tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6308797656282130192012-02-15T22:25:16.747-08:00Creating balance, finding beauty and enjoying life as a mamarazzi.Abby Laneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00512511789432688261noreply@blogger.comBlogger31100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-630879765628213019.post-88570478035462537202011-07-21T08:05:00.000-07:002011-07-21T08:05:50.972-07:00I got an email from the school Principal yesterday saying school starts on August 30 this year. &nbsp;It's hard to believe that summer vacation is half over. &nbsp;Luckily, we have created some fun memories as a family, and hopefully the kids will have something exciting to write when the teacher says, "Write about what you did this summer." <br />This summer, we went to the Pacific Northwest. <br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/abbylanes/5902393484/" title="“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” ~ Mark Twain by Abby Lanes, on Flickr"><img alt="“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” ~ Mark Twain" height="500" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6039/5902393484_27cc020fe6.jpg" width="333" /></a><br /><br />We flew to Seattle, and then took a ferry Orcas Island, Washington:<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/abbylanes/5907005558/" title="We are visiting Washington State.  I am in awe of the natural beauty.  This is the view from our canoe ride earlier, and the eagle had his eye on us. by Abby Lanes, on Flickr"><img alt="We are visiting Washington State.  I am in awe of the natural beauty.  This is the view from our canoe ride earlier, and the eagle had his eye on us." height="368" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6046/5907005558_2cd5617856.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br />We explored this island, and captured it's beauty with some of the latest technology. &nbsp;I was able to instantly share this photo of the Orcas Island Hotel, which was captured using my Iphone and processed with the Instagram App.<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/abbylanes/5910719452/" title="Orcas Island Hotel by Abby Lanes, on Flickr"><img alt="Orcas Island Hotel" height="500" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6058/5910719452_de13f95f9a.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br />We took whale watching excursions, hiked and even toured a local farm. &nbsp;There we met a friendly farm animal named Buddy. &nbsp;We were told his mother rejected him when he was a baby, so he was raised with two goats. <br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/abbylanes/5903149519/" title="This is Buddy.  His mother rejected him when he was a baby so he was raised with two goats, Billy and Bob.  We're going to buy a scarf made from Buddy wool before coming home.  I am told he thinks he's a goat, but I wonder, how do they know? ;) by Abby Lanes, on Flickr"><img alt="This is Buddy.  His mother rejected him when he was a baby so he was raised with two goats, Billy and Bob.  We're going to buy a scarf made from Buddy wool before coming home.  I am told he thinks he's a goat, but I wonder, how do they know? ;)" height="333" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6002/5903149519_c4ba02d36a.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br />There were so many magical moments, and new discoveries, and we bonded as a family.<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/abbylanes/5941124076/" title="“Wonder is the beginning of wisdom” ~ Greek proverb  by Abby Lanes, on Flickr"><img alt="“Wonder is the beginning of wisdom” ~ Greek proverb " height="333" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6011/5941124076_ce4f2e5ecc.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br />There are only six more weeks until school starts again. &nbsp;What did you do this summer, or what do you have planned until school is back in session?<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/630879765628213019-8857047803546253720?l=lifeasamamarazzi.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Abby Laneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00512511789432688261noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-630879765628213019.post-75138349163032734362010-12-07T12:46:00.000-08:002010-12-07T12:47:37.549-08:00This blog hosts photos from living life in mamarazzi land. ;)<br /><br />These are my artistic photos. &nbsp;If you're looking for portraits, they can be found on my photography site at:<br /><br />Abby Lanes Photography<br /><a href="http://abbylanesphotography.blogspot.com/">http://abbylanesphotography.blogspot.com/</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/630879765628213019-7513834916303273436?l=lifeasamamarazzi.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Abby Laneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00512511789432688261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-630879765628213019.post-57061223306121526802010-12-07T12:45:00.001-08:002010-12-07T12:48:26.828-08:00<div style="padding: 3px; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/abbylanes/5215530540/" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4089/5215530540_3638b8d68e.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/abbylanes/5215530540/">"Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting and autumn a mosaic of them all." - Stanley Horowitz</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/abbylanes/">Abby Lanes</a>.</span></div>My children claim, "We don't have seasons in Southern California." True, we have moderate weather, and our seasons are all mostly sunny and warm. However, being a photographer, I do find seasonal changes. Look kids, things may be mostly green, but we do have FALL!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/630879765628213019-5706122330612152680?l=lifeasamamarazzi.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Abby Laneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00512511789432688261noreply@blogger.com4