A Special Homecoming

I was blessed to be able to photograph the homecoming of a little boy to America, and despite the terrible airport lighting,  it was one of my favorite things to photograph this year. A couple adopted a little boy from China, and friends and family were all there to greet the new addition to their family. 

Two little girls waiting to meet their new cousin!

Grandparents anticipating their new grandchild.

Several people made signs, as just one more way to show how much they cared.

It was hard to wait for them to get off the plane!  This little girl may have showed it plainly in her expression, but everyone was having a hard time being patient.

And here are Mom, Dad, and their new son!  It was so touching to hear everybody cheering and clapping so loudly.  All the friends and family were so excited for this couple and their new little boy!

Dad with his new son.  In the background are some of the people waiting to congratulate them.

Some of his first steps in America!  (at least, in Des Moines)

The bond already formed between the little boy and his new daddy was already so evident.

He was a happy little guy - for a little bit, he just sat and watched everyone!

The outpouring of love and the visual displays of enthusiasm for this little boy were incredible.  It was easy to see that this family has a whole community of people surrounding them, ready to love on them and their new son.  What a great group of family and friends!

Grandma and her new grandchild.  I could already tell that this kiddo was going to be getting LOTS of hugs and kisses.

Congratulations to the family!  I'm so happy for you.

Yarbo

This is our dog, Yarbo.  He's a Schnoodle (Schnauzer-Poodle mix), and he had just gotten in trouble.

pathetic....but we love him. :)

 

Yarbo with his best friend, Maddie.  She's my parents dog, and wishes she wasn't Yarbo's best friend, since he's a constantly playful 1 year old puppy, and she's a relaxed, 10 year old dog.

Sarah & Aiden

This summer, I took portraits of Sarah & Aiden.  We kept the whole shoot low-key and comfortable, and everything was done right at their home.  Here's a few of my favorites!

Sarah.

She's going to be just as beautiful as her mom when she grows up!

Aiden.  How can you not fall in love with this sweet little guy!

 

Sibling love. :)

More sibling love?

I just laugh every time I see this.  Those two are priceless!

Aiden, in his swing and being pushed by Daddy.

Sarah playing in the sandbox she got for her birthday.

Love those kids!

Sydney, Australia

After a lightening speed tour of the Outback, we headed to Sydney, Australia, to meet back up with Dave's parents and enjoy the city.  We spent abut 6 days there, and could have spent  month.  I loved Sydney!

Of course, you can't go to Sydney without visiting the Opera House.  We actually got to see a ballet at the Opera House, which was fantastic!  The acoustics in that place were everything that I've always dreamed of.

Australia's history involves a lot of criminals being sent over from England.  This is the barracks where some of them slept.  It was actually a sad story - some had been separated from their friends, family, and homes for something as small as stealing a loaf of bread for survival - as a child.

Wildlife in a the Royal Botannical Gardens!

 

The Sydney Harbour.  Beautiful colors in the water and sky.

An ape and her baby at the Taronga Zoo.  It is set in the city, built into the side of the hill, and accessible right from the harbour.

I especially loved the baby!

Ok, and this guy too.

A view of the city from Taronga Zoo.

Another side of the Harbour.

The Harbour Bridge at night.

A view from our 63rd story apartment in Sydney.  It had floor to ceiling windows - incredible!

Just after sunset.

I'd love to go back!

The Australian Outback

From Cairns, we flew out to the Outback, to see the huge, amazing rock formations.  We weren't disappointed! 

I got to drive on the wrong left side of the road for the first time!

Vegetation in the outback.

These flowers were so tiny!

Deadwood we found while hiking in the Olgas, or Kata Tjuta (the native name).  The background is the red rock wall that the Olgas are made of.

More of the red rock wall.

Ayer's Rock, or Uluru (native name).

It changes color during the sunset.  This is right after the sun was set for the night.

The other side of Ayer's Rock, just before sunset.

We hiked around the base of

Ayer's Rock.  Beautiful!

Cairns, Australia

After spending time in and around Christchurch, New Zealand, Dave and I flew to Cairns, Australia.  We visited the Great Barrier Reef, as well as Kuranda, a village in the rain forest.  It was SO beautiful! I couldn't believe the colors that came naturally in nature.

This was taken from our hotel room deck.

Another view from our deck, but this time just after sunset.

Sunrise, same location.

Early morning.  I couldn't believe how much the colors changed, all within the course of a day!

Michaelmas Cay.  It's a cay rather than an island due to the lack of trees. The Great Barrier Reef was beautiful, but difficult to get many pictures without getting a non-waterproof camera wet!

A kangaroo at Kuranda.  I was standing right next to this one - they're so used to people here that you can even feed them!

This kangaroo was my favorite! My lens wasn't zoomed at all - he got really close to my camera out of curiosity!

And koalas.  I wanted to bring one back with us, but Dave said no.  However, we did get to hold one - that was amazing!