I’ve finished the books I had on my to-read shelf, and am finding myself without anything to read for my trip home on Tuesday. I’m calling out to you (yes, YOU!) to please suggest a great new read. Pretty please? 
October 26, 2008 - 7:34 pm - SHANNON!!!!!!! 1. I saw your pics you did for Stef's family - - GASP - they are STUNNING and you ROCK! 2. Read LOVE WALKED IN by Marisa de los Santos, and as soon as you finish that, then read her next one called BELONG TO ME (story continues). 3. MISS YOU!
October 26, 2008 - 8:28 pm - Looks like you are having a great time! What beautiful pictures! I really liked The Host by Stephenie Meyer (better than the Twilight books). The first few chapters are hard to get into because it seems too sci-fi. But it's a great story once you get going about human nature and such. Loved it. I liked The Last Chinese Chef by Nicole Mones. And I haven't read it yet, but my sister told me These Is My Words by Nancy E. Turner is really good.
October 27, 2008 - 6:27 am - Ok, I have NO suggestions. Sorry, I just haven't been reading lately, but I had to comment that 2 times in the last 2 minutes (NO JOKE) I have gotten the recommendations for "Love Walked In" and it's sequel, I'm gonna go with that.
October 27, 2008 - 6:06 pm - I just read 'Summers at Castle Auburn' by Sharon Shinn and it was the most enjoyable story I've read for a long time.
October 27, 2008 - 7:49 pm - I just read The City of Ember and The City of Sparks (YA/Kids books). I highly recommend them for ease and enjoyment. Also, Wallace Stegner's The Angle of Repose, a great book.
October 27, 2008 - 8:02 pm - Snowflower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See.
October 27, 2008 - 8:19 pm - definitely read the Twilight series books by Stephanie Meyer. They are awesome, can't put down kind of books!
October 27, 2008 - 8:46 pm - I loved the Time Traveler's Wife. Am enjoying The Memory Keeper's Daughter now. LOVE anything by JAmes Patterson, Nicholas Sparks, MAry Higgins CLark and Jodi Picoult. HTH :)
October 27, 2008 - 9:36 pm - No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency-by Alexander McCall Smith One Thousand White Women -by Jim Fergus Three Cups of Tea-Greg Mortensen
October 31, 2008 - 1:32 pm - I love Maeve Binchy books. Plus right now I am reading "The Beekeepers Apprentice" by Laurie King. It's a Sherlock Holmes book, and so far really fun.
November 1, 2008 - 7:15 pm - Not new, but The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd is good. A couple of new ones on my list: Song Yet Sung by James McBride, Little Heathens by Mildred Armstrong Kalish (nonfiction). I found your Web page blog hopping. I love your photography!
November 1, 2008 - 7:26 pm - Thankful for All Things.... Peony in Love... Snow Flower and the Secret Fan...
November 1, 2008 - 7:27 pm - I just read The Last Chinese Chef, and liked it immensely. If you're a foodie, it'll be amazing...
December 3, 2008 - 9:29 am - Secret life of bees, twilight series, the year of pleasures, the lottery, love walked in, the giver, princess academy, enna burning, goose girl, time traveler's wife...I have shelves and shelves of books I love. if you've already read all of these let me know...I can get you more... :)
If you’ve been trying to reach me, I’m sorry I’ve been hard to get a hold of. You see, I’m spending the weekend in London.
Yes, London.
London, Kentucky.
What on earth would bring me to London, Kentucky, you ask? Good question! My sister moved to Kentucky this summer. She wanted her family photos taken, and figured that rather than hiring someone, she’d fly me out! I have to give a big thanks to my husband, the very kind and patient Dave, who is REALLY the one making this all possible. {insert standing ovation for Dave}
I had no idea how beautiful it is here. My sister had said so, but when someone moves to Kentucky, they have to make everyone think it was a great idea, right? But the whole time I’ve been here, I’ve been in awe. Her house is the kind of place you vacation to, not live in. For example…
These are my socks enjoying the view from my sister’s back yard. Yes, this is her back yard. Can you believe it?
With my family, we hang out by watching a video and eating popcorn. If the kids are being good, we might even pop TWO bags of popcorn!
But Andrea’s family? This is how they hang out together:
And if they’re really good? Maybe they’ll stop over and do some rock climbing at their own private crag across the lake.
Crazy, huh? (I debated posting the crag picture… I know it’s torture to my hero Dave that he doesn’t get out much anymore, and here they are, with rock climbing just a canoe ride from home.) And this was just a little time kill after getting back from playing all day elsewhere… before we spent the evening around the firepit, roasting hot dogs and making s’mores. I was beginning to think that it was all too good to be true… that they rented this house for the weekend and are making up a bunch of lies to impress me.
Ok… off to bed, another cool day awaits me tomorrow, I’m sure. I’m pretty tired after all that. Not to mention that I got only 2 hours of sleep the night before I left. Franklin had a seizure in bed… it was freaky. Short, but freaky. We got an ambulance ride to the ER and a cat scan and everything… they concluded it was probably just a little reaction to a virus, a very common occurance in kids. Franklin got some blood drawn and an IV put into his hand, and the tough guy didn’t even wince. Watched the whole process with interest. I don’t think the nurse had ever seen a 4 year old be so calm during that process. It was nuts. Crazy night. So I almost didn’t come. But… provided everything at home with my hero Dave and my munchkin Franklin goes well… I’m glad I came!
October 25, 2008 - 8:49 pm - Yea...you had to rub it in that I did not accompany you by posting the boulder. I will continue to think that you are staying in some rental somewhere unattainable so that my jealousy stays in check.
October 25, 2008 - 9:35 pm - That is so scary about Franklin! I'm glad everything worked out ok. Your pictures are gorgeous as always:)
October 26, 2008 - 10:06 am - Wow, those pictures are amazing. I can't believe that that is their back yard! I hope we can get out there sometime soon. I wish I would have known you were flying out, I have something for Andrea, but I guess I will just send it the snail mail way. :) Hope you have tons of fun and that Franklin is OK.
October 26, 2008 - 11:43 am - OK - When can I move to Kentucky????? Seriously? I could bypass the 85 degree weather in S. Cal today for that backyard in a second. Glad to hear Franklin is fine. Miss you! Call me when you get back so we can catch up.
October 26, 2008 - 1:32 pm - that is so beautiful! i wish i could go!!!!!!
October 26, 2008 - 1:47 pm - Yes, very normal with F. But freaky, tis true.
October 26, 2008 - 4:04 pm - Shannon, very cool place! I love those pictures. I'm sorry to hear about Franklin. Did I ever tell you that's why Kelsi was taking that medication that gave her the rash. She had 2 seizures this summer. It's kinda scary huh? My order is coming soon BTW
October 27, 2008 - 12:27 pm - Wow! What a stunning place! I am so jealous! You are right - it's like a vacation not somewhere you wake up to every single morning! They are very lucky!! Love the sock picture.
October 27, 2008 - 11:08 pm - I just took Andrew in to have his blood drawn last week. I expected screaming and kicking, but just like Franklin, he didn't show any signs of being a normal kid. He was so calm, and didn't flinch once. What's with these kids? They're amazing!
October 31, 2008 - 1:36 pm - Isaac had seizures the year he was 2. 1 minute never felt so long. He has a few during the year, and then has never had any more. Wacky, stuff. Hope he's okay!
November 3, 2008 - 8:36 pm - Man, those are awesome pictures. I wish I had a lake for my back yard, instead we have a square of cement. Maybe someday, but most likely not.
November 3, 2008 - 9:24 pm - I love your work! These pictures are beautiful!!!
November 8, 2008 - 12:10 pm - What a small world.. my parents have a lakehouse in London, KY! Its beautiful there!
A little early for that, I know. But seriously, it’s time to think about Christmas. The last day for sessions to be done in time for Christmas is November 15. Any session scheduled after that may not make it in time for Christmas. As of today, I have one Saturday session and about 4 weekday sessions still available before then, and that’s it! So if you’ve been putting off scheduling a session, don’t wait. I missed my chance to do the mini-sessions like I did last year, but I’m planning on doing a day of mini-sessions in the spring. Just too busy to add that into my schedule for this season.
The studio is *almost* ready for visitors. I just need to get myself a desk and put pictures up on the walls. Oh… and signage for outside. It’s looking good! I’m planning to have an open house sometime, probably in the beginning of November… but I’m waiting until it’s all finished before I commit to anything.
And now… for sharing time. I just finished up this session and don’t want to wait to share it… This family has such an amazing story. The mom contacted me because she’s going to have a kidney transplant next month and knows that she’s going to be pretty sick for a while. She wanted to have a family session done while she still felt pretty good.
Dad is a golf pro at Boulder Ridge Golf Course, so they were able to get us in on a Monday when the course is closed for maintenance. We had the whole place to ourselves. The weather was perfect, the sun was all beautiful and golden. We had SUCH a great time.
During the course of the session, we chatted about the upcoming surgery. I learned that the kidney problem was a result of her pregnancy… that her body attacked itself and caused her kidneys to shut down.
While they lasted until 30 weeks, this little dude had stopped growing and was less than 2 lbs when he was born. The doctors gave him a 5% chance for survival, and IF he survived, there was a 90% chance he would have brain injury or major complications. And yet, this miracle boy survived. And thrived. And is completely normal.
The love within this family is evident.
But the connection that struck me most was between mother and son.
Against all odds, they have each other. They fight for each other. They take care of each other. This upcoming storm is small compared to some of the things they have faced… and they’re meeting the challenge head on. Together.
If you’d like to view the entire slideshow, click right here.
October 9, 2008 - 7:10 pm - What a neat story. Adorable family. I don't even know them and those pictures make me want to cry! God bless that cute mom in her upcoming surgery!
by shannon
14 comments
add a new comment link to this post email a friend