We traveled back home to Indiana last week for our Spring Break. Our kids spring break vacation was a week before the Spring Break for kiddo's in Indy. When there, we got to introduce Kross to everyone that had yet to see/meet him. That includes his great grandma Dixie. Dixie is Cathy's mom (my Step-Moms Mom) and the closest thing to a grandma I've ever had. This photo above was taken the moment Grandma Dixie got to lay eyes on Kross for the first time. He was in a crabby mood because we'd been in a car for almost 10 hours at that point but I still love the photo. Cathy is the one passing him off to her Mom. I will always treasure this shot. This is a perfect example of the power of photography. This image "moves" me.
Speaking of moving me, the next image below does the same. It's of my Dad - laying on the floor one evening talking to Kross...
Grandma Debbie (Brent's Mom) got to experience Kross's crabbiness one afternoon as well. I love this picture of her though and wanted to share it. It also helps show that Indy wasn't all that cold while we were in town. The first 3 or 4 days we were there, we had temps in the 60's and 70's. However, the final two days we were in town, it did drop back down into the 30's - reminding us of why we love the Florida weather so much.
Our drive to Indy from Naples was pretty pleasant. Other than having a hard time finding a hotel to stay overnight in once we got half way there, all went smoothly. We eventually did find a Marriott in Atlanta that had some open space but that wasn't until 4am Saturday morning. We were beat by that point and would have slept in cardboard boxes had we not found a place soon. We got up a few hours later - around 11am - showered - and hit the road again. We reached my Dad's house by 8pm Saturday night. (about 24 hours after we left Florida).
Our drive from Indy back to Naples was a different story. Need I use the words...helldacious, horrific, & torture to describe the trip home? It was all that and then some. Before we ever left my Dad's house, poor Kenidi vomited all over his kitchen. We contemplated ever leaving that evening because we didn't want her getting sick in the car. (especially because we ordered a new vehicle several weeks ago and it came in thus allowing us to pick it up when back in Indiana) I didn't want Kenidi getting sick in the new ride nor did I want her to have to ride 18 hours while feeling ill. Luckily though, we believe she must have eaten something bad because after she threw up and got it off her stomach, she was right back to her normal self. We said our goodbyes "until next time's" and took off from my Dads around 7:30pm Friday night. I promised my Dad I wouldn't cry that time only because he is scheduled to come see me in Florida at the beginning of May. Needless to say, once I got in the car the tears rolled. Yes, I lied. :) Good thing I was able to hide in the backseat as we pulled away. Thank God also for illegally tinted windows on the new vehicle - "Florida dark" as Brent calls it. About 2 hours into our trip, the great state of Kentucky welcomed us with 2.5 hours of bumper to bumper traffic. By the time we made it thru that rat trap, I was ready to kill someone. It wasn't a pretty site. I kept trying to get Brennen to roll his window down and ask one of the semi-drivers beside us when the traffic jam was going to end because I knew they'd know from their buddies up ahead who had already gone thru it. However, he wouldn't do it. (even though he watched the car in front of us ask the semi truck next to us) I was in the third row backseat with Kross and not near a window. However, at that point, I was ready to jump out the nearest window and bail. Brent told me that the "devil" came out in me. He was right. Again, soooooo not pretty. Being car sick from that third row seat doesn't help a girl out either.
We got thru the traffic jam in Kentucky, made it to Atlanta and were on the hunt for our hotel. Unfortunately, the navigation in the new car took us to the wrong address which added an extra hour onto our trip. The devil was about to rear its ugly head again. Ending up in the hood - in downtown Atlanta - at 6am - is not my idea of a good time. It was a bad, bad, night. I had to pray for God to cleanse my soul afterward. I was doing a whole lot of repenting in the shower that next morning. LOL!
We made it to our hotel by 7:30am and we were paranoid that the kids wouldn't sleep once we got in the room. We pulled those hotel room shades though and you couldn't tell whether it was day or night. Believe it or not, by the grace of God, both Kross and Kenidi as well as Brennen slept from 7:30am all the way until noon when I got up to get my shower. I was shocked. Guess it goes to show how tired all of us were. We cleaned up and left the hotel with a late checkout at 1pm that afternoon. The rest of the trip was pretty uneventful. We made it home by 10pm Saturday night. It was so great to step out of the car and feel those warm Florida temps blow across my face again.
I felt bad for Brent the whole way though because he drove like this...90% of the trip...
Some of you don't know that Brent has recently had to undergo eye surgery on both of his eyes. He had a torn retina in one eye and when he went to have it repaired, they discovered that his other eye was already detaching itself from the retina as well. He has lost most of the vision in his left eye so we are praying that the vision returns over time. The eye doctors have said it could take up to 6 months before he'll know how much vision he will get back. It's been horrible for him. We went thru the mountains in Tennessee and it started pouring down raining. He had such a hard time. Not only that but he kept scaring the ba-jeebers out of Brennen and I because his peripheral vision is so jacked up right now. I kept asking him to let me drive but of course he couldn't relinquish control to his wife (a.k.a Mario Andretti). Truth is...he didn't want to be present when I set a new track record. #ChickenLittle
Kenidi always does great on long car rides which is really surprising. She has had an extremely tough week because of all the up-rooting and change during our time away. However, the car ride is always a pleasant one for the most part with Kenidi Grace. She loves to watch her videos or color while riding. We recently got her an ipad after speaking with her teacher and learning that she uses them at school in tech lab and loves them. We downloaded the same apps that she uses at school and let me just tell ya...it was the best money ever spent. She loves it. With her special needs, we've found a ton of great apps that really help her. I'm on the hunt for some sign language apps now so that our whole family can learn some additional signs for her. We feel like the more sign language she knows, the more it might help her speak verbally in the long run - as backwards as that sounds. Kenidi rode like this pretty much the whole way...Miss long legs...
That girl loves her DVD head sets. She'd wear them around the house if we'd let her. Hee hee!
And Kross...well he was a perfect angel on the drive there and back as well. I couldn't have been more pleased with him. I was so worried that he would scream the entire way because he hates his car seat so much. However, most of the trip he spent like this...
Goodness I love those little toes and those fat little fingers. Unfortunately Indy gave him a going away present. We just got back from the pediatrician where we found out he has a 100.1 fever and an ear infection. Dang you Indiana weather!!!
And speaking of Indiana weather, check out how much Brennen loves the cold, gray, dreary look of Indy. And that thing he is wearing...it's called a COAT. (a.k.a - Cold Outside Again Today) I don't even own a coat anymore because I got rid of all mine last Fall beings that we never use them down here anymore. Just looking at the environment outside Brennen's window in that above picture reminds me of how much we really do live in paradise here in Naples. There just isn't any comparison. Living here and living in Indy is literally like night and day. Thank goodness we have awesome friends and family to make our trips back and forth to Indiana worth it. :)
This Coca-Cola sign below is in my Dad's garage. I walk by it a 100 times each time that I come and go while at his house. Each time I see it, I smile. Reason being...that little note on the corner of the sign...the one that reads "I love you Dad..." - well I wrote that years ago.
I honestly can't remember when it was that I wrote that on the sign but I know it was forever and a day ago. The crazy thing is that my Dad has left it there ever since. Never erasing it. Makes me smile. It's amazing how the little things of "home" always make you feel so good inside. Although the trip from Indy back to Naples was a nightmare and I now have two sick kiddo's because of the weather (yes Kenidi has a deep chest cold and runny nose now too), it was all worth the time that I got to spend with my family and my friends. I soooooo love you guys!
BEACH SESSION - NAPLES, FLORIDA BEACH & FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHER
If there is one thing that intimidates me as a photographer, it's groups. Groups of people for a session. Beings that I live in a tourist area where the beach is many peoples location of choice for photography backdrops, I end up with "groups." Many times, just like the family shown here, you get calls from a large family wanting images which include their mom, dad, brothers, sisters, grandparents, etc. When I get those calls, my body starts to shiver and shake with not only excitement but also intimidation. Shooting groups of people, especially with children involved, is tough. Very hard to say the least. Add the harsh sunlight coming in off the gulf waters on the beach and you've got your mind made up before you ever arrive to do the job that it could be a potential disaster waiting to happen.
Thankfully though, once again, I didn't allow my negative thoughts to win and instead this particular shoot turned out to be a blast. Que Allyson and her family. She wanted images taken of her and her siblings as well as their children for their parents. Their family ROCKED! All of them. They knew exactly what they wanted, how they wanted it, and didn't mess around when we were attempting to achieve it. Allyson knew when to quit, when to push on with the kids, and when to call it a day. I absolutely loved working with her and the rest of her clan. Not only was this family gorgeous but everyone was a ton of fun too.
Allyson's family is from Miami but they were in town in Naples for this session. Her two boys look like something straight out of a Gap ad. And her sisters little one was too cute for words. What a happy baby - full of smiles.
The above shot was a candid, spur of the moment shot, between a Mother and her son. LOVED IT!
Above Allyson is with both of her boys. Such little studs! :)
The entire family was gorgeous. I couldn't have taken a bad image of them had I tried.
This last shot shown below was one where their entire family was trying to get Allyson's one little guy to smile. I love how relaxed yet energetic they all are here. It's probably one of my favorite shots of their session. Very candid and very real. Family is a gift and this family is truly blessed.
A huge thanks to Allyson and her family for the opportunity to work with them. I had a ball with you guys. :)
Lastly, on a totally different note, you can probably guess that we are back home from Indiana. We got in late Saturday night. Although a very short trip, it was well worth the time spent with family and friends. I have a few photos to share with you from our Griswold adventure and will be sure to post those in a day or so. Stay tuned. In the meantime, have a FAB week. Blessings, Angie
I feel like I never get the time I want to photograph Kross. We are always on the go or I'm always photographing a client or editing images from a session or doing some other task that needs checked off my to-do list. Well today, I decided I was staying home and making the time to take some shots of him. Thankfully, he willingly participated. I timed it right - just after his late morning/early afternoon nap. He is such a happy baby so these shots were easy to get. :)
And for my "Jersey Shore" lovin' friends...this pair of images are for you. We love our Jersey Shore in this house. Now Kross has a tee to prove it. Actually, I'd rather have a Pauly D shirt for him instead but I have yet to find one of those. Anybody seen any?
Kross's hair color is just like what Brennen's was when he was this age. It's that strawberry blond. My Mom said it looks like we put "sun-in" on it. LOL! His eyes are just as gorgeous as Brennen's too. Same with Kenidi's. You can definitely tell that they are all related to one another. Love my kiddo's!
Speaking of Brennen...we celebrated his 12th birthday with a party on the beach this past Sunday. It was a gorgeous day and the boys that attended had a ball. I enjoyed sitting on the beach, watching the boys play in the sand and surf, while pouring over some of my favorite magazines.
I'm currently in the process of packing for our trip back to Indy. We leave this Friday evening and should be in Indiana by late - late Saturday night. It takes 18 hours to drive there but we break it up into a two day process because of the kids. We haven't flown the last couple of times because flying with Kenidi has become quite a chore. Now that we have a new baby, flying with both of them would be even more hard on all of us. Rather than get ejected off the plane in some random city, we've decided it's just easier to drive. LOL!
I'm leaving 84 degree weather to tred back to gloomy ol' Indy but it's all worth it just to see my parents and my girlfriends. I'm hoping it stays in at least the 60's while we are in town.
In the meantime, I'll leave all of you with the above image. For those of you heading this way for Spring break in a week or two, this is what is waiting for you. For those of you staying home in the cold and/or rain, we are thinking of you. :)
You'll have to excuse me...I've been a bit tied up. A little preoccupied with taking photos of my babies. A bit busy just soaking up the title Mom and photographer all in one. I've grabbed some candids lately. Random shots that I've had a quick second to capture. These are a few of the random ones.
Kross has been sucking his thumb lately. I've expressed to him that only paci's are allowed in this house but he's already rebelling and defying me. He's totally out of control. LOL!
I took him for a walk thru the park the other day. Each time I seem to capture a shot of him, someone points out how he always appears to be flipping me the bird. It's happened so often that it's really becoming quite comical now. He's DEFINITELY the child of a photographer. Ha ha!
In other moments though, he totally hamms it up when I get the camera out. Cracks me up.
The shot above is a photo of his baby album that I designed the other day. It came in the mail yesterday. Can I just say L-O-V-E? It is now one of my most treasured posessions. I can't put it down. I just continue to keep thumbing thru it over and over again - remembering that early December morning just three short months ago. Thank God for photographs. What an amazing gift we have with the art of photography, eh? Moments frozen in time forever. Priceless moments.
Speaking of being a photographer, how do ya' like my new cell phone case??? Too cute, eh?
And these three vintage cameras...well Brent surprised me with them and brought them home to me the other day. I took this photo of them and then had it made into a 20x30 canvas for our great room. Again, can I say L-O-V-E?
In my free time lately, I've been a leach at this place...sprawling out over my laptop, my camera, and an iced cold carmel machiatto on their coolest of cool white leather couches. It's a quaint lil' place that a client of mine introduced me to. A swanky new coffee shop here in Naples called "The Brick." It's located on 5th Avenue in downtown Naples. Very European and very posh. Love, love, love. I especially love their beautiful chandaliers throughout the place. GAW-JUS! Pure yumminess!
This next week is going to be nuts for me. I've got several shoots to do, a mentor session with a client tomorrow, dinner with friends Saturday evening, Brennen's 12th birthday party at the beach on Sunday and then next week I'm prepping for our trip back to Indiana come Friday. Yeap, we are headed home for Spring Break - to the cold and fridgid temps of Indy. Brrrr! I don't even own any cold weather clothes anymore. I have to shop for some while there. Crazy, eh? When it's 85 degrees here in Florida - like it was again today - you eventually throw out all of your winter type clothes because they just sit there in your closet - never getting used anymore. We'll be home for a week visiting friends and family and introducing baby Kross to all who have yet to meet him in person. We then return to Naples on the 27th. On the 28th, we have our dear friends Tamara and Joe arriving in town with their son Derek. (Brennen's best buddy from back home) We'll be spending the week with them while they are here and in Florida for their spring break. We can't wait to see them again and introduce them to Kross. :)
So...life is going to be crazy busy in the coming weeks. I love it that way though. I'll be in touch via a blog post or two before we head out of town. Before leaving for Indy, I'm dropping my laptop at the shop for yet another repair so that it can be getting fixed while I'm traveling. Therefore, I won't be updating the blog while we are in Indy. I'll catch up once we are back home though. Hope you guys have a ROCK STAR weekend. Huge hugs...XOXO, Angie
