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Photo Giveaway on Adoption Blog! =)

Come check out our giveaway on our adoption blog. Everyone who comments is a winner!

Photo is an original black and white photograph of a Nativity. Perfect for your Christmas Decor!

Missouri Fall Family Shoot

Last week I got to visit my friends in Missouri and since they were overdue for some new photos, we headed out to enjoy the beautiful fall day together! They are such a gorgeous family and I’m so glad I’ve had a chance to watch their little ones get bigger and sweeter with each passing year!

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Hoping to Adopt!

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Jeffrey, Alyssa, and Axel

Doozer and I packed up the car and headed down to visit with my brother and his family last week after getting word that he was in our hometown for a few days.

My momma asked if I would bring my camera to take some pictures of them. Little did she know that was my plan all along!

Baby brother, lovely sister-in-law, and sweet nephew, safe travels as you drive across country back home!

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Hoping to Adopt!

Please visit our adoption website and get to know us better! The wider our message goes, the closer we get to finding our baby.

The Shutterbug

I was given my first camera at the age of 11. It was purple with a yellow ring around the lens. My dad and I spent about an hour practicing how to load film into that little point and shoot. The next day I headed off to Science Camp with half of the six grade class where I bunked with my best friend, Maryanne. I don’t think I put that camera down much at all.

It wasn’t one of those crazy moments where I “found my bliss” though. The camera got put away and I went on my merry way playing in the percussion section and later the drumline in the band.

I rediscovered photography again in my early twenties in Black and White Photography course, where I got to develop my own film and make my own prints in the darkroom. That was it. I was a goner.

This beautiful family gave my the honor of capturing their youngest back in July when she was just a week old. Unfortunately, their son had tucked himself in for a nap, so we didn’t get a chance to take any of the family together. We made up for that this past Saturday. =)

I love capturing moments like these. That’s the magic of photography. You literally take a moment and freeze it. When it’s long gone, you can look at that single moment and a million memories spring forward. Time stands still forever in a photograph and patiently waits for you to remember.
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Hoping to Adopt!

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Soup’s On

I have to admit it. I love my slow cooker. It may seem silly, but I love having a warm, yummy, and nutritious meal cooking at home while I’m at work. =)

I LOVE this soup. I’ve posted a link on our adoption blog to it before, but not with my alterations and not with pics. The original recipe came from allrecipes.com. Here’s an update with the changes I made.

Meatball Minestrone a la Christy
Ingredients:
1/2 small onion, diced
6 cups water
1 (16 ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
3 stalks of celery, sliced
3-4 carrots, sliced
1 medium zucchini, chopped
3 teaspoons beef Better Than Bouillon
1 bay leaf
6 leaves of fresh basil, roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
6 ounces spiral or shell pasta
24 cooked frozen turkey meatballs
1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes

Directions:
Combine ingredients in a crock pot, minus pasta. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. 10 minutes before serving add pasta. Cook until pasta is tender. Discard bay leaf before serving.
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Hoping to Adopt!

Please visit our adoption website and get to know us better! The wider our message goes, the closer we get to finding our baby.

Doozer’s 2nd Birthday

Today we celebrate our sweet puppy’s birthday! We don’t actually know the day he was born, except it was in August of 2010, so we picked a day right about in the middle of the month. =)

I had to get some photos for him to commemorate the day because, let’s face it… it’s what I do.

(Click to enlarge)

-Christy
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Hoping to Adopt!

Please visit our adoption website and get to know us better! The wider our message goes, the closer we get to finding our baby.

Missy Q

A couple weeks ago, I taught a mini photography class at my house. One of the women attending brought along her daughter and she made a beautiful model. I took three shots before I remembered that I needed to step back and let the rest take their turn. Old habits die hard I guess! *wink*

Check out the cute Missy Q!

I had so much fun teaching! I definitely have a lot to learn, especially about pacing the info so I don’t overwhelm anyone, but everyone seemed to have a great time!

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Hoping to Adopt!

Please visit our adoption website and get to know us better! The wider our message goes, the closer we get to finding our baby.

Mmm…Dinner

Growing up my mom made a version of Spanish Rice that was hearty enough that it stood on it’s own as a main dish. During a visit a few years ago after missing her cooking desperately, I watched her prepare it and jotted down the recipe. (Don’t worry, I checked with my mom and she’s totally on board with sharing with you!) I embellished the plating a bit, but the rice is the same yummy deliciousness from growing up.

Debbie’s Spanish Rice
Ingredients:
1 lb lean ground beef or ground turkey
1.5 cups uncooked rice
1 can tomato sauce (15oz)
1 can diced tomatoes (15oz)
1 bell pepper, diced
1 small onion, diced
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbspgarlic salt
3 cups of water

Directions:
Brown ground beef or ground turkey in a large pot. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cook on high until liquid boils. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover. Cook for 20 minutes until rice in tender.

Serving Suggestion (pictured above): Serve rice on a bed of fresh spinach with a side of refried beans. Garnish rice with fresh diced tomatoes, green onions, cheese, avocado slices and crushed chili.

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Hoping to Adopt!

Please visit our adoption website and get to know us better! The wider our message goes, the closer we get to finding our baby.

Welcome Little Friend

When I fell in love with photography, I had no idea that it would lead me to these special moments in time. Friends of mine recently welcomed their second child to the family; a little girl. I’m so glad they asked me to be the one to photograph her. Just a week old!

When I take photographs like these, I think of the day when I’ll be able to take similar ones of our baby once we are blessed through adoption. They stay small for such a short time. I want to be sure that when our moments come, I will be able to remember them forever.

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Hoping to Adopt!

Please visit our adoption website and get to know us better! The wider our message goes, the closer we get to finding our baby.