Charlotte, NC   {family photography, child photography}

A few short months ago I was contacted by this amazingly sweet mother, Kansas about a last minute photo session in Charlotte.  Kansas and her family were flying into town the next day from South Dakota to begin their journey of adoption for the second time. 🙂 I knew from the moment we spoke on the phone that there was something special about this family. (duh…everyone knows I have a 6th sense about people!)

Fast forward a week or so, I met Kansas and Danny and their new little boy–their photos melted me, but their crazy love is what really overwhelmed me with happiness.  They had left their other three children in SD with family while the adoption ran it’s course.  So, I wasn’t able to meet their complete unit, but I just knew God had brought us together for a reason. 10 minutes after we left our session, they received a phone call that changed their paths completely. The birth mother had chosen to take her son back. WOW. Can you even imagine?  Seven days with this little baby as your own.  It ripped my heart out. I can’t even grasp what it did to theirs.  ok…so the story doesn’t end sadly—-

I learned so much about God’s Grace over the next couple weeks, as I watched this beautiful new family ache and pray over what was God’s plan for this child. Although they did not understand or know why this child (for which they prayed) would’ve been given & then taken back, they prayed and stayed strong. I kept in touch with Kansas through it all. And I can’t even begin to tell you all the tears I shed and prayers I prayed for all of them. It changed me.

Now, fast forward a couple more months…as I pulled into Starbucks it began to snow. (Us Southerners think that’s kind of a big deal…and of course I did!) I was smiling from ear to ear as I opened my car door. Then I heard a text come through my phone- it was Kansas.  It said “Are you free this week to take pics??? We are on our way to NC to pick up our baby boy, he’s 10 days old and he is ours! We could not be happier and we are bringing all our children too!!”  Yes, you bet I stood there in the middle of the road with giant crocodile tears of joy rolling down my face.  I was flooded with happiness. Can you imagine their own version of this story?

A few days later, I met their beautiful new son, Daeston Job Christian. I also met their other beautiful three children, Coyer (6), Kedren (4) and  Baylic (almost 2).  It was God’s plan all along. We played in the snow until the kids were miserably cold, and we captured their expanding family bubbling with the greatest love.  I am so fortunate to have been brought into the Fergen Family’s life. I wish I could explain it better with my words. But I’m sure you guys are all filled up with my stories for one day. 🙂

I hope you all have a better understanding of how much strength is needed to adopt, let alone to be able to give your child up for adoption. I have a new found  appreciation of adoption as a whole. Their love shines so strongly in these photos, and I hope you enjoy them!