FAMILY - FROM OAHU TO SEATTLE TO ANN ARBOR TO FOWLERVILLE

Finally, a few overlapping days of cousin visits!  This doesn't happen very often, unfortunately years go by before all of the cousins are together for my husbands family, but this year was the exception.  The number is small, but here they are.  Also visiting were the only family aunt and uncle from Hawaii.  Then there's always the yummy food!  

QUEEN ELIZABETH PARK, VANCOUVER, B.C., CANADA

A beautiful garden book 

for your collection.

http://www.blurb.com/b/6477471-queen-elizabeth-park-may-2015

A SPECIAL BAR MITZVAH

I've known these two families and their two sons, Casey and Zachary, for most, if not all of the boys lives.  I've watched their parents go through the stages of having their first baby and chasing their little toddlers around and around.  Later, cheering their boys on the sidelines while they ran and tumbled on the soccer and baseball fields. 

Years later, after much preparation, they are celebrating their boys bar mitzvah's together, on this 16th day of May, in 2015.

What a special occasion for all to watch as the boys shared their enlightenment with family and friends from near and far. I felt privlaged to be their photographer and capture their special day.  Blessings!

IN WASHINGTON WITH HUDSON

During a 48 hour layover in Bellingham, WA from Oahu, I had the chance stay with cousins Andy & Alicia and to meet and hike with  their black lab Hudson.  Hudson is battling cancer, so I left with wonderful memories and photos and a heavy heart.  I hope I get to see you again someday Hudson!

CELEBRATING AGLOA'S 50th ANNIVERSARY IN ORLANDO, FLORIDA.

Hundreds of groups from numerous states came to participate in the Academic Games National 50th Competition.  Then there was this group, which traveled all the way from India!

Order the 50th Anniversary book, filled with inspiring storiess from alumni old and young.

Creating The 50th Anniversary Book For The Academic Games Leagues Of America

For the past 5 weeks, I, and a few other hands and eyes have been creating a 50th Anniversary book for the Academic Games Leagues Of America.  The book is finally published.  There were stories upon stories to remember. Unfortunately, a great number of these and the photos were never dusted off and taken out of old shoe boxes, many never making it to me to put into this book.  I'm sure if everyone contributed I could have made a book 1,000 pages full!  This book is created with the history of the program and the love of the games in mind.  I hope you will enjoy!

There are many steps in a project this large.  The scanning of old photos, some so brown that we didn't know if they would print.  There may be some photos that are pixilated, but we felt they were important to the story, the book to be added anyway.  A lot of editing, The finding of names, places and did I say editing?  Composing not only for my creative self, but with my clients wishes in mind. Fortunately, there were no major changes and we were able to send the book to the publisher with a tiny bit of breathing room.

If you would like to take a glimpse of the first 15 pages of THE BOOK, you can click here:

http://www.blurb.com/b/6116808-academic-games-leagues-of-america

So come on, all you Dopest Nerds and your Dopest Parents - buy a book!  I know the cost is a bit high, but remember the book is nearly 100 pages, 12 inches by 12 inches and is packed full of the history of AGLOA with stories, timelines and many photos.  The high quality of the book is definitely worth the price. There will never be another one like it.

I am very excited to read comments on this project.  Please let me know what you think!  : - )

Our family trip to the Galapagos

When my father-in-law asked the family where we would like to go on a trip together, we were not expecting his suggestion.  We thought maybe Europe or New Zealand, but not these set of islands. This place has always seemed so far away, yet it's still in our eastern time zone.  It has been a dream of mine to photograph since I was a little girl, mostly because it contains a large number of animals, mammals, reptiles and birds that only live on their secluded islands.  Have you guessed it yet?  For me, as a kid, National Geographic had the most memorable photographs from this place. The place I had only dreamed of going to and now I have been, The Galapagos Islands.

Our trip was booked as family adventure.  The 11 days weree spent sleeping on a semi-private yacht, with 3 other families.  There were boys galore for our 12 year old son to hang out with and my 5 year old niece didn't seem to mind that she was the only girl, as she did everything that the boys did.  The other parents were wonderful and we felt lucky to be sharing our time with this group.

Each morning we would wake up at a different island.  After breakfast we would head out on a small boat called a panga.  Basically a dingy or raft, large enough for 12 people.  Since there were 20 people on the yacht, we had two pangas.  Half of the group would start out on a 1 to 2 hour hike of that days island and the other group would snorkel in the beautiful blue-green water with a variety of fish, penguins, seal lions, sea turtles and even sharks.  Before returning to the yacht on the panga the groups would switch so everyone could partake in the adventures.

After lunch we would have a two to three hour break to lounge on the upper deck of the yacht, watch a movie (the kids favorite thing to do), read a book, jump off the boat,  kayak or take a siesta.  Then mid afternoon we would follow the morning schedule on a different part of the island or discover a new island.

The sites varied from mostly lava rocks, to dry aired land with cactus.  Some islands had large volcanos, one was low and filled with water.  One morning we woke up with our boat inside of a water filled volcano!  It was breathtaking!

Our yacht, called The Letty, through EcoVentura.  

The crew was great and the other families were great.  

Five boys and one little girl, my niece...what a fun time!

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This is the Galapagos airport.
The tower in the middle of a field and only one plane on the tarmac,
waiting for it's guests to climb the stairs outside.