Grow-A-Head haircuts

Mom gave the boys these little heads that grow grass for hair about 6 weeks ago. They've been watering them and watching the grass grow ever since! I have to admit that it has been fun watching the sprouts get taller and taller. We decided that today would be a good day to give them a haircut. The boys really got into it! They started off trimming little bits here and there, designing "hair" styles and then changing their minds and going in a different direction. Nick's got pretty short by the end. They are hoping the hair grows back so they can do it again. I'm not sure if it will, but we'll keep watering and see what happens. (notice my rusty table...big summer project to sand it and paint it...anyone want to help?? :))

Just hanging out

The rain FINALLY stopped, the humidity dried up and we got a beautiful day for a change. And it happened to be SATURDAY and it happened to be Matt's birthday. So, his wish for his birthday to was hang out at my parents' house, cut the grass over there and just relax. So, we did just that! The boys were able to take tractor rides, fish in the pond (Nick caught 14 fish!), and Brett revived the old, black truck that Jake had gotten when he was 3. We charged up the battery and it sputtered around the backyard a bit but probably needs a new battery to make it work better.

We had cake for Matt and were there to greet my parents when they arrived home from their Arkansas trip. I took a few photos earlier in the day. Just look at that SKY!

I have a fun shoot today with 3 super cute kiddos and there may be a waterfall and a trampoline involved! Can't wait!!

My Little Cutie

Ok, maybe I'm biased, but...

1st Camp-out of the Year

The church hosted an overnight camping trip on their property very near our home. Matt was asked to organize the evening and he did a great job. About 50 people attended! There was a soccer game, archery demonstration (given by Matt), campfire, s'mores, rides in a "Ranger", and lots of other fun. Brett and I stayed until about 9:30 (sorry, I'm not a camper and especially not with a toddler!) and Matt was left with our 2 boys and a friend. They all had a blast and came home the next day talking of all their adventures. I was asked to take a group photo and that turned out well, but didn't get many other photos due to chasing Brett around the property. I did find a cute 2 month old baby and took her photo. Brett loved her and wanted to stand by her stroller and just look at her!

Pool time and good friends

Saturday was a great day. We started the day with some pool time, backyard style! Brett was excited to finally use his "wimming pool". In fact, all three boys were excited to use his pool. In retrospect, I should have splurged on the larger variety, but fears of it not fitting in my car prevented me from the purchase. This one is pretty small but that didn't keep all three boys and the dog from enjoying it! I didn't get great photos; I was in fear of the hose! The boys were playing a game with the hose and even though I threatened them with their lives if they got a drop of water on my camera, it still wasn't safe to be within a hundred yards or so of them! After the big boys decided they were too cold to keep playing in water, Brett had it all to himself and promptly plopped his lawnmower in the water. Too funny!

Saturday evening we had a cookout with our good friends. The kids had a blast playing ball and having squirt gun battles. Who knew 6 squirt guns for $5 would provide for hours of fun? It was so nice to sit on the patio, have a great meal, and chat with friends in the nice pre-summer weather. We definitely have to do it again soon!

Kickin' off the long weekend

Brett took a break from baseball to explore a dried up earthworm on the driveway. "Eeeewwwwwwwww" was his exact comment!

Woohoo...Memorial Day weekend...summer kick off! Well, sort of...when I was in school in a different part of the country, Memorial Day weekend meant the REAL summer was beginning and school was OUT! But my poor guys have 4 more weeks of school so Memorial Day weekend just kicks off the opening of the pools and a long weekend around here.

Summer and baseball go hand in hand so Matt, Nick and Brett played a little backyard (actually driveway!) baseball last night. Brett loves hats of any kind and found this batting helmet in the sports bin in the garage and wore it all evening. Backwards of course! He has a mean swing on him and can hit the ball with a force! And Nick was hitting the ball all the way across the street with every swing.

We have a low key weekend planned with lots of relaxing on the schedule. I finally got a plastic pool so we may do some backyard "swimming". I hope your weekend is full of family, friends, and lots of fun times!

The last wedding post

Today's post will be a few collages I put together for the wedding couple. They are formatted to print in 8x10 and I love how they sum up the day. I also included one single image of the Bride and Maid of Honor because they are both so gorgeous! I've still got some editing to do to have everything ready for their return and I need to burn the DVD of their slideshow so this will probably be my last post of wedding photos. Believe me, I could go on and on and on since I have over 1000 images!

I also want to post the link to the slideshow: http://www.photodex.com/sharing/viewshow?fl=3099553&alb=0 Remember that you can right click on the show and view it full screen on your computer. I'm just thrilled that they love their show; grinning from ear to ear actually. I love making slideshows (even though they are extremely time consuming!) and when someone tells me they like it, wow, that makes it all worth it! I hope that Brian and Casey will enjoy this one for years to come.

Thanks again for asking me to be a part of your wedding day. And Casey, I'm so glad we reconnected as friends! I look forward to getting together with you soon. Enjoy the rest of the week at the beach!

The "after" party...

I wasn't kidding when I said I'd probably be posting all week about the wedding! After the ceremony and the church reception, the Bride and Groom had a family cookout at the Bride's parents' home. Did I mention they had a large family? Well, the Bride's mom is one of 10 and the Groom's family flew in from Nebraska so just the family was as many people as a small army! I attended this event as well and after the rain stopped, took out my camera to capture some images from this festive celebration. I was drawn to the kids, of course! They were having a blast playing in the yard. They played soccer, hide-and-seek, blew more bubbles, and the little ones found dandelions.

Casey and her mom insisted on sending me home with a huge plate (well really 3 plates!) of homemade food. Let me tell you, these people know how to cook!

So, please enjoy these casual, candid images from the after party and we'll see if I come up with more to post about tomorrow! Something tells me I will!

More wedding favorites...

Here are just a few more from Saturday's wedding for Brian and Casey to enjoy from the beach! The first one is my favorite candid of Brian's daughter...all of the girls had come outside of the cottage where they had gotten dressed and we were getting ready to walk over to the church. She had the most adorable look on her face as she looked over at Casey. Check out her little foot. There is something about Brides that makes little girls get all dreamy! And who could blame her? Casey was absolutely radiant!

The second one of Casey and her dad makes me smile, too. I love the idea of daddys and daughters. The last one is a collage of some images during the day from the beautiful flowers (made by a family friend) and the super cute watermelon gazebo with the bride and groom inside on the buffet table (catering also by a family friend) to some of my favorites of Casey and Brian.

There are so many more I want to share so I'll probably be posting everyday about this wedding. Can you tell I enjoyed myself? So, stay tuned! (you can click on the images above to view them larger)

Casey & Brian

One of the best things about photographing weddings is getting to meet so many wonderful people. By the end of the reception, I have always been made to feel like part of the family! This wedding was no exception! It was such a pleasure to work with Casey and Brian's families on their wedding day and what a great wedding it was. They had Mother Nature on their side with a very cloudy and damp start to the day and with her coming through with sun and blue sky just in time for pre-ceremony photos and post-ceremony photos. In fact, the weather held out until just after the bubbles were blown and their car drove away before the showers fell.

I have so many more things to say about this wedding and oh so many more photos to share but I wanted to get some of my favorites up tonight because I sort of promised the Bride and Groom that I would! I'm kinda doubting that they are checking my blog from their beachfront vacation home at the moment, BUT just in case, here you go Casey and Brian! I hope you are enjoying your first night away and I can't wait to show you the rest of your photos. I had a great time yesterday. Oh, and thanks for putting up with me and for always letting me get "just one more shot!"

Walking for a Cure

Juvenile Diabetes is a terrible disease. Chances are that you know someone who suffers from it on a daily basis. Endless finger pricks and needle sticks are just as routine for these kids as is brushing their teeth. You may not recognize the disease in their faces; for the most part it is a hidden disease. They appear just as normal as any other kid but the truth is that kids can suffer serious issues attributed to this disease. Researchers are getting closer and closer to a cure everyday but they require funding to keep the progress going.

Our dearest friends' daughter was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes almost 5 years ago. The bravery with which she tackles her diagnosis amazes me each and every time I'm with her. And the determination to find a cure within her lifetime is an effort that her parents tirelessly strive towards. Each year there is a regional walk held in Loudoun County to raise money for research and our family participates as part of the team, "Brittany's Diabetes Destroyers". That walk will be held in June. You can visit our page and/or make a donation to our team here: http://walk.jdrf.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=extranet.personalpage&confirmid=87355286

As part of Brittany's mom's tireless effort to raise money for the JDRF organization, she coordinates a similar walk at Seldens Landing Elementary School for the students to participate in. Last year was the first year of the walk at the school and they raised over $10,000!!! Incredible!! This year the walk was held on May 8th with approximately 170 walkers and at last count they were close to reaching that same goal. Way to go!

I attended the walk to take photos of the kids. It was so much fun. They had an awesome DJ from All in One Entertainment (I highly recommend!), lots of dancing, a limbo line, tattoos, and super cool door prizes like tickets to Six Flags, the Ashburn Ice House, and Jumping Jack Sports among many, many others. The kids all had a blast and best of all, they could feel good about all working together to help support JDRF's efforts to find a cure. Here are a few images from this fabulous event. Thanks for having me!