Rachel Logan Photography

I would like for you to meet Rebekah Cooksey.  She is a wife to Jim, mom to Jack (age 3) and Luke (16 months) and is expecting baby #3  in April.  Rebekah is also the founder and visionary of Moms Out Loud.  Here’s a little more about her and her the extraordinary web community she created.

RL:  Can you describe Moms Out Loud?

RC:  It is a web community for moms in our area to quickly find the information they need, to share their experiences with each other, and to find a community to connect with - based on the universally amazing experience of being a mom.

RL:  Sounds great.   What is your vision for Moms out Loud in the coming year?

RC:  Right now we are focussed on the Dallas/North Dallas suburban area, but we are growing fast and soon will cover the entire DFW metroplex.  In 2009, I  hope that we will be able to find more moms who share the same passion I do who live in other market areas that will take the Moms Out Loud mission to other cities.

RL:  Tell me more about some of the thought process you used in deciding to establish Moms out Loud.

RC:  Moms rely on each other for advice, guideance and support.  Collectively, moms wield tremendous power in the marketplace.  Our voices, when raised, can make change happen for the better to benefit children and families.  But we have to let our voices be heard.

RL:  What are your biggest challenges in running your business and being a mom?

RC:  This is going to sound cliche, but it’s really time management.  There are so many things I want to do with the boys and with Moms Out Loud.  Finding the time for it all (not to mention time for my husband and me) is difficult.

RL:  What’s your favorite way to relax…without the kids?

RC:  Believe it or not, I relax be writing.  So, when I write something for Moms out Loud it actually relaxes me.  I also like to make books for the boys.  I write stories and rhymes and then put their pictures in it so we can read the story and they see themselves as the characters in the books.

RL:  Wow, how amazing.  I am sure your boys love those books.  What treasures.  What’s your family’s favorite past time?

RC:  We just love to be together.  My happiness on the week-ends is directly correlated to how much “hanging out” time we get as an entire family.

Thanks for sharing yourself and your vision for Moms Out Loud with us, Rebekah.  We appreciate you following through on your grand idea.  

Check out Moms Out Loud.  Another wonderful thing about this gem of a web community is…it’s FREE!

Let me first say that I was encouraged shamed and tortured to give of myself by the fabulous and highly persuasive   Kristen Kalp of Essential Imagery in PA.  Thanks for motivating me to expand my world, Kristen and for letting me plagiarise! 

You know someone. You know someone who’s experienced a tragedy, is struggling to stay afloat, is raising kids while holding down more than one job, or is volunteering selflessly despite extenuating personal circumstances. You know someone who can’t afford custom photography, but who would cherish it this holiday season. You know someone who deserves a year-round reminder of their family’s spirit, love, and beauty. 

You know someone. I guarantee it.

I want to know who they are, and I want to give them the chance to experience complimentary custom photography – $2000 worth, to be exact. Whether it’s canvas or albums, prints for Grandma, or prints for everybody…it’s in your power to give them the artwork they deserve this holiday season.   

Oh, and the best part? The person who nominates the winner receives a $500 print credit. What better reason to show some love could there possibly be, people? 

The rules:

You cannot nominate yourself, and the person nominated must sincerely be incapable of purchasing my services. (Being unable to make mortgage payments on a two-million-dollar-home does not qualify as sincere financial need…) 

The nominee must reside in the Dallas/Forth Worth metroplex. Tell me who you know, what they’re experiencing, and why they deserve my artwork. Please include a way to contact both your nominee and yourself as well. 

The photo shoot must be done in January 2009 and all selections be made within 14 days of posting the proofs.  The photo shoot will accommodate up to 5 people.

Comment on this blog entry to let me know you’ve entered, and e-mail me the full story.  rlphotography@me.com

The winner will be announced on New Year’s Eve…get nominating! I can’t wait to read all of your entries! 

Open your heart to someone this holiday season – and thanks for giving me the opportunity to open mine. Here are some other photographers around the country (and in Manilla) accepting the challenge. They make me proud to associate with such a generous, compassionate and talented group!