Vantage Pictures . Wedding Photojournalism . Pennsylvania . USA . Earth

I’ve never heard of an “unBaby Shower” before, so when Sarah and I were struck with the idea of having one, we decided to jump at the chance of being original. (A rare opportunity indeed!)

Basically, an “unBaby Shower” is a streamlined event. The main difference is that men are invited. We don’t play silly typical baby shower games, and we DO eat lot’s of free, home made food. Gifts are of course encouraged (the better they are, the more they will be cherished by our unborn child…)(We’ll see to that!). The most important rule is that there is no time limit that you have to stay at the “unShower”. Some of our friends just ding-dong-ditched their present, and jumped back in the car! (Way to understand the principle of the “un” guys!!!)

Anyway, it was a blast! We had relatives and friends from all over the state stop by and pay their respects to my wife’s belly. 

Opening some of the gifts..

My nephew found an illuminated globe and had some fun examining it…

Last of all we ended with a slide show (old school!) of some ancient memories (That’s my Dad at the helm!). It was a fantastic evening. I’m not 100% sure, but I think our unborn daughter slept through it all. C’est la vie!

As the holidays draw ever closer, we’ve been spending more time together as a family (my parents, my brother, sister in law, and their 3 month old, and my sister). Tonight was spent first at Golden Corral gorging ourselves with thoroughly American cuisine, then at home opening some presents. 

This little break in tradition happened because my brother is flying out to Minnesota to have Christmas with his wife’s family tomorrow. We weren’t complaining having an excuse to open a few early gifts! 

As the time gets closer for our little girl to be born, I have to admit that I’m becoming exponentially more excited every day. Seeing how my brother hangs out with his son makes me more so. Sarah has been a beautiful pregnant wife, and especially a PLEASANT pregnant wife, but I will happily see that go to say hi to my daughter. 

Anyway, Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday’s everyone. Good luck with the last minute shopping!

I went with Kristi to Barnes and Noble for some last minute shopping. She didn’t buy it….

Sarah sadly waiting in line at Golden Corral. Soooo sad.

I passed this lady last night in the mall while doing some last-minute Christmas shopping. Everyone was running around panicked, but she seemed to be taking it very much in stride. 

Sarah and I made the 6 hour drive down from Lancaster, PA to my hometown of Roanoke, VA. We’re stoked for the holidays, as well as for our “Un-Baby Shower” that will be after the holiday’s. We’re expecting our first child (A GIRL!!!) in February, and wanted to do something a bit different. So as to not go into it too much, lets just say that guys are invited…

This is the time of year where we get to finish off the last of our previous year’s orders. We’re just about finished with album and print orders, and will soon be putting all our efforts into booking for next year, and decorating the new nursery. (and the Xbox, shhhhhh)

Anyway, good luck to everyone traveling for the holidays! We wish you all the best!

Yesterday afternoon we got the word that we had placed in the Wedding Photojournalist Association’s 3rd Quarter Photo Contest. As you can see, we got 4th place! Not too shabby!

But in the spirit of being completely open, I have to confess, that this photo was snapped by my partner in crime and wife, Sarah. Since she’s a part of Vantage Pictures, then I didn’t feel there was anything wrong with submitting the photo. I have to say that I’m incredibly proud of her, considering she really only started shooting a couple of years ago. NOT TOO SHABBY!

Congrats also to Joel and Ashley, who were the “talent.”

Kelly and John :: Playa del Carmen, Mexico

Sarah and I spent a blustery evening with Lauren and Spencer in downtown Charlottesville, VA this past Saturday. Despite the frigid temperatures, we had a great time wandering the streets shooting their engagement photos. Congratulations you guys! We can’t wait till July 18th!

I got back from Mexico late Monday / early Tuesday morning. It was an amazing and rewarding experience to say the least. Once home, there were a ton of things to catch up on, but of course there was little time to do it. At around 7pm I jumped in the car and drove 6 hours down to Roanoke, VA for a commercial job. I’ll be here for the next week. One should never complain about steady jobs, especially these days, but I am looking forward to spending some time at home with my wife…

orlando, florida.