They call this the gateway to the West.  The St. Louis arch.  Shot from the highway with my iPhone on the last stretch of our drive back home.  And no, I was not driving and shooting. 

Our first trip of the summer took us to Mount Magazine in Paris, Arkansas.  It was gorgeous!  We swam, hiked, biked and more.  I can’t tell you how nice it was to ignore email, phone calls and force the kids to leave all their electronic toys at home.    We totaled over 7 miles of moderate/strenuous trails over 2 days with all the kids.  Of course our youngest spent most of the time in a backpack.  It was actually much cooler up in the mountains hiking then I heard it was for my friends back here.    The best part was that we all had to spend time together and talk….a lot.  Here are a few shots from our trip.  Enjoy!

This is Port Au Prince, Haiti.  Beautiful isn’t it?

This was the view from my bedroom’s balcony.  Notice how little forest is actually on that gorgeous mountainside?  In the 90′s they deforested most of the land for money not realizing that it would never grow back.  Since there is nothing left when it rains all the good soil gets washed away.

We had a team of 8 that went over to work on some construction.  We had help from some really nice Haitian men along with our fabulous translators.  I love those guys!  This image below is what we worked on.  It will be 1 of 2 new dorms for 28 orphan children to sleep in.  The children have been sleeping in tents outside because they are too afraid to sleep inside the main house with the concrete ceilings ever since the 7.0 earthquake hit last January.  Bunk beds will go inside the dorms and will sleep 2 children per bed, 4 per bunk bed.  The new roof is metal instead of concrete.  They will be able to place buckets on the ground around the dorm to collect clean rain water to use.

One of the problems Haiti had when the earthquake hit was that much of the structures were built with poor quality cinder blocks.  You could literally pinch the corners and watch it crumble in your hands.  The blocks we used are made of an earthquake resist material that will stand up much better.

I loved the way we got to travel around.  The truck we all piled into had bench seats in the back.  Driving down the mountain side, breathing in truck fumes as we went, swerving in and out and all around…ahhh good times.  The Haitian women would carry buckets that had to weigh 50 pounds full of coal around on their heads.  It was amazing to see.  I wish I could have gotten a close up image of that, but when your barreling down the street and swerving around people it can be a bit tricky. 

Rudy, our driver, really was a good driver…by Haiti standards. 

These sweet girls live at the orphanage we built at.  They adored seeing what they looked like on my camera.  I’ve never seen a child’s eyes light up so much in my life!!  They wanted me to photograph their baby dolls too.  You can’t imagine how hard it is to just leave each day knowing your going to sleep in a home, take a hot shower and fill your belly up.

These next two shots really get me.  That a little girl has to grow up so fast and take care of another…and doesn’t complain about it.  It’s hard to come home and not get frustrated when your children are nagging you for toys or fighting with each other.  It’s a fine line.  The little boy on the right was having a ball with the water.  He wanted me to just follow him around and take pictures of everything he was doing, making sure I got some with his friends as well. 

These children have no toys.  At all.  What they do have is each other and their imaginations.

These guys worked so hard building.  They were not going to leave their without those walls finished!

This shot of the little boys was actually one of the first clicks off my camera.  It still amazing me how little they have and how happy they can be.  They love unconditionally.  Complete acceptance.

We also did a couple medical clinics at two other orphanages.  We were originally going to set up somewhere where the regular public could also come, but with the election going on riots were an issue.

Dr. Faddis was amazing.  You can tell he loves people and wants to help as much as possible.

This woman is pregnant and brought her ultrasound…which was in French.  One of our translators, Jean Phillipe, was helping him figure out what it said.  Jean Phillipe loves his country and wants to become a nurse so he can help more.  He is a wonderful man and I can’t wait to go back and see him again.

‘Bella’ in creole means Beautiful.  That is all I can think of when I look at this young girl below.  She is stunning.

being a boy is an international language. 

http://www.thirstnomore.org/

http://www.glahaiti.org/

http://www.pastorgaetan.org/

I just got back from an amazing retreat for women photographers called Be thou my Vision started by the lovely Jane Johnson.  Instead of a workshop it is a retreat to relax and seek God’s face for our business’.  The world says you have to spend lots of money and step on other people to get ahead.  What a depressing way to do something you love.  I can’t tell you how refreshing it has been to sit down for days with fellow photographers and just be real.  No one trying to pretend.  God put me in a room with seven of the most amazing ladies to laugh, cry, eat and chat with.  I am forever changed by this retreat.

“Unless the Lord builds the house, it’s builders labor in vain.”  Psalm 127:1

The only time I used my camera on this trip was flying on the plane.  Flying over this view was just too much to resist!

Before I flew out to Oregon my husband and I went to Tulsa, Oklahoma’s Gilcrease Museum with our oldest kids and our close friends.  They didn’t allow any photography at all inside, but they had a beautiful garden outside so i snapped a few.  The museum was amazing!  They have lots of cool stuff for children to do so I highly recommend it.

Really right now I want to run into my living room, cuddle up on the couch and watch Dexter [which I had to TIVO], but instead I’m putting up this blog.  Why?  Because I’ve been home less than 24 hours and my mother is already asking for pictures to see. 

Going home [to PA] has a strange feeling to it for me.  I love getting to see my family and for my kids to spend quality time with them, but as the years go on my hometown [ironically actually named Hometown] seems more like a distant memory.  I’m not sure if that’s a good or bad thing, but I guess it’s just the natural progression of life.

So many of our friends have family relatively close by, but for us it’s more like 18 hours in the car [if we don't stop to pee].    So, when we visit or when they come here a Thanksgiving day is more like a Thanksgiving week for us.  I’m so bad about not pulling my camera out and getting those snapshots.  I know!  What’s wrong with me?!  I guess it’s just so nice to sit back and enjoy the moments that I forget to shoot them.  This visit I forced myself to do it…and I’m glad I did.  [although my dad and youngest brother seemed to escape most of the shots...shame on you both!]

Ben got a BMX trick bike for his 9th birthday just the week before so of course we had to take it with us.  AND before anyone gets all freaked out…yes that is my 2 year old on the trick bike…no he was barely moving and I was right there outside the frame. 

This shot of Sophie the cat is especially for my dad, who is having a difficult time with what the groomers did to ‘his cat’.  Sophie the Persian is now Sophie the lioness.  hahaha!  Don’t worry dad I’m sure it will grow back…eventually. 

My daughter…Jekyl & Hyde

My husband took this shot [hence the glass glare...okay I'll stop teasing him].  This is Betty.  She is 96?  This lady has known me since I was born…and still likes me! 

Hope your happy mother.  I’ll have part 2 up tomorrow…I’m going to watch some tivo before bed. 

xoxo