Almost 4 months later & lots to catch you guys up on. 2013 has been a non-stop adventure. Sixteen flights since March and half a dozen new stamps in my passport are the main reason blogging has taken a back seat this year. But no regrets, my friends. This crazy, wonderful career is taking me around the world and connecting me with people that make every minute of trudging through airports a dream come true. I’m so grateful to my extraordinary couples & their families for taking me along for the ride as they start their lives together. Seven years in and I’m still as in love with this job as I was on day one…

Since I have gads of images to blog & no idea where to begin, lets start here.. with Tiz & Andy’s soulful, sun-drenched wedding at Adaumont Farm. The most perfect August day I’ve ever seen. If you’ve been following this blog for a while ( back when I actually blogged weekly…ah, those were the days) or if you happen to follow my work through facebook, you’ll know I’m unapologetically addicted to real, honest, captivating moments that give you a glimpse into each of my couples’ stories. With Andy & Tiz there are no shortage of these moments. This is a couple who lives out loud, chasing adventure and holding tightly to their faith and each other. They live with purpose & bring joy with them wherever they go. I could tell from our phone calls prior to the wedding day that Andy & Tiz were glass half full kind of people, but after spending the day with them & seeing how they love with such abandon, I left knowing that I had just documented the start of a beautiful journey. Everyone should take a page from Tiz & Andy’s life book. They are a true example of trusting your heart, as they exchanged vows exactly 15 months to the day of their first 4 hour coffee date.

Soul mates, I tell ya. soul.mates…

Watch the slideshow below & you’ll see what I mean.

To see more of Tiz & Andy’s story, click play below. The happy little tune is courtesy of Avalanche City.

Crazy month, my friends. Ten flights between April & May have left me yearning for a little time off. A week after returning from Haiti I was back on a plane (or three) to the Bahamas for my first wedding of the season (pics coming soon). Talk about a change of scenery…it was surreal going from one extreme to the other. Anyone who’s done documentary or mission work in a third world country can tell you, its not easy to dive back into the grind of everyday life in the states. I was the girl who inexplicably started sobbing while pumping gas (at a packed gas station, no less) on my first day back. By the look on his face & his quiet whisper asking “are you ok, darlin’?” I totally freaked out the old man at the pump beside me. I think I gave him a half laugh, half sob response to the effect of  “Yes, but Haiti..they need us.”  Wow, poor guy. I’m sure he was wishing he had chosen a different gas station that day…

Truth is, after spending time with the Haitians and falling in love with their beautiful spirits, I longed for more time with them. They taught me so much in my short time there. Despite struggling to have their most basic survival needs met, they are trying to rebuild little by little. The earthquake of 2010 left so much devastation, it literally aches to see it in person. But the Haitians remain united in their hope for a better tomorrow for the country they love. They are surviving with no source of clean water & nearly 80% of the population living in extreme poverty. If anyone has a right to feel bitter & despair, they do… and yet they choose to live with hope and joy in their hearts. It was so inspiring to witness their unwavering faith, capture the light in their eyes, and have them welcome us with open arms.

Visiting Afca tent city was one of my favorite days. Not only did I learn so much about the hearts of these beautiful people, I left with a new perspective on life and the art of photography. Street photography is never easy, at least not for me. There’s a fine line between documenting and exploiting that I think we, as artists, walk. The hardcore photojournalist doesn’t stop to ask, and I’m willing to admit that this trip made me realize I’m just not that hardcore. As we walked up to this tented community, there was a little boy about my Emery’s age getting a bath in a tin bucket, out in the wide open for all to see. He was trying his best to cover himself, and I saw the look of terror on his face when he saw my camera. I thought about Emery & how mortified he would be to be getting a bath in public…with a photographer standing 5 feet away. So, I tossed my camera over my shoulder and smiled in his direction. No photo of that moment & no regrets. It could have been a stunning shot, sure, but I wasn’t willing to sacrifice his feelings for my own desire for “art.” So, therein lies another truth the Haitians gifted me with. Above all I am a human, a mother, a wife, a friend, a daughter, and a sister…then a photojournalist. The moment I put the art first is the moment I lose perspective. If hardcore means photographing this without wrapping the child up in my arms and kicking that vulture in the teeth, then I’m happy to take my place among the softies. Being a mom changes you, I guess. I had to fight the urge to scoop up all of these kids & take them home with me. They are so full of light and unending joy. Life will never be the same for me…

So, let’s wrap this up with the stories behind two of my favorite images below. The first is the lovely woman in the floral dress & pink crocs (oh, her pretty pink crocs). Older folks are not as keen on photographs as the children are in Haiti. The kids love it, and will walk right up yelling “photo, photo!” and then practically pull your arm off to see the image on the back of the screen. But I got a lot of adults turning their backs to me, scowling when they saw my camera, even a few that flipped me off (hey, can’t say that I blame them). But this woman… when she saw us her face lit up with the biggest smile, she opened her arms & we each walked over to hug her. She kissed me on the cheek so warmly & cradled the side of my head as she did. I had chills & wanted so badly to take her portrait, so I gestured to my camera & said “photo, oui?” She smiled & said “oui, oui” and lifted her chin proudly to pose. The image of her below is one of my favorites. Maybe its because I lived it, but I can see the love & pride in her eyes. She had a profound effect on me in that brief moment in time & I’m so grateful she let me take her portrait. Beautiful, isn’t she?

And then there’s Edelynne Auguste. The 13-year old girl with a smile to end all smiles. The image below was a split second of her sprinting, arms outstretched, with the biggest grin on her face. She recognized our team leader Frank & was overjoyed to see him. I had no idea when I snapped this shot through the truck window that the pile of rubble behind her was her home. She lost her entire family in the quake & is now caretaker to 5 young children in the home where her family was crushed. Just look at her. Such joy despite unimaginable pain. From this day on, anytime I think I’m having a bad day…I picture Edelynne and remind myself that if she can smile after all she’s been though..well, so can I.

Through these images, I hope you guys can get a glimpse into the beauty of Haiti. To the people of Afca City, thank-you for welcoming us with open arms.

Three weeks ago I was here, in Haiti, with these precious little people. Part of me feels like I never left. These children & the joy they carry with them has been on my heart every day since I hugged them goodbye… and I can’t wait to see them again.

Truth is, I set out on this journey on a whim. There’s a story behind it that I will share in the final Haiti post, but for now I want to focus on telling the story of these beautiful people and the country they call home. I’ve traveled the globe over the past few years & have seen a lot of poverty along the paths to million dollar resorts. Mexico, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, the Bahamas…they all have their fair share of struggles & need, but none can compare to Haiti. Even with the extensive research I did prior to hopping this flight…I wasn’t prepared for what I saw. Most of what I read painted Haiti as a dangerous place to be wary of visiting. But what I experienced in 5 days there was so uplifting, so awe-inspiring… aside from birthing my children & watching them grow into the most amazing humans I’ve ever met, it ranks up there as the most priceless experience of my life.

I observed people rising up from the ashes, holding onto hope, and faith..and each other. I saw a community lifting each other up with joy despite unimaginable poverty. Children orphaned by the earthquake, some who lost their entire families in the rubble. There were days I was grateful for sunglasses to hide my tears. Many of the things these children have faced in their short lives would bring anyone to their knees and yet… they smile, they sing, they choose joy. My camera took on a life of its own in those 5 days..like a beacon leading me to tell their story through the lens. So many images & stories to share with you guys…I hope you’re in for the long haul because even after 3 major edits, it was impossible to narrow them down to less than 4 blog posts. Consider this your warning…the next week will be filled to the brim with Haiti.

And so it begins. We literally stepped off the plane, dropped off our luggage at the hotel ( more on that later) and headed straight to CHOAIDS orphanage. I had no idea what to expect, but these kids… oh, these kids, they steal your heart the minute you make eye contact with them. They lit up when they saw our team leader, Frank ( more on Frank & Feed the Hunger in the next post..) and the entire team. We knew we had limited time with them, so new shoes, beanie babies ( donated by my brother Ben), and candy galore were handed out as soon as we arrived. There was one little girl, Danielle, who you’ll see pictured multiple times below. I followed her outside after she picked out her beanie baby & watched her cry softly against the concrete wall. It ached to see her sad, but as I spent more & more time with her, hugged her, danced with her and held her hand…it dawned on me. They were happy tears. This sweet child knew our presence meant love for her & her friends, and she couldn’t hold back the tears.

And then there was Angela. The baby of the group who could clearly hold her own among the big kids. I spent the better part of my time at CHOAIDS with her wrapped around my waist ( the black & white close-up below was taken with her in my lap) and her kisses…in a word, melt. Not gonna lie, I wanted to hide her in my backpack & sneak her home with me. For such a tiny human, she has such a presence. And eyes that seem to be looking straight into your soul. For these kids, candy is a rare treat. They only get lollipops & smarties when the mission crews come through to visit, and here was Angela reaching out her sweet little hand to offer me her candy. That’s the kids of CHOAIDS, in a nutshell. Brave, generous little souls living with no clean water, no electricity and fighting an uphill battle with HIV. They are my new heroes. Braver, truer & more grounded in their faith than any adults I’ve ever met. They gifted me with one of the best days of my life & as a thank-you I am donating $100 to their Water for Life  project and encouraging you to do the same. They need our help, my friends. No amount is too small. With our help they have hope for clean water, medicine needed to battle HIV, and a proper kitchen for the caretakers to cook meals for the children. I know its scary to donate to causes for fear that the money will never reach the children, but I can tell you this after holding their hands, hugging their necks & having my life forever changed by these kids…they are real and any donation, no matter how small, will make a difference.

To the children of CHOAIDS, with all my heart… thank-you.