boat dock portrait session

took some time to relax tonight and work on proofing some pictures. steph...what do you think? You have got one gorgeous little fella!

sunday

Finally...a change for the blog. We've been busy moving. Moving is not for the faint of heart....seriously! (Or for the faint of back, for that matter!) We move things every night and there is still more to move. None of the guest rooms have been moved yet....but we aren't in a big rush. I suspect that we'll finish up by this weekend. The dogs are finally settling in! They acted like neurotic lunatics for the first 2 weeks! They miss their old house. They have a much bigger yard here, though. The fence was completed last week so they are able to run and play now. Tommy and I have settled in, too. It is starting to feel like "home" here. Wherever the 4 of us are is "home" to me.
Had the pleasure of photographing Meg and John this week...and then attending their wedding on Saturday night. It was beautiful...such a happy occasion. We wish them the very best!
Here is a shot of the new house prior to moving in. We came here directly after the closing. Such an exciting time. We wanted the dogs to see it and give it their approval. They are not used to hardwoods....so they slipped and fell while rounding the corners at mach 80. Much to our dismay, the dog's claws and the hardwoods are not a good combo. Oh well, a house is for living in, right?

Some random things...
We are enjoying the cooler weather. I love fall! I am looking forward to a trip to the local pumpkin patch and winery.
My grandmother is finally feeling better (Thank God!) which is a huge relief. She is 89....so I was worried!
Tommy and I found a new church that we love! We are happy and optimistic about the new opportunities that lie ahead.
Our new house has dimmers on every light...we love our dimmers!
We were in the middle of a massive cleaning/putting away on Friday night when our electricity went out due to the storm. I was stuck in the middle of huge piles of stuff and couldn't even see my hand in front of my face to get up and find my way to a candle. There was alot of tripping and stumbling. The good thing was...it forced us to go to bed. We were tired, and we were able to get some much needed rest.
My feet are revolting against closed toe shoes! OUCH! I have been so used to sandals. My feet and back aren't making a smooth transistion at all.
I miss reading. I haven't been reading any books because I am trying to put things away and get organized....which usually leads right up to bedtime. When I get a chance, I plan to read Night (by Weisel) and Dr. Phil's wife's book.
I want to see Little Miss Sunshine.
I want to whip out my sewing machine and make 15 feet long window treatments. I want to go to the fabric store and find the exact fabric I'm looking for for 95% off.
My eyes are slamming shut now.....I'm off to bed.

she's the one...

Justin and Libby are engaged! They got engaged Saturday morning at the very place that they first went to talk. After he popped the question...they drove all the way to the boat where we surprised them with an engagement party! We had planned to have the party on top of the boat...but fall came early and we thought it was a bit too chilly for an outdoor party. So...we set everything up inside the boat on the bar. See how surprised Libby was when she came through the door!!

She was even more surprised to see her WHOLE family (sans dad...he had to work) pop out of the bedroom! She could hardly believe it! They drove 9 hours to be at the boat when she got there so that we could all celebrate together. Sooo sweet!

See Katers (above)...that is Libby's family's dog. She is tiny!

They hugged and talked and laughed and cried. Libby was overwhelmed! It was a day FULL of surprises...very good surprises!

This is the way the party table looked. There were lots of candles and roses...and pictures of the two of them. It looked really beautiful. Janae and I have decided that we should quit our day jobs and become party planners!

Here's Libby calling her dad to tell him the big news! I love Justin's smile in this one!

Champagne for the many toasts!

Same kind of cake I made for Tommy's mom...only different decorations! Janae was my co-chef on the cake....we were quite proud of ourselves at the end! You can't tell from looking at the picture--but the little spots on the cake are engagement rings.

Libby with her mom and sisters! They are all such fun people. I am excited that our families will be merging!

Of course...she spent a lot of the first couple hours letting us all see the ring. I love her smile in this one...so happy and proud. Her ring is beautiful...and it looks perfect on her!

Every newly engaged girl has to have bridal magazines, right? Janae and Becky bought a stack of the most recent issues. We all had fun sitting on the top deck folding the corners down on the pages that displayed the newest and greatest wedding trends......from dresses to cakes to save the dates!

We are all so very happy for these two wonderful people. Their smiles light up the room. Their love for each other is contagious! I can't wait to see what their future holds....

Tommy and I love you guys very much!