England… a country of castles and epic monuments. Rain and poetic fog. Tea and elegance. Rich history and traditions. 
Romance and England. They belong in the same sentence… kinda like roses and love. Music and dancing. Chocolate and happy.

England was where Jon and Hannah’s happily.ever.after began.

Hannah is my second cousin. But she’s always felt like a first cousin. When I heard she was getting married to her charming-wonderful-Englishman I thought: “I wonder if they are getting married in England… and who would be their photographer!!” Long story short, she DID get married in England and well, their photographer was a wanna-be-city girl who is currently living in the middle of cornfields in wonderful-mid-west Indiana. [Jesus gives good gifts to His children, just saying]. 

It was my joy and privilege to capture Jon and Hannah’s wedding day. [I am now an International Wedding Photographer... excuse me as I fall off my chair]. Not only did I get to capture their wedding day [which included being a coordinator, hairdresser, photographer and guest] in a Church that was built around the time Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses… I was able to experience “life of England” by spending a week with my “England family” and Burke family and soak in the sights and sounds and glimpses of our once Mother country. Everything from tea to fish and chips… sunshine and blue skies to rose gardens as you turned a corner of a brick walkway.

Ah, England. It was super fun, but also, being a photographer and looking back, there were a million pictures in my head I wished I would have or wished I had time to capture. Ah, the never ending ideas of a photographer. *grin* Always room to grow and improve. Always images in my heart to capture. I happen to love the ones I was able to capture… Jon and Hannah are completely photogenic. Seriously, I mean did you look at the mini-engagement-the-day-before-they-were-married-shoot? 

So yes, I left part of my heart in Banbury, England [most most of it is in South America still] and someday, I shall return. I hope. 

“If only the will to walk is there… He is pleased even with their stumbles.” [C.S. Lewis]

-KM

Happy October! Ah, fall I love thee!
[Excuse me while I dance with happiness at the arrival of the most perfect month in the calendar year. ♥]

There is something magical about the simplicity of black and white. 
Especially when they are images captured in romantic England. 

Long-happy-poetic-sigh…
See what I mean? More to come. 

“Lord, in the daytime stars can be seen from deepest wells, 
and the deeper the wells the brighter Thy stars shine; 
let me find Thy light in my darkness…” [The Valley of Vision]

-KM

P.S. – Just added a few more… couldn’t resist. 

So this precious family was in town visiting…
and there had been addition to their “threesome” so family pictures were in order. 

It blesses my heart so much that they wait till they come to visit Indiana [they currently live in Mississippi and are in the process of moving to Texas] to get their pictures taken.
We always have a precious time together, lots of smiles, laughter, hugs and memories. This time was no exception.
It has been a joy to capture the start of the Bryants back in 2009 when Scott and Ashley were married, then little Grayson and now miss-Addison.

We met up at one of my favorite parks and we had a blast hanging out and catching up on life…
then taking pictures with bubbles, books, a little boy who loved to run, a little girl who was as content as could be and a couple still very much in lovel! ♥

“The difficulties in your life are not in the way of God’s plan, they are a tool of it.
They’re crafted to advance his work of grace.” [Paul David Tripp]

-KM 

He doesn’t have a Mommy. 
He doesn’t have a Daddy. 

…At least he doesn’t have a Mommy and a Daddy in his life right now. 

This is my little friend from the orphanage we visited in Ecuador.
Who wouldn’t want him!? Chubby little cheeks, gorgeous dark-chocolate-eyes… he is darling.

He needs love. 

He would come up to me, point at my camera, I would ask to take a photo and he would try to run away, but soon be back again.
He loved to play… games of his own making. One look into his eyes and I began to wonder…

I wondered what he will be like when he grows up…
I wondered if someone will adopt him, give him a home, a family, love… Jesus. 
I wondered if he will be given a chance to change the world. To live his dreams. 
I wondered how many people in America could be making a difference in orphaned kiddos lives and aren’t. 
I wondered when I will be holding orphaned-kiddos in my arms again.

It does something to you, people.
Seriously. 

I wonder. 

♥

“Waiting on God requires the willingness to bear uncertainty, to carry within oneself the unanswered question,
lifting the heart to God about it whenever it intrudes upon one’s thoughts.” [Elisabeth Elliot]

Today was one of those days…
a hundred things that needed to be done… 
but time was needed to be still. To create. To think. To pray. 

Thus, I pulled out the items for darling.flower.felt.headbands. 
Tutorials have never quite been my thing, so here is a first attempt…
the pictures should pretty much give you the step by step instructions. 

[Gather]::
Felt Pieces [your favorite colors]
Strips of Fabric [36" long/2-3" wide]
Sewing Machine
Iron. Glue Gun. Sharp Scissors 
Happy Music

[Do it]::
Cut. 
Roll. 
Glue. 
Roll. 
Cut. 
Iron. 
Sew. 
Glue. 
Glue. 
Glue. 

Taaadaaaaaaaaa!

“Ready-to-halt, poor Fearing, and thou, Mrs. Despondency, and Much-afraid, go often there [the empty tomb];
let it be your favourite haunt, there build a tabernacle, there abide. And often say to your heart,
when you are in distress and sorrow, “Come, see the place where the Lord lay.” 

- Charles Haddon Spurgeon

The walls are painted teal.
It has wooden desks that are worn with use and not-so-clean.
A few lonely backpacks adorn the setting… their owners somewhere nearby enthralled by a story, engulfed in games or engaged in a craft.

In this teal classroom, I found myself reflecting on so many things, so many memories, so many miracles…
and realizing that there would be a time I was back in America, longing to be here…
still, quiet and in prayer with the voices of little dark-chocolate-eyed-kiddos echoing in my heart. 

It was a moment my heart runs back to… like a broken record. It was a pause in the middle of a three week story. 

I left part of my heart in a teal classroom. 
A teal classroom in South America. 

English country-side… I love thee. 
I love thee even more when I have the delightful privilege of capturing the most photogenic-beautiful couple in front of a romantic castle with the delightfully golden sunset. It was truly dreamy. Truly. The day before Hannah and Jon were to be married, we did a family shoot to get all the family pictures in just in case we didn’t have time the next day. Then they also gave me the opportunity to do an “engagement” shoot. 

Halfway through our shoot, not only did we have creamy wonderful lighting, but we even had a rainbow appear. yes, really. It was perfect. My heart was delighted.  

It was wonderful. I could have taken pictures all night long. Just saying.
During my time in England, I didn’t get very much time in the English countryside… but what I did get was wonderful. Completely wonderful. If I could, I would tour the countryside of England for a month. All the little cozy towns, hostels and tea rooms. Mhmm. Delightful. 

So yes, I am back from Ecuador and life has once again begun. 
Laundry. Cleaning. Making lists of things to do. Getting stated on editing Ecuador, then England wedding pictures.
Life is full. It is full of Jesus. I am learning in deeper ways how to embrace the moment of where I am now… live it to the fullest, abundantly. 

“Teach me that if I do not live a life that satisfies thee, I shall not live a life that will satisfy myself.” – The Valley of Vision

-KM
PS – Check out this loveliness. 

“Well… I’m back!” – Samwise Gamgee

My heart is more in love with South America than when I left over three weeks ago. 

I cannot wait to go back. 
[I know, aren't you surprised]

I am now back home safe and sound… and kinda.mostly.rested. My camera is contently worn out [and desperately needs to be cleaned after being out of the country three times in less than six months] and there is an abundance of images to share. My heart is full and achy. I miss all my dark-chocolate-eyed kiddos and especially missing my family in Jesus… our incredible team who truly are some of the most wonderful people, ever. 

The last two days were full of traveling adventures and experiences. I would say two free round-trip tickets is worth being up for over 24 hours, having three different plane delays, an unexpected layover and not getting home till midnight. This entire trip has taught me more about trusting and abiding than any other time in my life. It has been amazing, wonderful, hard, painful and incredible… what a joy to know that HE is trustworthy, faithful, true and in our weakness His strength is made perfect. Yes, truly made perfect. Thank you, Jesus!

I am thankful for::
- A beautiful home [everything is so big, clean and wonderful].
- Hot Showers [balm of amazingness to the soul]. 
- Running water [brushing teeth and washing hands].
- Being able to eat real food once again [fresh fruit and veggies, mhmmm]. 
- “See-you-later’s” [I was never a big fan of "goodbye's"]
- Waiting on the Lord. [So much has happened. So much is changing].
- Hope in Jesus [How I love Him. How amazing it is to belong to Him].
-11 hours of sleep [my bed has never felt so amazing. ever]. 
-A washer and dryer [four loads of laundry. such a win].
-Plenty of drinking water [so accessible. so blessed]. 
-Friends meeting me at the airport [such a surprise and dream come true]. 
- Worship music [nothing comforts the heart more than worship]. 
-Favorite dinners [steak.potatoes.salad.veggies... mhm]. 
-Prayer warriors [so many people praying and so many answers to prayer].

“For every look at yourself, take ten looks at Christ.”
- Robert Murray McCheyne

-KM