Love, Me Blog

You may remember this POST before Christmas.  Well, I got so busy during the holidays and we took some much need time off and I forgot to make the announcment about the winner!  We got several nominations so thank you so much for those that took the time to think of someone else.  It was a true blessing reading all the stories and we wish we could photograph them all.  Keep reading our blog as we plan to do many more giveaways and feature various opportunities for you to give to help make a difference in the lives of others.

Here is the nomination that stole our heart.  We actually received two additional nominations for this amazing family after we had already chosen them.  We just decided to give all three of the nominees a $250 print credit if they choose to hire us to for portraits in the future.  I wanted to share a little about THE JONES FAMILY so that you may be as blessed by their strength and perseverence as I have.  I asked Ashley’s  permission to share her entry as it was so heartfelt and beautiful.

I didn’t even have to think about this one– the perfect person came to my mind immediately!
My sweet friend Sheree Jones exudes the joy of the Lord everywhere she goes.  She is always smiling, always cheerful.  She has volunteered with AWANA for many years (kids Christian bible-study club) at our church in Denton, and has also volunteered with Friends of the Family, a Denton non-profit that aids battered women and their children.
But if I had experienced the last few years in Sheree’s shoes, I don’t know how cheerful I would be.
Sheree experienced a back injury that causes her debilitating pain and left her unable to work for a long time.  One day I was walking through the church with her on our way to our MOMs group meeting, and she confided that once in a while her nerves would just get cranky and she would end up on the floor without warning.  “It’s kind of embarrassing!” she laughed.
During this time, her husband Watt also experienced an injury that required him to quit working for an extended period of time.  Through it all, she never lost her faith or her joy.
Then, a few weeks ago, another setback:  the Jones’ home burned down.  They lost everything, including family photos.  Our homeschool community was quick to come along side them and provide for them, but I can’t imagine how devastating this must be for them, especially in light of the fact that they are still not back on their feet financially.
Sheree is a homeschooling mother of four, and I know it would be a wonderful blessing to this family to be able have these photographs during this bittersweet time of their lives– a time when out of hardship they were strengthened, when out of tragedy they learned how much they are loved by their friends.  As you say so beautifully on your blog, photographs tell our stories, and though they have lost many treasured photos,  to begin to chronicle their story again starting now would be a beautiful new beginning.

Thank you for considering the Jones family.

After we chose the Jones Family, we also learned that Watt (the dad) was hositalized because of a heart attack!  More than their tragedies though, what I want you to know about the Jones family is how full of LIFE they are.  They certainly didn’t act like a family who had just lost everything.  They were fun and joyful and such a delight to be around.  It truly was such a blessing to photograph them and while I cannot replace all the photographic memories they lost, I sure hope that these pictures bring some joy knowing that they can start chronicalling their memories once again.  That is why we have also decided to give the digital negatives to the Jones family so they can have peace of mind that their memories are always safe. Plus, they are getting a DVD slideshow of all the images, a beautiful Coffee Table book and $350 additional print credit to fill their new home with pictures!

Thank you Sheree, Watt, Zachary, Elijah, Alyssa, and Ayden for a fun filled session!  It was a pleasure meeting all of you

Many Blessings.

OK, Here are several favorites from the session.

Zachary

Elijah

AND, I had to post this one.  He was showing me his missing tooth he had JUST lost

Sweet Alyssa

Spunky Ayden

We had some fun on this steep hill!  A favorite memory from a session for sure!

These next two are current favorites!

this next my favorite favorite.  i dont know exactly what it is, but its very “me”.  natural.  its images like this one that inspired me to become a photographer in the first place.

After our crazy fun! (bet you never had your kids rolling down a hill for a session we decided to head over the their new home they had closed on THAT DAY.  I was thrilled to make the drive.  I was so excited for them and could just smell the joy that surrounded them as we pulled up.  I can’t imagine what it feels like to lose EVERYTHING and then to sign papers on a new place to turn into home.  Bittersweet I am sure.  Sheree said the house needed lots of work and that they would be moving in 30 or more days later.  I think it was just beautiful and perfect.  Here is how they feel about it!

and my favorite part about their new home … the driveway!  i love it!

I am so excited to share the wonderful news I just received.  Woodbine House chose my photo of Sayer Riley (and his sisters … sort of ) for the COVER of Gifts II, the second edition to the popular Gifts : a book about how children with Down Syndrome enrich lives.  I am so honored and humbled once again.  Wow!

Before I share the cover photo, I want to share a few things.  First of all, I have had the wonderful privilege of photographing several children and families with children with Down Syndrome over the last year. Haven’t ever known or really been around people with Down Syndrome, I must say, the first few sessions were nerve wracking for me.  “What if I’m not good with these kids?” “What if they hate me and my camera?” were some of the thoughts in my head.  After session number #1 (Sayer’s session oddly enough) was a success, then my second session (Cute little Gabby, which is still one of my very favorite sessions to date), then three, then four, then five … and so on, I realized just how much these little angels had affected me and opened my eyes to a world of Gifts I had been missing out on.   So much so, in fact, that I get so giddy when I book another family with a child with Down Syndrome AND I am in the process of getting my full SKPA (Special Kids Photography Association) accreditation. So, thank you.  Thank you to all the families that have trusted your little ones with me and giving me the opportunity to capture the essence that truly makes them all Gifts … to all of us!

AND, one more special note before the picture, although I am sure you already stole a peek!  I was beside myself when Fran called me and told me that they chose Sayer’s picture and not necessarily for the reason’s you may think.  Of course I am proud that it is my photo, but more than that, I just knew how very much this would bless this family.  You see, Lisa, Sayer’s mom, was diagnosed with ALS (commonly referred to as Lou Gehrig’s Disease) the DAY after our session.  I don’t have to go into all the details about what this means for her and her family for you to realize how heart wrenching this is.  My wonderful Aunt, who is a friend of Lisa’s, set up this SITE in honor of Lisa and her family and to help raise awareness and support for their family.  Please check out her story and the many ways you can help!

The other AMAZING news is that when I told Fran about Sayer’s mom, Lisa, she spoke with the awesome folks over at Woodbine House, and I just received confirmation that they are also awarding Lisa’s family with a matching $250 award (which I will also receive for submitting the winning photo). How stinkin cool is that?  I haven’t decided exactly what my $250 award will be used for, but I do know that it will be going toward our upcoming calendar project with The World Should Know, which we hope will become a staple for Love, Me every single year as our way of giving back.  Let 2009 be the year you give back in anyway you can!!!  Stay tuned for more ways to give to the orphans in Sierra Leone as well.

So, here it is (for those that played by the rules )

Can I tell you how much I love this couple?  I love Coker and Jen so much.  They are two of the coolest people on earth and anyone who crosses their path is blessed.  Well, Matt and Jennifer just got married this past December.  I was honored to do a guest book for their wedding which included all their session photos.  They make it so easy because they are beautiful people to start with, so putting the book together for two of my closest friends was a delight!  This book was signed by everyone who attended in red sharpies because the wedding colors were black and red, so I made all the pages either black and white or left their pictures where they were wearing black with red accents (thank you Jen) in color.  So stylish!  It turned out to be such a special book.

Here are a few other pages of a session album I did.  John and Kristina’s pictures were so fun and colorful.  I loved adding all different colors to these pages.  The pictures are so vibrant-a combination of great clothes, backgrounds, and some sweet editing (props to Crystal for her mad skills)!

Ok, now for my labor of love.  I love when I get my hands on other people’s photos and get the opportunity to tell their stories.  This next one is not a sweet engagement or love album; it is a courageous, manly, and sometimes bloody storybook.  It’s one man’s journey in South Africa on a hunting trip.  Yeah, you heard it right.  Lions, tigers, and Gemboks, oh my!

Shawna, one of my great friends that I have been teaching with for 10 years, asked me to create a book for her husband, Perry, as a Christmas gift.  I jumped all over it because it sounded like so much fun.  She gave me two albums worth of pictures and let me know which ones she for sure wanted in the book.  Then I got to play, which is my favorite part!  It made me want to go to that part of the world because it is just beautiful.  The breathtaking views and the amount of animals I’ve NEVER even heard of caught my eye.  I found myself digressing from creating a spread and researching animals and that part of the world.  Some day I hope to sit on the beaches of Port Elizabeth and venture to Addo Elephant National Park.  Perry had no idea his wonderful wife was doing this for him.  We had to be pretty sneaky to not get found out.

I can’t help but think of Aslan in The Chronicles of Narnia.  What a courageous and powerful animal the lion is!  “Courage, courage, dear heart.” -Aslan

Shawna gave this to me at the last minute.  It’s South African money-Rand.  I scanned it and it turned out to be a pretty cool spread in this 12×12 album.

Thank you, Shawna, for letting me be a part of your memorable Christmas morning.  I love your family so much!