Giving Thanks with the Young South Amyses

I hope you're ready for the most photos I've ever shared in a blog post before. There's just too much to share from the first time all the Youngs have been together since Dirk and I got married. These photos are all really raw, straight out of camera. Who has time for photo editing these days, anyway?

Mama, Daddy, Dirk, the dogs, and I rented a cabin not too far from the Amyses. It had an amazing view:


Daddy came up with four rules for the Golden Girls: no nudging, no barking, no whining, no begging. Basically, no being a dog.


We watched Peter Pan at least twice a day during our visit:


It's a big joke in our family that Mama always asks whoever is traveling from Birmingham to bring her Savages cookies. And so we carry that durn box across the country and she'll eat one bite out of one cookie and then they'll sit there and get stale until someone throws them away. This year I said a big "NO!" to bringing her Savages, but then Will begged me, so I caved. At least someone enjoyed their cookie that traveled across the Southeast:


Luke likes to nurse shoulders:




The guys tossed footballs in the cul de sac while Brooke worked her magic in the kitchen:








Taylor LOVES her Uncle Dirkee:




There was a game on every single day, so there was a lot of football watching going on:




Taylor and I opted to play princesses:


The spread:


On Friday, Mama and I decided to get out in the woods for a little bit, it was therapeutic:


The dogs loved lounging on the cabin deck:


I enjoyed wandering around, taking photos:


On Saturday we hit downtown Asheville, to spend some time stimulating the economy:






Then the guys took the kids and Mama, Brooke, and I got to go to a fancy lunch, just the girls. You should have seen the look on poor Taylor's face when we told her she was going with the boys. "But I'M a girl!"




We did some shopping. Believe it or not, we couldn't convince her to buy these pants (?)


No trip to Asheville would be complete without a visit to Woolworth Walk. The only place other than Ida Grove's Albrechts Pharmacy that I've ever been able to find Phosphates on the drink menu:


I wish I could afford to have a display of these amazing tiles in my home:




I love Asheville for reasons like this:

Will and Devon's flight left from Birmingham, so after a very cramped car ride to Alabama, we were able to freshen up before heading to Granddaddy's and introducing her to the Blackwell side of the family.

Blair & Sarah were in charge of the brownies. This is a hot mess right here:


The first thing Granddaddy said to Devon was, "What's a lovely young lady like yourself doing with my grandson?!"


Granddaddy with his grandsons:

A memorable holiday, for sure :)

Happy Birthday, America

You may get more later, but, just in order to post something in honor of our great country 'tis of thee in a somewhat timely fashion, here are a few snaps from last night's two-person cul de sac fireworks extravaganza:

Sipsey Wilderness Weekend

Okay, so two weeks now of no Way Back Wednesday, but as it turns out, it's been taking me at least two days after the weekend to get my act together to share our weekend adventures and goings-on. Here is a slideshow I compiled with photos and video taken during our weekend in the Sipsey Wilderness:

We made it back to Birmingham on Sunday in time to drop our packs, shower, perform tick checks (one for me, zero for Dirk), and head to Granddaddy's for Easter lunch, thanks to Uncle Mike and Aunt Jane Hodges. It was spectacular, as always.







Now I'm just mentally and physically preparing myself to photograph a wedding on Friday in Georgia. I am secretly very excited, but also nervous, which I know is normal. I mean, it's a lot of pressure, and I am pretty confident that I will kick hiney at it, but there's always some nerves involved. Wish me luck!

Double Ugh

Is it possible to have TOO many creative outlets?! I mean, one is great, but what about a blog, a flickr, a freelance photography fan page, jewelry, photo editing, etc.? Becoming overwhelmed by work, I can see, but becoming overwhelmed by all the fun things I have to do when I leave work?! Ridiculous. So I'm sorry my blog is suffering. I apologize for not having time to find anything witty or meaningful to write (not that anything I've ever written has been witty or meaningful.)

I am still in love with my new camera. Every photo I take seems like the best photo I've ever taken. Our Theme last week was "Straight Out of Camera" so the photos I'm going to share are exactly that.


Spending Thanksgiving in North Carolina was just what we needed. Dirk and I haven't gotten to spend that much uninterrupted time together since the beginning of August, so it was so wonderfully relaxing to spend three whole days with no agenda. And in such a gorgeous setting.


Taylor (aka Brooke) made everyone these super fun turkey hats to wear on Thanksgiving. It made for a great family photo.
I love this photo of Granddaddy watching his son-in-law and grandsons-in-law clean the kitchen after our feast. We called him the Vice President of clean-up.


Here is my 90-year-old Granddaddy proving a point using his ipad. And guess who's getting one for Christmas! ME! I am so excited to have a new toy, and have already started a list of all of the fun apps and games I'm going to download when it's mine! It's been killing me that Granddaddy, and even my Mama, have ipads and I don't! I'm used to being the one with the fun toys who then takes all the phone calls and explains how to use said toys to the rest of my family. I feel like Phil Dunphy on his birthday when all he really wanted was an ipad :)



Taylor's new thing is to tell you that she "needs something in my mouth" instead of just telling you that she's hungry or wants a snack. She's smart, that one. She's at a great age, and is so much fun to be around. Except when she hears the word, "No," so Dirk and I just tiptoed around that subject.



We spent a chilly afternoon wandering around downtown Asheville, Christmas shopping, taking pictures, whatever.


While we were downtown, Taylor got this "ugly action figure" instead of a $40 Princess Book. At the bowling alley, while Taylor bowled three whole games, the grown-ups (minus our Designated Pregnant Driver), drank a pitcher of beer and bowled ONE game.



I keep holding out hope that once the holidays are over and people aren't banging my door down for Christmas Card portrait sessions, I will have some time to breathe. And when that time comes, I'll probably end up missing the extra income those sessions bring and seeking out new shoots for new clients. Thus is my life. I wouldn't have it any other way.