Bella Italia

I've been meaning to post my Italy photos from our trip this summer. I took so many photos, I've been editing them a little at a time. I finally got some printed and am looking forward to hanging them on our blank living room walls. My other photographs and paintings have been hanging in my brother's restaurant in Memphis, so our walls have been very bare.

Here are some of my favorites. I have several others on my SR facebook page: www.facebook.com/studiorefuge

Rome: Cafe, Pantheon, Lady in a window

Florence: Duomo, Ponte Vecchio, Carousel Piazza degli Strozzi

Cinque Terre: Vernazza and Monterosso

Montipuliciano

Lucca

Sienna Chapel

Copyright Julia Jones, Studio Refuge Photography©

Images may not be printed, copied or shared without permission.

I have some major catching up to do....

I need to update my court case with bored Doraville traffic cop and his buddy, buddy judge. (there's a hint)

I've got a million Italy photos to share and millions more I still haven't edited.

I've got videos and photos of my brother, Chip's progress with learning to walk again.

But, what I've really been waiting 3 months to post is..................................

We're having a BABY!!!!!! I'm being lapped by my friends with procreating, but we are finally there. It's been a long hard, private journey, as most women like me with infertility issues experience. I knew I wouldn't really want to share publicly my journey until I finally has some good news and hope to share with others.

Our "maybe baby girl" as I call him or her because the doctor was pretty sure it's a girl, is due early January 10 or 12th, but I am for end of December. I was always annoyed with parents talking in weeks..."Why can't you just say your kid is 2 not 24 months" or "Hang on let me do the math on 16 weeks pregnant" But, seeing how each week is another milestone, I'm right there with pregnant moms.

It's a sweet reminder of God's goodness to be due in January because we lost our baby this past January. Of course, that makes these past 3 months a little more worrisome, but our little one is healthy and active, moving around and kicking already.

Of course, our child will be the most well documented child with photographs. I'm looking forward to our babies first photo shoot.

Here "she" is: (Turns out it was a he;)

11.5 weeks pregnant. Moving alot, looks like she's sucking her thumb.

6 weeks pregnant in Italy.

I was so thankful I wasn't sick and could carry around my pack.

9.5 weeks pregnant.

11.5 weeks pregnant

I should be packing right now, but....

One last blog entry before we head to Italy on Thurs.
I had to share the latest adventures of Hank and Woody. I also wanted to post some photographs I took this week of the cutest Great Dane in the entire world. (Sorry Hank and Woody, she's pretty cute)

So, we headed to the lake this past weekend to celebrate a friend's birthday at a cabin. It was a lovely time. It started out with a the oddest Chuckie Cheeze style Mexican restaurant with clowns, magicians and phallic sword balloons. (Pics to come.)
Then it was chillin at the cabin, cruising on the boat, with interludes of our friend's breast pump parties. Saturday about 7:30 p.m. we are about to head out for a boat ride to a bluegrass concert and we get a message.

A guy in our neighborhood tells us our dogs are running around the neighborhood. Not anything to shocking. Hank finds a new hole to dig we haven't filled in with cement from time to time. Ryan decides to head down to the house to see if he can track them down after the neighbor can't locate them. He can't find them anywhere in the neighborhood, there are no holes, and the gate is open.

Turns out our neighbor's friend was helping get our neighbors dog in the backyard. Their dog was staying over with Hank and Woody and they were helping us out by feeding our dogs. So the gate was not fully latched and the dogs got out. Typically, they sprint around the cul-d-sac for a few hours and hang around the house.

Hank and Woody decided to blow the joint and make it a guys night on the town. By 12 am Ryan can't find them anywhere. I am up at the cabin worried sick that they had gotten hit or taken. About 2 am Ryan calls me. He is on his way to pick up the dogs. Some guys were up late playing Wii bowling and Hank and Woody showed up on their deck. 

The thing is their house was over 3 miles away and entailed them crossing multiple busy 4 lane roads. They slept off their Sunday runaway hang over and we promptly booked their stay at Camp Woof while we're in Italy for 9 days. Just in case they planned another get away.

So here she is. Check out those grey eyes. Amazing!

St. Simons Island

We took a long weekend with friends on St. Simons Island.

   It was gloomy most days,

 but finally had a sunny day the day before we left.

      Our last evening, 

       we were able to watch the spaceship launch at dusk.

I love my husband

He makes me laugh cry, sometimes just cry, but most of the time laugh cry.