Happy New Year!

Here's wishing you the happiest, loveliest, and joyfullest New Year ever!
Pictured Above: my kids from youngest to oldest: Leo, Gabe, Laine and Ben, and my kids together with each other and with me.

Blessed by Bargens and Byles.

This summer I photographed the Bargen-Byle family at Cedar Springs in Sumas. Cedar Springs is a gorgeous Christian retreat center tucked in the foothills and surround by hills of flowers, flowering trees and little to nooks to find respite. John and Jeannie Bargen are the force behind the center, which John began with his first wife years ago. Jeannie, also widowed, came to work at Cedar Springs and love bloomed alongside the flowers. The families have grown and represent numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren as pictured. The family gathered for John's birthday, coming from as far as Turkey.
I've known Jeannie since I was a youth group leader for her son Warren, and she helped me work through my own grief when my husband died. Since then I've come to know others from these 2 family lines and they are all excellent people who continue to bless me. I'm so glad I got to meet all 38 of them.

Twin Christmas

The DeLisa twins come all the way from Bonney Lake to get their pictures taken, and I am so glad they do! (It's possible they also come to see their grandparents :) ) I love these shining-faced girls! Last year I photographed their Christmas cards at StoneyRidge farm in a snowstorm, and today we did it again, but in pouring rain. We ended up moving indoors. Can you believe how much they've grown?!
I'll be there Dec. 6 for most of the day taking Christmas pictures. Come and join me! For $50 you can have a photo on a disk to take and make your own cards, or I will design and make 25 cards for you. In the meantime, have a lovely Advent season!

A Lummi Star Rising

Dustin Tom is one of my most athletic seniors this year. He is the star quarterback for the Lummi Blackhawks. His season ended yesterday, but his record will remain for a long time. Dustin owns the eight-man single-season records for yards and touchdowns in the state, according to the Bellingham Herald. Today's Herald story says, "Dustin finished with 5,268 yards in Lummi's 12 games, or about 439 yards each game. His 64 touchdowns raised the state record to a level that will be hard to match, as he averaged 5.3 each game, including nine in a victory over Crescent - the second-highest single-game total in state history."

Am I proud of this boy, or what!? And I only got to take his pictures. He also won a gold medal for basketball in the Cowichan 2008 North American Indigenous Games.
Congratulations, Dustin!

Ethiopian Treasure

I wrote earlier about the Moldendyk's and their adopted son from Ethiopia. Now I have another lovely adoptive family to show you - the Bodes. Monte and Kelli added Ermias to their family last January, also from Ethiopia, and you can see from the photos that he fits right in. We have a growing community in Whatcom County of kids in particular from Ethiopia and Ghana. I am full of adoption envy! God bless all of you who have taken a child into your home.

Love, again

Two weeks ago I had the lovely job of photographing a senior citizen wedding. Both widowed, Mary Alice and John found love again in each other, and you can see the proof of it in their shining faces. To love once is a good thing - to love again is divine. It is a gift and a confirmation to themselves and to the world. I wish them God's blessings.

Yearbooks, cont.

Yearbook Mania

Yearbook season is here, which means the end of senior photos until next spring, and a rush to get all of the yearbooks in on time. Here are the first, Lynden Christian and Squalicum. Are they not an exceedingly good-looking group?!