November '08 - At the Park with Esther

A few days before Thanksgiving last year, I went up to Columbia, Missouri to visit my brother and sister-in-law (Josh and Amanda), and their kids (Esther, age 22 months then, and 6-week-old Isaac, who I met for the first time). Mom and Dad and Eli were all there too; Matt couldn't make it, unfortunately. It was pretty cold but we took Esther out to the park late one afternoon. Here are a few pictures of the fun on the playground!

October '08 - Gulf Shores (part 3) - Claire's First Photo Shoot

My youngest neice... age 2 months at the time.

October '08 - Gulf Shores (part 2) - Zack and Kristen's Engagement Pictures

October '08 - Gulf Shores (part 1)

In my opinion, there is never a bad time to spend a long weekend at the beach... but fall is especially nice, since the weather is warm enough to spend long days outside (but not too hot), and the water is still warm from the hot days of summer. So, last fall we went to Gulf Shores with Matt's parents, Seth and Amy and their kids, and Zack and his fiancee (now wife) Kristen. I loved having some people who were willing to be models for me to practice some photography, too! I'll have to put pictures up in several posts, but here is part one -- some casual shots of the family!

Hannah was a good helper with desserts

Caleb would bring a book to whomever he could find to read to him

Playing in the waves: Matt and Hannah

Candy and Caleb

September '08 - New Orleans

Last September, during one of the busiest months of residency (the neonatal ICU.....), $29 plane tickets on Southwest + a weekend off + a good hotel deal on Priceline = a trip to New Orleans! I planned it all out and didn't tell Matt where we were going until we were in the car on the way to the airport (and then realized I had to tell him because he was driving....).

We stayed in the French Quarter just off Bourbon Street, and walked or took the trolley everywhere we went. We took a walking tour of the Quarter, went to some good museums, visited the Aquarium and the Zoo, and ate wonderful food!

Jackson Square

Courtyard in the French Quarter

Me and Matt at the Aquarium

This pair of White Bengal Tigers were enjoying the afternoon!

Alligators getting some sun

August '08 - Wears Valley

Continuing on my catch-up blogging: These pictures are from our time at Wears Valley Ranch last summer with my extended family on my mother-in-law's side. We went up to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which borders the ranch, for an afternoon at the river.

Seth giving an inner tube ride to Hannah, Zeke, and Carissa . It's a bit tricky to get all three kids on an inner tube to have their faces to the camera at the same time....

Bethany and Caroline

Aunt Corky and Sam

Abbey with Eliza and Sam

Aunt Lisa isn't drowning Carissa, really....

...she went face-down in the puddles all on her own!

Caleb playing with rocks

The river!

It's about time...

...I updated this thing! I didn't realize it has been over a year since I posted.... oops.

I'll try to get caught up with pictures over the next few posts -- going back in chronological order (those of you who know me well, know that I insist on reading books/watching movies/etc. IN ORDER, so this only fits).

These pictures are from last August - our annual trip to Atlanta for a Braves game.

Great seats!

Matt and me

Jay, Sarah, and Caroline (age 7 months) - Caroline's first Braves game!