Overwhelmed. Part 3.

Just over a year ago, the second week of January in 2010, the Burma Army invaded her village.

She was with her children when she first heard mortar fire, in the distance, coming from a neighboring village.  Soon afterward she began to hear people in her village yelling "Run!"  She didn't know where her husband was, he had been on patrol, looking out for the Burma Army.  She told us she wasn't ready to run, nothing in her home was ready…but she heard people in her village yelling and saw them running….and then she heard him, her husband, yelling also, "Run! Run! Run!"

And so she, and all of the villagers, ran, in different directions, with whatever they could grab and carry on their backs.  Women, children, men...all ran into the jungle to flee the Burma Army who were firing into their village.  She ran with 5 of her children.  She didn't know where her husband was, or one of her daughters, and she was very worried, she told us "she felt very empty," but she ran...and kept running until they couldn't run anymore.

It was quite awhile before they got word, the Burma Army had shot her husband. 

He had been in the jungle when he saw them coming and he tried to fire a shot into the air but his gun had jammed (they are using antiquated WWII weapons, if they have any at all). A neighboring village heard him and sent up the mortar fire to alert the other village. He ran back to his village, grabbed his wife's sewing machine and hid it, to try to save it from the incoming raid, and then ran back for rice. They killed him as he was trying to get to the rice storage. One of his daughters was with him, but they missed her as she ran into the jungle and found her mother.

She survived.  You can see that in her face, she is a survivor.  She has survived attacks like this since she was a little girl, in this nameless, unspoken war...just like her beautiful little daughter who she carried with her to see us. 

She wonders, I am sure, will my daughter live this war?  Will this be her whole life, running, being afraid?  I hope not.  And I hope to give her a voice.

There is more to say...

Overwhelmed. Part Two.

I have been home for over a week now. Ashley and I attempted to cook a Thai dinner last night for our family...and, well, we might need to go back to our Thai cooking school! But, it was fun to be able to share some of our experience, stories and photos with our family.


It is hard, though, to convey what we felt while sitting with those proud, beautiful people, the Karen people, refugees of their homeland. I am still processing our trip and probably will be processing it for quite some time. And, frankly, I am a bit anxious about trying to sum up our experiences...because it has become so important to me... and I want to provide it just the right words...evoke just the right emotions in you, the reader... Today, I've finally figured out that if I don't start writing, no one will ever know...and people should know…so...bear with me as I try to put into adequate words my experience with the Karen people of Burma.

I met this woman in one of the camps we visited. She, and another woman, had traveled days in the jungle in hopes of getting an opportunity to tell us her story. In hopes, I think, of not feeling alone in the world.  I hope I can at least give her that...a voice...in the world.

She is nearly my age.  She has 6 children, including the littlest one leaning against her.  She cares for her children the best that she can and they are clearly the focus of her life...she smiled when she talked about them.  She worries about their health, as all moms do, she worries about their education and their future.  She worries about her own future too, I am sure, but her biggest worry is for her children.  She likes to sew.  She made the traditional Karen top she was wearing...it was beautiful; intricate and colorful.  I felt a connection with this woman.  She was really lovely and strong...and, though we didn't speak each other's language at all, there seemed a moment or two when we both recognized that perhaps, in different circumstances, we might be friends.

She came to tell us her story. She walked through the jungle, with her baby on her back, in flip flops, for five days, so that we could hear her, so that we could validate her…and perhaps that we might give her hope, that she is not alone.

Her story follows next, give me a day or two to find just the right words.

Overwhelmed.

Ashley and I returned safely from our adventure abroad!  While I am still in a bit of recovery mode from jet lag, thus the 2 a.m. blog post, I promise to write soon, and plenty, on the subjects of long flights, eating and learning to cook authentic Thai food, tuk tuks and other adventurous modes of transportation, earthquakes and tsunamis, finding chocolate waffles in Chiang Mai's busy Night Markets, standing in front of ancient Buddhist temples, and, mostly, affectionately, about the culture and situation of the amazing Karen people, and other ethnic tribes, of Burma.

It was an eye opening, awe inspiring, sort of out-of-body experience, to walk amongst these heroic people, the Karen villagers, who are literally fleeing for their lives on a regular basis in the jungles of Burma, their home country.  And to walk with those who are doing such great work helping them was an honor and a privilege we will never forget.  I promise to try to do it justice, to do them justice, by telling their stories, and mine.  Stay tuned.

But first, let me introduce you to this lovely young lady.  We share the same name.  I always knew I had a good name....

Heading to Thailand!

Those of you close to me, or friends with Ashley, know that she and I are headed to Thailand! We are excited to join with the good people of Partners Relief and Development to shed light on the plight of the refugees of Burma's military regime.
We begin our journey tomorrow, finishing our packing and then heading to Salt Lake to catch our early morning flight out on Saturday morning. Through San Fransisco and then Seoul, Korea, 21 hours or so of sitting on planes, we will arrive in Chiang Mai, weary, to be sure, but eager to meet and help Partners provide awareness and support for the refugees.
We will be traveling north from Chiang Mai on Monday morning, to spend a week at various sites...lucky to be able to travel with Oddny Gumaer, one of the founders of Partners, who will be interviewing refugees, while I hope to be able to provide her some great photographs of their lives.
We will update this blog when we return to the city and also post a link to our Facebook pages, so stay tuned for more information.
In the meanwhile, if you'd like to know more about Partners and their work with the Burmese people, please check out their most recent publication here, Partners World, and keep us all in your prayers.

 (photo by Steve Gumaer)

http://partnersworld.org/usa/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=134&Itemid=290

Love love.

I do, I love love.  Who doesn't?!  What's not to love about two people seeing, in each other, their best selves.  ...planning a future together, imagining all that is yet to come in their lives.  Call me a romantic, but love really is infectious!  And I am happy to be able to witness their love story!



Corvallis, Oregon

This is not representative of my recent visit to my daughter and future son-in-law, in fact, the weather was generally lovely and visiting the kids was so much fun, but it is what it looked like the morning I was packing to leave...  An early morning fog had settled in on the Willamette River just outside the hotel and I couldn't resist running down onto the walking path in my p.j.'s to capture the mood! 
I love Corvallis, such a great little college town...and I sure do love my kids!



For Mike.

About every other day my husband asks, "did you post any pictures to your blog today?"  He seems so disappointed when I say "not today!"...so, today, this post is, mostly, for him!  Hi honey!

We have a lot of images on our computer…I mean, a lot…in the 10's of thousands, easily…  Sometimes when we get home from a weekend getaway we barely have the time or energy to unpack our dirty clothes, let alone to download our memory cards…so the images sit, in wait…and they wait and wait…  The good news is, when we finally make time to review our images, it's kind of like an opportunity to live the moment all over again.  It's that "oh, I forgot about these" moments that inspires you yet again!  (And, in truth, makes you want to pack up and go once more!)

Such is the case with these…I took these on a fun day trip with our niece and nephew up to the Grand Teton Park, earlier this winter.  We did our best to dial up every animal they could think of to see…from big horn sheep to bull moose, coyotes, eagles, mountain goats, deer and plenty of elk, on and off the refuge…all in one day…and, we even threw in lunch!  We do love our backyard playground…and we love to share it with our friends! So, if you are ever in the mood for a wildlife adventure, give us a call…have empty memory cards, will travel!



I love this family!

No, really, I do!  My daughter is a very lucky woman, to have married into such a great family! 



Sunsets and stuff.

I haven't seen this kind of sunset in a little while...the days have been repeatedly grey around here, the sun rising and falling without much of an appearance at all...which is probably why, when I came across this photograph amongst my file of "yet to be filed" images today, I was so enamored by it. It speaks of brighter days, warmer days, longer days…all of which I very much look forward to!  (I really should consider moving somewhere less "seasonal"...those snowbirds, a.k.a. my mother and father-in-law, really know what they are doing!)

"This too shall pass", as the proverb tells us.

In the meantime, plenty of clutter to sift through, in search of that elusive simplicity!  And, plenty of adventures to plan...

Happy New Year!

We rang in the New Year in one of our favorite places, again…Jackson, Wyoming. It was frigidly cold, well into double digit negative numbers, but oh, so beautiful. The critters were mostly tucked away and not many people were venturing out into the cold, so we enjoyed a serenely quiet day amidst the grandeur of the Teton Range…watching the sun move across the sky, listening to the sound of crunching snow under our snowshoes, dancing to my own absurd songs in an effort to thwart the cold (not an easy task, by the way, dancing in snow shoes) and enjoying immensely our heated vehicle!

And there, in the calm of the sun setting upon the mountain landscape, I decided upon my resolution for the New Year…to seek and appreciate simplicity. It truly is, after all, the simplest things which give us joy in our lives…not the hustle & bustle, nor the to-do lists, nor the objects we acquire…but the purest appreciation of our own lives, the people in it, and the moments we share.

Peace, to you and yours in 2011.

I couldn't resist...

...this little guy, nor could I resist posting his picture here!  So cute! 



Happy Holidays!

...to this family, and all of the families I had have the pleasure of meeting this year! 

(A sneak peek, Mark & Tor...you have a beautiful, sweet family!) 

Love these kids!

Did a recent family photo session with this amazing group of energetic people!  They are funny and sweet and smart and kind...and beautiful...and, oh, they are MINE! 
We consider ourselves very fortunate to call these wonderful young women our daughters...and so blessed that they have chosen to love these wonderful young men, who cherish them in return!



Contentedness.

This is Jackson.  He is patiently waiting for our guests to arrive, quietly counting the days until there will be turkey giblets to eat, calmly awaiting the tree decorating and the holiday bows that he loves to take off of presents (curling ribbon is like a drug to him).  I should be more like him, calm and demure...BUT...I AM JUST SO EXCITED!!!  Family pictures this weekend (clients and my own!), the treasured & traditional tree hunt (hide and seek in the tree lots!) and then tree trimming, a special birthday treat, cookie day, stocking stuffing, game nights...did I already say that I am so excited?!  Abundantly grateful, contentment abounds.



I must've taken a wrong turn somewhere along the way...

...in life, or maybe just along this highway, but definitely a wrong turn...pretty sure I didn't sign up for snakes and scorpions?!


Living in the moment...but day dreaming of Costa Rica!

I do subscribe to the philosophy that we should appreciate the here and now, live each moment as fully as we can, be present in our lives...all of that gibberish...but as I was recently editing images for our annual calendar I came across a few Costa Rica shots...and couldn't help myself but to recall those long, warm days where the sunshine was plentiful and the sounds of ocean breezes filled our open air cabanas.  I'm just saying...

The view from my deck.

Hmmm.  So, yes, I know...it's November, it's Winter...and it's Pocatello, Idaho...but seriously...

Normally, most days of the year, this view would include our pretty yard, with its wild bunnies and rolling hills, and the adjacent strip of natural landscaping which is mostly sagebrush and spruce trees...and then you'd see the street (which I constantly wish was a river)...and normally, you'd see the nature trail across the street and the park on the hillside...and you could even see the lights of town and a hint of the cityscape...

Today...this is the view from my deck.  Visibility...oh, about 20 feet!

I am starting my real estate search for somewhere...well, closer to the Equator!

In the meanwhile, the stew is bubbling, the biscuits are rising and my slippers are on!  (Okay, so that's not a bad deal either!)  I hope that wherever you are, there is warmth, of some kind.

What is your "one thing"?

I used to work in an elementary school, with an inspiring collection of children and an amazing team of educators.  At a training session one morning the facilitator asked us all to stand, one at a time, to introduce ourselves and to share a little bit of ourselves, as a way of getting to know each other.  She asked, "if you could bring one thing from your home that best represented you, what would that one thing be?" 

All of the participants then shared their "one thing"…many said "the family photo that is on the fireplace mantle" (please refer to my "NOW is the time for family photos" blog entry for my commentary on the importance of having family portraits!).   Others' replies ranged from sentimental to humorous…the family Bible, the family dog, the quilt hanging on their wall, the alarm clock, the bottle of wine on the counter, a tattered stuffed toy…and many spoke thoughtfully of the things they had inherited from their family members; old writing desks, a crackled, antique mirror, a special storybook or a doll they had played with as a child. 

When my turn came, I stood and said…"my name is Kris, and I would bring my refrigerator."  After the laughter subsided, (I think they assumed I had a really deep connection with my food), I explained…  "My refrigerator door is cluttered and is full, much like my life…and it IS my mantle…it IS my storybook…and it represents my reflections, my inspirations, my 'Bible', my childhood…and my family!"  It is me; imperfect and sometimes chaotic, a collection of things that have touched me, influenced me, and ultimately created me…

I have a note, as an example, written on a piece of torn paper bag, I wrote 8 years ago, thanking my mom for bringing me lunch while I was working (she had it pinned to her frig for years, as if it was a special prize…and when she died, I kept it, and pinned it up on mine, as a way of reminding me to be grateful for all the little things in life). 

I have magnets from many of the places we have visited, from "Going to the Sun" road in Glacier National Park (where I tested my fear of heights), to a brewery in Pittsburgh, PA (where I tested my limited beer drinking abilities with my Dad the year he passed away), to a little glass sea turtle from Coast Rica (where we helped baby turtles to find the sea)!

I have photos galore…of our beautiful girls, and our handsome son-in-law, and of our wonderful nieces and nephews (who braved the cold weather to allow me to experiment with my camera), and photos of some of our furry animals! 

And quotes…lots of quotes…words that inspire or encourage me…and some that just make me smile! 

There is no "ME" on my refrigerator…but, collectively it represents all of me, a jumbled, crazy mess at times, full of adventures, hopes & dreams, memories and honest love. 

I wonder, friends...if you could share one thing from your home that best represented you, what would that one thing be?

Are your ducks in a row?

I am a list person.  Those who know me will know that if you want to know what I am up to, look for my lists!  Grocery lists, to do lists, client lists, long term project lists, house projects and even, sometimes, indulgently, wish lists.  I cannot sleep at night until at least a few things have been crossed off of my lists!  Admittedly, I will even write things on my list that I have already done, just so I can cross them off!  (I mastered that technique when my girls were little and it was impossibly hard to complete anything on my list...so at the end of the day I would write things like, "be flexible", "survive the crazy day with sick kids"...check, check!)  I love a nice dark, definitive line through the things that I've accomplished, or a healthy check sign! 

Sometimes, though, I stare at my lists, in a bit of dismay, and think...is this my life?!  Has my life become defined by these lists?  And if I am the author of these lists, why don't the "big" things make it to my lists?  And, what ARE the "big" things?  (Did I mention that I was a Philosophy major!)

The adage "get your ducks in a row" suggests that we have to get all the little things in our life straightened out before we move forward (some suggest the saying refers to bowling pins, others say it references momma ducks getting their babies together...but the meaning is the same).  Thus my lists, my ducks, are itemized neatly, and reworked when they get too messy on the page, and someday, when my ducks are in a row, I'll be able to tackle the big things?!  Right?

What ARE the big things again? 

...I am probably going to have to make a list....


NOW is the time for family photos!

I read an article a little while ago, a heart-wrenching true story, and if I can find it again I will attach the link, about procrastinating family photos.  Seems everyone has good intentions of "someday" getting a good family photo for the living room wall (and for family Christmas cards)...you know, to update the one there on the wall now, before you had kids, or when the kids were just babies!  But, as I know all too well, "someday" has a way of slipping by pretty quickly.  Someday is, in fact, pretty elusive. 

You get busy, we all do...especially as the holidays approach...and you tell yourself you'll get them done when "things slow down", when you "lose a little weight" (that's a really common one), when you grow your hair out or get your hair done, or once the yardwork is done, or, or, or, or...  In the meanwhile, the kids are growing so fast, people come and go from our lives at the blink of an eye....and time passes by so quickly. 

Whether you have little kids, big kids, or no kids...or whether your kids are the 4-legged kind...whether you are a young family or a more "seasoned" one...whether you have an extra few pounds or you wish your hair was longer or wish you still had hair!  And, whether or not you hire a professional photographer to take your family pictures...just DO IT!  Time passes by so quickly.  Preserve this time, this memory, now. 

  

If you'd like more information about my family portrait options (and I can customize it to suit your time and budget) give me a call or email me!  Kris @ 339-4339,  heartandsoulimages@cableone.net, http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/Pocatello-ID/Heart-Soul-Images/142705035975

The 3 Bears!

We were fortunate enough to get to hang out with this beautiful mama black bear and her TWO cubs for a little while in Yellowstone this past weekend.  They were on an opposing hillside for a bit, digging in the soil and hopping over fallen trees...and then they dropped down into a ravine, a trickling creek, and out of sight.  We guessed that they would follow the creek for awhile before heading up the hillside again, but were surprised when just moments later they popped up, right in front of us! 
We had a moment to consider each other, and then she changed her course and disappeared into the trees with her babies.  Thanks for the visit mama!



It's official!

They are engaged!  Looks like we'll be planning a wedding for next summer for these two...Allison (my daughter) and Stephen!  Yaaaay!  So happy for them...and happy for us, that we get to be a part of their lives together!  Congrats you guys...we love you!



Yellowstone in Fall.

I remember when I moved "out West", from a life primarily lived in urban environments of the East and Midwest states. I rode in the upper bed of a camp trailer (unadvisable, I know) and stared out the window, for hours and hours, as the scenery changed from the familiar lush green trees, to endless fields of green and tan farmland, to mountainous horizons with little or no population, and finally, to our destination, a small town which was, it seemed to me, populated mostly by sagebrush. I thought it was ugly. Awful, really. It was desolate and drab and depressing, to a young teenage girl. I recall my Dad being so excited by the varied landscapes, while us kids were so disenchanted with miles and miles of sagebrush!

Well, years have passed, and while I still love the cities...and I still love the lush greens and beautiful colors of deciduous trees of an East Coast & Midwest Fall...I have become quite accustomed to the muted tones of the deserts as well. There is a subtle beauty in the tones and a surreal quality of the landscapes that cannot be found anywhere else. Perhaps I had to reach a certain "maturity" to see it. Thanks Dad!

To the Chilean miners!

Congratulations to the miners and their families and friends...and to all the men and women who helped to ensure a safe rescue! 
I'll bet they never take the beautiful sky for granted again!



I love him!

I love it when kids contemplate.  I love it when anyone takes the time to be reflective, but there is something so pure and sweet and innocent about a child in thought, even for just a moment.  Okay, so maybe he wasn't deep in thought...he may have been thinking about whether he wanted to climb on the nearby log, or chase the cow...or maybe he was thinking about the balloon we just let float away, on accident...which may have led his mind to the impermanence and fragility of life...and how delicately we have to hold on to what we love...  Okay, but likely, he was thinking about the cow!  And maybe how much he loves his mommy!

It's starting to feel like Fall...

...what was with that sleet storm today?!  Granted it lasted about three minutes, but it sure got gloomy quickly!  So, maybe it's Fall finally? 
I love Fall.  It usually is way too short in S.E. Idaho...as the snow will come far too soon for me...but I love the crispness in the air in the morning, the cool evenings with homemade crock-pot dinners that make your whole house smell like comfort, and all of the rich, warm colors of Autumn.  Fall makes me want to retreat, dust off my cookbooks and cook & bake, to read those novels I collected in my travels over the Summer, and to finally finish those little projects that piled up throughout the year.  Maybe I will actually get to that unpainted laundry room?!  I am thinking maybe a warm chocolate color...
So, if you're in the neighborhood, stop by and say hi...I'll be the one in my cozy sweatshirt!

Tetons in Fall!

There is no better time to visit the Grand Teton National Park, than Fall...well, unless it be Summer, when the temperatures are warm and the days are long, that's nice too...or Winter, when the mountains are white and the animals are visible...or Spring, when the wildflowers are in bloom...  But I digress...  Fall is really spectacular! 

Confession...I've been a photographer for awhile...

I know it's crazy...but I actually shot film for many years!  Remember film?  I still have some in my freezer!  Do you remember the darkroom...not the digital one, but the one that smelled like chemicals and had that ever-present sound of running water?  And Velvia slide film!  Oh, I loved the saturation of Velvia!
Anyway, that's where I began.  In a darkroom, with black and white photography, then onto color slides...which is what these images were, until I scanned them for use in our digital world.  If you ever shot film you may remember being really selective about when to click the shutter, 'cause you only had 24 or maybe 36 images on the roll.  Nowadays it is easy to shoot through a 4 GB card (a couple of hundred images in RAW) without much thought.
One of the most important things I learned, as a film user, was how important is was to be selective about your composition.  Sure, you could crop into a photo to eliminate extraneous elements, but there was no easy "bandaid" for spot healing or "clone stamp" for erasing things you may or may not have even realized were a part of your image.
My style, maybe as a result of trying to eliminate all of the "noise"...became one of simplicity.  I prefer the simplest version of an image, whether it be a sweeping landscape, a personal portrait, or capturing a sense of place...my style usually reflects a sense of simplicity.  It isn't right or wrong, that is certainly not the lesson here, it is, instead, that you have to find your voice, in everything you do.  Make it your own. 



Sweetie!

So this little sweetie stopped by the other day, in preparation for his 2nd birthday party!  He has a little mischief in his eyes, as all boys do...but such a sweetheart!  Happy Birthday T!



Cuteness.

Okay, so he is a boy, and someday he won't want to be called "cute"...but for now, for today, he is my definition of CUTE!  He is surely going to break some hearts...what a charmer, with those baby blues...!   
Thanks Amber, for letting us play!  And, this is just a teaser...!

Berkeley girl!

Another beautiful young lady...  

This one's for you, Stephen!

I dream about love.

I read this the other day, and wrote it down because I appreciated and identified with it, but now cannot recall the authors name...nor do I think I quoted it exactly...so, I apologize for my inadequacies...but I gratefully thank the author for these words...

"I dream about love. 

I dream about loving those close to me

in a way that affirms

the beautiful life within them. 

I dream about the possibility of love

that can be captured with photography

being able to transcend boundaries

and remind people

of the real reason we are here on this earth...

to love."

I dream about love...