The other day, my eldest read about the durian fruit in a book and he's been obsessing over it since then. Things you should know about durians:
- They are from Indonesia
- They have been known to kill people when falling from trees and hitting them on the head.
- They are mostly well-known, however, for their horrendous odor, described as rotting flesh.
- They smell so bad, they are prohibited on public transportation in Indonesia. You can find signs like this:
- It's *supposed* to be delicious:
Naturally, we had to try it. Durians are not easy to find here in Austin, TX, but we do happen to have a wonderful Asian grocery store, MT Supermarket, and I read that they carry durians. For a homeschool lesson, we ventured out to MT Supermarket in search of durians and we DID find them...frozen, of course ;-). It was about $20 (eep), but we just had to find out it if was as bad (or as good) as everyone says.
After letting it thaw for about 12 hrs, we were able to give it a go. Um. Yeah. I'm glad we tried it, but I think the pictures say it all. Unique and beautiful on the outside, absolutely disgusting on the inside. I'm still trying to get the stench out of my mouth :-(. The little princess, by the way, preferred to keep a safe distance and munch on Jell-o instead. Smart girl.
At any rate, our $20 "trip to the other side of the world" was fun and worth it, even if it was gross, gross, gross.
Well one thing is for certain: the mood of his one year photo session was *vastly* different than his newborn pictures ;0. Watching his mom and dad go from proud, emotional, somewhat nervous and unsure new parents to happy-go-lucky, joyful, exuberant, relaxed, fun-loving and experienced parents was quite the treat! LOVED the joy and love expressed by everyone at this session.
I'm sitting here listening to it POUR right now and it's hard to believe that just a few weeks ago, Austin had emerged from this somewhat cold winter into full on springtime! We had the best time bathing in the sunshine and soaking in the mild, warm weather that evening. Love, love, loved the colors she chose for her family and how they totally fit in with the mood of the session and the city that evening. Now that I think about it, it's also hard to believe that I first met them when mama was still pregnant with her baby girl--I tried to dig up all the old posts, but my brain just gave up ;-). And now to have documented the first few days and the first year of his life, too, truly means the world!
FYI - if you've been thinking about a session this year, a heads up on my calendar:
Feb - full
Mar - full
Apr - 4 openings
May - 1 opening
June - 2 openings
July - CLOSED
August - open -
Sep - filling up *very* quickly
Oct - filling up *very* quickly
Nov - too late for holiday sessions
Dec - too late for holiday sessions
Okay. Think I'll turn off the computer and rest my eyes for a bit while snuggled up listening to the rain...
I first spoke of my friend Michelle (my sister in Virgo-hood) several years ago on my blog. I have longed for the opportunity to do something for her and I was thrilled when I finally got the chance to photograph her stunning family. She and the rest of the Heartsong family have given me and my kiddos and many, many other families in the Austin area the precious gift of music...together (did you see her on the news???). It is a gift which has extended beyond the classroom at Heartsong for me and has even allowed my mother and I the opportunity to sing together in the Women of Heartsong Choir. I am eternally grateful for that.
Michelle was gifted with not only a beautiful voice and the talent to play the guitar (did you ever hear her song, "Welcome Baby" featured on this birth slideshow?), but she is magical when it comes to working with children...and their parents. Not surprisingly...she is also magical when it comes to her own family. It was a beautiful evening and I hope you love these images as much as I do, Michelle.
