First Camping Trip

My mother-in-law had never been camping before.  So naturally, 48 hours after landing in a foreign country, on five hours notice, regardless of forecasted rain and the fact that because we left so late, we'd be setting up in the dark...  Naturally we packed us all up and took her on her first camping trip!  

She was a champ and loved every minute of it! Even though it rained and thunder stormed half the time. ...Of course, it was a lot more fun once the sun rose and we could all eat breakfast.  

Danny in his Thomas the Train pajamas

McGyver My husband in his kitchen

Yes, Fanny's smile always envelopes her whole person.  I love that about her.

coffee in the morning

The favorite game was seeing how deep we could bury the ball 

so Toby would find it. At one point, his whole head was inside!

a blessed sleep-in

our camp site

proof I was there

I've been trying to capture this image forever!  

Dirty, playing, half-laughing, totally content, all boy, full of love and joy.  

This is my Danny-Boy:

There was of course, the obligatory hour of off-roading.  Fanny decided to watch from outside of the Jeep. 

At the top:

Danny and Tita

And there was, of course, the obligatory photography sessions. The mountains are one of my favorite places to take pictures.  I stole the idea for this shot from a new friend of mine - Thanks Ashley!!  She has a shot that's similar.  Focus on yourself in the center of the rear view mirror, then doctor it up with lots of effects and there you have it!  

That was Fanny's first camping trip!  

Want Some Girl Time?

Sarah, your words are too sweet and your support means more to me than you could know!!  We are at the end of our journey and we're finishing up the last qualifications for a HUGE promotion in my Mary Kay business!  If you are here because you've been given a Gift of Friendship Pampering package, or if you are here because you've been reading and lurking for a while, and an hour of girl time sounds like fun to you...  well guess what you have in store!?  I get to send you a package of goodies in the mail (samples of our skin care and color) and we get to spend an hour getting to know each other via Skype while we pamper your skin... I can't wait!!  Email me (reneeporras@marykay.com) with your name and phone number and let me know who sent you (because some of you have a gift certificate to spend too) and I can explain the entirety of what is included in your Gift of Friendship Pampering Package!  Each woman I get to pamper helps us finish our qualfiications, so THANKS IN ADVANCE!!

Love,

Airport Reunion

She was wearing a red and white striped dress.  She paced back and forth across the airport terminal for an eternity.  He emerged from the plate glass sliding doors with a backpack that seemed to loom over his body, a huge surfboard under his arm, flip flops and a t-shirt.  She came flying around the corner with eyes wide, unable to contain her excitement in proper airport formality any longer.  Two feet before meeting, they each dropped their belongings on the floor right where they were in order to embrace with squeals and smiles.  They were clearly brand new.  And clearly hadn't seen each other for all of two weeks.  

I had to make a sincere effort not to take their picture.  

Airport reunions are the best.  I could sit with my camera all day and do nothing but photograph the reunions that occur there every day.  Especially the ones outside the "International Arrivals" doors.  

We were waiting there for our own reunion.  It'd been two and a half years since Abuelita had seen her grand baby. The excitement in the air was tangible.  

They waited. 

And waited. 

Got bored and cranky. 

Got silly. 

And waited...

...some more.

And then finally...

She made her ways through the doors!  It's amazing how two weeks worth of luggage weigh nothing when your love is just around the corner waiting for you.

Aaah....  Together again!