Ugh…we are sick at my house!  Apparently Brooke, my littlest one, has Hand Foot Mouth Disease (not really a “disease) and has given it to my husband as well.  They are both tired, with sore throats, fevers, have sores in their mouths, and are generally just sick.  Emma & I are hoping to avoid this rampant disease, but we’re not sure if we’ll be so lucky!  Apparently swimming in the pool last week at Victory Jam with about 300 other campers could be the culprit.  Who knows?

On a lighter, and much happier note, I had the great joy of photographing the Stapler-Brewster family this weekend at Downs Park in Pasadena, Maryland.  They were nominated last December for the Giving is Awesome intitiative and won!  You can read more about Giving is Awesome here.  Jennifer & Dave’s family experienced a house fire and lost most everything they owned.  Luckily, all the family members in the home made it out alive, which they are very grateful for.  Jennifer told me the foundation to their new house is just now being laid and they are excited to get back to normal.  I was so glad to be able to have this chance to help them rebuild some memories through family photos.  Thanks Dave, Jennifer, and kidlets.  You all were great, and well worth the sand in my shoes!

Okay, can I just tell you, that when “they” encourage you to have a contest for deserving people, “they” never tell you that your heart strings will be tugged at by so many stories of need, or heartache, or illnesses, disasters, kindness, giving, and so on…  I was truly humbled by your nominations and my heart was warmed to see how you thought of others and their needs.  I must admit, your stories made me smile, and cry!  When I become a big famous photographer with a disposable income, I WILL give every nominee a gift.  Unfortunately, I am not there yet.  So, without much more rambling, the Giving is Awesome winners are the Brewster/Stapler family! This family was nominated by Carrie Emery.  They recently had a horrible house fire and lost virtually everything, including precious memories captured in their photographs.  While I cannot give you back your lost photographs, I can help you get a jump start on some new ones.  And Carrie, for nominating the Brewster/Stapler family, you will be receiving a gift as well.  Thank you all for your nominations.

www.givingisawesome.com

In the spirit of this Christmas season that is fast approaching, I’ve joined “Giving is Awesome.” What is this, you may ask? Giving is Awesome is a simple effort by photographers worldwide to give back to their communities. Regional contests are sponsored by photographers across the globe. Each photographer gives away a session fee and a certain amount of portrait products (i.e. – photographs), to a worthy individual or family this holiday season.

To summarize, I’ll be giving away $250 worth of my photographic services to a truly deserving family or individual this holiday season.  The winner will be announced on my blog on Christmas Eve, December 24th.  The rules to nominate are:

1.  You cannot nominate yourself.

2.  The person you nominate must be sincerely incapable of purchasing my services.

3.  The nominee must reside in Maryland.  Tell me who you know, what they’re experiencing, and why they deserve my artwork.  Please include a way to contact both your nominee and yourself.

4.  You must email me the full story at mandysroka@gmail.com

The winner will be announced on Christmas Eve – get nominating!  I can’t wait to read all of your entries!

Open your heart to someone this holiday season – and thanks for giving me the opportunity to open mine.

With love,

Mandy