Look Who's Twenty!

My daughter Kerry celebrated her 20th birthday on Saturday!
After much deliberation on Kerry's part, she decided to continue the tradition of her birthday celebrations by going once again to Wooster Street Pizza with her best friends and family.

With her friends from high school - Parker, Mel and Kaylee

And Jojo, of course!

The night also marked the first time father and son shared a beer together!

Then back home for cake, lovingly made my Annie and Adam in the likeness of Maddie.

 As her friends eyed it, you could almost read what was going through their minds.  Are we going to have to eat that?

While it was an outstanding likeness to our cat, Maddie, it was not exactly appetizing.

 Mel was brave and bit into a paw.

The black fondant coated her teeth and that was her first and last bite.

After a call to missing friend, Taylor...

and after opening up a few gifts...

We all went to Sweet Frog for frozen yogurt, along with Adam's friends, Jordan and Andrew.

 Before leaving, we took a few pictures with the birthday girl...

 with her friends...

 and even with Adam's friends...

It was a very fun night! 
We love spending time with our children and their friends!

Kerry has been thinking of changing the tradition for her 21st birthday next year.
And I don't think it will involve frozen yogurt!

My Girls

You probably know I have two daughters, Kerry and Annie.

What you might not know is that I have a bond with MANY other girls that I spent a LOT of time with over the years.  I was the leader of two Girl Scout troops. 

This summer, the girls in the youngest troop became Seniors in high school, and I have had the honor of taking some of their Senior portraits.  We haven't really been together as a troop since the end of 6th grade, but I see them here and there and I still feel like they are "my girls", feeling a bond with them that has remained in my heart since the olden days.

So far this summer, I have taken pictures of 4 of my girls.

Annie, of course... 
Then:

 

And now:

Sarah - then:

And Sarah - now:

Gigi - then:

And Gigi - now:

And Renee - then:

And Renee - now:

As I look at them now, I can't help but remember all of the fun times we had back then.
I get nostalgic and think about how fast they have grown up.
As I aim the camera at them, the line between the little girl I once knew well and the beautiful young women they are becomes blurred.
I still can so easily see their innocent little faces free of makeup and free of cares.
This next year will not be an easy one for them.
SATs, college applications, and a year of LASTs.

I feel fortunate that I can be a part of this time of their lives in this way.
Capturing this moment in time before "the rest of their life" begins.

And I look forward to seeing more of my girls over the summer!

June 28, 1988

Twenty-four years ago today, Hali was born.

Hali is my sister Lori's daughter - her first-born.

 Hali was a precocious little girl!

She was also extremely entertaining!

 

When she wasn't talking (which was rare)

she was singing.

Her Uncle Vance loved when Hali visited!

 

As she got older, my kids loved her too!

And they also found her entertaining!

Kerry and Adam still remember when she told them that airplanes have a Butt-Hatch. When people use the bathroom on a plane, it gets dropped out of the Butt-Hatch and falls to the earth below.  Gullible as they are at such a young age,  they remember running around with buckets when a plane flew overhead hoping to catch some droppings!

That's just how Hali is.  Imaginative, creative, smart - a natural story-teller!

Hali is all grown up now - 24 years old!

But not too old to ask for a birthday blog!

So here it is, Hali!

Oh, here is a more recent picture of Hali...

She's the one on the right, above the Butt-Hatch!

Happy Birthday, Hali!

We love you!

Worth the Wait

I got a birthday present in the mail yesterday.
From my sister.

My birthday was over a month ago, but over the years I've come to expect Lori's gifts to be a little late.  Between her main job as an accountant and her new endeavor with her good friend Terri catering and giving cooking classes (Cooking Sense), not to mention her 3 daughters, 4 dogs, 2 cats, 2 horses, and a few visiting squirrels - I'm surprised my gift arrived when it did!

She is pretty amazing.

To add to her long list of responsibilities, she also takes time for some creativity.
This winter she has been learning to quilt.  Her friend, Terri, who is also amazing at so many things,  invited her along on a quilting weekend and she has finished her first quilt.

And I am the lucky recipient!

I knew something was brewing when she made me send her pictures of my family room but wouldn't tell me why. Then it was confirmed when she was trying to pick out a backing for the quilt and had to ask me what I would want.  Print or solid.  I chose solid.

Here is a picture of Lori (left) and Terri (right) as they were in the process of making it. 

And here it is in its forever home!

I don't know how she managed to choose the perfect colors from a few phone pics, but it is gorgeous and eye-catching, bold and modern - absolutely perfect!  I love it!

She chose a pretty purple backing that looks great with my green sofa.

She was quick to point out the mistakes she made - using the wrong color thread on the backing and the the quilting lines were not always straight - but I hope she realizes all those things don't matter to me.  In fact I didn't even notice them.

Whenever I receive a gift of this magnitude, I always wonder if my reaction truly let the giver know how much I love it and how much it means to me. 

But then again, Lori knows me better than anyone in the world.
So she must know.

My Field of Dreams

It's really happening!

The planning - the idea began 2 years ago.
The speculation - will they come?
The timing - ready for the end of Annie's junior year in high school.
The nitty-gritty - learning Excel, spreadsheets, keeping track of income and expenses, sales tax, bank account, credit/debit card reader, pricing...
The advertising - networking using a Facebook page, photography blog,  ad in local newspaper

I had done just about everything I could think of.

School ended last week and I timed my one and only ad to go into the paper at the same time.

Then I waited.

And the bookings came in. 

In just one week, I have booked fifteen upcoming Seniors for their Senior portraits!

I am surprised but not surprised, excited but scared.

But most of all I am very pleased.

Of course it didn't hurt that my first Senior this year was such a beautiful girl!

Well, not the first Senior.  Annie was the first and always will be.

She's been my biggest cheerleader and helper.

My dream has been to be a photographer.
I never really thought it would ever happen.
I just knew I loved to take pictures.

I know it's just the beginning, but I really do feel like a photographer now.
And it feels really nice!
Really nice!
 
 “If you build it, he will come” is the famous line in the classic 1989 flick, “Field of Dreams.”

I'm still building, but I can feel my dream really happening.
I wouldn't have changed anything about my life up to now.
I just think there's a time for everything.
And that time is now.