Time Out

So much for bombarding you with pictures eh? My computer is maxed out at the moment and I just don't have time to mess with it. We are moving next week and I am spending all day every day packing. Current packed boxes: 127. And I haven't started on my shoe collection. So ... I am going to have to step away from the blog for a bit while I continue to pack, move and unpack. I will post the link to ALL the pictures from our road trip as soon as I can take Jon's computer from him for a few hours. Our trip consisted of: two and half weeks, 2,700 miles, 14 states, beaches, mountains, lakes, cities and highways but the best part was spending time with friends and family. I have a gazillion pictures. Hope to see y'all again real soon!

Things I Miss

There are things about Maine I really miss. The rocky coast is one. I didn't technically grow-up on the coast of Maine, but the coast was certainly apart of my growing-up. Living about an hour away from the ocean we spent a lot of time there. These pictures are from Two Lights State Park. If you go to Maine you have to go here. It's just too pretty to miss.

It's hard to capture the scale of rocks and water with a camera. Yes, even with my Nikon. I may love that camera but by no means can it capture what the human eye can. But compare for a moment the size of my children to the size of these boulders. It's truly breathtaking and beautiful.


















It was also a perfect 75 degree day. Warm enough and breezy enough for me to wear jeans in July. What's not to love about that? If I ever move back to Maine it would be for the months of June, July and August ... and then for a long weekend at the beginning of October to see the fall leaves. Of course moving back for those months alone really would make me a tourist.

This is us moments before, seeking shelter from a rain. Camryn was sleeping in the car and Jon was puking his brains out. Luckily the storm passed, and so did Jon's stomach ailment and we all enjoyed the day with Mammie and PopPop. I have TONS of photos from this trip alone. I will try not to bore you with all of them. But this is just the beginning. Consider yourself warned.

Dislcaimer: This is the first time I've used Picasa to upload my pictures to the blog. I don't know why they are small and I don't know how to make them any larger. I'm still trying to figure this all out so bear with me.

More from Rehoboth

My girls. Kate is a pretty fantastic big sister.

Will might disagree since the two of them can get into some pretty heated battles, but Camryn thinks the world of Katie. Not having a sister myself it's pretty amazing watching these two. My hope is they will be life long best friends.

Grandma Baba and Cam. I love how they are covered in sand and happy as clams!

"Beach" is one of Camryn's newest words. "Me swim beach. Me play beach. Me go beach. Me eat beach .... no." She learned quickly.

This is the beach house. My cousin's wife's grandparents build it in 1960. (mailman, ex baby sitter, twice removed ... kidding) It's adorable. And bigger than it looks from the outside. It held all of us very nicely. Six bedrooms and 3 baths with plenty of open living space. Stepping inside in like stepping back in time. All the 1960 furniture and fixtures. It was so totally chic. I love it! Of course the fact that you sip coffee on the screen porch while watching dolphins frolic in the water is pretty darn cool too.

Rehoboth Beach

Such a great time was had at Rehoboth Beach. We stopped for a few days on our 1,000 mile road trip to Maine. My cousin, Ralph and his wife Ellen, have a house ON THE BEACH. It may have been toasty hot, but the beach was fantastic. I love this picture of my Dad and Barb above. It's so them.

This is one way to keep from having to chase the kids all over the beach. Our kids love sun, sand and water. Jon and I enjoy it too. We are a beach lovin' family for sure! Not only did Papa and Grandma Baba join us but Cory, Matt, Beth, and Cousin Chris came too. It was great to see everyone. I hope we can make this a yearly vacation spot for all of us.

Will does not sit still. Not even on the beach. He chased this soccer ball for hours on end. The boy just keeps on going and going and going.

Papa learned what you need to do to entertain kids and rest at the same time; let them bury you in the sand. Can you see the joy on the kids' faces. They were oh so happy to put that old man in the ground. Ha! Kidding Dad.

As always you give the man a beer and he'll be happy to do whatever you ask of him. Especially if he can do it laying down in the sun listening to the surf.


More fun beach pictures to come!

Father's Day

He may not be the perfect man. He can't dance to save his life. He doesn't share my love of wine. And he hates to run. BUT he is by far the best Dad, Daddy and Father in the world. Our kids are the luckiest four kids ever. Happy Father's Day!

Can you name that baby? (I guess the pink narrows it down to two huh!?!)

Testing.Testing. 1,2,3 ... 150

Last night, in a last ditch effort to save my Nikon D70s, I pushed the reset button. I was told (by my new on-line photographer friends all over the world) that I should only do this if nothing else has worked. So I said a little prayer, crossed my fingers and pressed reset. Then I formatted a memory card and went to bed. The camera was still in one piece when I woke up. So I started shooting.

And shooting.

(Like the red marker?) And shooting.

And shooting.

And playing with all the manual settings since I don't have an autofocus lens that works at the moment. So I shot, and shot and shot. And uploaded (or is it downloaded?). And deleted and reformatted and shot some more.

And I have a ton of photos that are not in focus. I am enjoying playing around with all the manual settings, but I REALLY want an autofocus lens. My eyes suck. (That's a funny sentence.)

So here's what we know. As long as I format a memory card, turn my camera on, shoot a few (or a few hundred) frames, download them (or is it upload), delete the pictures from my memory card, reformat the card then turn the camera off ~ all before I shoot another few (or few hundred) shots then all is peachy. Phew, it's hard work being the only one in a relationship who cares so much.

But I was able to get some 'not so bad' photos from the day and these pool ones from this evening. So I guess I will take what I can from a camera who refuses to love me.

I wanted to name this one Nikon. I agreed to Camryn only because it was so close to camera. When you are in-love you just don't think straight.

"Daddy, did you see?? Mommy has her Nikon face back! I don't have to look at her right eye anymore. Isn't life just grand?!?"

"Mommy, Mommy! Take a picture!" My three favorite words are back.

For now.

For the love of my Nikon

Nikon.




Nikon.

Nikon.

Nikon.

Not Nikon.

Nikon.

Not Nikon.

Sniff.

Sob.

Waaaaaaaa.

I want my Nikon.