Vacation summary

So we're back from vacation... a much needed vacation. It was soooooo wonderful to see family that we have not seen in some time. It was my father in law... Joe's 75th birthday... so we first went to the beach in North Carolina to celebrate with him and other family... we had a fantastic time! As you can see the Carolina beaches are beautiful!!! I got up early one morning with my sister in law and took our cameras out to photograph the scenery at sunrise. The house we stayed in was right across the street from the ocean... gosh I love the sound of crashing waves..so relaxing. This was the kids first time really enjoying the ocean. Lucy was hilarious...she laughed at the first sight of waves and from then on, I couldn't do enough to keep her out of the water... we all had a blast. Max, Uncle Nate and Andy spent time playing in the water and flying kites. Katy thought that walking the beach meant that she was in her own personal parade where everyone was there just for her. "Hi GUYS!!!!"..."HOWYA DOIN EVERYONE??" She was so funny and everyone there ate her to pieces.

The second half of our vacation was further south to South Carolina to see Mama Rose "gamma rose" and her sister Patty "gamma patty". They have a property that backs up to a small lake...lots of frogs...and there are supposed to be a few alligators in there also...yikes! They set up a theme week for the kids. Alligators and swamp theme... sooo cute. First we went on a boat ride through a local black water swamp. Now you wouldn't imagine that a swamp could be beautiful until you actually spent sometime rowing through one of these. The water was so black that the reflections showed like glass. The trees were draped in Spanish moss and the Lilli pads were blooming with these beautiful fragrant flowers. We saw turtles and alligators on our boat ride. Then we had a themed lunch... with alligator tales (green beans) alligator tongues (hot dogs) and alligator poops (cup cakes) ... oh and they decorated the juice boxes with pictures of alligators and called it swamp juice. The next day we took the kids the the local aquarium .. while were gone they set up a whole alligator party... equipped with balloons, cake and fun original swamp games.

Anyway, since we've been back a whole 24 hours now... we've began to tackle the garage project. Well I should say Andy is tackling it... I'm not brave enough. We'll see how far we get this week. Now to check up on everyone else... HUGS... good to be back.

getting ready for travel...Americian Idol

Is this High key??, originally uploaded by RGonzalezPHOTOGRAPHY.

I am looking forward to some new scenery... the kids are really excited about going to the beach and seeing the grandparents...they have been talking about it all week... I have yet to pack for 5 people... for as long as we are going to be gone... I always tend to under pack.... for fear of over doing it and having to haul extra stuff around. Beach trips are a bit different because you get dirty more often with sand and saltwater.

The last time Andy and I took a trip with the kids we ditched the suit cases and gave way to large plastic stackable bins. This was definatly a winner and helped us stay compact and organized. We will be implimenting this idea again for this trip.

I cannot believe that Adam Lambert didn't win this seasons competition!! I wanted chris to win (actually I wanted Danny to win) but I thought that Adam had a shoe in from the very beginning of the season. Still in shock about the end results... perhaps Chris got all of Danny's votes after he was voted off...

I probably wont blog again until next thurday depending on whether I can get my hands on a computer... but I am really looking forward to taking some beach photos. If I don't post... everyone have a great week! HUGS!!

soaking up the vitamin D...teething

redneck sprinkler, originally uploaded by RGonzalezPHOTOGRAPHY.

I have almost completely come out of my winter blues... and we are spending a ton of time outside playing and getting as much fresh air as possible. I have been keeping up with the laundry and the house for the last week and its been really refreshing. We plan on doing a yard sale and completely purging the garage when we get back from seeing Andys family in North and South Carolina this week. The kids have been too small to remember going to the beach... I can't wait to see there expressions when they look out at the worlds largest swimming pool and sandbox. ...hahaha giddy.

Lucy has been seriously teething this last week... I think she is trying to cut molars. Honestly I don't thing any level of natural medicine is going to bring relief to this poor girl. Daytime is not so bad...perphaps she is so busy keeping up with her older brother and sister. At night, well...thats a whole nother game. She wakes up screaming at 11:30 or midnight and will not go back to sleep until the late late hours of the morning. Last night I finally got her back to sleep around 5:30...the sun had already started to come up. I'd try and put her back in her bed earlier but the second she'd see the bed she'd start crying. Katy shares a room with her and I couldn't let lucy have her cry while katy was trying to sleep. So lucy slept with Andy and I. Some point after that Katy crawled in behind me... I became a mommy sandwich.

Anyway, needless to say more...I need some coffee. Off to the kitchen...I hope you all have a great day!!!

Pug Rocket

My husband sent this to me today after a two year old girl on one of his calls insisted that he watch it... really cute!

flights of fancy

flights of fancy, originally uploaded by RGonzalezPHOTOGRAPHY.

I just had to post a note to say thank you GiGi, mom and Dad for my new camera lens... it arrived today... a 50mm 1.8 canon lens... this is what I got with it this afternoon.

what a view

what a view, originally uploaded by RGonzalezPHOTOGRAPHY.

I feel my self buzzing around like i've been in hibernation for the last 6 months. Anyone else hibernate when its cold and dark outside? This week we are focused on reclaiming our home. Doing yard work outside... purging the insides... by the way.... I appreciate the imput on the garage sale... you ladies are always a fantastic help! I got an official R.gonzalez website up and running over the last month... see it here... www.rgonzalezphotos.com Im sure it still needs tweaking but It better than sending any potential clients to flickr... where they can easily get lost and confused...ha. I haven't figured out where my niche in photography is yet. I see potential angles and images everywhere I look. This ladybug image is just a clean fresh "stock" type image... other days I want to do artsy, funky perspective images. I think as im refining my skills I will eventually come into something consistant. But truely its fair to say that I may never do anything consistantly... those who have faithfully read my blog over the last 10 months know that for sure....haha.

Anyway, nursing is moving along well again. I have completely healed and I am no longer having issues in that department. thank goodness!!!! I appreciate your support pushing me thru that rough spot. Sign language is stlll moving along although I have not posted a new video in weeks. Lucy has also started talking overnight (mind you, still not saying mama....grrrr) She is pointing out facial features and using simple words like "eye" "nose".... the cutest one is "hiiiiiiiii" when we see someone or she is pretending to speak on the phone. So cute.

Katy and Max aren't really doing anything new.... I will say... Katy is becoming quite the girly girl. Every morning she spends atleast 20 minutes battling some decision making about what to wear. Funny the difference between boys and girls. Max at 5 years still can barely manage to dress himself... let alone pick out his own clothes. Katy has a particular taste.. she either wants super frilly dresses... or shirt and pants... but the shirt has to have lots of pink or purple... or some sort of "super de duper... cool picture". haha... there have been a few days where she has worn the same thing twice... just to avoid battles.

postcard??

postcard??, originally uploaded by RGonzalezPHOTOGRAPHY.

I did this up on photoshop for fun... I was thinking it would make a fun thank-you card for family or friends.

yard sale...

to do list: grocery shop, originally uploaded by RGonzalezPHOTOGRAPHY.

Okay so for most people a yard sale probably is a simple... drag it out...tag it... put up signs and sell it. But for me this...well, this is an adventure into the unkown. Feeling a fresh connection with my home after this whole scare has left with with a desire to purge and improve. Anyone live in a split foyer home? If you do...you know that there usually isn't much in the way of storage space. My garage has become the catch all of all lost things...office... junk festival. I have done one yard sale in my life. I am ready to get to purging... but I have no idea where to start. I also have a TON of baby things that probably need to go... but Im having some attachment issues. So short of calling up a Discovery channel team of experts. How do you suggest I tackle this task... you know, without bringing in a clean sweep brigade?

Happy Mother's day!!

studio 915- westminster 33, originally uploaded by RGonzalezPHOTOGRAPHY.

I had a wonderful morning.... I hope everyone else did as well! My kids woke me up with cards and smooches and my darling hubby made us all breakfast. Today was our 6 year anniversary as well... I forgot that it was.. Im such a man sometimes.

We will be celebrating 2 birthdays and mother's Day tonight at my parents house. My mom makes the most INCREDIBLE carrot cake with cream cheese icing EVVVEEER!!! The kid will be getting chololate cupcakes with blue icing. The tradition since I was a baby is to have blue icing on your 1st birthday. Why??? because its fun and messy... gotta love traditions. I am inspired by Drea's "caking" photos from a few months ago.. so I may try to get some of mini me... im sure she wont mind since sugar is involved.

Good day...Great news!!..shout out.

Its been a while since I've posted... Its been a busy week. Im actually getting some fairly regular photography work now...yah!! More commercial photography than the portraits that I'd like to be doing but hey.... its a fantastic start! On the up and up... we found out yesterday that Obama did not let us down with the mortgage grant... it came thru at the very last moment for us as we were getting ready to sign the rental agreement on our new home less than 24 hours later. YAAAHH!!! We are not losing our house! Yippeee!!!

Today was a wonderful day!! Andy had the day off so we took a drive to Amish Country in Lancaster PA... such a pretty and pure place. Tons of photos from today on my flickr. As most of you know Katy and Max are really into trains. Lancaster has a few train touristy hot spots that we like to go to treat the kids. Today we got to ride on an old steam locomotive... so much fun. The country side in Lancaster is amazing... its amazing to me that these people have not evolved into technology and have retained the simple way of living just as there founding ancestors have hundreds of years ago.

This weekend we are celebrating some birthdays in the family... on of which was my fathers... eeek... I didn't call him today.... HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!! I LOVE YOU!!! Katy turned 1 on the 5th of May... happy Cinco de Mayo little chica! Andy's Dad Joe is having a birthday on my 6 year anniversary... HAPPY BIRTHDAY Papa JOE!!! And last but not least... Mother's day... if I don't get a chance to post again this weekend... HAPPY MOMMIES DAY!! Hugs to everyone...I miss you guys!

speaking of velcro'd babies...

In reference to one of my recent posted photos... I was joking with a fellow blogger about how it should be legal to velcro your child to the wall... then I remembered this product that I came acrossed sometime ago. A toddler toilet paper holder!!! How inventive is that??? LOL ... no really, how cool is that??? Okay... in all seriousness, I do see the value in hanging your child by hooks on a stall door. I mean If this is the alternative to them pulling the nasty sanitary napkins out of the wall bin... and who knows what else... then YES... lets mount the child on the stall. And heck while they are still... give them something constructive to do... like hold your toilet paper. Just brilliant!

Please don't take my boob away!!!

What do you mean the boob fairy isn't real???, originally uploaded by RGonzalezPHOTOGRAPHY.

So I spoke with a lactation consulatant on the phone yesterday... she suggested a few things to help... lansinoh cream... I was using already... a prescription nipple ointment... pumping at a lesser strength suction so that I didn't bleed or cause more damage... (this was to help get my left side milk production back up). Or because she is such an excited nurser... start on the Left side... until she calms down, them move over to the damaged side now that she isn't so agressive. I've been doing the last option + loading up on lansinoh ointment. And so far...so good!! No bleeding at all today!

I haven't even concidered quitting. I know certianly its an option at this age... but we both still love it and I would wan't to because of "readiness" not because of this circumstance or another roadblock.

Anyway, thank you so much for your links and suggestions!!!!!

get a handle on it!

get a handle on it!, originally uploaded by RGonzalezPHOTOGRAPHY.

whaddya think gigi??