This past weekend, I had no family portraits or weddings scheduled and my husband was off of work too (which never happens on the same weekend).  We decided to drive up to Wichita, Kansas to see my family and attend the baby shower for my cousin and his wife.  It had been way too long since I had seen my Grammy, my cousins and their kids, and my aunt and uncle.  In fact, the last time I drove to Wichita was in the spring of 2009.  My Grampy was being released from the hospital into hospice care.  It was a little bittersweet during the drive as some of those memories flooded back, but I take comfort that he looks down on me from Heaven and watches over all of us.   Anyways not to get into a super sad story as this is a fun, happy post about seeing my family.

I had made the decision I would bring my camera on the road trip to Kansas, but I would only bring 1 memory card and 1 lens and no flashes with me.  I wanted to enjoy the weekend off, and not be concerned with having the correct lighting and composition the entire time.  You see, being a photographer, sometimes we have to make ourselves step from behind the camera and enjoy life and not try to photograph every moment or activity.  As nice as it is to have the memories forever captured on film, it does distance you from truly being apart of things.  So, during the baby shower I got to ooooh and ahhhhh with everyone else as the cute baby clothes and blankets were shown.

After the shower we all headed home really quickly to change into some warmer clothes to get ready for the afterparty.  All the guys, were over at my aunt and uncle’s house and had a bonfire going and my aunt made chili for everyone.

Among this and all the other stories we remembered fondly, I did take a few random pictures so here they are 🙂

My cousin’s wife and momma to be.  I snapped this really quickly at my Grammy’s house after her baby shower.

My husband being a goofball hahahahah I love him!!!!!!

Getting chairs ready for the bonfire.

My Uncle Bill with a couple of trees that were ready to be added to the bonfire.

I really missed these kinds of bonfires that we would have when we were growing up. We would roast marshmallows and look at the stars, it was really a magical time.

Uncle Bill has always been great at telling stories. One story everyone kept bringing up was when we all were kids, we would ride little dirtbikes/motorcycles around my aunt and uncle’s property.  They had several acres and of land so that made it possible.  Well one of these times, I decided to be a daredevil and see how fast I could go.  I started coming up fast on everyone sitting around the fire pit and I freaked out a bit and lost control of the bike.  I crashed into the old cement trough that now serves as a bench seat around the fire pit and I scraped up my side and cut a wire on the bike.  I swear my family NEVER lets me live that one down hahahaha 🙂