Today I was blessed to spend some time with a very special little lady... Miss Mia. My dear friend Shannon and her family have been on the journey to adopt Mia for over 2 years and finally... 4 months ago they brought her home. (Click here for their amazing blog and story). Mia has already conquered amazing odds and has the heart of a little fighter. After spending the majority of her first 3 years of life in a crib with very little love and interaction, she is slowly blossoming under Shannon and her family's deep, tender and sacrificial love for her. There is still a long road ahead with some physical and developmental challenges, but they are trusting God with every step of the way. Shannon's willingness to walk through this journey with honesty, grace and openness about the highs and lows of it all has truly been a ministry to me.. I seriously can't read their blog updates without bursting into tears that are a combination of awe, wonder, happiness and sadness. It was my hope and prayer to capture the tenderness of their bond because it is truly the definition of love and beauty....

Love love love the updates to the Southern Proper website from the shots we took last fall...I've said it once and I will say it again, it is SUCH an honor to work with this remarkable brand and team of people!!

It's been too long since I've posted anything. Forgive me for the fact that I've been busy burying myself out from under snow since October... it's okay I'm not bitter. But I will tell you that a recent trip to Atlanta was good for warming my soul and by the time I got home to North Dakota the snow had miraculously melted as well. So much to be thankful for - and I DO mean that from the depths of my heart.
This was my first time meeting little Connor man and everything about this child makes me want to just scoop him up and do anything to just make him giggle and hold him close. He is so much like Charlie, yet also totally his own dude. Being almost two makes him very certain of all his opinions, and he is willing to stand by his convictions :) Of course I love this little boy out of a wellspring of love that I have for his mama, another one of my old college roommates, and seeing her beautiful soul manifest in him is just a sight to behold. Meredith, your son is precious beyond words and I'll treasure this sweet visit and slice in time forever.

We are still here, just wanted to share a few shots of the Charlie man to remind me of the sweetness of these last couple of months.... despite the extreme bitter cold temperatures here in Grand Forks, this boy never ceases to warm my heart.

Taking some time today to reflect on the gift it was to watch Charlie play with my brother's three boys over the holidays. Seeing these boys continue to grow and interact together is such a reminder to me about cherishing each moment since they are all getting bigger by the day...