In My Own Words

Writing and Images from the heart...

In My Own Words

Writing and Images from the heart...

Day 6 – Uh oh…

At 2am we awoke to a scream from the other bedroom in our suite. We went in to find Peyton covered in vomit a screaming in confusion as to where he was and what had just happened. (Can you blame him?) By 4am he was still throwing up and we were at a loss. Eric went to the store to get any kind of meds he could find that may help and I waited in angst as to what we should do next. In a hotel. Far from home. On the day we were supposed to check out and visit family.

At 7:30 I called my aunt and explained what happened. She told me I should wait until 11, see how he is, and make a decision at that point to either stay in Orlando or make my way to her in Stuart. I had suggested we should start driving home but since we weren’t sure what it was she thought it would be worse to be on the highway with this happening. 11am came, he hasn’t thrown up since 5:45, so we made the trek her way. We didn’t say goodbye face to face with our friends because we didn’t know what it was for sure and didn’t want to give it to anyone.

On the way we got to see some real authentic Florida wildfires! So that was cool.

When we got to my aunts house, things were great! My Auntie Tina played with the kids, we went swimming in the pool, visited with family, and had a nice dinner. That was until 9:00pm when Peyton got sick all over my aunt’s guest room. We were still at a loss. Was it food poisoning? Was it sickness? What was going on with him?! Hopefully he will be better tomorrow because we have a nice big dinner planned with our Florida family.

Follow Along on my Socials

I can definitively say that 2024 was the most transformative year I’ve ever had. From having back surgery which changed my quality of life, to losing 45 lbs (and still going!) every second felt like a culmination of long journeys I’ve been on for years. Seeing The Rolling Stones, Creed, and The Eras Tour are all core memories I’ll store away for a rainy day. Nothing was without surprise, like making an unexpected and major career change into CTE Administration, and becoming a Ciocia again. I wouldn’t change a thing that happened in my life in 2024. I’m thankful for the friends and family who I shared incredible memories and experiences with this year. I can’t want to make even more in 2025. ✨Happy New Year! ✨
And with that, my 2024 wedding photography season is complete. The first wedding I ever helped out on I was 18 years old. I’m 43 now which means that I’ve been working in the Wedding Photography industry for 25 years. Every year I learn something completely new and this year was no different. 

Working with families and couples side-by-side, in some cases for years, to help them orchestrate the day of their dreams is something I take great pride in. I feel honored that my clients have chosen me to be present and document some of the most significant moments of their lives. I am also grateful for their faith in myself and my team to give experience based guidance, always with their best interest at heart.

All of my experience and the things I’ve learned along way have only made me a stronger entrepreneur, leader, and instructor in my vocation to the thousands of students I’ve taught over the years. Some of them moving on to become professional photographers, filmmakers, or artists themselves. Being a practicing photographer in my industry has given me more than I could have ever dreamt of as a 17-year-old kid taking Photography as an elective at HCC. 
 
For that, I want to thank all the couples, families, friends, and wedding professionals that I’ve had the pleasure of working with this year. Each one of you has filled my heart with joy and gratitude. Thank you for trusting me with documenting some of the most important moments in your lives. It’s been some of the greatest joys of my career. 

See you in 2025!
Instagram post 18085561792518647

I can definitively say that 2024 was the most transformative year I’ve ever had. From having back surgery which changed my quality of life, to losing 45 lbs (and still going!) every second felt like a culmination of long journeys I’ve been on for years. Seeing The Rolling Stones, Creed, and The Eras Tour are all core memories I’ll store away for a rainy day. Nothing was without surprise, like making an unexpected and major career change into CTE Administration, and becoming a Ciocia again. I wouldn’t change a thing that happened in my life in 2024. I’m thankful for the friends and family who I shared incredible memories and experiences with this year. I can’t want to make even more in 2025. ✨Happy New Year! ✨
And with that, my 2024 wedding photography season is complete. The first wedding I ever helped out on I was 18 years old. I’m 43 now which means that I’ve been working in the Wedding Photography industry for 25 years. Every year I learn something completely new and this year was no different. 

Working with families and couples side-by-side, in some cases for years, to help them orchestrate the day of their dreams is something I take great pride in. I feel honored that my clients have chosen me to be present and document some of the most significant moments of their lives. I am also grateful for their faith in myself and my team to give experience based guidance, always with their best interest at heart.

All of my experience and the things I’ve learned along way have only made me a stronger entrepreneur, leader, and instructor in my vocation to the thousands of students I’ve taught over the years. Some of them moving on to become professional photographers, filmmakers, or artists themselves. Being a practicing photographer in my industry has given me more than I could have ever dreamt of as a 17-year-old kid taking Photography as an elective at HCC. 
 
For that, I want to thank all the couples, families, friends, and wedding professionals that I’ve had the pleasure of working with this year. Each one of you has filled my heart with joy and gratitude. Thank you for trusting me with documenting some of the most important moments in your lives. It’s been some of the greatest joys of my career. 

See you in 2025!
Instagram post 18085561792518647

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I can definitively say that 2024 was the most transformative year I’ve ever had. From having back surgery which changed my quality of life, to losing 45 lbs (and still going!) every second felt like a culmination of long journeys I’ve been on for years. Seeing The Rolling Stones, Creed, and The Eras Tour are all core memories I’ll store away for a rainy day. Nothing was without surprise, like making an unexpected and major career change into CTE Administration, and becoming a Ciocia again. I wouldn’t change a thing that happened in my life in 2024. I’m thankful for the friends and family who I shared incredible memories and experiences with this year. I can’t want to make even more in 2025. ✨Happy New Year! ✨
And with that, my 2024 wedding photography season is complete. The first wedding I ever helped out on I was 18 years old. I’m 43 now which means that I’ve been working in the Wedding Photography industry for 25 years. Every year I learn something completely new and this year was no different. 

Working with families and couples side-by-side, in some cases for years, to help them orchestrate the day of their dreams is something I take great pride in. I feel honored that my clients have chosen me to be present and document some of the most significant moments of their lives. I am also grateful for their faith in myself and my team to give experience based guidance, always with their best interest at heart.

All of my experience and the things I’ve learned along way have only made me a stronger entrepreneur, leader, and instructor in my vocation to the thousands of students I’ve taught over the years. Some of them moving on to become professional photographers, filmmakers, or artists themselves. Being a practicing photographer in my industry has given me more than I could have ever dreamt of as a 17-year-old kid taking Photography as an elective at HCC. 
 
For that, I want to thank all the couples, families, friends, and wedding professionals that I’ve had the pleasure of working with this year. Each one of you has filled my heart with joy and gratitude. Thank you for trusting me with documenting some of the most important moments in your lives. It’s been some of the greatest joys of my career. 

See you in 2025!
Instagram post 18085561792518647