Rainbow At The End Of The Storm
Posted on June 13, 2015 Leave a Comment
It all began with a “.” It was the strangest pick-up line I’d ever heard but it peaked my curiousity. I knew he was “the one” soon after, when our first date in public involved going to church. Our relationship grew into one that was centered on God, honesty, respect, and friendship. I couldn’t have been any happier. After a few months I said “YES” to the man of my dreams.
Shortly thereafter we set the date. Josh and I were so excited we couldn’t contain ourselves. Then came December 3rd, a day I will never forget. Josh was working on top of a building when he fell 13 feet, and landed face first onto concrete. The fall resulted in severe head trauma, two skull fractures, many brain contusions, a collapsed lung, several facial fractures, and broken ribs. During the first 72 hours doctors closely monitored Josh’s brain pressure, and placed him on a ventilator as well as in an induced coma.
When Josh was brought out of the coma 4 days later, he told me he had been praying the entire time. His strong faith in God, healthy lifestyle, desire to watch his children grow, and goal to marry his best friend – all kept him going. I’m sure his sense of humor helped too, one of the many things I love about him. Only a few hours after being awake he looked at me and asked, “will you marry me tomorrow”. I still wonder if that was an excuse to break out of the hospital though. 🙂
Josh spent 2 weeks at Methodist hospital and nearly 3 weeks at the Rehab Hospital of Indianapolis, before coming home in January. He had a difficult time realizing what day or month it was, but never forgot our wedding date. May 30th became a goal for Josh, he was determined to speed up his recovery so he could walk down that aisle.
Josh has continued to amaze the doctors and has even finished all of the required therapy. The word “miraculous” has been used to describe him over the past 6 months. I’m reminded on a daily basis how proud I am of him, and the fact that he truly is a walking miracle.
We have passed the “better and worse” situations with flying colors, and probably been through more than some couples have in a lifetime. So when the wedding countdown finally said “0 days left” we were both on cloud nine, not just because it was our wedding day but Josh had met that goal. The morning of the wedding I just sat there and thought of all the tears, laughter, frustration, and prayers we shared together over the past year. It made me want to hug him and never let go, but we were waiting until 1:00 to see each other for the “reveal” photo session.
We found the best photographers (Studio 1492 Photography) ever to capture our special day. Nowelle and Miranda arrived at 11:30 to take photos of us girls getting ready and stayed until 7:30 that evening. There were so many great photos that I wish I could share all 1100.
Our wedding day seriously felt like a country fairy tale. The ceremony took place in front of a hitching post, which was next to a one room cabin in the pasture on my family’s farm. All of us girls (the maid of honor, bridesmaid, flowergirls, and myself) rode on a horse and carriage down the gravel lane. Josh, his dad who was the best man, his brother-in-law the groomsman, and Doug Hardy who married us, were waiting with the rest of our guests when we arrived. It was so peaceful and perfect. Everyone was nervous about rain that we could see in the distance, but things went as planned. After the ceremony the rain held off long enough for us to ride the carriage to my parent’s house, where the reception was already getting started in the shop.
During the reception severe weather arrived in the area. Then while we were dancing to “My Wish” for the father daughter/mother son dance, I looked out the shop door to see the best wedding present…a double rainbow. It was so bright! And the end of the rainbow was literally in the field next to the shop! I never knew it was possible to see the end of a rainbow. We tried running outside to take pictures but the rain and wind made us wait for a few minutes, until the sky turned blue and clear. I felt like both rainbows were presents and best wishes for a long, bright, happy life together, from God and all of our relatives who have passed on. As the two rainbows faded away and joined together as one it seemed like symbolism of Josh and I coming together as one in marriage. And when the sky turned bright blue, it made me hopeful that maybe we will have a colorful, exciting future but with better health and less troubling times than we did during our engagement. It couldn’t have been a better ending to a fairy tale wedding.
(All photos in this post were taken by Studio 1492 Photography based out of Columbus, Indiana)
A Man Riding On Faith
Posted on August 18, 2012 11 Comments
What would you do if you saw a man riding his horse down the road, with a mule and dog, and it was apparent they had been on the road for quite some time? Would you drive on past? My dad came across this situation and decided to lend a helping hand. He came into the barn explaining what he had seen, and asked for my help in taking water to the animals. Eager for an adventure my cousin, parents, and I filled up a tank of water, along with other items, and traveled down the road.
Along the side of the road, was a man from Kansas, named Bryan Brant. Standing by him was his horse (Abbey), mule (Jack), and dog (Pepper). After providing him and the animals with food and water, Bryan began to tell us about the journey he was on. On June 12, he began his journey in Illinois along the Mississippi River, traveling through Cairo and Shawnee. After more than 600 miles and two months later, he arrived to my hometown. He plans to ride even further, matter of fact he is heading to up state New York, then hopefully to Ontario, Canada.
Bryan decided to ride across the country on horseback with both his family and horses in mind. Not only is he promoting the idea of horse travel and the genocide on horses, but his family heritage as well. Bryan was related to the Mohawk Indian, Chief Joseph Brant, otherwise known as Thayendanegea. He is known for his efforts in unifying upper New York Indian tribes, and the establishment of an Indian reservation near Brantford, Ontario. To determine whether the British would help the Mohawk recover their land, Chief Joseph Brant was sent to England and met with King George III. After his efforts to secure peace treaties, he was awarded with a grant of land (675,000 acres) on the Grand River in Ontario. This became known as the Grand River Reservation for the Mohawk, which is the destination Bryan hopes to achieve.
Over the course of his journey, Bryan has been keeping a journal and plans to write a book once he is reunited with his family. He already has so many stories to tell, from the storms he has been drenched in, to the people who have helped him along the way. One of my favorites was about him going through the McDonald’s drive-thru with Abbey, Jack, and Pepper. Wouldn’t that be an interesting site to see?
However, not everyone has been so welcoming. Bryan said the police in my hometown asked him to leave the town square, because the parks department complained his horses were eating the grass. Then when my dad first saw him, the Sheriff was pulled over talking to Bryan because someone had called in. I find it intriguing how some people jump to conclusions and assume things without even giving someone a chance. Perhaps my family and I view things differently than others. Like most things in life, I look at it like a piece of art. There’s always a story to tell, and more than what meets the eye. Once you look at an image from different viewpoints and begin to analyze each detail, you are provided with a deeper meaning and purpose.
So back to my first question, what would you do? Would you assume and move on by? Or would you stop with an open mind and find out the true story?
The Simmons School’s Journey
Posted on December 23, 2010 Leave a Comment
Plans were set to locate a schoolhouse that could be place behind the local school. This would act as a reminder to visitors about just how far our educational system had advanced. While investigating existing one room schools, historians came across the Simmons School. The windows were broken, chalkboards were gone, plaster and woodwork was deteriorating, the floor was caved in, and the bell was missing from the bell tower. The owners of the land donated the one room schoolhouse to the local educational system. The donors were Kenny and Julia Bense, who are my grandparents. Afterwards $40,000 was raised through local donations for restoration costs. In 1989, community members arrived to watch the 136 year old schoolhouse make its five-mile journey through town. Governor Evan Bayh proclaimed it “Move the Simmons School Day,” throughout the state of Indiana.
The Simmons family donated the original bell to the schoolhouse, where it currently welcomes visitors who explore the field trip location. Students arrive in old-fashioned costumes appropriate for a century ago. Every activity throughout the day is how a student would have experienced a day at school in 1907. For example, they carry baskets and pails filled with lunches, use the old-time readers, role play, bow or curtsy, cipher on slates, and play old-fashioned games. As a member of Little Hoosiers I had the privilege of not only visiting the schoolhouse for field trips, but I also participated in plays that took place inside. One of the events I took part in was the annual Christmas play.
What makes these photos superior? First, they were both photographed from the ground, using the worm’s eye view makes objects appear magnificent in size. Second, the contrast in bricks and snow creates a popping effect. My favorite of the two is the one that includes the fence. This is due to the blur effect that’s present on the gate. The posts closer to the camera lens are blurry, concentrating the focus on part of the fence and the building. This creates a “z” shaped pathway of attention.
My advice for this week is to try using the blur effect with your camera lens. You can achieve this by focusing on an object, while your lens are almost touching a separate object. Depending on where your center of focus is, the closer object will either be blurry or clear. In this instance, I chose to have the blur present up close, so my focus was on the schoolhouse. There are times when this effect can achieve the feeling of distance.
As always thank you for visiting my blog. Happy Holidays!
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