I'm up....I'm up!

It felt so good to sleep in my own bed last night! As much as I love my darling husband, I do not like to sleep so close! I've grown very accustomed to our king sized sleep number bed and sharing a double for a week was hard for both of us.

This morning Makenna was the first one up, dressed and out the door for school. We gave the kids the option of going to school or resting this morning and the boys chose the latter. Kenna mentioned a few times this week how much she missed school......so she was anxiously waiting for that bus at 7:30! I printed her the photos I put on the blog last night and sent her on her merry way.

So you thought the pre-Disney trip posts were nauseating, well....be prepared....I took HUNDREDS of photos and I plan to share some of my favorites over the next few weeks. Marleigh was so anxious to meet Donald Duck.....look at the love in her eyes! This was at a safari breakfast at Animal Kingdom.

Here are more photos from the show at the castle.....love my zoom lens. I was cursing the size of the camera while there but I am SO glad to have these treasures today! Isn't it funny how you return from a trip like that and it sorta seems like it was all a dream. I talked to a woman yesterday who lost her camera five days into her trip (on that safari ride where the bus bumps you up and down on your tailbone) and I cannot even imagine the loss she will feel when she returns home without any photos at all!!!!

Marleigh decided that she loves Cinderella but Sleeping Beauty was a rare and beautiful sight too with all that long blonde hair!

I still love Mickey and Minnie most of all!!!!

This was the first time Marleigh really got a good look at Captain Hook and called him "that hook guy" after the performance. She was on a mission to have another look at him so when the parade came around later that day and he was right in front of us, she was so cute pointing him out to Jean.

We stayed at the Pop Century resort. They have three pools there and have a lifeguard on duty at each one most of the day. They were lifeguards that took their jobs seriously.....actually patrolling the pools. While waiting for the laundry (yep, I did laundry there) Makenna had to report to one of them that a little girl had pooped in the pool and she could see it. He took her serious, assessed the situation, determined that yep....possible poo in the pool....called for backup and in no time, along came two other lifeguards to confirm. They shut the pool down and the process of cleaning began....Mom and I were completely amused watching the system work while we waited for the clothes to dry. (it's the little odd things that make up the memories of a trip like this).

Well, I am going to go back to sifting through email's, orders and the pile of mail my in-laws were kind enough to pick up for us a few times while we were away. I can't believe how much mail we get! I had just over 100 emails to go through and only about 20 of them were junk that got immediately deleted.

Enjoy the day!!
~kel~

One more post for Weds 10/22

Well, I don't know if this is where it all begins for everyone but for me.....this trip meant getting my girls....because they still live in a wonderland of make-believe.....to see the princesses from the stories they've read and seen on TV. I wanted so much to see their faces when we arrived at the Magic Kingdom and saw that big beautiful castle for the first time. The first view wasn't as overwhelming as the crowd they had to conquer to see it for the first time. I do have photos of us that first time....but since these were on my camera from yesterday, I wanted to start here.

A traditional photo, yep.......but this copy is for MY scrapbook!

When you are the big sister, you guide your baby sister through the streets to get to that big mansion in hopes you MIGHT get to see a princess on this visit.

And when those sidewalks clear (which is rare) for a few seconds, you dance and twirl with delight in the dresses you wore just for this special occasion.....arms are covered with your brand new, full length white gloves and sparkely purse, the perfect shade of blue to match your gown while your best pal in pink is waving her magical wand....all gifts from your grandmother....just for this moment.

This visit was much more relaxed. We took our time entering....the boys went to the rides they wanted to go on and mom and I hung back at the park entrance with the girls to see Snow White greet her fans. The girls were so cute with each princess they met.....their reactions were exactly what I hoped for.

We happened upon the show at the castle and got to see all the princesses at one time....Marleigh was awestruck!

It was a fabulous trip!!!

I'm off to bed - still feeling like I'm in a plane and dying to sleep in my own bed!

Thanks everyone who has commented here or sent me emails they've missed me! Its a warm feeling and makes homecoming that much better!

Until tomorrow!!!

~kel~

Tap Tap Tap....is this thing working??????

Hey!!!!! I think it is!!!! We're waiting for our plane in FL and my connection to the net is weak.....that's pretty much been my story all week! Pc couldn't connect me to the net at the hotel. I missed my blog!!!!!

What a great vacation we've had!! I have photos and memories to share - if I can remember them all! I was BAD - I did not document it all like I'd intended and I hope to jot a few things down on the plane home before its all a complete wash.

Marleigh saw the princesses and Makenna got a strand of her hair wrapped. The boys were too chicken for mowhawks when we got to the barber shop and the girls got free fairy dust instead! My mom has been lovely all week - she's so helpful and tolerant of our not so perfect moments. We really wished we'd worn pedometers to see how much walking we did!

Jean and I celebrated our 14th wedding anniversary yesterday - we will get that date night in when we return home again. Branden's birthday was fun too....a celebration with family will also happen when we return home.

Home.....I'm so ready to be there!!!!! I realized on this trip that as much as I complain that I don't get the time I wish to hold my littlest babe....I really do because this week she didn't get as much lovin as usual and it was very noticeable. I'm sure sleep deprivation was part of it but we were both missing our cuddle time. I'm looking forward to my routine again.

I had a wicked cough Monday and now officially have laryngitis....kids and Jean think its great! I will share photos when I return later tonight - due in around 7 PM.

Until later!
kel

Vacation: Day 1

I'm officially on vacation for a week so the next eight days on this blog will be all about my family and me! I've never had an entire week of vacation (away from home) with my children. We've taken long weekends and long trips but the longest we've been gone is four days. The transcription business kept me close to home.

I have a million things to do before we catch our plane but wanted to make a quick post. I'm sharing a photo of my tribe...they are very deserving and already appreciative of this trip. They have worked hard to save their own spending money and I hope this is unforgetable for them. I know....it's just Disney......and everyone goes there.....but its my turn and from when the kids were really small, I dreamed of doing something so fun with them. We don't have huge pocketbooks so for us its a pretty big deal!

My plan is to blog from there when and if time permits. Marleigh will require down-time and I plan to use some of it to document our days.

Thanks to all who read this - Your eyes inspire me to write daily and I truly treasure going back through the days of this past year.

We're off!

Enjoy~

~kel~

Rewind a bit....

I promised I'd come back to Stephanie again and here we are. I hate how blogger makes my photos funky colors and a bit distorted but you get the idea. My kids love Stephanie! A few summers ago she helped me out watching them while I tried to keep up on work. The boys think Steph makes the "best" grilled cheese sandwiches and Makenna is all about having an older girl to entertain her! Marleigh was about a year old then and Steph was so good with her too! We're gonna send some these off to the talent agent and see if we can get Stephanie back to modeling again.

Jeff......he didn't wanna be there having his photos done....I hope Peg reports to me that he didn't have "that" bad of a time! I wanna take a minute to send Peg a thank you for the really nice note she sent me! I love the feedback and the nice notes I get are such a bonus. I'm totally chasing a dream here and when I get that positive reinforcement, it just makes me feel so secure in my decision to go this route.....the decision was not easy!

Peg, I adore this photo of you guy - you should get this one for your bedroom wall.....for sure!!!!

Here's the man......Carlos......he's so cute when I show up! He calls me Kel....it warms my heart!!!!

Next entry today is Jordan. He showed up to his session dressed in brown (love brown in the fall) and had a guitar in his hand.....he must have done his research....knows my style!!! :) Kathy, thanks for calling on me - I'm happy to help with these last minute seniors and they seem to do well under pressure!!!!

Thanks for the laughs Jordan - best of luck with your senior year and those that follow!

I'm off.......

~kel~

My boy, his friend & family

I had plans to photograph Branden's best friend's family so I decided it would be okay to take him along. We left early and stopped in the field near our home....the sun was milky and perfect. He looks so much like Jean in these it makes my heart stop. I don't usually see it in everday life....just when I look at him through the camera....the similarities amaze me. He has my green eyes but that's all he has of mine. He's such a great kid.....I'm so lucky to be his mom. He is thoughtful and sincere. This weekend he fell while riding his bike and scraped his hand pretty bad. I had to wash the cut and actually use tweezers to remove some dirt that imbedded in it - he was so tough - he cried softly so as not to move as I did my best to clean him up. When I was done wrapping him up, he hugged me and thanked me for taking care of him......that's my boy....any girl who gets him will be as lucky as me!

He really wanted photos with his guitar.....though not my favorite pose....its him.
Here he is with his best friend Sean. They have a nice friendship....since they were in Kindergarten together.

I stopped Sean's family at the field to take a few photos in the tall grass. I thought it would be fun and I got a few neat ones of them all lined up on a log - I will show that one another time. With a family that is mostly teens, I think a photo with them all in their own space is appropriate...its where they are at in their lives right now.....all discovering who they are.

The beach grass was a beautiful backdrop for this family shot. I did individuals of all the kids too....all so good looking!!! Jenny, hang on to your baby.....I sooo know that feeling!
Here they are - a fun one!!! Jen, thanks for choosing me as your photographer!!

A lonely flower from the field drying up in the fall air. I love this photo....I think I'll get a big one for my bedroom wall!

Today I am wrapping up the seniors who have deadlines while I'm away.....I did mention I'm going away, right?

Enjoy the day!

~kel~

Hey Mainers...are we lucky or what?

The weather the last few days has been AMAZING. I've gotten some great shoots in and people are still able to go outside for photos without getting red noses!! Its definitely living in Maine when you can get two shoots like this within just a few hours of each other....one extreme to the next!

This is Erin & Doug.....a beautiful couple with a handsome son who, for now, loves to see me! He always greets me with a great smile and seems excited to have my company. He's officially "1" now so that means the days when he runs from me are coming! Yesterday he thought I was fun at the start but then the beach became more interesting - I guess I gotta work on some new attention grabbing noises cause the beach is stiff competition!

Erin, this photo is AMAZING full screen! You might want this one for the wall....BIG! The log he is leaning on was beautiful!!
This is true Kelly Roy photography - a moment when it looks like I'm not even there! It deserved a chocolate conversion.

This photo makes me giggle! I saw the two of them coming my way and I'm bummed I didn't get the baby with his head up but I still think this is the cutest....brothers!


After the beach I scooted inland for this shoot with my friends Peg & Jeff. Their son Carlos is a hoot - he's almost four and still likes to see me!! (guess I'm not that scary). Peg's daughter Stephanie and I spent some time together after the family part of the shoot was done and I've decided I will show a few from our time together after dark....but because I've already posted so many photos today, I'm going to highlight her a bit later on the blog. Sorry Steph, I know you're anxiously waiting to see them!

Loved this one......Peg & Steph are close and I think it shows here! As much as I try to hang on to every moment with my children, this photo helps me to look forward to the teen/young adult years with them - I hope for a daughter as lovely as this one and a relationship with her that stands the test of time as well as this one has!

Oh poo.....I see blogger is making my photos look strange today. I did take these well after dark, just pushed my camera to its limits and though they aren't bright and sunny, I really like the look of them. The moon in the last one was such a treat!

So that's it for now....I'll be back though...lots to squeeze in before Wednesday! Oh.....what's Wednesday you ask?? Oh....that's when I'm taking my four little darlings to meet Mickey & Minnie.....did I not mention that earlier? Hmmmm forgive me! :)~

Enjoy!

~kel~