A{nother} {Summer} Family Photo Shoot

While visiting my family for my sister's graduation, we had the fortune of spending a week in Cape May, NJ, a quaint little beach town where my family has spent many glorious vacations growing up. (More on the whole trip soon!).

When you're at the beach, and getting together is hard to come by, family photos are sort of a given.

My brother told us to pack some dark wash jeans, and generously picked up some matching goodies from "L'anana" and her sister stores (as we Frenchies call it), and with my sister's camera, some go-to poses/re-creations from our last formal photo op together, and the perfect golden hour light, we had ourselves a little photo shoot.

Surprisingly, it was sort of fun and not as painful as we expected (which is easy to do when you have zero expectations of fun or success considering the youngest subjects. Getting to play in the sand helped).

And because I'm one le tired mama right now, I'm just slapping these all in a post with as little thought as possible--literally no editing or cropping--but the good thing is that they hardly need it to begin with. (Now, to just decide which Hjelmstad clan photo should be featured in the middle of our blank gallery wall that is now going on three months of sad, lonely, emptiness. Votes welcome!).

As always, pictures are (c) the Hjelmstad/McQuaig Family, and may not be used for any reason without express permission from the owners. 

The Whole Crew

It was so insanely windy that it took a good five shots to get any of the ladies not eating their hair...
 I was glad I brought my hat for the rest!

The Kiddos

(I'll crop you out, Chica, don't worry!)

Pretty sure this one's my most favorite. Also editorial-worthy...look out, Crewcuts!

 I love how all these shots of the kids totally nail their personalities.

The HJ Clan

Option #1

Option #2 (I like the full boat but pretty sure kid expressions in #1 win).

It worked last time when the kids were getting crazy, and it worked again this time.

Option #3 (This was the best out of like 50 of this pose. I love the ocean in the background, but I'm thinking
Marie looks like she just touched one of those static electricity globes.)

The Parentals

The McQ Clan

The girls. (The all-boys photo op got derailed by a horseshoe crab sighting).

Aren't they beautiful?

And, most importantly, lots of

  S h e n a n i g a n s . 

A re-creation to make up for the lack of all-boys picture: five men and a little lady. 

If you look closely you can see the gummy worm bribes that the kids didn't choke down

before the shutter click. I don't know why, I mean, they're only upside down...

Also totally re-created from the last family photo shoot. 

I love your smile in this one, Ma!

The story on these shots: so that lovely couple necking on the lifeguard stand was there when we arrived. They saw us, and the girl told us how we were the cutest family, we were so fun to watch, etc. They even let us put the camera on the lifeguard stand ladder so we could do a few with everyone with the timer, which was quite nice of them. And then they got right back to business for the rest of the hour we were out there. We did our best to work around them, even though it made it difficult to get pictures in the boat without some canoodling photobombs. But in the end, we decided that if you can't beat 'em, just join 'em. Amiright?

And then we got a real one for good measure. (Sorry family in the background. Photoshop is coming for you).

I'll never let go, Jack! (Or guy on the lifeguard stand, whatever your name is).

And that's a wrap!

Congrats, Grad!

Once upon a time, a little lass was born to a family of two wise elders and two not-yet-so-wise youths. Suddenly, seemingly next day, the not-so-little-lass was set to graduate from high school. The family of the two somewhat-wiser-by-then-youths and the ever-wise elders gathered from throughout the land to celebrate the great occasion. And there was much rejoicing:

And the best part was that one speech about The Goonies.

(True story).

Except the best part was really the part where we all got to be together. There was a graduation party in the lass's honor, with all sorts of lovely food and people, followed by the grand ceremony that the rain thankfully broke for just in time.

There were a few bizarre déjà vû moments for me being back in the stadium, flooding my brain with memories I'd all but forgotten. But that was only a minor detail to the day that was hers through and through--and it was such a treasure to be there in person.

At the risk of sounding extra sappy, it was even cooler to just observe my baby sis totally in her element--seeing all the relationships she's formed and the impact she's made on others and all the many incredible things she's accomplished. [These are things I've sadly missed out on a bit with a 13-year age gap and a bunch of states in between].

And out of the three of us youths (or, as my dad would say, "yoots," I'd say this grad definitely has the best idea of what her future endeavors might be--the immediate future being an esteemed 5-year Masters Program for Occupational Therapy through Misericordia University. (Oh, and she'll swing a few clubs there while she's at it since she signed for the women's golf team this past spring)!

I'm equally impressed by the fact that she already has an idea of what she's getting into, having completed an internship at her high school where she worked alongside professional OTs, helping both high-needs children and the elderly at a local senior center for the past year. Pretty darn awesome, and it certainly shows more determination and maturity than I ever displayed at her age.

Then and now. I still don't think she's taller...

[I also attempted to find pictures of the two of us at my high school graduation, but all I could find were pictures of me with my parents and all my bffs/bf who I haven't seen in years. Some big sister. Thankfully I apparently made up for it a few days later--an entire album showed me wrangling a houseful of kindergarteners for a certain 5-year-old's birthday party.]

Suffice it to say, I'm extremely proud of you, sis, and so excited for all this new chapter entails. Congrats, Grad, you're gonna be great--namely because you already are!

{Return of} The Godmother!

Throwing it back all the way to Memorial Day weekend...when our favorite person (aka best bud/Godmother) came to hang out!

It was Godmommy Chelsea's second Memorial Day weekend chillin with us in the 'Ranch, (the last one being three years ago, also ironically right after we moved). It was also her birthday week, and thinking back I suppose celebrating together has become somewhat of a semi-tradition, since the first time we spent the holiday/birthday together was back in our sophomore year of college:

Ahh, memories.

As always it was fabulous to be together and celebrate, especially after three years apart (save a quick visit in March when she was passing through). After all sorts of life changes and adventures like mission trips and leaving the Army and grad school and kids growing up way too fast in between, it was awesome to fully catch up in person.

We reunited on Saturday, relaxing outside and enjoying game time with the kids before a nice dinner out.

And after dinner, we made the required stop at the grocery store to pick up ice cream run before heading to Daniel's Park for a little Rocky Mountain sunset and thunderstorm show. We also caught a double rainbow all the way across the sky, which was exceedingly appropriate considering that Chelsea was the first person to usher us into the fold of the Double Rainbow Culture during her visit three years ago.

Peter also saw this shirt in the grocery store and just had to get it for me, because he's got jokes:

Sunday was dedicated to church, relaxing, and the birthday bash! Our birthday girl's treat of choice was Strawberry Rhubarb Pie, which she pretty much made by herself  helped make, because if the birthday girl grew up learning how to bake homemade pies for her Grandma's Bed and Breakfast and a certain host is baking illiterate, it's best for the birthday girl to take charge. Erik also helped, because he probably knows more than I do by now from his weekly baking dates with Gran.

Fun with the Ookie Monster

We used the first rhubarb from the garden (still a little early for a real harvest so we mixed in some more robust rhubarb from the grocery store), and with the adaptable-to-allergies recipe I found, Chelsea taught me how easy it is [for her!] to make a lovely pie with a lattice top crust.

Then Peter and I decorated it with deer and trees, of course. Because you can take the girl out of Minnesota...

Somewhere in there was also a lively game of "Snort" -- a game that Peter made up for the kids (it's exactly what it sounds like, a whole bunch of snorting and giggling, but I'll refrain from posting the video for your sake, Chels) -- and at bedtime the kids introduced Godmommy Chealsea to the ultimate childhood classic, West Point A to Z. 

Monday dawed bright and beautiful, and because we went on a nice run during her last visit that somehow didn't scar her for life, Ms. Marathoner/Running Coach took on the project of going on a long run* with me. She ensured that I didn't die while also helping me achieve a personal best. [Personal best since Ethan was born/I got out of the Army, that is, which is an embarassingly low number.] Either she's the running whisperer, or there's hope for me after all. Potentially both.

The remainder of our Memorial Day together was devoted to the rememberance of our fallen friends and comrades in arms, with a trip to the Highlands Ranch Veterans Monument. It has a statue to honor all military service members, and a lovely walkway to the park lined with bricks containing the names of local veterans, both living and deceased. In the middle of the walkway is a stone dedicated to the memory of three local Soldiers who were killed in action: SSG Christopher Falkel, SGT John Stiles, and CPL Max Donahue. All three have streets named after them in Highlands Ranch.

We sat together there for a few minutes with the kids and shared memories of our friends with each other. It was so special to hear another account from another friend who knew them too, and hear all the "new" memories that Chelsea had to share.

We also went to the park so the kids could run off some energy, although which "kids" we're referring to is up for debate:

I can't take these two anywhere.

A short while later, the weekend ended with our Fairy Godmother flying off into the sunset (aka California), but we can't wait to spend more time together very soon--hooray for Denver-based internships, and hip hip hooray for Godmommy Chelsea!



*long run = anything over two miles for me. Weak sauce...but getting stronger!