Calli's Final
Photo Essay Paper
This
photo Essay is about the miraculous event of my baby nephew being born in the
same hour, of the same day, as my Grandmothers death. It was a very emotional
day and I documented the various events that happened afterwards that would
help tell the story. The exact time of death was 11:02am 4/4/14 and the time of
birth was 11:40am 4/4/14. My Grandmother’s name is Ann Jennette Maudell Mueller
and the baby’s name is Cole Benjamin Mueller. On April 4th the
Mueller family lost a loved one but welcomed a new little Mueller soul into the
world. We all visited the baby a few hours after he was born, he did not even
look like a newborn he was so big; he was born 9lbs 1oz and 22 inches long.
The
day of the funeral on 4/9/2014 was a sad day and very emotional for our family.
My dad gave a speech because he felt guilty at not speaking at my Grandpa’s
funeral and it made us all cry. I tried to document this funeral in a way that
was not disrespectful to my Grandma and I think I accomplished this. Regarding the
baby I went and visited him in the weeks following his birth and took pictures
of him. One time he came to our house and I got some pictures of the entire
family with the baby.
My
brother and his wife, who are the parents of Cole are living in the house that
my Grandparents built and lived in many years so therefore they are carrying on
their legacy in a way. Some of these pictures are at that house, they have
changed a lot of things but at its foundations it is still the house my Grandpa
built with his own two hands. I know that both my Grandma and my Grandpa are
looking down on us from heaven.
The
last thing I documented was the Easter tradition that we will carry on even
with both of my Grandparents gone. My Grandma would always order a special lamb
cake every Easter to celebrate Jesus. We will continue to have this cake every
Easter in honor of them. We always went to my Aunts house and had an Easter egg
hunt but the cake was always the star.
Even
though my Grandparents are both gone in heaven they will hold a special place
in our hearts, the sadness caused by their deaths however has been filled
somewhat by an adorable nephew, son, grandson, and great grandson. Our hearts
will soon be filled with joy as we watch him grow into a strong young man.
Baby Pictures
A
close-up image of Cole’s face as he is held by his Grandpa in his home in
Quimby.
A picture where Cole is in focus and his parents are blurred in the background, as he is being held by his Grandpa at his home in Quimby.
Cole being held by his dad at their home in Quimby.
Cole Benjamin's feet as he is being held by his mother in their home in Quimby
A picture of Brooke Mueller, who is the mother, holding Cole in their home in Quimby.
A close-up image of Cole's squishy adorable face as he is being held at his home in Quimby.
Cole being held by his Grandpa at his home in Quimby.
Cole stares at his Grandpa, while being held by his Grandma, in the midst of most of the family at our house in Hastings.
Funeral Pictures
My
Grandma lying in her casket during the funeral next to a heart-shaped wreath of
flowers as my Dad talks to a friend nearby.
A
close-up image of the heart-shaped wreath with my Grandma blurred in the
background as she lies peacefully in her casket.
A
close-up image of one of the flowers at the funeral.
An emotional picture of my Aunt at the funeral surrounded by family.
A
group of family gathered in the funeral home shortly after the service. My
three sisters, Emma, Jennie, and Jaynie, Emma’s boyfriend Matt, and my Great-Aunt
Carol.
The
people who work at the funeral home lift up the casket to carry it to the hearse.
All
of the pall-bearers carefully slide the casket into the hearse.
A solemn picture of the casket before it goes into
the ground in Barryville cemetery.
The
heart-shaped wreath of flowers at the Barryville cemetery.
The
dying flowers resting on top of the headstone in Barryville cemetery.
A
few days after the funerals the flowers fade and the headstone is blurred in
the background.
Easter Pictures
This
is an image of the lamb cake at Easter in my Aunt Keri’s house in Grand Rapids
with my sisters Emma and Jennie in the background.
My
Aunt Keri cutting the lamb cake in her home in Grand Rapids.
My
sister Emma throws an Easter egg into a bucket as my brother Kendrew watches
and laughs at her in my Aunts house.
The End.
Freeze Motion: Alexis Bolkema practices spinning on pointe in a photography studio.
Blur Motion: Madcap Coffee in Grand Rapids.
Panning: A young boy races down a hill at Caberfae Ski Resort.
Depth of Field: A three-week-old lab mix puppy moves away from the litter to take a quick nap.
Sporting Event: Ryan Harris, Golden Eagle Number 33, prepares to hit a pitch thrown by Grand Valley State University's pitcher.
Assistant Coach Ron Engels pulls a player aside for a word in the dugout.
The Golden Eagles come together for a quick pep talk on the field.
