The day was abnormally warm and bright for winter in SoCal (seems to be a theme this year…). I met the Korneychuk family at the beach for some family photos to document their recent move to Santa Monica from Orange County. New chapter in their life means new family photos… and they sure came out well, if I do say so myself. I’ve known the Korneychuk family since….. well, forever. I grew up with Sasha and we all have attended the same church in Irvine until recently when Dan (Daddy Korneychuk) took a new job at Bel Air Presbyterian Church. He’s doing amazing things with their traditional worship program and the family is fitting in nicely with their new community. As Maddy (the youngest) put it, “I’m good with change.”

This shoot was a little different than most family portraits because, as most families with older children know, not everyone can be in the same place at the same time. So we did their portraits in two parts…. the first part with Sasha, and then Lara joined us a bit later. These are my absolute favorites of this beautiful family…

I had to include this image…. I think Maddy’s sense of humor is hilarous. She randomly started walking like a dinosaur as we shot…

Thanks Korneychuks! I’m so glad you’re adjusting to LA life, and know you’re sorely missed here in Orange County!

Last week I shot some super cute family portraits for some families from Irvine Presbyterian Church. Each family was different from the others both in age and personality. There was a super young family with sweet James who is just learning to walk…. an older couple who’s cute as can be and who’s been a part of the church since it first started years ago….  a family with two beautiful girls who love to laugh and have fun together…. and a couple whose daughters have both left for college this year. They’re all different people with different interests, and they’re all at different stages of life…. but also, they’re all still choosing to invest in the same church. I love that. I think that’s what church is all about. It’s not about where it is, or what building it’s in, or what “style of worship” it chooses to boast. It’s about sharing the joy of a new family. It’s about learning how to love deeper and sweeter from the older couple who’s “been there”. It’s about doing life with the family whose kids are the same age. It’s about weathering transitions together and finding joy in the adventure of it all. I guess I found hope in spending time with these great people… hope that church can still be as simple as loving one another.

And if you’d like to book a family portrait this year, I’ve still got some spots available. Click here for more info.

Action and reaction, ebb and flow, trial and error, change – this is the rhythm of living. Out of our over-confidence, fear; out of our fear, clearer vision, fresh hope. And out of hope, progress.
Bruce Barton

Being the face of change is hard. People’s expectations, pleasing some and not others, inviting change while still embracing the present way of things…. it’s a challenge. When presented with the reality of leadership, most shy away because they realize there are more hard days than there are easy, there is more heartache and lessons than there are victories. But while this is all true, there is one very important truth that makes it all worth while. He’s bigger. He’s bigger than the change that scares us. He’s bigger than our understanding. He’s doing bigger things in our world and in our stories than we could have ever planned. And He invites us to join in and LIVE. It’s not just you doing, it’s HIM doing through you…. all that’s required is an open heart, open ears, an open mind, and the courage to do.

There is a new pastor at my church named Scott. He’s got guts, and a tremendous sense of hope. I’m sure it’s been a challenge as well as a blessing jumping into our community…. and I’m inspired by his heart for people, and love for his God. Exciting things are in store, the bar has been raised, and I wait for hope to penetrate the our hearts, fill our spirits, and make way for progress towards His kingdom here on earth…

He had ridiculously blonde hair and laughing blue eyes. He gave amazing hugs. He was fired from his first job at Subway for being too small…. but even afterwards, he continued to wear that dirty and tattered forest green subway polo shirt EVERY…DAY. His dream job was owning his own In-n-Out Burger restaurant… and worked hard to get there starting from the bottom up. Whenever I go to In-n-Out… I call it “In-n-Oooot” in my head because of him…. and I laugh thinking about how his idea of a well balanced meal was a hamburger WITH the vegetables on it. There were years full of late night swims at Katie’s house, Cranium parties at Laurie’s house, Summer Camps, Mexico Mission trips, Del Taco runs, Switchfoot concerts, Sunday Lunches at the Crossroads… and even the times we all just hung out just to be together… nothing planned… just spur of the moment adventures.

One time he decided it would be a fun idea to jump from Laurie’s trampoline… over the fence… to the green belt. He broke his arm trying. We have it on video and we still laugh every time because it’s THAT funny. The earliest picture I have of him is at Indian Village summer camp when I was in 4th grade with his same crazy smile….

Sean grew up living one culdesac over from me…. my life’s been painted brighter by his  presence and friendship… and sometimes when I see a white truck like his beat up old one, I still think it’s him. It’s been crazy watching his Facebook page fill up with notes from grieving friends and family sharing their favorite stories and pictures of how he graced their lives and made them better people.

It doesn’t seem like he’s gone… but maybe that’s because he left such huge marks on so many people’s lives… it’s almost as if he’s still here. I wish it wasn’t so, but thank you for helping form who I am today, Sean. You taught me how to see the world from a different angle… a more light-hearted and amusing one. You taught me how to be a better friend…. and you taught me the value of laughter. I’m not the same.

Love,

Kate