C.S. Lewis, the man who we chose to name our son, Clive, after, once said that pain insists upon being attended to. He was not kidding.

Having a chronic disease that dishes out helpful portions of equally chronic pain is a challenge. Crohn’s disease has proven to be a bit more authoritative in my life than I would have, or could have, expected. But, like so many husbands and fathers out there, I wake up every day thankful that of my little family of three, I was fortunate enough to have been given the challenge. It is, or it should be, universally more tolerable for men in my situation than it is for men who have an ill child or spouse. I know the gift I have over fathers and husbands who have better health, but have to watch their wife or child in pain. That became incredibly apparent and demonstrably true the last couple of days.

Lindsay experienced some central abdominal pain for about a week, then the last two days lower back pain was added to the mix. Then, for a couple hours last night, she began feeling more significantly ill. We are so incredibly fortunate to have one of our best friends advise us as best he can during things like this — he’s an awesome doctor — but eventually he said we needed to take her in ASAP. He called his uncle, also a doctor (in urgent care), and he said that if he saw a patient like Lindsay, he wouldn’t likely treat them apart from sending them straight to the ER.

After the ER late last night, we were thankfully discharged with no real answers. I say thankfully because I had every bad thought in my head while I watched my wife in pain. And, like doctors do, I believe they were able to rule out some of the scarier things — so hopefully we will get more answers in the future here with some specialists.

Either way, on the way to the ER, while I was putting Clive down, Lindsay sent me this text…

I, of course, obliged and picked up some coffee for this. But as I’m at 7/11 getting some coffee, I realize that I don’t think I know another person (other than my parents) who would ever think like that. While she’s afraid, in pain, not able to be with her son, and everything else… she still takes the time to notice that this little lady deserves a nice cup of coffee. One of the many reasons I love doing this whole life thing with her :)

She woke up this morning around 6am feeling equally bad. But a couple hours of more sleep and she felt a nice reduction in pain, overall. So whatever is wrong is still wrong, but, for whatever reason, the pain is more manageable today. It’s not the best news, I’d rather have it all gone, but I’ll take it :)

Sitting in the shower seems to help her so she did that for a couple hours this morning — and, of course, Clive grabbed the iPad (we put it in a ziplock bag) and jumped in and sat with her for a little over an hour. Incredibly sweet. What follows are some of my favorite images…

Feel free to keep my little family in your thoughts and prayers if we come to mind. Those are always appreciated :)

Bobby

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Hung out with two of our best friends (Phil and Leslie) for a couple hours last weekend and photographed them being a new family :)

Welcome to the world, little Luke!

All images processed with Fuji Film via VSCO.

Bobby

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“Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art…. It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things which give value to survival.”

-Clive Staples Lewis

I believe it’s quite rare to find a friend like Maren at any point in your life. Lindsay, however, was lucky enough to find her as a teenager. I was lucky enough to find her soon after; the same time I met Lindsay (we were all 18). Both Lindsay and my relationship with Maren is even more rare because she is about as equally each of our friends as it gets. She knows the both of us incredibly well. We both know her incredibly well. It’s a unique friendship that I’m fortunate to have been a part of the last 13 years :)

Maren and her husband, Andy, who has one of the best jobs I’ve heard of (occupational therapist), came out and visited without their two children for a few days last week. It was one of the funnest visits, if not the funnest visit, we’ve had. Love these two.

Bobby

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This past January, I took a group of photographers over to Thailand and Cambodia for another Raddest Photo Trip Ever (RPTE). I’ve been doing these for about 5 years now and it’s truly one of the best parts of my year (aside from leaving Clive and Lindsay, of course). So I took myself, one of my best buds, Hank Martin, and 13 other strangers out on the trip of a lifetime…

Beng Mealea. I love this place. It’s been my favorite temple the last 3 years, I’d say. It’s far from the other temples, is the best tuk tuk ride home of your life, and is overgrown majorly. Such a fascinating place to roam around with a camera.

Fuji film for the color images and Fuji FP-3000b for the B&W’s via VSCO Film.

Hank Martin

Hank and Sith :)

Hank’s photo on left of me shooting Kate. Mine on the right of my man, Vince :)

Spent a good portion hiking with Michael. Can’t spend enough time with this guy :)

Hank doing what Hank does; making people enjoy life more.

Hank’s. That’s why I pull my hair back :P

Anna Jones!

I love how the kids like like the adults and Vince looks like the kid :)

Michael again :)

If you want to get a chance to go on the next RPTE, email me at info@bobbyearle.com with “NEXT RPTE!!!” as your subject. Last year’s sold out within a day of posting it online so start getting your ducks in a row if you want to join me on the trip of a lifetime!!!

Bobby

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This past January, I took a group of photographers over to Thailand and Cambodia for another Raddest Photo Trip Ever (RPTE). I’ve been doing these for about 5 years now and it’s truly one of the best parts of my year (aside from leaving Clive and Lindsay, of course). So I took myself, one of my best buds, Hank Martin, and 13 other strangers out on the trip of a lifetime…

Tonle Sap. I love this place and I think most people on this RPTE said this was their favorite day. It’s the largest lake in all of South East Asia and most of the nations fishing (accounting for 16% of their GDP) comes from this giant pool of water. One of the things I love so much about it is that all of our tuk tuk friends come with us and it’s just a day on a boat, walking through lake villages (or canoeing through if the dry season is a bit late), interacting with some of the sweetest Cambodians out there.

The thing that shocks me so much about the people that live on the lake is how inviting they are to all of us and, more shockingly, to our cameras. It’s one of my favorite qualities that Cambodians possess; how charitable they can be. They don’t assume you’re taking photos to gawk at them — it’s as though they understand that we are fascinated with their life in a positive way. These people have figured out life in a way that many of those with financial success in the west will never grasp. They get that we aren’t looking at them like freak shows or pity them. It’s a small thing to notice, I admit; but with all of my travels, this is something that I haven’t encountered often.

Lastly, my favorite part of this day tends to be all the gorgeous children!!! As photogenic as they are, their inner beauty truly crushes how adorable they look. They have this sort of happiness that I can’t find elsewhere. It really tends to change the people who come — for the better.

Nearly all of my color images are processed with Fuji 160C and the B&W’s with Fuji FP-3000b via VSCO Film. Everyone else’s images are processed with VSCO, but I don’t know what film ;)

Some of my iPhone shots are mixed in, as well (also noted).

Kate Meyer. On our way to the lake :)

Kate Meyer. We make a “snack” stop for two reasons. So people can try fried crickets and because Mr. Marom loves them :)

Mr. Don enjoying himself :)

Here’s Mr. Don a couple years back. This is the kind of stuff I miss when I’m not in Cambodia!

Hilarious tuk tuk driver at Tonle Sap, Cambodia from Bobby Earle on Vimeo.

I love this image. Cambodian kids have so much responsibility but also have so much fun.

Kate Meyer

Kate Meyer

Lotta Ringqvist

Kate Meyer

Lotta Ringqvist

Hank Martin

Hank Martin

Lotta Ringqvist

Kate Meyer

Hank Martin

Hank Martin

Lotta Ringqvist

Lotta Ringqvist

Lotta Ringqvist

Kate Meyer. I’ve been here many times where all of this is underwater. Just depends on when the dry season starts. Both, dried up or flooded, have awesome differences.

Josh Neil

Josh Neil

Hank Martin

My iPhone + VSCO

My iPhone + VSCO

If you want to get a chance to go on the next RPTE, email me at info@bobbyearle.com with “NEXT RPTE!!!” as your subject. Last year’s sold out within a day of posting it online so start getting your ducks in a row if you want to join me on the trip of a lifetime!!!

Bobby

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