the busiest of busy

this whole year has been kinda flying by, the busiest of busy weeks was back in may. my little brother was graduating from community college back home and i was planning a little thing at the park for him. so sunday we had friends over for dinner. then i had to work monday & tuesday, and we went to our tuesday night group that evening. early wednesday morning i woke up for the eight hour drive to my alum and watch k. walk the stage. the following day we celebrated at a local park on the beach with our closest of friends -- the people we call family. the ones that know all of your secrets, all of your jokes; the ones you feel at ease with. we grilled out, threw the frisbee around, and enjoyed the display a pod of dolphins decided to entertain us with -- their nightly feeding along the shore, they even brought their babes! if you are keeping track, it's already friday and back to south carolina i went. because i had a date with my husband and some of our friends at our local art museum for their arts & draughts night. i came home, exhausted, but marched on! the next day was a little shower for our friend j. (she'll be delivering in the next few weeks!) i helped her sis-in-law do some set up, made some good eats, and brought some crafts. it was so much fun and i should have taken more photos. over the past few years i've been trying to decide when to walk away from the camera and enjoy the moment. sometimes i regret it afterward (example: the dolphin feeding showcase). it's a fine line, and one day i'll figure out how to walk on it well. that afternoon i took a short nap and started a three night stretch of working night shift, which was strange because it had been over a year since working nights. and, that, my friends, is the busiest of busy. and it was all worth it. enjoy!

- - - - - - - - - - - -

- - - - - - - - - - - -

apparently, a family favorite (:


j., you should feel honored -- i caved, signed up for pinterest whilst planning this shindig, and found this little gem!

Photos: Red Flowering Tree

These gorgeous ladies are blooming like crazy in our backyard, and I saw them all about Savannah this weekend. Does anyone know their name? I'd love to formally introduce myself.

Edit: Camellia! My Camellias. They look so different than our other Camellia tree that I didn't realize it was the same bloom. Camellia, you make me happy. (:

Photos: Maternity Portraits

Today we woke up at the break of dawn, pulled our coats on, and headed out to Sesquicentennial State Park to take some photos of our good friends, J. and J. They are expecting their new babe in just a few short weeks! We first met J. and J. years ago in our Engaged Couples class at church. Since then, we have gone camping several times, and we also meet weekly with them for our Tuesday Night Group. It's fun seeing close friends prepare for family growth, and it was even more fun taking these photographs! Thanks you guys for bearing the chilly air with us. We love you guys.