Behind the Scenes with the Kellys

I love this hidden camera view that Drew shot. A full post from this awesome session is coming soon!

Days with My Father

Please take a look at this site. It's moving and powerful, and will probably make you want to call your loved ones.

http://www.dayswithmyfather.com

Baller

Hope everyone had a fun Halloween!

October News

Drew and I are participating in our third Buddy Walk today! If you've been following our blog for awhile, you've probably seen posts about past walks (here, here and here).

The goal of the Buddy Walk is to spread awareness and promote acceptance & inclusion of all people with Down Syndrome, and also to raise funds locally and nationally for education, research and advocacy programs. If you're free today, come out for the festivities - the more the merrier!! It's going to be held at Hadley Park in Potomac from 10am to 2pm. If you can't attend but would like to make a small donation, you can visit our team page or personal fundraising page. All proceeds will benefit the local Down Syndrome Network of Montgomery County and the National Down Syndrome Society. There's a large group coming out to support Team Vinnie today - we can't wait!

In other news, last weekend was our first wedding anniversary! The year just flew by. We celebrated by taking a mini-vacation to South Beach, soaking in the sun, and eating a lot of yummy food. Drew also won the sweetest husband of the year award. He surprised me with a scrapbook containing all of the cards we've ever given each other and tons of ticket stubs/wristbands/programs from all of the concerts and shows we've seen together...he's been secretly saving everything from the last FIVE years. I was floored when I looked through the pages. To think that he took the time to put it together and surprise me...ugh, the tears wouldn't stop flowing. I am married to the most wonderful man in the world. I love him. Ok, I'm done. You can stop gagging now ;)

Stay tuned for more picture posts! Three awesome families (the Owens, Taylors, and Morgans) and two more wedding couples are coming soon!

Chi-town Slideshow

Our vacation in a nutshell (better late than never :)

• ate lots of deep dish pizza, a.k.a. heaven on a plate
• spent quality family fun time with my cousins and aunt & uncle - complete with a jam session, cornhole, and margaritas
• walked the magnificent mile (no shopping, though - Chicago's sales tax is 10.25%!)
• saw "the bean" and jeff koons' exhibit at the museum of contemporary art
• saw cirque du soleil's kooza
• ate at Blackbird (this restaurant didn't live up to the hype, unfortunately)
• went to "the beach" and the Lincoln Park festival
• had THE BEST tour guides ever...my cousin, sarah, & her boyfriend, jon (miss you guys!)
• relaxed and slept in every single day

I'm out of words. Just check out the slideshow below.

Fisheye Love

Today is Drew's birthday!! My amazing husband is 31. I love him more than words can say...so much that he finally got the present he's been wanting for over two years - a fisheye lens :)

Today we're shooting Jess and Carlos' wedding! This isn't just any wedding, though. Jess is the little sister of David Factor, one of our bestest friends in the whole wide world (you've probably seen his mug on this blog a few times). I've known their family for over 20 years and they are very special to us. We're so excited for today and can't wait to share the images with you all! Hope everyone is enjoying their holiday weekend!

Splish Splash

Millennium Park in Chicago

FYI - we're doing some minor construction around here and on our main website. So if things start looking funky, they'll be fixed soon!

Ban the R-Word

Some of you may have already heard about the controversy surrounding the movie "Tropic Thunder", which opened in theaters this week. Please do not go see this movie. It's an adult comedy where derogatory remarks are made about people with intellectual disabilities. The r-word is used throughout.

Many of you are aware that my nephew, Vinnie, was born with Down Syndrome. Whenever we hear anyone use the r-word, it really hits home and hurts. This word has gone mainstream and almost always has a negative message. Before Vinnie was born, this word did come out of our mouths at times, but we are now trying to spread the message so that when he grows up, it will not be a regular part of people's vocabularies. Our little Vinnie and all people with intellectual disabilities should be treated with the respect and dignity that they deserve. Please visit www.r-word.org and read more about how we can change the conversation and stop using this hurtful language.

We're Back

Sorry for the lack of posts, guys! So much has been going on - photo sessions, homebuying ups and downs, vacation, bad head colds, etc. We're slowly getting back on track and will have many things to post, including 2 family sessions, a maternity session, our first bridal portrait session, second shooting for Andrea, and Chicago fun. Stay tuned!

Also, I just have to show my sad attempt at light painting. I had insomnia a couple weeks ago, so I decided to write Drew a love note (it was our 5 year anniversary in July).

In case you can't read my neat and legible handwriting, it says "i heart u drew smiley face." I'm an awesome wife. If any of you are wondering how I did this, I set my camera to a 15 second exposure, turned the lights off, pushed the shutter button down, ran in front of the camera, and used our handy video light to paint the words (turning it off between letters). If you look closely, you can see me in the back wearing my snowflake flannel pajamas. Yes, I wear flannel in the summer.

Vacay Time

Drew and I are on our way to Chicago for some r&r and to visit family. We'll have lots of fun stuff to post when we get back! Until then, check out this video...I totally wanna dance with this guy.

Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo.