Another Generation at the Washington Park Pool

BOTH kids can swim now!!!! We were presented with an opportunity for private lessons for just the 2 of them for 2 weeks this summer and it was AMAZING! Miss Austin was a PRO. She had Bryce's number from the get go & he was thrilled to be able to show off his skills for her. ;) We couldn't be happier. It was a beautiful start to our california mornings-the kids lessons were at 8am, so they literally woke up, crawled out of bed & put on their suits. Mike and I would sit undercover on the bleachers, about 70 degrees out, no wind, just watching the kids splashing away in the pool....PURE HEAVEN. Emma's goal is to get to do the Junior Beach Lifeguard program in Encinitas next summer, so she is working on her swimming skills like crazy right now :) We shall see....

Family Pictures 2013

This year I had to take our family pictures. Yep-you heard right. I had to be on BOTH sides of the camera, and it was RIDICULOUSLY hard, but we just can't afford anything else at the moment so.....I set up the camera with different shutter speeds, etc. posed the family, shoved the camera at my mom and told her to NOT MOVE from said spot or lighting would be completely off, run & put myself in the shot, have mom snap a few, leave everyone there and run to the camera to check all of the above-including kids faces, hands, etc. Then tried it again if necessary. EVERY. SINGLE. POSE. at EVERY. DIFFERENT. LOCATION. Gah! Thank goodness my mom was ok with me bossing my leadership qualities ;) that evening! We were losing light, as the sun was going down (it is best to shoot at dusk on the beach because the sand is too reflective during the day, etc.), the kids weren't in the mood because they just wanted to PLAY on their beloved beach....Blah, blah, blah. But we did it-I'm good with how they turned out & best of all-they were FREE!!!!