Fun senior photo shoot yesterday... pics on my photo business blog...
StarrLit Photography

Halloween

I said it last year & I’ll say it again this year… I don’t like Halloween… I know I’m an old crumudgeon but I just don’t like it… I LOVE the costumes (well the cute ones… I could do w/out the gory ones, as could Madalynn). 

With that said I will say that I think Madalynn was made to wear this Snow White costume.

We kept it low key, and just went to the neighbors, Aunty & Uncles, and Ga-Ga & Grandpa’s.  Then we hid out at my parents house (and watched the Patriots win) as our neighborhood gets mobbed.  That must have been enough for Madalynn b/c at 6:30pm in the 3 minute drive back from my parents she fell asleep.

Fall Catch Up

The other day I got to pick Madalynn up early from pre-school so I could see their Harvest Parade… they were all dressed up as farm animals… it was so cute…

I got Madalynn up & out of the house early today to scope out a new place for photo shoots, and off we went on our adventure… I’m convinced God gave me a child who hates the camera to help me hone my photography skills, as the child REFUSES to look at the camera… I’m so glad we went though because it’s a great place to shoot.

It was freezing, this is as she’s about to take off her jacket…

This was the reaction to me saying “Madalynn don’t take off your jacket… it’s cold”… can you say strong-willed?

Also, this past week Madalynn had her first ride on Grandpa’s green tractor…. Grandpa didn’t clear this with myself or Ga-Ga… my memory serves that the other grandkids rode in the wagon at this age, but Grandpa says no…

Catch- Up...

I guess this time of year is pretty busy for us, as my blog historically is sparse in October... it has to be one of my absolute favorite months, and we've been partaking of all of it's traditions...the weather has been overall very nice...

The day we went apple picking which was actually in September, however it was close to 90, and it bothered me not to have Madalynn in cozy tights & sweater, but she had fun... I went for the denim shortalls instead for the farm look...

 

This hawk was sitting atop the gazebo as we approached... he let us get pretty close...

 

My photography business is going slow, but somewhat steady with a job every couple of weeks so that's good.... I've enjoyed every shoot I've done.  A friend of mine discovered another photographer in the area with a similar business name so I'm in the process of changing my name to "Starr Lit Photography", and updating my Facebook page, website, and logo. 

Also, please join me in praying, as God is beginning to move on my adoption/orphan ministry.

 

More updates to come once I get my pictures uploaded...

 

Our Home

This morning while I was getting ready, and Madalynn was in her tub we had the following conversation…

“Mommy… look @ duckie’s house” (she had put the duck in a little cup)

“Awww…. look at that”

“Mommy where’s my house?”

“Honey, this is our house… all around you”

(giggling)… “No Mommy this is a house for BOYYYS”

(I’m now gigggling)… “Noooo… Mommy’s not a boy… I’m a girl”

“Nooo… what’s your name Mommy?”

“I’m Mommy”

“No, you’re Tearrie…..(giggling)… is that right? Tearrie”

It cracked me up to hear her saying my name… I of course corrected her that my name is “Mommy”, and that I worked hard & waited a long time for that name.

Oh... the things she says...

Been busy the last couple of weekends... hope to get a new post up in the next few days... in the meantime I just had to get this story down before I forget it...

Madalynn LOVES purses (I have NOOO idea where she gets it from)... tonight she had 2 of my old purses (including my cute hot pink silk limited edtion Vera Bradley w/ the lime green lining... amazing the things you let go of as a Mom)... anyway... she had animals in each bag, one over each shoulder, and she comes to me and says....
"I'm going to the hiccup store... it's really, really far away", and she turns and walks to the door.

WHERE does she get this stuff ??

Three is such a fun age... she comes out with such outrageous things... my new nickname for her is "The Cuteness"... of course, like with all nicknames you try to give her (including Maddie)... I get the response... "No..... I Madawynn".

Just one picture of her at my niece's b-day yesterday... enjoying her cake & ice cream...

New photo shoot over at the Terri Anne Photography blog.... such a fun shoot.

God’s Heart…

James 1:27 (New International Version)

²⁷Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

A long time ago I prayed that God would break my heart with the things that break the heart of God.  Thankfully in His wisdom I don’t believe He’s answered that prayer fully.  I don’t know any human aside from Jesus could handle that level of heartbreak.  The level of heartbreak He has revealed to me I’m praying He will take and turn it into action.

I made the decision to adopt Madalynn out of a desire to become a Mom.  I’ve always had a Mom’s heart, and couldn’t imagine living my life without hearing someone call me that.  I wrestled for quite awhile with whether or not it was selfish to bring a child into a single parent home.   In the end I reconciled that with the family Madalynn would become a part of.  It goes beyond me… by adopting her she got a Mom, grandparents, aunts, uncles & cousins, and lots of extended family, and friends.

Another thing I’ve had to reconcile is that I wasn’t motivated to adopt her to ‘save’ an orphan.  I don’t see it that way… I see it as becoming a Mom.  I cringe at comments like “She’s so lucky”.  First of all I don’t believe in luck I believe God had a plan to make me her mother, and her my daughter.  Why is that comment so common to adoptive parents, and yet something you would never say to biological parents?  She’s just my daughter.

However, I can’t escape the fact that had she stayed in Guatemala her life would be very different.  I’m not speaking materially either, as material items are fleeting. 

I wonder would she be in an orphanage, would she be on the street somewhere, or even worse.  None are scenarios I can let linger in my mind.

Because I have this amazing living, breathing vibrant little girl who has taken over my heart I can’t let go of the thoughts for all the others left in Guatemala, and around the world.  God calls us to live out our faith by caring for the least of these.  I can’t get them out of my heart or my head.

God has fanned the fire on the passion that has been in my heart my entire life.

"Once our eyes are opened, we can't pretend we don't know what to do. God, who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls, know that we know, and holds us responsible to act." Proverbs 24:12

God has been stirring this in my heart for a long time… years probably.  I’m just not sure what it’s going to look like or how it will be translated.  Part of what God has been doing in me in preparation is to remove fear, and give me a desire for persistence.  I was inspired when I read recently about Thomas Edison, his teacher said he was "Too stupid to learn anything"... he was fired from 2 jobs for being "unproductive"... he failed at inventing the lightbulb 10,000 times!! When asked how it felt to fail 10,000 times Edision replied "I didn't fail 10,000 times. The lightbulb was an invention with 10,000 steps"... Maybe what God is calling me to will require 10,000 steps or even more, but I won’t get anywhere if I don’t take the first one.

The plight of orphans in our world is so overwhelming…143 million worldwide.  The number is so staggering what can one person do?  I’m not sure but I know I have to do something.  I’ve started with prayer… we’ll see where it goes from here…

Steven Curtis Chapman song “What Now?”

I saw the face of Jesus in a little orphan girl
She was standing in the corner on the other side of the world
And I heard the voice of Jesus gently whisper to my heart
Didn't you say you wanted to find me?
Well here I am, here you are

And I saw the face of Jesus down on Sixteenth Avenue
He was sleeping in an old car, while his mom went looking for food
And I heard the voice of Jesus gently whisper to my soul
Didn't you say you wanted to know me?
Well here I am, and it's getting cold

So, What now?
What will you do now that you found Me?
What now?
What will you do with this treasure you've found?
I know I may not look like what you expected
But if you remember this is right where I said I would be
You've found me