September Photo Shoots

I have been so honored to

have been asked to shoot another wedding and 2

 more family sessions. I love nothing more than doing this!

East End Girl Photography at your service!

The wedding was one of the 

sweetest I have seen and was so much fun. 

Happiness always Katie and Shawn!

I can't believe sweet Tabitha is 6 months old already! 

She and her Mom and Dad are such a special family.

And wow! Luke is almost two! How did that happen!

He and his lovely parents make one of the most wonderful families.

I am so grateful to these amazing people for 

allowing me to be a part of their lives! And aren't they all photogenic?

Summer 2013 was just amazing! It was a bit of a whirlwind

 to be sure but so much fun. A family trip to Quebec, a girlfriend getaway

to Tennessee and North Carolina. We saw Brian Wilson, the Happy Together Tour,

Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers, The Blues Brothers and the legendary Tony

Bennett in concert. 

We had visitors from around the country, 

lazy evenings with friends on the deck, day trips to Columbus and Cincinnati and Bill

and I celebrated our 35th wedding anniversary in late August.

 We began that weekend with Tony Bennett and finished with

 a wonderful dinner with family and

friends. We also have reservations to take a weekend trip to Ohio's

 Amish country in November to continue the celebrating! All in all a delightful

Summer to remember!

Here's to a beautiful and happy September for all of us!

Sunflower season is here, the sun sets just a wee bit earlier, the breeze

feels cooler and its time to begin decorating for Autumn!

My favorite time of year is upon us!

Warmly,

Susie Q

A Big Day. Nope. A BIG DAY!

Oh yes...it is a BIG day here at Rabbit Run Cottage! A BIG day...no.

Wait. Strike that. It is a HUGE day! Gigantic. Monumental. Earth shattering!

Okay, so it isn't exactly *earth shattering* but hey...

It's our 31st anniversary. I know what you're thinking! How could anyone as young as I am possibly be married for 31 years! Ahem...I married Bill on this day in 1978. And heck.

I still love the guy. He is pretty cute, puts up with me and all my faults, is a super dad and

*sometimes* picks up his dirty socks. I'd say he is a keeper.

For a little of our story, please look back at a post I did last year: The Journey Continues

It is also the first day of a new school year! I am one of those loopy parents who *hates* the day the kids return to school. I will miss having Grace as my daily side kick. I felt the same way when Daniel started back each year...*sigh* She is beginning the 5th grade and even though I am sure Mom embarrassed her, she agreed to a quick photo at the bus stop. And yes. She *IS* cute isn't she? And just when you thought that this day couldn't get any bigger...wow. I, Susie Q, the mistress of Rabbit Run Cottage is going to see The Jonas Brothers tonight! I know you are all excited so try to control yourselves. No pushing now...calm...calm...there. Better? This will be Grace's first real concert and she is over the moon about it! Thanks to my talented friend Gary and his beautiful daughters (who secured tickets for us when they were almost impossible to get), Grace, her BFF, her BFF's Mom and I will be in Columbus, Ohio tonight, rockin' with the boys. I KNOW it is their first day of school but they are young. They will be alright tomorrow and ready for school bright and early...me? Who knows! But we will have fun and I will be sure to tell you all about it. Bill and I will have dinner together later this week to celebrate our day...or maybe, just like one of my dear friends did when she and her husband celebrated a recent anniversary, we will go out for ice cream! Even better! Now go on out there and have a great day...a BIG day. A Gigantic day of monumental and earth shattering proportions! Just enjoy it...and remember to smile. You look gorgeous when you do!

Love and Hugs, Susie Q

October 3rd

October 3rd would have been my parent's 55th wedding anniversary.

Sadly, we lost my Father 8 years ago. There is not a day that I do not think of my Dad and I know it is the same for my brother and my Mom. Their anniversary is always a little hard for Mom so we will be taking her out to dinner this evening, to a place she has been wanting to try. I wanted to share a few pictures from their wedding album with you. If the church looks familiar, we were married in the same sanctuary. You may remember the photos of our 1978 wedding that I shared in August.

My folks met at Carolyn's Flowers here in Dayton. Mom worked there during her vacations from Ohio State University and later, during her Summer breaks as a school teacher. My mother taught 3rd grade for 32 years.

Dad was the shop's delivery man. He worked there as his *off duty* job from the Dayton Fire Department. My dad was a career fire fighter for 26 years.

As you might have guessed, Carolyn did all the wedding flowers as her gift to my Mom and Dad and they were beautiful.

And yes, they were a good looking couple if I do say so myself! Heck, my Dad was a looker! I still have friends who see their wedding portrait and swoon when they see Dad. *grin*

Dad's best man was his life long buddy, Jack. Jack passed away not long before Dad did. I can imagine the two of them, in Heaven, sitting around a table with a coffee cup in hand, discussing world events. Mom's attendants were Kathleen and Rosemary. Both were childhood friends of Mom's. Kathleen and Mom were later roommates at OSU. They all remain friends today. Mom just spent several days with Kathleen at her home in Minnesota and was able to spend some time with Rosemary, last month, at her home in Pennsylvania.

My Mom and Dad were always devoted to one another. They bickered, as most couples do, from time to time but were always there for one another and were always in love. I was, and still am, so proud to be their daughter. Mom? I will always love you and Dad....you are both

forever in my heart. Happy Anniversary. Yes, Dad may be gone from ths world but it is STILL your anniversary day. Hold those sweet memories close and know that Dad is with us.

Ah...One Last Post From Our Trip...

...and a collective sigh of gratitude is heard 'round the world. Yes, I will annoy you no more with photos of our anniversary trip to Chicagoland. But I thought it would be fun to end with some of the homes of Oak Park. Glorious old beauties all...much like myself. *gulp* Okay, okay, the beauty part, not so much but I have that OLD thing down pat! Anyhoo, these are but a few of the charming homes in the Oak Park area.

You will find the birthplace of writer Ernest Hemmingway in Oak Park...

As well as the home and studio of architect Frank Lloyd Wright.

Just look at the roof on this lovely Tudor home! Right out of a fairytale!

Beautiful old homes of worship as well...

This is Unity Temple, a Frank Lloyd Wright design.

Thank you for indulging me and for understanding why I needed to be away from the computer. I hope to be by to visit each one of you in the next few days! I wish you a sweet week, many smiles and happy moments. Love and hugs to you all....

Susie Q

Observations And A Taste Of Chicago

...ah. Good huh? Chicago is such a pretty metropolis. Friendly too. The perfect blend of big city sophistication and Midwest charm. Kinda like me huh? No? Okay, okay but a girl can dream right?

Oh, and I want to remind you all about my August 19th post. If you have yet to grab the award for yourself, please do! I wanted you all to know how special I think each one of you is. Without you dropping by, I would just be sitting here mumbling to myself and none of us wants to see that now do we?

We had a fine time in the Windy City. Great food, beautiful, comfy lodgings and so much to see and do. It was my 5th trip to Chicago and I have yet to be disappointed. I thought about our friends Sheila and Jim and their families near by. We would love to see you all on our next visit. This was such a quick trip and we kept it quiet and *just for us* this time. I hope that made sense. It isn't everyday that we celebrate a 30th anything right?

And I had no idea our blog friend Latharia was so close by!

I wanted to wish you all a sweet weekend. Stay well, be good to yourselves and remember how special I think each one of you really is.

Thank you all for your sweet anniversary wishes. They meant so much to me and to Bill. Some of the emails were extra dear as well. I was asked if I had any suggestions to offer a newlywed couple. Oh wow. I am the last person that should be doing that!

We did not arrive at our 30th without a few battles and well healed scars. I adore him. Love him with every ounce of what little strength I have anymore. But we are very different in many ways and those differences often rise up when we least expect it. Still, I respect him and he respects me. As one of my blog friends wisely said, "Love is a choice". Yes, a wonderful, glorious choice. It is not something to be taken lightly and is often a choice we must make over and over again throughout the years. There are days that I could smack him silly and days I am sure he could do the same to me. Moments of downright aggravation and dismay at something he has done or said. (I think we ALL remember the German incident, as we now lovingly refer to it!)

Not that we would ever actually *DO* that! But it is the feeling, that moment when I have had it up to my ears with whatever he is doing to aggravate me at that moment...yet there is no one else in the world with whom I wish to spend my life. I am at peace with him. And, just so I can sound exactly like a syrupy sweet romantic comedy (That I do so adore!), he completes me. Yeah, I know, I know but it is true. I got lucky. And, even when I want to scream and throw a dish or two (Egad! How could anyone actually throw a pretty dish! Ack! Sacrilege!), I choose to remember how lucky I truly am.

It remains so much fun to share a city like Chicago with him....but he still can't read a map. Nope.

Love and Hugs,

Susie Q