The Salt Life: Sand Key, FL

My parents are visiting for the week. It's been a fun filled time. We are only 3 days in and there've been lots of belly laughs, a number of mis-adventures and a sweet amount of time together. We are renting a cottage on the beach and below is what we have the privilege to wake up to and see every night. Today we are going sailing. I'm super excited. More pictures to come.

"The cure for anything is salt water - swear, tears or the sea." Isak Dinesen

(hahah my parents are awesome. I love them dearly.)

xoxo,
Briony

Family Excursion: Au Sable River

A couple of weeks before my move to Florida my family and I took a day trip down the Au Sable River. It was my first time kayaking in years, 15 yrs to be exact. I was a bit nervous at first but with a few helpful nudges from my best friend Jessica I embraced the fear and after a few scary moments of playing the balancing game with the quickly moving river, I started to get the hang of it.

There were a few hiccups on our journey but we laughed through them and made some pretty amazing memories. Below are a few pics I was able to snap with an underwater camera. You'll notice about half way down that we are all sportin ridiculously awesome ponchos, that is because not even 20min into our 5hr journey it began to pour. Luckily my parents are always prepared, the ponchos kept parts of us dry...well dryer than we would have been :) That was just one of the stories we had to laugh at and take with us at the end of the day.

I'm excited for our trip down the river next year!

Happy Friday: Bring on the Sun

The light was gorgeous the other evening and the warm spring breeze was perfect, so of course I had to take some pics embracing this beautiful change in the season. I am so thankful for my family, most of the time they are more than willing to be my models :) Love you mom! Happy Friday All!

Family Cookie Extravaganza

Yesterday was our family cookie day and it was an eventful one to say the least. We weren't 2hrs into making the cookies when the power went out. My dad went out to get the generator and set it up to where we could use the oven and have a couple lights on. So we got back to work. The night was filled with lots of laughs, candles, crazy fire alarm noises and cookies. Our generator gave us its all and we were able to bake 6 of the 8 kinds of cookies we had planned to make. Below are some of the pics I took of our creative light source :) It was a great way to start a new tradition, we will never forget it.

my daddio

“Children desperately need to know - and to hear in ways they understand and remember - that they're loved and valued by mom and dad” - Paul Smally

oldies but goodies

This was my first photo-shoot with my Minolta 35mm film camera...haha. I made my lil bro model for me. We had fun. I am looking to do a repeat now 3yrs later...I just have to convince him.

Sunday Citar: True Love

"True love is not easy, clear or perfect; but it is powerful enough to overcome challenges, questions and all imperfections."

can you hold my hand forever?

“I'm holding onto what I hope will keep you by my side forever” - Dallas Green

You
(I wrote this for my mom to my grandma)

you were there for me when i scraped my knee
you were there when i first fell in love
you were there when he turned his back on me
you held my hand, you were enough

you were there when i said my i do's
you were there when things came unglued
you were there to comfort and guide
you were there, you stayed by my side

you were there for me when my children were born
you were there to wipe tears from my eyes
you were there when they began to grow and soar
you were there to tell me our future was bright

you've been there my whole life through
i can't imagine a single day without you
tomorrow holds a different future than i dreamed
but your hand i will hold through everything

waiting to see you

"Grandma always made you feel she had been waiting to see you, just you, all day and once she did her day was complete." -Marcy DeMaree
Goodbyes are hard, especially when you know that tomorrow will never again be like today. This thursday my family and I are going to celebrate my grandma's life. We are going to remember all the beautiful things she has done and all the people she has touched. We are going to say goodbye one last time until that day we meet with her again in heaven.

ken and gar

“The greatest treasures are those invisible to the eye but found by the heart.”