That Time of Year!

It's coming close to the end of 2015, and as we're in the midst of celebrating this glorious time of year we are also looking forward to a new year of celebrating with our little girl. Would you like to be a part of helping us bring her home? Lifesong for Orphans has graciously allowed us to partner with them so any donations received will be eligible for a tax deduction. 

If you would like to donate online, please head on over to www.lifesongfororphans.org/give/donate.

Select “Give to an Adoptive Family" and enter in our account number {#4510} and family name fields {Hebert}. PayPal charges of 2.9% & 0.30 per transaction will be deducted from each donation. 

Checks on our behalf can be mailed to 

Lifesong for Orphans, PO Box 40, Gridley, IL 61744. 

Please include our family name and account number in the memo. 100% of each donation received will be placed towards our adoption. Donations under $250 will be mailed a tax receipt upon request.

**Checks mailed MUST be dated by Dec. 31st for the tax deduction!**

Thank you SO much for partnering with us and loving on our little girl!!! Blessings! <3

XOXO

Joshua & Dakotah ♥

Even though I had only known them as a couple briefly, I could tell quickly they had this extraordinary comfort with one another. It was relaxed, a sort of mutually understood love. 

They braved the rain and a slight chill to capture some of these images, and I believe truly it added to the romance of it all. I am so looking forward to this wedding, what a lovely bride she'll be.

A Colorful Christmas

I just loved working with this gorgeous family, the setting provided a great set of options and the company was wonderful as usual.
Their color scheme was so fun, it blended so well and yet contrasted parts of our environment perfectly. What a lovely look for a cheery season!

♥

Merry & B R I G H T

A few of my favorite things... 

Missy Mae's laugh, Big D's heart, their momma's creativity & beautiful imagination, their daddy's time he'll spend serving people... 

they are as colorful, bright and lovely as any lighted Christmas string ♥

Tot Art DIY: Popsicle Stick Menorah

Now that we're in the midst of the holidays, my Tot Art class has been working on some festive crafts to celebrate. On Monday we worked on a fun (and super simple) menorah craft in honor of Hanukkah, as well as a small reading found online of the reason for this holiday.

Supplies:

Nine Popsicle sticks

Blue paint (we used two different hues)

White paint

Yellow Paint

Glue gun

Some sort of base -- ours were peices of wood Mr. Abear cut to glue the sticks to

How to:

Have your child paint the tips of the Popsicle sticks yellow first, then four sticks light blue, four dark blue. The ninth stick will be painted white to stand out. I went ahead and painted the base for the kids. Start by glueing the white one in the middle first as a frame of reference for the others, this is known as the "shamas". Then alternate each color going out, and glue them slightly lower to look more like a menorah. You could switch out white for gold as well.

To make it even simpler for really small hands, you can use markers/crayons instead of the paint for the Popsicle sticks. 

And that's it! A fun and simple craft to mark this special week.

Note: This year Hanukkah will be celebrated from the evening of Sunday, December 6th to the evening of Monday, December 14 :-)

All Smiles

Capturing this family this year found me with sore cheeks in the middle of it from smiling so big. They certainly know how to have a good time, especially the patriarch & matriarch of the family. Near the end of the shoot they surprised the kids with a spontaneous snowball fight, I think the adults had just as much fun though ;) For being one of the biggest group photos of the season, we just rolled through the shoot -- it was great. 

I'm so thankful to get to work with people in the middle of capturing joy! 

Mr. & Mrs. McG

I am so blessed and thankful to get to sneak into moments held sacred. Hide behind the lens while miracles and memories are taking place. Thursday was one of those days. Two souls, patiently waiting to become intertwined, said "I do" to walking this road of life together. It was a beautiful ceremony, one that honored God and embraced those around them. 

Congratulations on your new journey together!

A Perfect (November) Storm

This beautiful family and I decided to adventure out into the rainy Sunday to try and capture some fall shots. As if perfectly times, just as the shoot was approaching the skies cleared just enough for some gorgeous lighting. I so enjoyed photographing in the lovely autumn, treasure hunting and capturing sweet smiles.

Books About: Thanksgiving!

As we are less than a week away from Thanksgiving, I thought I would post a couple of library finds we picked up. The first is a book about a "non-traditional" Thanksgiving meal, celebrating a variety of cultures. The second, touches on a well loved holiday event -- The Macy's Parade! 

Duck for Turkey Day written by Jacqueline Jules and Illustrated by Kathryn Miller

Balloons Over Broadway by Melissa Sweet

What traditions does your family hold for the Thanksgiving holiday? Any particular recipes or events? I'd love for you to share!

xoxo,

Tamara

Meet Miss Piper ♥

One of my bests brought a precious baby girl into the world nearly two weeks ago. 

She is such a little dear! Say hello to Miss Piper Adeline :)