A Picnic and Baseball at the Park

The boys are really into baseball, so we decided that a great way to spend the afternoon would be to havea picnic...at the park up the street! We packed a picnic basket full of sandwiches, chicken, and chips, and met the G Family for some fun in the sun. Well, sort of the sun. It is the end of December so we had to wear jackets. The children didn't seem to notice how very cold it was outside, but the grown up's were acutely aware that it was not typical San Diego weather.

My favorite shot

Everyone asks me, "Why do you have to edit the pictures?" Well, I don't.

But I want each and every picture to be the very best it can be. I want every shot to tell a story and to have some depth. I want all the pictures to be special.

Here's an example. The picture above has had a bit of "fine tuning", while the one below is unedited. The unedited one is great, but the one above tells a story. See what I'm talking about?

I love weddings!

Congratulations to Ashley and Zach on their wedding! I got to play the part as the shutterbug. What a neat experience!


What I learned: Shooting a wedding is hard. In addition to the pressure of it all (it is, after all, a one time deal) I am a crybaby. I mean, who wants to hire a photographer that cries when the vows are being read? Nevertheless, I was entrusted to keep it together to take some pictures and I am so glad I was able to do it. Thank you for letting me part of your very special day.

Life In Mexico

When my son came home to tell me all about how he learned about Life In Mexico at school, I thought, "I wonder if he realizes how hard life can be?" The opportunity to take the two big boys to downtown Ensenada proved to be a great lesson in life and culture for them. It was such a contrast from the comforts of the cruise ship. We saw street vendors trying to sell sunglasses, artwork, toys, and other trinkets. The boys enjoyed looking at the items and realized for the first time that the price could be negotiable. I took that opportunity to talk to them about how the vendors have to work very very hard to provide for their families. I also told them how sometimes people work very hard but really never have enough money to buy special things or have a lot of toys. It seemed that I did most of the talking, but they did listen. Hopefully through this experience, they can one day understand how lucky they are to live where they live and have the things that they have. As they get older, I really hope they learn to appreciate all the things they have and learn to be empathetic to others.

Family Time in Mexico

Hubby and No Neck messing around...like usual.

On the Lido Deck upon arrive. I just love saying that, "Lido Deck."


My Mom thought it would be great to take a family vacation. Easier said than done. After careful planning, Sis and I agreed that Thanksgiving break would be the only time where we could all take time off and drag the kids on a cruise to Ensenada. Mom and dad were excited to have us join them on this mini adventure. Reluctantly, we hopped on the boat with all of our children (all 7 of them)

Once on the ocean, moods changed and the 3 day cruise ended up being a delightful time with family. The children had a great time spending time with each other (they always do) and , although the TAG team was too young to enjoy Camp carnival, the older kids had a great time in a camp like setting for 3 days. Mom and dad spent some time in the casino, and Hubby and I spent a lot of time with baby, eating ,taking walks on the upper decks, and taking pictures (of course!) It was also very nice to spend some time with my sister. Although we don't get a lot of time together (because...well, I think I mentioned it, we have SEVEN children) we did find some time to sit together, enjoy a mojito, and soak in the Mexican sun at one point. It was crazy - the babies were asleep, and the big kids were in the spa, so we found ourselves sitting on lawn chairs just talking and enjoying our time.

Everyone says that it gets easier once the kids get older. I suspect this is true, simply because it can't get much harder. I look forward to the day that Sis and I can sit and drink, and watch the kids from afar. But... not too soon. Those guys are just so little still and I wouldn't want to miss the growing up part...

Our Ship

An example of one of the animal towels ... CUTE!

Ok... the kids aren't in here. But I took this picture because...dang... that's a lot of children!

Despite the weather, the boys had a great time sliding down over and over!

Silver and Gold

We are just so proud of our boys. They are great kids - Super grades in school, high scores on tests, rave reviews from teachers. In addition, they take jiu jitsu lessons with BJJ Unlimited on Miramar Road where they simply work so hard, even after a long day at school. We are a 'dojo family' meaning that we spend a great deal on time at the jiu jitsu school. The boys get homework done in the afternoon, then we head straight to the dojo for a couple of hours of exercise and lessons almost everyday. All of their hard work pays off at the tournaments that they enter. For example, this latest tournament ended with a silver and a gold medal and a very proud mom and dad.

The tournament was The California State Championship held at San Diego State (so much nicer that waking up at the crack of dawn to go to Riverside, or Los Angeles, or some other distant place) Our school ended up winning the whole thing... I'm not sure what that means exactly, I think it means that our school ended up with the most medals that day.

I traded the baby for the big girl (Sissy's oldest has been taking jiu jitsu with the boys, so she wanted to go.) And I got a chance to take a bunch of pictures of the kids and adults competing that day. I must say that it was so much easier without the little one. I love him very much, but he's kind of difficult in a setting where he is expected to stay still and sit in one place. Go figure... He's a two year old with a two year old perspective on life.

Here are a few pictures from the day. Hope you love them.

More pretty things from Indiana

While visiting Columbus, S and I drove around to visit special people in her life. How lucky am I to have met some great people. I was simply welcomed by everyone I met every where I visited. Even walking around as the sole Charger fan in Coltsville, I received positive energy from everyone. It was a great opportunity to get to know S a little better by meeting her family and friends.

The next time I go (yes, there will be a next time!) I can't wait to bring my children. I think they would love seeing homes in the middle of a lot of land, trees, and deer.

Here are a few more pictures that I took while we drove on small country rodes from place to place. I love San Diego very much, but I can see why someone would choose to live in a small country town. It is beautiful, cozy, and simple.


An example of a small country road. Most of the miles we put on that rental were driving on these kinds of roads. Pretty cool.

A red barn with a big Colts flag in front...classic!

On the way to Brown County where S's parents live. These trees were the minority, as most had lost its leaves to winter.

A little lake behind the Holiday Inn where we stayed for two nights.