Love, Me Blog

Miracle is one of those words, like awesome and amazing, that is used so often that its meaning gets diluted over time. So, just to refresh your memory here is the definition of the word “miracle”.

- An effect or extraordinary event in the physical world that surpasses all known human or natural powers and is ascribed to a supernatural cause.

- Such an effect or event manifesting or considered as a work of God.

Every birth is a miracle. Each one so unique in the process, yet the outcome is mostly the same.  This time for me, documenting the amazing birth of Logan, I was struck with the realization that not all births end the same, and the word and meaning of miracle kept coming to mind.  Life was quickly put into perspective for me as I watched the miracle that took place on March 3rd.

Kalie labored all day and into the night until Logan made his grand entrance. She pushed for hours as her epidural wore off and fought, with the intense support and compassion of Matthew,  to push Logan out naturally.  I’ve witnessed several births now, and I must say that under any other circumstance, Logan’s delivery would have been very different. The combination of a super supportive husband, a rock star nurse with 40 years experience, and sheer will power created a moment I will never forget. And I truly believe it was that energy that gave little Logan the power he needed to fight for his first breath.

You will see in the video what seems to be a hole in the story.  It’s against hospital policy for me to document what takes place when things don’t go according to plan.  I guess its for liability purposes and to protect the doctor and staff.  I truly wish I could have documented those few minutes, which felt like a lifetime, because they truly are a testament to people working together, under extreme pressure, to give a family the miracle they had hoped for.  Logan’s arrival was very different than every other birth I’ve documented.  After hours of pushing, he came out limp and blue and not breathing.  This left me completely terrified. I had hoped that Kalie and Matthew were unaware that there was a problem because it was their first child, but as any parent can attest, you just know when something isn’t right.  Matthew was the first to say “Why isn’t he crying?”, which was quickly answered by “Don’t worry, he will”. As I stood in the corner, fervently praying for a miracle, I witnessed what appeared to be a lifeless blue baby laying limp, while focused nurses and doctors jostled him back and forth, pounding on his back, with the background echo of a young new father coaching his baby boy to “Come on”.

“Come on Logan, Come on”, “Come on Logan”, “Come on Buddy, you can do it”  ” Come on Logan”. Over and over he yelled, crouched down on Logan’s level, with a voice filled with  intense hope that all would be okay.

Then, suddenly, a half cry, a breathe.  Then a full cry.  Then screams.  The sound of a baby screaming will forever have new meaning for me. It will forever remind me of the miracle I witnessed on March 3rd, 2010. The awesome and amazing birth of Logan Bean.  I’m honored to share it with you.

Thank you Kalie and Matthew for allowing me to be a part of your miracle! It was such a pleasure meeting your family and witnessing little Logan’s grand entrance. I see big big plans in his future. You can’t enter the world that way and not have incredible purpose.

Somewhere in the midst of the holiday chaos, my crazy little one turned 3!  My mom came up to the studio a few days ago to pick out favorites and order some big ones for her and my dad’s new shop they opened this past November.  PS. If you ever need a transmission, you must go see my Dad, Mom, and little brother at North Texas Transmission.  They are located right off of stadium close to the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium.  Sometimes, you can even catch the “real” boss on a Friday here and there!  I took these images at my dad’s new shop, so my mom ordered them on these really cool new white standout mounts I now offer.  They look amazing in her office! I’ve got to get up and take a picture to share.

Anyway, here are a few favorites of her in, of course, non other than her birthday CournteyCourtney! I thought I’d share even though these were taken in December on her actual birthday. If you want to see last year’s version,  you can see the little monkey when she turned TWO HERE! Both sessions are all over her new “big girl” room full of bright crazy colors that match her little BIG personality !

These are actually the three mom ordered for her wall!

For those of you who have followed this journey with us from the beginning, you know that exactly one year ago we made the big announcement that would change our hearts forever … if you need to catch up, you can start HERE. and then click on categories at the top and choose “Africa”.

It’s amazing to me that one year ago, I was preparing for my first trip to Africa and preparing my heart to see true suffering.  Sure I had seen the images on TV of the little kids with swollen bellies and flys swarming around their face, but I had never stood in the middle of a country devastated my war and mass murder, leaving countless victims to fend for themselves.  I had never traveled to an “amputee camp” to see men and women outcast from society for brutality they did not ask for nor deserve, or walked the dusty roads of a tiny country filled with huts we would never have our pets stay, little children running around with tattered and dirty clothing and swollen bellies because they had never known the feeling of being satisfied after a meal.  No, exactly one year ago, as my plane landed in the country of Sierra Leone, and I stepped out onto the tar runway, alone, I knew that while I didn’t have a clue of what I would experience, I knew from that moment on, my heart would be forever changed.

… what a difference a year has made!

More than what has changed in my heart, there has been remarkable change at the Wellington Orphanage where I fell head over heels in love with 84 spectacular children!  For one, now there are 10 more children that have been taken in to be cared for, making it 94 children I will soon see again! In the past year alone, the Wellington Orphanage has seen great change because of the generosity of those who are called to travel and those who have generously given to the cause.  For starters, nearly all the children in the orphanage have a sponsor, and many of them have two! Not only does this money provide basics necessities, such as clean water and food (two bowls of rice per day), it also provides uniforms and education.  Also in the past year, Revive Africa has replaced ALL the bunk beds in the orphanage (a 10K project). While we were there last march, a top bunk holding a sleeping child fell on top of another bunk also holding a child.  Thank God neither were injured, but it was a enough for the women on the trip to raise the money needed to replace the beds!  Also this year, the kids experienced their first ever Christmas!  Can you imagine life without Christmas??  They, of course, celebrate the meaning of Christmas each year, but had never experienced the joy of receiving even the smallest of gifts. This year that all changed!

Even more than what Revive Africa has been doing this year, specifically out of my trip last March, we were able to sell fine art prints of the images you see below, at the Golf Tournament last summer. Those images alone raised over $600 or more!  We were also able to create and sell the first annual The World Should Know Calendar.  This year, we have already sold 1000 calendars (totaling 13,500!!!) and we project that we will sell double that next year.  One of the pressing issues on my heart is the lack of nutrition provided to these kids.  Revive Africa is currently working on raising funds for the Poultry Project, which would provide the kids with some protein in their diets. Because of rising costs of food in Sierra Leone, the orphans only eat two bowls of rice per day and occasionally receive some fruit. It is my determination to see this project carried out …

So I must say thank you! Thank you to all of you who gave to our mission last year, and those of you who purchased a calendar this year! It is because of you that real change can and will happen in the lives of 94 precious children I wish you all could meet.

I will be traveling, yet again, back to Sierra Leone, this time with a small team of 5 amazing souls.  I will have the privileged of traveling again with my great friends, Rachel, Joanna, and Paul, co-founder of Revive Africa, as well as my dear photographer friend, Lauren! The five of us have very specific roles to play on this trip, but I’d say we are all most excited about loving on some super special kids!  I will be shooting the 2011 The World Should Know Calendar, as well as collecting more fine art images to be sold in order to raise funds.  Lauren and I are teaming together to take necessary equipment to photograph people in the village who have no documentation of their families existence. We hope to capture something that they will forever treasure! Also, a special group of women in my bible study are coming together to provide care packages for the women on staff at the orphanage! I can’t wait to deliver them and see the joy on their faces …

You, too, can join forces with us again to help create real change.  Because of your generosity last year, 100% of the calendar and fine art print sales went directly toward projects that give these kids a hope and a future!! This year, we hope for the same! Love, Me Photography will provide for the cost for all traveling expenses so that I can go and photograph the 2011 calendar. Any amount that we raise will go directly toward the 2011 Calendar project that we hope will raise $27,500 next year!!!  Every penny goes to providing a better life for these precious children who have stolen my heart and hopefully yours!

No amount is too small or not worthy of this amazing cause!  And it is appreciated … by me, but more importantly, by the children whose lives you have changed … every penny makes a difference.  Lauren and I are teaming together to raise 5K. You can read her story HERE.

To express what is in my heart right now in a blog post seems completely impossible.

I am overwhelmed with sadness for a grieving family who so graciously invited me in to photograph one of the most intimate and precious moments of their entire lives.  You may remember Cynthia and Mike from an engagement shoot we did last year. How fitting that the title of my blog post months ago for their session was simply, love.  Here we are again, with love, yet this time its not so light and fluffy … its heavy and gut wrenching and bittersweet, but it is still simply … love.

With an unexpected turn of events, their scheduled May wedding was abrubtly moved to last week so the beautiful mother of the bride could see her youngest daughter get married. It was my first wedding, but in a venue I’ve become familiar with over the past year as I’ve documented the miracle of birth in several hospitals in the area. I left the hospital last week heartbroken but thankful and hopeful for a miracle, not unlike the ones I get to witness in the other wings of the same hospitals.

And now, a busy week behind me that was filled with a miraculous birth that I’ll share later, the uncertainty of what the future holds for my family, and the celebration of my little brother’s engagement, what took place on the oncology floor at Harris Methodist Hospital last week took on a whole new meaning for me, but more importantly, for Cindy Death’s grieving family.

I took some time today to read through what people were posting on Cynthia’s facebook page about her mother and I was once again overwhelmed, this time, with deep admiration and love for a woman who has obviously left an everlasting impression on the hearts of many, including mine, who I met for the first time 7 days ago.

My prayer is that when you watch this video, you too are overwhelmed with love and that you allow these lyrics to sink deep into your heart, where He lives, that mysterious guy we call love.  (Make sure your speakers are on)

Oh love, Oh the many colors that you’re made of … You heal … You bleed

You’re the simple truth and you’re the biggest mystery

Oh love

Deep as the life from Gods own breath
And it’s even after death
Gone like the sunset

You can break a heart in pieces and put it back together again

You can break down sweet forgiveness; You’re the one that never ends

Oh Love

Death Family,

Thank you from ever fiber of my being for so graciously inviting me into your world.  I truly feel privileged to have spent just a few moments with you all, and especially, Cindy. It’s something I hold as sacred and I will carry with me forever.  Bless you all.  She truly is a remarkable woman and has surely claimed her reward at the city gate!

Ever since I shot this session I’ve been losing sleep over whether or not this baby is loved at all by her parents, especially her daddy …

haha.  I don’t usually like sarcasm too much, but seriously, is there anything cuter than a little girl with her daddy??  I think not!

You may remember Miss CJ “Campbell Jane” from a while back when it was her and her mommy’s turn in front of the camera.  I know you remember … everybody always brings up the baby in “yellow”!

I couldn’t resist just shooting CJ with her daddy with her beautiful Momma right there (in town from the great state of Colorado no less) so we grabbed a few family pics as well.

This next one made momma cry … and me too So much meaning to this next one for this special little girl.  What a blessing to grow up in a home with two parents who prayed and prayed and prayed for you, who love you more than anything, AND love each other.

Love you guys!

Oh, and some of you may notice that blue … well, this was my first shoot AT the studio.  Fun, huh?  I love having a great little spot right out the door!

You also might recognize that cute cute dress Miss CJ is wearing, and the answer is YES, it too is a COURTNEYCOURTNEY original. Her momma has lots of style and is a HUGE CC fan!  IF you are too and have been having trouble getting your hands on one (they sell in less than 60 seconds these days) stay tuned for a super fun little surprise I’m going to unveil in the next few days.  It involves lots of CC originals AND money for some pretty specials orphans I know over in Africa!  I can’t think of a better win win!

My sweet and super silly little girl …

The other morning on our way out the door, she just looked so cute in an old CourtneyCourtney dress that she just HAD to wear, so of course, I HAD to photograph her for 7 minutes in the driveway before we left.  Here were the hilarious results.

that middle one just makes me laugh out loud.  and in case you are wondering, there was NO prompting. I never said “jump” or “act silly” or anything of the sort. I’m still not exactly sure what she was doing, but she was putting on a show in the middle of the street, that’s for sure.

AND … this last one. OMG.  The look she is giving that snail attached to our garage door is more than priceless.   Oh, three year olds …

And speaking of Courtney Courtney … just so you know, I have talked with Ms. Courtney herself about the possibilities of cloning herself so she can make more dresses for all of you fanatics out there (hint: I’m reading all those emails, I promise) She’s working on it, but in the meantime, keep your eagle eye ( read: refresh your browser every minute for a week ) out for her hot new styles that she posts daily!  They are currently selling in less than one minute!!!  Isn’t she just fabulous? We love all her clothes and its all Mia Grace wants to wear these days (this morning she had to wear her “NUMBER FOUR DRESS MOMMY”  (its actually a #3) More from that shoot later …

If you didn’t already see Miss Aurora Grace enter this world, you should definitely take a minute to witness the miracle of her birth HERE.

I was so excited to get to see this little cutie again.  She did NOT want to sleep. I promise, we tried EVERYTHING … but hey, what’s wrong with an adorable wide awake newborn anyway   She’s wearing her great-grandmother’s pearls and laying on her fur coat! How wonderfully nostalgic and cute all at the same time … She will cherish these forever I am sure. Isn’t she beautiful?

Click here to listen to the single: Everything’s Bigger

I’ve been dying to share this with all of you!  First of all, I am so sorry I have been so MIA. I just realized I can actually blog and postpone when the post will pop up meaning I can spend time blogging all sorts of cool things one day and schedule them to pop up the next week, or whenever. GREAT news for me (and for you too if you actually like to see what I’ve been up to).

Anyway, the reason for this blog post and the change in music is this new single coming out by Zack King!  I had the awesome pleasure of meeting and shooting Zack several weeks ago and recently was shown what his new single cover looks like.  I must say, handing over images not knowing what the end result will look like made me a little anxious, but when this popped up in my mailbox I was beyond excited  …. and really proud. It also helps that Zack is a stand up guy with so freaking much talent. He writes all his own lyrics and music and is such a talented musician and singer.  I am more than honored to have been a part of this project and collaborate with such talented folks.  The design team rocked this cover, don’t ya think?

If you like what you hear, you gotta head on over to Zack’s WEBSITE and check out where he’ll be playing in the upcoming weeks. As a special treat you can also download his new single “Everything’s Bigger” for FREE for a short time only. It will be available for purchase through itunes in the next few weeks.

For all you native Texans out there, you are surely to “get” this song … and even those who’ve only visited … well, I’m sure you’ve already gotten a large dose of that major Texas pride! Maybe this will help explain our fierce loyalty, or just make you laugh a little.