Dear Blog, I am so sorry you have been neglected lately. I’ve been enjoying my summer too much and forgot about you a little. Will you forgive me? 
I just realized it’s been almost a month since I last posted. Yikes – I guess I have been enjoying the summer! Summer around here means lazy mornings, days at the pool, camps, and vacation! I love this time I get to spend with my kids. (Except those moments when they are picking at each other!) In a blink though, it will be gone so I try to enjoy every moment. Even though I work a limited schedule in the summer, you can still keep in touch. Before we know it, it will be time to think about holiday portraits and cards. My fall schedule fills VERY quickly so it’s not too early to let me know you are interested in a fall session! Class of 2011 – fall is also a perfect time to have your senior portraits taken! Let me help you capture these special moments before they pass by!
And speaking of moments passing in a blink…I was going through some family pictures recently and found this one from a few years ago. I passed it by the first time but recently it hit me how they are both growing up! I love his toothless grin and her giggly smile!
Eleven years ago today I was blessed with a beautiful baby boy. I can’t believe how the time has flown by. It seems like yesterday that I was walking him into kindergarten. I think he cried every day for the first week (and I think I did too!) Last week he “graduated” from 5th grade and is now a middle schooler. Sigh. I’m seeing glimpses of his growing independence. Sometimes he wants me around. Other times I’m lucky to get a head nod as acknowledgement when he’s with school friends. He’s trying out the whole middle school hair thing. You know – the long floppy look. I think it’s kind of funny (although his dad isn’t so sure of that! LOL!) He is funny, sensitive, competitive, bright, and has an incredible memory. He loves history, junk food, baseball, and being outside with his friends. He hates vegetables, cleaning his room, when I put sunscreen on him, and change. He has changes coming soon with the start of middle school but I know he’ll adjust just fine. And change is good, right?
Happy Birthday JP! I love you.
I posted a story here about my adventures (or misadventures!) with growing things and about planting a garden this spring. I am happy to say that I have not killed anything (yet) and we are starting to enjoy some fresh veggies from our garden! The zucchini has really taken off so I’ve been on the lookout for different ways to use them. My first try was some zucchini bread which I have to say was pretty tasty! Here’s the recipe if you want to give it a try.
Zucchini Bread
- 1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 c sugar
- 1 cup finely shredded unpeeled zucchini
- 1/4 c vegetable oil
- 1 egg
- 1/2 tsp finely shredded lemon peel
In mixing bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, baking powder, and nutmeg. In another bowl, combine sugar, shredded zucchini, oil, egg, and lemon peel; mix well. Add flour mixture; stir just until combined. Pour batter into greased loaf pan. Bake at 350° for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for ten minutes and remove bread from pan. Cool completely on a wire rack. Enjoy!
My daughter has her 1st “real” recital (well really the 2nd but I’ll explain that in a minute…) this weekend and she is SO excited! I say it’s her 1st “real” one because the other was when she was three years old. She got all dressed up and ready to go. We waited anxiously in the audience to see her debut but when her class came out….she wasn’t there! Come to find out she had a bit of stage fright and refused to go out. Lovely. As you can imagine, Grandma (who had traveled 10 hours to see her recital) was a little disappointed. We can laugh about it now though. Anyway…she has been whirling and twirling around the house in her costume for weeks and assures me that she is a big girl now and will not be afraid to go out and dance. I know she will dance beautifully.
A few weekends ago, I had the pleasure of spending the afternoon with these three fun-loving girls for a “friends” session. They were such troopers walking all through downtown Fredericksburg to the spots I had scouted out a few days before. I loved watching them laugh and have fun (and even get some yells from boys passing by! ) I had such a hard time narrowing my favorites down to just a few. Here’s a peek for you…
Yesterday the weather was so beautiful! After three days of rain, I was ready to get out so I headed to downtown Fredericksburg to do some exploring. I walked around some of the side streets and found some wonderful little shops and areas that I usually miss. For lunch, I had a yummy Lime and Cilantro Chicken Salad at the Here and Abroad Cafe. I almost missed it, tucked away in a little corner of Princess Anne Street. I’ll be back (maybe for the tiramisu next time!) I also found a cute little cupcake place – Colonial Cupcakes at 611 Caroline Street. With flavors like Irish Cream, Blueberry Pancake, Red Velvet, Carrot Cake, Smores, and Chocolate Raspberry how could I resist? I bought a few of the minis to bring home. Strange thing happened though…I left the store with six cupcakes but only had five in the box when I got home. Hhhmmm…how did that happen?
I had a wonderful morning a few weeks ago photographing the {C} family! I just love this first one especially in black and white. (The border is a new design I am offering for session albums. LOVE it too! ) I love how easy going they were and the obvious love and connection they share for each other. Thank you for a fun morning! Enjoy your sneak peek and I will see you tomorrow night!
I met up a couple of weeks ago with {K} for a senior session out at her grandparent’s property on Marlborough Point. I was so excited to capture this special time in her life at a place that also has very special meaning and memories! We had a great time roaming around the property finding some great spots (and trying to stay out of the wind! ) {K} and her mom are coming by tomorrow for their preview and ordering session so I thought I’d post a little sneak peek!
Funny story…anyone that knows me well knows that I am not very good with plants. Even plants that are supposed to be very hearty and easy to care for…I kill them. My husband teases me when we go to the store. He says the plants are yelling out to me, “No! Please don’t pick me! I want to live!” Ha-ha what a funny man he is. Anyway…we started a garden a month or so ago. (And again the teasing started when my darling daughter told me not go near the garden because I would kill everything.) We planted tomatoes, cucumbers, broccoli, lettuce, zucchini, beans, peppers, and some herbs. Several things have really taken off including the tomatoes. I can’t wait to have some fresh tomatoes for the following recipe. I made this twice last weekend for company and it was GONE in no time! (Todd – I’ll make you your own personal bowl next time. Sorry we ate it all. :) ) Enjoy!
Chunky Guacamole
- 2 ripe avocados, pitted and peeled
- fresh squeezed juice from 1 lime
- 2 ripe plum tomatoes, seeded and cut into 1/4 inch pieces
- 1/3 cup finely chopped sweet onion
- 2 TBSP chopped fresh cilantro
Mash the avocado with a fork until chunky. Stir in the lime juice, tomatoes, onion, and cilantro. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Enjoy with your favorite tortilla chips!
And a picture from our garden. The tomato plants are flowering!
Isn’t it interesting how our paths cross with people at unexpected times? A month or so ago I met Krista at a local craft store while we waited in line. We started talking…she found out I was a photographer and I found out she was a Pampered Chef Consultant. Cool! I haven’t had a show in years so I was excited to host one and see what was new. (Krista did a show for my friends and I last night and we had a great time! Tex Mex Melts and Margarita Punch…YUM!) Anyway…
A couple of weeks ago I met up with Krista and her busy family for a super fun session! We played at the park, jumped in the ball pit (well the kids, not me but it would have been fun ) and hung out in backyard. With three boys, I can see that life is busy at that house. Good thing they are so sweet and cute! Krista and her hubby are heading over for their preview tomorrow so here’s a little sneak peek. (Krista – sorry I didn’t let you peek last night. :)) See you soon!
by Paige
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