Mike probably around 9 months or so is my guess. Probably at his chubbiest!

Mike around 14 or so? Probably the skinniest he’s ever been.

My dad and his buddies in college around 1958. Can you tell which is him?

My mom’s college graduation photo:

Mom after moving to the US around 1968:

Me around 4 or 5:

Me almost 2? Look like a girl, huh?

Some of you know that I volunteer my photography services with the non-profit group, Moment by Moment (click logo above for details.). It’s little more than a some time and a few dollars for me. However, the organization is managed by a few very dedicated people who really put their blood, sweat, and tears into this endeavor. Unfortunately, blood, sweat, and tears aren’t enough to keep the lights on so to speak. So if you happen to be looking for a great group to invest your charitable contributions with, please consider Moment by Moment. As it turns out, they are actually having a fundraising event September 12 if you’re interested in attending (contact me for details.) Otherwise, you can simply contribute by check or credit card. For checks, please make payable to Moment by Moment (Tax ID 55-0896956) and mail to Moment by Moment 1499 Sunnybrook Road Alamo, CA 94507. For credit card, you can submit via fax (925-407-2737) with the following info:

Card Number __________________________Exp. Date ______Code_____

Signature __________________________Total Amount Charged $_______

As a semi-unfair tug at your heart strings, here’s a picture of Amanda when she was in the hospital a few months ago.

The setup is kinda generic, but the formula is pretty tried and true. I personally prefer to do outdoor pictures with “real” backgrounds, but generic isn’t necessarily bad in this case. Also, it’s kinda hard for me to take my own family pictures so this will have to do for now. Maybe when the kids get a little older, I’ll try some on my own with a tripod.

This one is definitely one of them:

And here are some more with the backdrop in play.

For those of you out there who are interested, this is just a large white sheet from Joann Fabrics doubled up and sewn together at the seams. (I think I bought a 10′x20′ piece.) I used to use this with my professional lighting and backdrop kit which I have since sold. But as you can see, a couple tripods and natural light from a large window does a pretty decent job as well.

Rest assured, many of the pictures I post here in the next couple weeks will be made with this lens though.

I have to say, I didn’t have high expectations as most web sites make the place seem better than it actually is. However, in this case, the web site was underselling the property. First of all, the place was huge! No “wide angle lens” tricks here. The bedrooms, bathrooms, living rooms, even the hallways were humongous. Second, the house was very new and all the furniture, decorations, etc. were still fresh without any of that “rental house” feel that sometimes happens over time. Third, everything was very high end. From the bathroom fixtures to the light switches, it was clear that this house was built to luxury standards. Finally, everything was very clean and well stocked. We didn’t have to go scrounging for bathroom tissue or bring our own towels. All in all, we were very happy with the accommodations, especially given that the price wasn’t bad as we were at the tail end of the off-season.

I’ll put up a more detailed trip summary later this weekend as it’s kinda late now. For the time being, here are a few pictures that I liked: (Edit: Added new pictures and commentary below. Also, here’s the link to the full album.)

Alissa loved the stairs. I guess they were a novelty as we don’t have any at home that she can use. So she spent the better part of most days going up and down, up and down. She did enough so that she can actually go down the stairs forwards while hugging the wall. She’s not super reliable at this technique though so someone had to be there to catch her in case she fell. But between the grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, Alissa got pretty much her fill of things.

We spent one of the days at the San Diego Zoo. It was a super hot day but worth the trip. Here’s a picture of the baby panda. He was just hanging out in this tree. Didn’t look all that comfy to me, but he seemed to enjoy it. If you look at the pictures in the whole album, you’ll also notice that he enjoyed showing the crowd his dirty, fuzzy butt.

Here’s Aidan at the petting zoo. I love the hat. I think he had just as much fun playing in the dirt as with the animals.

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Christian and Chloe on the deck at the house. The sun was nice and low so I got warm, even light. And Chloe obliged with a big smile!

Bonnie and Alissa on the Carousel at the zoo. Alissa didn’t really know what to make of it until the second time we rode it.

Papa, Mama, and baby monkey. Literally hanging around looking at the people looking at them.

Lions and tigers and bears (two kinds) oh my!

At the San Diego Wildlife Park, the animals had much more room to run about. It was cool to see the different species occupying the same large space.

Alissa’s first dippin’ dots. Only $4.50.

Can’t have a good day as a kid without swings!