They're Back!

July brought the first round of 2009 Seniors!
Here are 2 of the first, John & Dirk. You gotta love 'em!

Snuck in, just in time

Yesterday I was in the car with my 7-year-old son Leo, and I was telling him about the global food crisis and how Compassion International was having a day of prayer for the poor people of the world. He said, "Let's pray right now!" Then added, "You don't have to close your eyes." He prayed and then I prayed. I was impressed by his sense of urgency to pray and his complete lack of hesitation. It reminded me of a couple of months ago when we were visiting my college roommate Christi and her family. Christi, Lainie and I were praying and Leo and Jaden, Christi's 6-year-old daughter, were playing nearby. As we prayed the kids gathered around us. Christi prayed something like this, "And God, thanks so much for sneaking Leo in just in time..." Leo immediately turned to Jaden and whispered, "God snuck me in just in time!" May God bring help to those who need Him so desperately, and just in time.

Milestones, not millstones

Photos: My mom in Alaska; Gabe at 13; Gabe at 18; Gabe with his buddies before graduation.



This week marks three major milestones in my life. Today is my mom's 80th birthday, and if my husband was still alive, it would have been our 25th anniversary. Tomorrow my third child, Gabe, graduates from high school.
My mom is a wonderful woman. She prays for us and cares for us with devotion and love. Jewell Lee was born in Valdez, Alaska, was given a mine for her 6th birthday, and later her hometown slid into the sea during the tsunami of '64. I believed she was an Eskimo when I was little, and later learned that her grandmother actually was Aleutian! Her grandfather was a Russian Orthodox Priest. My mom has had a full life. She stayed home with us until I reached junior high, then became a realtor with my dad. She was raised a Christian Scientist and became a Christian while I was in high school. She oversaw the careful feeding of my dad, a life-long diabetic. At 82 and still going strong, my dad is a poster child for the diabetes association, and I give my mom much of the credit for his healthy, happy life. Her influence led me to stay home with my kids. I didn't work full time until Leo died, and even then I have continued to work out of my home so that I can be near little Leo, now 7. My mom took what she was given and made a beautiful life from it. I hope I will always do the same.

My own life changed when my husband died of a heart attack at age 41. I was pregnant, and we had great plans for more adventures for our family. I've tried to take what I have and give back to my kids what Leo and I would have given them together. Some things I have never been able to do again on a serious level, like kayaking and backpacking in the wilderness. But we did backpack together (all 5 of us!) for 9 weeks around Europe, and we've traveled to New York City and Budapest as well. Leo and I had 17 years of lovely marriage. I've had nearly 8 more years on my own, and although I miss him like crazy, I'm glad for all he gave us before he left that has enabled me to carry on.

Finally, Gabe finishes his high school years tomorrow night. I homeschooled Gabe through the 7th grade, though he took over most of his education after Leo died. I'm putting together a photo album for him, and I found a picture of him when he was 13 years old, asleep on the couch with two dictionaries and Chaucer under his arm. That sums up much of Gabe's education: always learning, reading, researching, recording. Gabe never let the loss of his dad stand in his way, or used it for an excuse. He is a scholar, an artist, and a dear, dear son and brother. His affection for Leo and the time he has spent with him could never be overstated. We will miss him so much!

Siblings

This year I have had the privilege of photographing siblings of former seniors, who are now seniors themselves. I am featuring two here: Elsbeth '08, and Sam Doesburg '06, who are not only siblings, but young people I have known and loved since they were preschoolers; and Heidi '08, and Rob Ehlers '05, who I met through their mom four years ago in my grief support group. Like us, the Ehlers lost their dad at a young age. Heidi and Rob both had their photos taken at Larabee State Park. Sam's were taken at Hovander Park, and Elsbeth had two sessions, the one featured is in Winthrop where we were camping last fall together. If you want some unusual senior pictures, we will be on Oregon coast this summer and in Eastern Washington in the fall! Join us!

LITTLE!

I've told you before about my acting kids, well now Gabe is writing, directing, set designing, music writing, etc., and it's on stage tonight, Thursday, May 8 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, May 8 at 2:30 and again at 7:30, at Lynden Christian High School. The show is LITTLE, or Not so Happily Ever After. It is a musical based on Rumplestiltskin. Overheard last night from parent reviewers: "Gabe is the next Tim Burton!" Come see for yourself. Share my joy with me!
love,
Karen

Oh Baby!

One of the great things about babies is that they are born year round! As much as I love high school seniors, I only work with them seasonally, whereas babies just keep coming.
Another great thing about babies is observing their amazing personalities - and they are loaded! Lassen is our newest Blessings Collection baby. He is four months old. In my one hour with him, I got to see everything from rage to joy and all the fun curious spots in between. Here are just a few of his memorable expressions - you gotta love this guy! I'm excited to see him again in a few months and see how crawling and standing rocks his world!

My Thespian Kids

Something about the word "thespian" makes me cringe a bit, but there it is: at least two of my kids are born thespians!

This week my middle son, Gabe, is performing at Lynden Christian High School's "The Scarlet Pimpernel." He has 4 roles, beginning with the Executioner in which you can only see his cold hand of death clinging to Madame Guillotine. After a short scene dancing at a wedding he plays his two best roles, and as he noted himself in his bio, the only 2 roles which really exist: the leader of the French during the Revolution, Robespierre, and the leader of the British, The Prince of Wales. For Gabe, much of the fun is in the frequent costume changes and portraying two violently different characters.

As I've written previously, my daughter Laine is studying in Uzbekistan (you look it up!) at a theatre conservatory. She grapples 6 to 7 days a week with character development, fencing lessons and elocution, all in Russian. She's comes home at last in July to finish her degree at UW and face the world of auditions. We can hardly wait! To see lots of photos of her and her classmates in action, check out her blog at http://lainemullen.blogspot.com, or just click on her link to the right of this column.

Among the great joys for me in having kids who love drama, is that I get to be involved with the productions (at least the local ones!) and photograph the kids. I love teenagers, and I love watching them grow and shine. Seeing these kids on stage is a thrill for me, whether they are my own or not.

I invite you all and watch them perform their spectacular rendition of "The Scarlet Pimpernel," with shows on Feb. 5, 7 and 8 at Lydnen Christian High School. See you there!
Karen

Love Grows

Almost 2 years ago I flew to Switzerland to photograph my best friend's daughter's wedding. Chari met Christoph at an international church in Zurich while she was working as an Au Pair (nanny). The wedding was fabulous and they loved their album.

Today they still live in Switzerland and have added baby Jack to their loving famiy. I photographed Chari, Chris and Jack this week while they visited Chari's family in Lynden. My heart melts with this privilege – recording the loving embraces between a father, mother and their precious child. Through my work I am blessed, and I hope I bless others as well.
Karen

Joy to Your World

I've been struggling this fall with a lingering viurs. I found myself whining the other day, and God brought to mind how small my trials are compared with what He has allowed others to endure. Here are three families I love and intensely admire for their strength, endurance, and joy in the midst of it all.

Scott Sessions was our paster for several years. We loved him and his family and when my husband died, Scott was there to help me cope and get some firm ground underneath me. Last year Scott was diagnosed with ALS, often called Lou Gehrig's disease. Unless God provides a miracle (oh please do!) Scott is going to die young. His courage and perspective, and his wife Julie's grace, have been a light for Whatcom County this past year.

Jennifer and Craig have a six-year-old boy with more than 18 serious illnesses. Dominic was born 16 weeks premature. Taking care of this precious boy is more than a full time job for them - it's a life-long, every day, every night commitment. Their steadfast love and willingness to devote themselves to their family in a way most of could never imagine is an inspiration and admonition to me. What is really important in this short life? I think loving those God has given us with the same kind of love He has lavished on us.

Finally, my dear friends Sam and Brie Russell found their lives in a spin cycle this year. Sam, whom I've known and loved since he was 2, was riding his bike at his workplace for Trek Bicycles when he hit a jump too fast and crashed head-first into a tree. Sam is paralyzed from the waist down. They have three daughters under the age of 6. Sam pushes himself so hard he is already hop-walking with braces and has ridden an arm-peddled bike! Brie is so focused on finding joy in their trials that reading her blog makes you think she is superwoman in disguise as a mom and wife. They've been in and out of ER so many times, yet Brie says they are glad for the cable TV time!

May we all find joy this Christmas in our family, our friends, our lives, our loves, in sunshine or rain, in good health and in trials. God's blessings pour upon you this Christmas and New Year. Karen

p.s. the photos picture Scott with his daughter, Jody; Jennifer and Craig with their kids; Sam and Brie with their kids and Sam's folks, and me with Nancy Russell, Sam's mom. If you want to read Brie's blog, contact me and I'll give you the details.

Christmas Card Keepers

This year we are offering Christmas cards for the first time! They are exceedingly cool and worth keeping.
By way of Merry Christmas (a bit early, but I want you all to know about this!) I am posting here our combination Christmas card/ad. Have a fabulous holiday season, hopefully with those you love and cherish.
Karen

My Sabbath

Tonight I left my home full of stress and confusion. I've had a difficult fall season - business is great, but I cannot keep up with my normal speed of delivery. For the future, I will adopt the motto that art takes time, and give myself and my clients plenty of waiting room for their portraits.

So back to tonight... my studio is almost finished, my yard and home are in mayhem, and my family is coping. This evening I noticed someone in the front yard and found my friend Jody with her son and a friend raking my front lawn! A great rage of conflict stormed my mind. How wonderful, how amazing, how embarrassing that I need help, how lovely of God to meet my needs through this friend, how come I can't do this on my own? And as I tried to join in and help she put her arms around me and told me to go back to work – inside, on the computer. Tears escaped my eyelids - a rare sight from me, the "strong one." My little son Leo and his friend helped bag the leaves, while inside, I made doctors beautiful. I left an hour later, frazzled and fatigued, for a Healing Network leadership meeting at church. I don't do much volunteering anymore except for leading a support group for grief recovery. At the meeting I couldn't muster enough strength to share a prayer request. Then the lesson began... the importance of taking a Sabbath. And I listened and saw myself, a recent Sabbath truant, on account of work and the studio. No wonder I am so tired.

So join me in taking a Sabbath - maybe on Sunday, maybe just a lunch time away from the desk, strolling down a quiet path. Give yourself time for rest and refreshment. And listen to God. He sometimes speaks in a whisper.

These photos are from a Healing Network retreat last spring. We took an hour Sabbath, and I used my time for a photo Sabbath - away from work, and into creation. Enjoy.

Ages and Stages

One of the many fun things about my job is getting to know people over a period of time. Three and a half years ago I photographed Cheryl, a senior at Lynden Christian. She was awesome - focused, smart, and a blast to photograph. Last spring I had the privilege of photographing her wedding. She is still as focused as ever, heading for a degree in law. Her new husband knows what a treasure he holds. You can see it in his eyes. Congratulations Cheryl & Andrew!

Blog again, Blog again, jiggety jog

I am finally back – after many months of craziness!
In the meantime we have been converting our garage into a studio. We hope it will be done in a few weeks. We really, really hope! We've been living in severely cramped quarters while studio supplies pile up.
On the brighter side, we've had a great time photographing many lovely people. I'm going to highlight some of them in the coming weeks.
Thanks for your patience!
Karen

Budapest Report, part one

We are home after rendezvousing with my daugter Laine in Uzbekistan. The trip brought together that which I love most: my family and travel. Okay, I also love God, but He is always with me!
I have trimmed down my 500 + photos to a few favorites. I'll add more in another post.