On Location

Best part of my week. Pictures back from our photographer with the mostest....Jacki.

We went on location with Jacki this summer, to the Old Market, where Jacki's style and talent led to a whole lot of fun and moments that I am now fortunate enough to have frozen in time.

These pictures are just to wet your whistle. I have over 100 to pick and choose from. When I get them uploaded, I'll send the link.

My favorite thing about Jacki is that

she always catches the kids in their element, doing what they do, looking the way they look during the moments of everyday. In our Jacki collection, we have pictures of kids crying, scowling, smiling, drooling, glacing sideways, looking in the distance, looking into our eyes. All of the emotions that we have everyday, but in the

context of carefully thought out backgrounds with interest and texture and balance that freeze these moments of time into artwork.

I'd say we're very fortunate.

Thanks, Jacki, for loving our family for all of the quirks that we have. For making my kids feeling special and important. For capturing their true essence so I will never forget the way that they have grown into who they will become.

Case in Point

News footage of a friend of mine, Maribeth, and her daughter Gabby, who made it to the National Braille Challenge in California. Go, Gabby!!

http://www.wmur.com/video/23982288/?taf=man

Kit Kats for the Birthday Girl

I endulged myself tonight.

After I returned from my walk, the clock was ticking past 10:00. Having left slightly prior to Camille's final surrender to shut-eye, I missed out on the very last of the last "good-nights". Bill told me that, when I was out in the neighborhood, my presence had been requested in the new Lily Pond Green and Hot Pink room for a second consecutive night of "Stories About the Night You Were Born."

By the time I made it to Camille's room and peeked in, prepared to see a girl still giddied up on birthday adrenaline, I realized that her little self had finally given in and I had missed the boat. She had just nodded off.

Oh, what the heck. I endulged myself tonight. I woke her up.

We told stories about holding her for the first time, about delivery rooms with 30 doctors and nurses present, about her isolette which we fondly called her spaceship, and about the people who have surrounded her with love from the beginning.

And lo and behold, we looked up and the time was 10:29. Her birth minute. At which point Dad told her that 6 years ago on the night she was born, he and Uncle P.J. went out to QT after midnight to get Kit Kats and Pop to celebrate.

You can see where this went.

Yep. Camille and Dad headed out to get Kit Kats at 10:45....an idea which came from the mind the birthday girl herself.

And oh, yes, she added, Livvy and Jack can't go because they aren't old enough yet.....maybe when they turn 6, they will be able to stay up late and go get candy bars.

They just returned. Not forgetting mom altogether, Camille holds up the Java flavored Twix bar they bought for me. And then she proceeds to tell me a secret....Dad bought her pop, too....but it was the kind without caffeine...."even though caffeine tastes really good."

So glad we woke you up, my birthday girl. This will be a night I'll never forget. Pretty ingenious to capitalize on the stories, I must say, for the sake of candy. You know where our soft spots are.

A Fresh Look

Enough said.