Thursday, September 29, 2011

Inspiration Through Art ~ Jerrin's story

Meet Jerrin . . .





and his family . . .

and his sister . . .



























Today is Jerrin's 1st birthday! And what a happy birthday it is. You see, Jerrin looks completely healthy to you and I, but he has a little secret that needs to be shared. In his mother's words: "Our Jerrin was diagnosed with biliary atresia shortly after he was born last September. Jerrin was born with no bile ducts in his liver.  At first he came home and was perfectly healthy. At about six weeks old he became very jaundice and was immediately admitted to Hershey Children's Hospital (Hershey, PA).  He underwent emergency surgery at nine weeks of life.  They attached a piece of his small intestine to his liver to act as his bile ducts.  While this is just a temporary fix we wouldn't have it any other way.  We know Jerrin will one day need a new liver but we are just living day by day with what we currently have.  He is on three medicines three times a day and a special vitamin."  



When you look at these faces, see bravery, courage, and love to the fullest magnitude. When you look at your own children, or grandchildren, who happen to be healthy, living without the constant fear of a clear and present danger lurking within, please remember ... count your blessings, and be grateful for the life you have.


I was so touched by this family, and the strength of their love for one another. After spending time with them, it gave me a new appreciation, a new perspective on what it might be like to live with a child, an infant that needs special treatment and medical care. Knowing that one day this child will undergo surgery again, receive a new liver, and then the "wait-see" how he responds...
 
I am so grateful to have met this wonderful family through such a caring organization called Inspiration Through Art.
ITA is a non-profit organization that helps pair up families, just like this one, with photographers, just like me "... with a passion for giving and inspiring others. Through our own artistic talents we are able to come together as one, to let children around the world know that they are loved, despite the challenges they face everyday."


Please join me in wishing Jerrin a happy 1st birthday, and many, many more to come!! Thank you for blessing me with your beautiful smile, and for the chance to meet such a brave little hero ;) 

With great admiration and appreciation,
your photographer,
Barb
 
P.s. Thank you for the gorgeous mums! They are doing great!! :) So very thoughtful of you. 

Friday, September 23, 2011

Ringler Wedding

I was asked by a fellow 2009 Soar! Sister applicant, Jane Ammon, to be her 2nd shooter at a rather large, rather intensely fun wedding to be celebrated Labor Day weekend. To say that I was thrilled to have this wonderful opportunity is an understatement. And, especially in retrospect of the day itself. If I had only known the little surprises that awaited me, I wouldn't have been so calm about this very special occasion! ;) 


Jane asked me to photograph the guys before the wedding was set to begin, while she captured the ladies. To be honest, I had forgotten how big the wedding party was going to be, and felt a bit overwhelmed when I arrived, met the groom and then the rest of the guys, too. But they were in such a happy, festive mood, and were more than willing to be photographed for Cory & Kristin's special day that I couldn't help but have fun too!! Many thank yous go out to the groom, son of the groom, father of the groom, best man, and groomsmen for making my job so entertaining! :)









During the ceremony, this young man captivated me as this young family became "official." As a symbolic gesture of family love and unity, the bride, groom and groom's son each contributed a separate layer of colored sand to a specially engraved vase. This was unique to me, and added a very touching moment for everyone witnessing their ceremony. . .


After the ceremony Jane and I had the privilege and honor of photographing the bride and groom, plus the rather large wedding party! And, Wow! What a wedding it was!!!


here's one of the happy couple . . .


A few of the groomsmen . . . 


Here was one of life's little surprises ~ made just for me! Imagine, if you will:  I'm in my element ~ happily shooting away; capturing as many treasured moments as I am humanly capable of, and then . . . 3 of my most favorite college professors come walking towards me!! I could not believe my eyes! I haven't seen them in years, and "voila!" They pop back into my life again ~ so unexpected, yet so welcomed! I couldn't have been happier to see these 3 shining, exceptional souls. They each have a very distinct place in my heart. I even quoted a lesson on my blog from this beautiful lady seated in the middle. Do you remember the one about the big "T" and the little "t" for tension that I told you about? Well, here is that famous lady! :) { to view the blog post I mentioned, click here: New, Happy Year }



And just to prove to me how small the world really is, I had yet another surprise!!! Are you believing this? I was stumped! ... I kept eying this very pretty lady as I went around to the guest tables taking photos, and thinking to myself, "I know that face!" But I couldn't place her. I finally mustered up my courage and went over to her table and said, "You look so familiar to me!" And, with a great big smile she replied, "You're my cousin, Barb!!" AHA!!! We are, I believe, 3rd cousins through my (step)Mom's side of the family, and we hadn't seen each other in more than 10 years! :) My cousin, Dory, is the pretty lady seated 2nd from the right. Great to have crossed paths with you and your beautiful smile, Dory!


Okay, moving along! ... This happily wedded couple knows how to enjoy life to the fullest! Their wedding was a blast! This celebration brought back many great memories for me of when my friends were getting married (all those years ago! ;) And, we had some tremendous times together celebrating life and one another!! 



Cory and Kristin surprised everyone with a choreographed dance routine, which included songs from the Sugar Hill Gang (Apache), the Bangles (Walk Like an Egyptian), Michael Jackson (Beat It), and Vanilla Ice (Ice, Ice Baby)! Everybody was well impressed with their dance moves and the terrific surprise they gave everyone!! Kudos, Cory & Kristin!! That was the best!


Thank you, Jane, for honoring me by asking me to be your 2nd lens, and partner in capturing this momentous occasion! I am grateful to you, my friend.

A very warm, kind thank you to Cory & Kristin, as well, for allowing Jane to hire a 2nd shooter without meeting me before hand. I am humbled that you put so much faith in my abilities as a photographer, artist, and witness to your sacred event that has made you a family. May your life be rich in love and laughter; poor in neglect and want; and an abundant wealth of family and friends. Cheers!

Wishing you all the best, 
always,
Barb

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Personal Photography Reviews of Barb Liszcz { My 3 Girls Photography }

We want to thank you so much for being our wedding photographer. You are awesome! You were so easy to work with and a pleasure to be around. You are great at what you do and we cannot express our gratitude enough. You really captured the love in our day. We have great photos to look back on and help us remember our wedding day forever. We will definitely recommend you and will use you again.
{ Jennifer & Lenny S. - wedding photography, November 2014 }

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I can't thank you enough for spending the afternoon with me and my mother.  I couldn't imagine sharing such a vulnerable time with anyone else.  Or know of anyone who would have treated it with such dignity and respect.  The photos are something I will cherish for a lifetime and your generosity is very humbling.
{ Michelle C. - mother & daughter lifestyle photography, July 2014 } 

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Thank you sooo very much for everything!  The photos you took were absolutely beautiful.  We cannot thank you enough for coming in kind of last minute and treating us like we were your own family.  Photography of the most important events of your life are what help make the memories last forever.  It is a beautiful thing that you do.  Never stop being creative and loving life!
{ Stephanie & Jimmy G. - wedding photography, May 2014 }

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When my husband and I first met Barb, we both felt very comfortable with her.  She was very easy to talk to and very understanding of what we wanted.  Throughout the process, Barb was always open to hear our ideas and we really enjoyed this because other photographers we've worked with in the past just tell us how THEY want the picture to look.  Barb had many creative ideas and she took time to ensure that we got all of the shots we had planned for.  We feel like Barb caught all the right shots during the ceremony so I'm confident in her timing and point of view.  The gallery hosting site (zenfolio) was very simple to access and it allows for easy sharing with family. We would without a doubt recommend Barb of My 3 Girls Photography to a couple preparing to wed.  I think that being comfortable and calm on your wedding day is important and Barb would be a perfect match to make sure everything goes smoothly.
{ Erica & Dan M. - wedding photography, October 2013 }

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Barb could not be friendlier! From the moment I met her, she had a smile on her face and she was so upbeat and positive. She put me at ease, she was very comfortable to be around!  To ensure that every aspect of the wedding would be covered, she met with my bridesmaids and myself and personally vetted and hired another photographer to be with the men. The ceremony was covered from all angles. We got married at the Eicher Arts Center (which is beautiful) and had our bridal party photos taken at The Ephrata Cloister (also very beautiful). While we took bridal party photos she was open to my suggestions and her strength as a portrait artist and using natural light really shined through. We had a lot of variety and her ideas were wonderful! Like all brides, you want your day to be captured perfectly. You want to remember it forever. You’re nervous that it won’t happen just the way you want. Barb captured it exactly the way I had envisioned, beyond my expectations and I am SO thrilled with the job she did! I can’t tell you the number of people that have told me they were the best wedding photos they have ever seen. 
{ Elizabeth & Matt K. - wedding photography, October 2013 } 

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From the first time I emailed Barb about taking my son’s senior pictures she was helpful and enthusiastically professional.  Because we wanted to have the pictures outside we had to work around a little rain, not a problem for Barb!  She was easy to contact and quick to communicate back so we could reschedule.  At the photo shoot she was friendly and put my son right at ease…and I must say she took FANTASTIC pictures!  She has a creative eye and took advantage of the great surroundings at the location we picked.  She posted the pictures on her website in a very timely manner which made it easy to share them with family and friends.  The ordering process was very simple.  When I had questions, she was quick to respond and answered them thoroughly and courteously.  She aims for customer satisfaction and her package pricing is the most reasonable out there.  It was a genuine pleasure to work with Barb.  Her pleasant personality was refreshing and it’s obvious that she cares about what she does.
{ Elizabeth R. - high school senior photography, August 2013 }

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On behalf of all the staff at Wallace and Wolitarsky Dental Associates, we just want to let you know what a pleasure it was working with you as our photographer.  You really are amazing Barbara!  Although our staff is large and our time for picture taking was limited, you managed to capture each one of us at our best, and you did it with such ease.  Your warmth and friendliness made us all feel comfortable in front of the camera, and we had a great time working with you.  We are in the process of updating our website with these wonderful photos; they are so good, it is hard making decisions regarding which ones to use.  We appreciate your expertise at making us all look so good!  Thank you again Barbara for doing an excellent job.  Without hesitation, we highly recommend using My 3 Girls Photography to our community, and we look forward to working with you again in the future for all our photography needs. 
{ Dr. Scott Wallace & Dr. James Wolitarsky - business photography, April & July 2013 }

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After all the planning for our wedding, we both knew the most uncontrollable and most important thing to me was the weather.  I said it the first time we met, "I hope it doesn't rain."  And it did, and some other small minor things, but after all of that the heavens opened and the sun did shine through.  I guess it was luck, we can say there wasn't a cloud in the sky.  We thank you, Barbara for being fantastic with all the children, our family, and us.  You made us feel comfortable.  Thank you for the stunning photos you captured at our wedding - they were truly my favorite thing {aside from Walter} about our wedding.  The images captured the mood and emotion and are so beautiful.  I wish I could do it all over again :) Thank you ever so much.
{ Melissa & Walter V. - wedding photography, May 2013 } 

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When I got engaged and started putting together the wedding plans I already knew who I wanted to have capture our special day in photographs! I have been admiring Barb's work for quite some time and was always very impressed with how she could capture the feeling & emotion in her pictures.  I was never one for posed pictures because I think they lack personality and depth and I wanted to be able to look back at our engagement & wedding pictures and be able to relive the day and "feel" all the emotions through the pictures.  Working with Barb was always a pleasure, she is very professional and made us feel beautiful (him handsome) and always comfortable.  I am amazed at the way Barb was able to capture the intimacy and excitement of our wedding every time I look back through our awesome album she put together.  Everyone that we have shared the album with, has been impressed with the quality and always remark on how great all the pictures are!  You can truly be transported back to that day just by looking through them, we will treasure our photos forever!  Barb's passion for photography and dedication to those she works with make her the quintessential wedding photographer and we highly recommend her & My 3 Girls Photography, she will be as excited to photograph your wedding as you are to be getting married!  We can't wait to have Barb continue to do our special photography in the years to come!
{ Kendra & Toby R. - engagement and wedding photography, May & Sept 2012 }


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Barb of My 3 Girls Photography took two sets of pictures for my family and we were absolutely thrilled with the results!  The first group of pictures were of myself, my wife Lauren and my son Zane, who was about 2 months old at the time of the shoot.  To make things easy for us, Barb agreed to come to our house to take the pictures.  Zane was all smiles on the morning of the shoot however, as luck would have it, he started to get cranky as soon as Barb arrived.  Barb was so patient and waited so kindly for him to calm down.  Zane also decided to take a 45 minute nap while Barb was there and again, she waited patiently and snapped some great shots while he was asleep.  Once he finally woke up, Barb suggested we move the shoot outside and she used the natural light and setting to take some really bright and wonderful pictures.  We were beyond pleased with the session.  The second group of pictures involved myself, my wife Lauren, our son Zane and Lauren's family.  We wanted to get some pictures at an outdoor venue and Barb suggested Daniel Boone Homestead, which was a great choice.  Barb had shot there before and as a result, she was able to guide us to some areas that really made for nice photos.  She was very helpful in terms of giving us direction and setting up poses and in the end, the pictures turned out wonderfully.  I also wanted to comment on how easy it was to order pictures.  Once our shoots wrapped, Barb set up an online gallery on a website called SmugMug, which allowed us to view the photos and purchase the ones we liked.  The pictures were reasonably priced and shipped lightening fast.  Overall, we had a great experience with Barb and I would highly recommend her services to anyone looking for great pictures at reasonable prices.
{  Travis J. - newborn & family group photography, Oct. & Nov. 2012 } 

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My experience with My 3 Girls Photography was pleasurable from beginning to end.  I contacted Barb and we set a date for late October at Daniel Boone Homestead.  I wanted to get a fall background with my two boys.  The day turned out to be a gorgeous Fall Day.  Barb was wonderful with the boys and they instantly bonded with her.  I was able to view my pictures online via SmugMug in a few weeks and they were absolutely amazing.  I had a hard time deciding and limiting my purchases.  I liked the online purchasing and was able to make decisions without any sales pitches, etc.  Once I placed my order I received the photos in a few days.  I will be looking to My 3 Girls Photography to do another family portrait session sometime in the Spring.   Thank you for the wonderful experience. 
{  Traci B. - family photography, Oct. 2012 } 


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Working with Barb was a real pleasure. [Our session was] very laid-back; an easy-going, wonderful time. We got all the shots that we wanted to. [It was] just an honest, true, real pleasure to work with [Barb] and I look forward to working with her again. She took great shots. I was very pleased with everything. The candid shots were the best.  Just a wonderful, wonderful experience.  Two words to express the experience that we had - real pleasure.  I'd recommend Barb to anyone looking for a great photographer. And already have. Thank you Barb!!
{ Chris M. - family photography, April 2012 }

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We're busy people. We're at work, in the barn, working on the farm, volunteering - running here there and everywhere all the time. It was incredibly refreshing - and well overdue - that we took some time to enjoy finally being ENGAGED! I met Barbara a while ago at a Relay For Life event while I was working for the American Cancer Society, and really enjoyed her photographs of the Relay at Twin Valley High School - some of the best volunteers around! It can't be easy walking into a new place - our farm - for the very first time, and photographing folks you don't really know well. However, Barb did a great job! We were comfortable, and really enjoyed our afternoon with her. Within a week, our pictures were ready for viewing, and within days afterwards, our ordered prints were at our home! Using SmugMug was incredibly easy. A few clicks, and we were done. Overall, we were super happy with our experience, incredibly impressed by Barb's ability to capture great photos of us on our farm - my fiance's natural elements - and so appreciative of the fun afternoon we were able to spend enjoying each other - and the great photos we will be able to enjoy for years to come. Thank you, Barb, for a great experience!
{ Jodi T. - engagement photography, Oct 2011 }

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From the very first email I received from Barbara, I knew that we would have a wonderful photography experience. Barbara came across as a very kind and compassionate person through the emails we shared prior to our first meeting. She provided quick and accurate answers to all of my questions. She addressed my concerns of us being on a tight budget due to my maternity leave with providing very affordable options for us.  Barbara was available to come to our home for the photography session within just a few days of me contacting her. This was important to me because I wanted the newborn photos taken as soon as possible. Barbara came to our home prepared with background props and ideas. She also incorporated our ideas and props. She took her time and was very patient with our newborn baby. We changed our baby into several different outfits and had several different themes.  Barbara also loved our great dane so we got some wonderful shots with her too! :)  Barb wasn't able to have the pictures completed for us on the date she orignally planned. She was sure to contact us to tell us why she wasn't able to have them completed. Although I was disappointed because I was soo excited to view them, I just had to wait a few more days. The wait was worth it though!!!  The pictures were amazing. We were so pleased with the shots that Barb took. Barb provided us with amazing memories that we will be able to cherish forever! SmugMug was a very easy website to order from. I am very pleased with the quality of our pictures.  I definitely would recommend you use Barbara's photography services!
 { Kara D. - newborn photography, Oct. 2011 }

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Last year Barb did a photo shoot with me, my sister and all of our cousins for Christmas gifts. We had a great time and the pictures turned out fantastic.  My parents loved them so much that they wanted [to have a photo shoot] done of our family and also of just the [two of them] to match the great fall settings down at the Reading Public Museum, Reading, PA.  Barb took us down to the same spot and yet again we had a blast doing the shoot.  She is a really great photographer and it is obvious that she loves what she does. She is very talented at both taking the pictures as well as making it a great experience for her clients.  
{ Jennifer L. - family photography, Oct. 2010 and 2011 }

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I loved my photo experience with Barb!! She took wonderful maternity photos of my husband and I. It was really wonderful to experience that time in our lives with photography. Now I will always have my first pregnancy documented by Barb's pictures. We thought our time with Barb was wonderful and so much fun. She took the time to get to know us and then took pictures to capture us in a way that would describe us as a couple. We did order [pictures] from her online gallery she provides and it was a great experience, as well. It was easy to use and the prints we ordered came well within the time it stated on the website. If I can describe our photo experience with Barb in a few words; fun, professional, loving, and amazing. Thank you, Barb, for sharing your gift with us through photography. I know you found a true passion and it shows. 
{ Beth C. - maternity photography, June 2011; family photography 2012 and 2013 }

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My husband and I asked Barbara to do a photo shoot for us last fall. She is a warm and personable photographer that immediately feels like a friend. We were instantly comfortable and felt natural around her, so the photos also looked comfortable and natural. We were really pleased with the results, and were so excited that we were able to bring our dog along and get his photos taken too! We look forward to more great photos of us and our newborn after he is born next month.  
{ Rachel G. - couple photography, Oct. 2010 }

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Thank you for the great photo session we had. I will tell you the truth, when I had the idea to get "our 5 grandchildren" together for a photo session at the Brandywine River Museum for Christmas cards I was worried that they all wouldn't sit still long enough or stay clean for that matter. Whenever you put five kids together ranging in ages from 2 to 6 in the woods and near water who knows what will happen! Well, I was right! The minute they saw the water and tree trunks to climb on, off they went in all directions! I could not believe the pictures that you captured while they were all running around and climbing on everything. When we all sat down for our group picture, honestly I didn't think there would be one "Good Picture" for Christmas cards. I heard your camera clicking away so I was hoping you got at least one good picture before they all took off again. Well, I was truly impressed with all the beautiful pictures that we had to choose from. My favorite pictures that I just love are the candid shots of the grandkids that you captured of them while they were naturally exploring, as children do. The best part is, they didn't even know you were taking pictures of them. You captured them hiding behind trees, climbing on logs and throwing rocks into the river. They were truly Awesome!!!!!! Now my husband and I enjoy having the most beautiful pictures of our grandchildren all throughout our home. They are very earthy and natural with the woods and the river in the background. BEAUTIFUL!! I get compliments on them all the time. So thank you again for a very enjoyable day!  
{ Dotty Z. - family photography, Nov. 2010 }

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Barb has photographed my children multiple times and the shots keep getting more and more beautiful (not only credit to my children!).  I love the way she works in a natural setting and the artistry of her candid shots.  When I show off Barb's photographs of my daughter, uniformly the first reaction is a gasp from the viewer.  In addition to her beautiful results, Barb is a consummate professional and working with her is always a pleasure.  You can't ask for a nicer person.  
{ Katie C. - family, newborn, children photography, various times throughout 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 }

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Your love and passion come through in your pictures and I truly am blessed to have the opportunity (past and future) to capture these exciting times in my life.  The photo sessions are always so much fun and I feel totally comfortable and relaxed.  You always had super ideas for pictures and were definitely willing to hear my ideas, however strange they may have seemed at the time!  Everything turned out beautifully and I never had a bad experience or a bad picture.  Your hard work and dedication shine through in the pictures that were placed in my albums, I love looking at the pictures all the time and I had such a hard time choosing poses to get printed.  I have a picture at my desk at work and I have received so many compliments, in particular my boss noted how good the lighting looked and how clean and in focus the picture was, and he has an eye for detail!  I cannot thank you enough, I am slightly obsessed with pictures and capturing every moment, so I am so lucky to have someone I can trust and feel comfortable with.  Thank you!  
{ Angie Z. - maternity, newborn, family, child photography, various times throughout 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 }

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Let the Scholastic Adventures BEGIN!

And so it begins. My 2nd daughter began her kindergarten adventure today! Rushing around, making sure everything was ready this morning, including my little kindergartner, and wouldn't you know it - the bus was 10 minutes early! Ahhh, get the camera, quick!! Okay, let's go!


Here she has her eyes on the bus waiting patiently for her to embark on her 1st (official) bus ride to school ...



She did great! So brave and confident (unlike her mommy!). After I briefly introduced us and chatted with our kindly bus driver about how this was Alanna's 1st day of kindergarten, got her all buckled into her seat, and we said our "see you laters," I cried like a baby. But I made sure not to do it in front of her! Aren't I the brave one, too?! ;)

They grow so fast, and don't I know it! My oldest is 21 now and a sophomore in college! Good Lord, where does the time go?! I still remember Chelsea (my oldest) getting on the bus to go to kindergarten, and crying as I waved "bye-for-now" to her, too! There's something about the start of school that brings about many mixed emotions for parents. Wanting so much for our children ~ including independence, healthy experiences, learning, growth, friends, fun adventures... 

I hope all parents, children of all ages (including the big ones!), teachers, bus drivers, child caregivers and school administrators have a most excellent school year!! 

 Here's to new adventures in life! :)

Barb

Monday, September 5, 2011

Post Irene ... the fallout

Hurricane Irene gave us a wallop! I really shouldn't complain. There are many that suffered much greater losses than we did. So, I'll count my blessings and be thankful that we only lost power for 84 hours (or 3.5 days) and our basement only mildly flooded. And, we had to live with a very LOUD generator running 24 hours a day directly across the street from us, in order to provide cable television to those that did have electricity. I'm not going to complain. It could have been worse, and I am very grateful that it wasn't.

The hubby and I read a bunch. The girls played with flashlights, and blew out the candles at bedtime. We played games together. We went to the library. We went shopping. We ate out ~ a lot. Overall, it was an interesting few days. And I was most happy once our power was restored!! We take it for granted. I take it for granted. Time has a way of s l o w i n g down without electricity. Ever notice that?! 

I had discount tickets waiting to be used for Longwood Gardens and when the hubster suggested we put them to use, I was all for it!! We forgot all about our electricity woes for a day. Here are some of my favorite images to be shared with you.  





























Thanks for viewing, friends. We had a great time ~ and I loved documenting our day!

I am relieved and grateful to be back on the grid. And we did have a great excuse to get out of the house, to use the tickets, and spend a terrific time together as a family. 
These are the days to treasure. :) 

Cheers, my friends,
Barb
P. s. Just for fun, watch this little video:  Schoolhouse Rock's Electricity 
This was our theme song for 3.5 days! ;)-