early morning in the rose garden.

this lovely, lovely family were married in this rose garden a few years ago so logically they asked to do their family session there.
i convinced them to meet quite early in order to catch the golden yummy early morning light. as it turns out-that was the best decision as that light was pure magic.

the family had such strong chemistry and a delicate sweetness to them that so fitted the rose garden. i got to walk around that beautiful garden and capture them interacting and enjoying the quiet morning of togetherness.

i love my job so much it hurts. and actually it almost never feels like a job at all.

isn't it time you invested in your precious family moments?

call me.

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a strong history that produced a strong future.

these two are frozen in my mind circa 1988 from our senior AP english class where we were all responsible for staging our version of Samuel Beckett's "Waiting for Gadot". no matter how i try i can't get those images out of my mind. it's as if it happened recently--not 22 years ago.

they were a cute couple walking the halls together of our private high school, holding hands and making googly eyes at one another. thinking back--they were one of the only couples i remember that i had a feeling just might last. they seemed so sure of themselves and so happy together. i remember being impressed that they seemed to 'know' that they were good together and were facing the possibility of a strong future .

flash ahead 22 years and i finally meet up with them again. (well, we connected about a year ago via facebook but hadn't actually met face to face since 1988.)

they are still so sweet together, so fun and so sure of themselves and...just look at this beautiful family they have created out of their love. i did manage to capture a few of those googly eyed expressions too...and they were just as i remembered them.

what a lovely family you guys have! thanks for welcoming me into your home after all of these years and for trusting me to capture your precious family memories together.

i am so so glad that we reconnected! and yeah to good old VHS for being the match maker in this lovely story.

nothing grander than a trip to the ocean...

...especially considering this was the first trip to see the ocean for the boys. it was just magical. the expressions on their faces upon seeing, hearing, smelling and feeling the ocean were so wonderful to witness. (the heat and oppressive humidity, on the other hand were not so wonderful to witness... this year the heat index was well over 110 degrees. i missed our ideal colorado climate terribly!)

i grew up enjoying the ocean each summer for our two week vacation to the outer banks of north carolina. so, in a sense, it was a part of me that i wanted to share that with the boys. it was an adventure being away from dad for two weeks (as he had to head back to colorado for work). we traveled over 5 states just the three of us! i am so glad we did it and...we have the memories to prove it.

i probably should not have risked taking my professional camera and lenses to the beach but i just didn't want to miss out on capturing every second i could. so some of my lenses got a bit of sand in them but it was well worth it for me. the photo of my boys and their cousins holding hands is most precious to me. we miss spending time with them but it was so nice to just be together and relax.

despite the heat, the beach and the atlantic in north carolina had a power over us and we ventured out every day to get our fill . i could get quite used to that early evening magical soft light as well as the sweetness of the ocean as the sun is setting. there is just something about the purity one feels at the beach, the simple relaxation and the warm salty air. we are planning to go back again next year for a couple of weeks. but for now i have these images to bring me back whenever i want to reminisce.

a subtle sadness has overcome me....

my babies are in school. they are growing up. and...
i
miss
them.

i did it.

so far, 15 days into it, 40 has been challenging.

gray hair.
slow metabolism.
a new age bracket.
and
that number..
4
0.

well i kicked it all in the rear end on my birthday weekend when i journeyed up my second colorado 14er (14,265 feet to be exact). quandary peak was my poison. it was on my life list to climb a 14er three years ago and i did it. this time it was a personal quest and challenge to push my out of shape self into this new goal.

it was an emotional and physical journey to summit. i was tired, out of breath and my heart was pounding so so hard. each step as i got closer to the summit was as painful as childbirth. i wanted to give up many times as the trail was almost all rock for miles and miles. it made it extremely challenging to battle along with the altitude.

but just like in life--my friends pushed me and made all the difference.

as challenging as it was-that HIGH from doing it and getting down, over 14 miles in all, was worth every second of agony.

i felt alive, young and connected to myself in a way i haven't felt in a while.
it was magical.

and then there were 4 days after where i just couldn't go up or walk down steps!

i made photo greeting cards of my last summit three years ago and put them in the boys' baby books--along with a personal note to encourage them to follow their dreams. just like their mama did.

this time i will display a photo on the wall to remind myself that i am only as old as i allow myself to be. and that 4-0 is not such a bad number after all.



(note the top of the sign: "there are NO easy 14ers". i'll drink to that!)


(our at the top of the mountain snacks.)


(the quandary peak crew.)



(the view speaks for itself.)



(the gals actually sang happy birthday to me at the top--complete with candles in the strawberries and blueberries.)


(tam has been my hiking buddy for both of my 14ers now. )


(julie and i went to penn state together over 20 years ago. she is so much fun to be around.)


(yep--i had to take video with my flip camera too.)


(those rocks were such a pain to climb up and down on--particularly when you are exhausted.)


(notice the small dots up the mountain. those =other hikers. it was terrible to look up and see the summit so far away.)


(we met a false summit but were still geared up for the next one.)


(the skies were just magical.)


(i was so thankful to have those poles--especially on the journey down.)