Christmas is Going to the Dogs

    My friends Rodney and Dottie enjoy celebrating the holidays with their 4-legged children; Maggi, Lillibeth, Micha and Luci. Trying to photograph 4 dogs - and two of them are enormous - can be quite a feat. Luci decided to mess with Maggi's feet while Rodney was holding her and Maggi looked terrified. At least I did manage to get some shots with everyone together!
 
    Our dog Jessie lets us pile stuff on her head all the time and just sits there. Yet when we tried to put a Santa hat on her she shook it right off. We will have to try again before Christmas is over. I usually don't get stuff for the pets at Christmas since they get treats on a daily basis. But Jessie does have a little something special (toy) in the stocking. Let's just see how long it lasts before she makes a massive hole in it and pulls the stuffing out.

Maggi

Micah

Luci

Lillibeth

Last Autumn Pictures

    I hate to see all the beautiful autumn leaves turning brown and falling off the trees. This year they changed in phases. Just when I thought the colors had finished changing there was another burst of color that was just gorgeous. Especially the reds. I wish we could enjoy it a little longer because I am not a winter person!
   There was still a little bit of color left in the trees when I took these pictures of Taylor down at the creek behind her house. It is a great little spot with a wooden bridge and lots of rocks. I still like climbing around in creeks like I did when I was a kid. Only with a camera in my hand it is a little scary.
   Taylor braved the chilly day and even took off her shoes. She is quite the little baker and she loves to make sweet treats. I would be in so much trouble if I lived in her house! I can't resist sweets- especially homemade.

New Friends

   My hubby arranged with a friend for Jeremy and I to go see her horses last weekend. I have always loved horses and I think they are intelligent, beautiful animals. Francesca has 7 horses and it was fun to talk with her about them and learn how they all have different personalities and try to compete for attention. Much like human siblings.

   We mingled amongst all of them and I took pictures. Needless to say, they were very curious about us and my camera. It is very intimidating to be looking through a lens and suddenly realized a large horse is right up in your face. But they were sweet horses and we really enjoyed it. One of the miniature horses was in hot pursuit of Jeremy the whole time because Francesca gave him carrots and he had some in his pocket. He didn't like that but I thought it was hilarious. It doesn't matter what type of animal it is - it is all about the food.

Sunday Photos the Park

I have had the good fortune to know this wonderful family for several years now. We recently met at the park on a beautiful autumn Sunday afternoon to take some family pictures. I have photographed the kids many times, but this time I took pics of the whole family. They are awesome friends and their support for my photography (and my family) has meant so much. Thanks and we love you guys!

Weekend in Charleston

   One of my favorite southern cities to visit is Charleston, SC. I never get tired of walking through the streets of the historic district and looking at the gorgeous old homes. I just went on a "girls weekend" with my sisters, mom and niece. It was a beautiful weekend and hot enough, even in October, for kids to play in the water fountain at the Waterfront Park. I could sit in the park at the battery forever and watch people walking their dogs and tourists riding by on carriage tours. I didn't get to take as many pictures as I would have liked. I will just have to visit Charleston again soon!

Sunday Afternoon

We knew the weekend was going to be a lot cooler so we decided to make a day trip on Sunday to Morrow Mountain State Park. My ankle is really hurting with arthritis lately so we didn't attempt any trail walking. But we did have a picnic lunch, went on a canoe ride, enjoyed the views and had lots of laughs. What a great way to spend a beautiful Sunday afternoon.

School is a Bad Word

We were not allowed to say "school" over the summer vacation. Jeremy said it was a bad word and it should not be uttered all summer. I wish he enjoyed school but he does not- with the exception of being with his friends. He had to start back this week and he was dreading it. I'm not thrilled about the rush to get ready in the morning and bugging him about homework at night. The summer seems much longer when you are a kid!

Here are a few pictures of one of his best summer memories... being at the beach.

Excuse the quality of this last shot. It was taken with my sell phone at Painter's - our favorite ice cream shop in North Myrtle Beach.

I think he is eating cookie dough ice cream.

Beach Crowds

I was very excited about getting out on the beach this summer and taking some more crowd shots.
I have talked about my love of capturing a crowd before. When I take the shot I am looking at the image as a whole, but when I open it up on my computer I can observe all the people, activity and interaction. It is like seeing the photograph in a whole new way.

Beach Trip

   I was so excited to make our trip to the beach this summer. I have been ready for it since January. We could not have asked for better weather. The skies were a gorgeous blue every day and there were huge fluffy clouds. I made myself get up and go down on the beach fairly early one morning and I was so glad I did. I was not trying to catch the sunrise or anything, but just as I arrived the sun was coming out from behind an enormous cloud and huge rays of light were stretching out from the clouds. If I was given the opportunity to see that every time, I might be tempted to get up early more often.

Sisters

   I recently wrote about our new friends that have been visiting neighbors this summer. Here are a few more pictures taken at our little outing in the park. I grew up in a family of 3 sisters (I'm the middle child), so I have really enjoyed getting to know these sweet girls. They are about to be a family of six this fall because a baby brother is on the way!