Lost But Found

Well, it's been about a month since my last posting, so I figured it was time to get with the program again! I may seem like I got lost there for a while... but I'm found again.

About a week after the OBX Marathon the family packed their suitcases for a Thanksgiving holiday south of the border. We spent a week at the southern tip of the Baja peninsula with family... where the weather was warm, the ocean was aqua blue, and the margaritas were perfect. Definitely a reason to be thankful, huh?

I did not forget my training and ran while I was there. However, this was what I probably looked like (imagine a pony tail):

 The heat, the terrain (mucho hills, baby), and the recovering muscles all posed a challenge for me and I was pretty disappointed with my performance... but that's okay. I tried my best with my goals in mind and at least I can say I gave it what I could.

I also kind of took my "portrait photographer" hat off for a while and just turned into a tourist. In fact, most of the photos I took were of the kids splashing in the surf, my husband flying around on a jetski, the family chowing down on a big plate of nachos. I wasn't thinking about fresh angles, or backgrounds, or anything. Just enjoying the moments as best as I could without worrying so much about whether I was capturing them perfectly in photographs. Sometimes you just have to stop worrying so much about things and soak it in. While you can.

I did catch a few (very few) shots that I considered kinda "cool":

Sunrise sky with cactus silhouettes.

"THE" margarita in Todos Santos.

Pretty church window in Todos Santos.

My adorable niece, 13 months old now.

Baby girl and her Daddy.

Another sunrise shot. Always a lovely beginning to the day.

Back at home now and somewhat recovered, I'm trying very hard to fall back into a routine.

The holidays are so busy and demanding for everyone that I haven't had any requests for picture taking. I was kind of hoping I'd have a few projects lined up for Christmas card photos, but I made two realizations:

1) I haven't even had time to take portraits of my own kids for our cards. My OWN kids! It's just too hard to find the extra time.

2) Christmas cards are rapidly declining in popularity. I've only received 5 with a little over a week until Christmas. With the use of email and Facebook, people are going "green" and resisting the age-old tradition of the physical card, envelope, and stamp.

Who can blame them? I didn't send out cards last year. I was lucky enough this year to find an acceptable picture, run out to Wal-Mart and get those one-hour-pre-made-budget jobs.

But even though things are slow going in the photo-taking department, things are picking up in the training department.

I have now attended two Team In Training group runs, and I am sooooo enjoying it! It's motivating to have others around you with a common goal and purpose... it just propels you along. I've found a partner (of sorts; I just try to keep up with him) who I will use as a pacer to reach my goal in the marathon, and we've had two great long runs on the trail. I'm beginning to feel really optimistic about my performance in March, which is what I really hope for. To run my best... not for myself, but for others who need the support.

As far as fundraising, I've hit a bit of a lull. I expected this since the holidays tend to be a time when a lot of extra dimes aren't really lying around. I was so thrilled, however, at the response to the "spare change" jar at our veterinary hospital. In the first week I raised $20 in donations. So sweet! And so appreciated!

GO TEAM!

...and have a wonderful holiday. Soak in the meaning of our celebration.

 If you are in the spirit of making a donation to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society during this season of giving, please click on my donation page where you can donate safely and securely. If you have already donated I thank you so very much.

In and Around the Lake

For Labor Day our family met at Smith Mountain Lake in southwestern Virginia. Most of the shots that I took were candid "point and shoot" type images... just your typical pictures you'd take on a family vacation. Nothing super artistic... just glimpses at our fun activities on the lake.

But it's always special to see a group of young cousins get together. Time flies and special memories are created day by day. That's why these pictures will be important one day, as a trigger in their minds about carefree summer days swimming in a lake.

While no one likes the "super posed" shot, I had to force all the kiddies together on the dock. Perhaps a tradition will be born and we can repeat this next year.

The cousins together on the dock.

My little two year old niece was a bit shy around me and didn't appreciate my following her around with a camera. I tried. But this image was as close to a smile as I got from her, and for some reason, I really liked the shot. Her expression says to me: "I'm thinking about smiling, but won't give you the full deal. I'm smarter than that."

 I loved this image of these two brothers smiling at their dad as he jumped into the lake. They soon followed him in.

 My favorite shot (from an artistic point of view) was my daughter jumping in the water first thing in the morning. She was just a silhouette, but this was a simple joy... to leap through the air and plunge into the cool water below. They must have done this a million times over three days.

The favorite activity of the weekend.

Hope everyone had a chance this holiday weekend to create great memories with family and friends.