Photo Friday #50 - Wanderess

Bad Weather, Good Times

What a doozey of a trip across the pond we have had. From an 8-hour flight with no a/c to accidentally falling asleep in the Muslim airline terminal during our 4-hour layover, I can honestly say I have more than once wished I had stayed home. It has been a number of years since I have been the passenger on a flight long enough to include a meal (one could safely question if it really was a meal) and, true-to-form, I found myself wondering just how many hands had touched my salad, how far in advanced was it prepared, and where exactly was it kept anyway? Is it really possibly to keep things sanitary 37,000 feet above the ground? I mean, sanitation (or lack thereof) was the motivating factor behind my successful determination to avoid the in-flight lavatory. Disgusting. Traveling as a party-of-90 is not without struggle - patience topping the list of mountains to overcome. Largely the reason I'm laying low this morning and enjoying my room at the Haydn Hotel. 

We arrived Sunday evening, a little worse for wear, to pouring rain (curse you, weatherchannel.com, for telling us we would be the lucky participants of a 75-degree, sunny climate) and no umbrella. Only one closed-toe pair of shoes in my bag - even these were thrown in last minute - and thankfully a sweatshirt and jacket made it's way into my carry on as the 57 degrees I spent all of yesterday with became the most ill-loved companion thus far. Fashion be gone - a girl has got to stay warm. It's noon on Tuesday as I type, though it feels like I should be sleeping as most of you probably are. The ballet rehearsal yesterday was beautiful and after snapping quite a few shots in the the a.m, I snuck away in the afternoon for an amazing wine tasting at a local vineyard. The enchanting history behind the family-owned vineyard left me wanting to spend an entire summer here learning the process and working among the vines with the fifth generation owner, Eva Wagner, who appears to be about the same age as myself. All things handmade and artisan by nature have appealed to me for as long as I can remember so it shouldn't be surprising that I would want to learn wine-making. 

I don't have have the ability at this time to pull any photos from my camera so I am forced to share only iPad/iPhone pics for now. Thanks for following along!

Aaand We're Off!

Tomorrow's the big day y'all! The Music Man and I are off to Austria. I've made the difficult decision to leave my laptop behind and am going to cross my fingers that my trusty iPad will get me thru. I am already missing my babies and had a brief, but so-serious, thought to just stay here. However, there are quite a few folks at our destination who will be oh-so-seriously annoyed if I not only waste my ticket, but fail to produce my digital end of the bargain. So I've tucked my bambinos in bed with some extra long snuggles and, after locating my almost-lost passport, I am ready. Camera gear in tow. Antibiotics, check (did I mention I have strep?). Nasal decongestant, yep. Too many chargers, adapters, lenses, converters, batteries, tripods, and straps to even count - I and my back may be wishing I had bailed last minute by the time I arrive in Austria after 16 hrs of flight.

I'll be blogging from my iPad (as I'm doing now) throughout our trip - feel free to follow along on our journey. For those of you that don't already know, I'm traveling along with the University of Oklahoma College of Fine Arts and photographing both ballet and choral performances in Eisenstadt, Austria this coming week. About five hours ago, I was handed a video camera and asked to gather footage as well...which is not my forte - I hope they aren't expecting too much. 

Baby Girl - 13 Going on 30

My baby girl is turning 13 next week. She's not the baby, but she is my only girl and her petite stature has forever warranted her the nickname "baby girl". She will always be my baby girl. I could not be more proud of the young lady she is becoming - thoughtful, organized, straight A student. Tender heart. Born again lover of Jesus. Petite frame, but oh-so-strong. 

She's a ballerina, basketball player, seamstress, artist, daredevil, baker, organizer extraordinaire, amazing sister. BEST BABYSITTER ON THE PLANET. Daddy's little girl...for always. I don't know what I would do without her and I can't believe I get to call her "daughter".  

Below are a few is an on slot of shots from her 13 year photo shoot. Thank you, Jesus, for blessing me far more than I deserve. 

        

Photo Friday #49 - West Side Story

Has It Really Been Three Years?

I feel as if I just shot these one-year photo's last week...but somehow three years have passed in a single heartbeat....

My fourth and final child continues to grow cuter by the minute and proves to be our silliest offspring at times. We can't help but smile at his antics and goofball nature and are already preparing for numerous visits to the principals office sometime in the future. He may just be the class clown. Here are few of my fave pics from the past couple weeks as we countdown to turning 3.....

Photo Friday #48 - Take My Breath Away

Photo Friday #47 - Macaron Madness

Photo Friday # 46 - Dasher and Dancer, Prancer and Vixen

Stop the Clock!!!

I cannot believe that it has already been TWELVE years since we first met this lovely young lady. Her kind heart and conscientious spirit melt us daily and we are in love with the woman she is already becoming. It is such a blessing to be her mother. Here are a few of her 12 year pictures....