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Ni Hao Y'all

when east meets south

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Together.

Together.

Being a mama is hard for a million and one reasons. And one of the biggest – for me at least – is when your kids go and get all big and grown up… and live hundreds of miles away. And are only are able to come visit a few times a year. Which makes the best part of my… Read More

01.15.18 · Asher, Clementine, Dalton, Isabelle, Jude, Magnolia, Poppy, Shepherd, Sophie, Tallula, Victoria, Vivienne, Zach

Done and Done

Done and Done

How can it already be four years since he graduated high school? And now he’s gone and graduated college. Done with school… and officially a grown up. We had such fun road-tripping to Dallas for the graduation. And celebrating, and visiting with Grandma, and looking at old photos, and laughing over queso at Mia’s, and roaming the Target aisles just… Read More

12.18.17 · celebrations, Victoria, Zach 0

Sloss Love

Sloss Love

We kinda like this place. Especially me. And so, about once a year or so, I pull the mama card and make everyone brush their hair and put on real clothes and let me take a bagillion pictures of them. Give or take. One mama hen with all her babies, together. This trip was precipitated by the fact that my… Read More

07.15.17 · Asher, Clementine, Dalton, Isabelle, Jude, kids, Magnolia, Poppy, Shepherd, Sophie, Tallula, Victoria, Vivienne, Zach

Christmas 2016

Christmas 2016

Such a Christmas. We celebrated similarly to how we’ve done it the last few years. Pared down our giving (and asking) and were very intentional about how we spent our time together all December long. And the best part? This little one. Home and celebrating Christmas. Her very first. And despite a tentative beginning, she caught on pretty quickly. And… Read More

12.31.16 · Asher, celebrations, Clementine, Dalton, Isabelle, Jude, Magnolia, Poppy, Shepherd, Sophie, Tallula, Victoria, Vivienne, Zach

Zach = 21

Zach = 21

How I love this boy-grown-into-a-man. I took these pictures when we celebrated his birthday during an all-too-short visit home and they represent so much more than him turning 21. I mean, he’s got a beard for goodness sakes. And he’s now technically old enough to go buy a six-pack of beer if he wanted. But he’s also grown into a… Read More

01.10.16 · celebrations, Zach

a mama’s gotta do…

a mama’s gotta do…

School’s out. Which means I have all of my babies, from the littlest to the biggest, home. As must as I wish it were otherwise, this is rare. Due to Zach’s college schedule, sometimes this phenomenon only occurs twice a year. Which leaves a mama with only one thing to do. Insist on taking pictures. Lots and lots of pictures…. Read More

06.19.15 · Clementine, Dalton, Isabelle, Jude, Poppy, Shepherd, Sophie, Tallula, Victoria, Vivienne, Zach

2014 in review: 24 of my favorites

2014 in review: 24 of my favorites

It’s become a bit of a thing around here, I suppose: going through my pictures at the end of the year and plucking out a few favorites. It’s laborious. It’s time consuming. But I love it because it’s a chance to look back at the year, as a mama, and see how my babies have grown. Cherish important milestones. Remember… Read More

01.14.15 · Clementine, Isabelle, Noah, photography, Poppy, Seamus, Sophie, Tallula, Victoria, Violet, year end favorites, Zach 13

letting go

letting go

My oldest child is 25. My youngest child is 1. And I am mama to 10 more that fall in between. My 1 year old cannot feed herself. Hold her cup. Walk from one end of the room to the other. I get to do all that for her. My 25 year old, on the other hand, no longer needs… Read More

01.10.15 · Noah, Zach 8

the dreaded family photo

the dreaded family photo

Another thing on my list of things-to-do-before-Zach-leaves was family pictures. As in pictures of our entire family. Can I just add something here? UGH. I already struggle with trying to photograph just a few of my kids together. Getting everyone in the same frame, still relatively clean, all looking in the same general direction and not making a face is,… Read More

07.28.14 · big o' family, Clementine, Victoria, Zach 16

Zach.

Zach.

He’s entering his second year of college this fall. Over 600 miles away. So when he’s here over the summer I have weeks, not months, to do all-the-stuff-I-wish-I-had-all-year-to-do. Being a mama can be so hard on the heart. One of the things on that “to-do” list is pictures. Lots of pictures. On this day we had driven to a specific… Read More

07.19.14 · Zach 1

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I'm Stefanie. Wife to one, mom to 13. Occasional blogger and t-shirt maker. Wannabe photographer and exerciser. Constant grace-needer and orphan advocator. more
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our china journeys

magnolia - 2016
clementine - 2014
tallula - 2012
penelope - 2011
vivienne - 2010
shepherd - 2008
jude - 2007
sophie - 2006
isabelle - 2005

ways to make a difference

Love Project

proceed with caution

a dirty secret in adoption
we don't celebrate gotcha day
there's no such thing as an easy adoption
if I can, you can.
co-sleeping, why we do it.
gawsh. the series.
crazy
affording adoption
God and me.
Vivi's diagnosis
the ugly, beautiful truth
special needs: my .02
my testimony
dear anonymous
my chinese son

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