Nurturing Niya: A Teen Mother's Story

Teen mothers and their children socialize at a Christmas party sponsored by Lutheran Family and Children’s Services of Missouri at St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church in Columbia, Mo. The organization sponsors Success for Young Women, which provides a support group and teaches life skills like budgeting and parenting to teen mothers. “We’re the ones that want to do something with our lives, not just surviving,” Vashante Vinyard said.

Chrisma Edwards and Vashante Vinyard laugh at a photo of their daughters. Vinyard became pregnant at 17, but hasn’t let the hardships of teen motherhood lessen her ambition. Next semester she will begin classes at Moberly Area Community College becoming the first person in her family to attend college. She wants to be an interpreter in sign language and Spanish. “I want to build something I can stand on and offer my siblings and my child,” Vinyard said.

Vinyard works on a budget for household products while she tries to get her daughter, Janaija “Niya” Kimbrough, 16 months, to take a nap. Vinyard is on tight budget, and does hair on the weekends for gas money.

Vinyard kisses Janaija after eating hamburgers for lunch. Vinyard says she doesn’t really like cooking because as the oldest child in her family, she grew up cooking for a large family and cleaning up afterwards.

Vinyard works cleaning office buildings for two hours every weeknight evening. She used to work more hours per day, but was laid off, and later rehired for the two-hour shift.

Nurturing Niya, continued

Vinyard picks Janaija up after work from the child’s aunt, Jamela Kimbrough, and father, Jamal Kimbrough. Kimbrough pays child support and has told Vinyard that he wants to be a part-time father. Vinyard is looking into childcare options for January, when she starts school.

Vinyard and Janaija play after a bath. Vinyard has always played a large role in the caretaking of her 6 younger siblings. “I’ve always been a momma,” she said. “If it hadn’t been Niya, it would have been the same scenario.”

Vinyard teaches Janaija to brush her teeth.

Vinyard reads a potty training book to Janaija, who is already potty training at the age of 16 months. “She’s too smart for her own good,” Vinyard said.

Vinyard falls asleep trying to get Janaija to take a nap after running errands and enrolling at Moberly Area Community College. “I want to be happy and successful and self-sufficient,” Vinyard said.

Character Profile

Plan B Ecovillage from Valerie Mosley on Vimeo.

Video Job Profile

Video Job Profile from Valerie Mosley on Vimeo.

One Day Picture Story - Puppeteer

John "Scotty" Selch, 80, of Indanapolis, Ind., is a second generation puppeteer. "Growing up there were always puppets and that's where my fascination comes from," he said.

Selch performs at the Heritage Festival in Columbia, Mo. on September 19, 2009. He used to perform up to 14 weekends a year, but dementia and bursitis have slowed him down. Now he only performs twice a year, at the Heritage Festival and Feast of the Hunters' Moon Festival in Lafayette, Ind.

Selch perfoms a Punch and Judy show at the Heritage Festival for an audience of about 40 people.


Adam Sorg and his son, Skyler, enjoy the Punch and Judy show. "We'll be back for tomorrow's show," Sorg said.


Selch shows Kalea Zielinski, 7, how to operate the airplane control of a marionette. Selch worries about which of his adult children will put his puppets to good use after he's gone. "It's something I feel I want to pass on," he said.

our garden

O-K-L-A-H-O-M-A, Oklahoma, OK!

Okay, so I'm pretty backed up on blog posts.  I promise to get better at keeping up with this thing.  Here are just a few shots from my visit home in June. 

This is nephew Weston and niece Malory.  We went to see Thomas in Shawnee and walked around the OBU campus.  It was super hot and muggy that day.  I let Malory use my old camera.  She's photographing birds here and the people in the background are awing about how cute she is with that big old camera.  She can't hold it with one hand, so to zoom, she lets it hang around her neck while she adjusts and then picks it back up to shoot.  It's adorable!  She's pretty much a mini me.  :-)

Pondering her next shot. 

Showing off. 

This sign was at 11th and Yale in Tulsa on top of a flower shop.  For years I meant to photograph it, and then one day it was gone (like so many things in Tulsa).  Now it's a restored Rt. 66 attraction just a block or so from its original location.  

Roller Derby Bout in Eureka Springs 2/21/09

found an old silo

Hitt Street Garage

For the last two weeks, pretty much all I've been doing is cooking and hiking. I don't have any cooking photos, but here are a few from the hiking. This was on the High Ridge Trail at Rock Bridge. It was super cold, and I didn't last long.

this one's for Clare