England 2012, Pt. 1

This was a sad week in our household, as we lost an important family member and a very, very special man. We'll be gethering with family this weekend to remember Papa Sam and say goodbye, and while the focus will most certainly be on him, I'm sure that our extended family will also ask about our recent trip to England.

Since we got back last weekend, friends have asked if I'll post photos from the trip. Because of that and the fact that sharing some of these pictures with family will be easier if I've put them online, I decided to upload a dozen or so shots from our first day of our spring break travels. I'll get back to the project after the weekend and will add some more posts to cover the trip in manageable chunks. It certainly was a memorable experience and a trip worth documenting...

First, a couple of shots from the airport. My intrepid travelers:





The flight to London was smooth and the kids even managed to get a bit of sleep (the girl appears to have her father's gift for plane-sleeping). We got our car and hit the road to Swindon, home of Shopatron's UK office and the reason we'd conceived this trip in the first place.

After a decent dinner in the pub downstairs from our rooms, we finally collapased and slept pretty well. All in all, jumping time zones didn't seem to cause us much trouble.

The next morning, Brian was off to work, and the kids and I enjoyed breakfast downstairs. Then it was time to pile into the car again for the first of our three solo (ie, without dad) day trips. On this day: Stonehenge.

I will save the stories of driving a stick-shift on the wrong side of the road for another time; I don't have the time or mental capacity to relive them right now. Suffice it to say that I am confident I shaved a few years off of my own life with the stress of that effort, and my kids heard a few words that will bring punishment and suspension if they ever utter them themselves.

But Stonehenge. Stonehenge. It was awesome, in the original sense of the word. The kids enjoyed the audio tours that gave us fascinating details and filled us in on the (suspected) history.



Side note: Do you see that my children -- the oldest, in particular -- are COMPLETELY incapable of staying away from the edges of paths (and streets and hiking trails)?? If there is a physical boundary, they will push it.









On the return trip, I pulled off the road and into a parking lot, thinking that we might stop for a snack at this cute pub. But only E was interested in getting out; the others were feeling a bit of jet lag, I think, and were cozily ensconced in the back seat.





Eventually, we made it back to Swindon in one piece -- something I'll forever consider a HUGE ACCOMPLISHMENT -- and stopped by Dad's office to say hello. One of his coworkers told us about a great park nearby, and despite the threat of rain we headed that way. It did dump and then drizzle for most of our time there, but the kids didn't care one bit. They could play!











The walk back to the Goddard Arms (our pub and hotel) took us once more by Shopatron, so the boys goofed and documented that, as well.



We hit a deeeeeelicious, tiny tapas restaurant for dinner that night and called it a day. Next up: Windsor Castle!

Catching Up

As we dive into Spring Break, I'm frantically doing a million different things. One of them is sorting and backing up files from recent sessions.

While neither of these clients is expecting a preview right now, I couldn't help editing a couple... and then a couple more... and then a couple more... It's a great distraction from those million things requiring my attention. ;)

First up, a cutie patootie 3-month-old.





I also met up with my "old" friends K & K. You can see some of their past sessions here, here, and here. I've photographed them about 16 different times, actually. (I'm a lucky girl.)

At two-and-a-half, they are busy little bodies, so we met up downtown and let them wander. I grabbed shots here and there as we trailed them up and down various blocks.















I warned you that I couldn't stop...



















Now, I guess, it's time to shut down the computer and finally get to the rest of the to-do list. Sigh...

Photos From Last Week

I'm currently in the midst of a fun project that has me shooting local landscapes for a doctor's office in Pismo. Last week, I ventured out to snap a few scenes and it felt really good to stretch my creative muscles and step outside of my usual box. Really, really good.

Following are a few of my favorites from the week. Not all of these were for the project; a couple were just shots I couldn't pass up. :)















As you can see, I was in a very vertical mood. I wonder what that means...

Liking Who You Are

I was crossing a parking lot with my daughter one evening last week, and she said something completely out of the blue that almost stopped me in my tracks.

Walking beside me, she simply stated, "I like who I am."

As I said, it was a comment from left field. We weren't discussing self esteem or anything like it. We weren't talking about ourselves or anyone else. In fact, we'd just dropped off her brother at volleyball and I think my most recent comment might have been along the lines of, "What in the world are we going to do for dinner?"

So it was something that bubbled up on its own from somewhere inside her. And it made me so happy. Because, really, is there anything more fundamental to a happy life? Are there really more important dreams that we have for our kids?

Yes, I want her to do big things. To be smart and successful and generous and kind. But I think that those things are more likely to flow from a positive self-image. From a contentment with herself and what she brings to the table.

I'm not naive, and I know that she'll have to navigate the hormonal and situational pitfalls of her pre-teen and teenage years eventually. And we all know that even adults have insecurities and suffer self-doubt. The road won't always be easy, by any means. But my heart is warmed by the idea that she is off to a good start.

Day at the Beach

A couple of weeks ago, my brother and sister-in-law came to visit from their home in San Francisco. It was a weekend of truly glorious weather, so after lunch on Saturday we headed out to the beach to soak in the sun and make the most of it.

We played, we got shaved ices, we lounged, we strolled and we ended up at the Olde Port Inn for some chowder. I love that pier, because in addition to chowder, it provides the chance for up close and personal encounters with some very special wildlife.

I hadn't taken many personal photos in awhile, so I brought along the camera. So, so glad I did.



















It felt (and smelled and tasted) like a peek at summer... and I can't WAIT for more.

Blocked Shot

In honor of NOT having two basketball games this weekend (hallelujah!), here's a quick shot of my little defender. I took my camera along last weekend and grabbed a few snaps of him in action. I'm glad I did, because I've been really bad about doing that this year...

Sleepy Girl

With the blown out spots, this doesn't qualify as technically great photography, but I do believe it's still a sweet shot. And one that's surprisingly tough to get, since this girl is a light sleeper (unbelieveable, given her heavy snoring) and pops up whenever there's the slightest movement around her napping self.



I decided to add an awake shot, too, since it shows clearly one of the funky little features that makes our sweet puppy unique -- the dark membrane around her right eye. I have to admit that it took me a good few months before I figured out why her eyes looked different... kind of like those kids' placemats in restaurants that feature the "find the thing that doesn't match" game...



Weird, huh?

Discovering Poly Canyon

A couple of weeks ago, our family took advantage of the crazy-good weather and spent a weekend afternoon outside. First on the agenda was a hike. (Well, technically, first on the agenda was a stop for lunch, because that's how we roll.) We've been making our way through a book of hikes around San Luis, and someone decided that on this occasion we'd hit the trail through Poly Canyon.

If you're local and haven't already discovered this funky gem, I urge you to seek it out. The "hike" is very mild -- about a mile up a gentle grade -- and dumps you into a canyon filled with hands-on projects tackled by architecture and engineering students and dating back to the 1970's. There are little spec houses and unusual sculptures... even things I couldn't name. Just... things. Cool things to see, for sure.

Our kids had a great time checking it all out and declared it an awesome family adventure. I only had the point and shoot for documenting the sights, but it did the job...