Monday, December 7, 2009

Matters of the Heart

I have my own personal Thanksgiving tradition and that is to photograph the Lambert family. Usually I wouldn't show you such holiday card worthy shots on the blog at this time of year because I wouldn't want to steal their mailbox thunder. But their card is out, the first to arrive in our mailbox. They took a cruise on spring break and used fun pictures from that trip. It's a photogenic family so it's no surprise they had so many great pictures to choose from. But I simply must mark the years by taking their picture whether they want or need it. My pictures are my love song to them, an outpouring of admiration.

Their old English sheepdog Poppins is getting on in years and so we wanted to get some pictures of the family with her. She was lovingly cooperative.

The boys are both actors in the Alley Theatre's production of A Christmas Carol. They are both lovable, precocious and theatrical. But A has dreams of being an actor and has logged more Equity stage time than I have in my 10+ years as a "professional" actor. It's in his DNA and I have every reason to expect him to continue his dramatic success.
And then there's D. Who gets a lot of attention for his adorable looks and precious size. I mean, come on, the kid personifies charming and cute.

And together? Well, just take a look. Who needs words....
K & S both teach high school (upper school for the fancy types) at the Kinkaid School in Houston and both of their boys are students there. (Terrific students I might add.) Kinkaid as you may or may not know is in the middle of a culture war maelstrom which you can read about here. Suffice it to say Kate's English students are witnessing their own personal Crucible right there in their own school.

NOT an easy time. The Lamberts take their work ethic and commitment to the school and community very seriously. But that school and community has become a foreign place of late which would leave anyone feeling shaken to say the least.

So this family is focused in, now more than ever, on what matters most to them. The love and comfort they feel together. On what they wish to teach their children. And holding on as tightly as they can to their one sure thing - each other.