i heart faces {jump}

This is one of my favorite pictures from our beach trip this summer to visit my parents.  

We headed out at sunset to take some family pictures and in true Spencer fashion he decided 

he wanted to see how high he could jump over Lily.  Love her expression as she watches him do his thing :))  

Hoping to post more pictures from our beach fun soon.  

This photo was submitted to the i heart faces photo challenge.  

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.  

LOVE +1

Since it has been three months since my last post 

(once you read maybe you will understand the reason for my "sabbatical"), 

I thought this would be a perfect way to get back into my blog groove...

From the moment Spencer held Lily in his arms, they have been smitten with each other.

Spencer is very patient and loving to Lily and she absolutely adores her big brother. 

 It is a bond that isn’t forced…it comes straight from the heart.

We have had the privilege of watching the transformation that takes place when there is one less broken heart…

one less child in need of the love a family can give.

And yet there are still millions of orphans who wait…. who have never experienced the love of a family.

I heard these words last November at a Show Hope event and I have been wrestling with them ever since. God has been stirring our hearts and showing up in ways that wasn’t on our radar, that wasn’t in our plans. Yet, how can I argue with a Sovereign God whose ways are higher than my ways, whose thoughts are not my own?

I have a choice to push it aside or choose to surrender.  

I will share more about the details of how God has been working in a later post but for now enjoy the excitement of one big and little person who have some fun news to share with you!

We are ready to love one more and look forward to seeing God’s plan unfold.

(our home study is now complete, dossier files are ready and paperwork is headed to USCIS!!)

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:)

Majestic King

God's story of redemption and love did not end on the cross.   

 The majestic King has risen.  

No longer a crown of thorns but the crown of LIFE.
 
Jesus Christ...our eternal hope and glory.
    

"On His robe and on His thigh

He has a name written, King of Kings and Lord of Lords."  

Revelation 19:16

Wishing you a blessed Easter as you celebrate our risen Lord.  

...and there was darkness

There was never a darker moment than the day Christ was crucified and absorbed the wrath of God for our sin.

What thou, my Lord, has suffered was all for sinner's gain;

mine, mine was the transgression,

but thine they deadly pain.

He was mocked and scorned, yet His response...

"Father forgive them, for they know not what they do."

Christ is in the midst of my darkest hours.

He is in the beautiful, wonderful, messy moments of my life.

Lily recently made this painting and after finishing it she said "look mommy, I made a cross".

It is both messy and beautiful and while I love that about her creation, there it part of me that wants to "fix" it and make it more perfect.

Christ was the perfect sacrifice for our sin, yet the events surrounding his death were messy...ugly...brutal...dark.

He came to die for the broken, shattered, messy pieces of our lives.  

What language shall I borrow

to thank thee, dearest friend,

Lord, let me never, never

outlive my love for thee.

  

The essence of real hope 

is to lose hope in everything but Jesus and His promises.  

As you consider the power of the cross this Easter may

you cling to the One who sheds light to our darkness.   

Embracing the wind and cold at the beach

We woke up this morning at the beach to 40 degree temps and strong winds but some little and big person around the house were determined to put their toes in the sand.

Michael flew out yesterday for some work related business so it was just the 3 of us today. I procrastinated as long as I could before the troops began to get restless and we needed a plan. 

 So...we hopped in the golf cart to check out the beach before I committed to braving the cold temps.

As I suspected...the beach was EMPTY unlike two days prior when it was crazy busy with people everywhere.

Even though I was freezing the blue sunny skies and peaceful sound of the waves were calling my name so we headed back to the house to pack up lunches for a day of fun on the beach.

Spencer and Lily started out all bundled up but as you can see they began to shed their layers throughout the day.

Me? Well..let's just say I kept nice and warm (somewhat) with my two coats and long pants.

Spencer started building a wind barrier wall which Lily quickly named "the great wall of China"!

They worked on it all afternoon and Lily was thrilled with their accomplishment. 

 Like all little sisters will do, she messed up some of Spencer's hard work but he was patient and understanding as always. She watches his every move and loves imitating everything he does.

We enjoyed a beautiful day on the beach, almost all to ourselves. 

 Spencer helped me with a Hello Kitty photo shoot of Lils on the beach (more photos to come)

and then we headed up to the pool to finish off our day.

I think this photo says it all...even though I didn't capture Lily's expression,  I'm sure you can only imagine the big smile she had on her face.

Their love for each other is something unique and I love watching it unfold.

Looking forward to my hubby being with us the rest of the week and hoping for some warmer weather!