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.)

favorite summer portraits

(nicky nockie noodle man.)


(one of my best friend's sons. love these boys and love this image of them.)



(hands down-two of my favorite people in the world. NO ONE can make me laugh like these two. i am praying they come out to colorado next summer as we had more fun during their last visit than words can even begin to describe.)


(i love this image of aaron wearing this hat...love love love it.)


(sydney a sweetie pie i hardly ever get to see.)


(hayden. love those green eyes. they speak volumes to me.)


(casey giving his only living great grandparent a hug goodbye. no need to say anymore.)


(these silly bands crack me up but they are so fun. here's luke playing his electric guitar).


(mike picking up his sister)


(carole and larry drove in from cleveland to meet me... it was such a pleasure. i've known her online for years but we'd never met before!)


(i love the way aaron's cousin is looking up to him. a powerful moment captured.)


(this kiddo has the MOST amazing blue eyes...but i loved this image in black and white. it was taken during our beach trip this summer. i will post more photos of him in another blog entry.)


(a sweet image of my mother in law and father in law. )


(i was in this couple's wedding YEARS ago...so nice to see and spend time with their family. i miss them so much!)


(i've know holly since we both were kids. it was so emotional for me to see her having these tender moments with her boys. so much time has slipped away since we moved to colorado. these boys are all grown up. sniff sniff...)


(above caption describes this one too...)


(and this one....)


(natasha and her green green eyes...)


(luke)


(charlie...i love that name by the way...)


(seth. i have a slight crush on this little guy. he reminds me so much of his mother when she was little.)


(christian. i went to high school with his mom. quite a handsome dude don't you think?)


(ginger. i changed her diapers when i was young and now she has her phD and a new son jackson.)


(my trademark baby toes with wedding rings shot. i should patent this...)


(jack's baptism. i blew into town from DC just in time for his baptism party to end but luckily i got some time for a quick photo shoot.)


(daniel. he is not an easy guy to capture but i was so proud to get this image of him smiling at his mom--one of my best friends who moved from colorado to DC.)


(such a fun shot of my friend laughing at her son's fit. classic mommy moment captured. i wish i had some shots of me and my son aaron like this...it would be A LOT of shots.)


(cousins eating ice cream. simple image to some but these three don't see one another all that often so it was so precious.)


(my niece. i call her peanut buttah.)


(mike playing basketball in his childhood backyard hoop.)


(an image of my mother in law taken while she was swinging on the playset in her backyard while watching her grandkids play.)


(peanut buttah again.)


(my son has my mother in law's exact eyes. i love this image because it reminds me of that. and i love how happy she looks watching the kids play.)


(my husband's family at an alpaca farm in western PA. a tender moment captured.)


(cousins enjoying an evening together. priceless.)

this summer's travels on the east coast with family and friends has produced some of my favorite portraits. i love the moments they represent but also the simple candid moments captured. these photos represent special moments in time between people we miss dearly and don't get to spend nearly enough time with. this is my passion...capturing the power of the simple moments of our lives.

for most of these i used my 85 1.4 prime lens that i am sorry i don't use more often. (note to self: use this lens more often...i paid a LOT for it and takes stunning portraits).

for all of those in these images...we miss you terribly and are so thankful for the time we got to spend together this summer.