A Family Well Worth Meeting

I was asked by a friend to do a family reunion shoot for someone.  A family reunion consisting of approximately sixty people.  They basically just wanted to be able to get a good group photo of everyone there.  So I accepted.  It was a great group of people and in the end they all wanted separate family group photos also.

They were so fun and so easy to be around. They even invited me to stay for brats and burgers afterwards.  I truly felt like part of the family.

Thank you, Nadine!!

The DOOR

For those of you that know me...you know my passion for Owls. This door was made for me....I am sure.  Can you imagine what work it took to do this.  The craftsmanship was awesome.  This is at the South Coast Winery in Temecula.  They had additional workmanship that was also awesome but nothing can top 'An owl'.

I tried to fit it in my purse...guess I need a bigger purse!!!

Future Farmers

After rehearsal and rehearsal dinner, the girls were getting kind of antsy.  Tired of being 'well behaved' I guess you could say.  They were awesome.  So I took them for a stroll out in the wine fields and found a wonderful old tractor to capture some shots by.  That's Lucy on the front.  I truly did not think I was going to be able to get her off of it.  She truly loved it.

So, of course, I had to try to get a shot of the wedding couple.

Muses and Inspiration needed

Yes, I've been in a lul.  A Hole.  A dark alley.  Creativity all...gone. Squished.  Need major overhaul.

The year has been full of weddings, travel, and the downside of moods due to lack of home selling and a few financial surprises..to the red...not the black unfortunately.  Job changes.  Relationship glitches.  It has all taken a toll on my blogging and photography creativity and I MUST GET BACK. I Must.  It is my survival.

Yes, it isn't like I haven't photographed.  I haven't blogged half as much as I should. I've lost track of my Beyond buddies and miss them greatly.  Maybe..maybe the oncoming winter will allow me to re-charge.  But that, hopefully, is still a few months away and I can't wait for that..so..

Off I go.

I signed in to Beyond in hopes of grasping a lesson..much behind on and I have found I can't just start with the most recent because it looks as if they have learned a few things I will need before I can participate much again ....so back I will go...to try to grasp what I need.

Meanwhile, I just popped in to one of the links and found this wonderful place .  This one I must follow and try to play along.

Time to pull myself back out to 'life'.
Time to grasp that dream again.

Walks. I. Love. Walks.

Just need to make them a bit more interesting and not just the same place every time and must take my camera on each and every one of them.

Going to the perfect place to start this weekend.

Now. I. Am. Syked!!!.

What do you do to keep interested?  What...or who...is your muse?  How do you keep from falling in to that 'empty place' of being 'lost'?

After everything - VACATION

After the wedding requirements for the first three days in California we were able to get some enjoyment out of the trip sight seeing and relaxing.

A little enjoyment of the Torrey Pine Beach in San Diego looking for little crablike creatures.

Brown pelicans flying above so quietly.  I almost missed them!!

Kings of the Hill on top of the Torrey Pines hills.

Some San Diego zoo fun.

It was a rushed trip after the wedding. We definitely needed an additional day or two but it just gives me a reason to have to go back again!!

I'm Back....

Really...I do hope to be.  It's been a mish mash of one of those....'life is what happens when you make other plans'.  Between weddings, engagement parties, family reunions, and changing jobs...a little bit of relationship stuff and an unproductive attempt to sell my house....

Let's just say...I was lost.  I hope I've found my way back.  I hope I am encouraged and cheered on...to hang out here again.

In case you missed the entire romantic, get engaged in front of the Eiffel Tower portion of the story...this is my son and his new wife, my daughter-in-law...getting married at a winery in Temecula  California.

It was, of course, beautiful, romantic, fun and just downright awesome.

I don't believe I have ever seen him this happy.  Oh, he has always been a happy child, but he has a bit of his dad's...analness in him sometimes. He is a hard worker and has become a bit of a geek.  All okay.

He is happy.  She completes him.  I truly wish them a very very long life together.  They are so awesome together.

So that was the main even of the year so far....and holy crap...it's more than half over.

So now...I'll go backwards a bit...or maybe I will just roam all over the place in some randomly fun type of order...and entertain you with other activities of this year on that island called 'lost'...in life.

I hope I haven't lost the few of you that were following me.

I hope I figure out how to gain a few more with lots of encouragement...to share.

I'm here to stay!!!


So...has your year been as crazy and lost as mine.  I need to catch up on all of your news also.