What a journey this has already been.  Just Monday, I had about $600 left to go to reach my fundraising goal for the breast cancer 3-day. 

Today, I couldn’t be more pleased to announce that thanks to my last two doners, Cory U and Molly G, I have MADE IT!!!!!!!

It has been difficult to ask for money, particularly from friends and family whom I know don’t really have extra to give.  The generosity has been amazing, and I even had two couple’s at Matts’ a few weeks ago open their wallets and each hand me $20.  They didn’t know me, all they knew is I was wearing my 3-day button, and had invited them to the Matts’ fundraiser.

It almost brought me to tears, becasue these folks just simply gave.  No receipt necessary, they just gave.  And hugged me on their way out.  So often, I am reminded of how crappy most people are.  So to have love and kindness and generosity spread from these four, just made my heart swell.

Thank you to each and every doner.  Every single dollar is making a difference in the lives of women everywhere.  Together, we will fight breast cancer to the bitter end.

I’ve been training, and will continue to do so.  Now that my goal has been reached, I can focus on helping my teammates, as well as focus on keeping my body in tip-top shape.  I’m planning on two back to back 10 mile walks this weekend, and luckily my trusty sidekick Ellie (oh yes and Kona) will be by my side.

Thank you.  Thank you.  Thank you.

Please join the Rack Warriors (your local Susan G. Komen walk for the cure team) www.the3day.org  for an evening of tasty small bites, a no-host bar, and the opportunity to purchase some fabulous pink merchandise to show off your love of boobs!!!

Where: Matts’ Rotisserie and Oyster Lounge in the Redmond Town Center        *****Cash only******          $20/Ticket

When: Thursday, July 16th, 2009      6:30-8:30pm

Why?  Because although times are tough, and life is busy, breast cancer affects the lives of women everywhere, everyday.  My team and I are each pledging to raise at least $2300, and will walk a total of 60 miles in just 3 days.  Please contact me with any questions: sumhopkins@netscape.net

Erin and Andrew are two amazing people.  I came to know them over the last few years, and of course jumped at the opportunity to photograph their wedding.  I met them at their love-shack in Seattle, and we went just down from their house to the water with their pup Ringo in tow.  The lighting was very challenging: deep dark clouds over the water, with sun breaking through here and there, throwing bright glares of sun right back at us.  But, looking at the pictures now, you’d never know it! 

I had so much fun being a part of Jackie and Allan’s wedding.  From their gorgeous engagement pictures (see older post) to these favorites from the big day, they laughed and loved their way to beautiful portraits.  Not to mention they had the perfect color scheme (chocolate brown and blue happens to also be my SDP colors) and the venue they chose was just wonderful.  I loved the table settings, I loved the paper lanterns hanging from the ceiling, they looked great, and in the end… these are my favorites.  Jackie and Allan should be returning from their Mexican honeymoon soon, and I can’t wait for them to see their pictures!!!

Life can be so hectic.  I think I’ve pretty much covered all the bases, and then I realize there are many things I’ve been missing.  Phone calls home for instance.  I am always so excited for the weekend: with gardening, training for the 3-day, a shoot (or 2) almost every weekend, spending time with friends, etc. etc. etc. that I forget to call home.  I may intend to, but weeks go by, and I haven’t talked to my mom or grandma.  Monday rolls back around, and it starts all over again.  Not to mention blogging.  I try to blog as often as possible.  But often that turns into once a week.  Especially once the sun comes out.  So, I have not written in my gratitude journal for maybe a month or more.   Probably more.  Anyway, I am thankful for many things.  Sunshine for one.  I appreciate that due to the seasons we experience living in the northwest, sunshine is an exciting anomoly.  People leave work early, cancel all plans, and head outdoors.  Neighbors come out of hibernation.  Grass starts to grow at lightening speed.  My dog all of a sudden is the first to rise, whining at the door to go out and just lay in the sun.  I have to dig up last year’s sunscreen, and start to use it daily.  Winter weight needs to take a hike, and literally, so do I.  Perhaps the one down-fall of the summer and sunshine, is my beloved book club cannot find a time to meet to save our lives.  we decided instead we would start our next book, and perhaps have a double meeting in the fall.  We will have so much to share with oneanother, we might need two happy hours to get it all done

Last I saw this family, the youngest was just weeks old!  How wonderful to spend some time with them again a few weeks ago out in Snoqulmie.  We had another gorgeous, warm day to work with, and the boys did a great job playing, running, and having fun.  We started at the train station on main street, and then walked over to Sandy Cove park for the wide open green grass.  Typically, I walk down to the end of the park, and take the trail out to the rocky beach.  But the river was so high, when we got to the end, there was a whole lot of nothing… bummer.  We still got a lot of variety, and as usual, I have some favorites:

Here we are: the Rack Warriors!  Our breast cancer three-day team completed ten miles as our first training walk last weekend.  Man oh man it was hot… the sun beat down on us, and I for one was not expecting to get so hot.  We walked out of Marymoore park in Redmond, along with hundreds of other cyclists, walkers, joggers, and roller bladers.  A few of the women I know from work, and a few I had never met before.  Let me tell you that at the end of this first walk, I felt a connection with my team.  Not only are we all joining forces to fight breast cancer, but we are committing to push our bodies and minds farther than many of us ever have before.  We got a few thumbs-up, and a few cheers along the way.  Please, if you haven’t made the time to donate yet, do so today!!!

Our fantastic five just finished Kelly Corrigan’s The Middle Place.  I for one, LOVED IT!!  I had picked up and considered buying this book three if not four times.  But for one reason or another, I’d put it back down, vowing to find it again some day.  My day came when it was my turn to pick our next book.  It is all about the “middle place” between being an adult, with your own responsibilities, family, troubles, and still being a child.  Someones child.  Someone who still wants to protect you, and yet, may need your protection too.  Both Kelly and her father face cancer, as individuals, as a daughter, as a father, but also as a family.  I laughed out loud, and cried too, all in the first fifty or so pages.  She calls out herself when she is being bitchy, ridiculous, tired, and cranky.  She wonders at times why her husband even bothers to put up with her, and why on earth her young children still love her, after a particularly cranky afternoon.  She artfully describes her emotions, her fears, her deep down troubled thoughts.  I found myself completely enraptured, and loved every minute of this story.  Needless to say I highly recommend this book.  It is right up there with Eat Pray Love on my list.  Top five for sure.  I haven’t met with my book club yet, so I’m not sure if they are all in love with it like me.  But I am.  And sometimes that is all that counts.

Some of my husband’s family lives in the central valley, and his Dad and step-mom were in town visiting their ridiculously adorable grandaughters.  The whole gang came out for family portraits while I was in town, and it was great to see and visit with them if even for just an hour.  These two little cutie pies are so photogenic, the shoot went by in a flash!  Thanks for coming out, and it was wonderful to see you all!

Alicia and I have shared so many memories together.  Living far apart, there has been some very important moments we have missed, and yet our friendship remains strong.  I don’t get to spend too much time with her family, but I have been fortunate enough to photograph them a time or two.  She and Chris have two beautiful children who are super sweet, a little silly, and mostly drop-dead gorgeous!  Here are just some of my favorites: