Dennis & Patricia's horses

Rayna in Arkansas

Yes, that's a tooth you see! She, like Matthew, was born with one!

Austen & Joseph

We were SO happy to see Michelle, Austen and Joseph!

Ross in Arkansas

Snapshots from Arkansas

Matthew and Michelle...

Ross and Joseph...

Ross and Joseph on the Ranger

Dennis & Patricia's New House

After lots of designing, planning and waiting, Dennis and Patricia are finally in their new home.

Thank goodness it held a lot of people because we all decided to meet there a few days after Christmas. Matthew's brother and family drove from Mississippi. His sister and family drove from Georgia. But we were on the road the longest... 17 hours from Arizona!

Joseph and Ross

Time flies by! The first picture was taken in April of 2006.
It seems like just yesterday they were babies.

Christmas Day

Ross had fun opening his gifts. What a fun age!
We played outside with Ross' new toys. (We even managed to set the camera up on automatic timer for a quick picture.)
Claudia and Gabe came over to bring Ross a gift. He was so happy to have his friends over he started screaming and turning all of his toys over upstairs. Gabe came down and told Matthew, "Ross is scaring me."


I think his favorite toys were the plastic animals we bought him. He loved them so much, he wouldn't eat lunch without them all sitting in front of his plate watching him!

Overnight Celebrities

Just days before my mom's visit, I received a call from a friend who was directing and filming a commercial that weekend. He asked if me and my mom would be interested in being in it. Without thinking, I said, "Yes! Absolutley! Sign us up!" When I called my mom to tell her the great news, she wasn't quite as excited. But, being the great sport she IS, she agreed.

Family's Visit to Arizona

Wow! What a GREAT week! My mom, Hannah (sister) and Sandy (uncle) came to visit Arizona for the first time. It was also the first time they had met Rayna.
Our week included LOTS of my mom's cooking...candy making... trips to the park... pictures... her birthday dinner...and more. The only way it could have been better is if they stayed a month instead of a week.

(And, yes! That's buttermilk she's drinking from the measuring cup! She's awesome, isn't she?!?!?)

South Mountain

We had to visit South Mountain during my family's trip. (It's one of my favorite places here.) After all those pictures and two outfits later, Ross needed to re-fuel! Luckily, there was a water spicket on our way out.

Our 2007 Christmas card

Make a scrapbook - it's easy!

Gavin's Funeral

Matthew and I arrived early and started helping Alicia put all of Gavin's photos in frames for the services. As we sat on the floor in silence, this song started to quietly play in the background. As I listened to the lyrics and looked at the tiny casket sitting at the front of the room, it felt like my heart was being ripped from my chest. The words of this song paints the most beautiful picture of unimaginable heartache tenderly wrapped in God's love and mercy.



"Praise You In This Storm"
(move the curser to 2:00 to bypass the intro)

I was sure by now
God You would have reached down
And wiped our tears away
Stepped in and saved the day
But once again, I say "Amen", and it's still raining

As the thunder rolls
I barely hear Your whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away

And I'll praise You in this storm
And I will lift my hands
For You are who You are
No matter where I am
And every tear I've cried
You hold in Your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

I remember when
I stumbled in the wind
You heard my cry
You raised me up again
My strength is almost gone
How can I carry on
If I can't find You

As the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away

I lift my eyes unto the hills
Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord
The Maker of Heaven and Earth


****************************************************************************

I thought it might be somewhat comforting for Gavin's family to know there were so many people, all over the United States, lovingly praying for Gavin. Even after he passed away, I continued to get emails from people telling me they were still praying for the family. Here are just a few:

"Hi Christy, If my memory serves me correct, I believe you said that your friend's C-section is today for baby Gavin. I woke up with the an incredible push from God to pray for this family. They will be in my prayers today. May God bless them. Karla"

"Brad and I have been praying and as I’ve been cleaning teeth all day long, I’ve been staring at my clock thinking about what time it is there and about all of you…….God Bless! Anne"

"I am praying, praying, praying for tomorrow! Kathy"

********************************************************************
"Christy, Thank you so much for the update. I was updated with the devastating news yesterday. I am so sorry that baby Gavin did not make it. Alicia and her family are in my prayers. Please let her know that I am thinking of her and pray that her heart and soul come to grip with all that is happening."

"We are so sad. We prayed and believed that God would heal baby Gavins body and let him be a testimony to his mercy and grace. God always has a better plan....if we only knew what that was. Our prayers are with the family."

"Beautifully written. Tears.
-H"

"I know heaven's angels are planting lots of kisses on his sweet little face, my heart and prayers are with Alicia and her family. Please keep me updated. God bless you and your family, Christy, for sacrificing yourself."

"Christy, I prayed for this family and would love to see a picture of this sweet little baby. My heart breaks for them, but at least he is with his Father in heaven and 100% whole. What sad news. I am sure it must have been so difficult for everyone present. With sadness,
Jodi"

"Christy we are sad and at the same time are confident that baby Gavin is with the Lord. It was good that you could be there to capture with your camera a photo of little Gavin so his parents will always remember him. May God Bless you today. sandy"

"I got your message this morning and am so sorry to hear that. Was/am too choked up to call. All of our prayers weren't enough, but I'm not surprised he put up a good fight. I do want to stay updated. I can't even imagine what they are going through and am keeping them in my prayers. Mary"

"thank you for the update christy. i will continue to pray for Gavin's family. As he is in the most beautiful place ever. i consider him very blessed to get to be with God already! still, i can only imagine the heartache the family has over his loss. i pray for God's comfort, peace and joy in the midst of thier sorrow. rheada"

"Wow! I am so thankful that God used you to encourage us all in this difficult situation. May the peace that passes all understand uphold Alicia and her family. We continue to give this child back to the Lord and rejoice for the time that Alicia embraced precious Gavin. Thanks for all your love! Marnie"

"Christy thank you for calling tonight. I don't even know this family and yet my heart is broken for them. I hope you understand that you have been blessed in a wonderful way to be able to document beautifully their boy for them. Certainly your photos and willingness to witness this day with them will always be treasured. I don't know how to comprehend the ache in Alicia's heart, I'm praying that God will show her something beautiful in all of this as well as make her peace and comfort quick and deeply rooted. I also know that what you've witnessed has hit you like a ton of bricks. Please feel free to call ...I don't mind crying on the phone. Misty"

My "Chazown"

I initially started this blog to simply post pictures of Ross and Rayna. But, as God started to reveal some big things to me, I felt the press to share what He has done in my life.

It all started a few months after I started my photography business several years ago. I remember being on a photographer's website and reading that she volunteers her time to photograph children who either don't have long to live, or have already passed away. After a lot of time and tears that night, I KNEW that was what I was suppose to do.

Although this 'God-press' was always with me, I let a lot of things, well, excuses, stand in the way of taking the next step. I became comfortable in my own life. Also, just starting out in the business, I felt very intimidated by this particular photographer and the fact that she reviews a person's work before allowing them to become a part of her organization. ("What if I wasn't good enough?") I also used the excuse that we may be moving out of state and it seemed better to wait until we found out where we'd be living. All of these were just excuses that allowed me to stay in my comfort zone, but kept me out of God's will for my life.

Meanwhile, we made plans to move from Georgia to Arizona. Before leaving, we mentioned to someone at our church in Georgia how much we were going to miss Crossroads. He nonchalantly said, "I don't know where you're moving in Arizona, but I have a friend who is a pastor at a church there and it's very similar to Crossroads." Turns out, not only was Lifechurch.tv the most PERFECT fit for all of us, it was only 10 minutes from our house!

So here's where "Chazown" comes into play... A few months after we moved here, I got an email from our pastor with an invitation to join a small group. The focus was going to be on a book writen by Craig Groeschel (our main pastor out of Oklahoma). For some reason, I (again) KNEW we were suppose to be in this group.

To make a long story short, "Chazown" is Hebrew for a vision or dream. The Bible says, "Where there is no vision (chazown), the people perish" (Proverbs 29:8, KJV). The study takes past experiences, spiritual gifts and core values to help you hear from God on what HIS purpose for your life is. After reading, praying, journaling and discussion, I was once again reminded of what I was suppose to be doing.

So about the time I finished this study, I decided I wasn't going to let any excuses get in the way of what I knew I was suppose to be doing. In one week's time, I applied to two different organizations dedicated to photographing terminally ill children and babies. (The parents call the photographer out to the hospital to take professional photos of the baby at no cost.) Also that week, I emailed a nurse from a hospital nearby to see if she could help me make my services available for anyone in need.

At the end of that week, I remember getting a generic email from my MOMS Club about a mom whom I had never met. They explained that she was pregnant and the doctors had detected several problems with her baby boy. The same voice that had consistantly spoken to me made it very clear that I should talk to her.

Alicia not only allowed me the opportunity to photography Gavin during his short time here, she and her family also allowed me to be in the operating room during her c-section and stay with their family as they all loved, held and said goodbye to Gavin. Although I felt like I had lost someone very close to me that day, I also felt like I had gained a special relationship with a wonderful family.

I thank God for opening the doors and allowing me to carry out His specific will for my life.

Alicia asked that I post an email she sent me.

"Christy,
I need to say thank you again. Without you, so many moments of our son's life would have gone undocumented. I have so many wonderful images to remind me just what his lips looked like, or the curve of his cheek, or the angle of his nose, all of the things I feared I wouldn't be able to remember. These are gifts you've given me that I can't even describe their importance. I could never have given him such a beautiful service that didn't look thrown together without the pictures and dvd. You captured a lifetime of photos, his short lifetime's worth, and I am SO grateful. I pray daily to be in the spirit for my children despite feeling my gift was not left for me to enjoy. We have many blessings to be grateful for, including the wonderful moments we had with Gavin, so I will snap out of it. Some moments are easier than others. Thank you, again,
Alicia"

Gavin

Because of Alicia's faith and sacrifices, we all were blessed to meet, hold, kiss and love little Gavin during his short time on earth.