I wanted to put a quick post out today in honor of National Adoption Day.  Adoption is near and dear to my heart and has played a huge role in bringing wonderful people into my family.  My uncle, two cousins, 3 nephews and 2 nieces are adopted.  I believe with all my heart that they were meant to be a part of my family, they just had to get here in a round about way.  All of those people were babies once and had birth mothers that struggled with the decision before her.  There were two roads.  One to keep the little baby and make two lives very difficult and the other road to share her newborn with another family and change lives for the better.  I often wonder if birth mothers think about the lives they have touched with the choice to give their baby up for adoption.  They bless their own lives, the lives of the adopted parents, the siblings of the adopted child and countless Grandmas, Grandpas, Cousins, Aunts, Uncles and friends.  It is a miracle how one single selfless act can bring so much happiness.

On the other side of the coin I am so glad there are men and women in this world with huge open hearts who take in the children that need homes.  I have had the pleasure of photographing two adopted babies and those sessions are always super special to me.  There are so really wonderful people in this world that are giving opportunity and LOVE to little tender children.  I met a woman at a photography workshop this spring that amazed me.  She has already adopted one beautiful daughter from Africa, rescuing her from impoverishment and pain and is about to bring home a little boy.  She puts so much time and effort into doing what she can to help the ones she can’t bring home.  This year she ran a clean water campaign.  I am touched that she has rescued two children but even more so that she does what she can to improve the lives of the ones that she can’t bring home.  People like Amy amaze me!

So celebrate National Adoption Day today.  Pray for the mothers that have shared their children and filled the holes in the hearts of the childless.  Pray for the parents of the adopted to remeber always the blessing those children are to their familes.  And pray for those that don’t have familes that God will send wonderufl mothers and fathers their way.

In honor of this special day I wanted to share a picture from a session I recently shot of one very fortunate adopted princess.