fall is here....

girls night

a few weeks ago my three girls and I had a wonderful night out... The older two got their hair cut and then braided...  Then all four of us went out to dinner! 

 I love making special memories with my kids like this! 

20 months old...

I am SO beyond floored that my beautiful girl is 20 months old already, 

seems like it was just yesterday that her birth mom placed her into my arms with tears in her eyes

and such love and pure pride and joy in her heart.

I LOVE you Dolly girl!

 You are SO amazing...

prayers appreciated

Please pray for A as we make our journey to bring her home... 

Hubby ordered this beautiful necklace for her off of Cap Creations

4.5 years old and 18 months old

Princess Sunshine

reply to a comment

"I understand how you feel, however, I believe, as Christians, we should help keep families together as much as possible. I believe there is a major problem with modern day adoption. Adoption should be for true orphans, not children who have families. I realize that sometimes the family feels they can not care for the child but those instances should be few and far between. Many birth moms change their mind and feel that they were coerced into giving their baby up. International adoption has its faults too. I do believe adoption can be redeeming and beautiful when there is a true need."




 I feel the need to address this comment... Because at the heart of the comment I see the hint that my daughters should have stayed with their birthmothers, that their adoptions aren't "noble" or "right" 

 Here is something that people don't know... The whole story. People don't know why my daughter's birthmothers chose adoption for their babes... They don't know the circumstances that led these ladies to contact an adoption agency and they don't know the life that was led. Those are not details I am going to share here, because they are my daughter's stories, they are THEIR details. 

 Adoption is sacrifice and love. Purest love. Yes, if a family can raise a child, they should of course. But in some cases these birthmothers know in their heart that they cannot give a child what they need, they can and DO love them, but beyond that they know that they are unable to provide, financially, emotionally, physically, stability, safety and on and on. 

 So these mothers out of LOVE do what they know is best for their child. They sacrifice their own wants and needs and they place their child above those things. My daughter's birth moms... those women are incredible. They are heroines! I have contact with one of them, and she LOVES that girl, she loves her enough to lay down her own life FOR her. 

 She is a picture of true love. They both are...

 So, you can imagine that this comment cuts me to the heart when it implies that my daughters don't belong with me, or that their birth moms might have been coerced into giving them to me.  It just isn't the case. AT ALL 

 now, are their failures in the adoption system? absolutely. But is newborn or international adoption not an adoption of a "true orphan"? no... it's just simply not. 

 You might argue, but those girls had a mom... yes, but so did Moses... and Jesus had a Father. But did that change the plan God had for them to be adopted? no

 Evelyn and Lydia were designed, planned and created to be in MY arms from the foundation of the world and their adoption is a beautiful picture of God's adoption us as Christians.   

Spring princesses

a girl and her dog

All ready for her first Choir concert

Princess Chocolate Curls... SPARKLES!

Princess Chocolate Curls and her brave knight

Little moments I never EVER want to forget

"Mommy, I need another dragon. Can I buy one?" 

Yes, she could, we let her spend her money on another dragon.

"What is your new dragon's name?" I asked

"mom, mom dragon... She is Fluffy's mom." she scrunched up her nose "Mommy, can you paint mom's toenails, she wants them pink." 

Trying hard to stifle my giggles 

"Of course I can paint mom's nails." 

It's a well known fact around our house that Fluffy breaths rainbows and butterflies (and couches)

So I asked "What does mom breathe?" 

She looked at me like I had no brains at all "ummm, FIRE... She's a mom" 

HAHAHAHAHAHA forget not laughing out loud on that one...

our Valentines Day

Long before either of our girls were born, I prayed

I prayed that they would be blessed with precious friendships...

I am SO thrilled at the ways that the Lord has answered that prayer of my heart.

For the fact that each of my daughters have 3 friends who I pray will grow 

up alongside them, and be their support and also a lot of fun! 

This mini tea party was Evie's idea, she wanted to have tea with her VERY dearest sister friends

and then have a "photo-shoot" 

She was VERY specific, even the colors she wanted everyone to wear.

4 is such a funny age!

Poor sweet Lydia, she is the exact opposite of her VERY outgoing sister, she is quiet and shy

Taking pictures with her three friends was overwhelming to say the least! 

But she still enjoyed all the snuggles she got afterwards and the fun of being with her friends too! 

I love them!

for this one, I was playing with a new way to edit... 

not sure if I "love" it, but it's cute for this shot anyhow! 

a month of love...

So at the beginning of each month this year, my goal is to set a "challenge topic" for myself.

I am not joining in any online challenges or anything, 

I'm making them up as I go and

just working on polishing my skill and gathering some great pictures of my kiddos in the process! 

So, in case you hadn't noticed, January's was "sets of two" 

February's is "love" 

I want to capture the LOVE my kids have for each other, and the love I have for them too! 

Also, the love I have for those who are a part of our lives, I have LOTS of pictures in the works for 

February 

and I am SUPER excited about it! 

First set, 3 of my favorites of sisterhood love...

girlies

A cupy cake girl and her babies...