When David & Hannah said "I do" {5.23.2014}

Lovely ... Never, never change
Keep that breathless charm
Won't you please arrange it? 'Cause I love you
Just the way you look tonight

I love weddings.  I love to photograph them... to take in every detail.  Hannah & David, there were so. many. little details about your wedding day that were just perfect.  It was like a fairy tale with an underlying knowledge & thankfulness that this is real & God-ordained.

I loved every time that Hannah squealed "I'm getting married today!"

& the girls helping each other get their hair & makeup done just right & commenting on how good they all looked

Hannah's ever-present cup of coffee & her sweet sister who started early doing hair & was by Hannah's side right up until the wedding started, re-curling, adjusting, & being sure that everything was just right

That moment when she's in her dress & it really sinks in that today's the day

When the girls saw Hannah ready for the first time & everyone exclaimed how beautiful she was & took pictures & laughed & gave hugs

They loved doing funny pictures!

It's great to watch how each one has a different friendship with Hannah... with different jokes & memories, but they're all the same in that they were beyond excited to be apart of the memories of her wedding day!

The love this family has for each other.  They're all so sweet & caring, but crazy & funny at the same time!

The guys gave Mr.-almost-married a hard time

"We should do one like our team scored a goal"

David's GQ face

David: I'm not good at smiling & pictures.  Me: ohh just think of Hannah.  Mmhm well that worked perfectly!

These guys were so much fun!  Seriously, they kept me laughing!

But they could rock the serious look too.

Waiting (not so patiently) for his bride

The moment when they saw each other for the first time & they started to relax because they're together & they're reminded that this is God's plan

When he watched Hannah walk down the isle toward him

& they stood before God & their family & friends & they said "I do."  I do love you, I do cherish you, I will protect you, I will help you, I do promise to walk through this life with you

"What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder."

& the rest of the evening is different...

They've hugged before, they've talked to friends & family together before

but now they belong to each other.

God has joined them together...

& that's one of the most precious things in this world.

So they laugh & joke with friends (& get thrown in the air)

& say goodbyes... some bitter-sweet

they have one last joke & say "see you later"

& they drive away together.  As husband & wife.  Mr. & Mrs.  Knowing that God has done a wonderfully, happy thing for them!

That today is the first day of the rest of their lives!

Hunter

This adorable little boy is Hunter.  I hope you'll take the time to read what Hunter's mom has written about her faith in God & their adoption story of how she came to be momma to Hunter.

Faith in a Box: by Hunter's mom

     I am just a normal person who grew up in a bible believing house and church.  My grandpa, dad,  and uncle, are all preachers.  I say this because my whole life I have been taught about faith and God's love.  Now in my 31 years I have experienced God's love for me.  When he saved me from hell, answered prayers, kept his hand of love and protection over my life.  These are all things that I hold dear and do not take lightly.

   I have worked in childcare for 15 years, so children are a BIG part of who I am.  I married in 2007 and like most newly married people ... we bought a house, got a few animals, cars, and were enjoying our new life together.  Of course the next logical step was to fill our house with the pitter patter of little feet.  Only a short time passed and I had to have an UNEXPECTED surgery, not once but twice.  The end result was my left ovary and fallopian tube were removed and I was told that I would not be able to have children.  My whole word literally stopped.  I became bitter and withdrawn.  All I could see around me were children who were neglected and not cared for and then I would wonder how this could happen to me??  I tried to be ok with the situation and not question God, because I knew better.  I was just confused and my heart hurt in a way that it had never hurt before.  A few years passed and my husband and myself decided  to sign up to be foster parents but only for children who were open for adoption.  DSS told us that we had a better chance of winning the lottery than to get an infant so that we needed to prepare for not getting a child, or at least that the child would be older.  My husband was excited but I must admit that I was laid back about it.  I thought we would never have a child and I had almost accepted that for our lives.  I thought about going back to school and traveling the world.  A little over a year later I asked my husband were we going to renew our license with DSS and we had decided we were not going to, but GOD had bigger plans for us, for me! 

   During that year God began to deal with my heart.  I was listening to the radio one day on the way home from work and the preacher was talking about how we put God in a box.  WE as people limit God's power by not having faith that God can move mighty mountains with only the faith of the grain of a mustard seed.  Those words stayed with me and laid heavy on my heart.  A few weeks later at church the pastor preached on a similar line.  Talking about bitterness and our faith in God, and not to limit His power.  To surrender your burdens, your hurt, and all your care onto him.  To allow GOD to work miracles in your life all you need is a little faith.  I sat there and realized that he was preaching to me!!  I practically ran to the altar and that day I gave it all to God.  All the hurt, pain, worry and disappointment.  I had such sweet peace when I gave it all to HIM.  I didn't ask for a miracle I simply needed healing on that day.  

  Three weeks later someone for DSS called and wanted to speak with me about a child who could possibly need a home that had only been born the day before.  They told us not to buy anything or tell anyone because we had 7 days to see what would happen.  They said the likely hood of us getting him was low.  I was telling myself that this was not going to happen!  A few days passed and another call came saying that we only had 3 days left to wait and that odds looked a little brighter but was still probably not going to happen, but did we want to name this sweet baby boy.  Of course we did!!:)  Over the weekend I told my mom and well she told EVERYONE!!  She wanted everyone to pray, but I remained calm.  My faith was at about a level 0, I was being practical!  In my heart I wanted nothing more!!  At church that Sunday everyone kept walking up to me wishing us luck and letting us know that they were praying for us.  At that moment the sweet, soft voice of God softly asked me ... Where is your faith?  All these other people have faith, where is yours?  I thought to myself how right this was!  I had limited God's abilities and power to a shoe box, but in reality that shoe box couldn't contain my God's big toe.  At that moment I knew that I was going to be a mom and that I would have a son by the end of the week! 

  By the end of the week I had a son!!  It was that fast and that simple.  I never truly knew what love was till I held that little miracle in my arms.  Now there was a lot of emotions and thoughts that ran through my head.  Last month my son celebrated his 1st birthday.  It's hard to believe it's been a whole year!  I am not perfect, in fact I'm probably one of God's children that he shakes His head at a lot.  But how marvelous that MY GOD loves me so much that He worked a mighty miracle in my life.  Every time I look at my son I am reminded  that GOD loves me so much.  That he thinks so much of me to bless me with a living, breathing miracle.  And God asks so little of us in return!  He requires such little faith on our behalf.   Being a mom is my reason for living.  I try to absorb every minute of everyday ... every experience I can get with my son.  I now know the true meaning of love and grace.  Since then I've realized that MY God can not be contained to a box, for HIS powers are exceedingly greater.

Sarah's Engagement Ring | December 2013

My big brother, David, got engaged December 28, 2013! :)  His fiancee, Sarah, lives in Canada, so before David took the ring up there to propose to her, I had a little photo session of it.  David came home from work just in time to see me balancing the ring on some tree branches!  Hey, I do what it takes to get the shot!  (I had mom holding her hands under the ring as I balanced it because I was sooo afraid I'd drop it & lose it in the leaves!)

If you know David at all, you'll know that, in general, he's very particular about details.  I don't know of any guy that has ever put as much thought & research into choosing an engagement ring as David did.  All Sarah told him is that she preferred yellow gold for the band... the rest was up to him.  Afterwards she told him that she had secretly hoped it would be a solitaire!  He did such a great job... several people have said that it fits Sarah & her personality perfectly!

-Anna