{Steven} Welcome to SoCal, Big Bro

WOW, what a week! As a I mentioned in my last post, we would be welcoming my older brother Steven to our home & SoCal this past week.

He arrived on Sunday with his vintage suitcases and garden gnome in tow. I had suggested that he capture the gnome on the trip (a la Amelie, one of my favorite movies). That didn't quite happen, but he did at least document the arrival to Long Beach (I love these)...

Steven will be living with us as he finds work and a new home. We were happy to open our home to him (especially since he has done the same for me in the past). I knew he would be a welcome help around our home but I really wasn't expecting what I got this week. Seriously, our home has been transformed!

But first, HE was transformed. He arrived after traveling for a week in his SUV. He was a bit rough on the edges when he arrived. Nothing that a quick shower & shave couldn't fix though. Both Brookie & I's jaws dropped opened when he reappeared from the bathroom after a nice hot shower. See for yourself the difference...

BEFORE

AFTER

After he got himself cleaned up, he went to town on reorganizing & redecorating my house. It's been a week of non-stop projects. I can't wait to share some proper images (not taken with my iPhone). I have fallen in love with our home all over again. :)

Redecorated, cleaned, and reorganized. It's so fun to come home every day to see what new surprises await. My brother has an amazing talent for "ReDo ReUse". He takes every thing you already have and just redistributes everything. His vision is amazing. I would never think to do what he does. He pulls stuff from all of the rooms in your home and finds a new but perfect fit for them. It's truly amazing! And I love our new home.

I can't wait to share what he did to my office especially. Lots of pretty photos coming soon....so please check back.

P.S. He's available for hire if your home is in need of a little TLC. Send me a message and I'll hook you guys up.

{Sunsets} And Being Present When it Matters

I flew to Seattle unexpectedly on Wednesday morning because I caught news that my older brother was in the hospital with pneumonia. This is the second time he has been hospitalized in the last five months for the same thing. Everyone assured me that he was okay or that he would be okay. But here's the thing...I am 1200 miles from him and feel so helpless from that far away. This is the challenging part about living far from family. It had been too long since I saw him last and I was worried for my BIG brother. So within 12 hours of learning of this, I was on a plane. He has had an unbelievably difficult year and I needed to know that he was okay in more ways than one.

The moment I walked into his hospital room, he began to cry (I guess no one told him I was coming?). But it just confirmed to me that I made the right decision. And just maybe my big brother needed his little sister to love on him too?

This trip has me thinking of much. This trip meant that I was missing a family wedding and a dear friend's baby shower. It meant that I was spending money that I probably should not be otherwise. It meant that I would be away from my daughter longer than ever and have to arrange for care for her. But there is something I'm learning from living this last 36 years, there are no do-overs....and this life is precious. And in moments such as these, I do not want regrets. I want to be present when in matters most. And when it comes to family...it matters most.

(All images captured with my iPhone)

Me, my sister Lynnette, and brother Brian.

The view from the top floor of the hospital where my brother was staying.

While driving from the hospital in Seattle to my parents home in Olympia on day one of me arriving, the sunset & sky was probably the most magical sky I have ever seen. And it only got better as we neared my parent's home. I was awe struck the entire drive by the sun setting and the clouds floating on the blue sky.

I was so completely mesmerized. I told my sister that..."I think God is speaking to us."
She replied, "and what is he saying?"
"That everything is going to be okay."
And it is. And even if it wasn't....I felt so much peace in that moment.

While I was visiting my brother in the hospital I took a walk on Broadway while he was dozing. I bought a card for him at the coolest art store ever. I loved the words. They spoke to me. And I hoped they would speak to him as well.

Happiness (Alfred D. Souza)


For a long time it seemed to me that life was about to begin - real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time to still be served, a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life. This perspective has helped me to see that there is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way. So, treasure every moment that you have. And treasure it more because you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time … and remember that time waits for no one…

------ (after 'googling' the quote, I found the rest below...)

So stop waiting
until you finish school,
until you go back to school,
until you lose ten pounds,
until you gain ten pounds,
until you have kids,
until your kids leave the house,
until you start work,
until you retire,
until you get married,
until you get divorced,
until Friday night,
until Sunday morning,
until you get a new car or home,
until your car or home is paid off,
until spring,
until summer,
until fall,
until winter,
until you are off welfare,
until the first or fifteenth,
until your song comes on,
until you've had a drink,
until you've sobered up,
until you die,
until you are born again
to decide that there is no better time than right now to be happy…
Happiness is a journey, not a destination.

By the time we arrived to my parents home in Olympia, the sky had turned pink. It was stunning!

In the midst of worry and pain, this sunset reminded me of much. Reminded me of the beauty that always surrounds us. The beauty in challenging situations that bring family and friends close together. And the reminder to always keep life in perspective, remembering what matters, and always being present when it matters most.

{Avery Family} Photos by Busy B Photography

I think the best part of being a photographer, is having photographer friends. Well, this friend is actually my older brother Steven's friend...Rachel of Busy B Photography. She is a honorary member of the Avery family...she has been around that long! She joined our family vacation and we actually got a family photo! Amazing and wonderful. I am so grateful. The curse of a photographer is never having images of you with your family. I love these photos and I am so appreciative of her time and patience with my crazy family. It was a classic family photo session. People complaining and my baby screaming. It was kinda fun & funny to be on the other side of the camera lens. I'm a fan of casual, natural portraits...

 

 

 

The Avery 5! We're older, wiser, more wrinkled, but we still all have those same squinty eyes as our last family photo. Have you ever watched Brothers & Sisters on ABC Sunday nights?? We're kinda like that family. We fight like crazy but we love each other a ton and our family means most! I love you guys!

 

{Explore} Bainbridge & Seattle

My PNW tour continues! Sunday I arrived to Ashton Woods Retreat on Bainbridge Island, my older brother's AMAZING B&B! We had a family BBQ and awaited Cora & Aarons arrival on Monday. Monday we spent on an island adventure, exploring all the nooks and cranies of all the neighborhoods. We completed the day with a yummy marine-side dinner of clams, ice cream, and a bon fire. Today we headed to Seattle to do more of the same. I visited many of my favorite spots when I lived there...West Seattle, Fremont, Ballard, Wallingford, and Green Lake. We even visited the Ballard Locks, which I haven't been to since I was a kid! It's so fun being a tourist in a city that use to be home. So much has changed in one sense, and in another, exactly as I remembered! I miss it and only wish the weather was different. If it was, I might call it home again.

This first shot cracks me up! We were actually trying to capture a nearby park for some B&B ads and set this shot up.

 

 

 

 

Family Time

So last week was my Spring Break from teaching. Usually I take students to Europe on Spring Break and have been for most of the 11 years I've been teaching. However with being a new mom and all I did not go this year. I contemplated taking Brooklyn with me but felt it might be a little ambitious to be responsible for 20+ student travelers and a 6 month old. I was especially bummed because I planned the trip to Southern Spain, which is probably my favorite place in the world to visit. I studied in Granada in 1997 and have never been back (been back to Spain many times but never returned to the south).

So instead of the south of Spain, I visited my sister and family in the south of Texas (or texASS like my brother says). My older brother Steven flew down too, so we had an awesome week hanging with the family in the crazy Texas weather. They closed the airport while I was attempting to fly out on Friday due to torrential rainfall and tornado warnings. So I got an extra night out of the trip and left on Saturday (they actually closed Houston Hobby again after my flight left on Saturday...whew!). I was rushing to make it back in time for a bridal / trash the dress session in LA with all of the Fast Track Photographers. I was picked up at LAX at 2:30, drove back to Long Beach, changed, and ready for my ride by 3:30 to go back to LA. It was a crazy day but SOOOOO worth it! I can't wait to share the images from that shoot next. They are some of my MOST favorite images ever. You'll see why.

Here's some captures from a little photo shoot in the neighborhood. So fun!

 

 

 

 

Cousins making B laugh! from charla BLUE on Vimeo.

Brooklyn travels to Sugar Land, Texas to visit the Haley family. The first night and the cousins already have her cracking up laughing.

Ashton Woods Retreat

 

 

Ashton Woods Retreat is a B&B on the island of Bainbridge in Washington, a 30 minute ferry ride from Seattle. My brother Steven and his partner Christopher are the proprietors. I am so fortunate to have their home and B&B in our family. It has become the ultimate destination for all the grandkids and beyond. We love it!!!

They are currently being nominated for Best Northwest Escape! If you get a minute, please nominate their biz. Vote HERE. My brother has an isane attention to detail. Even with his own family, he makes us feel special, relaxed, and LOVED! I've never met anyone so selfless as him. Do yourself a favor, go visit AWR yourself! You will not regret it. If you're unsure, read his incredible reviews on Trip Advisor and on King 5.

If you wanna know why AWR and my bro are so fabulous, read this BLOG.