summer vacation // garner state park // tx

we recently returned from our frio river trip to garner state park in the hill country of texas. this place is magical. the park opened in 1941 and is the most visited state park in texas.  the cool clear waters of the frio river run through the park which is a reason why this place stays really booked so planning way ahead is essential to getting a spot for the summer. 

we were surprised how many people were there and how family friendly it was. during the summer, the park has a nightly dance for the guests. tons of teenagers, adults, and kids dancing together and having fun! annie and jane had a blast and were completely blown away with the music, the number of fire flies buzzing around, and the amazing atmosphere of laughter on a hot summer night. 

on the second day we decided to rent some tubes and go on the short river float ( 1 1/2 hr. ) we rented our tubes through the park and they trucked us to a drop off point outside of the park. we tided our tubes together so we could stay together and off we went. the river was flowing pretty good we didn't have to get out and walk in too many places. annie thought going over the "waterfalls" (rapids) was pretty cool. jane was a trooper, no complaining. it was so relaxing and a great way to see a lot of amazing scenery. 

there is no doubt we want this trip to become a family tradition. we recently purchased a used small 19 foot camper that is going to see a lot of use this summer and in the coming years. we do no media on our trips and the kids absolutely love it. something about the outdoors calms my mind and brings me back to a very peaceful happy place.  

happy campers // lake murray // memorial weekend

i made the announcement last week about our little family growing into a family of 5. baby hager #3 is due Halloween 2016. the first 4 months were pretty ruff and i was extremely discouraged with life and work. don't take that the wrong way. i have to be honest and say that everything isn't always easy ALL the time. i love my family and my work and God has truly blessed me with wonderful clients and amazing children. 

something i decided when we found out we were expecting was a little cut back. i have been giving myself no down time. i was working every weekend and on my days off (sunday & monday) the first thing i'm cutting back on is weddings, i will no longer be shooting weddings. i am finishing the weddings i have in contract and then that will be it. bittersweet because i love all the emotion and happiness that comes with weddings but i know in my heart it isn't the right fit for me. 

i also added a wonderful creative entrepreneur to the store to help me out with the hours. her name is Alison with Lily & Sparrow Designs, she hand letters and is an amazing artist all around. so if you stop by and don't see me, more than likely it's her! i know 4 days a week seems limited to some but this store isn't the only thing i do. i have to make time to screen print, run errands, and be there for my family. 

with that, i am determined to do more of what i love and what fuels my creative side, CAMP! we bought a little 19' camper and it's amazing. we went on our first trip memorial weekend, it was less than 24 hours but i can already tell we are all going to love it. lake murray is in oklahoma, about 1 1/2 hours from wichita falls. it's spring fed, clean, and so much fun. i tried to relax and not focus on capturing every moment. i couldn't hold back when we woke up monday morning and the kids couldn't resist the water. the kids are hooked. we leave this weekend for another camping trip! here's to summer, water, family, and happy little campers. 

and here's a little video of our morning on the water. at the very end annie is trying to get Ryan in the water, don't be fooled the water freezing and it was 9am. we couldn't hold them back.