a miracle that never fades...

The colored eggs are in the attic...the baskets tucked away...the Easter meal shared among family is now a distant memory and yet the truth of Easter never fades.  

Every new day is a gift to celebrate our risen Lord.  

A reminder that I have been given life because of His grace.

I am forgiven.  

I am redeemed.  

I am a child of the King.  

Several times this week Lily has said "let's talk more about Jesus".  

  

I love that her heart desires to know more about our Savior.  

That her childlike faith strengthens mine.  

Right now we are reading The Story for Children.  

As timing would have it, this week we were reading all about the events that led up to the crucifixion of Jesus. 

The resurrection eggs we made together last week came full circle 

as she continued to ask questions and connect the dots.  

Every time we saw a cross this week (which was almost daily), she would say, 

"Mommy Jesus died on the cross so that I can have life!"  

Thank you Lord for using our daughter to remind me that your miracle never fades. 

You are waiting each day for me to run into your arms.  

Forever Family Day...3 years later

When we met Lily on March 14, 2011 she held an apple tightly in one hand and a sucker in another. They were her sense of security when her world was changing upside down.

I ran across the sucker recently as I was looking for something in our attic. I was amazed to find it exactly as it was the day we met her. The wrapper slightly torn...half way open...covering the sweet treat hidden inside. An interesting analogy to the gift we were handed that special day. Our little girl...broken yet full of sweet joy beyond measure once we began to unwrap the layers of her personality over time.

These are the shoes she was wearing...in perfect condition...purchased just for her to wear to meet her forever family. An act of love and thoughtfulness on behalf of those who cared for her.

It is amazing how time heals and changes our perspective on life. As I reflect on this pivotal day, I am humbled by the beauty that continues to rise out of the brokenness...out of the hard places we have walked. So much joy...so much gratitude...so much hope fills my heart. Our daughter, chosen from the beginning of time, is a beautiful reflection of God's grace.

I love these words to Steven Curtis Chapman's song "Only One and Only You".  

 Happy forever family day Lily Grace! You are God's masterpiece and such a blessing to our family.

Grapevine tea party for two

There is an old backstop that has a grapevine growing around it that I pass every time we go to church. I've been waiting for the right time to take some photos here and decided that my grandmother's birthday was the perfect day.

The chandelier was my original inspiration for these photos...my Mom made the fun rosettes to give it a vintage feel. She is like my Mimi...so gifted and always willing to share her talents with others.

I also took a tea set my grandmother gave me and the china plates she hand painted that just happened to have grapes on them...perfect for our setting!

Mimi would often write little notes on the bottom of things that she knew we loved. Lily is holding up the tea pot here with my grandmother's note..."for Amy...she loves it!"

My Mom was serving "tea" when Lily noticed the little note on the bottom of the tea pot. It makes me happy that three generations are represented in these photos. Even though my grandmother isn't here...her legacy of love for our family still remains. Oh how she would have loved Lily!

Lily loves my Mom and soaks up every minute of their play time together. Mom was a real sport going out on a hot muggy day to help me take these photos... even my Dad came along with us.
Little did we know some chiggers joined in on the fun that day.  

Lily had fun playing "telephone" and drinking "tea" with her Gaga.

The love they share together makes my heart full.  

Favorite Photo Friday- Frame {This} Photography Workshop

I found The Long Road to China right before we left for China and I told my husband "I want to learn how to take pictures like that someday." Lisa has an incredible gift for being able to capture the essence of the soul in her photos.  They tell a story and leave you with awe and wonder.

  Little did I know that two years later we would be close friends and that her photography would impact me in such a profound way. After many online photography classes with my friend and mentor Lisa, I finally had the opportunity to meet her in person last weekend for a hands-on photography workshop in the beautiful historic town of Bethlehem, PA.

Words cannot express how much fun I had watching Lisa work her magic during each of our photo shoots. She has a unique way of connecting with her clients to put them at ease and she has an eye for the little details that can make or break a photo.

As you can see above, her talents don't stop with photography...she did a grande jete with perfect form in boots and jeans! I love the priceless look of our ballerina model as she watched Lisa demonstrate what we wanted her to do for the photo. Many of the ladies who came are also adoptive moms and I loved connecting with them and hearing their stories. I even had the joy of seeing my friend Hannah who we met in China when we were adopting Lily.

All of our models were amazing and so patient with the chilly temps, changing light conditions and wind!  Lisa showed us how to embrace the unexpected and use it to our advantage. 

   This sweet girl and these handsome boys were naturals in front of the camera!   I absolutely LOVED the steel stacks where we took the photos of the boys...it was a photographer's dream!

I love the light, dreamy feel to these photos of our ballerina and first holy communion.
Lisa planned out every detail of the weekend and went above and beyond to give us a variety locations and looks for our portfolio.

This trio was our last photo shoot for the day and just as we were feeling a bit weary from a very full day, their larger than life personalities lit up the entire field of dreams!  Oh my...what fun we had watching the these sisters shine in front of the camera.

This is one of Lisa's favorite locations to take her annual "field of dreams" pictures of her girls.  She wasn't sure the bluebells would last until our workshop but as God would have it, not only were they still standing...the light was spectacular!  It was a perfect ending to our day.

I have always been fond of little red-headed girls...my niece is a red-head and I am captivated by their beauty. This sweet girl had beauty and a little sass which made me even more drawn to her.
Her sister stepped on a thorn when they were dancing in the field so she took a break from the fun to warm up in her blanket.  As Lisa reminded us...sometimes the unplanned photo is the one takes your breath away.  

Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving. What you have caught on film is captured forever. . . it remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything.

~Aaron Sussman~

This weekend was a dream come true in so many ways.   I still have so much to learn but I am forever grateful for the gifts she has shared with me.  I love being able to capture God's beauty behind lens and let the photo tell the story that reveals the magic of life!

Linking up with Lisa's Favorite Photo Friday!
To see more pictures of our weekend together stop by and take a look:)

Forever family...2 years later

March 14, 2011 a beautiful little girl with big brown eyes was placed in our arms and we became forever family...forever changed.

The images above capture a glimpse of that day and a hint of what was yet to come.

...the moment I held our sweet girl...so scared and afraid clinging tight to her apple and partially unwrapped lollipop.

...crying on Michael's shoulder as he tried to comfort her

...our first night together before bedtime 

...holding her and seeing the glimpse of a smile 

  Her eyes have always captivated me...at times they are intense and full of wonder 

at other times shy, pensive and quiet

but the eyes that define her most are those full of pure joy, delight and love

She has a contagious laugh and radiant smile that brings us so much joy!
Lily is a survivor in every sense of the word. 

Her resiliency and courage are my inspiration for each new day and we are so grateful for God's healing in her life.  

What a joy it is to be your mom.

Forever and always you will be our child...
forever and always we will be your family.

"Consider the lilies of the of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these."
Matthew 6:28