I personally think Edward sounds better. Has a catchy little ring to it. LOL!)
So...line up a babysitter and grab a few girlfriends this evening. GO SEE THIS MOVIE NOW! I never steer you wrong - don't wait until it comes out on DVD. See it NOW! I'd see it 50 times over again if I could. Don't pay any attention to the measly 2 stars that US weekly magazine rated it. They are nuts! In the meantime, I'm off to Coconut Point with Karen for the day. We are enjoying our girlie lunches and yummy Florida dinners. Last night we hit the watermark grill for St. Patrick's day dinner. Tuesday we hit up the SEA SALT restaurant off 3rd for a spectacular lunch. It's beautiful out today so I thought I'd show her around Bonita Springs and Coconut Point. Good times - good times!
Catch your breath. Don't pass out! Yes, we are talking about jewelry designs from AGD. :) I've had too many of you to count - email and ask me when I'd be releasing some new designs again (clothing and jewelry). I know it's been forever. Truth is...I've battled this question myself. I'm sure many of you have noticed that I stripped my website down to just the items made by me - the items that got me to where I am - the items that started it all. The boutique clothing designs and my jewelry designs. There are a few items still on the site that were made by friends and vendors but they are only a couple of jewelry pieces. I've battled with where AGD is going at this point and I still don't know for sure. What I do know is this. I love photography and I enjoy beading jewelry. Those are my passions. Photography heads that pack. I enjoy the design process of my boutique outfits but I detest sewing. My sewing employee and friend, Karen, lives 977 miles away now. She isn't down the street from me to where we could do midnight runs to one anothers mailboxes with new orders like we used to. I miss that. However, I don't miss the sewing. Kenidi is also getting older (almost 7 now) and growing out of the frilly, ruffly, designs that she used to model so well. I don't want to use another child over my own for my designs. I just won't. I'm weird that way. The sewing also took a back burner to personal issues in my life over the past year. Medical/health issues to do with my heart, the personal junk, our move from Indiana to Florida back in the fall, and just the overall fact that my photography business has moved up to my #1 priority when it comes to my hobbies/passions within my business goals. So for now...I guess you could say that the boutique clothing designs will be a thing of the past. I've been there, done that, got a thousand t-shirts. I'm proud of the accomplishments I reached via the AGD clothing designs and am humbled and blessed by my loyal clients which have also become some of my dearest friends over the past 6 years. Should I decide to re-ignite the line one day, you guys will be the first to know. I promise.
With that said, you are probably wondering where that leaves my jewelry line. For now, I plan to keep my website up and feature my jewelry designs as I get new ones listed as well as continue to sell my older creations too. Like with my boutique clothing line, I have tons of loyal clients that have stayed by my side and enjoyed the jewelry pieces I've created thru the years. You guys are in luck. I plan to begin designing all new never seen before designs in the coming months. The beach is a great place to drag a chair to with some bead supplies. I'd love nothing more then to sit by the seaside and let its beauty inspire my new creations. I can't promise how often I'll list new items here on the blog and website but whenever I do finish a new piece, I'll introduce it here as I've always done in the past. In the meantime, I will continue to forge forward in regard to my photography career. Like with my AGD designs, I know my photography journey has a purpose within my life and I'm eager to see where it leads me.
Before I get started on introducing new jewelry designs though, I wanted to highlight some of the most popular pieces in my collection. One of them being the winged cross and winged guitar pearl strand necklaces. Here are some older images of them...
I've had an over abundance of these being ordered again all of a sudden and thought I'd showcase them here for those who might not have seen them before. They are big, bold, chunky pieces that are designed for my statement making clients. They definitely aren't for the shy. When I wear these, I can't get 10 feet without being stopped and asked where I got it. It's truly one of my favorite AGD designs EVAH! As you all know, I get into funky and out of the box looks and these take the cake. I have 3 winged crosses left and 2 winged guitars left. To order one before they are all gone, clickHERE.
Thanks again for all of your support over the past 6 years. Each of my clients/customers from around the world mean so very much to me. Thank you for helping to breathe life back into me at a time when my world seemed to be crumbling all of those years ago. AGD was started and created out of a need to focus on something positive - something other than all of the negative to do with Kenidi after she was born and we discovered she had health problems. Your support carried me thru many difficult moments all those years ago and I'll never be able to thank you enough for that. You guys were the light in those dark moments. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
LIGHTHOUSE BEACH - SANIBEL ISLAND BEACH PHOTOGRAPHER
Last week I hit Sanibel Island and Captiva for some shelling as well as for some "shooting" time that was just for me. More often than not I hear professional photographers talk about how you should take certain days and just make them "your" days to shoot whatever you want. They explain how these "whatever" days really keep you inspired and your creativity flowing. I love to go shoot by myself and for myself. I enjoy taking my time and photographing things as many times as I want at as many different angles and such as I want. I don't have to hurry as you would in the middle of a scheduled session. I can take my time and see things at my own pace. On this day, the clouds/sky were incredible. The top image above is just proof of what a beautiful day it was. I teach my students in my photography classes that you should never take an image with the horizon line dead center in the middle of the photograph. You should always either pick the sky, the ocean, or the sand as your subject. One of them needs to be your main focus. Therefore, the horizon line should always end up in the bottom third of the photograph or in the upper third of it. In this case, can you tell what I chose my subject to be? Scroll up there and look. What is your answer? If you chose the sky/clouds, you are correct. When you look at that image, I want your eyes to focus on the sky. I want you to see the beauty in the clouds so I place my focus point on that area. I even went a bit more drastic and placed the sand in less than a 1/3 of the image so that the sky is basically screaming at you. You didn't know you were gonna' get a little photography lesson here today, did ya? LOL!
Notice how the shot above has the horizon line in the upper 1/3 of that image? Yeap, now I'm trying to direct your eyes to the beach and the sand. I want you to focus in on the fact that all of those people are sitting on top of a pile of sand that is infested with nothing but shells. They are combing that mound looking for all kinds of different type shells. This particular spot is called blind pass. It is the area where Sanibel Island and Captiva Island split. It's a gorgeous spot. I love it there. There are always tons of "shellers" there. Great fun.
There are really cool rocks on the corner of this beach. They make for great texture in an image...
I have a thing for photographing signs. Some of you might have picked up on that before. Signage always has great color. Love me some signs...
And I'm still confused by this one...
Here is one I just had to grab because of the angle within it. Angles can do so much for a photograph. Love the shadows from the nautical ropes here...
I managed to get some great shots of the Sanibel lighthouse that day too. It really popped on top of that blue sky. This lighthouse is one of the most unattractive lighthouses I've ever seen but I still love it. I am obsessed with its rustic, old, vintagey feel.
I love wondering about the nights it lead and directed those at sea. I envision this powerful beacon that is the epitome' of all things "sea" related. It was first lit with a kerosene lantern on August 20th, 1884 and the rumor is that the light is still operational. The lighthouse itself is 98 feet tall and totally brown in color. It took them three months to build the structure itself. It sits on the southern most tip of Sanibel Island. The beach it rests on is poignantly named "Lighthouse beach."
Although the building itself is not open to the public, many visit the site and photograph it on a daily basis. The beach surrounding the lighthouse is gorgeous and well worth any day spent there.
As you can tell, I had a great time exploring the lighthouse grounds as well as lighthouse beach there in Sanibel. This whole moving experience has been great fun for me because I enjoy learning the history about all of these areas. Even though we vacationed here for more than 10 years before moving here full time, I never knew any of the main details surrounding the islands. It is a treat to research this stuff and then be able to photograph it as well.
I'm signing off for now in order to tend to two sick children I have tucked under my wings here at home today. Yeap, Kenidi is home now too. We are bundled up in my bed watching cartoons under the down comforter as the sultry Florida rains pound the seaside outdoors. I used to detest when it rained in Indiana. However, now that we live here and see such little rain, I have found that I enjoy a good downpour to help cool off the humidity. Storms here are so much more powerful as they roll in off the ocean - way different than Hoosier land. We are enjoying those pelting's on the clay rooftop today. It's a welcoming sound as we nurture our way thru this sick spell. Hope you all have a fabulous weekend. Talk soon...Angie
I'd love to kiss whomever invented the "flip flop." The fact that I get to wear flip flops year round now is just fabulous. It was an 83 degree beach day here in sunny Florida today. I slipped on my old, trusty, so cheap it should be criminal, rubber, flip flops and headed down the street to the beach. There wasn't a cloud in the sky and after four straight hours in untouched Florida sun, my face and body are paying for it. I seriously look like I fell asleep under a sun lamp or something. Yes, I'm that over done. Very crispy. Totally lobster like and that is a rare occurrence for me. Normally I just tan. Today was a different story. No pain no gain I guess, right? I know dermatologists across America are cringing with disgust right now. LOL!
Anywho, I took about 16 magazines with me to the beach today. Kenidi always devours my magazines that I get before I get to. I finally took the time to flip thru each one today while sugaring the sand between my toes. The pages were a bit crinkled and disheveled due to my little KG having them first but I managed. The people around me on the beach probably thought I was nuts because of the huge stack I was reading thru. Here was my "read" pile as I began finishing them. Some of my favs...(mainly photography magazines)...
I always get asked what kind of tanning lotion I use. As many of you know, a fellow blog reader turned my girlfriends and I on to "afro-sheen" while we were all down here about two summers ago. It is a running joke amongst all of us now because we all F-R-I-E-D ourselves with it when we tried it. Normally though, I use this...
I use it along with a mixture of Hawaiian Tropic tanning oil as well. I use the solar dust (above) and then I put the tanning oil over the top of it. Yes, another concoction of mine. I know. However, it works for me. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the solar dust because if you look closely you will see that it has specks of gold shimmery crystals in it. When you apply it to your skin it leaves the flecks of shimmer on your skin and I swear that the little shimmers are what attracts the sun so much. It also looks pretty on your tan brown skin. Did I mention that I love it? Like really love it? ;) Again, dermatologists...just pretend like you aren't reading any of this. Hide your eyes. HA HA!
All in all, it was a beautiful day. Gorgeous was more like it. I spent four uninterrupted hours by the sea - destressing - catching up on my reading - attempting to whittle down my inbox and return some emails as well as made much needed phone calls that were on my to-do list. I enjoyed the sounds of the seagulls, the lapping of the waves, and the sand crystalizing on my toes. I took today to go to the beach because they are calling for rain over the next two days here. I had to get my weekly fix in. In the meantime, I'm preparing for a house guest from Indy next week. That's right...one of my dear friends and my sewing employee, Karen, is coming in to stay with us from Tuesday thru Saturday. You guys have heard me talk about Karen here on the blog before I believe. I'm so very excited. I can't wait to show her around town and soak up some more rays together on the beach. Good times!
For now, I'm off to hunker down and get ready for the Orange County housewives reunion show. Oh yeah...bring out the claws and let the cat fights begin. Until the next post, have a great night. XOXO, Angie
Hi friends. Long time no blog, eh? Sorry about that. You can always tell when my new photography classes start up because I get M.I.A over here on the blog. I apologize. I definitely haven't forgotten about you. I'm just devoting my spare time to my newest students and hoping to provide the best instruction to them possible.
With that said, thought I'd jump in and say hello really quickly. I spent the morning on the beach. Shelling over on Sanibel Island as well as over in Captiva. I took my camera along so I'll be sure to post photos later this week. It's a beautiful 75 degree day here today. I'm vegging out by the pool now with my Mom while waiting for Kenidi and Brennen to get off their bus in a few minutes. It was nice to take today for a relaxation day as my heart and my sanity needed it in a bad way. That heart of mine loves to pump out of my chest when I'm stressed out. Therefore, the smell of sunscreen and suntan oil is a sure fire fix for that when I go to the beach. If even for that moment only, it makes everything in life all better. Ya know?
On another fun note, I got to meet some wonderful new friends this weekend. I hooked up with the Naples Photography club here in Florida and have begun attending events, classes, and workshops with them. They are a great group of people and I had a ball shooting with them this weekend. It's awesome to have others that share your same passion whom you can get out and shoot this incredibly beautiful environment with. I loved it. I was a bit nervous going into at first. I felt like the new kid on the block. Because I was. However, they were all extremely welcoming and made me feel right at home. I can't wait until our next outing together. It's great to have something to focus on and look forward to that is just for me. And me only. Rarely do we Moms or women get that in life. We are always so busy with kids and husbands and daily day to day life that we forget who we are and what we love. Photography has helped me remember who I am. And I am so thankful for that.
Oh yes...and this little girl up above and below...??? She was my beautiful subject during a candid photo session at a local park here the other day. I'm not one that typically cares for any kind of fencing or background clutter in images but her cuteness helped me forget that we were on a playground instead of at a location where I would have rather been. These are just a couple of sneak peek shots from our session. And her hair...oh the hair...
It goes without saying that she was an absolute doll!
For now, I'm headed out to take Brennen to football practice. I'm looking forward to hanging out on the bleachers in the sunshine this evening. It's a great night for football. :) PS...Thanks for your patience last Friday when someone hacked into my AGD blog and AGD website. Thankfully my web gals (Amy & Crystal) got the problem fixed within an hour or so of me discovering it. And actually I didn't discover it, my dear sweet facebook friend and blog reader, Amy Dana did. Thanks again Amy. I appreciate the heads up girl. And for Amy & Crystal...huge kudo's to you two for being such ROCKSTARS in the web design field. You girls are my life savers. I don't know what I would do without you. Thanks again for all of your hard work - on a whim - and on the fly like that - regarding the hacking. You two are no match for those crazies. Soooooo appreciate you both.
His stance couldn't look anymore like a 16 year old here than it does.
His aggravated look on his face because of my cameras presence couldn't scream teenager anymore than it does. His style couldn't be anymore handsome than it is. Quite a good lookin' kid if you ask me. I know you didn't but I'm just sayin'...!
When he wears his under armour sunglasses he reminds me of the movie TOP GUN. GQ'ish and stealth like. Which character is he..."Goose" of course. Cocky and good lookin'! The hair is almost an exact resemblance.
I love that I convinced him many many years ago that real men wear pink. To this day, he'll throw on a pink polo and not even think twice about it. Oh yes...one day he is going to make that wife of his a very lucky girl.
In 10 days he will be 11 years old. It feels like just yesterday that the doctor looked at me and said..."He's breech. We'll need to do a C-section." That was my first clue that nothing about Brennen would ever be of the norm. He is a special kid. One who is madly in love with the idea of protecting his baby sister. (except when she comes into his room and dumps all of his cars) I'm so blessed and thankful for his caring and loving spirit. He has an overflowing heart filled with compassion which is just out of this world.
I love how he shares my same love of music. We share Itunes songs back and forth all of the time. He loves everything from Christian music to hip hop - just like his Mama. Yes, this child knows a good tune when he hears it. He makes me smile when he cranks the computer in his room and listens to my playlist on this here ol' blog. I hear him belting out tunes and think..."yeap, that's my boy."
In 10 days, he will be eleven. In 3 months, he will graduate from being a 5th grader in elementary school to a big 6th grader in junior high. I basically have three months before our world gets turned upside down. Let's face it...middle school was the starting point for all of us. The start of the distance which ensues between parents and their children. It makes me cringe at the thought. I want him to be 2 all over again. I want the chili bowl haircut back. I want the blues clues videos back that he would dance to, and the sound of his little voice when he would say "Close the gate Papa, close the gate!" (old joke amongst him and my Dad) Geez...one minute he still looks so very small, playing like a child would when I gaze out at him...
and the next minute he stands so very big, straight, and tall - looking like he is 10 going on 25.
I'm clinging to each day - hour by hour.
Yes, he is growing up right before my eyes. They always do. Today I'm feeling it a little more than the usual. Because of that, I came here to journal those feelings and embrace them. Embrace the growth and the power of life. I love this boy. Love him to the sun and back ten gazillion times over.
Oh what a day. It was gorgeous for the most part. I began my day listening to the warm Florida rains pour down like a raging waterfall. That type of rain is rare here. While taking in the sounds of quiet other than the rain, I cranked up Ray Lamontagne in the house and rocked out to his mellow tunes while listening to the rain outside my windows and while finishing some final edits on a few images. It was a blissful morning. Relaxing, peaceful, and slow going. Loved that. There is something to be said for warm Florida rains, having my laptop in my hands doing what I love (editing photography) and jammin out to good ol' Ray. I found myself saying "Thank you God for warm Florida rains, for my camera, and for Ray...of course." LOL!
The rain quit after about 30 minutes and then the sun came out full force. Typical Florida weather. When that happened, I grabbed "Big Pappa" and headed to the beach with Ray now jamming on my stereo in the car on the way. It was a stunning day at the shores edge. I went scouting out some new photography locations. Found some good ones too. A perfect day.
On another note...I visited a new cardiologist down here in Naples yesterday. I've been having some really strange episodes of palpitations in the middle of the night. They are three times as intense as my older ones and my blood pressure drops way down when it happens which sends my pulse racing - ultimately waking me up from a deep sleep each night. The cardiologist seems to think I might have a specific kind of palpitation that could ultimately result in needing surgery to be treated effectively. He says I am too young to be going thru this at my age. I agree. I am being sent to an electrophysiologist now. I don't see him for another three weeks which makes me nuts but apparently this doc specializes in only patients with severe palpitations. I'm nervous yet eager to hear what he thinks and what he has to say. Please pray for me, once again, regarding these heart matters. It was almost a year ago when I was diagnosed with the PFO issue to do with my heart. Now this. I'm trying to remain upbeat but it is scary at times. Scary at night a lot. I'm tired of being tired and tired of worrying. Just trying to have faith that God is in control and that hopefully this can be treated without a surgery - maybe with a different prescription or something. And lastly, I was skyping with my Dad the other night and he had a girl scout come to his door selling cookies. I told him that I hadn't seen any girl scouts here in Florida yet. I was craving my favorites...the thin mints. Low and behold...about 3 days later...look what showed up at my front door...
Wait for it...
Waaiitttt for it...
Yeap, not only did he get me some thin mints and shipped them to me but my StepMom made homemade chocolate chip cookies and homemade brownies for me too. Well...for the kids and I anyway. Ha ha! Guess it is good to share, right? LOL! Don't hate. You heard me...don't be a "hater." Do I need to get you guys some hater-ade? Hee hee! Yes, I am absolutely spoiled rotten. I have wonderful and amazing parents who definitely take good care of me. It was great to get a little taste of home. Thanks Dad and Cath...I love you guys so very much! Needless to say, the cookie and brownie stash was gone in two days. I had 1.5 brownies and one cookie out of it before the rest was depleted by little monsters. Gotta' love em'! They saved my hips for the week. Bwwwaahhhhhh!
Hope all of you are having a great week thus far. Enjoy hump day tomorrow. Hugs, Angie
