My Mom

I can smell the subtle floral scent of her perfume in the breeze.  I can hear her sweet voice singing along to her favorite songs.  I can see her big, beautiful smile every time I close my eyes.  I can feel her smooth, cool skin when she would touch my hand.  I can hear her infectious laugh that makes my heart full.

It’s been 2 weeks since my mother left us and I miss her.  I miss her terribly.

I torture myself every moment of every day, constantly thinking of what she would say and do in each moment of my day.  Her reactions were always so predictable that I know her exact response in any given situation.  Right now she’s calling me “crazy” for being so sad and “ugly” for all the ugly-crying that I’ve been doing the last few weeks.  Then she’d hop in the car, disappear for a while, return with pizza, sweets, an iced mocha, a singing stuffed animal, or anything she can think of to make me smile even just for a little bit.  And it wasn’t what she brought me that made me smile.  It was that look of pure joy on her face when she presented me with her little surprise because she knew it would make me smile.  My mother was the best mom and human being overall.  She was the absolute most special person I have ever known and her passing has turned our family upside down… and also the lives of many, many, many others of whom she has touched in so many ways.  She was a spectacular woman.

In looking at my own children, I see the best parts of me.  The best parts of my personality, the best parts of my spirit, and the best parts of my heart.  I sit here with tears in my eyes, thinking, hoping, praying that my Mother saw her best qualities in ME.    It is because of her that I am the mother, wife, sister, daughter, friend, woman that I am and I hope I made her proud.

I miss her so much.

Sekou

There’s this little voice in my head that tells me “You know… EVERYONE thinks their kid has got what it takes. You’re no different…”

Yes. Very true, but how crazy would it be to not recognize this amazing opportunity that Sekou was selected for and how foolish would we be as a parents if we didn’t exhaust all of our options in order to make this dream a reality! He trains so hard and continues to challenge himself to improve his skill. It’s something in him that can’t be taught, and we couldn’t be prouder of this guy.

Read his story below

 

Early on we knew that our son, Sekou Mathews, had a natural athletic ability beyond his years.  As a toddler Sekou sat in the bleachers watching (studying) his older brother religiously at practices and games, so once he was old enough to sign up and play in (any) sports, he undoubtedly excelled and dominated.  His heart and passion surpass his physical stature.  His speed and agility are his strengths.  His talent is undeniable.  At the age of 10, he surprised us when he made the decision to quit football, basketball & track to focus all of his time, energy, and his heart into soccer.  He is now 12 and his commitment to the sport is most evident into the soccer player he is evolving into, and we are so proud of him.  His ultimate goal is to become a pro soccer player one day and as hungry as he is, we believe he will get there.

In July, Sekou attended 1 of the 33 FC Barcelona official soccer camps offered in the US where FCB Coaches trained and evaluated 5000+ players.  Recently, we were notified by FCB that SEKOU WAS SELECTED TO TRAIN IN BARCELONA, SPAIN in November!!!  This is an invite-only program where he will participate in an advanced, intensive training program offered to very few players around the world.  He will train at same fields used by Messi, compete in friendly-games vs. Spanish soccer academies, attend FC Barcelona home games, and bond with other players from all over the country who also share the same love of soccer. 

If you are financially able, please consider donating towards this experience of a lifetime for Sekou!   Money raised would go to the cost of the program (accommodations & meals included) and airfare.  ANY amount, no matter how small, will help achieve our goal and is GREATLY APPRECIATED.  Thank you for supporting and believing in our Sekou!!!  He’s so talented, smart, and just an all-around good kid.  He truly deserves this.

 
With love and appreciation,
Liza & Trevino

www.GoFundMe.com/SekouBARCA

 

www.GoFundMe.com/SekouBARCA

 

www.GoFundMe.com/SekouBARCA

www.GoFundMe.com/SekouBARCA

Bella the Ballerina

Here's another shoot I can't believe I never shared here.  I had the opportunity to photograph this sweet little ballerina and I had such a great time.  My heart is in dance so (clearly) I had just as much fun as little miss Bella!

Catching up!

I've got a lot of catching up to do. I have 2 (maybe 3) years worth of portrait sessions that never made it to this photography blog. As I've mentioned before, I struggle with finding that one photo to sneak peek or share on FB, because I feel like just one photo doesn't tell the whole story. I approach my portrait sessions, weddings, events, etc with more of what I consider documentary style, resulting in collections of photos which all have a piece to the story. With that said, there's lots more to come on this blog.

Here is the Ginette family. It was a while back but feels like yesterday. I had so much fun with their family on that morning in Carmel.

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Plants, Pottery, Flowers, and Fairy Gardens

Upon perusing my portfolio websites and facebook page, one may assume that I am strictly a “people photographer” (with exception to the occasional photo of my dog’s pretty little face every now and then) . This assumption is understandable but not true. Although I may lean towards people, emotion, and portraiture, I love to step out of the box whenever I can.

I was fortunate to photograph all the beauty at Griggs Nursery in Carmel Valley for their marketing needs and here are a few shots from my most recent shoot there…

I LOVE their fairy gardens....