Heath Photography

2011-10-23T15:18:00.000-07:00

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Kensington - 6 months old!

2011-07-06T12:49:00.001-07:00

My cutie-cute niece Kensington is six months old and as sweet as can be!

Kelli and Joe - Engagements

2011-06-24T12:31:00.000-07:00

Kelli and Joe are engaged! This is kind of a big deal since Joe is my baby brother! :)

We set off yesterday to try out some new locations near my house (and use my always trusty "shady-lane." The weather was really nice - a touch windy (and you can see by Kelli's hair), but overall it was really great!

Here are a few of my favorites!

Carrie and Nathan - Married!

2011-06-21T13:33:00.001-07:00

On Saturday Carrie and Nathan married at a family friend's renovated barn. It was a large and bright facility surrounded by acres of trees! We were nervous about the weather, but the rain managed to hold off until halfway through the reception. Perfect!

The day was full of so many smiles and happiness! It was clear that these two have the support and love of all of their friends and family! And...during the ceremony, a butterfly landed on Carrie's veil! How cool is that?!

Here are some pictures from the day - lots of detail shots!

Something blue

A butterfly landed on her veil!

A quick kiss before the introduction

Square dancing!

Lacie and T.J. - married!

2011-06-12T13:43:00.000-07:00

We have known the Condon family for many years now - our lives have intertwined throughout the years. It has been a joy getting to know each of the Condon "children" (I say children because the youngest is in high school and hardly a child anymore!) They definitely remind me of my own siblings...they are so incredibly close. It's one of those "You mess with her, you mess with all of us" kind of bonds - I love it! So it was very exciting to see how they embraced T.J. as one of their own; not only has the husband of their sister, but also as a new brother.

The day was filled with so much happiness. Everyone was all smiles all day (as it should be on such a special occasion!) Lacie was a fresh and beautiful bride. T.J. was a calm and collect (and handsome) groom. The rain held out. The flowers were gorgeous. T.J.'s ring was handmade by Lacie's grandpa! The wedding colors were picked to perfection. The vows were heartfelt.

I hope these pictures capture at least a small percentage of how beautiful the day was.

Congratulations Lacie and T.J.!

I LOVE the color combo of the dresses and flowers. Love.

Gregory is 15 months old!

2011-05-28T17:33:00.000-07:00

This morning I met up with the Martins to photograph little Gregory - he's not so little any more! It's been so neat to watch Gregory grow from a newborn to an (almost) 15 month old toddler! He's such a fun little guy! - and he's walking everywhere! It has been such a blessing to be the Martin's family photographer - here's to many more photo shoots in the future! I love you guys!

Malayna is three weeks old!

2011-05-17T19:17:00.001-07:00

I love babies. Everyday I think I love them more and more. What's not to love? They are just so darn cute! I was so excited when my friend (and co-worker) Dawn asked me to photograph the newest addition to her family. Dawn and Brian didn't find out the gender of their baby and were convinced it was a boy! They had the name picked out and everything! Surprise! Out came baby Malayna! "Miss Layna" as her big sister calls her has more hair on her head than any baby I've seen! She is SUCH a cutie! I had a wonderful time catching up with Dawn while photographing her three week old daughter.

(To see their maternity session at the Franklin Park Conservatory, click here)

Enjoy!

The new family of four!

Love this sweet moment

Seed Family Portraits

2011-05-09T18:41:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday, my friend Jess and I photographed each other's families. It worked out great, except I feel like the Heath's got the better end of the deal! I was only able to photograph the Seeds for about 10 minutes before they had to leave for the airport! (We can take some more Jess - promise!) :) The little "Seedlings" are so precious - happy or not. I had the joy of photographing Eli when he was a mere three weeks old - now he is two! Time is flying by!!!

So here are some of my favorites from my all-time shortest shoot ever!

Love this little guy

Such a cutie!

Carrie and Nathan Engagements

2011-04-21T18:59:00.000-07:00

Carrie and Nathan are getting married in June so we went out in between rainy days to take engagement pictures. This was my first time at this location and was SO pumped. It is gorgeous! Who knew? The weather added to our good fortune and we spent some time discovering the ruins of this old mansion in warm sunshine! It was a very pleasant afternoon! I'm so glad everything worked out well!

Carrie and Nathan have known each other since they were just kids, growing up in the same church. How fun to already have so many memories with your fiance...and to know you will spend a lifetime creating more together!

Here are a few from our session!

The album cover

The McGinn Family

2011-04-10T09:52:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I had the pleasure of meeting and photographing the McGinn family. After talking with them throughout the shoot we realized that we had quite a bit in common! (which is always a fun thing!)

Little Gavin was born seven weeks ago and growing like a weed! (I mean, just look at all that blonde hair!) He's a cute surfer dude!

Both children were SO well behaved, pleasant, AND photogenic (not a common trio). I had a great time and hopefully these images are a reflection of that!

Lucy is three weeks old!

2011-03-18T17:56:00.000-07:00

Little Lucy turned three weeks old today! Here are some pics of this sweet baby girl!

My favorite

Belly.

McMahon Family Portraits

2011-03-05T13:26:00.001-08:00

This particular portrait session was a family/2 year old/maternity session all rolled into one! The weather was (and is) wet and nasty, so again, I suggested we meet at the Franklin Park Conservatory. Little Miss B just loved all the flowers, and especially the fairy tale train display they have up. She did SO well for a two (or almost two!) year old. There is so much to see that she was always interested and occupied!

Because it was a jam-packed session, I had to choose more images than I normally would - it was just too hard for me to narrow down! I mean, once you see this precious face you'll know why! Such a doll!

This face cracks me up! I thought it would be the perfect image to start with... :)

Does it get any cuter than this!?

Schultz Family Portraits

2011-03-03T18:34:00.000-08:00

This past Saturday I took a trip to the beautiful Franklin Park Conservatory to photograph the Schultz family. The conservatory provides a warm, lush, and colorful backdrop when the weather decides not to cooperate! If you haven't been there lately, now is the time to go! They have a beautiful orchid garden that is bursting with color! It was fun for me to explore with the Schultz family and find interesting spaces in which to photograph them.

Enjoy!

I think this might be my favorite....I love it!

Alex's Senior Portraits

2011-02-17T18:49:00.001-08:00

This afternoon I photographed Alex in Old Worthington. We had a limited time, but managed to come out with some pretty interesting pictures! Plus, as a bonus, the weather was AMAZING! Here are a couple from the session!

Little Baby Swartzel

2011-01-16T15:50:00.000-08:00

Our dear friends Andrew and Julia are having a baby! Little Lucy should arrive (if all goes to plan) in early March. We are so excited for them and this new little blessing! It seems like everyone at our church is pregnant, and Julia will be the first of this "wave" of having spring babies. I cannot wait to meet her! It's easy to see that little Lucy will be the cutest little girl ever!

Kensington Lee

2011-01-14T08:49:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I got to photograph my newest niece, Kensington. She was born just two weeks ago - and look how alert she is already! Her mama's pregnancy was far from easy, but I bet she would tell you that this little beauty was worth the uncomfortableness and pain! We were all so excited for little Kenzi to be born! What a blessing to our family!

She's a natural in front of the camera already!

So, throughout these pics I tried using some new editing techniques...we'll see how I like them...

This quilt was made by friend, Carol Monson. The colors are fantastic!

Love this

My mom made this ADORABLE little hat! She's a doll!

Kenzi's mama made this charcoal throw!

This headband was made by Kenzi's other Aunt, Julie. So cute!

My mom made this super soft baby blanket too - super talented!

Lita and Henry

2010-12-09T14:00:00.000-08:00

So, I feel awful...I haven't posted any sessions for forever! Sorry friends.

But - I wanted to post a couple from my fun time today. I'm really lucky to have friends with BEAUTIFUL children (and who let me photograph them.) :) I've been photographing Lita since before she was born...and Henry is just getting started! Here are a quick few from our time!

Maddox is Six Months Old!

2010-10-23T18:19:00.000-07:00

Today I met Maddox. He is SUCH a cute little guy! He is half a year old and growing quickly! His Mama and Daddy wanted to make sure we captured this time of his babyhood before it's gone forever! I had a great time playing in the leaves and photographing is pretty blue eyes and contagious smile!

Here are some favorites from the session.

Lacie and TJ Engagements

2010-10-18T15:22:00.001-07:00

I was supposed to take Lacie and TJ's engagement pictures a couple of Sundays ago...the one when it was nasty cold and spitting rain...so we decided to wait and try again later. Well, yesterday was the "later" date we chose. ...and it turned out to be perfect weather! And, lucky for me, brother Luke was there to carry wardrobe and be my assistant!

We had a lot of fun and laughed constantly!

Here are some of my favorites from the day!

Victoria and Jared are Married!

2010-10-04T10:25:00.001-07:00

Victoria and Jared were married Saturday at the very same place they met: their high school! (It's both a high school and church so it has an "sanctuary" of sorts). Adam and I have actually taught them both - which makes us feel a little older than we should! To see their engagment pictures, click here. The weather ended up being super cold and rainy - so we improvised as we had to stay indoors. Having walked these halls MANY times myself, it was really a fun and hard challenge to take these mundane interiors and turn them into something wonderful.

The ceremony was full of laughter and nervous excitement! The couple was surrounded my friends and family - all wishing them the best on their new journey together!

Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Shields!

One of my favorites!

Gregory is Six Months Old!

2010-09-25T17:59:00.001-07:00

Gregory and I go WAY back...to like, before he was born.

I photographed him while he was nestled safely in his Mama's belly. After he decided he had had enough in there, I met him face to face for the first time. And now here we are - six months old! It really is crazy how quickly these little babies change and grow. Incredible.

I was down around the Worthington's Market Day Festival earlier in the day and had spotted these chairs from Jill's Junk. I persuaded Billy and Amy to go along with my idea, and Jill was gracious enough to let us use many of her vintage items as props.

So here are just a few favorites from our time today. Gregory is such a big boy now! What an honor to be able to photograph this special gift of a boy.

Benny's Senior Portraits

2010-09-25T17:48:00.000-07:00

I met Benny and his mom,Kristin, in Old Worthington this morning, only to find out that they were having their Market Day Festival. I used to LOVE going to this festival with my mom. (I still would like to go - I just didn't realize today was the day). Oh well. We had fun and even incorporated the crowds into some of the images.

I was really loving all of the shadows that we were discovering (maybe it was because the shadows were a result of the SUN being out). Benny humored me as I played around with the shadows here and there...I think they turned out pretty cool myself.

Here are a few of my favorites!

Ezra is one week old!

2010-09-02T10:38:00.000-07:00

Ezra is one week old! What better way to celebrate than posing him for the camera? We spent a good deal of time making sure this little boy was warm and fed (I was more in charge of the warm part than the fed part...) He is SO beautiful and already comfortable in front of the camera! (which is good considering how many cameras float around this family!) We had a ton pictures to choose from, but these are just a few.

Cozy quilt made by Grandma Michael

Just hanging out in daddy's hat - a pic to grow by

Love this

Casch-man got in on the fun too!

New Website Update

2010-08-28T04:56:00.000-07:00

I'm getting a new website and I am super excited about it! The only thing is that there have been glitches from both the hosting site and the designer...so...i'm still waiting for it! Please be patient as my site is down currently. I cannot wait to have the new, beautiful, and easy to navigate site for you all to enjoy!

Stay tuned!

Welcome Baby Ezra!

2010-08-23T13:34:00.000-07:00

He's here! Ezra Knox was born this morning and is a healthy, sleepy boy! We were finally able to see him after meandering for twenty minutes through the halls of the OSU medical center trying to locate their room. (It's a labryinth!) But once we did, we met our handsome little nephew! He has a full head of dark hair and perfect skin: no baby acne here! He's not even swollen! (Julie isn't either. Not fair.) I got to be there when Brenna met her baby brother for the first time! How special! She is going to be a wonderful big sister.

Welcome to the world baby Ezra! We love you!

The introduction.

...checking out his new cousin...

Some of the cousins together for a picture!

Caschel seems HUGE next to Ezra.

Mugshot

Sweigard Maternity Pics

2010-08-22T14:27:00.000-07:00

This afternoon I hurried over to my sister's house to take some family photos before THEY hurried on over to the hospital. Julie is going in TONIGHT to be induced! Baby boy will be here before we know it! With all the summer travel/craziness we never got a chance to do some great maternity shots (better late than never I guess). I'm so glad that it worked out! We took them around their house, and at the Livingston House in Reynoldsburg. Here are a few (really - just a few) of my favorite shots.

It is probably safe to say that Brenna is the most photographed child on the planet (only because she has been alive longer than Caschel...) :) You can tell she's used to being in front of the camera!

Please enjoy! The next post will completely dedicated to baby boy! We cannot wait to meet him!

A tomato from, fresh from the garden

Brenna, attempting to make a heart...

Victoria and Jared Engagements!

2010-08-20T06:47:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a photography first for me: it was the first time I had photographed former students who are now engaged to be married! I feel so old!

Victoria and Jared are "highschool sweethearts," and dated for two years before Jared popped the question over a picnic meal. (At least I think it was two years...) You can tell that these two are completely infatuated with one another. (I think Jared looked at Vicky more than he looked at the camera!) But I suppose that is the way it should be! :)

Enjoy!

Chelsea and Dave's Wedding!

2010-07-12T13:22:00.000-07:00

It has been months since Adam and I have shot a wedding...mostly because we recently became parents! (pictures to come soon!) We've been taking it nice and slow getting back to taking pictures of things other than our son. :)

Chelsea and Dave's wedding was the perfect wedding to jump in with. They are such a beautiful, fun, loving, and goofy couple that made our job SO much easier. I'm not sure you can take a bad photograph of Chelsea - she's absolutely gorgeous! The day was perfect (a touch hot...no, REALLY hot), but that didn't stop the bridal party from having a great time. Adam and I work with a lot of bridal parties but this particular group of people were some of the most fun and agreeable we've photographed. They were attentive and willing to try whatever pose we wanted! So a big "Thank you!" goes out to the bridal party (and Chelsea and Dave I suppose, for picking such a great bunch of friends and family). It is a rare thing when everyone is ready and on time! (in this case, the guys were early!)

The ceremony was performed at Grace at Polaris, and the reception was held at Little Bear Golf Club. It seemed like everyone had a wonderful time and especially enjoyed the picture perfect sunset from the banquet hall balcony.

So, without further ado...just some of my favorite shots of the day (I could have put a lot more up, but we have to save something for later!)

Chelsea and her mom (matron-of-honor), Karen

Father and sons

Leah, the adorable flower girl

Birdseed was buried is Chelsea's hair after their getaway! We spent some quality time trying to get all the seeds out without ruining her hair!

Baby Gregory is three weeks old!

2010-03-23T15:38:00.001-07:00

I am in love with him.

Gregory is such a beautiful baby who was way too easy to work with. For being three weeks old, we were able to capture him when he was wide awake and happy. What a joy to photograph this family who have been an inspiration to so many. Click here to see their story.

I love you all!

Baby Clara - Round #2!

2010-03-21T07:27:00.001-07:00

I went back to finish up pictures of sweet little baby Clara. She was in a much better mood this morning! We were able to finish up quick and even get Mom and Dad in the pictures. SUCH a beautiful family.

Enjoy!

I think this might be my all-time favorite. She's a doll!

Baby Clara is four weeks old!

2010-03-06T19:24:00.000-08:00

I was so excited to meet Miss Clara this afternoon! I've known her parents for several years (I went to middle and high school with her mommy! - and college come to think of it) So this was a special treat for me! (and good practice for my own near future?) :)

Poor Clara had had an irregular nap which threw off her schedule. Her parents tried everything to calm her down (which worked, until I got involved and wanted to pose her). She is such a sweetheart and apparently loves being bounced on their exercise ball. I had never heard of that before but it worked like a charm!

Here are some pictures of our first session (session number two will follow shortly). So apparently I am obsessed with baby feet...I can't help it. I suppose that's okay because they are so amazingly cute!

I am realizing more and more how much I love portrait sessions. They really give me the chance to get to know my clients and are such an intimate time. We aren't necessarily strapped to a schedule and therefore allow me the time to capture even more special moments for my clients.

Doesn't this one just break your heart? Look at that crocodile tear!

This next one is probably one of my favorites! I love how you can see both her hands and feet.

Belahovek Family Pictures!

2010-02-03T11:10:00.000-08:00

The temperature outside is supposedly 35 degrees. I don't know what the windchill is, but it really felt colder than that out today! I want a give a big shout out the the Belahovek family who braved the cold weather to do some family pictures.

Sy will be leaving soon for trip and wanted to get some pictures done before he left. (This explains the less than ideal weather conditions!) They seriously were troopers though (especially the kids!)

I've known Sy for forever (he ran cross country with not only my older brothers, but husband as well). Sy and Renessa are probably the nicest couple you will meet. So generous and selfless (you can see it first hand as they interact with their children).

Here are some from today's shoot. Please note Winslow and Elathia's AMAZING eyes.

...so beautiful.

Baby Martin

2010-01-23T11:39:00.001-08:00

This morning I ventured over to Dublin to photograph Billy, Amy, and her ever growing belly! The Martin's have a very rough, but wonderful story about their first baby, Abigail. You can view it here. The video was done by our fellow church member Josh Fronduti and it is so beautiful made.

The first thing that comes to my mind when I think about the Martin's is their sense of humor. They are constantly laughing: a sure sign that they are completely in love with one another. As I photographed them it was plain to see how excited they are for this little one to arrive!

We are going to do some more photos after the baby is born, so stay tuned! Maybe little baby Martin will be laughing too! Here are some of my favorites (Amy specifically asked for all black and white, but I couldn't resist a colored shot on these cute little socks!)

Little socks made with love by Grandma

The boy name they picked out starts with a "G." As of right now...there isn't a for sure girl name... So we only did pics with the letter "G."

Billy wanted this shot after he saw Amy standing here. "She looks so beautiful," he said. ...and he was right! He actually went outside to get Amy to smile.

This next one is probably my favorite. I told them we could go back in after Baby Martin is born and put his/her name on the right-hand side.

Luke's Senior Portraits

2010-01-18T07:36:00.000-08:00

So...it's been a while since i've lasted posted. You know how things get around the holidays - not to mention that half of my family celebrates their birthdays between November and February!

Enough excuses though, let's get on to Luke's pictures! Adam and I have known Luke since he was in the seventh grade...now he's a Senior! Time is flying by! Luke as been a member of our Track team as long as I have been coaching at WC. (We started at the middle school level, then moved up to high school with this particular Senior class). Luke is hilarious. He is outgoing and goofy - and ALWAYS has a smile on his face. He is the true definition of a social butterfly. He is friends with everyone!

Last year I had the chance to photograph his sister, Becca, when it was a bit warmer. Fortunately for us, there was a slight break in the weather! The temperature was a balmy 40 degrees, but the snow hadn't quite melted away yet. It was perfect!

We started our time out at Highbanks, then went to a beautiful house owned by my friends, the Wongs. A huge THANK YOU goes out to Keith and Susan for allowing us to barge into their home and take advantage of their amazing natural light. Adam even came to hang out!

So here is what we came up with. Lot's of fun (I was laughing so hard that tears were pouring down my face - thank you hormones!). I think I freaked Luke out a little bit! Oh well, it was all in good fun!

Lita is 12 weeks old!

2009-11-30T10:34:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend!

I had the privilege of photographing my great friend Kim and her family (husband Aaron, and new baby girl Lita!). I took some belly pics of Kim back in August "Kim's Baby Bump." Her belly was big then, but no one knew that Lita would weigh over nine pounds when she came into the world!

I've known Kim since high school. We've shared in so many of each other's experiences, stood by each other's side in our weddings, and now, are embarking into the world of motherhood together! (well, i'm on my way at least).

(When the first Harry Potter movie came out oh so long ago - and rumors arose that all the books would be made into movie form - we joked that we would be taking our children to see the last movies. At the time, we were both single...I guess we were right!)

Lita is one of the cutest babies of all time. She is a beautiful mix of mom and dad, and has a full head of hair (which at times, looks like a Euro-hawk). She is so squishy which makes her just that much more cuddly. You don't want to put her down! It is so precious to see how Kim and Aaron look at their new baby girl. They want nothing more than to make her happy and comfortable. Seeing Kim in her new roll as "mommy" was surprisingly normal. It was as if she'd has this baby all the time i'd known her. Her roll change has been seamless and perfect.

I look forward to this family growing in the future (and for Lita and our little baby Heath to have play dates together!)

Field's Family Portraits

2009-11-18T18:12:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I went to the Field's home for an impromptu photo shoot. The weather was so perfect and we both had a little time available, so we went for it!

They have two little boys who seem as different as different can be! It was definitely a challenge for me to find out what "attention" techniques worked for each boy. It worked out in the end and we were able to come up with lots of great shots! (I put a lot on here, but there were some that I had to keep off. I mean, after all, there has to be some kind of surprise when the Fields view the rest of their pictures!)

So here are some of the pics of our time together. Enjoy!

Kirtland Family Portraits

2009-10-31T07:55:00.000-07:00

As I drove into Highbanks yesterday to shoot the Kirtland family photos, I got really frantic because all of the beautiful color had fallen to the forest floor! Luckily, the Kirtlands were very flexible and followed me as I jumped from place to place and idea to idea. They were a lot of fun (especially the kiddos!)

Even though the fall colors weren't on our side, the weather definitely was! I was shooting in a t-shirt! These poor guys were in long sleeves and sweaters! Who knew it would be so warm the day before Halloween? None of us did! I guess it doesn't matter though...you can't tell the temperature from these photographs. The lighting was perfect, as the sun began it's decent.

Enjoy!

Ha! Take a knee....

And a final headshot for Emily's resume

Kaitlyn's Senior Portraits

2009-10-19T16:16:00.001-07:00

Today Kaitlyn and I drove over to Inniswoods to take some senior portraits (It seems like i've been there a lot lately!). The colors here are so vibrant and beautiful right now, it's no wonder it is so popular (We must have passed five or six other photographers while we walked around).

The weather turned out to be great (slighty chilly as we finished up), but Kaitlyn was a trooper. She is a girl of a hundred faces, but even more smiles. She is a lot of fun to be around and never ceases to surprise me with a new tidbit of knowledge. She is constantly laughing (as you will pick up on in the pictures) which made my job easier.

It is a wonderful and sad thing at the same time: that many of these seniors will be going off to college next year. Sure, it's their time to start the next phase of life, but I always miss the random heads that pop into my classroom just to say hello. That is one of the great things about teaching high school students. They are random. I love randomness. ...and Kaitlyn can definitely be random.

So here's to random! ...and to senior portraits!

Enjoy!

My favorite!

I have a new obsession with cutting people's heads off. Not really sure why...

The Smith Family Portraits!

2009-10-16T14:38:00.001-07:00

So...the Smiths. You can't really describe them...you just have to interact with them. They are like a thoughtful, giant ball of energy that is constantly exploding. This is most definitely a good thing! I knew that when I stopped by their home to take some family portraits that it would be anything but boring!

I know the Smith's from church (Mike our pastor at Vista!) so I get to interact with them on a fairly regular basis. It was really fun to watch them interact with each other in their own environment. We took some pictures indoors, then headed out and about the neighborhood to use the beautiful color of the changing leaves.

I had a lot of fun hanging out with Spencer and Shaeffer as well. They crack me up! But, I suppose that knowing their parents, this shouldn't really surprise me! I love how the enormously fun personality of the family came out in the pictures.

Enjoy!

Chelsea and Dave's Engagements!

2009-10-12T14:07:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I met Chelsea and Dave at Inniswoods Metro garden to shoot their engagement pictures. (I think half of Columbus was there as well). It was the perfect day for it! Not to hot...not to cold (as long as you kept moving!)

Taking pictures of these two was a lot of fun for me. You can tell that they genuinely love being around each other (and they were willing to do many of my ideas that might come across as a wee bit silly). They were great sports about it and laughed the whole way through.

We ended our session at the Westerville Mini-Golf Course. Dave actually owns it, so I thought it would be a great way to incorporate part of them into the session. Overall, I am so happy with the way these pictures turned out, and can't wait for their wedding in July! Stay tuned!

This one just cracks me up! Dave's expression is priceless.

Carrie and Ryan's Wedding 10.10.09

2009-10-12T13:45:00.000-07:00

Lots and lots of pink! That is what you will notice first from Carrie and Ryan's wedding! It was so colorful (and full of details) which made it a lot of fun to photograph!

I've known Ryan, I think, since middle school. Even then he was about the nicest guy you would ever meet...and nothing has changed! So it didn't surprise me to learn that Carrie was about the nicest gal you could meet! They are a super nice couple ("nice" can be such a lame descriptor sometimes, but I mean this with the best of intentions). They are constantly smiling and conscience about the needs of others (even on their wedding day). It was obvious that their friends and family felt the same way as they shared special stories and memories during the toasts.

This kind of wedding is my absolute favorite: when every single person in attendance was extremely happy for the couple and rooting them on for the future! (sadly, this isn't always the case). It makes you excited for them too (not that you weren't before), and reminds me how much I love my own husband! There was so much love everywhere! :)

The reception was held at the lovely Creekside Conference Center, which served as an excellent background for the bridal party shots as well!

I want to give a special thanks to Marilyn, the wedding coordinator, who helped me get my jacket back! Thank you!

I hope you all enjoy these photos as much as Adam and I liked taking them.

It was a touch bright. They closed their eyes...then opened them on the count of three...

...so that all eyes would be open for Adam's shot!

Preparing for their "flip flop" pics

Justine and Matthew's Wedding!

2009-10-04T12:03:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Adam and I headed down to the Franklin Park Conservatory to photograph Justine and Matthew's wedding. It was such a beautiful day (a touch windy perhaps, but no rain!) Everything went according to plan and the two were married inside the palm house. This is one on my favorite ceremony locations because it is so lush and green! The conservatory is also laden with the colorful work of glass artist Dale Chihuly. I absolutely love the transparency of colored glass! The ceremony was intimate and special - the way it should be.

I am very excited to get started on Justine and Matt's album. It is going to be so colorful and vibrant! Thanks Justine and Matt for allowing us to be a part of your wedding day!

Justin's Senior Portraits!

2009-10-04T11:23:00.000-07:00

Wow, it's been awhile since I've posted! Life gets crazy during the fall (and this Autumn is no different!) I've been busy with a couple different projects. Adam and I shot Justine and Matthew's wedding at the Franklin Park Conservatory yesterday (those pics will be posted shortly). But first, I wanted to post some pics from Justin senior portrait session.

Last time I checked, Justin was in eighth grade...now he's a senior! The whole family came along for the fun. It was great to catch up with friends (especially when I don't get to see them that often!) Here are some of my favorites of the day. The weather was perfect, unfortunately the trees haven't turned as much as we would have liked. Oh well. I still like them!

Ally and Dave's Wedding!

2009-09-06T10:12:00.001-07:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful and relaxing holiday weekend! Mine was both busy and relaxing (and wonderful!). On Saturday, Adam and I photographed Ally and Dave's wedding. Ally graduated from WCHS a long time ago (where Adam and I currently teach). We both had here little sister, Alena, in class! So for us, this was a lot of fun as we got to see many familiar faces. The wedding (and weather) were nothing short of perfect. The members of the bridal each commented about how devoted both Ally and Dave are, not only to each other, but to their friends and family as well. Honestly, that is one of the first things I noticed about them myself!

One picture that Ally had requested was a shot of their hands. She wanted to document their hands every year that they are married. I LOVE this idea! How cool is it for me to be the first one to photograph their hands (in what will be many, many photographs to come).

Thanks Ally and Dave!

Kim's baby bump!

2009-08-23T13:31:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I had the joy of taking maternity pictures for Kim. Kim has been one of my best friends since high school! We have shared in all the major victories (and defeats) of each others lives, and now comes the next blessing! As you can see, Kim's baby girl should be arriving any day! I was glad I was able to capture these before Baby Lita arrived.

And, on a personal note, I have to mention how INCREDIBLE Kim looks. I hope to resemble her in any small way before I give birth (except I'm not pregnant, nor Asian). ...but you know what I mean. She is so beautiful, and I have no doubt that Lita will be just as gorgeous. Hopefully I'll have pics of here on here by the end of the week!

Probably my favorite...

"L" is for Lita Lee Lett

Ellen's Senior Portraits

2009-08-21T12:13:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I met Ellen, Grant (her boyfriend) and Kim (her mom) down in the Short North. We spent a couple of fun hours walking throughout the Short North and Goodale Park taking senior pictures.

Apparently, (since i've been out of the country for a long while), a design firm has put up AMAZING colorful boards simply screaming to be used as backdrops. I couldn't refuse. I LOVE them...and Ellen helped bring the pictures to life! She was wonderful to work with, taking my direction so well! Thanks Ellen!

Kim and Grant were great to have along; not only to hold extra clothes, but to help me by holding the reflector (that is Grant's work in the last photo!)

All in all I had a wonderful time and am so happy with how these pictures turned out!

Ike Meyers Senior Portraits

2009-08-06T19:18:00.001-07:00

Today I continued the Meyer's family line and photographed Ike's senior portraits. I did his sister (Morgan) last year around this time. I tried to make the shoot as painless as possible, and I think they turned out pretty well! The Meyer's land has plenty of photographic options so we were never lacking for an interesting background. I especially like this first one with the wood in the back.

Kline Family Portraits

2009-08-03T10:03:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I drove out to Dublin to photograph the Kline/Anglea/Herbst families. I already knew many members of these families, but loved meeting the rest! They are so much fun when they are together (and I'm sure when they are apart).

I had a great time capturing their vision for these portraits.

Emily and Cameron are married!

2009-08-03T09:52:00.001-07:00

Last Saturday Emily and Cameron got married! It was so beautiful and the weather turned out to be very pleasant (after much praying from everyone attending the ceremony!)

Because both Adam and I had the honor of standing in the wedding, we couldn't take the pictures. My friend Alexa and sister Julie stepped in. I stole the camera from time to time (I couldn't help myself), but I know they did a great job. Below are some that Julie and I took (I don't have Alexa's yet).

Emily was beautiful and Cameron cried. It was a wonderful ceremony and very loud reception! I'm surprised that Em's hair stayed in through all of her dancing! We (the Heath's) are very excited to have Cameron as a permanent part to our family.

I love you guys! Enjoy California!

Home Again!

2009-07-26T10:39:00.001-07:00

We made it home safely! Thanks for all of you so have faithfully checked in on our blog. I hope we have inspired you to take your own trip with Asia's Hope!

Thank you for all of your prayers!

We just got word of an urgent request for Vern and Gwen (part of the Western Reserve team) and their families. I don't want to say anything too much, but they just need a lot of prayer right now.

Western Reserve Headed Home....and us too

2009-07-25T02:49:00.000-07:00

Like we mentioned before the Western Reserve Grace Brethren team/church really knows how to give. They had gifts prepared for every orphanage in Cambodia and some left over to take to Thailand. While we were in Battambang it was great to watch them rejoice in giving to all the kids. Each orphanage got medication and toys and some educational materials as well. Really though the moment that everyone was waiting for was the unveiling of the gifts for BB 5. The team had raised enough money to fill almost every need that Haven of Hope had. They were even able to buy a sound system that would benefit all of the Battambang orphanages.

We wanted to just show you some more pictures from all of the gift giving and the progress of the worship shelter that we had the dedication ceremony in.

Western Reserve and BB 3. Many gifts were given and received this day.

Judy and the kids of BB 3

Rachel and Sherrod were busy sorting out medical supplies

"Landscaping"

The Worship Pavilion is almost finished!

Shopping for a moto for BB 5

Gift bags for the kids at BB 5...they LOVED it!

Savorn and Sony at the dedication of BB 5

Praying at "Haven of Hope" before the cutting of the ribbon.

Baby Eden!

Saying goodbye to our Vista kids

We are currently sitting in the Taipei airport wondering how this day got here? We can't believe that we are actually on our way home! (It seems like we are merely flying to Thailand again...even though we just got back from there yesterday. Yes, lots of flying). Our time is Thailand was so wonderful! Adam and I had talked alot about whether or not we should come back. Mostly we were concerned about finances. But, after much negotiating at the airline office (thank you Savorn!), Adam was able to get round trip tickets at a good price (to fly from Chiang Mai to LA would have cost us $400 a piece....so we decided to keep our original flight home out of Phnom Penh).

Western Reserve had such an emotional goodbye with their kids, we thought that Thailand would be a nice stepping stone before returning home to Ohio. Thailand is beautiful and more organized and generally an easier experience than being in Cambodia.

We arrived in Thailand on Tuesday afternoon after the Haymaker family had departed for home. When we got to the airport we were picked up by the Asia's Hope nurse and a couple of the staff from Doi Saket 1 who took us to our home for the next couple of days, Wang Tarn Resort. It is really beautiful there and we were staying in A frame cabins that were one room each. It was pretty quaint and nice to be in such a beautiful setting.

The first night we headed almost directly for the orphanage, we had to wait for the kids to get out of school though so we rested a bit before going there. Tutu had dinner ready for us at the orphanage and we played with the kids before it was time to go in for a worship service. It was really good to recognize faces and names when we arrived at Doi Saket 1. The kids were a bit more open with us than the last time we visited because they recognized us as well. It was really great to see their songs and dances and watch them praise God in their language and in their cultures. The team was really thoughtful about the cultural differences that we saw in Thailand as opposed to Cambodia. Overall it always feels great to give people a tour of the facilities and talk about all the God has done with Asia's Hope in Southeast Asia.

After worship we headed back to the resort to go to bed but made a stop at 7-11 for some refreshments and one of our favorite treats, Roti! It is basically like a funnel cake as far as taste although it is actually shaped more like an actual funnel than what we have in the united states. You can fill it with fruit and other things, mostly bananas, but that would be like marrying your cousin. Marriage is a good thing, but marrying your cousin is certainly not. Roti is a good thing, but with bananas, I don't see how it could be. (I don't like bananas) All of this to say that on the way home we saw one of the most beautiful sights in the night sky. Someone was celebrating in Doi Saket and at the top of the mountain they were releasing paper lanterns into the night sky. There were hundreds of them that just looked like tiny flames floating up towards the atmosphere. One of those, I wish I had my camera moments.

Because the kids are in school all day we have to wait until the evening to see them. We spent the morning and afternoon of Wednesday showing the team around Chiang Mai. It really is such a beautiful place. We took them to the elephant show and had a 1/2 hour ride with them as well. This time during the show I was actually pulled in to compete with an elephant at darts. Apparently he was like the best elephant dart player in the world because I lost. (In my defense I had a dart bounce off that would have tied it up, and the elephant got two balloons with one dart) God knows when we need humbled I suppose and this must have been one of those moments.

After the elephant show we had a great lunch at the farm. It is a buffet lunch that has an orchid and butterfly farm attached, and yes it is as beautiful as it sounds. Lunch was a nice break before heading back up the mountain to see Doi Suthep mountain and the Pagoda up there. It was an interesting experience because one of the team members had buddhist family members and he was able to provide some perspective for us. The religion in Southeast Asia is more often a blend of things than any one religion on its own. In this case Buddhism is blended with Animism and Hinduism. It makes for interesting religious activities and of course lively discussions later.

After the Pagoda we stopped at the waterfall on the way down just to soak it in and recharge a bit before heading to the orphanage. When we arrived at the orphanage Tutu again had dinner ready for us and then we got to worship with the kids. The staff of Asia's Hope takes turn leading the kids through songs and then the team shares a testimony or song as well. This time we played Mighty To Save (which we later heard being played in one of the stalls at the Night Bazaar...which I am tempted to call bizarre but will refrain from doing so). After some goodbye's it was time to drive back to the resort and sleep so we could head up to the widow's farm on Thursday.

The widow's farm is always a highlight. It is so peaceful up there and the land has so much potential to be great for God's Kingdom. We were blessed enough to participate in the dedication of the new widow's home. Pastor Mike Flinchum said a few words and then we worshipped and prayed for the widow's and for their new home.

On the way back we stopped at a mountain village to see what the Asia's Hope children of Thailand are coming from and out of. This village was also home of some friends of Tutu's and Mike's who had baptized a few of it's inhabitants a few years before. After the Mountain village we went back to the orphanages so that Jess and I could finish up taking the portraits of all the kids in Asia's Hope. The team also did salvation bracelets with all the kids and had a great story about butterflies to go along with it. The kids really seemed to be into it and it turned out to be a great last night with the kids for us all. It was one more emotional goodbye in a summer full of them.

The next day was the last goodbye with the Western Reserve team as they flew towards the United States and we flew back to Phnom Penh to catch our own flight home.

View from the village we visited

At the village we visited

Dedicating the new home at the Widows farm (The widows are standing in the center)

The group at the infamous Thailand waterfall

At our Thailand waterfall

At the Orchid and Butterfly Gardens. This was one big butterfly!

"Nice try..." (sorry, out of order from the next one)

Adam playing darts against the elephant. Don't ask him about the outcome...

The Elephant Show!

Another beautiful sunset at Doi Saket 1

Wonton Resort in Thailand - We each got our own A-frame

Clouds (from Chaing Mai to Phnom Penh)

Dedication, Celebration, and most of all, Worship

2009-07-18T02:17:00.000-07:00

Here we are, back in Battambang! The team has really loved their time with the kids from their orphanage, Haven of Hope. In fact, right now they are skyping their home church from a missionary home in Battambang. The kids are all with them and they are going to be able to introduce their extended family to the people back home.

The week that we had up in Battambang was great! The team pulled some really long days and blessed the kids so much in just a small time. They had gifts for each of the orphan homes in Battambang just like they did for the kids in Phnom Penh. I do not know the people of Western Reserve Grace Brethren, but I do know that they had an out pouring of love for these orphans all the way across the world.

On Friday we had a laid back morning because the team had been gone all day at Siem Reap on Thursday. In the afternoon we moved quickly so that we could visit two orphan homes and give them their gifts. The bouncy balls were flying, the toy cars were motoring, and the flutes were blowing all over Battambang that day. After a quick lunch we headed over to the Waterpark to swim with the kids. You need to understand how exciting this is for the kids, especially those of Battambang that rarely have this chance to swim. It was a really great time with all of them as we swam for a couple of hours.

Saturday was another packed day with the highlight of the week. The reason this team has come is so that they could dedicate their orphanage to the Lord. One great thing about Pastor Jason and his team is that they realize where all of this originates. We love others only because He first loved us and taught us how to love. This is a truth not lost on the people of Western Reserve.

After an incredible dedication ceremony in the brand new worhsip Pavilion ,which they had stayed up until 1:00 a.m to decorate, we had lunch with all the orphans of Asia's Hope in Battambang. This was the Lords supper if there ever was one. We broke for a little rest time and preparation for an evening full of activities. The activities started with gifts for the kids of Haven of Hope. I am sure that this kids have never seen anything like the gifts that they got on Saturday evening. Pastor Jason then took Prak Sech and his wife, along with Savorn and Sony, out for a nice dinner. The rest of the team stayed and had a delicious meal with the kids. You would be blown away to watch these kids serve each other and share with one another. They were even trying to share with the team members some of the candy they had been given in their gift bags.

After dinner it was time to dance! It seems like it is always time to dance here in Cambodia and this time we had a special reason to celebrate. We danced for a few hours and waited as it got dark enough for the fireworks. It was great to have some fireworks because there are a few of us Americans who missed out on the Fourth of July this year. The kids were loving every second of the firework display and playing creatively with their glow in the dark bracelets! These kids know how to have fun.

Sunday morning brought us the first Church service ever in the new worship pavilion. Pastor Jason led us through a passage in Nehemiah where the prophet explains that he is doing a great work and cannot stop for anything. Pastor Jason related that to the workers here in Cambodia. They really are Asias Hope. Not us back in America, not the Buddhism offered on the street corners and in the Pagoda's, but the workers who rescue the children and bring them up in Christ's love.

Half of the team with leave with us for Thailand on Tuesday while the other half will head home. Pray for safety and that God will give them long memories for the things that they have seen here.

Enjoy some pictures of the week's activities, these are just a few of them as we are having some technical difficulties but hope to get more pictures up soon.

"Mr. Battambang"sits in the middle of a round-a-bout, and is worshipped daily by many locals. He represents the story of a great ruler who lost his "hunting"stick, then found it again. Thus, Battambang literally means "lost stick."

The "waterpark"was actually two giant pools, but they loved it!

The Worship Pavilion is Finished!

The Lord's Supper

Sherrod, Rachel, Adam and I at the dedication celebration!

Western Reserve in Battambang

2009-07-15T20:17:00.000-07:00

We have had a busy couple of days here in Cambodia! We have said good bye to Phnom Penh and hello to Battambang! This has been the most exciting part for the Western Reserve team because the orphanage they sponser is in Battambang (BB 5). Savorn had told them that the kids would be waiting for them at the hotel. It was so beautiful! The kids were just as excitied to see their sponsers! We (Adam, Sherrod, and Rachel) waited in a different car, so we wouldn't distract the kids from the people they were waiting to meet! I had a lot of fun taking pictures of this wonderful seen (there were many tears!). You could tell that Western Reserve has sacrificed a lot for these kids...the love they have for them has been apparent throughout our days together, so it was a blessing for us to see this family reunion.

Some of the pictures (below) got mixed up, but oh well. Some of the things we've done thus far in Battambang have included visiting BB5, enjoying the dances from all of the orphanages (where we shared ice cream, coke, fruit, and dancing!).

Last night we had dinner at Kevin and Jill Kane's home here in Battambang. (They are GBIM missionaries who have partenered with Asia's Hope). They cooked us a very tasty meal of fish and veggies (with bugs on the side). We had met Jill and Kevin before, and it is always a treat to spend time with them!

Today the team went to Siem Reap (to see Angkor Wat). Since we have already been there, we decided to hang back instead. Adam is currently shopping with Savorn. Western Reserve has commited to fulfilling all of BB 5's needs (which is a God story in and of itself). So Adam volunteered to help purchase some of the gifts while the team is away. (I will try to gank some pics from one of them.)

In the meantime, there are lots and lots of pictures to enjoy below!

Western Reserve brought a LOT of stuff. This is only the toys and games pile!

Organizing through over 500 lbs. of gifts for all of Asia's Hope!

Asia's Hope Christian School

No big deal: just an elephant walking down the road...

The rest stop "squatty potty"

Meeting their children for the first time!

Heading home (yes, in the back of a pick-up)

Western Reserve, seeing their orphanage for the first time!

Everybody get on!

Returning the favor

Dance Party!

Adam, and the frog he's about to eat.

A special treat: Crickets, water bugs, and frogs (yes, frogs). There were some among us who did indeed partake...

Last night we had dinner at Kevin and Jill Kane's. It was a wonderful time of food and fellowship!

Construction on the new worship pavilion has come a long way in a short amount of time!

Butterfly craft with the kids

Reuniting with BB 5

2009-07-12T06:08:00.000-07:00

Okay...so the Western Reserve team travels about as well as anyone we have ever seen. Even the children were able to fight off the jet lag like old pros. It has definitely been a real blessing to have them here and watch them serve the last two days. They arrived here Saturday morning which was our first full day back in Phnom Penh. We had travelled by bus from Siem Reap where we saw a floating village and some other really cool things (see below). In the end though we were really ready to get back to it with the newest team arriving.

The team hit the ground running like we said in an earlier post and I think that you could see their hearts really early on were to be here and serve. They have been engaged every moment fully into all that they were seeing and taking it in wanting to learn all that God has for them on this trip. They went to Tuol Sleng and then a couple of orphanages which you will see in the photos below and stayed awake as long as physically possible. They never once complained and have had clear and thoughtfull things to say even in their stupor!

This morning (Sunday) we headed out to Asia's Hope Christian School for worship. Pastor Jason delivered a great message that had the kids and staff here cheering. God is at the center. After church Sherrod wanted to give the team a chance to e-mail home so we stopped near the Russian market for the Internet Cafes. After a short break the team headed out to lunch and Adam went shopping for our visit to the state run orphanage. We bought them soap, laundry detergent, candy, shampoo, and milk. They were really appreacitive and seemed pleased to see a few of us again. Renae and Jess and I had been out there with the Vista team. The team mingled with the kids and let all that they were seeing sink in.

We spent just a little time around the palace for the team to grab pictures and then headed to the guesthouse for dinner. Tonight, spaghetti was on the menu. A very Italian day as Caleb Haymaker said. The best part though was the chance that we had to worship and share some thoughts following dinner. It has really been a blessing to have musical worship from time to time while we are here and tonight was no different. Nothing unifies and focuses quite like worship and prayer.

Tomorrow we will head out to school to do some teaching and visit an orphan home or two. It will be our last day in Phnom Penh for the team (and possibly the last day for Jess and Renae and I in Phnom Penh as well. Pray that God will be at the center of our decision whether we should join the team in Thailand or stay in Cambodia for the rest of the time.) Then it is up to Battambang for some real excitement of dedicating an orphan home and a new worship pavilion! Praise God!

Lotus fields along the way to the floating village

Locals at the floating village

Floating village

One of our boatmen, getting the line ready to dock.

One of the many coloful floating houses.

The floating village's basketball court (as seen on the Amazing Race!!!) It is completely caged in so the balls stay dry.

The lake was very low (notice the walkways with dropoffs...that's the dock to the boats when the river is high!)

Sunset on the way from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh (sunset is around 6:30!)

From the bus (from Siem Reap back to Phnom Penh)

Hello Western Reserve! Welcome to Cambodia!

Enjoying the dances performed by the orphans

Performing a traditional dance

Pastor Jason, Marcie, Caleb, and Emily, with kids from Prek Eng 1

Emily and a few of her new friends!

Western Reserve's first dinner in Cambodia (at Khmer Surin).

A banana, rolled in sticky rice (the longer the banana sits out, the pinker it turns).

Sherrod, with Sophan and Sothourn

The mirrored wall at Vieylo - a really good non-profit pizza place(autographed by many of its visitors)

Organizing the "gift bags" full of things like detergent and soap.

kids at Kien klehng (the state run orphanage)

Team 3 from Western Reserve

2009-07-11T07:55:00.000-07:00

The final team arrived here today and all is well! we will upload some pictures tomorrow but wanted to let anyone who might be reading know that they are here safely.

They landed as fresh as you could be for people who had travelled for 30 hours, stopped by the guesthouse, and then went on to Tuol Sleng...Sherrod really knows how to break a team in!

They regrouped for just a few minutes to have some lunch at the guest house and then we all headed out to see the kids in Prek Eng. Just like always it is such a great moment to see the teams as they meet the kids for the first time. They loved it, it was like a family reunion, which is a perfect way to look at it.

After seeing all the kids we went to dinner with the team ( mostly because it is hard to fall asleep while you are eating) and kept the team awake long enough to justify going to bed. Tomorrow it is off to Church where Pastor Jason will preach his first sermon in Cambodia!

pictures tomorrow, we promise.

2009-07-09T22:12:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was actually Jess' fist chance to see Angkar Wat. The first time she was working and didn't get to come out with us so we wanted to make this trip before heading to Phnom Penh to pick up the last team. We arrived on the bus in the morning and walked to our old stomping grounds of Riverside Hotel. We had planned to buy tickets to take the boat to Phnom Penh but it turned out that the boat does not start running until the end of July. We compromised and took a small boat tour of the floating village this morning.

It has been a really good time getting to spend some time with Jess in places that I saw a long time ago (at least it seems like a long time ago). But we are all ready to get back to work. Renae is brainstorming some possibilities of more jewelry work here and we are all excited for the last team to arrive tomorrow. They are arriving from Ohio and will be here for the dedication of their orphanage in Battambang! I am sure that it will be such a blessing to see them interact with kids that they had such a personal connection to. God used them to save these kids. And they are the cutest kids, they are all so young as it is a brand new orphanage and they are all so joyful.

We are going to work on getting back to Thailand next week so that we can do an outreach in a tribal village...so pray that all the details would be worked out for that last trip before we head home in a couple of weeks.

Do not look directly into the sun!The Faces of Bayon

The famous trees of Ta Prohm

A woman begging in Ta Prohm

There is only one first time to see Angkar Wat

Do feed the monkeys

The South Gate to Bayon

Buddhist monks descend the steps of Ta Krom

Our Beautiful Children

2009-07-09T20:46:00.000-07:00

Wednesday:
We woke up to go out to the orphanage early and finish working on the jewelry. We spent a couple of hours there and finished all the jewelry. It all went so much faster than we anticipated which was good because we got to just spend time with the kids and relax a little. After hour time with the orphans in the morning we bought bus tickets for the next day and then got dropped off at a French restaurant called La Villa. It (again) was hard to believe we were in Cambodia while were were eating at this beautiful place. There is more of France left behind here than I remembered from five years ago (not that I know a whole lot about what France looks like). The lunch was delicious and contributed to a feeling of gluttony for the girls as they went next to get a massage.

The massage parlor is called Seeing Hands and is actually a ministry for blind people. They teach blind people in Cambodia how to give professional massages and give them a vocation. They got a one hour massage for just five dollars. I on the other hand hate to be touched so I just walked around town and worked on setting up our plans for the next day as we would be headed back to Siem Reap.

We got to head back out to the orphanages in the afternoon which was really great because we got to finish the photographs and just play with the kids. We had three of the bigger orphanages all there playing games together and singing songs, it was great. Actually some of the older boys were playing songs in one of the buildings as a full band. They sounded great! They would have sounded better if they were fully in tune, but that doesn't seem to be the highest of values here in Cambodia.

After two or three hours of playing with the kids we went back in to town to meet with Jill Kain. She was at the park doing aerobics with some girls that she has been working with. It has been a great way for her to make relationships and develop them as they are at the park almost every evening. It looked like a great workout, and it definitely doesn't take much to break a sweat in Cambodia even in the "cool"of the evening.

After the workout we headed back to the Hotel to pack and get ready to head back to Phnom Penh by way of Siem Reap. Our plan was to take the boat from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh...but our best laid plans always require a plan B, C, or D in Cambodia....stay tuned.

Adam spotted this written in the sidewalk. "I love you every much."

Cookies at the store: "Romantic Smiles"and "Happiness"

Worship practice

We took part in the Cambodian craze of dance aerobics in the park. (really, we did!) We only went for an hour, but the sessions can go up to three hours long on the weekends!

2009-07-08T00:43:00.000-07:00

We have spent the past three days here in Battambang working on the Trade Justice Mission Jewelry and portraits of each child in the Battambang orphanages. We have had to work around the kids school and examinations schedules but were able to get quite a bit done. We have also served as the guinea pigs to some extent as we are staying in a brand new hotel. Basically it is one of the nicest hotels we have ever stayed in which is a little weird for a missions trip. In the end it is only a dollar or two more than our usual hotel and offers a lot more services. Teams will probably stay here for the time being until the Hotel changes its prices.

Yesterday morning we weren't able to work with the orphans because they were in school so we slept in a bit and were lazy around the pool. We then headed out to the orphanage where we were for the next four or five hours working on jewelry, taking pictures of each of the kids to update their info in the United States, and just playing with the kids. The jewelry has gone really well as the kids here are such hard workers and really got things done quickly. We had originally planned to be here through the week but now will head back to Phnom Penh to prepare for the next team. Sherrod and his wife Rachel just arrived last night from the United States and are working on some of the preparations already. They are working on some medical team initiatives because Sherrod is the medical director for Asia's Hope. We are excited to see them when we make it back to Phnom Penh.

After spending time at the orphanages yesterday we met with Jill and Kevin Cain and a new GBIM intern named Jen. We met them for dinner at one of their favorite dinner spots and had a great meal together. It was great to hear their stories and find out how they ended up here as missionaries. They have some very cool stories about how God got a hold of them and what it took to surrender to His greater plan.

This morning we headed back out to the orphanage for a few hours to finish off the last of the jewelry and photography projects. Things went really well there so we broke for lunch and are planning to go back out there this evening. Then we will exercise with Jill Cain which is something that she has been doing to create contacts here in Battambang. We are having a great time and are excited for the last team to arrive in Cambodia on Saturday. Then in just a matter of a couple of weeks we will be preparing for our own journey home at the end of July.

The Khemera Hotel's Pool. We definitely partook in the refreshing waters while our kids were in school...and then got sun burnt!

At BB #1: The girls were very hospitable, offering us water and cold-water soaked towels.

The older girls working on jewelry (nice shot Adam!)

Raksa

Vehicle of choice to get around the orphanages. Here we are sitting on the porch of BB #5 looking at BB #4.

Playing in the field (and finding crabs in the mud!)

Back to Battambang!

2009-07-06T09:26:00.000-07:00

So, first I have to apologize for the poor quality of these next images. While it is wonderful to have wi-fi here at our hotel, it is super sketchy and the connection is poor. I had to make the files really small so that I wouldn't be uploading all night.

We worshiped Sunday by attending church at the Asias Hope Christian school (their church service is called "Seed of Hope.") It was amazing to me how much I missed their little faces after only a couple of days, and how refreshing is was to see their smiles and receive their hugs! We ate lunch at a very authentic Italian restaurant (Kaillie had eaten there before and wasn't kidding when she said that the owner looked like an ex mobster). The entire restaurant was decked in Italian themed surroundings: we literally had to remind ourselves that yes, we were still in Cambodia.

After lunch we headed back to visit a couple of the orphanages before nightfall. We stopped first at Prek Eng 2. It was great to just hang out with them - no agenda. The neighbor girls even came over to play as well! Then we stopped in at Prek Eng 3 (Vista's orphanage). I don't know what was happening, but the kids were all super hyper! (especially Kim-houah and Rebecca!) Baby Eden and Pisey were both resting (Pisey is doing much better - she still has a sore throat, but came out to say hello).

We're in Battambang (BB) again! It is great to be back here with so many familiar faces (and many I don't recognize!) There are so many kids here (the exact number has slipped my mind, and I would ask Adam, but he's asleep). It's alot though...and three of the orphanages are on the same plot of land...so it's basically party central here! (not really...but only kind of.) While Adam and I continued our trek of taking each child's portrait, Renae taught some of the older girls new jewelry designs to work on. Working with the Trade Justice Mission was one of the main reasons we came back to BB this week, so we are hoping the girls can learn all of the new designs that Renae has brought with her! They are very creative and quick to catch on, so I don't think that will be a problem.

Because the kids are in school, we won't be able to see them until the afternoon. I think we might spend the morning dipping our toes in the swimming pool (yes, we are living large! This hotel as a swimming pool! I really am excited...you don't even know!)

Pics from Prek Eng, then Battambang

Brother and sister (of one of the orphanage directors - Ravy). So cute!

Jumpin' some rope.

Battambang!

Construction is underway in Battambang! This new structure will serve as a meeting facility for all of the Battambang orphanages. It should be finished within the month and we will have the opportunity to be at the dedication! Very exciting!

Renae taught some of the older girls some new earring and bracelet designs for the Trade Justice Mission. Here they are busy bending the wire for the earrings.

I couldn't quite catch on to this game...but I know that their was pulling involved!

They led me by the hand to the back of their "garage" where I found this duck and her eggs! (It didn't really look like a chicken, but maybe it was. Things aren't always as you might picture them here...)

BB #4: Before

After!!!