Most of the last few days have been spent cleaning up Christmas and playing with my web sites Thedestinphotographer.com PerceptionsByMayer.com and my blog site CaptureDestin.com.  Being a Destin Photographer I am pretty much able to make my own schedule and get all the “stuff” done that needs attention on a daily basis, things like getting the kids out of bed and ready for school, dinner, laundry, Annie’s Piano, James weekly shot, groceries, playing with the doggies Blue and Lucy.  Even as the owner of my own business, there never seems to be enough time in the day to get everything done.  I do a fair amount of business in Destin and Panama City Beach with vacation rental photography but with the weather not being the greatest over the past month or so things have backed up a bit.  Over the past week I have been able to get back on track and I am feeling much better about where I am with the business.  Last year was my 5^th year and my best.  Thanks to all my current clients in the vacation rental industry and thanks to all my summer beach vacationers as well.  Hope to see some of you again this summer.

Family

Joe and I both believe that things happen for a reason.  Last week one of our dear friends lost his beloved wife.  Talk about putting tragedy in perspective.  Our friend’s wife, Misty was truly a testiment to being an “inspiration”.  Throughout her battle with colon cancer at the young age of 32, she was upbeat, postive and always such a warm and charitable soul.  In her last days, she was still inspiring all of us to make sure that we focus on what is most important and get past the “little things” that are not.  Obviously, none of us will ever understand why such a bright and glorious soul was taken from her family and friends at such a young age, but according to Misty – God had a plan and she wasn’t going to question it.  We’ve decided that we wont either.

Regardless of what is in front of us, Joe and I know that the most important thing is to get through it together.  That can be tough sometimes when life is so busy that you’re running in a million directions!  No one ever warns you how much work kids can be when they reach the “social years”.  I was always reassured that things got easier when they grew up – but whatever!  Now they have social engagements, birthday parties, tea parties, just because parties, karate every single day of the week, music lessons, recitals, concerts, plays – they grow out of shoes every other week and their pants are above their ankles within a month of purchase.  Easier?  Puhlease and I’ll gladly trade a bag of diapers a week for their “activity and social needs costs!”.  Not to mention feeding them – our son eats more than a pack of wolves!

Yet, what would life be like without our mini-me’s!  Joe is not the biological father of James (our son) but most people can’t even tell.  They have the same mannerisms, wear similar clothes, walk the same way, talk the same way and whistle just alike.  It is uncanny how similar they are – unfortunately, they even have the same taste in expensive cars.

I know it’s taking me a while to get there, but the point of this post is to reiterate that life is really all about family and friends.  It is so easy to forget about what really matters when life throws its punches, but I guarantee there is no bank account balance, no bill, no diploma or job that can replace a simple dinner with friends, family and laughter – and the satisfaction that ensues. 

No wonder so many people that flock to our gorgeous beaches contact us for Destin Beach Portraits – what’s better than capturing a moment in time where everyone is so happy and in such a beautiful place.  Joe is lucky to be a Destin Photographer, and I am so lucky that he is my wonderful husband and such an outstanding father.

Obviously, with all the construction and store in a total disarray, I quickly scanned the grocery list and cut it in half to ensure I’d be able to pick up the children on time.  Nothing was in the place that it was the last time that I was in the store – not one item.  Where the baskets were – there were now halmark cards, where the sausage and bacon use to live – there was beer and wine.  I started to laugh, then cut the list down to the bare minimums – milk and eggs.  As I was cutting back through produce trying to find milk – a very aggravated middle aged female was huffing and puffing and using a louder than normal voice saying “I just want a bag of onions.  Surely, there is a bag of onions in this place!  I mean – does Winn Dixie have nothing better to do than to move everything around so that you can’t find anything!?”.  Clearly beyond her point of no return, I pointed to the bag of onions on the other side of the aisle, smiled and watched her storm through the rest of the hazard zone.

In reality – my guess is that Winn-Dixie is giving the store a facelift truly and simply because … it was time.  I am sure that someone very experienced in the Grocery Store Satisfaction Index Association of Grocery People consulted with Winn Dixie and convinced them that putting the Ziplock bags next to the pickles would increase the likelihood of a shopper purchasing both the vinegar saturated cucumbers and the handy dandy plastic baggies.  Whatever – at the end of the day, there were a lot of people working, getting paid, making a living, and the store will look great when it is finished.  I am not sure what was going on in the frusted customer’s life, but I hope that she has a really good friend that she can vent to that will wait until she is finished complaining about the onions being moved and then calmly look at her and say, “Honey, it’s just onions”.

Its much prettier than the cabbage

It’s hard to believe that it is already August and I skipped an entire summer of blog posts. To be honest though – I’ve been writing them all along in my head and now I just have to take a few evenings to pour them out here on the world wide web. 

Busy would be an understatement to describe our Summer.  Joe has been incredibly blessed to have worked with some of the finest clientel any photographer could ask for!  The resort has been full steam ahead and in between work we have found a little time for play so that the kids don’t blink and summer is over.

This summer has been truly memorable.  Family visited for five weeks in a row and we survived, Michael Jackson died but I’m fairly sure we spotted him at Disney World, our dog is still lively but naps more than she used to and has gray in her muzzle, my son and I can wear the same shoes and he’s only nine, my daughter looks like Daryl Hannah and we’re terrified, our hearts were broken over losing a house three days before closing, we mended our wounds with brand new vehicles and have no room left in our driveway, and had the most beautiful sunflowers in our front garden that replaced the cabbbage.

In retrospect, it is probably one of the best summer’s I’ve ever had – nothing terrible to report, lots of laughter with the family (just imagine 11 Italians in less than 1300 square feet for over a week….), I didn’t gain any weight even though all anyone wanted to do was eat or cook during the visits and I passed my milestone – I have not been sick for two years! 

So as I delve into these next few posts  – everyone please accept my sincerest apologies for the delay on reporting our most intimate and hilarious moments these past few months.  =)

The Cabbage

I recently finished reading the book, Tuesdays with Morrie.  I highly recommend anyone contemplating their purpose in life and has the tendency to be a workaholic or is often described as driven, or career focused – should read the book.  It’s a memoir about a man that was obviously a gift to our society and his last moments on earth.  He spent his last days teaching about how the purpose of life seems so obvious when you’re dying.

Joe and I have been really trying to focus on the things that matter, even if it means giving up some of our income and “drive”.  He’s officially going to back off of his photography except for beach photography, real estate and commercial so that he can have more quality time with the kids.  We haven’t quite defined my sacrifices yet (well we have but I’m not revealing them in this blog – yet!).  

With two slightly OCD perfectionists for parents, the children have really had little room to color outside the lines.  We decided to lighten up a bit and let the kids make a few messes without getting aggravated.  Never in my wildest dreams would I have ever imagined that Joe would take this new focus so literally that we have a cabbage growing in our front yard.  Seriously – the next time we want some coleslaw – it’s only a few steps away.  There is an entire backyard with plenty of room for a garden, but since James wanted it out front – Joe was all about it.

There are a few concerns – first, I didn’t know it until the cabbage was so large it could probably be entered in some sort of small town 4H contest – or is that just for animals?  I grew up in Houston – give me a break, I’m not trying to offend anyone but we didn’t do anything with livestock except for eat it.  The second concern is that you have no idea how bad it bothers me that we have a cabbage in our front yard.  

I read the book, The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch last year and loved it.  One of the most memorable passages is when Randy describes how his parents allowed him to paint all kinds of things that were important to him all over the walls of his bedroom and they never painted over it.  It gave him the strength to “color outside the lines” for the rest of his life.  Randy painted a rocket ship, and an elevator on his walls.  At the time I read the words I thought that his parents must have really been understanding and patient.  Although inspiring – I never fathomed it would mean that I would have to live with a cabbage in the middle of our yard for the rest of our life!  

The things we do for those we love!