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End-Of-Summer Escape

Will I ever stop being nervous every time I publish a personal blog post?

My heart tells me it’s totally fine. Our blog readers have always said they love reading about our lives & our travels & our family, and I’ve always told myself that when personal posts stopped getting a response, I’d stop posting them. I enjoy writing these posts as a record of how our family is growing, and what’s going on in our lives. I think it keeps my writing fresh & honest. We love that it helps new clients get to know us better… it so fun to meet people for the first time and hear that they feel like they’ve known us for years.

But my brain? Oh, my brain freaks out when I write these posts. “Who are you kidding? No one CARES what you guys did at the beach last week. Yeesh, how self-centered are you? You look ridiculous doing this. Give up.”

My brain is kind of a jerk sometimes, you’ve noticed.

As is the pattern my whole life through, my heart usually wins out over my brain, and you get a post like the one today. Nothing ground-breaking, no photographic amazingness to melt your eyeballs… just life. Summertime. Adventures with our family. Memories we’re blessed to have made, and happy to share.

If you read this, thank you for siding with my heart. 🙂

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We took the kids & my parents with us last week to Port Aransas, and stayed once again at the Mayan Princess resort way at the end of the island. We just love that property. The beach is always so much more empty, and the condos are nice, and the pools are wonderful. We typically don’t spend much time in the pools at all, but if you’re friends with us on Facebook, you read about my little encounter with a stingray. :/ I’m feeling fine now, just a bit achy, but that definitely threw us off the ocean for a day!

Rather than saving my favorite images for last, I’m going to lead with them for this post. I love that we have been coming to Port Aransas for so many years in a row, and our kids know the town and love it. I cherish these images of them we capture every year, on the same beach, showing how much they’ve grown. Our beautiful children…

We went on a Dolphin Watching tour one morning, out of Woody’s. It was SO fun. We got to see lots of dolphins (although my pictures of them aren’t that wonderful), and the boat was really big & nice.

As part of the tour that Jack REALLY loved, our boat got attacked by pirates! 🙂 They shot us with water guns and came aboard to sword fight with some of the passengers. It was such a blast!

Dorothy wasn’t such a fan.

I think my favorite part of the morning was when the first mate (a one eyed, scarred up old sailor with stories about shark attacks) pulled all sorts of sea creatures up in a net and let the kids hold the safe ones!

It was just a short walk from our room at the Princess down to the beach, which is nice when you’re the kind of people that take a lot of stuff to the beach. 🙂

My dad bought a really cool kite, and it brought back so many memories of him flying trick kites when I was a little kid!

We didn’t get any pictures of the stingray that got me, nor did we photograph my foot when it was huge & purple & bleeding… but we got a picture of the crab that stabbed Mack, so that’ll have to do. 🙂

On Friday before we made the 6.5 hour trek home, we went to the USS Lexington in Corpus Christi. My dad is a WWII buff, so he’s been wanting to go for years. We all really enjoyed the tours!

There’s no such thing as an attractive group picture on the beach. Someone is always squinting. No one’s hair is done. WHATEVER. These photos of our family together are priceless. We’re so grateful for such a great relationship with my folks, and fun travel times together!

It’s hard to believe that school will start for Jack in less than two weeks, and that after our upcoming wedding in the Dominican Republic and a quick trip to Vegas, the fall wedding season is going to kick off with a bang. What a wonderful summer it’s been!

  1. Jennifer says:

    Love the personal blog posts! I love seeing pics of your family just as much as I love seeing all the other families you take pictures of.

  2. Vicky says:

    I LOVE your personal posts, you guys are just the cutest!! Please never stop posting! 🙂

  3. Amanda Johnson says:

    Remember that blog post you wrote about the potential bride who came in, picked your stuff apart, and basically wrecked your confidence for a bit? And you realized that she and McGowan images just weren’t a match? People who would not enjoy seeing these personal posts and McGowan images are not a match either. Some people don’t like this kind of stuff–doesn’t make ’em bad, just makes them THEM. Other people LOVE to see this sort of thing–again, doesn’t make ’em good, just makes them THEM. Your business has grown the most and done the best whenever you have stayed true to yourself (yourselves), so stick with it and you can’t really go wrong. Also, I adore the pic of Roger and Dot with the kite. He was a great dad to his little girls and now he’s getting to be a great granddad to your little girl.

  4. Mehg says:

    I LOVE your personal blog posts, actually correction I LOVE your blog and your personal blog post make it feel so homey and welcoming 🙂 – and I so love that!

    Looks like you and your family had a fantastic vacation, thanks so much for sharing!

  5. Monica says:

    I LOVE your personal posts!! PLEASE; Chelsea’s brain..shut up, and let her post these wonderful memories without any guilt! 🙂

    OMG! I LOVE the picture of Dot and your dad; it brought a tear to my eye! I can’t wait for my dad to meet his grand-baby!!!

    Good job, Chelsea!

  6. Jackie says:

    It looks like yall had so much fun, you know despite the whole stingray incident. And you have really beautiful children. I hope Mack is ready, Dot is going to be a heartbreaker.. She is absolutely stunning.

  7. Ambo says:

    You’re personal posts are by far my favorite! I’m pretty much in love with the picture of Doofy on stage with the flag behind her, such a little rock star! Love all the shots!

  8. Claire says:

    I just love these! I think both of your kiddos look just like their mama and are absolutely darling. 🙂

  9. Casey W. says:

    I love y’all’s personal blogs!! And I’m one of those people who said it made me feel like I knew y’all already too 🙂

  10. Ram G. says:

    Although I don’t comment often, please know that I’m ALWAYS following your blogs. I cannot imagine not seeing your personal posts. For me, it’s what not only makes us clients, but FANS of the McGowans. There’s a lot to be said about getting personal with followers and I think you guys do it well. You inspire me to keep photographing my family even though I will always be an amateur. Please don’t ever stop.

  11. stephanie says:

    Personal blog posts ROCK! That is all.

  12. Nicole says:

    Looks like a blast! We want to go next time!

  13. Lynne says:

    You are a great writer and a great photographer…I love seeing your work, and I love seeing your family. The love your little family has is so special, and it comes through in the pictures. I love the one of Jack and Dot from behind walking and holding hands. And, you’re wrong – your group picture is great – every one of you look wonderful!

  14. Kevin says:

    I always love your family vacation pics! First Jack always has an epic pic, which is awesome. Then there’s always a great pic of Jack and Dot being sweet together which is just adorable. Kite flying looked awesome! I wanna go next time!!!

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