What a gift.

While he is fourth in a line of four boys, Sarah and Joel want to soak in the little details of their sweet Lincoln.

I first met him when he was 3 days old… and now he is all grown up at 2 1/2 weeks.

This little one enjoyed a little ‘time away’ from his older brothers.

 Lincoln seemed to really enjoy his beautiful mother’s undivided attention.

 Sarah and Joel, thank you for allowing me to capture the beauty and sacredness of Baby Lincoln. He is absolutely beautiful.

Tread is an effort to engage the church with the global community by:

Running for shoes.

Running for kids.

In Guatemala, if you don’t have shoes, you can’t go to school. Engedi is partnering with PrayAmerica by raising funds to provide shoes so that the indigenous children of Guatemala can go to school. If you are interested in learning more about various issues regarding transformational development and the complexities of walking with the poor, you can read Bryant Meyer’s book Walking with the Poor for a good introduction/overview. You can also learn more about what Engedi is doing in partnership with the local community in Guatemala here.

Here are a few photographs from the Tulip Time Run this past Saturday

If I am not mistaken, Alicia Sherwood was the 1st female runner to cross the finish line at 18:27. I was impressed!

Kristopher Koster placed first in the 5k crossing the finish line at 15:06. In case you aren’t great at division problems — that is faster than a 5 min. mile pace.

And here are a few shots from the 10k race:

Happiest 10k runners ever!

Engedi folks volunteered with the Tulip Time Run to be race marshalls which involved directing traffic, handing out water, and cheering on the runners…

Congratulations to Lee Schopp who finished in 4th place in the Men’s Division but 1st place in his division! He ran a 10k in 39:21. I’d say that’s pretty good.

(With my quick calculation, that is running over 6 miles at a 6 minute mile pace.)  Geesh!

Congratulations to everyone who participated in the Tulip Time Run! I am so inspired by all of you!

Aren’t they a BEAUTIFUL family? They are always on the go.

When EJ went into labor, I had the amazing blessing of hanging out with Joyce and Daniel. I remember how calmly EJ dropped of the kids and gave me instructions while I was thinking: “Hurry! Go to the hospital!” Maybe that was a helpful preparation for my own 30 hour labor. I had fun with these two.

Isn’t Stefie simply gorgeous?? This baby pose makes me smile!

Why HELLO!!

While she is older than my little guy Samuel, I think he may fall for Stefie in the not-so-distant future.

Living so far away from their family and main support system was challenging but they make it work!

LOVE!

Mother + Daughter = Sacred Beauty

When I first met Eun Jung, her eldest daughter Joyce was incredibly shy. Now, she is quite the extrovert.

She is an avid reader and loves to share about her latest excursions to the library.

This outtake encapsulates the tension of having more than one child, wouldn’t you agree?

Thank you Eun Jong for inviting me into your life and asking me to document such a beautiful time in your family’s life!

He’s been eating everything in sight as he prepares for the big day.

How can you not fall in love with these faces??

GAH!

Today marks the one year anniversary that Nate and Shanna brought my youngest nephew M home… You can read their story here.

Here is Sam with his new friend Sophie… He LOVES Sophie the Giraffe.

Even more than Sophie, he loves his Baba. He gets a HUGE smile on his face (and in his eyes) when his Baba walks into the room. I have yet to capture this ridiculous smile so you will just have to imagine a really big smile.

And I love having deep conversations with him about global events and the state of his digestive system.

It is amazing how much our lives have changed in the last four months…

Samuel, Thank you for turning our world upside down in the best. way. possible. You are worth every sleepless night, low key Friday night, and load of cloth diapers that need to be washed. again. and again.

When they made eye contact for the first time, Allen was singing a folksy, bluegrass song as his fingers strummed his mandolin. They quickly fell in love and she became his beloved bluebird as a reference for: the music she inspired in him; their shared love for birds; and her love for the color blue.

They made 7 beautiful children together over their lifetime but had to say goodbye to their youngest daughter, Julie, when she was just 5 years old. They walked through the valleys of grief together and probably each, in their own way, retreated to something easier than the deep heartache they felt… but Julie became their angel and they chose to persevere with strength and courage. For them, giving up on faith or their family was not an option.

They lived a simple life without a lot of material wealth but what they lacked in worldly treasures they gained in eternal ones. One of these eternal treasures was the kind of home that is bursting at the seams with laughter, conversations at the kitchen table, footsteps running back and forth across the floorboards, and enough grace for each day. Every Friday morning (after the third shift at work), Allen would come home with coca-colas and doughnuts from the corner store for his Bluebird Sabrina and their children .

Isn’t she GORGEOUS?!?!

They sang a beautiful duo throughout their marriage. She used to sit on the piano bench while he propped his leg on the bench in order to rest his mandolin on his knee. Over time, their voices would crack after a few too many hours of singing and that would be the only reason they would stop. Many grandchildren and great-grandchildren later, they had to say goodbye as Allen unexpectedly passed away in his sleep after years of battling back pain and sleeping problems. She still peers out the window and watches a few hummingbird or bluebirds pause on their bird feeders.

My Grandmother is one of the strongest people I know. She prayed and continues to pray constantly for her children and grandchildren – weaving her worries into prayers and trusting God to do the rest. She is also one of the funniest women I know – we can laugh together until we cry… and that is such a gift! I may or may not have witnessed her eating a doughnut in her sleep.

I’ll never forget conversations surrounding her addiction to smoking. She had started smoking long before there was any warning that it could be harmful. She was 11 years old. More than 50 years later, she didn’t think she could/would ever quit smoking even though she wanted to live a healthier life for her children and grandchildren. Eventually, she made a commitment to stop and seriously, she is my hero for being able to overcome her addiction. She hasn’t stopped talking since!

As were standing by the ironing board and reflecting on all the ironing she had done in her lifetime, she remembered and shared how she was ironing clothes when JFK was assassinated.

Sabrina has a beautiful, generous heart. Although her educational status doesn’t reflect this, she is one of the smartest, wisest people I have ever met.  Last Sunday was her birthday, so I wanted to take a few moments to celebrate the woman who has given me a beautiful legacy.

{I am excited to now offer Legacy and Lifestyle Portrait sessions for the beautiful people in your life who you want to honor… Those who have lived and loved well and experienced more life than younger generations, like mine, can fully understand. Contact me to book a Legacy and Lifestyle Portrait session and receive a 11×14 gift print of your loved one.}

Photographer (Photo Credit): Rosalba “Bea” Rios

Location: Paramount, California, USA

Photographer (Photo Credit): Jeana Master

Location: Bali, Indonesia

Website: www.linesfromapoem.com

Photographer (Photo Credit): Mario Mattei

Location: Turkey/USA

Website: Visualpeacemakers.org/mariomattei