Introducing Queen P to Orlando the highs, lows and everything in between Day 6

[col2501]

Monday 23 June 2014

Art of Animation -our family photo shoot with Randy Chapman

I just wanted to share (rather a lot) of the photos with you because I love them. I will ramble on about the day in the next couple of posts

[Mrs Valentine]

I love the colour themeing of the outfits, makes the pics look really co-ordinated.

[liverbird]

Absolutely gorgeous photos Colette! How tall is Brandon - he's really shot up, must be as tall as you. Love the b/w photo of Poppy and the one where you are all in order of height, how much did the shoot cost (if you don't mind sharing?) as I think this is something I would love to do next time rather than memory maker - have hundreds of the same photos so would like to try something different. Keep them coming please. xxx

[col2501]

Just a few more!

[col2501]

I am beyond thrilled with the photographs, but now I'll get back to today...It was one of those days that I could have done with starting again, I'm not moaning, I'm not moaning, I am not moaning...okay I am moaning a little bit...

I know we are in Florida and nothing else compares, but really wanted to catch a break today...

(See why I started with the photos - all nice and lovely and positive! )
I woke up with what felt like mount Etna on my face (I exaggerate but I don't get spots, and then one turns up on the day of a photo session)
And it continued on the way to

We stopped at the local garage to get petrol and so I could get the daily budget from the cash machine (it was one I hadn't used before) It declined, I thought I done it wrong and tried again, That declined too. so I stomped back to the car and got in, and Chris asks me to get back out and stand with him while he fills up - what are you 9?

I pulled a face and got out and stood there anyway, when he realised how silly he was being he told me to get back in and continued filling the car, you know pretty much as we do at home!

So on the way to AoA I fretted over my card some more and that we may well be late (my pet hate)

Then we met Randy and he is the loveliest guy! We had a chat and then started the session - as you have already seen it was fab!
I did it via Carrie @ Destination Occasion. The session costs $250 for 2 hours at a resort of your choice (from a list) and you receive all photos taken on a disc and you get copyright too (we had over 500images) on 2 discs, one colour set and one black and white.
In 2010 I paid Randy a deposit for a trash the dress shoot I was meant to do in 2011 but it never came off and Randy kindly agreed to honour the deposit for this family shoot so I was thrilled!

It was very hot though, Poppy was ratty, the kids, although really good were getting fed up and Chris was melting in his black polo top. (he'd wore it as it was smarter than his usual park attire and he wanted to tie in with us in black and white.

And of all the days I hadn't packed the bag properly, we had no drinks or snacks with us, no water..in this heat...silly silly me...not only that we had no money on us to buy any..and my card wasn't working...

I tried another cashpoint while Chris took some photos for me and that told me my card was blocked. Joy.



We got back to the villa and I checked my cictbank account online and to me it looked like they had debited my account with the money I had attempted to get out at the garage but never actually received SO I phoned them, and yes my card was blocked as a fraud check, they unblocked it for me and we had a long discussion about the debited mney and said I could raise a dispute (turns out now, the dates were confusing me on the statement and all is fine)

So next we headed to Walmart although we didn't really need to go, I think it just pulls you in..we spent a fortune on needless things and Chris saw this

and labelled it the pimpmobile

When we got home from Walmart, there was a cockroach in the villa yeeeeuuuccckkkk! Now, it was just one and it was right by the front door, so I'm sure he'd just found his way in then, and he was ejected quickly by Chris but my mood just kept declining!

I was sat on the couch and accidently dropped Chris ipad on the villa floor - ?@!%
There was a tiny chip in the side casing and he took it really well, it's not like I had smashed the screen but still, that was close...

Chris was outside with the older kids and a beer


and Poppy ran towards them and straight into the patio door, on any other day I might have found this (midly)amusing but not today, I was preparing to go back to bed! (Poppy was absolutely fine by the way)

Then we ordered tea from Pizza Hut, an hour later no food had appeared, now we were paying cash on delivery so it wasn't like I had lost the money but after everything today I just wanted to give up - I was about to phone the store when the door went and tea was here!

I did say I thought you'd forgotten us and he apologised and said they were mega busy, if yuo wnat to see our massive pizzas see here




After tea we realised that Poppy had lost her dummy (probably in Walmart) and it's the only one she will entertain, we don't carry spares because she won't have them unless they are identical to the one she loves...
last photo of the beloved dummy


we were going to just put her to bed without it, but she had burned (ever so slightly) today but she's so fair so I panic, then with her banging her head I asked Chris to go back to Walmart and just buy any pacifier. Which he did and Poppy promptly refused them.

Eventually in bed, she took one in protest, wouldn't put it in her mouth but she held it and went to sleep.

What a day there were loves and hates in equal measure, but on the bright side, it's our one Disney day tomorrow and it's an epic!

[thewatsons]

Great day x

[WileyCoyote]

Oh, such a wonderful photoshoot, it really is fabulous,so many wonderful pics , love the outfits and the shots are so natural , sorry it was a pants day round it though . These things are sent to try us but why they come all on one day is a mystery ... Hope it's a better one tomorrow xx

[Taggie]

awwwww what a rough day, apart from the absolutely gorgeous photos

[summersun]

not such a great day but the pics are fab

[CuriousAlice]

Beautiful photographs - I expect that you cannot choose a favourite. Really enjoying following your holiday x