My parents’ farm was spared any damage in the crazy tornadoes that tore through Birmingham yesterday.  Very thankful that my favorite oak trees and the crazy horses and barn cats are still there!

I’m feeling guilty for being so happy about an old tree when so many people lost their lives.  Sad days for sure.

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Did anyone else loose their minds after that second snow storm in April? After spending a whole year in Alabama, I was not prepared for the long Alaska winters as I had been in previous years. I caved in around mid-April and we high tailed it out of here for some place warmer!

I told my dad not to whack down the yellow flowers (photo opportunity) in the pasture because we were on our way! Remarkably enough, they had not yet bloomed but were in full force two weeks later when we arrived. Once again, the boys had to suffer though several rounds of “photos in the weeds” before we were allowed to return home to AK. We enjoyed 80 degree weather, playing at the fountian in the zoo, finding four orange kittens in the barn, coming across a full deer skeleton, and many, many visits with their best friend from Alabama. They also learned the joy of four-wheeling their gator through the giant mud puddles after a storm!

Now that we are relaxed, refreshed and thawed out, we are ready to kick off summer in Anchorage.

It’s time! Our year down south is fast drawing to a close. We have one more week with my family and then the boys and I hop a plane for Idaho. We get to spend at least two weeks with Dave’s family and “the cousins” before striking out on our camping adventure up the Alcan (Alaska-Canadian Highway) back to Anchorage. We are going to be towing a pop-up camper and plan to spend a little over a week on the drive. Can’t wait!

Hank, the psycho barn kitten, will be joining us. I’m not too sure how well that will go over with all the campground dogs! It should make for some interesting evenings!

Anyway, all this travel means I may be more difficult to reach for the next month. I will still have my cellular phone and if you need to speak with me immediately that will be your best bet. If you can wait a day or two for an answer, feel free to send me an email. I will be checking it; I’m just not sure how often.

Here’s one more quick post before the movers come to pack away my computer. Again, another lovely southern wedding from last summer shot with Mark of Mark Lawley & Associates. Mark actually had the most beautiful bridal portrait gorgeously framed and displayed at the reception. It was a very traditional portrait in her family’s ornate garden. The piece was quite stunning! But then to mix things up she also did a “fearless bridal” style session out on a worksite with construction equipment and great industrial elements. Quite the dichotomy! She definately had the best of both worlds!

Here are a few favorite shots that I captured from her wedding.