Big Families=Big Fun

I have a large family on my mother's side. My grandfather is one of 9, my mother is one of 5, and I am one of 4. I am number 11 in the line of 16 (original) grandchildren, and most of my older cousins are married with children of their own. So our family is growing every year. My grandparents' 60th wedding anniversary is this month (actually I think it is today), and 51 of us recently went on a cruise to celebrate. We took the Carnival Cruise ship, Holiday, from Mobile, Alabama to Cozumel and Calica, Mexico. It was a great family vacation.
Our family loves to travel, usually together, so it is very common for us to have anywhere from 15 to 70 people go on vacation together at any given time. When we get together, it is usually an adventure. But those adventures are the stories we tell and relive for years after. We are active travelers with snow skiing in the winter and something involving water in the summer.

I came to a realization while on this vacation. I am amazed at how people who share similar genetics can look so different. There are 6 billion people in the world, and no two (even related ones) are the same. Yes they can look very much alike, but they are still different. God is so creative and so loving. According to His word in Psalm 139, God took the time to knit each of us together in our mother's womb. And he made us look different! Exactly how He wanted us. What a loving God.

Happy Anniversary Grandma and Grandpa. Here's to many more. I love you.

Family

This is my cousins' son. I remember when I took this picture I thought, "this isn't going to turn out very well". I didn't like the fact that his mom was holding him, and I was afraid that it was going to come out too dark. But the one thing I have found when photographing children is that you really have to take what you can get. Children do not necessarily cooperate when you point a camera in their direction. And as much as I like portraits, I do not really like to pose children. I prefer to capture their true nature. And this is his true nature. He loves cameras, and every time I take his picture, he gives me the same look. This is the same look his daddy has in pictures too, so I believe he came by it honestly.

This has turned out to be one of my favorite pictures of him. I like the way the light (natural sunlight) covers half of his body while the rest is shadowed. It is such a dichotomy; light and dark. And I love that you can see a hint of his mother because for now this is his favorite place to be, in his mother's arms. It is where he feels safe, where he feels loved, and all too soon that sweet time will come to an end. So for now, it is to be treasured.