We're back from Florida after spending a few days visiting Ryan's sister and her family. It had been over a year since we had seen them and so much has changed in both of our families since that time. They got to meet Zachary for the first time and we were able to meet our new niece, Ava, who will be turning 3 months old soon. Elaina enjoyed playing with her 2 year old cousin, Emma, who was barely walking the last time we saw her. Of course, we also had to take advantage of the surrounding tourist spots while we were there too! :-)
THE TRIP DOWN:
We headed for Orlando around noon and arrived that evening. It was a pretty uneventful trip, except for the "biting gnats incident", which I don't think I'll get into in this post. The kids travel great, so it was a peaceful trip, but I think we were all ready to get out of the car by the time we finally got there.
THE BEACH:
The next day, we took a drive to New Smyrna Beach. It was Zachary's first time seeing the ocean, but I think he could've cared less. He did enjoy licking some of the sand off of his feet though! ;-) Elaina had fun running around on the beach, but wasn't too happy with us when we wouldn't let her swim in the ocean. Mean parents, I know. It was a great day though...not too hot and not too crowded...the perfect time to go to the beach! Maybe next time we'll actually stay a night at the beach, so the kids can get dirty!
DISNEY WORLD:
We spent the day at Magic Kingdom. It was Elaina's 2nd time going, but she was only 3 when we went the first time, so she didn't remember a lot from that trip. Zachary enjoyed his first trip there, riding around in his stroller and getting some good naps in.
**Click here to see our slideshow of photos from the day.**
(If you can't see the slideshow, please let me know. I plan to share my portrait sessions using this format in the future, so I want to make sure everyone can view them.)
FAMILY TIME:
By Saturday, it was time to relax and spend some time with the family. Let's just say it was an interesting day that didn't go exactly according to plan, but when you've got 4 kids together, when does anything go according to plan? ;-) The day ended with me pulling out Elaina's loose tooth which had barely been hanging in all day.
The New Kids on the Block - Ava & Zachary:
Cousins - Elaina, Zachary & Emma:
Elaina holding her new cousin, Ava:
We're back home now and it's "back to the grindstone". Thank you, Renee and John, for opening your home to us. We had a great time!
I met Stephanie and Matt today at the Rock Quarry Park for their engagement photos. They drove up from Athens, GA to have their photos taken here in Greenville, although their wedding will be in GA. It was a beautiful day and surprisingly the park wasn't too crowded, so it was the perfect setting for their photos.
Stephanie and Matt, it was great working with you today! Thanks for having me photograph your engagement pictures. I hope you guys enjoy them!
Well, I guess this is as close as I'll get to shaking hands with Mitt Romney today. I was hired as the photographer for the presidential candidate's fundraising event that was to be held in Greenville this morning, however, Mr. Romney's plane had mechanical problems, so he never made it to the event. Their prompt payment for services was waiting for me at my door when I arrived home though, so I didn't walk away totally "empty handed". Get it...empty handed? (see photo above) Ha, Ha! ;-)
And today at 9 months old:
