Sep 25, 2008

the 3Day is here!!!

THANK YOU!!!! THANK YOU!!!!

Because of your support, not only did I meet the $2,200 fundraising goal, but so did EVERY member of my team. We have raised over $11,000 for breast cancer research and we could not have done it without the support of so many individuals. It has been such a rewarding experience already. We head out Friday morning and will walk and walk and walk. At the end of the day on Sunday, 1,000s of participants will have walked 60 miles in three days. Here is a link to the Supporter Page. There will be a live web cam and maybe you'll see our team. We're wearing lime green shirts with sneaker-wearing ladybugs. I will be sure to post pictures when I get back on Monday. Please pray for great weather, good conversations, yummy food, good sleeping and NO BLISTERS! (Can you tell what my greatest fear is right now?!?)

Again, thanks to all of you who are supporting me in prayer and those who supported financially. You are all appreciated.

Lastly, I wanted to send a shout out to those individuals you have told me about that have faced the pain of cancer - some are surviors, some are in the midst and some have lost the battle. We walk for them.

Carol
Chrissy
Susie
Gail
Eileen
Naomi
Janet
Dottie
Jean
Joyce
Eileen
Karen
Christina
Stacey
Millie
Kristy
Heidi

Sep 12, 2008

it's not too late

to sign up for my photography classes. It really is a fun class that is very hands-on. Here's the scoop:

Are you the family photographer? Did you just great a great new digital camera and have no idea what all the buttons do? Do you know you have the cutest kids on the block and love to document every moment of their lives? Then join professional portrait photographer Rebecca Redman as she leads this portrait photography class. The classes will focus on portraits – photographs of people – and is geared towards the SLR camera (digital or film) user. An SLR camera has interchangeable lenses.

Each class will consist of a lecture and hands-on practice with your camera. The lecture includes numerous photographs to illustrate the information. Bring your camera and manual to each class as Rebecca will help you get familiar with using your camera. Optional weekly homework assignments are provided to keep you working through the material on your own pace. Topics covered will include: image capture, file organization, image manipulation, print resolution, cropping ratios, online and local printing resources and products ,composition, connection with the subject, looking for the light, posing, simple one-light set up, being aware of surroundings, basic understanding of aperture, depth of field, shutter speed, focal length, ISO, metering and camera modes.

The fifth week of class will be a one hour gallery showing and critique of student’s work. Rebecca combines her unique skill set as a photographer, educator, and mother to inform and delight students at all levels and help them improve their everyday family photographs.

A few of the districts even allow you to register online. Lake Orion classes start next week on Tuesdays so you better hurry! The dates for the other districts are on the calendar.


Lake Orion Registration
Troy Registration

just a few

Okay, so a photographer friend posted this on her blog and I grinned from ear to ear when I watched it. I thought you might, too.



In my profession, I have the privilege of being able to capture these types of moments. The moments when you see a dad connect with his daughters. A mom who holds them all together. A family who loves each other. Now, I didn't see any cheering when we had the session, but it wouldn't surprise me to find out that this dad would do anything for his girls. Just a few sneak peaks until you see your full gallery. I'm so excited for you to see the rest!







Sep 5, 2008

the 3Day is getting closer!

The 3Day is just three weeks from today! I'm just at half way for my $2200 goal and I am praying the the rest of the donations will come in. Over Labor Day weekend, we had some huge training walks. On Saturday, I walked 16 miles with my team mate (and sister) Sarah and Misty, a close friend who is also doing the 3Day. We wound our way through Rochester Hills, stopping at Cosi for lunch. We also stopped at a gas station around mile 12 and had THE best candy bars of our life.

Then on Sunday, it was even better. This time, my team mate Kristin was also walking and we had all of the families out to Stoney Creek for the day to get our 18 miles in.

Misty, myself, Kristin and Sarah



We walked the first lap as a family with Andrew and Sarah on their bikes. The little missy made it just over 5 miles before she tired out. The boy had no problem and went ahead with a dad who was jogging the 6.2 mile loop. We took a short snack break and the walkers headed out for the second loop. Upon entering 'camp' our families had dinner waiting for us.







We ate, drank and took our shoes off for a bit. We started out on the third lap. We got a later start than we anticipated so we ended up finishing after dark. Walking over 18 miles sounds miserable, but I actually enjoyed the camaraderie of the day and was genuinely overcome by the support of my family. As I said, we ended up walking the last bit when it was dark and I hear this, "Yay, Mom!" off to the side. There were my husband and kids in the car making sure we were okay and safe. They followed us back to our starting point, lighting the way down our final path. We actually jogged the whole last stretch of the walk.



It was a great day and even though I now fully realize how difficult the actual walk will be, and how painful it is to walk with blisters, I am encouraged by how great I'll feel at the task we are accomplishing and the cause we are supporting. Blisters and all.

point betsie

I felt like Point Betsie deserved her own post. I used a borrowed point and shoot for most of my trip, but brought out my trusty Nikon when we headed to Point Betsie. I think I actually got about five minutes to photograph before someone needed my attention and the SLR went back in the bag. But, those five minutes were worth it. A little bit of information about the lighthouse followed by some results of that five minutes exploring the area.

The Point Betsie Lighthouse, Benzie County's most famous landmark, is located on the Lake Michigan shore of the county just south of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and just north of Frankfort, Michigan. Point Betsie is the second most photographed lighthouse in the USA, and likely the most visited attraction in Benzie County. Watching the sunsets from Point Betsie is a long-standing tradition.












beulah

So, we had a WONDERFUL visit to my uncle's home in Beulah. He was a superb host and my kids loved the lakes and his great cooking. A very special treat was a day spent tooling around in a pontoon boat on beautiful Crystal Lake. We did all the up north stuff - a visit to Gwen Frostic, a pie from The Cherry Hut, breakfast at The Brookside, overlook of the breakers at Frankfort, splashed in Lake Michigan at Point Betsie - and enjoyed every moment of it. A few shots from our too short visit. You know we'll be back!



Ah, lovely Beulah.





Andrew is an expert marshmallow roaster. Seriously! Perfectly brown every time. I guess he has the patience for it. And Sarah just has fun with it.





Felt like we were eating in a tree house on the deck of The Brookside.



The kids' first visit to Gwen's. We bought stationery, of course!



And in case you were wondering, JATOMBO is no urban legend. It was verified by a very good source.

it's been over a month

Aack! I never neglect my blog for this long. So, I'm going to take the next little bit to try and get caught up from the last month. I'll do it in bits and piece all day. So I apologize in advance if the email updates fill up in inbox today!

First, I want to tell you about an event that my husband and I attend yearly. Detroit Uncorked is a premium wine tasting event with over 400 varieties of wine, light hors d'oeuvers, local entertainment and silent auction. This year it is Friday, September 19th. Tickets are already on sale and they generally do sell out.

We stay overnight in Downtown Detroit at The Inn on Ferry Street and I just can't say enough good things about this hotel. It is actually four restored homes and the service, shuttle van, and great breakfast make it such a special time.

Located in the East Ferry Street Historic District of Midtown Detroit, The Inn On Ferry Street sets the standard for elegant guest quarters and dedicated service. Just steps from the state's finest museums, acclaimed Detroit Medical Center and Wayne State University, the Inn is a relaxing change of pace from the standard business hotel. Four restored Victorian homes and two carriage houses abound in sophisticated luxury. The Inn evokes a strong sense of history that provides the perfect atmosphere for weddings, receptions and other social events. Whether you visit for a weekend, conduct a business meeting, or rent an entire house for a special occasion The Inn On Ferry Street is aptly accommodating. Don't forget to take our complimentary shuttle to theatres, stadiums, and all downtown restaurants located a mere 1.5 miles from the Inn.

I know there's been a lot of bad press about Detroit these past months, but we truly enjoy Detroit and this event is a great excuse to support our city. Here's a short clip about Detroit Uncorked. Maybe I'll see you there!