The Search for the Great Pumpkin

We had a beautiful day on Sunday at The Farm at Swans Trail in Snohomish. It's the BEST pumpkin farm I've ever been do. On top of that I got to spend the day photographing my most adorable niece Jillian. Here are some of the shots from the day! Fall + Halloween + Jillian = L.O.V.E for me!!

It's Cruisin' Time



In July (I know, I am a little behind with my bloggin' duties) we had the opportunity to take a family vacation with Danny's side of the fam-bam. We took a Carnival cruise that had 4 ports of call in the Caribbean! It was a great experience filled with tons of great sights, memories and experiences. Here are just a few of the highlights. Note: I did bring my nice DSLR...but, unfortunately, due to the nature of our excursions...The majority of these pics were taken with my "little" digital camera.



Here's the whole gang at the Embassey Suites in Miami. We are getting ready to head over the port to board the ship! Yay for self-timers!

Of course... as my traveling luck would have it...This is what the weather did as we set sail out of Miami! Although it rained just about everyday on the cruise - there was only a few times it actually affected us. Those times I took it upon myself to do a little dance in the rain. Why not?

GRAND CAYMAN:

In Grand Cayman, we chose to swim with Dolphins...It was by far the most amazing thing I've ever experienced. They are beautiful creatures and I wanted to take one home, however, something told me I wouldn't have fit him in my carry on! 

Sunrise as we arrived in port

ISLA ROATAN:

 My favorite port was Isla Roatan, Honduras...It was absolutely breathtaking and we couldn't have asked for better weather. We spent the day on the beach at Mahogany Bay. 

BELIZE: 

This was my least favorite port; simply because the poverty we witnessed was so heartbreaking. We chose to do an Air Boat Ride and Belize City bus tour. The tour portion of this trip was an emotional experience for me. I felt like an intruder riding on a bus through what these people consider their homes. Trust me, what we would toss out with our weekly recycling, these people would consider digs at the Hilton. Although it was an informational tour for me, I was literally brought to tears as we drove "through" the lives of these people. Some of them would smile and wave, others literally barked at us. I had a gut-wrenching feeling on the bus, "Who the hell am I to hop off my giant fancy cruise ship and pay more than what these people make in a year for a city tour as if they are a sideshow?!?"  I am not naive to the fact that there is poverty all over the world... I guess I just wasn't expecting to witness it in this environment from a bus. 

COZUMEL, MEXICO: 

Cozumel was our last port of call. We did a little shopping in town before we headed out  to a beach club. We got in a good few hours of swimming and sun before the biggest rainstorm I've ever experienced rolled in. We didn't make it back to the ship before we were literally running through water that was shin-deep in only a matter of minutes. 

4th of July

We had our annual family 4th of July BBQ at my in-laws beautiful house on Lake Martha. Unfortunately, the weather wasn't as good as we'd hoped for, but we bundled up and had fun anyways! We enjoyed good food, great company and a FANTASTIC fireworks display that evening!

The whole gang in Laurie and Greg's beautiful backyard! 

The fireworks display on the lake is by far the BEST I've ever seen. The houses compete with one another to see who can deliver the best show. The displays often go on for hours with plenty of heckling and cheers from the crowds!

Melissa & Jeremy's E-Session

I have known and been friends with Melissa since 7th grade. So, when she asked that I take her engagement photos - I was both honored and excited. We met at the Edmonds Waterfront by the Ferry to begin our session. And, as luck would have it, it started to rain about 10 minutes after we started shooting. Typical Washington weather! But, after some shots under the trees and in a covered bus stop, it let up enough for us to get some good shots. Melissa and Jeremy are the cutest couple - truly meant for each other in every way. We even got to bring our their pup, Rocky, for a few family shots. He was a fantastic subject!! I am so excited for their big day in December!! 

Agh, here comes the rain!!! 

While hiding out in the bus stop until the rain let up...I caught the cute couple embraced in a laugh! 

Melissa always rocks the BEST shoes. I am so envious of her shoe collection!!