Kara Abbey Photography: the last weekend at the lake..

CAUTION: long post ahead :)

where in the world does one start ? i guess at the train station.. where i picked derrick up thursday night :)

(photo credit: naomi abbey)
alright.. soo.. i had been told by naomi & derrick that they had a surprise planned for me thursday night so i had to dress up.. i honestly could have cared less about going anywhere.. chillin' at paul & naomi's appartment with derrick for the evening would have been amazing enough.. (btw.. i love this girl more than anything in the world)

(photo credit: naomi abbey)
i kinda sorta guessed where we were going -- DiSalvo's.. which is this restuarant that sits under the train tracks :) we were like.. the only people there.. hehe but it was really nice..

(photo credit: naomi abbey)
and yes.. they forced me to open their presents.. as if dinner and just hanging out wasn't enough.. they felt compelled to buy me presents too.. they're crazy !!

(photo credit: naomi abbey)
haha we have the funniest looks on our faces :)

naomi cooked me this AMAZING cake.. it was SO good too -- with a layer of cheesecake in the middle.. her cakes are becoming so fabulous.. someday maybe she'll make my wedding cake :)

(photo credit: naomi abbey)
this was SO funny !! naomi didn't have any candles.. and so derrick grabbed this big thing off of their hutch cabinet and held it for me to blow out.. except every time i'd try to blow.. he'd move it away..

(photo credit: naomi abbey)
but.. i'd say the highlight of the night was hearing derrick & paul (and naomi) sing 'happy birthday' to me !! they started out "normal"and ended up singing in parts.. it was SO amazing.. i wish we could have recorded it :)

so that was thursday night.. derrick and i left to come home after the movie was over.. and then friday kinda went by in a huge blur.. derrick & i went to breakfast with my gram.. then came back to the house to practice for his concerts in november.. then we had lunch at WEC with my family.. then we ran to the mall to pick up some sheet-music.. back to the house to practice some more.. and then we left for the lake house..

this is the last weekend of the year down at the lake.. it was autumn glory weekend and it was gorgeous !! not only were the leaves all changing.. but we had unimaginable weather -- every day it was sunny with clear blue skies and temps in the 70s !!

saturday morning i snuck down to the lake while everyone was still getting ready to leave for the autumn glory festivities to take some pictures..

the water was SO smooth and clear.. amazing stuff..

i love the look on ruby's face !! sooo cute :)

and i think this is going to be turned into one of my favorite pictures of all time.. totally candid.. yet perfect.. gotta LOVE the robin hood hat !!

like i said.. it was autumn glory weekend.. which my dad reminded us is the number 1 rated fall festival in the country..

the family (&derrick) waiting for the parade to start..

this was SO funny.. we were sitting at the beginning of the parade route.. and there were 2 people on either side of the road with these signs.. letting everyone know what speed to go !

see ? sunny with clear blue skies..

the rest of saturday was spent canoeing.. canoeing some more.. giving little people canoe rides.. hehe.. chillin' with the family.. and playing scene-it :)