♥ Zoey Jane ♥

This is my darling girl. Today she turned four. {Today is also my hubby and I's ten year anniversary! ♥}

I put this slide show together to honor her and the way she lights up our lives each and every day. Happy birthday, my big brown eyed super princess.

Keep shining.

My Family [and then there were six]

Photographed by my dear friend and colleague, Megan Rogers. Can I just say that I am way more comfortable on the other side of the camera--aaaaand pictures for a family of SIX can be quite an adventure! ;)

A family of SIX some of you might say? I will fill you in. Many of you know about our journey with Kristie's adoption, the girl in the brown jacket vest, but may not know that her younger sister (the girl in the orange vest) moved in with us just last October. We are very pleased to announce that we will be adopting both girls, and couldn't be more thrilled.

Summer Recap, 2010 {family}

On a personal note, this summer flew by so quickly! I kept quite busy with clients, as well as my son's sixth birthday and our family vacation making it memorable.

Here is a photo summary of my sixth year old's birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese. (I know, I know--but he BEGGED us to have it there!) Ü



Any 'Nightmare Before Christmas' fans in the house?? My kids LOVE this movie. Hence; the cake.



A fun time was had by all!



Next up, a very small photo sampling of our family vacation to Omaha, Nebraska. (It is merely a tiny fraction of the 403 vacation pictures I brought home...yikes.)

We had a wonderful time at the spectacular Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium, yummy restaurants, homemade ice cream parlors, The Childrens' Museum, and Omaha's lovely Botanical Gardens. (<---this is where mamma went a little camera crazy. Ü)



Best of all, I got to soak up these people. ♥



Coming soon...many sneak peeks and some recent sessions! xo

My birthday boy...

is SIX today! This is big big stuff, people. I awoke EARLY this morning to a finger lightly tapping my cheek: "It's morning mommy...the sky is blue and the sun is out. And I'm SIIIIXX!!"

To honor and commemorate this milestone in my son's life, we both sat down and I interviewed him earlier this afternoon. This is what he shared with me:


Me: What do you like most about yourself, Noah?

Noah: I like my healing powers. When I hurt my eye it got better so fast! That is amazing.

Me: What would you like to be when you grow up?

Noah: I would really like to be an author.

Me: Oh? What kinds of things will you write?

Noah: a bunch of kids stories; the kind that grownups read to kids.

Me: What is your favorite thing to do?

Noah: I like video games and dressing up.

Me: What is your favorite color?

Noah: I love all the colors but mostly green.

Me: favorite food?

Noah: Chinese! I think I might be Chinese.

Me: favorite movie?

Noah: The Princess and the Frog! I love the music in that movie.

Me: What did you like most about kindergarten?

Noah: Lunch.

Me: What did you like the least about Kindergarten?

Noah: Messing up on my dot-to-dots.

Me: What is the hardest thing you've ever done?

Noah: Mario Cart is really hard...and also being brave around wasps and bees.

Me: What would you do with $100?

Noah: I would keep it in my piggy bank.

Me: If you could have one wish, what would it be?

Noah: ...to stay with my family forever.

Me: What is the nicest thing someone has ever done for you?

Noah: Mrs. Guenther (best kindergarten teacher EVER) helped comfort me when I hurt my head at recess.

Me: If you could ask God one question, what would it be?

Noah: How do you exist if noone made you?


There you have it...a small peek into the heart of my Noah. I am quite convinced he is a little old man in a child's body sometimes.

Stay tuned for pictures from the grand birthday party and his "Nightmare Before Christmas" themed cake!

Please view the slide show below...celebrating my new six year old. Happy birthday sweet boy. You are loved.

{14}

Do you remember 14? 14 is a space in time when you are part child, part grown-up, part sloth, part eating machine, part rebel, part romantic, part..well, you get the idea.

I caught these photos of my foster daughter recently, and they remind me of how playful/childlike she can be, yet how poignant, and grown up she is at the same time.

I could snap photos of her all day, and not grow tired of it.

{our story}

The great ladies over at I ♥ Faces, and the fantabulous Amy Wenzel, have teamed up to offer such an amazing and generous gift. All they ask is that I share my story. Share how I may be an inspiration to others. Sounds easy enough, right? Almost immediately, I decided "Well--there goes that. Not a chance. Who wants to hear my story? I don't see myself as much of an inspiration...who would really care?"

Then, I thought of her. I thought of her, and I kept coming back to write this post, until finally, my heart was moved to do so.



This picture was taken a few months after Miss K (for privacy purposes) moved into our home. In her 13 years, she has seen some very dark places. Her mother passed away of Cancer when she was only nine years old, and through this time she has seen several foster homes. K is our first foster child. She is completely Deaf. Our primary mode of communication is American Sign Language. (Besides photographer, one of my other 'labels' is sign language interpreter, so this works. Ü) She is such an amazing young lady. She is vivacious, kind, gentle, and has such an amazing gift with animals and young children.

Many people asked me why I would take on such a thing--being that I already work two jobs (owning my own business, then a "day job"), and having two wonderful buggars of my own already to focus on. To tell the truth, these two were a large portion of why my husband and I decided to go for it.



We felt that while it is wonderful to talk to our children about kindness and helping others, it is even better for them to see us do it. Live it. Live deeply. So, when this opportunity arose, we felt called--and blessed for the opportunity to share the love that we have found, with someone less fortunate. This experience has made us reach deeply inward, and give parts of ourselves away, that truthfully we didn't even know were there. Even my children have had to share more of their parents, and learn a new language. Also, there is a large difference between 'working' with Deaf people, and LIVING with one. (and more so parenting one!) Interpreting at doctor's appointments, plays, movies that we attend as a family, etc. etc. took some getting used to.

Then, there was, and is, the business of mending. A heart that has seen so much darkness has some barriers to break through, before letting itself love again. I know this well. In my life, there has also been darkness. I know what it is like to be a frightened child that carries around a lot of hurt. But, the blessings that I now behold each day upon waking, sometimes literally take my breath away. I will hold her hand, and show her that the world is not all darkness. We can find the light together.

One day, I hope to jump off and make photography my full time job. I am on the cusp of it...I can almost taste it. Right now though, I need a day job--interpreting--to pay a chunk of the bills. I think that sitting in on Amy's workshop would help me realize this goal. What a blessing this would be! It would mean doing my dream job every single day, and spending more precious time with my family.

Thank you for reading about this journey. And, if you haven't, please consider fostering or adoption.

{sickie-poo}

Poor thing. My baby girl has been sick the last several days. {see below}







Just today, she has started to turn a corner. (Albeit she is still fairly miserable...) The ONLY thing I like about her being sick, is the time off I get to spend with her. Today, we had a tea party complete with fancy shoes, Daisy the puppy, and real tea. I think it made us both feel a little better. ♥

He can read. He can write.

** Eeeek! I feel like it's been ages since I've blogged. Remember when I rebranded? (new logo, site overhaul, new look to the blog, etc...) Well, changes are comin' once again to the blog! Please be patient with me as I move things around over the next couple of weeks...) **

So. Remember this guy?? My kindergartner?

Well, suddenly, or not so suddenly {I'm not sure} he can read. He can write. He can make detailed drawings. He knows the Latin word for cold and lion and sun.

But mostly, he LOVES to write. He writes notes to his daddy and I when he is happy, when he's sad, when he's mad. Often we find a Noah height note on his bedroom door that says 'Closed' when he is busy playing. He tells me when he grows up he will write books. I love it.

Recently, he wrote a little book. It was a book about a brother and sister monkey, and their terribly messy room. {Imagine!!} With my help, he stapled it together, and he also illustrated it. Other children can actually check it out from their library at his school. How cute is that?

Noah, I love you, and I hope that someday you grow up and write many books. Dedicate one to your ole' mom, won't you?