it's {embrace} the camera day!
![](http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm99/emilymaeanderson/Embrace_the_camera-2.jpg)
![](http://lh3.ggpht.com/_TEajznl6Lw4/TBqTqPZshXI/AAAAAAAAAl0/p-sXvATaiS0/s800/009.JPG)
![](http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm99/emilymaeanderson/Embrace_the_camera-2.jpg)
and this is what happens when i ask B to take our photo.
he must have just heard me ask if he could take L's photo.
oh well... he sure is cute (and yes, i'm talking about B).
and this is how sweet L looks at his daddy.
![](http://lh4.ggpht.com/_TEajznl6Lw4/TBqTrQJ8bVI/AAAAAAAAAl4/PWFDlzAx5CQ/s800/014.JPG)
as you notice, i am wearing a most fashionable
colored-pasta-on-a-string necklace, compliments of D.
![](http://lh6.ggpht.com/_TEajznl6Lw4/TBqTos-hAyI/AAAAAAAAAlw/5a2g0WAJ4dM/s800/017.JPG)
and this is to show you how close L likes to be to me.
we are touching.
and yes, all of his toys and a lovely blanket are ready and waiting for him.
i tried to get L's hearing checked yesterday with no avail.
he wouldn't let the sweet nurse put anything in his ear.
today, i headed there for our second attempt in which the nurse
came down to our car to do the test on a sleeping L.
(side note: we think he hears perfectly but some of his docs
want to verify that there isn't any sort of slight hearing issue
to combat any speech issues that he could experience down the road)
well, of course L woke up just as the nurse got to our car.
so while i was outside of the car with him, trying my best to distract him
through the test, D figured out how to unbuckle his carseat
which means that he figured out how to unbuckle K's carseat, too!
and then they found my stash of gummy bears!
i do not like that, sam i am.
after that, we headed off to the beach.
and by "we" i mean, D, K, L and me.
not one other soul came with us.
i sort of did it just to prove to myself that
a.) we could do something like that
and
b.) that we could maybe even possibly have fun
and you know what?
we had an absolute blast.
at just about any moment it could have all fallen apart.
but it didn't.
and get this... when we left, nobody was crying.
not even me.
![](http://lh3.ggpht.com/_TEajznl6Lw4/TBqSwDGI_pI/AAAAAAAAAlk/mpfAWR51MLc/s800/157.JPG)
and you can't really tell in this photo, but i am wearing my US Open visor.
bonus points.
![](http://lh4.ggpht.com/_TEajznl6Lw4/TBqSxMaxafI/AAAAAAAAAlo/Lsy0SbqpoFc/s800/173.JPG)
don't you just love the tote bag view in this shot?
![](http://lh4.ggpht.com/_TEajznl6Lw4/TBqbio8bBaI/AAAAAAAAAnE/I1qo1XvgBa0/s800/193.JPG)
we had so much fun that we decided to all take naps on the beach.
![](http://lh6.ggpht.com/_TEajznl6Lw4/TBqbfZiOlUI/AAAAAAAAAm8/YbT-6jESR9A/s800/191.JPG)
hah. i wish.
![](http://lh6.ggpht.com/_TEajznl6Lw4/TBqbg-f8-jI/AAAAAAAAAnA/-rgeGz65lUc/s800/204.JPG)
the kids dug a couple of holes and made some new friends.
![](http://lh6.ggpht.com/_TEajznl6Lw4/TBqbb0ikJeI/AAAAAAAAAmw/z1OLguKOPWw/s800/128.JPG)
D was just about as happy as a clam.
![](http://lh3.ggpht.com/_TEajznl6Lw4/TBqbaGHoWGI/AAAAAAAAAmo/SSCAQ757_9I/s800/118.JPG)
maybe even this one.
![](http://lh5.ggpht.com/_TEajznl6Lw4/TBqbbGLOH3I/AAAAAAAAAms/uqmzY9qjL3U/s800/116.JPG)
i have never seen so many clams on the shore before.
every little white spot in this shot was an itty-bitty clam.
![](http://lh6.ggpht.com/_TEajznl6Lw4/TBqbW-CksJI/AAAAAAAAAmk/PwkFOlaOVv4/s800/108.JPG)
lucky for me, my more adventurous child, K, was deathly afraid of the waves.
phew.
![](http://lh3.ggpht.com/_TEajznl6Lw4/TBqbVYxvmTI/AAAAAAAAAmg/4Ex43-KQzxY/s800/106.JPG)
D, on the other hand, was fearless.
![](http://lh6.ggpht.com/_TEajznl6Lw4/TBqbUQ52JTI/AAAAAAAAAmc/6WrQ79_g-n4/s800/093.JPG)
we enjoyed the sunshine, we had fun, we learned things.
i for one, learned that there was something on the lens i took with me!
good.
to.
know.
![](http://lh6.ggpht.com/_TEajznl6Lw4/TBqbTY7GO4I/AAAAAAAAAmY/0k2A0_hLYPY/s800/087.JPG)
there's something that happens to me when i take photos.
something incredible.
something quite lovely.
![](http://lh3.ggpht.com/_TEajznl6Lw4/TBqh92rBf2I/AAAAAAAAAnY/rDPNUQodlgs/s800/Untitled-1.jpg)
instead of just buzzing through moments, not really being exactly in them,
i am forced to stop and enjoy and love what i see.
it's great.
it's really, really great.
The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it;
for he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the waters.
Psalm 24:1-2
p.s. do you think it would be emasculating for me to teach D to
always sit while going to the bathroom? i'm just saying....
91. being able to hang onto that baby stage a bit longer
92. the fact that i was the only one who got sunburned
93. being able to share my faith with a stranger at the beach
94. sand, sand, everywhere
95. surprise dessert treats
he must have just heard me ask if he could take L's photo.
oh well... he sure is cute (and yes, i'm talking about B).
and this is how sweet L looks at his daddy.
as you notice, i am wearing a most fashionable
colored-pasta-on-a-string necklace, compliments of D.
and this is to show you how close L likes to be to me.
we are touching.
and yes, all of his toys and a lovely blanket are ready and waiting for him.
i tried to get L's hearing checked yesterday with no avail.
he wouldn't let the sweet nurse put anything in his ear.
today, i headed there for our second attempt in which the nurse
came down to our car to do the test on a sleeping L.
(side note: we think he hears perfectly but some of his docs
want to verify that there isn't any sort of slight hearing issue
to combat any speech issues that he could experience down the road)
well, of course L woke up just as the nurse got to our car.
so while i was outside of the car with him, trying my best to distract him
through the test, D figured out how to unbuckle his carseat
which means that he figured out how to unbuckle K's carseat, too!
and then they found my stash of gummy bears!
i do not like that, sam i am.
after that, we headed off to the beach.
and by "we" i mean, D, K, L and me.
not one other soul came with us.
i sort of did it just to prove to myself that
a.) we could do something like that
and
b.) that we could maybe even possibly have fun
and you know what?
we had an absolute blast.
at just about any moment it could have all fallen apart.
but it didn't.
and get this... when we left, nobody was crying.
not even me.
and you can't really tell in this photo, but i am wearing my US Open visor.
bonus points.
don't you just love the tote bag view in this shot?
we had so much fun that we decided to all take naps on the beach.
hah. i wish.
the kids dug a couple of holes and made some new friends.
D was just about as happy as a clam.
maybe even this one.
i have never seen so many clams on the shore before.
every little white spot in this shot was an itty-bitty clam.
lucky for me, my more adventurous child, K, was deathly afraid of the waves.
phew.
D, on the other hand, was fearless.
we enjoyed the sunshine, we had fun, we learned things.
i for one, learned that there was something on the lens i took with me!
good.
to.
know.
there's something that happens to me when i take photos.
something incredible.
something quite lovely.
![](http://lh3.ggpht.com/_TEajznl6Lw4/TBqh92rBf2I/AAAAAAAAAnY/rDPNUQodlgs/s800/Untitled-1.jpg)
instead of just buzzing through moments, not really being exactly in them,
i am forced to stop and enjoy and love what i see.
it's great.
it's really, really great.
The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it;
for he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the waters.
Psalm 24:1-2
p.s. do you think it would be emasculating for me to teach D to
always sit while going to the bathroom? i'm just saying....
91. being able to hang onto that baby stage a bit longer
92. the fact that i was the only one who got sunburned
93. being able to share my faith with a stranger at the beach
94. sand, sand, everywhere
95. surprise dessert treats