This keeps coming up. On Friday I had the pleasure of doing a family portrait shoot for our Missions Pastor, his wife Paula and their children. The kids would be available on Friday as they had arranged to make a special trip home during exams. Kirk wondered if I might be able to do the shoot while they were all at home. Paula had already started chemotherapy for stage 4 melanoma cancer. I don’t know the details, other than to be praying for her and her family (She is posting updates at this web site: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/paulalithander you can also sign up for email updates and read “her story” there ). But, they wanted family portraits NOW before the side effects of the chemotherapy became evident. We scheduled the shoot and met at the Cox Aboretum here in Dayton at about 6pm the next day, Friday.

The shoot went great and I am very pleased with the results. Shooting a family that clearly cares for each other shows in the portraits. Paula and Kirk and the even the kids loved the portraits. For me that’s my goal, that everyone had a great experience and that they LOVE the portraits. Here are a couple examples and a link to the gallery:

If you would like to see more from this shoot click here: Lithander Family Portrait Session

Now, I said this keeps happening. My wife’s best friend had planned for me to take some family portraits last weekend. Julia would be visiting from Chicago, Kile is still home in high school. Joel was also living at home while going to a post high school training program. We were scheduled to meet up on Saturday or Sunday late afternoon, however Joel who had been fighting a bought of Mono was experiencing some extreme pain in his side. Off to the emergency room. Come home and go back again only to find that his spleen was bleeding and about the burst. Liver enzimes were skyrocking (whatever that means - Just know it is not good). He was moved to ICU. Another operation, spleen removed. Many prayers and prayer chains were started for Joel as his situation seemed quite extreme. Still problems, another surgery, everything seemed to be touch and go, hour to hour, day by day. After the second surgery things started improving. he had some setbacks, but he was moved out of ICU on Saturday and may be released to home care on Monday (labor day). Joel, is not much into “formal portraits” and didn’t even go to have his senior portraits for highschool done. But, I think now when we finally reschedule it will be a “celebration” portrait shoot. It will be something significant and cherished by all. (Sorry, no pictures to show yet. I think that Joel will be healing for a couple weeks. Thank you anyone who prayed for Joel. Also, please pray for Paula above as she battles a very serious cancer in stage 4)