Gabriel Van Wyhe Photo Blog » Sharing life through images

There is nothing I love more than to spend time with my amazing wife and our three beautiful kids!  That, however, doesn’t happen much during the months of July, Aug and Sept.  So, Jaci and I have carved out a few days and we are dropping off the grid for the rest of this week! We’ll shoot a wedding Sunday and then be back life on Monday.  I am so excited to take my kids to the aquarium and play around at the park and actually get some time to talk with my wife about…. nothing “important” – and it’s going to be great (oh yeah, I’m smiling as I type this!)  I’ll pick up on the blog posts again next week.  Until then, here are a couple shots of Jaci and I having a little too much fun in one of our photobooths!

Ok, today’s post is a bit outside of my norm, but I thought that it could be fun to post something different.  I grew up with my father being totally in love with old corvettes- I am definitely not a “car guy” – heck, I drive a Subaru Forester because its safe for kids and I can take it out camping and not care if it gets dinged up – So maybe it’s a nostalgia thing, or simply the admiration of something that comes with your father’s love – but when I see old corvettes, well, I cant help but stop and stare.

So when one of the couples we shot a wedding for were going to leave in a classic corvette, I had to take a few moments to get some fun car shots!  If you are a professional motor vehicle photographer, I’m sure you could pick these apart – but that is not my specialty so I’m posting these for the fun of it – cheers!

I love the smell of 4th of July!  Every house for as far as the eye can see has a plume of smoke rising from the BBQs in the back yard and the air is filled with the smell of hamburgers and hot dogs.  It’s a smell that takes me back to child hood – when lighting a firecracker was thrilling and “dangerous” and you could play out in the backyard late into the night while the sky lit up with bottle rockets and roman candles.

This year, my kids are a bit young for firecrackers – but to relax with my wife and play with my kids – this will make for a very special day!

So in the spirit of nostalgia – here is a little 1979 Gabriel action – I make Winnie the Pooh look good!

Father’s Day is all about honoring fathers who love, pour into, protect and provide for their children – but today, as a father, it was on my heart to honor my children – because it is my kids who inspire me to be a better man, a better husband, and a better father.

This post is especially personal because of the challenges facing my kids – recently, our oldest son, Josiah, at two and a half years old, was diagnosed with autism and sensory disorder.  There is no hurt or heart break I’ve ever know that can compare with what I felt when we were given the diagnosis.  I was overwhelmed with what it meant… that my son may never speak or say “I love you” – might never be able to have friendships… and that I might not ever be able to teach him how to throw a ball, teach him to drive a car or see him fall in love and get married.  It’s so hard to even type all this.  My heart has broken more deeply than I ever thought possible.

And so on this Father’s Day – I first honor my son Josiah!  When my heart has wanted to collapse – it is Josiah who has started to rise up – it is Josiah who has brought courage back to my heart in so many ways.  In the last few months of meeting with therapists and specialist, Josiah has pressed through many moments where he was so afraid and has continued to overcome one challenge at a time — he has already learned a sign to communicate with us – he has struggled to learn to make eye contact, even though this is so very difficult for kids with sensory disorders, he is working so hard to learn important skills – and he has made progress in a thousand other ways.  I see the charecter and strenght in my son – and it drives me to be a better man!  Jaci and I believe greatly for our son – we believe he will overcome this and we believe for his healing!   I am honored to have such an amazing son and he has taught me to love in ways I didn’t know I could.

Our twins, Hannah and Benjamin are next to be honored today.  We were not expecting for Jaci to become pregnant so soon after Josiah – and we certainly didn’t expect twins — to say our world changed is a gross understatement.  We were suddenly outnumbered by our kids – three different sleep schedules, constant diapers, weeks on end with virtually no sleep for Jaci and I — there were moments I honestly wondered if I had what it takes to meet the needs around me.  But, for all the new challenges that come with twins – there is an expanding of the heart to love more greatly that can not have come to us in any other way!  Hannah and Benjamin bring the completion of our family, a fullness and a joy to the lives we will all get to share together.  Hannah is so very beautiful and strong and she has already been instrumental in helping Josiah with social interactions.  Benjamin’s amazing persistence and his desire to be close to us never stops reminding us that in the midst of all the busyness, we need to take time and be together and love one another.  These two precious little ones are gifts greater than I could ever deserve!

I know there are difficult times ahead and I cant help but wonder in my heart if I am strong enough to face them.  There are more questions than answers.  But when I hold my kids – when they look and me and kiss me – when I consider the lives ahead of them -  there is a hope and a strength that rises up inside me – to believe for great things – to strive to be a great father worthy of these three beautiful kids.

To close this post – I guess I just wanted to share how thankful I am for my children today – how thankful I am to be a father.

Happy Father’s Day.

Beyond the sight seeing, Washington DC on Memorial Day is a sobering place.  Thousands and thousands of people come from all over the nation to remember and visit loved ones who died defending their freedom.  Arlington Cemetery, the new WWII monument, the Vietnam and the Korean War monuments were all solemn and reverent places this weekend.  As Jaci and I walked along each of these, we could not help but fall silent as we passed the tokens placed on the ground by the loved ones of those who died in these conflicts.  A purple heart medal, old wooden crutches, tattered dog tags, missing in action bracelets, goodbye notes…  Each one a reminder of the cost paid and the sacrifice of so many — a reminder that my rights to use my camera freely, worship as I choose, my freedom to write this blog – all came at a cost – one I often forget and take for granted – but not today…

Here are just a few snap shots from our trip and a few of the images that I didn’t want to forget — we have much to be thankful for and much to remember.

Being in Washington DC for Memorial Day weekend is quite the experience.  Whether trying to navigate the many closed off and one way roads or taking in one of the amazing parades, museums, and monuments – there was never a lack of things to keep us occupied.

Jaci and I had the opportunity to shoot the wedding of an fun and wonderful couple, Gary and Megan, in Virginia (wedding coming soon!) and, as we were only an hour and a half outside DC, we decided to take a few days and make it a vacation as well.

Our trip was certainly full of adventures – from the most intense lightning and hail storm either of us had ever experienced (and one the locals said they hadn’t seen the likes of in nearly 20 years), to getting to relax at sunset at Mount Vernon (George Washington’s home) with wine and chocolates, to exploring every possible tourist site in the city – it was a trip we will always remember.

We didn’t get carried away with taking pictures as we wanted something a bit more laid back and relaxing – but here are a couple shots from the trip to share – enjoy!

Today’s post is one I’ve wanted to write for a while and today felt like the day – it’s a shout out to and a recognition of the amazing work and contributions my wife, Jaci, brings to this husband and wife photography team!  As my partner in life and photography, Jaci is an amazing woman!

Jaci is gifted at photography in a way that has left me a bit jealous from time to time – I’ve carried an SLR camera for the better part of the last thirteen years, while she simply picked one up and started taking amazing pictures right out of the box!  Many of the pictures you’ve seen in these posts are her’s.  She has an eye for beauty and the patience to see it in so many areas of life -  she brings it to every shot she takes.

I am so amazed by my wife!  She teaches Spanish to middle schoolers, she is a loving and wonderful mother to our three children and she is supportive and strong in our marriage and photography business – I simply can’t begin to communicate how lucky and honored I am that she decided to marry and spend her life with me!  She is often my strength in difficult moments and she carries a wisdom and love that has touched the lives of many around her.  She is simply beautiful!!

Ok, I decided it was time to get a little personal on my blog!  So today’s post is simply to share some snap shots of my family.  I hope you enjoy this little look into our lives – I am so proud of them and love them so much… so you may catch me bragging a little here!

This first picture is of my amazing and beautiful wife, Jaci – who is holding our newest additions, Hannah and Benjamin, who just turned 7 months old.  Starting my own photography business has certainly come with challenges and then to have three kids in two short years has definitely brought a new level of excitement to our lives.  And it is the support and love of my wife that has seen me through many hard and uncertain hours.  I certainly wouldn’t be the man I am today without her by my side!

The next few shots are of Hannah and Benjamin enjoying a nice fall day… so I decided I could do them one better and stick them inside a carved out pumpkin… nothing says fall fun more than smelling like pumpkin pie!

This next picture is very precious to me – here I am walking through a pumpkin patch with my oldest son, Josiah.  This year has gone by so quickly and he is growing and changing so fast – it is these moments with him and watching him become an amazing person that I treasure so much and wish I had so many more of.

Josiah is not what you’d call a fan of hair cuts… thus, we clearly waited too long between them!  Here are a couple snap shots of him enjoying one of his favorite Pixar movies and sporting an amazing mop of hair.  But do not fear- we just went and had it all chopped off and now he is far less ragamuffin in public.

Here is a look that says it all!  You can almost read his mind by the look on his face – “dad… first, you are in my way and I am trying to watch my show… and second, I’m not so sure I want to be photographed right now… don’t mess with me, I’m superman!”

There is nothing like the admiration for an older brother… or the instinctive need to pester that older brother, even at only 7 months old!  I had to include this picture – showing both my sons sporting their super outfits!  However, it is sad that so many of these shots are of them in front of the TV!  (shameless defense) We really do limit the exposure to TV for them… however, it seems to be the only time I can get them to sit still long enough to grab a couple fun shots (ok, I feel better).

So stinkin cute… need I say more!

I was honestly a bit nervous about having a daughter.  I grew up with two brothers, I’m a guy… I get having boys… but a girl was way outside my comfort zone – until we had Hannah!  How can anyone be so beautiful, so joyful and bring such light to a room at only 7 months old!?  This is my little princess and I am definitely wrapped around her little finger!

Mostly, I just could resit adding a shot of Josiah hanging out in the sink for bath time!  Maybe its a moment only a parent can truly appreciate… or maybe I just know that someday this could be totally embarrassing for him and there is something inside me that grins…

And I’ll end this post with a Picture of Josiah in a blow up pool full of balls… because I love the joy on his face every time I look at this shot!

And there it is – a little glimpse into my family and into the joy and blessings I get to come home to everyday from a job I love to do.  Life isn’t always fun or easy – and this year has had its fair share of hard times – but life is good and I don’t ever want to forget that or stop sharing it with others.

cheers