Ahh, the ocean! I’ve spent the last week on St. George Island on the Florida panhandle. We drove down from Wisconsin…our first long family driving trip. We met up here with our friends Karin and Kaleb and their little boy Arvid.
My husband, Bryan, and Kaleb went to high school together. Karin is Swedish and grew up in Stockholm. Then through a series of remarkable, romantic events, Kaleb and Karin met on a beach in Zanzibar, he moved to Sweden, and the rest is history. We’ve been talking about getting together since we were in Sweden for their wedding back in 2009. So it came about that we rented a house in Florida and met here for the week. It’s been beyond wonderful.

Last night, I took Kaleb and Karin and Arvid down to the beach to do a family photo session. Many of the photogs I admire live near the ocean, so I’m often online drooling over fantastic family beach photos. It was such a treat to get to try it out myself:)

Arvid just turned three a couple weeks ago, and he is such a delight of a child.

Being near the ocean and the dolphins and the salty water and the crashing surf was a life-affirming treat.

Love this one…what a bundle of sunshine Arvid is! Makes me smile just to look at him.

A little mama love on the beach.

I’ve never been to Florida…and to only a couple other beach/ocean vacations, and I think now I might be hooked:) Love the reflection in the photo below.

The title of the photo below could be “life with kids.”

Now a few single-person portraits…



Little boy in the surf.


Laughing as Daddy tosses him in the air.

Love this one so much. Beach grass, waves, and smiles.

I’ll leave remembering sand in my notes, sun on my skin, and a smile in my heart.
