And Baby Makes Three

Hey there, Mama Llama here!

Things have been lively around here lately - seems like the ebb and flow of life has been moving a little closer to light speed than normal. It's been great, though, and I am so thankful for our life - as busy as it is sometimes!

Anyway, I thought I'd take a minute to share a few snaps from a maternity shoot we did last weekend. Danielle and Carlos were an absolute delight to work with, and their love was evident throughout the shoot.

As muggy and buggy as it was, this gorgeous couple was up for tromping in and around Dade City so that we could capture some moments of this special time... I am so excited for them as they wait and prepare for this precious new baby to make his or her entrance into the world.

They brought their vintage bicycles, their sweet dog, and lots of love. The sun played hide-and-seek for a bit, so we spent some time chasing it around, but overall, it was a great afternoon. I am so glad that we could be a part of this time, and can't wait to hear all about baby as they jump into this new season with both feet.

Until next time,

-Kristen...

A Day at the Aquarium

Happy Wednesday, friends!

So the little Llamas and I went to the Florida Aquarium for the first time recently with our local homeschool group. After a rough start to the morning and getting lost for embarrassingly awful amount of time, we finally made it. Yay for making it to our destination!

Once we were there, we hurried inside and got right to the best part: EXPLORING. First up, the section with scenes from Florida's diverse habitats... We loved the free-flying birds and up-close encounters with some of the large fish.

We also loved the stingray and nurse shark touch tanks! So cool. And "slimy." 

After the touch tanks, it was time to explore even beautiful and mysterious creatures... There was much enthusiasm from everyone - and I was drug from tank to tank with hardly a second to catch my breath. Not that I minded in the least.

After finishing up with the exhibits, the group headed outside to the splash pads, where the kids played, long and hard. There was was a tense and adventure-filled game of freeze tag, interspersed with lots of splashing in the fountains, of course. 

Yep, this last image just about sums up the day pretty well. Happy, bouncy, sunshiny kiddos all running through the fountains. 

So despite a rough start, we had a WONDERFUL day, full of fun and exploring the wonderful world of our ocean habitats. We left the aquarium tired and a bit sunburned, and just plain old happy.

Until next time,

-Kristen...

Everything's All Science-y...

Evening, friends.

It's Kristen again, this time reporting on a little adventure we Llama's had on Tuesday... In getting to know the area and meeting new friends, we have become a part of a lovely group of homeschoolers from the Temple Terrace area... Which isn't exactly "close," but that's okay. And besides, they're so fantastic that we can't stay away!

Anyway, on Tuesday, everyone from our little group ended up coming up to the Crystal Springs Nature Preserve, which is much closer to our neck of the woods than theirs. I'd never been - or really heard very much about the springs, other than Thomas telling me about how he used to swim there as a kid - so I wasn't quite sure what to expect... But we were really in for a treat!

The guides there are extremely knowledgeable, and led the kids in a cool science experiment and some games to learn about the hydrologic cycle, and despite it being a bajillion degrees out, we all had a wonderful time.

We started outside the learning center, and learned about the origins of the Crystal Springs Preserve, and then proceeded inside to learn a bit about the water cycle...

Once we were inside, it was all about the water... How much of it there is, why it's important, and what tests you can do to find out if an unknown liquid is water or not (without drinking it - an especially important distinction stressed to the littlest ones!). So, after a short discussion, it was time to get on to the experiments, putting little hands, minds - and even their noses - to work... 

Scientific discovery at its best! Gotta love it.

After everyone finished conducting their experiment (Pipettes! Petri dishes! Charts and observations!) and the kids figured out which of the three mystery liquid was actually water, it was time to go outside to see the beautiful spring, learn a little more, and play some games!

All in all, it was a great afternoon. 

I can't wait until our next adventure at Crystal Springs, and I know the girls are pretty excited about it, too.

Until next time,

-Kristen...

A Little Bit of Lately, Part Deux...

Shortly after our last shoot with sisters Madeleine and Melanie, we ended up on Florida's Treasure Coast for a few days - for work and play - which is always the best, isn't it?!?! And of course, while we were there, we got to have some fun with a beach session with Jessica. I LOVE beach sessions. The images that come from the beach always seem to be so rich.

Despite threatening rain, we managed to grab some beautiful snaps on the east coast beaches.

This young woman was an absolute natural in front of the camera, and it shows. Simply beautiful.  

After a little while, Miss Jessica's other half came out for a few shots. He wasn't too sure at first, but after just a few minutes he loosened up and said, "This is a lot more fun than I thought it would be!" I love to hear that from my clients! Besides providing quality imagery, it is our top priority that our clients have as much fun as we do on shoots.

Looking forward to seeing their relationship unfold and hopefully doing lots of future shoots with these two!

Until next time,

-Kristen...