abby

Get ready for some serious cuteness! Abby, her mom and I enjoyed a sunny day in Rhode Island (complete with Del's lemonade- yum!) We hung out by the water, then played at a playground that had a little wooden stage perfect for dancing on. Back at home, waffles were a great thing to use to eat some syrup. When it was time to relax before bedtime, Abby wanted to have a tea party with her buddies. Her monkey nightgown was the perfect outfit for the event!

I can't emphasize enough how beautiful and sparkling Abby's personality is. It is so fun to be around her. She may be two, but there is no trace of "terrible" about her...she is always smiling, singing, dancing, and is super friendly. Every dog we met was greeted with an enthusiastic "hi doggie!", repeated about ten times :)

a few more from brendan and audra's wedding

The wait is over...here they are!

brendan and audra's wedding

The weather was hot and so were the bride and groom! What a gorgeous couple! Brendan and Audra were married in New Bedford and had their reception at The Cultural Center in Fall River. As you will see, it was decked out with stunning details! Audra was the opposite of a bridezilla- such a sweetheart. She also took the time and consideration to pick out some beautiful spots to get pictures of her and her new husband, which made it extra fun for Alissa and me, and gave us the opportunity to get some awesome shots. Brendan was so patient and cheerful during the extended photo session even when he had to stand in the sun wearing a black tux! The pictures we got during that session (while the rest of the bridal party got to go ahead to the cocktail hour- such a nice bride and groom!) deserve their own blog post, which will be coming soon. Until then, here is a little sample of Brendan and Audra's wedding day:

kevin and liz- engagement session

These two were so easygoing, patient with all my posing ideas, and even added in a few of their own! Liz was a little unsure about getting into the rowboat, but trusted Kevin enough to climb in for a minute, and luckily no one ended up in the harbor :)
They have awesome chemistry and I can't wait for their wedding at Willowbend in July!

nate and diana- engagement session

Did we really get this lucky?! I mean, seriously, a RAINBOW during Nate and Diana's engagement session!! We were so excited to see it, and I'm not particularly superstitious but I can't help but think it's a good omen and an awesome blessing for their relationship, upcoming wedding, and their future together. These two are so comfortable with each other and great at making each other laugh. Nate and Diana- I'm looking forward to hanging out with you guys again soon!

happy father's day!!!

This is my dad on Francis Bay Beach during our recent family vacation to St. John. He is the most amazing person- he knows everything (I'm serious, he really does), has a great sense of humor, awesome taste in music, is incredibly generous, loving, compassionate, hardworking, fun to hang out with, and he can fix anything. He has always encouraged my sisters and I to be the best people we can be. The fact that he and my mom are such phenomenal parents are why my sisters and I are so happy, confident, and successful. The world would be a better place if every girl could have a dad like mine. Thank you Dad! I love you!

Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there, and a special shout out to father-to-be (very soon!) Kjeld from Kjeldm Photography!

kevin and allee: vow renewal ceremony

While we were in St. John, my cousin Kevin and his wife Allee had a gorgeous, romantic ceremony to renew their wedding vows. The wonderful Anne Marie Porter (stjohnweddings.com) performed the ceremony- she was my wedding officiant last year, so it was great to see her again. I was at Kevin and Allee's wedding ten years ago, and it was beautiful and fun, but I feel like it meant more this time around...simple, heartfelt, and so emotional. They had Francis Beach to themselves besides Anne Marie and I, and what spectacular surroundings!

loving life!

There's been so much going on lately, and I have a ton of stuff to blog...right now I'll back up a few weeks to when my husband and I celebrated our one year anniversary a little early and went back to St. John, USVI, for a week of swimming, snorkeling, kayaking, and enjoying delicious Caribbean food and cocktails. My parents, sisters, brother-in-law, cousin, and my cousin's wife all came along again because they had so much fun last year when they were there for our wedding. It was amazing to be back in St. John! We hit our favorite spots for dinner: Morgan's Mango, Rhumblines, Skinny Legs, and the Maho Campground. We love Miss Lucy's- had to go for both brunch and lunch. Our favorite beaches are Francis and Cinnamon Bay. The house we rented has an incredible view from the huge deck...we spent a lot of time there relaxing, reading, sipping rum punch, and taking silly snorkel gear and dancing pictures :) I will post that slideshow later, but for now, here are a few scenery shots.