...an artistic celebration of life
July 31, 2010
Taken 4th of July!
I’m having to use my laptop. My computer is needing some TLC… not even sure when I’ll get it back! NOT FUN! So here’s a random photo I took over 4th of July. There was just something about it that I really liked!
I’ll keep you posted!
July 26, 2010
Last night Lissy and I, along with her friend Falyn, and her mom Stacey, went to see none other than…. teen heart throb: JUSTIN BIEBER!
Lissy LOVED it! Mom… was pleasantly surprised! It was actually a GREAT show! We had a blast! He is a talented kid. AND it was the loudest concert I think I’ve ever been to in my life! my ears were RINGING!
Anyway – it was a really fun night!
GO JUSTIN – GO JUSTIN, GO JUSTIN!!! Ok.. I’ll stop now!
P.S. Kinda sorta didn’t listen to the security guards… got some shots with my big lens. But it was with a D80 – so there you go. NOT my D700!
July 22, 2010
I love this little town! Established in 1791, Canandaigua is is located in the Finger Lakes region of Upstate New York, south of Rochester! It is quaint and absolutely beautiful! And it is, as most of you have recently read, where my husband Peter grew up!
The kids and I had the chance to spend some time there, and once again I fell in love with this place~
I wanted to share it with you!
This is Main Street… which leads right down to Lake Canandaigua. There are lots of shops and boutiques!
the famous Niagra….
The Canandaigua City Hall and the Courthouse…. I THINK! Help me out Canandaiguan’s. I don’t remember exactly! And of course, St Mary’s Parish. This is where Peter attended Church – and it is where I believe so much of his faith was established!
Then there’s Captain Gray’s Bait & Gift shop located on the pier of the lake! This adorable shop is owned and operated by Peter’s close friends the Hoffman family! They provide boat tours of the lake daily! We also had the chance to stay with the Hoffman family one night! We had a blast with their 4 kids Laura, Amy, Brian and Megan! We Love you guys! Thank you so much for the time we spent together!
We had a chance to stay on the Lake in this amazing cottage. And I wanted to personally say THANK YOU – SO MUCH to the Buck Family that graciously extended this cottage to us! My children and I loved it – and we had the best time!!
And a great big hug to you Papa Como – who came every morning to have coffee with me on the lake! Each day he brought some new treat to have for breakfast – and I truly enjoyed spending time with him!! He and his wife Mary, I will say, had a tremendous impact on Peter.. and on Peter’s faith! Peter loved and admired Mary for her devotion and her strong sense of family. Mary is now with the Lord, and I know beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Mary and Peter have been able to spend time together – in Paradise!
Just had to post a picture of Papa Como too:
There are other families I’d like to thank as well! Kelly & Greg Gelinas, and their beautiful daughters Alex & Sami! It was SO wonderful to spend time with you! We just LOVE YOU GUYS! Kel, I need you to come visit AZ – Girls weekend away!! Bring Ann and Anne! Also, Ann and Ed Mulhern! Thank you for the Canandaigua Braves shirt AND the Lacross shirt! It was really wonderful to spend time with you!
Mayor… we LOVE YOU and the kids LOVED meeting you… finally! Thank you for the amazing dinner! We definately hope to see you in February!!
Billy and Marge Como –thank you for the tubing! Will get pics next time! Miss you Isabella!
Scott & Mary Jo – thank you both so much!! Scott — AMAZING day on the lake. Hope you saw the photos!
Kevin Perron and Jessica & Jackson! LOVED spending time together! Jessica, you made me laugh SO hard on the lake!
For you Peter…. my favorite photo from the trip – we continue to miss you each and everyday! But we believe you are alive and well! In perfect peace.. in heaven!
July 20, 2010
So, our recent trip to Canandaigua had a very specific purpose for me and the children.
You see, it is the hometown of my husband Peter. It is where he grew up. Where he met childhood friends, went to school, to church, played sports, etc etc… ( and I say etc etc for all of Peter’s buddies 
)
It is where so much of his life was shaped. And I believe it is an integral part of who Peter was and the man he became!
Unfortunately, he and I had not had the chance to share this place with our children! Colin had been to there when he was just a toddler, but we just hadn’t made it back since then. So our kids had never seen Peter’s hometown of Canandaigua New York, and that troubled me!
In this past year I have felt such a need for them to go there and to see this beautiful little town. To see his roots. Meet the families that Peter loved and continued to stay close to. Lifelong friends he has loved and respected since I’ve known him!
This was so important to me!
So when Peter’s close friend Kenny invited us to stay in their families cottage on Canandaigua Lake, there was no way I would miss the opportunity to share this place with the kids! THANK YOU SO MUCH KEN!!
But… True Confession
The MOMENT I saw the 1st Canandaigua sign driving on the I-90 .. It hit me so hard that I almost had to pull over! It was pouring torrential rain! I’m praying like a mad woman because this California/Arizona girl does NOT drive much in that kind of rain! I drove like a gramma! The kids were asleep in the back, as we had just spend the entire day in Niagra Falls.
I see the sign… and it hits so hard! The reality that I here in Canandaigua – with the kids – and WITHOUT Peter! Sigh…..
Well, I gave the rain a run for it’s money. I had my moment. The most difficult one of the entire trip.
I think the Lord let me have it all by myself on the 1-90 in pouring rain with the kids sleeping soundly. All I can really say is that of all the times I have missed Peter so deeply, this was one of the deepest…
But overall… our trip was so good. It was filled with so many wonderful and beautiful moments. And I am SO glad that I brought the kids here. THEY are SO glad they came here. They even told me… and that felt SO good! I hope I honored Peter through this…
I’ll have plenty more to say of this sweet little place soon…
July 17, 2010
By far one of the best days on our vacation, was the day that Scott took my kids tubing on the lake! Our friends, the Hoffman & Perron kids were able to join us.
Then we also had the king of tubing himself with us…Mitchell! He was so good at it!!
This was SO much fun and I laughed so hard that it hurt! I even got on the inner tube myself. And I’m paying for it! My arms were SO SORE yesterday! But it was worth it!
Here are a few photos! There were so many great shots and facial expressions, so I had to do a video! Click the video below to see more tubing photos!
P.S… Billy & Isabella… I’m Bummed that I didn’t get out on your boat with my camera! The ones from the dock… thumbs down! Too far away! NEXT TIME OK!! 
ENJOY
SCOTT… The man behind the madness:
Copyright Pati Pakulis Photography | All Rights Reserved | blog by kimtown
I like it because of the way the sunlight and sand are creating an almost fog-like look to the photo. I don’t want to get all metaphorical or philosophical here, but it reminds me of something you’d see in a dream-like state…almost like a snapshot in someone’s memory…and they’re seeing it while they’re not quite totally asleep but not totally awake either.
I’ve had these kind of “mind snapshots” before where I’ll see a scene of something that I remember and there’s music to it, then the music fades and the picture fades away. Kind of like that cartoon scene out of the cartoon, Anastasia where she’s dancing and singing to “Once Upon a December.” That’s kind of what this reminds me of.
I have a big imagination and I’m always creating little stories out of art that I see. ; ) So, of course, I started creating a little story with this picture….what I picture with this particular shot is a (grown up) guy at college thinking about his childhood and reliving a memory with his family….hearing the sounds of the voices that day, feeling the breeze on his face, feeling the grit of sand between his toes and feeling the warmth of the sun and the stickiness of sweat on his face as they all ran back and forth, playing. Then, the sounds fade away and the picture dims in his mind and he’s back in his dorm room, and the realities that surround him now…and he realizes that he’s grown up, but still carries that memory and the heart of a kid around with him and still makes who he is.
I told you, big imagination, haha
I love pictures like this because they capture the emotion of the moment without necessarily locking in the details of “who’s-who”…they capture the moment instead. Nice work! : )
LOVE this Pati!!!