My Heart // Blogger's for Birth Kits

I am the proud mother of a little mother.

This little girl deeply loves to love.  With no siblings.  Few friends.  This little one has created a world where she is the one to care and love on each of her little babies.  And when all is calm in our home, I'll take a peek in her room and often find her rocking each of her little babies, whispering love words (usually in the form of jibber jabber), and caressing their heads, soothing whatever fuss they may have.  

She is sweet to them.  Gentle to them.  And genuinely loves them.

And one day.  One possible day, this little one of mine will grow to be older and birth one of her owns, and my visions and hopes for that day involve a happy soon-to-be-grandma, one wildly nervous soon-to-be-dad, one calm anxious mama-to-be (sure grandma, dream on), and one giddy as a school girl soon-to-be-grandpa.  And the thought of losing my daughter during birth doesn't even cross my mind.

We have something here in our developed country that involves many safe and healthy options for birthing.  Death during birth is a not so common story, although some have indeed endured that road.    

And there are some countries, some like Papua New Guinea where the rate of maternal death is 1 in 7.  And because of that, there are people who's heart are dedicated to reaching out to them and one of them, I happy to virtually know.  

Adriel, at The Mommyhood Memos put together a successful virtual outreach last year inviting bloggers to join along in a project her Volunteer Organization was doing to help prevent maternal deaths during birth by providing Birth Kits.  And she's doing it again this year!

Adriel is reaching out to each one of you to become a part of a movement.  A movement I believe to be grounded out of deep love for people and a love to see the Scriptures fulfilled.
I believe that we are called to love our neighbors as well as give to those in need.  I am a firm believer that our wealth, our location, and our success does not define us, but we are called to give to those in need if we have it, because that is what LOVE IS.
Please visit Adriel's blog to see how you can get involved.  


"This is how we know what love is:  Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.  And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.  If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?  Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth."  1 John 3:16-18

Ryan // Senior Session

I don't really do Senior sessions often.  In fact, I think I have done a grand total of 2.  But this one I just couldn't turn down.  I could tell instantly from texts and emails that Ryan had the swag and personality I wanted to capture.  And I knew I would have fun doing it!  We met at the University of Redlands where he'll be attending in the fall as a .... something or other major consisting of fancy words I do not know or understand but he dumbed it down for me as a Medical Doctor in Space.  Fascinating, right?  Probably the coolest thing EVER.

His family, who I adore, stopped by at the end to snap a few moments of them all together!  

Pulling a Jensen // Bringing out the Remote

So, I really needed to start practicing my remote.  My sister in law happens to rock her remote for personal pictures and I stink at them.  Like terribly stink.  I just so happened to enjoy 5 out of the 100 I took to try to figure out how to do it correctly!