Photography 101

I am three weeks into a five week evening photography class at the local high school. I cannot believe how much I have already learned. Having three other girlfriends attend with me makes it even that much better. Each week we are sent home with the task of submitting a particular shot. Hope you enjoy my submissions.

Week One: Action Shot



Week Two: Landscape



Week Three: Portrait

Happy 69th Grandpa!

So glad we could spend the birthday weekend with you. We will miss you and Nana!

A Birthday Dinner

Tonight, we had birthday dinner



for two very special people



at a local Japanese steakhouse



great balls of fire, the food was good




best birthday wishes to Grandpa and Mackenzie!

Naples Botanical Garden

Mackenzie has been asking to visit the Naples Botanical Garden for quite some time. I have been wanting to take her since it is one of the newest attractions in Naples but just didn't want to go when the weather was hot and humid. Today's weather was perfect, high temps in the low 70's. It was a added bonus that Grandpa and Nana were in town.

Check out this photo taken by Darin, no photoshop, honest!

Mackenzie captured a nice photo of Darin and I, thanks Mack!

Sand vs Snow

Grandpa and Nana arrived today. After being snowed in for almost a week they were ready to feel sand between their toes. We made a quick trip to the beach hoping for a few nice sunset photos. Unfortunately, the sun did not want to cooperate and it was cloudy the entire time. Oh well, we will try again another day.

Mackenzie's Birth Story (13 years later)

At 2:56 pm it was a official, I became the mother of a teenager. Staying home this winter break has brought back memories of Mackenzie's birth. I had spent the two week winter break resting and relaxing and trying to keep my feet elevated. Darin and I didn't travel to visit family since I was so far along in the pregnancy. I remember hitting the mall with my brother after Christmas and for the first time I wasn't able to keep up the pace. I should have taken that as a sign of how quickly my life was about to change. I headed back to school on a Monday with hopes of finishing the last three weeks of the semester before going on maternity leave. However, Mackenzie had other plans. At a doctor's appointment that Tuesday I found out that I was almost 2 cm dilated but I didn't really think much about it. After school on Wednesday I headed to the gym for 60 minutes on the treadmill and bike, big mistake! That evening I started to feel pains but I was so tired that I fell asleep on the sofa. I didn't have a sub for Thursday so I headed to school thinking I was having false labor pains, it was too soon to be real, Mackenzie wasn't due for another 3 weeks. A friend kept coming in my computer lab to time my contractions. The contractions were starting to hurt a little but they just weren't consistent. As usual, I went home and fell asleep on the sofa. Apparently, I slept through the contractions. When I my alarm clock woke me up in the morning I decided we should head to the hospital even though I was convinced they were going to send me home due to false labor. Needless to say, good thing we went, I was dilated to 5 cm. By 1:00 pm the nurse said I was ready and asked me to start pushing. I remember looking at the clock at 2:30 and saying to myself "darn it, push this baby out by 3:00 so they can make an announcement on the loud speaker at school that Mackenzie Michele Morgan has arrived. With that thought, she was born at 2:56 pm! She was 3 weeks early and weighed only 6 lb 4 oz. By 4:00 pm, my friends from school had arrived in the delivery room to see our new bundle of joy.



Yesterday, we headed to Mackenzie's favorite park for a party with her best friends.









After a walk on the nature trail and a visit to the early settlement, we headed home for cake and presents.



Of course we don't serve our daughter and her friends real champagne! Those are plastic glasses filled with sparkling grape juice.



Happy 13th Mackenzie! Is it true? Are your dad and I really the parents of a teenager? Lord help us!!!

Happy New Year!