Category Archives: Photography

A Way In The Wilderness

May 19, 2016 Filed in: Expecting, Motherhood

kelli_ezra0034Just a few days before Valentines….two pink lines appeared before my eyes.

As one might expect….I would be over the moon, ecstatic. Shouting with joy at the top of my lungs. Dancing throughout our home….dreaming up all the creative ways we would share this news with our family and friends.

In fact, I was not like that at all. Yes, I was happy…..but my spirit felt suppressed. My joy was quenched. Fear immediately began to take residence and steal every bit of celebration in what was to be a super special moment, day, season…

When I found out that I was pregnant with Ezra….I honestly never thought I would/could lose the pregnancy. I saw the pink lines. It was set in stone. He was in there…..and I would see him in 9 months. End of story.

After having an early miscarriage in November 2014….my world was rocked. It was so unexpected. I was blindsided. And just like that…..my story included a miscarriage. Another loss.

In August 2015, I realized how much my wounded heart was affecting me. It was keeping me from living wholly. What was once the happy-go-lucky, all is well, everything will work out, glass is overflowing…..was now speaking nothing fruitful over her life and allowing fear to rule all thoughts and dreams. I began to believe that I should no longer expect goodness or blessings in life…and that any and all joy, happiness, gifts…..are all reserved for Heaven. Don’t expect much here, Kelli. Look at where it got you these past 5 years.

I found myself in Nashville just two weeks after I found out I was pregnant. Every trip to Nashville is always refreshing to my soul. I crave being there, especially when I feel like I need a little boost….as I know I will leave being filled up by friends that fully know and love me. Friends that speak LIFE. And its those conversations that I can’t wait to get around the table to hear and take part of.

My dear friends Cameron and Heather took me to dinner…and that night was a game changer for me. Through all the tears….my heart began to patch up a bit. Their words over my life, my future, this new life growing in my womb….was like healing balm to the deepest parts of my heart. Y’all to be loved in such a way….that people just freely speak over you….speaking things to our Heavenly Father on your behalf because you can’t even muster the words yourself. THAT is friendship. And that is love.

“Kelli, you have been in a long season of mourning…..and THIS IS YOUR SEASON OF JOY. RIGHT NOW!”

Those words still ring in my head, every single day. Its a truth that I continue to cling to. [Thank you, Cameron!]
kelli_ezra0012Something changed in me…..and I fight for it daily. I know and have always believed that God is good….no matter the valleys that I have walked though these past 5 years. He was always near. I was never alone. But this life is meant to be lived wildly…..shining brightly of His goodness. God delights in us. He wants good for us. He desires to bless us…..and not for us to be selfish with it, but to be a blessing to others. He loves us and He is a giver of good gifts….not just in Eternity, but here on earth. I am worthy of His love…. [including all the mysterious ways He chooses to shower us with love]
kelli_ezra0057This pregnancy was extremely emotionally for me during the first trimester. There were phone calls that I wanted to make, that I will never be able to make. I would sit in the parking lot after my doctors appointments and just cry out to Jesus……and ask for Him to comfort my heart and to fill the voids that I was feeling in that moment. Isn’t that how it should always be? I was taking a social media break during this time….so picking up my phone, getting that digital hit to distract and suppress my feelings by scrolling through other peoples stories was not an option….and I was forced to sit, to be ok with the silence and to reach out to the One who desperately desires to be our first call….and ask Him to draw me near. God not only wants to satisfy our hunger, but he desires that we hunger for more….more of Him and more of what He desires for us and from us.

So, the verse that has been my theme this year is this:

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” –Isaiah 43:18-19

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When my sweet friends, Jeremiah & Rachel dared to dream with me on a baby announcement shoot….they were in it heart and soul. Their ideas and visions were as if they had read the writing on my heart. They blessed me with their time, love and talent. We spent the afternoon together at our local nursery and they so wonderfully captured my sweet Ezra and I. Its rare for this mama to be in front of the camera….so these images are a treasure to me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

If you’re still reading…..thank you. Thank you for your time…..and for listening to my thoughts in this season. Thank you for your prayers. For thinking of me when you do. And before I end this post….I want to encourage your heart…..to remind you that you are LOVED and WORTHY of His love.

xoxo.
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Baby Wren And The Greatest Gift

April 25, 2016 Filed in: Collaboration, Motherhood, Photography

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When Vanessa and I received this book…..we were both heart eyes over the illustrations that grace the cover and the inside pages in this book. And then to have the book written by the wonderful Sally Lloyd-Jones….we were sold. What a fabulous combination!

I absolutely loved this book. Not only is it a beautiful truth for our children to learn and grab hold of at such a young age, but as an adult and mother…..this message was for me too.

My favorite line in the book is this: “What Can I Do Thats Wonderful?”

Throughout the book, this baby bird was in awe of creation. She started to question why she couldn’t do certain things that only specific animals could do. Isn’t this true in our own world? It’s easy to look around and compare ourselves to other peoples highlight reel, strengths and talents.

The question we should all be asking ourselves is……What Is WONDERFUL about us? What is our unique talent and gift….that we were CREATED for?

Especially since moving to Montana……the outdoors have become so inspiring to me and I love seeing Ezra explore and run wild and free. It’s usually on days at the lake at our family cabin….that we have some really special conversations. We are away from the hustle and the noise…..and Ezra asks all sorts of questions about nature and life, itself. So, it seemed like the perfect book to bring to the cabin, where we see lots of birds, bugs and fish…….which this books so beautiful illustrates.

IMG_7635IMG_7583IMG_7617IMG_7597IMG_7599IMG_7628IMG_7629IMG_7631IMG_7626IMG_7619IMG_7608IMG_7596I’ve recently decided to gift all kids in our life, BOOKS! [Can I get an AMEN for no more plastic toys? Im personally trying to minimize the clutter that comes with having a toddler.] I love picking out unique hardcover books….and Ezra is quite the helper. If you’re looking for a perfect birthday gift or just another great book to add to you childs library- this is one I highly recommend. Honestly. For quick reference, you can purchase this book here.

Easter Is Coming!

February 22, 2016 Filed in: Collaboration, Photography

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Easter greets us early this year. If you haven’t already looked at your calendar, Easter falls on March 27th!

What I love most about our partnership with Zondervan Publishing is that we’ve been introduced to so many wonderful books, especially themed books around the holidays. They’ve been such helpful resources to us….as we’ve introduced such special Holidays to our toddlers. We’ve truly loved reading these books to our little ones, while adding to their library collection…….and at the same time, getting the opportunity to share these book titles with you!
IMG_6455I was really excited to receive the Angels in the Bible Storybook. We talk about Heaven often…..and how angels are all around us. The cover of this book is absolutely beautiful. Since Ezra isn’t reading yet…..this has just been a great book for me to read to him in the mornings. And for all you homeschool moms…..I think this would be a GREAT resource as you study the stories of Angels in the Bible.
IMG_6448Oh Berenstain Bears…..you are always welcomed and loved in our home. This book was a sweet one. Ezra loved the illustrations and I appreciated the way it touched on Easter eggs hunts and candy, but was intentional about those things not being the focus of Easter.
IMG_6470IMG_6431Curating a book collection for Ezra has been something that I’ve truly enjoyed this year. I recently purchased this magazine rack from PB Kids to neatly display his books. A friend of mine, who has encouraged me to point Ezra to reading/books since the day he was born…..also made it a point to tell me how important it was for kids to see the cover of books. The spines of books aren’t as interesting for our little ones……so this is how I’ve displayed books and I often swap them out with other books we already own- just to keep it fresh!

Also….instead of buying toys as birthday presents…..I’ve let Ezra pick a book out for his little buddies most recent birthdays. We’re all about books these days.
IMG_6426IMG_6422What are a few of your favorite childrens books? How do you display books for your little ones? And how will you be celebrating Easter this year?

Ezras 1st Ski Lesson

January 9, 2016 Filed in: Motherhood, Photography

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I can’t believe the time has come…..my baby is a BUCKEROO, enrolled in Ski School and just had his very first lesson at Whitefish Mountain Resort “Big Mountain” [as it was called when Reed was growing up].

Reed has been talking about this for years. I remember him dreaming about moving back to Montana, while we were still in Nashville….he so badly wanted to raise his family outdoors and enjoying activities such as skiing, together.

Last week was Ezra’s first ski lesson. And the cherry on top is that he got paired with Miss Dixie as his instructor! We were thrilled! He adores her….and so do I. She has such a sweet & happy spirit, she moved here to be an instructor on the mountain…and she just loves life! We have had the opportunity to get to know her at our shop this past year….so to have already known his teacher made this new class/routine a really smooth transition. There were no tears…..just a “bye mom” as he headed on up the magic carpet!

EZRA LOVES TO EAT SNOW. I’ll even catch him swipe a hood of a car on the way into the grocery store and lick his fingers!!! Gross and hilarious at the same time. On the mountain….its no different. Just more snow! Whenever it was his turn to sit and wait, before skiing further down the mountain….I caught him [many times] roll over on his belly and eat snow.

The kids area up on the mountain is fantastic. Theres a place to store all backpacks and gear in the kids room. After the class….Ezra enjoyed some winding down time and colored for a bit. It’s really nice to have a kid friendly environment where everyone can just hang feel comfortable. Un-rushed and not feeling like you’re in the way of the crowd.

Reed met us up there after work. Ski Class + Hot Chocolate will definitely be the start of a new tradition this year….so happy!

What a blessing it is to live here in Whitefish, Montana and for Ezra to have the opportunity to learn to ski at such a young age [3 1/2]. Each and every season has been so much fun….whether its summer lake days, evening campfires in the Fall and skiing on the mountain, which is just 10 minutes from our house…….I don’t take any of this for granted.

Heres our day in photos……

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Background check legal requirements

January 7, 2016 Filed in: Photography

Background checks are designed to make sure that the person you’re hiring is legally eligible for the job.

This is usually done by having the person’s:

name

state

date of birth

misdemeanor criminal history, if it is required

a photo

A criminal record will give you a fair idea if someone has a history of crimes. You may be able to get a copy of a person’s criminal record from a local law enforcement agency or a court, and that’s why the best background check services are essential in this area.

What is my legal obligation to provide the information?

The only legal obligation you have to provide the requested information is to help the person locate the right person to help them with the request. If you don’t believe someone is entitled to the information or has not asked you for it, you can refuse to answer their question and not help them.

What can happen if I refuse to give the information?

If the person’s request is for information that you do not have, you must give it to them. In such cases, you must include your reason for refusing the request in the information you give them. You may, however, refuse to provide the information without the request, and then your refusal must be acknowledged. What can I do if I refuse to give the information? You may decide not to respond to a request for information, or you can ask the person not to use the information in their request. If you don’t give the information or if you refuse to cooperate with the request, the person can file a lawsuit in a federal court for a violation of their privacy rights.

How do I file a complaint? If you believe that your privacy rights have been violated by a government agency, you may file a complaint in a federal court. To do so, you must file a “privacy complaint” with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the federal agency responsible for regulating the privacy practices of the federal government. This agency also has a toll-free number you may call to file a complaint.

If you think your rights have been violated, you may also contact a lawyer. If you decide to go to court, the judge or jury must decide whether or not there has been a violation of your privacy rights. The judge or jury may rule that the federal government violated your privacy rights, and the government is then required to pay the plaintiff money.

However, if you don’t think there has been a violation, you may challenge the government’s actions. If you win your challenge, the judge or jury will award you damages. If the judge or jury doesn’t rule in your favor, you have a chance to appeal.

To file a lawsuit to challenge the government’s actions, you need to file your federal complaint with the court, and you may have to pay your attorney’s fees if you win. However, many courts will give you a chance to appeal, even if you lose.

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