Now presenting

On a beautiful weekend in May, I had the privilege to be a part of this special couple's wedding day... you may have "met" this couple before, via their engagement photo shoot last year. At that time I had heard that they had a mutual passion and talent for singing. We all had the pleasure of experiencing it that day. They treated the whole audience, on their wedding day, to a song that they sung to and for each other. Tears came to my eyes as I listened to them declare their love, through a song, during the rehearsal.

The much anticipated and planned for wedding day is here!
Kaila looked like a princess.

Wouldn't you agree?

The prince...
I love it that the flower girl happened to be passing through on this one.
One of the many sweet guestures from Dustin to Kayla that day was a surprise trip in a full size tour style bus. It's their dream to someday ride in one of these full time, and with God's blessing I have no doubt that they will. So what a fitting "first ride" together.
The first dance. Congratulations Dustin and Kaila. You are a gifted and special couple to so many people. The love and grace of God was shining bright through you both on that day and I know it will continue... to bless others and glorify the matchless name of our Saviour.

kickin' around downtown

Last week, Jake and Hannah and I went downtown Louisville and wandered around to take some engagement pictures. We laughed as we realized how hard we were looking for old, grungy alleys. All due respect to the committees committed to updating downtown, but we prefer the falling down part of it! :)

Jake and Hannah have been long time friends of mine and are getting married next month. It was a privilege and of course tons of fun to "have them" for an evening! I look forward to your wedding!!

Just as were finishing up, using the night life of the city as the background, a security guard stopped us and asked what we were taking pictures for. Apparently deciding that engagement pictures were a good cause, he used his keys and passes to get us up onto the roof of a 5-story building. It made for really cool pictures and even better memories!

Tim and Melody

It was a pleasure to photograph Tim and Melody's wedding day. They got married in Wisconsin on what turned out to be a snowy day in April!

The bride was beautiful...
The groom was handsome...
There were plenty of light hearted moments... They were so laid back and easy to work with! What more could you ask for?
A few tears were shed as Melody's dad walked her down the aisle and also officiated the ceremony.
The waiting groom...
Textures are all the rage in photography these days... so I am experiementing with them a little bit. I love the feel of this shot.
Tim will stand by Melody, in sunshine and in snow!
Thank you guys for being so easy! God bless your married life together!

Looking back...

I am home now. From a land of poverty to a land of plenty, from the starving to the overfed. What a contrast! Looking back over my pictures, I knew I had to post one more time about India. It is a special, unforgettable place.
We took a field trip with the younger grades of school to this Tibetan town. The first thing you see as you get near is this towering, gleaming, gold statute. This sign preceding your ascent up several flights of stairs to this idol reads, "This statute of the lord Shakyamuni Buddha has been most graciously consecrated by his holiness, the fourteenth Dalai Lama of Tibet." A visit to the slums. Girls as small as this precious one are forced into a life of thievery and "garbage-picking" just to survive.After thirty minutes of folding and tucking, I have a whole new appreciation for the women who wear sarees daily!

Our whole "family".

Rishikesh... along the holy Ganges river. The Taj Mahal. Quite impressive, but does not qualify for the most memorable moment in Agra. We had the opportunity to stay with a high caste Hindu family for the weekend. Their hospitality was phenomenal. However, the beds were infested with bed bugs and I left with hundreds of "souvenir" bed-bug bites. The India Gate. On the way home, I had a long lay over in Amsterdam and took the train into the city. It was the first time I have set foot in Europe and I was not dissapointed. It was just as I had imagined! Tall old buildings along the canals, bike propped up in quaint doorways, cafes on the corner... I love this shot of a woman entering her streetside apartment.

I am glad to be back, but will miss much about India. And from the bottom of my heart, thank you for all of your support.

Cultural Submersion 101

These last few weeks have been ones of diversity and many cultural experiences, like attending our first arranged-marriage wedding. The ceremony was much like a "Western wedding" but can you even imagine what must be going through their minds?
Cynthia, the beautiful bride in the traditional red langa...
Which of these don't belong?
Nibha, Liza, and Amanda all dressed up in our best kurtas.

Who knew that henna could be used not only for tattoos, but also for turning light brown hair to bright orange?! Thankfully, this "herbal treatment" washes out with time.

Ajay, one of the precious faces that we are privileged to see and love every day.

Sumit- how could your heart not melt with this smile! Doesn't he remind you of a teddy bear?They may not be able to speak our language, but aren't they cute? This is Deden, a Tibetan, in nursery class- learning Hindi and English (besides Tibetan) at the age of four.

Motion sickness wasn't our biggest concern as we followed this road up the side of the Himalayas...

But the view from the top was worth it!

Tuesday is the day that the traveling outdoor farmers market comes to the village of Selaqui.

We love the colorful bangles, but our choices were limited due to our "fat" American hands.
Indian spices by the kilo...
Since coming to India this is the most out of place that we have felt. We were the only two white people that day and maybe any day judging by the stares. Notice the admirers in the background...

Kids, cows, and kurtas

Welcome to India, the land of diversity. Below is a glimpse of what we experienced as we saw India for the first time.

Just another of the many means of transportation here in India... Shishya School... where we spend our days teaching 40 4-year-olds that don't speak our language!
Another game of football (soccer), a favorite among the boys along with cricket and volleyball.

This is also at the school, the campus is absolutely beautiful.
Frieda McRae... our most kind and generous "mom" while we are here and the founder of Shishya school and orphanage. Here she is modeling a scarf knit by my friend, Rebecca.
A common scene on the streets of India... there is no "private property" here. Street-side vending makes for great sales.

Amanda and I had our first Indian shopping experience the day after we arrived. Here we have just stepped out of the "trial room", sporting our "ready-made" (as opposed to the normal fabric-to-tailor stores) kurtas. The good news is that when we come home, these can also double as costumes for any Old Testament plays.
We have not been dissapointed by the food here. An interesting fact: there is no such thing as curry here. It is a combination of spices... very tasty! This is Raj Kachouli... a mixture of yogurt, chick pea, lentil, mint, chiles, and potato in a shell of fried Cream of Wheat. A peanut stall. Here you see the peanut vendor roasting his peanuts for his pushcart.
The epitome of India...