"simply stated...a photography company": our girl...featured...again...

this blog was started to document our adoption of malaena-sloan. it was a long journey (though not as long as some), and this blog acted as a true source of therapy for me. i don't talk about my passion for adoption everyday as i once did, but i am still as passionate about it as i ever was. our daughter is the source of more happiness and joy than i ever imagined. the conditions in the country she was born were something most americans can't even imagine. as of about a month ago, those conditions have worsened due to a volcano eruption and two days later a tropical storm. what already was unbearable is worse. there's not a day goes by that i don't think about our birth mother, her brother and parents. one of my missions with my photography business is to locate our birth family and help support them. i want to do this now more than ever. God's timing is everything, so we will see when this all unfolds and i will share this journey, too. who knows what the outcome may be as they may wish to have no contact with us, but we will cross that bridge later.

today...what i know for sure...if anyone that reads this has ever had adoption laid on your heart, i am totally open for discussion. while in texas for demetra's wedding last week, someone said, "will she ever know how blessed she is?" my response is "real", "probably not." one won't appreciate things they've never done without. each and every night, malaena-sloan and i pray the normal "now i lay me down to sleep" prayer, then i tell her it's time to thank God for what we are grateful for that day. right now, her responses are simple and sweet: papa, grammy, drew...and i try to elaborate and teach her to be thankful for things like food, getting to spend time with "davvy", etc. mae-sloan will always eagerly agree and will usually say the food was yummy to her tummy. what i am striving for more each and every day is to live in a state of gratitude and abundance! for what God giveth, He can also take away...

on a lighter note, some new pics of the girl from friday!: