Have a Quality Day

It wasn't often that I got to see my Uncle Bob due to his family living 13 hours away but when I did get to see him, it was always the best time. Bob was always the life of the party. He welcomed you with a warm bear hug, sported the best dance moves, and was always up to date on music, sports, and movie trivia. This past week, we celebrated his life as a supportive husband, one-of-a-kind father, Papa, and genuine man that he was. I will always remember our Thanksgivings and time spent together which he always made enjoyable with his presence. He always believed in having a quality day. Uncle Bob, you will be missed, but never forgotten.

Old Lady

It was ladies night out for Elyse and I as we headed out on a Thursday night (that's a big deal for both of us) to enjoy a show by singer/songwriter, Ben Rector and americana-folk band, Judah and the Lion. There was a good mix of an old and young audience at the show but I would say the young outnumbered the old. The sold-out show at the Fillmore jammed 2,000 people into it's walls and Elyse and I started to feel our age as younger kids around us started to cramp our style. The longer we waited for the band to take the stage made it seem like the VIP seated section was calling our names.

I left Elyse to hold our spots that were pretty close to the stage while I checked out the merch. As soon as I stepped out of the crowd, I felt SO much better! I could breath! I quickly bought some awesome tees and walked by a roped-off VIP area that looked too appealing to pass up. I texted Elyse and she was over by me in no time where we had no shame in paying extra to have this special little area to ourselves. We enjoyed the private bar, bathrooms and SEATS! The seats were glorious--away from the hub-bub of the excited tweens and twenty-somethings. Wait a minute...I'm technically a twenty-something.

We enjoyed the high energy that Judah and the Lion brought to the stage, along with Ben Rector making us laugh with his sweet melodies and quirky banter; All from the pleasure of our seats.

So folks, there you have it. Another sign of aging Asha. I still love live shows but I'd much rather have a seat than stand amongst a mosh-pit of teens and tweens. Sorry, not sorry.

Cranky

What is Fall without a visit to the pumpkin patch? A few weeks ago, we did just that but two people made the trip not so enjoyable. One person was Keegan, who desperately needed a nap, and the other person was....ME. Yep...I'm owning up to my own crankiness. Looking back, I can tell I was super cranky because I am not in one. single. photo. What was wrong with me you ask? I probably desperately needed a nap just like Keegan...

Look at that pout.

Despite both Keegan and I's crankiness, we DID manage to have a good time at The Hunter Farm.... we just had our moments, that's all :) The whole fam had fun on our bumpy hayride with a pit stop at the milk barn. It was there that we were greeted with the butt of Bessie, the dairy cow, who was mooing to her mate across the yard. We learned some educational facts about dairy cows and it was off to the petting zoo where my camera decided to stop working for the day. Luckily I was able to get a few good shots of Keegan before it went haywire.

After our educational hayride, we picked out our pumpkins and enjoyed popcorn and lemonade before heading home. I was able to find two HUGE pumpkins for Jeremy and I to carve at the Kafsky Annual Pumpkin party. Sadly, we did not take home a prize this year but Jeremy's pumpkin turned out to be pretty legit! Mine on the other hand....no one got it, haha. I carved the dancing girl emoji. I didn't even attempt to take a picture of it (yep...I was still cranky) so enjoy Jeremy's awesome pumpkin instead. A big THANK YOU goes to the Kafsky's for always putting on such a fun event! Their new house is pretty awesome and perfect for a spooky party.

No tracing for this guy! 

Jeremy's masterpiece. My pumpkin was not worthy to photograph.

This years first place winner. Pumpkin eating a pumpkin.

All the pumpkins!

And just like that, my cranky day ended and I was able to wake up on the right side of the bed the next morning :) Oh, and if you must know, my dancing girls emoji carving is next to the Mets pumpkin.

Apollo's First (and probably last) Road Trip

As you know by now, every year I bug Jeremy (and probably Apollo too) to get our family portraits done. Even though we have no kids in towe, I still like to capture our little family from year to year with professional photos. We teamed up with Sunny of Themba Imagery once again for a fun photo shoot in Flat Rock, NC at the beautiful Sky Top Orchard. When Sunny mentioned Sky Top, I was excited but two things lingered in the back of my mind.

1. How was I going to pry Reuben away from a Saturday of football to help with Apollo when he wasn't in photos.
2. Apollo has never been in the car for that long of a trip so I was curious to see how he would do in the car.

Turns out my bro-in-law is pretty awesome and after little pleading, agreed to the long afternoon away from football. I thanked him with an awesome t-shirt. He was also able to watch games from his phone so I didn't feel too bad in the end.

Apollo on the other hand....Here's the thing about Apollo. He likes to pass gas and/or sneeze whenever he is excited. On the two hour trip to the mountains, he decided to pass gas more than sneeze. He constantly had us rolling down the windows the entire trip....along with breathing hot breath on the back of my neck the entire trip. That dog. He's a character for sure. On the way home, he was so tired he slept the entire ride. Lucky for us, no farts down the mountain.

We were able to avoid the crowds and find some secluded areas with breathtaking views. Sunny out-did herself this year and worked her magic behind the camera. She gave us 106 photos and told us to favorite a few. You guys, I could have easily clicked the heart for each and every one. She did SUCH a good job. I love them SO, SO much! Below are just a few of my faves!

You can't go to Sky Top and not walk away with a dozen donuts. We rewarded ourselves with the apple-spiced goodness for a successful shoot!

Sunny, we can't thank you enough for taking the afternoon and capturing a few moments of 2015. We will cherish these photos forever. Our whole family loves you!