Melissa and Sean ~ Congratulations!

Annual R&R

We just returned last night from our annual rest and relaxation weekend in Cape Cod as a family. Igor and I have been doing this long weekend in the Cape for the past 8 years and it has just become a family tradition for us. It's the one thing that we refuse to substitute as to us, nothing can replace the Cape! It's where I reconnect with my inner antique collector (or as Igor would call it; junk collector) and it's where he reconnects with just resting (or as I would call it; being lazy). The kids reconnect with each of us after a busy summer and it's our time to reclaim our family unit in a setting that harbours love and patience and even healing. Each day we did a little something. Although every year up until this year, we seem to enjoy discovering new wonders around the Cape, this year we actually just revisited our favorite family spots. I was able to get my morning jogs in and they were made 10x better because they were along the ocean. We collected all sorts of treasures and well, read on... it was a blast!

Every year we stay at our favorite spot on the Cape. It's a place called Seaside. It's in South Yarmouth and you get your very own little cottage right on the ocean front. I can't say enough about this place other than after our first stay here, we never looked back. We have been staying here for 5 years now and wouldn't even consider anywhere else. http://www.seasidecapecod.com/ for anyone looking for a place to stay!

Ok, so weddings follow me! We checked in to the front desk and low and behold I hear of a wedding taking place right there at seaside! I had to grab a quick picture. Such a sweet wedding and nice group of people. They had a tent set up right on the property where they had a nice gathering with their family and friends.

Our favorite find of all time was what we found last year! If you go down to Chatham to the lighthouse and continue on that road you will find on your right, Nickerson's fresh fish market which not only has the best clam chowder EVA but down at the docks there are also wild seals! They hang out on the sand bars and swim over to say 'hi'. They are the cutest things!

We also went to Nickerson State Park where Igor was teaching Zack how to skip stones. It was such a beautiful day.

Our Junior photographer took this one of Igor and I. :) Nice job Zack!

At the Cape Cod National Seashore.

The kids LOVED this driftwood. We couldn't get Ella away from it! So...took a few pics with the monkeys hanging on the tree.

Back at Seaside, we flew our kite. For the first time we let the entire roll of string out!!!! It was rediculously high and it took a very very long time to wind it back up!

Can you see that dot up in the sky? Yup, that's the kite!

And what better way to end a Cape Cod trip than by relaxing by the fire?

Alexa - Take 2 *snap*

Beautiful Alexa! This is Alexa's second baby shoot and at 6 months young, she is already a Pro. Alexa also holds a little something extra special in my heart as she is just shy by 2 days of celebrating the same birthday as my own daughter. How cool is that? When the two of them look at each other though they just aren't quite sure what to make of the other. Well, as you can see, Alexa did a fantastic job and although Mom and Dad got the boot, they too did a great job with their Lilly frog and baby bander. Ahhh....these are the days. Presenting....Alexa!

Meeting Baby Abigail

What a cutie patutie!!!! Baby Abby was such a doll. Her parents (past wedding clients) came in this past weekend and we did a baby/family shoot in my studio downstairs. When I asked Mom how she was adjusting to being a mom, she replied with, "I'm loving it, every minute of it". After about 2 minutes with Abby I could totally see why! She was just the most gentle and sweet baby ever. Laurie and Josh just totally love their little girl and I'm so happy for the new family. Grandma and Grandpa even came for the excitement of the first baby pictures! Way too much fun! I love my job ;)

"Energy and persistence conquer all things." ~ Benjamin Franklin

For 4 years now, I've had a dream to "some-day" run the Manchester Road Race. The Manchester Road Race is a 4.748 mile race that goes through Manchester CT on Thanksgiving day. It attracts runners from all around the world! You don't even have to run it, you can even walk it and the participation rate is sky high with more than 9800 participants! All proceeds from the race go to Muscular Dystrophy research. So, this year is the year! I've already started my running and I'm really hoping that I reach the finish line Still running! :) Anyone else up for the challenge? I hope to see you there!

#41; sort of...

As mentioned in a previous post, at a recent PUG retreat in the Berkshires, we were assigned the task of creating a list of 101 things that we wanted to accomplish is 1001 days. So far I have 8 checked off and was really on a roll and crazily excited when a major number, namely #41, was about to be checked off my list! Get a new car!!!! My car is up there in mileage and we wanted to be sure that I had something dependable; especially since we photograph weddings! This is a huge deal for anyone and even more so because I had the car custom made just for me and waited an agonizing 8 whole weeks for it. My beautiful new Smurfetta (or so I named her)...She is the cutest little button of a car with a lucky birthdate and all (8/28/08). So, what's the sort of part? Well, while shooting a wedding last night in Hartford, my little smurf got her window smashed in! I came out to find her glass all over the place and my gps gone. I had her 3 days and already she was destroyed. My heart sank and as I gasped, I held my breath a little longer than usual and I just didn't know what to do. Sometimes things just happen I guess and we can be fortunate that no one was hurt and the minor detail that it wasn't raining! For now, let's fix her up and get her back on the road again! Motor On!

Before=Happy

After=Not so much.