The Walsh Family

It's that time of year again, folks.  Time for the annual Walsh family photo shoot.  My time with this family is always entertaining!  It always involves a lot of giggling.  This year was no exception.  As always a great time!!!  And a few more fave photos to add to my Walsh collection!

Amanda and Joe

Amanda and Joe

In all honesty, I've had this blog post open for about four hours.  Usually, I'm not at a loss for words.  Usually, it's hard to get me to shut up.  But today...  I am suffering from writer's block.  Ugh...  Maybe the headache I have is doing it.  Maybe it's the rainy weather.  Maybe it's the to do list that's bouncing around inside my head.  Whatever the reason, I'm struggling to write.  I'm struggling to write while I have fun engagement photos to share with you.  

So...  what's a photo chick/blogger to do?  Well...  In the immortal words of Nike...  Just do it.

*****

Last Saturday morning, the sun was shining.  The weather was warm.  I drove up to Delaware all by myself.  Instead of blasting the music, I let it be quiet.  It was a very peaceful start to my day.  I was headed to Delaware for Amanda and Joe's engagement session.  Since Amanda and Joe went to college at Ohio Wesleyan, it seemed the perfect place for their engagement photos.  Let's face it.  There's just something about a college campus in the fall.  Don't you agree?!  

First off...  How cute are they?!!  I know.  Right.  Adorable.  

I have to tease Joe a bit.  He kept sneaking peeks at the camera like he wondered if I was watching.  Um... Yup.  I was watching.  :)

 Love giggle pics!

 I love Amanda's eyes.  Apparently, so does Joe.  He said that's what he first noticed about her.

 A change of clothes and a change of location.   

We had to wrap it up so they could get to their cake tasting at The Suisse Shop.  Hmmm...  I think cake sounds kind of good right now.  At any rate, we had all kinds of fun and I'm so glad we got great weather.  Amanda drove from Wisconsin for this so she earned perfect weather, I think.  

Jacob

Jacob

Does anyone else struggle with age like I do?  In my head, it's not possible that 12 years of business has gone by.  It's not possible that little Jacob is now a high school senior.  (Did you all just imagine him groaning and rolling his eyes at me?  I did.  Tee hee)  But...  it happened.  Jacob is a high school senior and I'm so happy to see him again and do his pics!

He comes from the most wonderful family!!!  Two brothers and a sister as well as a very cool dad and his mom...  LOVE her!  So happy to see them both.  So...  We went to Goodale Park.  Even though the pond is a dry, ugly mess right now, the park still has plenty to offer.  I was so happy to see how relaxed Jacob was in front of the camera.  No worries about uncomfy photos from this guy.  

 In fact, he even embraced it and got a little silly for me.  You KNOW....  I love silly!

 Peek!!!

 This photo is my total fave of the day.  He looks so relaxed!!!

Enjoy your last year of high school, Jake!!!  I'm sure it will be very memorable!  Can't wait to see the whole family.

Aiming higher

The foyer....

So...  For the longest time, my foyer looked like this.

 Notice it?  That one frame?  Mocking me.  The unfinished project that I just never seemed to get to?  It was embarassing.  I joked with people that this was the frame waiting for their photo....  Not funny.

 Well.  After shaming myself every time I'd go past it, I FINALLY stepped up and actually did something about it.  Now the foyer has all new photos and all new mats and best of all....

All nine frames have photos in them.  It's about time!!!  Geeeesh!!!!  As ridiculous as it sounds, I am so proud of myself for this small accomplishment.  Now...  I'll go finish something else in this house.  :)

Carrie

Carrie

I adore my family.  You've heard it before, I know.  My cousins are also my best friends and I can't imagine life without them.  Jeri was my very first best friend.  She was 5 when I was born and from what I hear, we were best buds from the get go.

Go ahead and laugh at my hair...  and my cheesy grin...  But...  I was wearing a bikini and had stylish sunglasses (stuck in the chair).  Might not have squinted if I wore them...  Funny how despite the obvious sun...  no tan...  Some things never change.  

Fast forward a...  few... years and Jeri's daughter is graduating from high school.  SHUT UP!!!  How did that happen?  So...  I packed up my camera gear and headed to Toledo.  It was senior picture time.  

I planned to hang at Jeri's house while my mom hung at her parents.  It was like old times.  I got to cuddle with critters.  I don't think this kitters was too impressed with me.  :)

 Don't you love the familiar feeling that comes with family?  Even though I haven't stayed overnight there in a long time.  I remembered the noises, the way the house feels...  And as I looked around, I saw this...  I made it for Jeri in 1988...  She still has it and it touches my heart that she has saved it all these years.  :)

 So...  we hung out Friday night but Saturday morning we were off to work.  Toledo Botanical Gardens was our first stop.  LOTS of pretty things here!  I am probably biased but I think Carrie is beautiful!!!

 Her blue eyes are so "WOW" that they even look good in black and white.

I LOVE this one!!!!  I wonder if I can build a little window here at Casa Keidela....

 This pretty butterfly held still just long enough to get its photo taken.  Perfect!

 Would you like to make fun of this pose?  We did...

 I think this might be my favorite photo.  It's totally an expression I see Carrie make a lot.  I guess we laugh a lot in my family because this is how I think of her.  :)

 It's a framer!!!

 Another framer!

 and another....

 After all those exhausting photos, we went to my Aunt & Uncle's house (Carrie's grandparents).  My uncle was sitting on the porch step, cigar in hand...  How handsome is my Unk?!

It was a great visit!  LOTS of laughs.  As always...  time with my family was too short.  I'm totally blessed in the family department.  I'm very grateful for each and every one of them and so happy to have taken Carrie's photos.  Big hugs to all my fam!!!  Love you!!!