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Last week was big for you (and me), turning sixteen and then going to prom.

You are so unique, you are so special, you are so talented. We want you to always know how much you are enjoyed and how much you are loved!

I love….

…that you don’t care about name brands.

…how you will be doing photography for the yearbook next year.

…how you don’t make choices based on what others do and don’t do.

…the way you laugh when your little sisters do something funny. Oh how I LOVE to hear you laugh.

…that you always ask for strawberry shortcake for your birthday, the last thing I ate before you were born.

…how organized you are, I can learn from you too!

…when you said you didn’t want to take many pictures when you were in the village in Africa because you’d rather hold onto the kids’ hands. You didn’t even know I wrote the same thing in my journal when I was at M3 in Uganda.

…that you are taking AP chemistry and I can remember one periodic element (water = H20).

…how you write on your mirrors with dry erase marker and you have Christmas lights in your room all year.

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Newborn toes and eyelashes have got to be my most favorite thing to photograph. They are different each time.

She sure does look like her big brothers in this image, WOW!

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It’s time to have your picture taken. Really it is.

I was looking for some pictures of myself and found a hand full from 2012 and I liked maybe two.

So I am going to tell you what I’ve been telling myself:

Your children want to see pictures of you. Even if they don’t now, they will when they get older!

Stop making excuses for why you are not in pictures – you take them, you want to lose weight, you don’t like what you’re wearing, you don’t have time (my personal favorite).

Mother’s Day is coming up, do something for yourself and your kids, have some photos taken….You are worth it!

P.S. Don’t think you have to go and buy something new. Just go shopping in your closet…you might realize you have some things in there you forgot about (like I just did). AND… you don’t have time to go shopping anyway.

Mini Sessions For Mommas, $125, includes:
- 20 to 25 minutes on location
- with or without your children, you choose
- a CD of 7 images will be mailed to you 2 weeks after session
- if you need another reason, you can give prints to your husband for Father’s day (efficient)

* time slots available for the month of May, call or email to set up

And it gets better…I am giving one mini session away!
Send me an email (see contact page) and tell me about you…be creative, be funny, be inspiring, be real, be a mom, be YOU.
OR feel free to nominate someone you know, I’m open.
Winner will be contacted on Monday May 7th. Winner must be available for a limited number of time slots and must meet at a specified location.
Go ahead, inspire me………

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Meet my sweet little niece, isn’t she beautiful? And I love the expression on my brother-in-law’s face!

You will not be hearing from me as I am taking a break to work on some self-induced projects. It just might be the death of me…ok..maybe not, but at this point it kinda feels like it. Check back in a few weeks, I will have more to share!

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I think Rachel was the smallest baby I have ever held…barely six pounds and oh so sweet. Just look at those little toes!

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This is my brother-in-law and his family…we can’t wait to meet that little girl!!

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She was the first birth I photographed, it was absolutely precious and she still is. She doesn’t like anything in her hair though! Her mom made the birthday candle hat..so cute.

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The End…at least for now…

If you would like to read the first post of this series you can HERE. The second is HERE.

My friend recently posted something on FB and I found it very significant and thought I would share with you what she said:

“People have asked me…”What do you think about Whitney Houston?”…I don’t really have an answer, I know she was someone’s mother, daughter, friend and that makes it sad……but, I haven’t given it much thought. Africa on the other hand, minute by minute is on my heart and mind. Janine Maxwell in her book, “It’s Not OK with Me”..quotes a statistic that 30,000 children will die TODAY of hunger and malnutrition in Africa because they have no food or no one to go get them food. Why aren’t we crying for them?” ~ Miki Blanchard

I was not going to cry at M3 (the center with the younger ones) – cause if I cried – I wouldn’t be much help to the children. So I didn’t cry…aloud. I cried inside instead. And this is something I continue to do today, only my cries have evolved into screams…inside. You see, some days, it takes everything I have not to drive myself to the airport and get the next flight out. I guess that’s what happens to you when you see children in prison. That’s what happens when you know there are children who may have went for days without food. That’s what happens when you know they are children who cry themselves to sleep at night and there is no mommy or daddy to hear them, much less comfort them. Sometimes it is more than I can take. Sometimes I wish I didn’t feel SO deeply.

But I do. I was created to feel so deeply. It’s a blessing and a curse at the same time.

When I was eleven, I flew for the first time. And I was by myself. I hitched a ride to Chicago with my uncle and stayed with my aunt and then after going to museums and Six Flags and doing all the cool stuff aunts do with you, I flew home. By myself. This was exciting to me. It was also scary. Scary because I was 99.9% certain there would be terrorist activity on my flight. My 55-minute flight from Chicago to Mid-Michigan. Looking back, I don’t know why I thought this. It was way before we had to worry about this problem and it was a 55-minute flight.

So, in my eleven-year-old mind, I rehearsed. I rehearsed what I would say to this potential terrorist. Yes, I was going to stand up when he was in the aisel with his weapon of choice and I would tell him, “You can’t do this! This just isn’t right!” and I would proceed with my reasons why. The scary part was not the flying, but the fact that I knew I had to stand up in front of the (potential) terrorist and defend the rest of the people on the plane. Cause. it. just. wasn’t. right. In all reality, there was nothing to worry about on my flight. I sat next to a very nice woman who shared her chocolates-in-a-box with me. I remember thinking that was the best thing I had ever tasted.

I go back to that scenario often. I revisit how that 11-year old girl was going to stand up to the terrorist. Thankfully – I have never had to do it – cause I don’t think I would have the courage to do that now! But what I do think about is maybe that was a preparation for me. Maybe God was preparing me to stand up. Not to terrorists though, puh-lease . But… maybe for those who don’t have a voice. For those who are helpless. Maybe I need to stand up and say, “You can’t do this! This just isn’t right! ” You can’t know there are children who have not eaten in days, who have not ever had a bath or brushed their teeth. YOU have to help them!  WE have to help them! Cause some days, it’s just more than I can take.

Look at these “Faces Of Uganda”. Then tell me you don’t want to do something, anything, as much as you can.

My Little Disclaimer: I realize not everyone can or wants to go to Africa and help those in need. Maybe you are doing something in your own community and that is where your calling is and that is awesome. I know there is help needed everywhere and even when you walk out your front door. As a family, we get that and we do contribute locally. At the same time know we are called to help in Africa. It is a desperate need. Once I saw the extreme poverty, I felt responsible to do more and responsible to share awareness. It really takes all of us to help in every area of the world. If you live in abundance – share it – if you don’t – you can share your time or services. Let’s stretch ourselves…we just might be surprised at what we can do!

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Isn’t he sweet? I love his eyelashes and little toes! My mom and his grandma have been friends since I can remember and I was so happy to do this session. Our original plan was to get him in right after he was born but the little guy was sick and unable to visit anyone. He is now healthy and such a happy little baby, lucky mom and dad.

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If you didn’t catch the first part of this series, you can read HERE. These images show a little glimpse of “Life in Uganda”. I simply love the lush green vegetation contrasting with the red, clay, dirt roads. Sensory overload. More distinct smells than anywhere else I’ve ever experienced. The people, ohhh, the people – they grab your hands and say, “You are welcome!”, and you feel it. Smiles, lots of smiles, even though we might think they have little to smile about. But that is the beauty of it…. Tons of traffic and people in the streets of Kampala – and no traffic lights – at all. You never know where you will see a cow or a goat.
** It was difficult to choose which images to show. I will have one more post in this series, “Faces of Uganda”, coming soon.

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