inspiration and revelation

I've needed a little inspiration and revelation lately and yesterday it came in the form of baby Maya.

Maya is the adorable and sweet new addition to our friends, Karen & Joe. She is perfect in every way.

She entered this world on a very bittersweet day.

March 5th.

The same day that baby Cora was born. The same day Cora would have turned one.

I remember getting the news that Maya had made her entrance on my way to Kansas. I cried. I cried happy tears...and I cried sad tears too.

Bittersweet.

Yesterday, Maya, her momma and proud big brother came over for a visit and a photo shoot.

It was a bit of a whirlwind keeping track of two adventurous little boys (Hunter & Maya's brother, Jared), making a newborn happy, and conducting a shoot. But after they left and the dust settled, I had a moment of inspiration and revelation...a moment that continued late (or should I say early) into the wee small hours.

I poured over the photos and worked on them until I was too tired to sit at the computer any longer.

While I worked, I thought about the end of a precious life and the beginning of another. I thought about how both would make their mark on this world. I thought about how I would make my mark on this world. I thought about just how valuable life is. How fragile life is. How PURPOSEFUL life is. And I thought about the Creator of it ALL and just how PLAIN and OBVIOUS his handiwork is.

Meet the sweet little blessing (& her momma and brother) that gave me a new sense of hope, inspiration, and purpose yesterday...











And there you have it.

My new revelation?

I'm back folks.

After almost 2 1/2 years off, I'm renewed, ready, and inspired.

LIFExpressions Photography is now...


I'm all about babies and kiddos.

Why?

Easy.

Cause that's what I love.

Sweet Cora Paige has touched me deeper than most will ever know and I have struggled with how short her precious life was...but I was reminded yesterday with both Cora and Maya that it is in those innocent baby faces that we can SEE the mighty and magnificent face of God. He alone brings about life and He alone takes it away. HE is what this life is all about. And I don't know how it can be any more PLAIN and simple.

"The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is PLAIN to them, because God has made it PLAIN to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been CLEARLY SEEN, being understood from what has been MADE, so that men are without excuse."
Romans 1:18-20

happy birthday, dad

Well, we pulled off a great SURPRISE 60th birthday party for my dad this past Saturday and I think it is safe to say he was genuinely surprised...he showed up in his house shoes! Family and friends came from all over and blessed my dad and our family tremendously. I have lots of great pics but my iMac has decided it is time to quit and I can't transfer any more photos onto it until I "dump" a serious amount of photos off of it. Argh.

Today is my dad's actual birthday. It's also his brother's birthday. May 5th, cinco de mayo. They were born on the same day...two years apart. weird. And even weirder...their brothers were born on March 17th, St. Patrick's Day. Same day...two years apart. CRAZY.

Happy Birthday Dad and Uncle Blaine!

I will leave you with the only photo I can access right now...a family portrait that my good friend, sandra, took after the surprise party. Sandra and I were wedding partners when I was deep in the photography biz and we surprised dad and hired her to do a big family portrait with the kids and grandkids. We are missing my oldest niece, Jasmine, but otherwise...the gang is there! Phew - it took A LOT of shots to get this one!

days like today...

remind me just how blessed I am to have this man as my husband.



He doesn't yell at me. He doesn't attack my character. He doesn't make me feel like I'm a terrible human being. He doesn't disrespect me. He doesn't make me cry...not very often, anyway :)

He loves me. encourages me. helps me. supports me. provides for me. comes along side of me. cares for me. honors me. respects me. prays with me. prays for me. protects me.

I thank God for him.

I really do.

I wouldn't want to do LIFE with anyone else.

Icky, yucky, hurtful, sad, happy, wonderful, joyful...LIFE.

hide and seek...

Don't you wish it was this easy to disappear?



It's Friday.

Thank goodness.

ripples

With each day that passes, it seems that I am no further along in my journey to understand and come to grips with the loss of Cora. But at the same time, I am astonished and amazed that the Lord did indeed have a plan. A GREAT plan. An AWESOME plan. A HUGE plan. A plan to use the incredible testimony of Joel & Jess and the short but precious life of Cora to reach MILLIONS of people. How great is our God? Again, I say...HOW GREAT IS OUR GOD. Cora's story is still rippling through our NATION and the WORLD.

Michael and I have been connected with Focus on the Family for a long time. Both my parents worked there and Michael and I re-connected while working in Guest Relations at Focus. We have many friends there and have a great respect for the organization and its impact around the world. Focus on the Family is a Christian nonprofit organization dedicated to serving, strengthening and defending families worldwide. It reaches more than 220 million people in 155 nations through its broadcasts and many ministries. The President of Focus on the Family is Jim Daly and I was shocked when I came across this article on his blog. You can read it below or click on THIS LINK.


Fly to Jesus
Posted by Jim_Daly on Mar 23, 2009 9:55:45 AM
It was supposed to be a routine checkup for an ear infection of their first child. But last month, when Joel and Jess McClenahan took their precious 11-month-old baby girl, Cora Paige, to the pediatrician, they discovered Cora had stage-four cancer. Two weeks after the diagnosis, Cora died, leaving the McClenahan’s with a mind-numbing grief and a host of unanswered questions.


And yet, Joel and Jess clung to their faith in Jesus to sustain them. On their blog, which they created the day Cora was born for the benefit of friends and family, Jess wrote: “Joel and I can’t make it through this on our own, but we know we can with the Lord walking with us each step of the way, ‘God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble,’ Psalm 46:1.”


When they began to blog about Cora’s diagnosis and treatment, Cora’s story went “viral” on the web and, almost overnight, the events surrounding little Cora’s life and death was followed by concerned visitors from around the world. A reported 800,000 hits from 17 countries has produced a groundswell of condolences and support. While Cora couldn’t speak a word, her story has already touched the lives of people the world over.


In honor of Cora’s life, the McClenahan’s are planning to build “Cora’s Playground” on the grounds of their church, Grace Community. Speaking to Channel 12 Eyewitness News in Newton, KS, they explained, “We just felt like there was nothing more important than little kids hearing about Jesus so [building the playground] would be a little way that we could contribute to that.” Of the needed $45,000 necessary to erect the playground, $31,000 has been raised to date.


This week has been especially difficult for the McClenahan’s. Jess is honest about her suffering and wonders “how long I will feel like my heart is crushed. [I’m] wondering if life will ever feel ‘normal’ again. Wondering why God allows us to go through such painful things.” And yet, she explains “My relationship with Christ and the HOPE that I have in Him—that is what is getting me through these hard, lonely days. I long to read the Word each day because it comforts me in a way that only HE can.”


If you think of it, pray for Joel and Jess this week as they mourn the loss of Cora. And, if you don’t know the Savior who gives His people a peace that passes all human comprehension—even in the midst of such pain, contact us at 1-800-AFAMILY. We’d be honored to introduce you to Him.

new cousin

This is a much overdue post but we have a new BOY cousin to add to the pack! We have a TRIO of trouble with Hunter, Sawyer, and now baby Liam. Quite a change from the last generation of cute little GIRLS!!

This is an OLD picture of all the cousins on my mom's side of the family. Four sweet GIRLS. (Me, Jacque, Kendra, & Jenna)


In March, we drove to Denver to meet up with Kendra and Sawyer at Jacque's house to see our new cousin! I brought along my camera and we did a little impromptu shoot. Here are a few pics of Liam Edward Kosinski and his beautiful mommy!




Hunter was a little sick the day we went to meet Liam so we didn't get any pics of all the boys. Hunter played outside with Nana (my mom) and stayed busy with her. Here is a cute pic of Jacque & Kendra with Sawyer and Liam.


Jacque made the drive to the Springs last week and we got to spend a little more time together. So fun to see the cousins again! Liam has already changed so much! Thanks for coming Jacque!



We're looking forward to many fun times together and LOTS of adventures with the cousins. I'm thinking we may have our hands full with these boys in the future!

our little hero

has come to save the day.


(easter pics are coming...sometime...really.)