Fall is for Families

Summer fades, and the autumn breezes start to reawaken our tired thoughts.  Labor day always excites me.  It’s time to turn our attention to so many things on the horizon; all of which I find exhilarating.  The back to school routines are a welcome relief to the unstructured schedules of summer.  Football games, carnivals, Halloween parties and preparations for Thanksgiving and the following holidays remind me that we are indeed a blessed nation.  All of these activities bring smiles to my face as I picture our friends and families gathering to celebrate.  However, I cannot help but be reminded of so many people that are not as fortunate as we in the Memorial area.  We have beautiful smiles and beautiful faces with which to share our smiles.  As we prepare our smiles for our holiday cards, I challenge you to think about how to make your smile go around the world.  Take a minute to peruse Operation Smile’s Website, operationsmile.org.  Every three minutes, a child is born with a cleft lip. This organization gives free surgeries for children and young adults born with cleft lips, cleft palates and other facial deformities.  It will tug at your heart to see the opportunities that lie in this one website alone.  As a member of the Professional Photographers of America, I have been moved to be a part of this charity.  This month, a portion of your session fee will be donated to help a child find their smile.  It will change their life and I hope change yours.  I would love to help you plan a portrait session that brings a smile to your home and a smile to children all over the world.

Final Tribute to Mother

ILMA BERYLDINE BROADDUS LYNN

Ilma Beryldine is not a common name but then again the woman whose life we are celebrating today was not a common woman. She was an extraordinary woman of noble character like the one described in Proverbs 31.

She actually had several names. My dad would introduce her as “My Lady”. She loved being called that so much that when she found silverware with that name, she bought it. When he walked in the door after work, he would sing out, “Honey Chile, I’m home.” My cousin Mollie and then her children called her Aunt B. My children and grandchildren called her Grandma Beryldine. But I got to call her Momma. As one of my friends said, “You got more than your fair share of a mother. “

It is so fitting that we would have this service here in this church. I grew up steeped in church and church people. Momma was the minister’s secretary and I have very vivid memories of being at the downtown location and being with Bessie Hart, Hayes Williams and Mrs. S.H. Boozier. I can’t remember her first name, but I remember how she made me feel---loved. Dr. Robinson told Momma that he might as well baptize me because every Sunday, I tugged on his robes and asked him if I was ready and would he do it. Momma surrounded me with people like Rella Nugent, Connie Stark, Mr. & Mrs. E.L. Hunter and all the great Sunday School teachers that taught God’s word. Momma and Daddy’s pew was right over there. Momma said that she never felt closer to Daddy than when they were sitting side by side in church. I can picture Daddy serving communion with his big strong hands holding the small juice filled cup as he prayed. I was always so proud that he was an elder. Gary and I were married here and as we knelt to pray, I couldn’t quit crying. Dr. Robinson leaned over and said that I had to quit crying because he couldn’t keep praying. If we weren’t in church, church people like Mary Lou and Joe McGregor and Iris and Gerald Wherry were at our house playing bridge. So I want to thank each of you that helped shape me and thank my momma for picking out such good role models. Even my dance teacher was Dixie Dice who belonged to this church. Dixie could rock and roll with the best of them and I loved every sequin that Momma sewed on those costumes so I could be in one of Dixie’s productions.

There are so many qualities that I admired about my Momma:

She loved to work at the church, but she refused to work past 3, so that she could be there when I got home from school. She said that the first 30 minutes after I got home was when I would tell her the most about my day and that she didn’t want to miss anything. I do not remember walking into an empty house.

I loved how Momma guarded her reputation. She and Daddy used to count the money from the offering plate. One year at Christmas Daddy bought her a mink coat. She took it right back the day after Christmas because she didn’t want anyone to think she had bought it with the offering money. She valued a spotless reputation.

Momma always put me in lots of activities. She would say, “I want you to go out and learn how to be with people”. And then she would add….all kinds of people. She always found something good in anyone she met. My cousin Mollie said that no one could greet a child like Aunt B. One of my friends in Houston, Jan Griesenbeck, said that anytime she was with my Momma, Momma made Jan feel like she was so glad that Jan was in the room. Jan said that Mother shared her gift of encouragement with everyone and always left you feeling uplifted and just so blessed you were able to spend time with her. She was a terrific listener. People would drop in to the church office and need to speak to Dr. Robinson or Dr. Bridwell. If the minister wasn’t available, Momma would listen to the person and before long that person would decide that they didn’t need to talk to the minister so badly after all. Instead, they would leave saying, “just tell him I came by.” All accomplished just by her listening. One of my friends came by the studio on Tuesday before Momma died on Wednesday and shared some things with me. As she left the studio, she stuck her head back in and said “Thanks for listening. I feel better.” I had the sweetest feeling, as if the torch had passed and I was honored to be following in Momma’s footsteps.

Momma was an avid walker. She and Lena Braudt would walk around Western Plaza daily. One time Lena couldn’t go, so she went to walk around Memorial Park by herself. She looked up and realized that Daddy was following her in the car to be sure that she was safe. I admired her self-discipline and healthy ways. I remember when she was about the age that I am now, she and Vernon Stagner would spend time discussing the latest healthy information. She loved grapefruit and coffee. Just a few weeks ago when she was hardly eating or drinking anything, she asked Gary to get her a cup of hot fresh coffee. The one she had was neither hot nor fresh.

I don’t remember ever really being in trouble. Once Momma told me that I was grounded, but after about 30 minutes she stuck her head in my room and said that Carol was here and did I want to go get a coke. I remember thinking that she really didn’t know how this grounding thing worked. I really think that Momma just couldn’t stay mad very long, she never held a grudge and she was always up for me having some fun. I once learned that that one day while I was at Tech, Momma came storming through the den saying that she was going to call me and tell me that I was wearing my skirts too short. Daddy never put the paper down but calmly said, “I don’t believe that I would do that if I were you.” She didn’t, but some how I knew about the incident.

About 1994 she decided that she needed to quit working at the church before someone asked her to quit. She decided that she would move to Houston before she had to move to Houston and in time for her to make friends in Houston, be close to family but let us have our own lives. She participated in all of the activities at the Terrace. Her stated attitude was that if the workers at the Terrace were going to go to the trouble of having activities, she needed to be there to attend them. She made new friends, but I don’t think they ever took the place of those that were in Amarillo. She welcomed new comers to the Terrace and invited them to sit at her table. She never participated in gossip. Once someone was talking about someone. “What is it that we don’t like about her? Momma’s answer was, ”I don’t know.”

Most of you could fill in your own stories of how she lived. Let me tell you how she faced the last few years of her life. She would always tell me to “keep on keeping on”, hold on to the faith, be kind to each other and “don’t worry your pretty little head” about something. But almost three years ago, I was presented with a situation that I couldn’t help but worry about. As Hurricane Ike approached and then hit Houston, Momma came to our house to stay for several days. Being with her day AND night for those several days, I came to realize that her memory loss and confusion was much worse than I had realized and that it was no longer safe for her to live alone in her apartment or in my house that was empty all day. I had to take her to a memory loss center. She went with such resolve to like it. When I would visit she would say that it was such a nice place to live. All the helpers told me how very pleasant she was and that she never, ever complained. In January I moved her to a personal care home and she went with the same great attitude again. She told me that she was leaving up to me the decision of what was best for her. About six weeks ago the hospice nurse told me to hurry out because she did not think Momma would make it through the night. Each week the hospice nurses told me that she would not be there the following week. About four weeks later, they quit saying that and said that they had no explanation. She was very clear for someone that had dementia. We had many short, but good conversations during the last six weeks. She continued to say that it was such a nice place to live. The nurses – both at the memory loss center and at the personal care home - told me how sweet she was and how she always complimented them on their attire, etc. Each one of the nurses fell in love with her and every one of them wanted to be the one to check on her. She always knew Gary and me and never failed to say something nice about how we looked. On last Tuesday, she was doing things that told me that the end was near. I told her that I wanted to be with her when she passed from this life to the next. The next day she would shake her head no when the attendants would ask her if she was ready to go. When I got there, I told her that we were going to do this together and that I was not leaving. I would hold her hand, pray with her, sing her hymns and read her scriptures. She shook her head “Yes” when I asked her if she heard me. Twice more she said “yes.” I told her that she would be part of that great cloud of witnesses that would surround us mentioned in Hebrews 12. Gary and I were with her when we heard the last puff of life while Priska, one of the nurses, was praying. One of my friends said that it is at times like this that God stretches the veil so thin that we can almost see through and get glimpses into eternity.

The day she died the Bible was open to Psalms 62:11.

More than once I have heard God say

That power belongs to him

And that his love is constant.

You yourself, O Lord, reward everyone according to his deeds.

When I arrived at her bedside six weeks ago, I prayed something about God showing his power and making his presence known. I believe that he did just that and that Momma died like she lived….in the shelter of his wings.

Proverbs 31 talks about the Wife of Noble Character. Solomon talks there about many things, but what caught my eye were the last few verses:

“Her children arise and call her blessed;

Her husband also, and he praises her;

Many women do noble things,

But you surpass them all.

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;

But a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

Give her the reward she has earned,

And let her works bring her praise at the city gate.”

BLESSED IS MY MOMMA, ILMA BERYLDINE BROADDUS LYNN

Dear World

My grandson, Jack, started pre K this September. When asked if he liked his teacher, he replied “I like Mommy better.” The first day is hard on everyone. The moms met in the cafeteria after dropping off their little ones. It was called Coffee and Kleenex. The moms were given a letter entitled “Dear World”. It was a letter for the world to be gentle on “my son” as it begins to teach the lessons that “my son” will have to learn. It ended with “He is such a nice little boy, my son.” Margo made me a copy and by the time I finished I was crying. By the time, Coach (Gary’s grandfather name) finished he was REALLY crying.

About the same time Jack started Pre K, I took my mom, Ilma Beryldine Broaddus Lynn, to a memory loss community. After having her with Gary and me, it was absolutely apparent that she had to go. Just like Jack had to start school, I had to take Mother. Fighting it was harder than doing it, I discovered. Here is my “Dear World” letter.

Dear World,

Today my mom, started the grandest leg of her journey. She went with a positive attitude and was determined to “like it”. Oh world, how I wish that you could see her before she became so frail and forgetful. If you look in her “memory window” outside her room, you will learn a lot about her and from her.

She was born in Missouri but moved to Texas when she was about three years old. She was born to Thomas Martin Broaddus and Mabel Faye Davis Broaddus. A story that I always liked about her parents was that my grandmother was not allowed to date my grandfather because he drove his HORSES too fast. She did it anyway and moved away from her family to that dusty Texas town of Amarillo. Family, obviously, became very important and my memories of my grandmother are wonderful. (My grandfather died in June before I was born in October.) My mother began working at the young age of 14 by driving a woman around. She was a secretary at Magnolia Oil and Gas Company and then worked at the church as the minister’s secretary until the ripe old age of 75. She decided to quit before they ask her to quit. Mother knew everyone and their relatives that went to First Christian Church. She headed off many problems for the senior ministers by simply listening to the person “Needing to see Dr. Robinson, Dr. Bridwell, or the rest of the ministers. She moved to Houston and worked another ten years for me numbering negatives in my photography business. You will learn a lot from Mother by being a hard worker and a good listener. She NEVER participated in “office gossip” and always listened without judgment. Many a person that unloaded their problems on Mother while waiting to see the minister, left without ever talking to him. (it was “him” during that era”). They would leave deciding that they didn’t need to talk so badly after all.

Mother was an avid walker. She would walk everyday without fail either at the park or the mall. She entered into many activities that kept her thinking. The doctors still don’t know what causes dementia, but Mother did everything she could to stay sharp. The comment that helped me the most was that “God has designed our bodies to fail.” Her body is failing, her beauty has moved more on the inside, but her smile when she sees the ones she loves is as radiant as ever. Lord, please help her to remember us and caretakers help her with our names and remind her that we are coming to see her more than she remembers.

My Mother was a sister to Evelyn Louise Broaddus Sheldon and to Glenn Davis Broaddus. She was the middle child and I would describe her as a child caught in the middle. My Uncle Glenn was a practical joker. I heard stories of him loosening the girth of the saddle so that Mother would fall off the horse. He would hot wire the seat of their Model T and would shock Mother every time she was in the passenger seat. He used to love to laugh about how she would wiggle and squirm as he shocked her as he drove. Mother always wanted me to pattern myself after Aunt Evelyn. She admired her younger sister’s abilities and wanted me to be just like her. She just knew that I would learn to cook and sew like Aunt Evelyn when I grew up. Evelyn learned and so could I. I’ve been married for 40 years and I am still waiting for the wave of homemaking skills that Evelyn seemed to possess. The quality that you will learn from my mother is that she never thought more highly of herself than others. She never held a grudge and always pointed out the good qualities of others.

DO YOU REMEMBER HOW PAUL HARVEY USED TO SAY “AND THAT’S THE REST OF THE STORY.” Well, I never finished my tribute to my mom two years ago. My husband found it on my computer several months ago and brought it to my attention. So over the next few days, I will give you the rest of the story.

Love,

Cindy

One of the first things that people ask after they've booked a shoot at our studio is, "Where should we take the pictures?" Since we are in Houston and are blessed with a good climate (minus June through August!), outside photo sessions are easy to come by and we provide a great deal of choices for outdoor settings. Cindy sometimes shoots at City Centre, which is full of lovely gardens, structures, brick walls, metal and glass...it makes for a very unique photograph done not too far from home! Other options? Well, in April, we are going to Belleville, Texas for photo sessions in the bluebonnets at a private residence (there is still room for you to have a session - call us). This is where we captured a timeless photo of two brothers chasing each other down a dusty trail lined with bluebonnets. But if you don't want to travel that far, we can always capture something lovely, right in your very own backyard. Such was the case with Carol Hedrick and her extended family. It was a busy session with lots of young children, moms, dads, and Carol and her husband. This photo below was captured of Carol in a quiet moment, at her home. They say home is where the heart is, and we think this photo of Carol attests to it. Here she is relaxed, and happy at home!

There are times in Houston when the weather does a peculiar thing and surprises us with freezing temperatures, rain, hail, or gasp, snow! On those days, sometimes it is necessary to move the shoot inside the studio. This senior picture of Emily Waldrop was taken inside our studio. You would never know that she is leaning against Cindy's desk in the floor of our studio. It is a gorgeous photo full of color and texture, captured in the comfort of a warm and toasty studio (it was COLD that day in December!).

Photo sessions are always interesting because of the great people who are in the shoot, but they can be made even more fun with exploring different settings and backgrounds. Call us today and we'll capture something wonderful for you here at the studio, around town, or in your very own home.

Past and Present...We've always provided choices for you!

One of the joys of this studio is watching children grow. Kristen, (not my daughter, Kristen) has always been good about photographing her precious daughter, Josie. Here are some images of Josie when she was little. Here are some that we did in late 2008. Josie’s grandmother, Sharon (who is one of the prettiest women you will know, both inside and out) came in today to order from Josie’s pictures that were taken when she was little. She never could make up her mind which one to choose and so ten years later she still did not have a picture up of Josie as a little girl. We talked about how many cute images there were and how each one would have been a good choice.

Here’s the back-story. I have always wanted to give you lots of choices. This comes from my experience with my children’s first visit to a professional photographer. The photographer was just doing what he always did. Kristen, my daughter, cried most of the session and there was not any time allowed for her to become comfortable in front of the camera. This resulted in an “I guess this one will do.” decision of her one-year-old picture. I decided that my business would give people choices. I still stand by that decision, but I am considering the fact that too many choices leads to indecision, confusion and frustration. So here’s the point of the blog: I will still give you choices, but I will do a heavy edit to distill it down to the very best of the best. Feel free to give me input. If you like lots of choices, that is what I will give you. If you prefer a minimalist approach, I will hone them down to my very favorites. I promise that we will have some beautiful images for you to put up on your wall that will bring years of pleasure and the process will be memorable, as well.

Leaving the Nest

We loved photographing Wilson, Trudy, and Chris Gaw. As you can probably tell, they are a close knit family. When Trudy called the studio in December about having Chris's senior pictures made, she let us know that she wanted to have a family picture made as well.

This image of Chris Gaw and his father, Wilson, was expressly chosen for Chris's senior album because, as Chris remarked when he saw this one, "I love this photo because my dad has his arm around me." It is true what they say... a picture is often worth a thousand words.

This spring, as graduation draws near, many moms and dads are realizing that as their son or daughter goes off to college, the family will never quite be the same again. It may be a great time to capture a senior picture and at the same time do one last family picture before your son or daughter leaves home and enters the adult world. Cindy can appreciate how busy families are, so if you would like to capture a senior portrait and do a family portrait at the same time, we'd love to help you.

Good Times in the Bluebonnets!

Spring is in the air! You can feel it in the gentle breezes that blow through Houston on these cloudless days. In April, we will see our beloved bluebonnets dotting the roadside along the way to Austin. The arrival of bluebonnets seems to make spring official in Texas. Each year, along with bluebonnets come the other events that spring brings… antique festivals, graduation, spring formals, Easter egg hunts, the end of the school year, family vacations, crawfish boils…good times. When we were at the Wilchester Elementary Art Expo, Cindy asked each group of students when they arrived at her booth, “What do we take pictures of?” One young man had an interesting comment, “We take pictures of good times.”

At Cindy Crofford Photography, we advertise that we shoot pictures of families, babies, and Seniors, but honestly, what we are really photographing are good times. What good times have you had lately? I think in my family good times are birthday parties around our big dining room table, or grilling out on a warm spring night. Other good times are when we take road trips on sunny spring days with the windows rolled down, and our hair flying everywhere. We pile our kids into the car and drive down Texas highways, through places like Gruene, Bellville, Brenham, Columbus. We always have to stop at Bucees to get jerky, fudge, and kolaches. From the backseat, the kids make up games and jokes, and laugh so hard that their orange soda comes up through their noses. As for me, I sigh and enjoy the scenery, knowing that for a few hours, the kids are buckled in, and don’t need anything for a while.

We invite your family for a road trip with us on the 3^rd weekend in April. We are headed up to Bellville, Texas so that we can offer photo-sessions of your family in the bluebonnets. We feel certain that you will have fun making a day of it, and we’ll be on hand to capture the memory of your family’s “good times.”