December 2004 (& me at my finest)

It was one day after Christmas. I was standing in a reception hall celebrating my niece's christening. I will never forget what was playing over and over again on the TV. A tsunami had just occurred that morning surprising thousands upon thousands of people. Here I was celebrating with my family and clear across the world people were experiencing life just the opposite.

I'll be honest. I've never been that struck by a natural disaster before, but for whatever reason the tsunami that hit left me struck and glued to my TV for weeks. So much to the point that I finally had to stop watching. I felt as if it had happened to me and my family. I felt a great unsettledness and knew it wasn't going to go anywhere until I did something about it.

10 weeks later Corey dropped me off at the Memphis airport. I walked in and looked around for the team of people I had met for a one-hour informational meeting earlier that week. There they were. Sticking out by their clothes and very small bags of luggage (one. maximum weight: 12 lbs). I had found out about an organization that had committed to taking relief work teams over there for a year. I talked to my boss about taking off work, signed up, sent out letters, quickly raised the $2500 and there I was. I was scared to death. I remember Corey driving off, leaving me with a few outfits, lots of food and a giant pit in my stomach.

But, we went. It was a feat in itself just getting there, but that trip changed my life forever. I believe that it did more for me than I did for the people of Sumatra Island, Indonesia. I will forever be grateful for the experience. I left knowing that there is a God who is good and just and very present.

I will never forget it.

Brandie was one of my teammates on the trip. Her, my best friend I mentioned earlier (my "ass."), and I shared a tent together. You can imagine how close you can become to people after spending ten very intimate days working, eating and sleeping right next to the beast who swallowed close to 350,000 lives.

It was a blessing to meet back up with her this past Saturday in Memphis - Brandie, her husband and their new offspring made the trip from Arkansas to let me capture their new family.

It was a treat for me to see someone who I met and quickly grew to love celebrating new life with her husband. Enjoy a few of my fav's.


I love how babies are basically cannibals .... I think they'd eat their arms & hands if they could.

Here he is yelling b/c he's sick of people taking his own flesh out of his mouth. ;)


"I'll smile for you as long as I can taste my hands!!!"


My favorite picture of the day.


I love the simplicity of this shot. And, I love how their eyes are all the same color.

God bless you guys as your gorgeous family grows. : )

***Blog Post Update***

My "ass." (aka Emily) refuses to let me look like a saint by my trip to Indonesia. She's sitting across from me at the table and is demanding that I post some pics from our trip. She wants everyone to know just why her nephew asked, "who's that guy?". Don't judge me. I didn't go over there to look like a model (like I normally do).

{the airport lobby, Indonesia)

{me. downtrodden. I have had to yet again pee in a hole in the ground. sad life.}

{here's me after a week of working harder than I ever have before, basically not showering and after sitting for hours in an airport lobby that was about 100 degrees ~ sum this line up to: me at my finest. please note that you can see the pilot. he was reading the newspaper.}