i believe things happen for a reason… i don’t claim to know the exact reasons things happen, however, when you are open to them, you see connections that seem too clear to just be chance. 

it was a random monday when i received pam’s email:: hoping to have you photograph my adult children and grandchildren. we meet for a quick chat tuesday. wednesday is the session.

meeting pam and her family though, felt like coming home… there was plenty of laughter, joking, teasing and love to go around!  pam’s family reminded me that while families come in all configurations, when brought together in love, the unmistakable bonds shine through like the sun through a cloud break.  time spent with them was the perfect reminder of the power of family.

here is a little peek of the images from that wednesday afternoon :)

that’s right… i said it… i love bowling :)  M’s second outing was fabulous, she even got a spare from a split!

10 days of snow… beautifully white… 9 1/2 inches deep! 

first sledding adventure. first snowball fight. fifth snow angel. millionth snowman. 10 tons of pristine snow eaten. (ok.. last two items might be slightly exaggerated)

julie & wayne had just welcomed the birth of their little girl. life was beautiful, their dreams were unfolding before their eyes… then just 3 short weeks later, wayne suffered a massive stroke.  his brain began to bleed severely and doctors performed a craniotomy to provide room for his brain to swell, preventing death.  the stroke was a result of undiagnosed graves’ disease.  it has been just over 6 months since the stroke and though wayne continues to make tremendous progress having relearned how to swallow, eat and walk again, he still does not have use of his right arm and is unable to speak. 

though this was not the life they had planned, julie & wayne take every day as it comes… one step at a time. they are hopeful for what the future brings and determined to create a home for their little girl that is full of unconditional and boundless love. i am in awe of them and i’m so grateful to them for letting me share a small piece of their lives.

please take a moment to read more about julie & wayne’s story and if you are able, please donate what you can to help them with their living expenses and the expense of wayne’s treatments. julie has worked with the lighthouse community and through their website, you can make a tax deductible contribution directly to julie & wayne.

with much love, let me introduce you to the bacon family…

i was at the first thursday art walk last night and a woman asked me if i was registered to vote at my current address. i’ve been asked about my registration status every election since i was in college, but the part about my current address was new. i am registered at my current address, but how many people have moved since the last time they voted???

the state of washington has had several *issues* with voting in the past few years and so they have purged large volumes of records because of *verification* issues. you may be one of them if you haven’t updated your address… take a moment and double check or register here: http://wei.secstate.wa.gov/OSOS/VoterVault/Pages/MyVote.aspx  DEADLINE is THIS SATURDAY OCTOBER 4, 2008

photographer Jessica Claire posted the following video on her blog and it was so very, very, very well done that i thought i’d repost it here for you. no matter what your views on the subjects mentioned, the point is simple and clear: you must REGISTER and you must VOTE to make your voice heard on the issues you care about!

please, please, please take the time to find out about the candidates running for office, find out about all of the platforms, all of the records/history, look at the issues and facts.  don’t just listen to your friends, your family, your favorite TV personality, or the news… find out for yourself. in this country, YOU have a VOICE and the best way to use that VOICE is to VOTE… educate yourself and make YOUR CHOICE.