Archive for the ‘Personal’ Category

{Personal} TGIW

Wednesday, April 29th, 2009

You may be wondering why anyone would be excited about a Wednesday… You would be, too, if you got to hang out with this handsome little man!

 

How could I not take out my camera for this face??

 

 

I woke him up accidentally with my loud shutter. He wasn’t happy.

 

But then he forgave me :)

 

He is such a perfect 50/50 blend of his mom and dad, especially this shot.

 

Love those long lashes :)

 

I asked him what he thought about Anthony Reyes’ pitching last night…

…Or maybe I just caught him making a funny face  :)

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{Update/Personal} Part 2

Tuesday, March 24th, 2009

Just a quick update on the last… update.

My grandfather’s Memorial Celebration (not “funeral”) was a beautiful service. My brother and I gave a eulogy, along with our father and a good friend of Ben’s. That was the hard part. But at the same time, it was great to give people a different perspective on Ben- the way we knew him, as “Grandpa”. And all of the guests, about 125 people, had nothing but wonderful things to say about what a great man our grandfather was. We got a glimpse at some of the lives he touched.

I overheard my grandmother speaking with a relative before the service, saying, “It will be a little different.. a little quirky.” And it was. But we’re sure he would have it no other way. The recessional was led by a few other members of the church, playing New Orleans style Jazz- which was Grandpa’s favorite.

I brought my camera to the service, because even though it was a day of mourning, I knew I wanted to document the celebration of my grandfathers life. I only shot about 10 frames all day, a few before and after this. I know my Grandpa would love this one:

 

I want to say thank you again for all of your prayers and support. After the service, my family and I all felt a sense of peace and closure. My Grandma is doing very well thanks to your prayers and the support of the wonderful people around her.

 

I’m back to my “normal” schedule again, and right now I’m working on my inbox that has been neglected all weekend. Chad and I have a wedding this Saturday and I’m really excited because it’s going to be an amazing day. I’ll be sure to post a sneak peek sometime next week. Thanks for reading!

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{Update/Personal}

Monday, March 16th, 2009

This is not a post I want to be writing. I’m not a writer, and at times like this I’m even less articulate than normal.

My grandfather passed away last night. 

He put up a good fight, and at times we really thought he was going to pull through. He recovered so well from his first stroke, that was what we all expected to see again. This time was different. I don’t want to dwell on the fact that he lost that battle, but rather celebrate his life here on this blog. He wouldn’t want someone to write about him in a sad, mopey way. So I’m here to tell you about the great man he was.

 

Benjamin J. Fles

Thanksgiving 2008

My grandfather was an incredible man who lived an incredible life. If I wrote about all of the things he did, all of the places he saw, and all of the people who’s life he touched in his lifetime it would take pages and pages of words.

He was a great storyteller. His favorite topic, by far, was WWII. His job was planning out routes on the battlefield for his platoon. He even studied Shakespear at Stratford-upon-Avon during his time in Europe. He was an all American kid, so naturally he was a football star, too. When he returned home from war, he married my grandmother in a quaint ceremony with his brother as his best man and my grandmother’s sister as her matron of honor. (I’ll have to scan some of their wedding photos on my next trip.) My grandpa worked very hard to support and raise the family. He provided my grandmother, mom, and uncle a very comfortable living. They did a lot of traveling as a family, and every summer was spent at their cottage on Lake Michigan. He worked as the Executive Vice President for the company Northern Engineering before retiring. He retired once in 1985, but decided it wasn’t time yet. He retired for good in 1988. 

He was the only grandfather my brother and I knew, and he was everything a grandfather should be. He loved us and spoiled us, but was stern with us when we needed it. He was a man of character and integrity, and man who was respected and relied upon. He was a friend to all who knew him. I miss him. He lived a full life. He truly lived life to the fullest; He had a wonderful marriage, raised two children, served his country, traveled the world, loved his grandchildren, befriended many, lived successfully, and loved the Lord. I know that while he layed there in that hospital bed, he had no regrets. I hope that we’re all so lucky. 

Thank you to everyone who have prayed for him and our family. My grandmother is doing well, considering, and your prayers of comfort and peace truly help.

 

I recently saw a video from another photographer, Zack Arias, about what really matters in life. One line really stuck with me- I’m paraphrasing, but he said “At the end of our lives, are we really going to be thinking about shutter speeds?” Of course not. We all know that the people we love are what really matter. So why don’t most people put their time and energy into those relationships? I’m so thankful I knew my grandfather so well and spent so much with him (and my grandmother) throughout my life. I’m thankful I have a great relationship with my parents and my brother. I’m thankful my husband is my very best friend. I’m thankful that I have a career that lets me spend my time with friends and family, and then working- not the other way around… I want to close by saying go tell your husband or wife you love them. Call your parents, call your grandparents. Call a friend you haven’t seen in years for no reason. In the end nothing else matters.

Thank you for taking the time to read my ramblings. 

I will be out of the office until Tuesday, March 24th. Thank you for your patience.

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Update

Friday, January 9th, 2009

I have lots of posts to share with you, but first I’d like to take a moment to explain why I haven’t been posting or returning emails and phone calls as quickly as usual. 

On December 21, my grandfather had a stroke. He had been taking a blood thinning medication that ultimately caused bleeding in his brain. He was taken to the hospital and spent a week in ICU. On Christmas day, my grandmother was leaving the hospital after a visit with him, and slipped on ice. She fell, hit her head, and was knocked out. Thankfully, two men (I believe they were nurses who work at the hospital) saw her fall from across the parking lot and took her into the ER. She ended up with 8 stiches near her eye brow and a shining black eye. When my mother received the phone call from my grandmother that night, she and I made the decision to make the trip to their home. They live about 4 hours away, in Eastern Michigan. My grandmother was discharged from the hospital when we arrived on the 26th.  The next day, my grandfather was moved to a normal patient room. He has been getting better and better since then, but still has lots of progress to make. 

My grandpa is a very strong man- he had a stroke 2 years ago and made a quick, impressive recovery. (We are hoping he will be discharged from the hospital within the next few days, and will be admitted to a rehabilitation facility.)  He’s also a very ornary, goofball type of guy- He has always loved making people laugh, and the stroke hasn’t change that at all. After being admitted to a regular patient room, a nurse came in to check in on him. He opened his eyes for a moment, turned to us and said, “The help keeps getting prettier and prettier!” Ok, maybe he’s a bit of a flirt, too :)
 

There are lots of people praying for my grandparents right now, and for that I am very grateful. More prayers are always welcome, though! 

I’m going to be in and out of town a lot this month, but I will still be setting up meetings on the days I am here.

 

I’d like to end the post with a photo of my amazing grandparents. I have always loved and looked up to my grandparents, but to see them stay so strong, so positive, and so faithful to God through trying times like this gives me a whole new respect and love for them.

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