Monday, April 2, 2012

St. Joseph Pier Lighthouse

The last few weekends have been so wonderful for us. David has had a few days off of work and we have taken full advantage. Point in case: the St. Joseph Lighthouse on Lake Michigan.

David planned a little day trip over to the west side of the state and surprised Harbor and me by taking us. He announced a day at the beach just hours before heading out, so we scrambled to get a few things together. He said he left me a clue by leaving a map pulled up on the computer the night before, but I saw it and didn't register that it was a hint. Silly me. Now that I know how he plans to roll, I'll be sure to keep my eyes peeled. : )

We drove to Silver Beach to spend the day here.


Just heaven, I tell ya.

Miles of deserted beach.


Crashing waves.



Lighthouse and pier, stretching into the horizon, becoming one with the sky and water.



Water-worn drift wood.
Warm sand.


Screeching seagulls.



and a camera with an empty SD chip atop a tripod.
 Heaven, right? I knew you would agree with me. : )

David and Harbor entertained themselves digging trenches and building castles.
I chased gulls and walked my tripod up and down the coast,
angling for the best shot and playing with the light.



David, thankfully, loves using the camera as well, and captured some special moments, too.












I wanted to end this post by saying a few words about family pictures and how important they are. I know hiring a photographer can be expensive and that alone can deter you from taking regular family pictures.
But, if you are like David and I, we currently live almost exactly 1,000 miles and 15 hours one way from home {and anyone we know who can take pictures for us.}

All of these family pictures were taken by using the self timer feature on our camera and an inexpensive tripod. It takes practice, especially to get a three year old to smile on cue, but can totally be done... for free!

So get out there and practice with your self timer! I'd love to see your family pictures! : )


8 comments:

  1. great pictures, beautiful scenery! beautiful family! :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Great pictures of your sweet family! What a day to remember!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Great pictures and a beautiful beach. So fun to have all those new places to visit.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I love all the photos that you caught of your weekend out & about. You will never be sorry that you took the time to take photos, because as you know time passes so very fast & once its gone you can never get it back. Little Harbor is growing up so fast & these photos are all we have back in Arkansas to see it happening. Plus you also want to capture you & David still being so young. Poor David is now 31 yrs old,ha!!!!And you are next,ha!!!!! Dad came home today at lunch & said the funniest thing, when he told me goodnight last night I was on fb & he saw a few of your photos & then today he said he went to your blog to see if you had put them there yet, but he said they weren't there & he seemed alittle sad,ha!!!!So now I will tell him they are here so he can log on & look at them, isn't that so funny knowing Dad,ha!!!!Give Harbor a kiss & hug from Poppy & Gigi. We miss & love you all, Mom

    ReplyDelete
  5. These are beautiful pictures! Looks like a fabulous day!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Gorgeous pictures, Jess!

    It makes me smile to know that there's someone else out there who's as obsessed with taking pictures as I am! My hubby is constantly picking on my need to snap pictures of everything. But my answer is always the same: A picture is worth a thousand words. And when we're old, we'll have all of these beautiful memories to reflect on :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. I love Silver Beach - including the wonderful carousel and The Curious Kids Museum. My son-in-law is a homicide detective and he also takes pics of lighthouses and sells them on the side. This is one of his favorites and he has it in all seasons.....

    ReplyDelete