Curious Madison

"I have to warn you, she likes to people watch." Madison's mother warned me. 

Really?!  I'm the same way, so I won't hold it against her!   

The park was busy for the early morning.  So we provided Madison with some distractions.

She loved being tossed in the air :)

Hi there cutie! 

She loved spending time in this crouching position. 

Two little front teeth, big brown eyes and a big smile!  How can you not love this?

Can you believe this little one is only 9 months old?  Ahead of the game girl!

Waving hello to friendly morning walkers :)

I'd love to know what she was looking at here. 

Had to crouch down and check it out.  I just love the child's mind, everything is so fascinating!

Such a sweet and curious little one she is!  Madison and mommy - so great meeting you!

Madison {Preview}

I couldn't wait to share a few of this gorgeous mother and daughter duo!

...stay tuned :)

Oven Bake Knob Backpack

I really enjoy outdoor activities: hiking, backpacking, camping, horseback riding...
I could go on and on... but I'll spare you :) 

I especially love backpacking. 

Hitting the trail with everything you need to survive strapped to your back...  There's something about it.
Don't get me wrong!  It's physically and mentally exhausting. 
You get bruised, your knees hurt, your legs hurt, you might fall down,
and sometimes you may even question why on earth you're out climbing up a mountain at all?! 

But then there are those absolutely amazing moments when you come to a scenic vista,
revel at the beauty of nature all around you,
laugh until you cry with friends around the campfire,
or watch the sunrise over the valley below from the mountainside... 

I love it and I'll do it for as long as I can!

  I took along my point-and-shoot camera to document the trip a bit.
Pease forgive the quality of the photos....  I'm very weight conscious when on the trail!
...and the pro camera isn't exactly light.

This is how the terrain started...

But it quickly turned into this!  

But just when you're questioning yourself and beginning to consider the possibility of returning to the car...

 you come to a vista like this that gives you the will to go on!

Back to the trail...

Pennsylvania is one of the rockiest portions of the Appalachian Trail.
It's incredibly exhausting to balance a huge pack on your back and navigate the rocks.

We setup camp and got settled in, had great laughs, ate brats that were cooked on the campfire
 and enjoyed the evening together. 
Jackie bought a backpacking hammock made of parachute material.  Instead of using a tent this summer, she intends to hike portions of the AT with her hammock and a tarp.  Ultralight and ultra-ambitious, this girl!

I'll end this post with Bert... one of the coolest dogs.  He's so darned cute!!

Light Up the Night

Following my mom's birthday party we headed toward Jackie's old family farm. 

Our New Year's attempt at having a bonfire fell flat due to the rain - so we still had our huge pile of wood

just hangin out... waiting to be used! 

The fire burned for a solid 4 hours without us having to add any additional wood. 

It was a great night with friends, huddled around the fire.

SURPRISE Mom!!!

Happy 50th Birthday, Mom!!

So, a couple weeks back I posted this post as a sort of "decoy"... 

Don't get me wrong, it was a great day celebrating my Mom's 50th. 

But I had bigger plans around the corner!

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Really, she had no idea what was coming!! 

I love surprises.  Especially when it's my Mom.  And her smile is this big.  I know she's happy :)

She immediately went right to her parents.  She was thrilled they came!

This is the "oh-my-gosh-who-is-responsible-for-this" look she's gave my dad.  Lol.

I invited a bunch of her friends and family.  High school friends, friends she lost touch with, if I missed anyone who would have liked to go, I apologize!!!

This look makes me happy.  My father is happy because she's happy. 

Thirty years of marriage and my parents are so in love.

My uncle Rick is great.  Teaching Jackie a thing or two about his camera... or just showing off his shots ;)

All these smiles make me happy.  So I'm sharing :)

My brother and his girl Ashley.  Ash - GREAT outfit! 

(umm... did I mention she's a model?!)

The guy pointing out the window is Mike.  I call him my second brother because... well... he's around enough :)  Cool kid, he makes me laugh and keeps me on my toes! 

See what I mean?  He has that effect on people.

Oyster shots?! Umm... no thanks... I'll pass.

Grandma K. - my Dad's Mom - is amazing.  She and my Grandad raised 7 kiddos under one roof. 

This is what you call a strong and inspiring woman!

Rick and Linda came!  My parent's friends from when we all lived in Bowie.

Some of my Mom's old high school friends.  Tracked down with the help of Sharon!  (sooo many thanks!)

More of Ash and Mike

A couple photos of the banquet room at Middleton's Tavern in Downtown Annapolis.  The room was HUGE, the food was delicious and the service was amazing!  Highly recommended.  They made me one happy customer.

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For the past 6 months I have been working hard on my Mom's 50th Birthday gift.  It is a photo book of images from when she was an infant to present day.  It wasn't too difficult because every phase of her life has been photographed extensively.  First by her father, then her boyfriend/husband, now by me.  Photography is a passion that runs in the family!    

I poured my heart into this book.  100+ pages of my mother's life.  It was a labor of love, the end result was well worth it!  I used blurb.com to build the book.  You have complete control of the entire layout, decorations, colors... everything! 

She loved the book and I couldn't have been more pleased  :)

A choked up moment...

Then a happy moment... :)

She went around the room to show it off.

Check out these photos of my parents!  They were around my age now.

Like I said, my Uncle Rick rocks!

I think she really enjoyed having everyone around :)

This picture makes me smile. 
She has a look of "thank you" and "I can't believe you did this" on her face at once.

Dave showed up a little late but we'll forgive him ;)  My Mom was thrilled to see him!

Dad was able to catch up with his old buddy Tim.

The variety of heights here is funny to me. 

My Mom is about 5'9"... that gives you an idea about the other two!

Me and my Mom.  Photo skills courtesy of Reggie :)

I put my brother in charge of the cake.  He did a great job!  Love this cake he had custom made from Select Confections on West Street.  It was an Annapolis themed ice cream cake.  YUMMY! 

Cool little pier and light house.

I accidentally bought trick candles...  Honest, I had no idea! 

Success!!

She couldn't just sit and enjoy her cake.  She insisted on serving her guests :) 

Aunt Cathy and Uncle Larry checking out the book.  It was passed around to everyone there.  I left a few pages in the back for people to sign :)  My mom loved this!  She was going around "who hasn't signed my yearbook yet!"  Lol

There is always time for a little thumb wrestling!  Especially when these two are around.

My Mom and her parents.  Thank you Grandma and Grandpa for coming out to celebrate and for all the help with the photos!!!

Family!  Uncle Ken and Aunt Leslie - wish you could have made it down for the dinner!  See you soon!

Well, that's a large group!  Thank you everyone for coming to celebrate my Mom's 50th!  She loved every second of it and is still reeling with happiness.   

Soooooo.... I'm a little late posting because I made myself take a short vacation!  Man, it was nice :)  Working two jobs begins to take its toll, but I love every minute of it.

I have a bunch of other photos to share.  From the huge bonfire after my Mom's party... to a freezing cold backpacking trip up in Pennsylvania last weekend.  Stay tuned!

~H