because if it isn’t still against the law, then i am running back across town and taking that one year old birthday girl home with me!
her mom lived in the brehon house while she was pregnant and now her mom is out on her own (living with a relative), working, and being a GREAT mom. and this cutie is the proof in the pudding. in the yummy chocolate pudding.
one of the things that i have really had to learn is how to adjust the lighting for taking photos of darker skin than my own three personal models who are whiter than white. but practice makes for a bit closer to perfect and i think i have finally figured out the lighting so that all that lusciousness of skin color glows...
she was a bit shy at the beginning of our photo shoot, but as you can tell she really warmed up to me and my camera. yeah, warmed up and laughed at me, and did that happy baby screech of joy at me, and kept handing me leaves.
just observe the progression of photos from shy to MY VERY BESTEST FRIEND IN ALL OF THE WORLD. i like a gal who changes her mind about me in 5.8 minutes... as long as she changes her mind from total FEAR to total ADORATION. i like to leave ‘em laughing... and i did that with this little girl.
and i left laughing at her gorgeousness and her one year old exuberance for life & leaves & lea..
laughing at the memory of her braceleted arms reaching out for me to hold her. reaching out to steal a leaf out of my hands. reaching out for her mom whenever mom walking into her line of sight.
laughing at a day that started out so stormy that i canceled the photo shoot and then called back 15 minutes later because the weather had rapidly cleared and was so sunshiney that my eyes hurt.
laughing at the grace of a God who gives second, third, and brazillion second chances. a God who clears up the skies and changes the plans of my day once and then again until it is just as He designed. a God who changes the storms into sunshine.
laughing at the absurdity that He would plan for me a purpose that i could have NEVER guessed at in my wildest dreams. i get phone calls from young mothers who i have never met and i go to places where my HUGE suburban takes up way too much room. and i go into homes that sometimes are the size of my playroom. and i meet women who know nothing about my life of 16 years of private school and private college. and i know nothing about their lives.
but i know about loving your children. and i know about wanting beautiful pictures of your beautiful children. and i know how to push a button on my camera and capture smiles and moments and relationships.
and i know about a God who lets me to go out and be His hands and His feet and His camera (i added that last part about His camera, it isn’t even in the message version of the Bible). a God who makes that going out and serving be a PLEASURE and the highlight of my day. a God who asks me to love the “least of these” because only then will i see that actually i am the “least of these”.
Job 8:21
He will yet fill your mouth with laughter
and your lips with shouts of joy.