"and the walls became the world all around.....let the wild rumpus start!" fort walton beach child photography

In one month, my little baby will be TWO! Though my children always remain my "little babies" in my heart, I know that they are no longer truly babies, but children - growing and independent.  In birthday/party preparation, Lulu and I wandered out into the front yard this morning for a photoshoot rendezvous.  If you don't catch her early in the morning, you can just forget about getting any good {still} photos of this child!  So yes, at 7:30 AM we were tromping around in the wet, dewy grass as the morning sun barely kissed the sky and I am happy to say, I LOVE the photos we got and couldn't wait to share them!

"don't tell people your dreams. show them" - fort walton beach iphoneography

Ok, so I promised to follow up my last post concerning the Princess Half Marathon with more details and more pictures so be prepared for some lengthy reading (might as well put your kids to bed, make a cup of coffee and settle down....).

Can I make a disclaimer first thing.  I am STILL on the long, weary road of getting back into pre-babies shape.  I am, by no means, a super experienced runner either.  The last race I ran was 1 mile long back in second grade.  I was a gazelle back then.  Now, I'm more like a.... well, nevermind.  So I totally get that you're probably making (and have made) the "that girl be CRAZY" face when you hear I was planning on running a HALF MARATHON.  By the way, a half marathon is 13.1 miles and yes, it's waaaaaaaaaay longer than your mind can fathom.  Well, my mind anyway.  For all I knew, a month ago, it was compared to running to, say, Mexico or something...

Ok, so now that I've gotten that out of the way.  Let's get on with it...

One of our dear friends had made us little gift baskets with healthy snacks and encouraging notes so on the long road to Orlando, we permeated our minds with hopeful mantras.  As soon as we got settled into our hotel, we were off to the PHM Expo.  As we were on our way there, we read some of the fun number statistics about the race - youngest runner: 14. Oldest runner: 96.  International runners: 837. 34 participating countries.  36,420 bananas. Total number of people: almost 24,000!!!! No, you did not read that wrong.  Twenty four THOUSAND people were running in the race with us.  I knew at that moment that I was going to get completely lost and jumbled in all those bodies and may never see my family or anyone I recognized for that matter ever again.  Whew - first panic wave come and gone.  Back to the fun.  We were greeted by the most hilarious footmen who announced our presence and treated us like royalty.  We stocked up on goodies, tried the infamous "goo" (it's been described to me as swallowing a lugie but I rather liked it.  Mocha flavor was the best!).  After that we hung out in Downtown Disney for a while and treated ourselves to the most unhealthy snack we could find (there was a lot of justification going on that weekend, no judgement.)

The next day, probably as not smart as it was, Michel and I headed off to Hollywood Studios.  We can't help ourselves - this is what Disneyaholics do - wear themselves completely out by tromping around a theme park.  But hey, we had no kids which made our time much less frantic and we spent a LOT of time in the Art of Animation area perfecting our drawing skillz (<--- yep, I did that on purpose, yo).   We headed back to the hotel to call it in "early", prepping our running "outfits", fluffing our tutus and pre-gaming it with big bowls of pasta.  I had to take a screenshot of the time I had to set my alarm clock to - 2:45am.  A.freaking.M people!!  Not because that's when our race started but because we had to spend a ridiculous amount of time in lines on and off for the next 3 hours, waiting for our bus, going with the flow of all those 26,000 strangers like salmon, and dancing out all our race jitters at the before party.  I really wish I had snapped more photos of the party - a red carpet, characters and photo op areas galore, a DJ and dance music.  We gobbled down our bananas and reluctantly made one more pitstop at the port-a-potties before heading off to the corrals.  

It was about a 15 minute walk to the corrals and though we hadn't posted that fast of race times, we were fortunately in corral E which was closer to "A" than "H" was.  I tried to remaining stretching and/or moving at all times while waiting to keep from stiffening up.  The whole while we were entertained by a live DJ and hosts on a stage which was broadcasted on huge TV screens in the corrals further back.  We heard interviews from various race winners, the very first "Biggest Loser" winner and then, lo and behold, the Fairy Godmother made her way to the stage which signaled that it was almost time for the races to begin!  There was one wheelchair participant and the Fairy Godmother bibbidi bobbidi boo'ed them off at 5:30am sharp.  We knew it had started by the quick flashes of hot pink fireworks bursting from the stage.  From there, she released each corral every 10 minutes.  We slowly made our way closer and closer to the start line and the stage came more into plain view.  I was never nervous at any point but just very ready for it to start.  Very ready to know if I was actually going to make it out alive.  Ready to not fail, whatever failing meant.  At 6:03 F.G. waved her wand, the fireworks blasted and corral E was released to run.  Or actually, we started off at more of a fast walk since there were SO many feet trying to maneuver their way on the course.  Within minutes, I was completely separated from my little party, and though I had already had it in my mind that that would probably happen, I was immediately sad knowing I'd spend the next 2.5-3 hours alone.   I'm not completely against being alone, I rather enjoy alone time but the more time I spent on the course, the more I could tell: this race was meant to be shared with people as a fun, memorable experience.  Regardless, I steadied on, turned my music up a bit and got ready to enjoy the view.  Before I knew it, we were entering the car entrance of Magic Kingdom and soon I started hearing a loud cheer descend down through the crowd in front of me.  I thought maybe Prince Charming himself was sweeping women off their feet up ahead but no, off to my left I soon spotted, on the other side of the highway, a girl running BACK the way we had just come.  Could it be?  Yes, it was a girl from corral A - about to take the finish line by storm.  And I, and what felt like 20,000 other people, still have 11 more miles to go.  I remember looking over at a girl next to me, we exchanged exaggerated eye rolls and I mouthed "I wish I was her right now." Only moments later, I had reached the mile 3 sign and I quickly texted Isaac to let him know I had officially run a 5k now.  My first ever!  He was just waking up and getting ready for work at that point and I'd already been awake for what seemed like eternity.  I tried to take photos of characters I saw in my path - they were all scattered in various spots along the way - lots of people lining up to get a quick snapshot with them.  I didn't feel like chancing the time by stopping.  The second to last photo is of a group of us going around a bend in the highway and you can notice AAAAaalll the people coming up behind us.  That was one of the things that kept me going - knowing I was at least NOT the last one by any means of the word!  

I felt a surge of hope as we neared the castle around 5.5 miles.  It got very crowded as we crammed into the narrow paths surrounding the castle and I don't feel like I got to enjoy it very much as I was much too worried about getting lost (how could that even happen?!) and being made into one of the never-ending singing children at "It's a Small World" (if you've seen that episode of Family Guy, you'll know what I'm talking about!).  I had to stop in Frontier Land as I felt a blister forming on the pad of my foot, right underneath my big toe.  Thankfully, I had stashed a couple band aids into my pack as a last minute thought before I left the hotel that morning.  I kept a steady pace for the next several miles, just watching my surroundings and exchanging encouraging smiles with those around me.  There were a few of us that maintained the same pace and we would all unintentionally take turns passing one another every now and then.  I especially loved looking at all the creative t-shirts and costumes that people came up with - especially the husband and wife couples!  There were a few Tweedledee and Tweedledums, a few Chip and Dales, and more than a few Prince Charmings and Princesses.  After we made it through Magic Kingdom and some of the back roads of the theme park, I noticed  we were gradually making our way back the way we had come, which gave me a great sense of hope.  Not even hope.  What's greater than hope?  The transitive verb of the word "hope" is: to desire with expectation of obtainment.  I knew without a shadow of a doubt that that finish line would be MINE.  If only it would come quicker.  I spotted an area I had seen earlier that morning containing several Disney princes and since it was finally daylight, I quickly snapped a photo of some of these rare characters.   Then I realized, I really needed to pee.  Other than to quickly apply a band aid to my foot at mile 5 or 6, I hadn't stopped one time despite all the water and Powerade I had been chugging at every drink station.  I finally decided to "pull over" after I passed the mile 8 marker and did a little dance while waiting in line.  I immediately felt relieved and also full of regret - mile 8 port-a-potties are not as nice and fresh as mile 1 port-a-potties.  In fact, the toilet I randomly went into had a broken seat which I managed somehow not to slip and kill myself on.  All I could think of the whole time was "damn tutu" and hoped and prayed that I didn't get any *ahem* stuff on it, otherwise I'd be chucking it off to the side of the road!  Gladly, I report the tutu remained in tact and I was off again, if not a bit slower from my short minute of beautiful stillness.

   I'm so happy I remembered to snap a photo of the mile 10 marker because that is the moment my body hit a wall.  Like, a Porsche (yes, I compare myself to a Porsche) going 193mph and disintegrating into a graphite meteorite.  I didn't want to do it anymore.  I just didn't.  I hurt.  My hand was swollen.  I was tired.  I spotted a lady I had seen earlier that morning who was wearing a leg brace and resorted to just keeping up with her pace.  "If she can do it, I can do it" is what I kept telling myself over and over.  I was getting so many encouraging texts from friends and family back home and I can honestly say, it's the ONLY thing that kept me going at that point.  Not a medal.  Not pride.  Not even the fact that I'd be showered and pretty, roaming around Magic Kingdom childless later that day!  Just the optimistic support I received from those I love most.  Finally, after feeling the overwhelming urge to punch Mrs. peppy, thunder hips Incredible in the face, I spotted the Epcot ball coming into view.  Sweet, glorious relief! 

Sadly, relief was yet to come.  I noticed people running towards the "worlds" of Epcot and seriously considered throwing in the towel at that moment, despite the fact that at that point the chEAR crowds had grown considerably and more than a comfortable amount of people would have witnessed my mass emotional meltdown.  Still, I trucked on.  That's how slow I was moving.  Like a broken down Ford.  Or at least that's how I felt, like I'd been hit by a Mack truck.  Either way, I was truckin'.  People kept shouting "you're almost there", "keep going", "you've almost made it".  I wanted to yell back "WHERE IS IT?!?!?!?!" and also a few other choice words that I won't openly admit.  Finally, finally, finally I spotted the 13 mile marker and then .1 mile after that I saw the most prettiest, magical sight ever.  The finish line.  As I was slowly-hurrying on I noticed Minnie Mouse off to the side of the finish and NO ONE was in line to take a photo with her.  They were all so focused on their she-woman victory dances over the finish line.  So, I veered off for a quick snap and then let my body supernaturally, I think, carry me over that delicious, much anticipated line.  I can't even talk about how I felt for those few hours afterward - gathering all my post race snacks, waiting for eternity for that poo-poo bus to take me back to my hotel, my shower, my bed, my pack of ice and soft carpeted floor.  The only part of my body I could feel were the hot, sweet tears of relief swimming in my eyes and slipping their way down my face every now and then.  I tried my hardest to contain my emotions - I remained as quiet and collected as I could though inwardly I was both crying and laughing, screaming and tribal dancing all at once!

And then, incredibly Michel and I were off to Magic Kingdom only later that afternoon! 

And even though stairs indefinitely became my most ominous enemy, we enjoyed our day and finished our night off with a bang.  And you know we slept hard that night.  I don't think either one of us moved a muscle all night.  The next day we spent acting like kids in Epcot.  I was actually happy to see that big golf-like ball that day.   We also split a little something from each country to "taste" our way through the worlds, something we wouldn't normally be able to do with our families!  Yum! 

All in all, it was a really amazing experience that I wouldn't trade in for anything!  I've been telling people, it was the most awesome, terrible thing I've ever done in my life and I don't regret it at all.  I don't think I'll be doing a half anytime soon but I'm already thinking about which race I can train for next (oh how quickly the body forgets pure torture - like having a baby...).  

I had to laugh when I saw this photo that MarathonFoto captured of me: 

I seem really happy so I must have been having fun at some point along the way.  

I also love this photo that my friend Michel posted on her Facebook :

So, it wasn't a dream after all - even though at times it felt more like one of those nightmares where you're running in place and not moving at all.  I'm super proud of myself; my biggest thing is that it's something I can hopefully continue to incorporate into my life and it can be a motivation and inspiration to my girls to stay healthy and active and be proud of their mama!! 

Thanks for bearing with me and if you've actually made it all the way down here to the end of this post - congratulations, you've made it to the finish line of this rambling marathon.  I wish I had a medal for you...

"It matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be" - fort walton beach senior photography

Long time overdue, I gladly present Julie Kate's senior photos!  Can I just say how much I love working with seniors!  It makes me all nostalgic thinking about the day I walked into an empty room only hours before my ceremony (not a stadium but a church sanctuary), sat down and bawled my eyes out.  I was both overjoyed and extremely terrified about the close of one chapter of my life and the opening of a new one, one full of mystery and the unknown.  Seniors are so full of hope - for the most part I find that they feel a little bit untouchable and they should because the future belongs to them!  At that point in their lives, they stand upon the precipice of doing whatever their hearts desire - the vast expanse of the rest of their days looming out before them.  How thrilling it is to be a senior!  Also, can I note - most seniors are also still completely full of imagination and whimsical liberties - teetering on that fine line of childhood and adulthood, knowing not quite full the weight of the world.  Did I mention I love working with seniors?!  So enough with my ramblings, onto the photos! Julie Kate.

"I'm completely free I could go running and racing.." fort walton beach photography

One more sleep and I leave for the most magical place on earth - Walt Disney World!  I'll be there for four days and one of those days I will be doing something I never EVER thought I'd be saying I'd be doing - running a race!  A half marathon at that!  The Princess Half Marathon is on Sunday and for the first time in my life, I will be running 13.1 miles (actually, I'm doing a run 3min/walk 2min at an average of 14mpm pace)!       I tease my friend whom I'm going with that the dreaded "balloon truck" will be chasing my tail the whole way probably - but as long as I make it over that finish line and get the treasured tiara medal, I'll be happy as a bee in a field of sunflowers!!!  I'll be documenting my whole trip with Instagram (instead of my baby, Stella, my Canon DSL).  Here are just a few I've taken in preparation:

Our race route - whew that's a LONG run!!! 

Practicing my princess poses.  I am making tutus for myself and my two girlfriends who I am traveling with - we're going to be ALL dolled up! 

Only ONE more sleep!!!  Can't wait to see those famed fireworks!

Getting in some last minute snuggles with my baby boo before I leave her for 4 days.  I'm a ball of bittersweet emotions!!

If you want to follow my adventures, look me up under the name "plumbphotography" on Instagram! I'll have some sneak peeks of some amazing sessions I've done so far this new year.  Until then, I'm off to pack and prepare - wish my LUCK! See you at the FINISH LINE!! 

"Our love is a star Sure some hazardry For the light before and after most indefinitely" - fort walton beach portrait photography

Do you remember these photos from almost exactly a YEAR ago?! Sometimes I like to dig up old forgotten photos, blow off the dust. play around with them, re-edit and touch them up a bit, show them a bit of love.... Don't we all need that sometimes...

"Dance me to the wedding now, dance me on and on And dance me very tenderly and dance me very long" - fort walton beach wedding photography

Lee & Carrie got married!  I was so honored to be a part of this small, sweet statement of love last month.  No amount of gray sky could keep the brightness of their happiness from shining through in their photos and I'm so excited to share a peek into them now:

 Congratulations to the both of you to the start of this wonderful journey together as husband and wife!!

Dash's Adventures - Part Deux!

You may remember where we left off with our little elfin friend, Dash.  The last we had seen him, he was hanging out in the freezer next to the peppermint icecream feelin' a tad bit homesick.  Well, he has had many rendezvous in various parts of our home since then!  Here is the follow up on his divers adventures:

Being an elf, I guess Dash is prone to a little mischief.  You do remember the toilet papering, don't you?   Thus one morning we found all of our Christmas stockings replaced with our underwear! Seeing as Lydia's not potty trained, Dash was thoughtful enough to use a diaper in her place.  He's so silly...

Did you know that elf's enjoy coffee?  They do.  Particularly Starbucks.  And no, I did not get paid by Starbucks to write that...

Dash took Rapunzel for a night ride around the tree.  Hope Flynn Ryder doesn't find out! 

That afternoon I found THIS lechery!  So mama bear had to "rescue" Dash again and thus, that night he couldn't fly back to the North Pole and stayed put on my desk in the office for a whole 24hours! 

The next morning, we found him here - he was either recovering from the loss of magic the day before OR he was having sympathy symptoms for Ava who had been up all night with a stomach bug.  He stayed like this for two days....

However, when he came back - he was back in FULL force!  He brought presents for the kiddos and it was their annual pajamas!  He is so thoughtful...

Back in the sugar again.... which I was sort of grateful for.  He definitely helped clean out a lot of sugar from our house that we certainly didn't need to eat...

We think he got scared from all the sugar he had eaten and was worried he may end up with cavities after the holidays so we found him brushing his teeth and making all sorts of a mess with the toothpaste!  At least he'll have healthy chompers!

Dash must've known we had gone to visit the local live Nativity Scene or overheard us reading the Christmas story for we found him the next morning coloring in Lulu's book from church.  Jesus is the true REASON!!

Dash still likes to have a little fun.  We found him swinging from the fan the next day - either that, or he was working on his arm muscles - they're pretty much nonexistent...

Who knew Darth was such a fun spirit during the holidays!  A good ole' fashioned game of "cottonball" fight was ensueing the next morning.  As long as they cleaned up, I didn't mind...

The next day we found a photobooth party goin' on in our kitchen!  I guess Rapunzel wasn't available for "serious" 50's Barbie was the one partaking in the fun this time.  I found the following on my camera later that afternoon...

Naughty elf...!

Dash was still in the smooching mood the next morning for we found him in a makeshift kissing booth! 

So glad he thought of our sweet little chocolate-less Ava - peppermint kisses just for her! 

Lulu was caught hanging around, waiting for a kiss... 

Thanks to Amy over at Living Locurto for the photobooth and kissing booth printables!

The next morning was CHRISTMAS DAY and instead of finding Dash hiding anywhere up to no good, we found our cookies nibbled and all the milk drunk and a letter from Santa Claus himself!!!  We are going to miss our mischievous Dash but are looking forward to seeing him again next year.  

Hope you all had a WONDERFUL, magical Christmas full of love and joy!!  

View more elfish antics over at Lil Blue Boo!