We've now been on the wait list for our referral for 1 month!!!

Friday Randoms {Grand Rapids Photographer}

This post is probably the most random post I've ever written but I feel like I need to share with the world this completely fantastic product! Because I hardly sleep (my mind is always going a mile a minute, and I have kids just don't let me sleep), I find that I always have under eye circles that aren't very attractive. I haven't found a product that helps with that until........ wahlaa..... Revlon Photo Ready concealer. For real, it's fantastic and it looks like I got a full 8 hours of sleep the night before. You must get some. Now.

Other news. Our Dossier has left Washington and is on it's way to Ethiopia!!! Woop! We are getting SOOO close to being on that coveted waiting list. Once it is received in Ethiopia, they need to translate it and authenticate it then... it's waiting list time baby! So excited and so ready to meet our new little person!

Psst.... Still There? {Grand Rapids Childrens Photographer}

What I've been up to....

Since October when Joe and I first started the adoption process, we've been keeping busy with case worker appointments, and paper chasing - trying to finish up the dossier (the main set of paperwork that goes to Ethiopia to start the referral process). Finally, FINALLY we've finished up our dossier! It involves a lot of running around, appointments and money. Thankfully we were able to complete it without too much stress and hand it in to our agency last week. Currently it's being reviewed by the international adoption team at our agency and hopefully they don't find anything we need redone and then they can ship it overseas to Africa!! We are just so excited to add a new member to our family!

In late February me and my family have moved into a teeny, tiny rental home until the house we are building is complete - I'm hoping July. We are pretty much moved in but there are definitely boxes we still need to go through.

Between moving and the adoption paperwork, it's been an extremely busy few months! I'm currently limiting my sessions to 4 a month so please contact me early if you would like to set up a session. I'm still booking a few for April so you can email me if you would like book.

Feast your eyes upon these cuties....

Hello! {Grand Rapids Photographer}

If I were to describe life in a nutshell at the moment it would be "insane". Joe and I sold our house a couple of months ago and we are creeping up on closing time so we are planning on moving out this weekend. These past few weeks have been focused on packing, packing, and more packing!! We are planning on moving into a rental home until our new house will be completed which hopefully will be early Summer.

Paperwork for our adoption is almost complete! We had our fingerprint appointments the other week so we are waiting on clearance from those then our big pack of papers will be on it's way to Ethiopia!!! I'm just so excited to get on that waiting list I can hardly stand it. :)

1 week left to enter to be a Senior Model for Images of Essence Photography. See THIS post for details!!

I've been busy with sessions too. Here's only a few from the other week... I'll have more to share from other sessions when I get caught up.

Do you remember seeing her newborn pictures I took about 7 months ago? You can't miss her with all that hair!!

Here's one of my favorites from a 3 month session.

Remember my friends Matt and Lindsey DeYoung? If you haven't heard already we're asking for many prayers for their family. The DeYoung family set out for Tanzania, Africa in October to become missionaries. They took their sweet daughters Kia (4) and Lola (5) with them on this great adventure. Soon after they arrived in Africa Lola became sick and was progressively getting worse. Fast forward to February 12 when after the DeYoungs mission team sent them back to the US on an impromptu flight to seek treatment for their little Lola, they found themselves at the Helen Devos Children's Hospital where on Valentines Day Lola was diagnosed with Leukemia. Because they were only expecting to stay in the US for maybe a couple of weeks, the DeYoungs left almost all of what they had over in Africa and we're asking for your help. You can read more HERE on how you can help my friends while they look to settle in on this long journey they have before them. Want to send them a card or brighten Lola's day a little? Look HERE on how you can do that. Despite the situation they've found themselves in they seek to choose joy through all of this. That's why I love Matt and Lindsey and their sweet family, always looking to the positives and not letting anything get in the way of that.

The Journey

The Journey...

begins now.