I have taken a TON of photos over the past week. I know you’re probably thinking “Um, but Suzanne, you ALWAYS take a ton of photos, why is this new information?” Really, I haven’t actually been taking photos. I’ve been trying to get used to wrangling 3 kids. It’s kind of been kicking my ass, especially in public. Even with Linc tied to my body I have a hard time, because he’s either grabbing the camera or his weight changes my center of gravity and I have a had time balancing to get interesting, in focus photos. Besides the

Besides the photo I take every day for my 365 project, I’ve hardly been doing any creative or documentary photography. This blog was built on me sharing photos of our adventures, so it’s really been suffering from that loss. Bebehblog started with a crappy point and shoot camera and evolved into somewhere I learned, shared and grew with my photography. I am hoping I can get back in the habit of documenting our lives with more than just my iPhone.

We went to the zoo with some of our favorite friends on Saturday to celebrate Z’s 4th birthday. Caroline and Z are like two animal-loving peas in a pod, so they a great time. We all did, because hanging out with friends is the best.

You would think my kids would be over goats by now, but you would be wrong.

Flamingo impression.

LOOK AT THIS MONKEY. LOOK AT IT.

New zoo exhibit: Wild Gingers.

I just stopped in the middle of this post and thought “How did a photo of Baby Evan get in here?” The family resemblance is STRONG.

Linc’s first time getting to ride on a horse, and an up-and-down horse at that! He loved it.

One of the reasons I keep up my photography business, if only on a very very part time basis, is because it gives me a tiny bit of truly disposable income. I can spend that little bit of income on whatever I want, whether it’s new photography equipment or getting my hair done or an investment in something else. That last one is what I did with my first quarter income from 2015 – I invested it in my family in the form of a membership in the Amos Lake Beach Club.

So far, it is proving to be a very worthwhile investment. The lake has shade, so much shade that I don’t have to wear sunscreen. The lake bottom is mostly sand and no rocks. There are picnic tables and grills so we can sit and play cards and stay for dinner. It is approximately 15 minutes from my front door to the parking lot. There are swings and climby things for the kids, fish so plentiful and fearless you can catch them with popcorn and a net, and there are almost always other children there for my children to play with but it is rarely crowded.

To be honest, I was sort of dreading the summer and all the free time we would have to…stare at screens and ignore each other. I am not good at saying no to iPad time when it’s only 10 am and the kids are already whining. The lake solves the “should we pack up and go somewhere or stay home and relax” problem. We can do both! At the lake! And we can bring beer! I enjoy my family the way I imagine people are supposed to enjoy their families when I am at the lake with a beer. I mean, I love my family all the time, because they are my family. But there are definitely moments where all I want in the whole world is the freedom to go do something FUN that doesn’t end up being incredibly stressful. But when you’re relaxing only 15 minutes from home, it’s easy to relax. As long as no one breaks their leg (KNOCK ON ALL THE WOOD) there are no emergencies at the lake.

I feel really really lucky we can live the #lakelife this summer. It’s going to be good for all of us individually and good for all of us together.

Friends, meet Tiffany. She’s cool. She’s a photographer. She’s also a Navy wife who just arrived in beautiful Connecticut. Well, actually, she arrived just in time for the Endless Winter Of Snow And Despair, but somehow managed to stick it out until things improved and is now enjoying the absolutely PERFECT weather we New Englanders like to pretend we get 90% of the time. We’re very good at lying to ourselves.

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Oh, the beach house. Why can’t real life be like the beach house?

If you haven’t been reading for years, the beach house belongs to the uncle of one of my friends. He allows us to borrow it once a year for a long weekend. It has 6 bedrooms, each with their own private bath, a huge kitchen, 3 wine fridges, a fully stocked (with alcohol) butler’s pantry, every TV channel ever, a deck and private pool, and beach access to an always deserted private beach. Everything about the beach house is nicer than my own house, including the dishes and beds and beach toys. There is a planter full of herbs that grows on the deck, so if you need fresh basil for dinner it’s right there. The towels and sheets are color coded to the bedrooms, so the cleaning service can put them all back in the right place when we leave. I imagine the beach house is what life is like for celebrities every day.

This year we went from three kids at the beach house to SIX kids at the beach house, ranging in age from 2 months (Linc!) to five years (Evan!). The number of adults actually fell. The weather wasn’t very good and I only made it down to the actual beach once and I drove alone for two days each way to get there AND my car broke down 10 miles from Kiawah…but it was still an amazing vacation.

The beach house is lucky. It turned out my car just had a dead battery, the baby slept through the night, and my often-missing husband even made it to the house for a very brief visit. It was so great to see my friends and talk about life and jobs and changes and babies. We’re already planning for next year’s trip (and saving up for a nanny, since we’ll have 6 actual kids, rather than 3 and 3 babies). I can’t wait.

Having kids at the same time as your friends works out well.

The pool was pretty cold. They did not care.

We try to buy a gift for the owners every year. This year we bought a huge crab pot, so next year I can fit all the lowcountry boil in it.

So much foooood.

There’s an old fashioned pharmacy/soda fountain in the shopping center on Kiawah

The beach was a little bleak without the sun, but it wasn’t too cold for the kids.

He really wants to learn how to surf

He was really good at boogie boarding though!

Linc likes the beach for about 5 minutes.

The “O” has a sad face in it, because Princess Sadface had a meltdown about…something. We still aren’t sure what.

Then she cheered up.

Couch naps, not just for babies!

Caramel apple pie. Recipe coming soon.

Caroline LOVED that there were lots of people who let her help in the kitchen.

Eating cake in her jammies. It was both early for cake and late for jammies. Vacation!!

He’s not actually that grumpy, he just makes that face.

Helping with important work. Or maybe playing games.

Reading to Baby Jesus.

The appropriate way to eat chocolate ice cream.

Linc is almost exactly the same size as his 4 month and 6 month old baby friends. FAT BABY, OLD MAN FACE.

Last morning at the pool

Goodbye beach house! See you next year!