Operation Christmas Child results!

What a great early Christmas Gift I received this morning as I checked my email and received a notice from Operation Christmas Child. We were notified that our gift filled shoe boxes were delivered to Peru and The Philippines. Right away I called the kids over and we followed the enclosed email link to see images and even a touching video of these countries. The children. The condition they live in day in and day out. Their eyes lit with hope as they received perhaps their only Christmas gift. Their hands folded in prayer as they acknowledged that God loves them and they love him. I cannot wait to meet these children one day in heaven and give them a great hug and of course I will cry as I did this morning.

I am so touched that an organization would love people so much that they would seek them out only to give a gift and share God's love for them. May we all follow their example everyday- not just during the Christmas season.

As you all know, November 16-23 was collection week for the Operation Christmas Child Shoe boxes. I wish to pass on some great news, but not before I say how very thankful I am for all those who filled a shoebox and prayed for a child. Now, drum roll please...... The Operation Christmas Child collection centers for Northwest Oregon received 26,517 shoe boxes. This is up 1,369 from last year. Our local relay center in Banks received 1,022 shoe boxes. This is 240 more boxes than last year- 99 of those 240 boxes came from you! Thank you!

AUTHENTICITY

I found this through a friend's blog and just HAD to share it this morning with you....... It has NOTHING to do with photography but all to do with our humanity and that is always something worth investing in.
We all need acceptance, love and a sense of belonging and connection to one another. So often though, we hide behind what the culture says we must be. We are afraid to be labeled 'different' or even worse- so we choose to blend in. Here is to letting go and wholeheartedly being YOU!

{Pacific City on location photographer}

Happy December! Yup, yup-- believe it or not, it IS here. November was just a blur with an opportunity to stop and express our thanks and now it is the time of twinkling lights, eggnog lattes and advent calendars for the kiddos and of course my favorite; singing Christmas Carols!

With all of this fun stuff also comes the winter season of course. On the Oregon Coast that means high coastal winds and plenty of rain. In my line of work Winter is usually considered a bad thing as many believe that outdoor portraiture is just not doable in the winter months. Let me argue that this is just not the case.

Exhibit A

Exhibit B

I shot both of these images in the rainy months. Proof that Beautiful on location portraiture is doable- regardless of the time of year. I don't believe in a 'closed for the winter' mindset so will work with you all year long to capture that heirloom you have been dreaming of. All that I ask is that you be flexible and work with me as I work with the weather.