Take Me Out to the Ball Game

There might not have been any peanuts or Cracker Jacks for sale, but with the heat of southern Utah unexplainably under a hundred degrees the night we went to Dylan's softball game, it turned out to be a pretty decent night for a ball game.

Photo credit: Chuck Bennorth

Now, if you know me at all, you know darn well, I wasn't the one playing. I have had an aversion to softball since I was a young girl. Whenever I was up at bat, the entire outfield would come in-field, and sit down, waiting for me to strike out. Should I mention they gave me SIX strikes? Those were sad days. Another uncomfortable memory I have of playing softball in the hayfields of Virginia is watching the action through the webbing of my mitt, trying to keep those gnasty gnats out of my eyes. But I digress...

My oldest had a double header while we were visiting them in Saint George, but he didn't seem very enthusiastic that Chuck and I wanted to bring our cameras to the game. He wasn't sure we understood the situation. 

Photo Credit: Chuck Bennorth

Dylan's the new guy on the electrician company's team, so he's just there to have a little fun, and help them have enough teammates to play. "I'm not that great," he told us. We didn't care; it would be an opportunity to practice shooting action shots. 

He reminded us that hardly anyone would be in the stands; we would kind of stand out with our telephoto lenses. We could handle that. 

Jamie and I had fun chatting, and cheering for Dylan.
Photo Credit: Chuck Bennorth

He mentioned that hardly any of the ball players would have family there watching. That was okay by us; we'd have our pick of seats in the stands.

It was settled. Dylan would have his own little entourage of paparazzi photographing all of the action at the community ball park. He wasn't exactly thrilled, but he resigned himself to the fact that we were determined to shoot the softball game.

When Dylan was a little boy, he would get up to bat, quickly strike out, and happily trot back to the bench, grinning ear-to-ear. I remember his first hit; he headed straight for third base, and it took a couple of coaches and the yelling of a laughing crowd to get him going in the right direction toward first base. 

Photo Credit: Chuck Bennorth

Now here he is, catching pop-up flies, grounders, and running toward home plate, after successfully running the bases in the right direction, I remind you. My firstborn is in his thirties, and still giving me proud mama moments. 

Softball will never be my game, but if Dylan is playing, you can bet your bottom dollar I want to be there if I can, with my camera around my neck, ready to catch my boy in action. 

Hey, Mama, Look at Me!

"Look at me! Watch me! Hey, Mama, look at me!"

Sierra gets to try a move from her favorite movie, Dirty Dancing, with a little help from Braedon.
Photo Credit: Chuck Bennorth

When my children were younger, they loved having my undivided attention, which isn't to say they always had it, but they ate it up when I applauded, and "ooh"ed and "ah"ed at the appropriate moments. 

You'll get there, Braedon. #hairgoals

There were first steps, first days of school, t-ball games, dance recitals, riding without training wheels, playing board games, doing a flip underwater at the pool, learning to cartwheel, achieving the next level in video games, football games, cheerleader competitions, and band concerts; my children were pretty busy kids growing up. And I was there photographing most of it.

Fast forward to now. I'm mothering three adults; both sons are married, and my daughter has a boyfriend. As my baby birds have left the nest, and found their significant others, I suppose sometimes I felt this mother bird's mothering wasn't as necessary as before. At one point, I may have worried a little bit that my "Mama, look!" days were ending, but a recent trip to Utah put those fears to rest. 

While we were in Utah for Bridger and Joscelyne's wedding, we had several special photo shoots; not only did we shoot their bridal session, wedding, and wedding reception, but we were able to photograph Dylan's mountain biking in the desert and his community softball game, Jamie's dancing in the studio, and all of the kids swimming and playing games together. 

Summer days in southern Utah can get hot. "But it's a dry heat," we're heard to say. Even 108 dry degrees are hot, though, so we beat the heat by spending the afternoon at a pool in Saint George. 

Sierra tells Braedon the Duck Story. Every time the word DUCK comes up, the listener goes underwater.

The kids had fun trying different stunts, and revisiting childhood memories of pool-time fun. When I wasn't taking pictures of their antics, you can bet I was in the water cooling off with them. Even Chuck got in!

Photo credit: Chuck Bennorth

It's not that they are attention-hungry fools, but having grown up with a shutterbug for a mom, the kids have been desensitized to lenses pointed in their direction, and they indulge Chuck and me in our passion for photography. 

Chuck has been a very welcome addition to our family, and between the two of us, there is nearly always a camera at the ready for shenanigans and tender moments. Living 1,400 miles away from our Utah kids isn't always easy, but enjoying the moments captured with cameras helps this mama manage in between visits.

I'm looking forward to sharing more of my favorite memories with you here. It was a wonderful, whirlwind week with the Waters' kids. 

Where Everybody Knows Your Name

It's today! It's today! It's today! HUZZAH! It's today!

We finally get to go to the Bristol Renaissance Faire today! Chuck and I rarely miss a weekend, but we had good reasons this year; we were with our family in Utah celebrating the marriage of our youngest to his sweetheart. Now we're back; HUZZAH! And ready to go to the faire.

Chuck asked me last week if there were people I was looking forward to seeing at faire. Oh, my goodness, yes! So many faces I hope to see. So many hugs I hope to get. So many smiles I hope to capture. So many friends I have not seen since the last day of the season last year. 

WHERE EVERYBODY KNOWS YOUR NAME

Making your way in the world today

Takes everything you got

Taking a break from all your worries

It sure would help a lot

Wouldn't you like to get away?

Sometimes you want to go

Where everybody knows your name

And they're always glad you came

You want to be where you can see

The troubles are all the same

You want to be where everybody knows your name.

You want to go where people know

The people are all the same

You want to go where everybody knows your name

(Gary Portnoy, Judy Hart-Angelo)

At this very moment I'm listening to the theme from Cheers, "Where Everybody Knows Your Name." That is how faire feels to me. Of course, most folks don't know me from Adam, but the friends who do make me feel so special. The Bristol Renaissance Faire is THE happiest place on earth to me. 

I was going to make a little Instagram post featuring some of my favorite faces from faire. Y'all. I just can't. There is no way ten little pictures can show the faces of all the people who make me smile behind my camera every summer weekend. 

So here is an humble attempt to share some of my favorite captured smiles from previous years. I cannot wait to see our friends! And to make new ones!

If you ever visit the midwest in the summer, you really should try to visit the Bristol Renaissance Faire. You'll discover for yourself what a wonderful place it is to spend summer weekends, and you just might happen to make new friends who feel like old friends, like we did.

I love this human so much.