Life with Deb, Rob and Erin

I met Deb and Rob in 1985, when I photographed their engagement session. Erin was born a few years later. I have been photographing their family almost every year since then.

A few years ago, just after Christmas, Erin was home and Deb and Rob were in Texas. As Erin watched in horror, a fire ball raced through their home. Because it was electrical, the fire department could not extinguish the fire until the main power line was shut off. That time delay kept the fire burning and the home was completely destroyed. If the fire had been a few hours later, Erin would have been sleeping and could not have escaped the explosion. Deb is still so thankful that they came home to a burned out house and not for a funeral.

I was able to replace every portrait that I had taken over all those years, but it was a slow and tedious process. Deb and I met several times to look at the negatives from the burned portraits and make decisions as to which portraits would be replaced as wall portraits and which portraits would become part of a family album. After that, we chose frames for the wall portraits. Since many of the frames were no longer made, we got to choose new frames.

I delivered two portraits soon after the house was completed, to start with the "making the house a home" process. The album came next, so Deb was able to see the family change over the years.

Yesterday was an encouraging day. I met with Deb to hang the final wall portraits and to help with the "stairway wall." Deb and Rob's original stairway wall had twenty years of family portraits and candid events. Deb showed me the photograph of the original burned wall, with white blobs of melted goo that had held precious memories. Deb started from scratch and created new memory photographs, then framed each photograph or group of photographs. She was able to salvage a few charred photographs and made the best of the horrible situation. We took each group and started hanging. It started with a portrait of Rob's parents, then Deb and Rob's wedding portraits, then years of family memories. There is one spot left at the bottom of the stairs for them to create a new photograph during Christmas this year.

I was struck by the few bites of laughter that could come out of the tragedy. Deb showed me a photograph of Rob's sunglasses. They looked like a modern art exhibit. The frames stayed the same and the glasses melted into a colorful blob. Their soap dispenser in the bathroom was a melted blob of goo with melted soap dripping out of the bottom. The funniest image was of the check that they had written to their housekeeper. The check was in perfect condition, surrounded by charred everything!

This replacement order cost over $10,000. If we had replaced every wall portrait and every smaller portrait exactly as the original orders, it would have been $30,000. I left in awe of the rebuilding process and the healing that they have had to endure. I left thanking God for a friendship that I have enjoyed over the years.

Deb says it is "the same, but different." I agree.

pretty pups

Mom Shelley brought her four legged girls
for their Christmas portrait.

They are best friends.
Look at the paw holding!

They are so well behaved and so regal!

Guess who had enough?
She worked hard and was all tired out!

We had a great time with the girls!

Artist Jenn

Jenn is an artist! A very good artist!

Jenn ordered a folio with eight of her favorite images.

She didn't just write the pose numbers down.

She drew the poses!

She drew them very well!

If Jenn were not going to college to be a vet, she should become a caricature artist.

See if you can match the drawings to the portraits below.

These drawings are adorable, just like Jenn!

Sad for Mom

Mom called last night with very sad news.

Mom and Aggie are both 81 years old and have been friends since kindergarten. Mom survived Stage 3B ovarian cancer 12 years ago and Aggie was with her, praying for Mom and giving her lots of encouragement. A few years ago, Aggie got cancer. She had been in remission, but now it is back, with a vengeance. Now it is Mom's turn, to be there for Aggie.

It is very hard to lose a friend, especially after being friends for 75 years. They have been through so many good times and hard times together.

I created a portrait of Aggie and Bob for their 50th anniversary. It was a beautiful portrait, taken on their farm. Aggie did not feel well last year for their 60th, so they did not have an anniversary portrait taken. I am so glad that they took the time to have their portrait taken on their 50th anniversary. It will be a great memory for their children and grandchildren.

About nine years ago, I photographed Aggie and Bob's daughter, who is a nun in a convent in Italy. When Sister asked me who my favorite portrait session had been, I had to tell her..it was her! Sister is such a delight to spend time with. Her sweet spirit and gentle manner is contagious. Her love of our Lord is so obvious! Sister is now back home to be with her parents. I am so glad she is here, but sad for the reason.

I told Mom that everyone thought she would be the first of the group of friends to go, with the advanced cancer that she had. Now that she has survived, it looks like she will live to be 100!

I will pray for Aggie and her family. If you are led to join me, that would be wonderful.

I am a Gram (sort of)

Mark and I have been friends for over 35 years (since high school). He escorted me down the aisle when I married Michael eight years ago.

Mark has a son, Matthew. I photographed Mark and Matthew when Matthew was two years old. It is still one of my favorite portraits. Matthew was talking about a truck and Mark was listening intently. The expressions are priceless.

I photographed Mark and Matthew again, when Matthew was 13. He was almost as tall as his father.

Mark and Matthew and I had a lot of fun when Matt was a teenager. Matt was born on the same date as my niece, so we had great birthday parties. He was so much fun to feed! That boy could eat!

I got to play Mom/Friend for the two years that Matt played Varsity Football in Hartland. I did not miss a game! Matt always made a point to stop and say hi to his dad and me before he went into the locker room or headed for the bus. Since I never had children of my own, it was so nice to have a part time son.

I photographed Matthew's senior portraits. By then, he was over six feet tall.

Matt married Sarah a few years ago. I will always remember the wonderful expression that Matt had when he saw Sarah for the first time as she walked down the aisle.

Matt and Sarah had a baby boy on Thursday evening. Grandpa Mark is smiling from ear to ear. I decided that since I have known Matt since his birth, and I got to play Mom/Friend during his teenage years, then I can be a Grandma, too! So...I am a Gram (sort of)!

I cannot wait to meet my grandson!

Squirrels and Chipmunks

If you have ever been to our studio, you know about the window right behind our desk. It gives us a great view of the squirrels under the bird feeder.

Last winter, when it was so cold, the squirrels would hang out under the bird feeder, waiting for a morsel or two. I felt sorry for them, so I started feeding them corn at the base of the feeder. Well...they trained me! They learned to knock on the window, so I would toss corn out to them. If you have never seen a squirrel knock at the window, know that you will be cracking up! They tilt their little heads from side to side to see if anyone is inside. We have little squirrel paw marks and nose prints on the window.

We had a mama squirrel visit us. After awhile, she brought her babies, who are now visiting us. We had a squirrel with one blind eye. I have not seen her for a week, so I hope she did not try to cross the busy road.

Now the chipmunks have decided to join the squirrels. They do not knock on the window, but their chipmunk radar is on full blast. As soon as I toss out corn to the squirrels, the chipmunks come running. They come with empty mouths and leave with as many pieces of corn that can fit in their large cheeks. They are hysterical!

The comedy routine starts when the squirrels and chipmunks start fighting for the corn. They race by each other and do backflips to get away from each other. It is quite a sight.

I never knew that something so little could entertain me so much!

Fun with Jenn

I had such a great time photographing Jennifer.

I met Jennifer years ago when we photographed
her Mom and Mark's wedding.

She was a beautiful bridesmaid.

Now she is a beautiful senior.

I had fun pushing Jenn to the limit.

I think I tortured her.

This image looks like I did!

The most fun part of the session was near the end.

Jenn's mom had been fixing her hair during the session.

Jenn must have had enough.

While she was getting into position for this image,
I stepped behind her to pull her shirt down.

She let out a "Mom, leave me alone,"
with the complete eye roll going.

After I smacked her on her bottom
(after all, I was standing over her),
I reminded Jenn that her mother was in front of her
and I was the one who was fussing over her!

That set us all off! We laughed and laughed!

Thanks, Jenn, for keeping me laughing!