Some fun on the green at 6:15

If you follow my blog, you may have noticed that I LOVE to photograph families who have adopted children from Ethiopia. My heart is tugged in a special way toward these beautiful children and these families who have so lovingly and joyfully added to their families through adoption! What an awesome thing!!

I connected so quickly to Christy and her family. (Aren't they the cutest family?!) We met up at the Tualatin Country Club where they are members, and we borrowed a tiny corner of the green for an hour to snap some photos. Their precious son, Bereket, took a little while to warm up to me. He was somewhat cautious at first, but toward the end we were having so much fun and he loved to show off his running skills and was all smiles. He just melted my heart with those big brown eyes!!

What an incredible family you have Christy, and I feel blessed to have made a new friend through meeting you. You and Jeff are doing a phenomenal job!!









Christy brought along these cute suckers for all the kids. Bereket opted for m&m's instead, so I didn't get a photo of him with one, but he was cute sitting there snacking on his m&m's. :)

Every good & perfect gift comes from above

When Ana contacted me a few weeks ago to set up their family shoot, I was really excited. She had told me that they had a son they adopted from Ethiopia and were pregnant with a baby, due in March. I didn't know her full story just then, because honestly, I was on a treadmill when I answered the phone to talk to her and I didn't want to give myself away and told her I'd give her a call later that day. :) lol

So when she emailed me her blog address later, I got to get a preview of their life before actually meeting them. I sat here in my living room reading about them (amazing people with beautiful hearts) and loved looking at their pictures. But two things made me cry. First, I cried when I read that Ana & Sam had suffered 6 miscarriages, with no reason why. My heart broke for them and the grieving I knew they had experienced. God has given them a huge heart for children, and so through His directing, they made the decision to adopt in 2008.

Second, I cried when I saw the photos of the orphanage nannies bringing their precious, precious son, Josiah, out to them and placing him in their arms! The pictures really are worth a thousand words. What an amazing gift. A family perfectly pieced together by God.

Since adopting Josiah, Ana's become pregnant again! They will welcome a baby girl into their family this March! I just think their story is amazing. And their gratefulness to God for all He's done and given them only makes it sweeter.

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." James 1:17













Oh my goodness, Josiah's sweet smile!







I loved this last photo.
Happy Friday & Happy Valentine's Day weekend!

Perfectly Pieced Together

I wish you had the pleasure of meeting this sweet family in person like I did, but hopefully their pictures will give you a little glimpse into who they are. A family perfectly pieced together by God through the gift of adoption.

I don't know if it's because Leul and Adey are the same ages as my kids, but I felt so instantly connected to these little cuties. Ok, it could also be because I follow their mom Bethany's blog, and don't we all feel like we know one another in the blogging world?! :) What I loved most about Leul & Adey, aside from their great personalities and adorable faces, was their connection with one another as siblings. Leul is such a great big brother and Adey loved to follow in his footsteps.

And I'm so amazed by Jeff & Bethany and what they've done for children in Ethiopia. I love that even though they live here in the states and are caring for their own children, they are also aware and caring for children without parents currently in Ethiopia. If you haven't had the chance to see what they're up to yet, please visit their websites HERE, or HERE. It's incredible what God has put on their hearts to do and reading their story may stir your own heart to help out! Every bit of help, helps!


I love this shot of Adey. Beautiful girl.

And hello! Is Leul not the cutest model ever?

But these next shots fit his fun personality even better. :) And Bethany is gorgeous in every photo.

Ah, I just want to give that kid a bear hug! :)






Bethany brought along these beautiful traditional outfits that she bought the kids in Ethiopia.

What a great big brother.



Adey just celebrated her first birthday. This adorable outfit was a gift from a friend.





Thank you Jeff & Bethany for the opportunity to capture your precious family!

Tonight

Tonight I got to photograph this beautiful family and I just loved them. These kids won my heart over in about 5 seconds! Jeff & Bethany are so blessed.
I can't wait to share their session with you, but in the meantime, please go to Bethany's blog and read about the orphans they are supporting in Ethiopia right now and how you can help!!

Helping those in need

Hi Friends!

I just want to share something with you today that's heavy on my heart. Soon, I will have the privilege of photographing this beautiful family who have adopted two gorgeous children from Ethiopia. They have started an organization called Perpetual Change that advocates for needs in Africa. They are now supporting an orphanage in Hosanna, Ethiopia. This little orphanage is small (4 bedrooms), and 23 children sleep on the floor in this uninsulated building right now, and it is winter there.
Here's a link for more info or to donate: http://theperpetualchange.me/Beeminet.html

Jeff & Bethany are asking that you give anything. Even just $5 to help these children goes a long way in Ethiopia. I just picture how heart broken I'd be to see my own child cold, in the winter time, without adequate clothing or bedding. And since these children have no mom and dad to love on them, we can help care for them. Don't you wish you could be there to wrap an arm around them too? Maybe donate enough to wrap a blanket around them instead. It would bless their little hearts.

Much love,
Bethany

To see pictures of this little orphanage and the beautiful children watch this video below:

What a BEAUTIFUL family!

Tigist & Mihiretu are such joyful children! Tigist (far right) melted my heart right away - she even gave me a big hug half way through their photo shoot! And Jeff & Kristen are like veteran parents to these two amazing children that they were blessed to adopt from Ethiopia this year. We did some family shots, then went and played a little on the playground to get some energy out, then drove a few blocks to use a field, and the kids were troopers and did a great job putting up with my variety of settings! In the field they wore these beautiful outfits Kristen brought back from Ethiopia. It was a privilege to photograph this precious family! Oh, and p.s., Kristen has the most beautiful hair I've ever seen! Isn't she gorgeous?