My poor brother has a lot of sisters. When he called home to tell us that his beautiful wife, Kim, was pregnant with their first child, we were excited, of course, but more than that we simply could not wrap our heads around the idea of our brother becoming a father! Would he hold and cuddle their baby? Would he change diapers and make bottles? Does he even know how to play with a child? We couldn’t imagine it. We couldn’t believe it. And then, I saw it with my own eyes. Sweet Aevlyn looks so much like him and he had no trouble loving on her and carrying her around everywhere we went. He makes her laugh and holds her close when she cries. He looks at her and she looks at him and its a look of love that is so natural. Of course, Mama Kim is pretty amazing at her job too. She cares for Aevlyn with ease and anticipates her next move. There’s a kind of synergy amongst them that leaves me no doubt they’ll do just fine with three or four more
.
My mom and I arrived at their house in the country late Saturday morning. He told us they lived outside of town but us city girls had no idea what he really meant. An hours drive from our hotel took us past fields of cattle and their baby calves. Horses and potatoes were their neighbors and at night you could see the stars. Not just a few twinkles in the sky like I’m used to at my house but an entirely black sky filled to the edges with sparkling lights. It was breathtaking….and quiet.
Good hosts as they are, we were greeted with a plate of fresh veggies and crackers for snacking. They took us on a tour of their college campus where Ryan is a dance and philosophy major and Kim is in horticulture and floral design. They danced together and Aevlyn watched with glee. We wandered through beautiful gardens and orchards with a hundred different kinds of apples. They showed us where he proposed and all their favorite hangouts. Then, we headed to the sand dunes where we built a fire and grilled veggie kabobs as the sun set. Ryan got his car stuck in the sand and while here in the city you might be stuck on the side of the road for a long time without calling an expensive tow truck, good Samaritans were everywhere anxious to help. It took not one, but two trucks to get us unstuck and on our way. I can see why he likes it out there.
The next day we traveled out to Mesa Falls on the edge of Yellow Stone (less than an hour away from their home) to enjoy nature and the beautiful, warm, sunny day. At a clear and shallow part of the river we hand fed wild fish and chit chatted with the locals who make this their regular Sunday afternoon entertainment. It was so nice to just be together. When we arrived back at their home that evening we opened the door to wafts of red beans and rice that had been slow cooking all day. They quickly prepared a fresh salad to accompany the delicious dish and I regretted having to head home early the next morning.
We soaked up the last hour of sunlight with a photo shoot around their home. It was past Aevlyn’s bed time but she gave us some smiles and giggles anyway; bless her sweet heart. I have to admit I’ve never done a photo shoot where we had to watch out for wild bunny droppings and recluse spiders! It was also my first time shooting in that amazing mountain light. I know most people can’t tell the difference, but it was very different. I kind of wanted to take it home with me.
These photos and following slide show will tell the rest of the story. Ryan and Kim, I sure hope you get to visit us in Seattle this summer! Enjoy…
Click to view the slide show!
show hide 9 comments