'Merica! What's better to celebrate America than with family, fire, and food? Nothing. Nothing is better than family, fire, and food, and if you can't celebrate with family, fire, and food on the fourth, celebrate with family, fire, and food on the fifth! Jerry and I drove to Goldsboro after oohing and aahing at Chapel Hill's fireworks, apparently a top 10 in the nation firework show according to Travel & Leisure Magazine, to have a small little celebration with family and friends. Of course, none of this would be complete without mini American flags, American Flag themed desserts, tasty cheese trays + fruit salsa, and of course, fire on a stick. This was Warner's first time with sparklers and poppers. The wonderment a child, and even adults, have with sparkly fire is just mesmerizing. However, a note to the wise: if you hand a three-year-old a sparkler, you better know how to run fast!

I hope you had a fabulous Fourth of July celebration full of family, food, and fire, too!

When Camille's fiancé, a fellow co-worker and best SRO ever (I'm afraid what he'd do to me if I didn't throw that in there, haha!), contacted me about photos, I was happily surprised to find out that they were in the midst of blending two families full of kids together! They decided they wanted to do separate portrait sessions before one big family portrait session, so on a beautiful and sunny day at the end of June, I met Camille and her four kids, twins, Charles & Chandler, Celsey, and Peyton at the West Point at the Eno park in north Durham. These kids are awesome! Celsey & Peyton were so smiley and bright, telling me about what they love at school and about their sports, gymnastics and baseball, respectively. Celsey even stole my heart with her glittery mustache earrings! Charles & Chandler are die-hard baseball players, traveling all over the state to play a good game of one of America's favorite past times. These two, while similar, had two completely different favorite ball fields where they've played before: Charles loved playing in Charlotte while Chandler's was Wilson. And of course, like any great travel ball players, they've played at good ol' ECAP down the street from my old stomping grounds in Goldsboro! Camille + family -- y'all are such a fun bunch! You made a steamy N.C. summer afternoon into a great portrait session! Good luck with baseball, gymnastics and planning your big, new family!