adoption photo book....

We had to create a photo book for the adoption. It will be available at all of the Bethany locations in SC for birth moms to look at when they come in. A birth mom will choose us based on our book and online profile. I wanted to share our book with you.... It may be hard to read...So I've written below each page what some of the text says...

Cover

A letter from us to the birth mom....

"We met in college"

"on a summer trip to South Africa"

" a year later, we both worked at Disney World together[another summer]. That's where the magic began"

We dated for 9 months....

"and then Kaz proposed"

"We had a lot of great family and friends celebrate our wedding with us"

"We spent our honeymoon in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico"

"then started our life in Washington, DC"

"a year later, we were able to move back to SC where we bought a house and a dog!"

"Meet Miley. She loves squeaky toys, chasing birds, planes[well really anything that flys] and water!"

"Our family is very important to us. We spend a lot of time with them"

"Evelyn and David[Amy's Parents]"

Text from aboe...We had our parents write a letter to the birth mom also...

"Cy and Anne[Kaz's parents]"

"Peter[Kaz's brother], Emily and Matias"

Text from above....

"Our wonderful friends"

"A little about us"

"We love to travel, run, hike, and spend time with family and friends.."

"Kaz is a project manger for a contracting company and Amy is a photographer"

last page...

What do you think?

Learning to Sew.....

Well, I started learning how to sew....I'm not great at it, but hopefully will get better over time....

I tried making a burp cloth. As you can see it was a little short but still really cute!

Then I made little one-sizes for baby Prikazsky. Who know if it will be a boy or girl so I made both!

Isn't this one adorable?

All of this was made on day 1, so don't critique it too bad:) It was a lot of fun though and a nice break from photography!

Well, Kaz and I are off to Pawley's Island for the weekend for a much needed VACATION! I'll be back Monday!

Blessed....

Growing up, no matter what the situation, my dad has always told me to be thankful for what I have. He’s always said “No matter how big or small our problems are, look around at other people and I will see how blessed I am.” He said the same thing this morning….Our ac went out in our house on Sunday. It’s so hot, but I’m not concerned with the heat, I’m concerned with how much money it’s going to cost to fix it. We had someone look at it last night, and it’s not good. We are looking at either a new compressor or a whole new unit.

I’ve always understood what my dad was saying but I’ve never really put it into practice until today….You see my heart has been really heavy the last few days with tragedies that are happening all over the US.

Just last week, we had a family friend lose everything except their life in a tornado.

I’ve been heavy hearted for the people in Nashville that are under water right now…who have no flood insurance….who have lost loved ones….and who have lost everything they have. I’m almost in shock when I look at pictures because Kaz and I were just there. It’s so hard for me to fathom what is going on….

And then the oil spill…..The families who have lost loved ones…..and all the animals who are and will die as a result.

I feel helpless when I look at all these things….My heart is so burdened right now. So when I truly look at all of this and then look at the cost of my messily ac I’m thankful.

Are you?

Romans 8:28-29 states, "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them. For God knew His people in advance, and He chose them to become like His Son, so that His Son would be the firstborn, with many brothers and sisters."

adoption update...

The adoption process is going along a little faster than we had expected! I honestly didn’t know how long it would take for the home study to be complete, but in my mind since I tend to think the worst, I imagined it would take 4-6 months! We had our first interview[out of 3] with our worker last Monday. It went really well! We have our second interview scheduled for the May 10th, and then the final visit at our home on May 20th! We are very excited….

One thing Kaz and I have talked about is the next step. After everything is approved and we are just waiting we have wondered what we will think and feel. It’s honestly scary for me to think about…knowing that any day we could get a phone call saying there is a child for us. Will it take a long time? Will it be a very short wait? I have no idea what to think…In my mind, I would like to think things will go quickly and by a certain date we would have a child. BUT what if that doesn’t happen? What will my faith be like? I’m not the most patient person….Will I lose Hope?
There are so many questions that run through my mind regarding the “waiting period”.

If you have adopted, I would love to hear more about this stage from you and how you handled it…..

what a LEMON.....

Today started out just like every other day….Kaz woke me up, I wanted to sleep longer so I said “10 more minutes”! When he woke me up, I immediately had to use the bathroom just like every other morning! I hate getting up in the middle of the night, so I usually hold the bathroom as long as I can until I get up. Nothing was different this morning…Since I do that, my stomach always hurts but then the hurt goes away. This morning, it didn’t. It actually hurt so bad in the lower part of my stomach I couldn’t even stand up. I was bent over in pain.

I layed in bed holding my stomach and told Kaz that I needed to go to the doctor. Kaz asked if it was gas pains, I said no but in my mind I kept thinking “Am I making a big deal out of this? What if it is gas pains then I will feel like an idiot”…but the pain was so intense surly it wasn’t gas.

At the doctors office, several test were run and then an ultrasound. My doctor couldn’t believe what she saw on the ultrasound. There was so much fluid around and in my cervix…She said a cyst had burst. BUT get this…She said they rarely see this much fluid because cyst this big usually causes so much pain that women go to the emergency room and have to have them surgically removed. She said it was the size of a lemon! A LEMON!

Are you serious? I’ve heard of women having cyst the size of grapefruits but never thought it would happen to me let alone actually burst! Wow! So I started laughing after the shock, and looked at Kaz and said, “See I told you it wasn’t gas!” Lol!

I’ve always had problems with cyst…I have actually come to hate them but there’s nothing I can do about them! They are just a part of me:)

So needless to say, a lemon has a totally different meaning to me….I’m doing good. I’m not in any more pain just a real uncomfortable feeling but that’s normal!

What’s your Tuesday been like?

5 things Tuesday[the nursery]….

Today, I’m going to tell you 5 things we are decorating the nursery with!
1. The colors-The furniture is black. Colors are orange, white, and lime green!
2. The crib-This is a picture of the crib we got. It’s black, was bought for Wal-Mart, and we love it!

3. The bedding-I had a really hard time with this. I really didn’t want to spend a ton of money on bedding. I’m not a fan of bed skirts..I think they look really cute but it’s just not me so I decided to go with just a bumper. I found the fabric I wanted and am having the bumper made. The fabric is orange and white polka dots-Here’s a picture although this is the fabric with another bedding set. Our bumper with be orange and white, with lime green ties!

4. The mobile- I found this mobile on Etsy and love it! Kaz and I are going to make it! I haven’t had a chance to look around for scrapbook paper[that’s what the pinwheels are], but I’m hoping to find some in either orange and lime green solids and polka dots!

5. A decoration-Pom Poms. I love these and they are going to add so much color in the room! The room is black furniture, white walls, and lots of black and white pictures! So when trying to decide some of the decorations I knew it had to be colorful to bring out that black and white so it’s not so dull! So I ordered some pom poms in bright orange, light orange, white, lime green, and a lite lime green!

Well, there’s a few things so far. I know you can’t really visualize what the nursery will look like but I promise to show pictures along the way! Hope you have a wonderful Tuesday!

Different trips to the same place…[poem]

Deciding to have a baby is like planning a trip to Australia. You've heard it's a wonderful place. You've read many guidebooks and feel certain you're ready to go. Everyone you know has traveled there by plane. They say it can be a turbulent flight with occasional rough landings, but you can look forward to being pampered on the trip.

So you go to the airport and ask the ticket agent for a ticket to Australia. All around you, excited people are boarding planes for Australia. It seems there is no seat for you: You'll have to wait for the next flight. Impatient, but anticipating a wonderful trip, you wait - and wait - and wait.

Flights to Australia continue to come and go. People say silly things like, "Relax, you'll get on a flight soon." Other people actually get on a plane and then cancel their trip, to which you cry, "It's not fair!"

After a long time the ticket agent tells you, "I'm sorry, we're not going to be able to get you on a plane to Australia. Perhaps you should think about going by boat."

"By boat!" you say, "going by boat will take a very long time and it costs a great deal of money, I really had my heart set on going by plane." So you go home and think about not going to Australia at all. You wonder if Australia will be as beautiful if you approach it by sea rather than air. But you have long dreamed of this wonderful place, and finally you decide to travel by boat.

It's a long trip, many months over many rough seas. No one pampers you. You wonder if you will ever see Australia. Meanwhile, your friends have flown back and forth to Australia two or three more times, marveling about each trip.

Then one glorious day, the boat docks in Australia. It is more exquisite than you ever imagined, and the beauty is magnified by your long days at sea. You have made many fiends during your voyage, and you find yourself comparing stories with others who also traveled by sea rather than air.

People continue to fly to Australia as often as they like, but you are able to travel only once, perhaps twice. Some say things like, "Oh, be glad you didn't fly. My flight was horrible: traveling by sea is so easy."

You will always wonder what it would have been like to fly to Australia. Still, you know God blessed you with a special appreciation of Australia, and the beauty of Australia is not in the way you got there, but in the place itself.

credit: adoption.com

I'm back.....

I know...I know...It's been a LONG time. My little break from blogging started out as only being a week...a week turned into 2, then 3, then almost 4. BUT I'm back! I'm going to try to catch you up to speed on the last 3 weeks of my life in ten points!

-I've had 7 weddings, 3 newborn sessions, 6 bridal sessions, 4 engagement sessions, and 2 non-profit sessions since I last blogged! WHEEWWWW...

-I started watching a new reality tv show...Kristie Alley's Big Life. I LOVE it!

-We have another adoption meeting tomorrow!

-I've bought a lot of stuff for our baby....a crib, decorations, etc. [I'll share in another post]

-I've lost 5 pounds!

-We've got someone to start cleaning our house every other week! Yay!

-I started going to the tanning bed. I'm against them because I'm scared I will get cancer BUT I have too...I'm in a wedding and the dress is pink! So I have to be dark or as my husband would say NOT PALE!

-I will be an aunt in 3 weeks or less!

-Kaz and I are going away for mothers day weekend to Pawley's Island. I originally had a wedding but due to family members in the military they had a quick wedding!

-Yes ladies and gentleman, Elvis is alive! I met him! Lol! No really, he showed up at a recent wedding! Check it out!

-Due to my recent addiction with Etsy, my husband has now restricted my allowance to $20 a week for anything I want...[period]. 

Yay, I'm back!

The winner is.....

The winner of the camera case giveaway is Abby! Congrats Abby! Abby left this comment:

Ladies, if you didn’t win this giveaway head on over to Jamins shop[Jjonni etsy shop]! Jamin makes some great camera accessories such as this camera bag, camera straps, etc. They are all very pretty and super cool!

Also, thanks for all your sweet comments checking on me:) I'm just taking a small break...I promise I will be back soon:)

a CAMERA BAG GIVEAWAY.....

This GIVEAWAY is a camera case from Jamin at Jjonni etsy shop! Jamin makes some great camera accessories such as this camera bag, camera straps, etc. This camera bag is the perfect size for a point and shoot camera, is lined with fleece to protect your camera, and can hang from a purse strap or belt loop! They are very pretty and super cool!

You have 3 chances to enter[Leave a seperate comment for each]!!!
1. Become a follower and leave a comment telling me you are[or if you already follow my blog!]
2. Hop over to Jjonni’s shop and leave a comment on my blog telling me what color pouch you like!.
3. Blog or facebook about this giveaway!

There you go! I hope you enjoy this giveaway! This giveaway will end March 27th at 8pm. The winner will be chosen at random, using an integer generator and I will announce the winner that evening.

a sweet little girl.....

Last weekend, Kaz and I got to spend some time with our good friends Anne and Chris, AND their sweet little girl Ashlyn. Every time I see Ashlyn, she gets cuter and cuter! Ashlyn was the first baby Kaz has ever held and he LOVES her. Anne and Chris asked us to babysit her for a little while and we loved doing it! It was so incredible to see Kaz love her so much and want to do everything for her. He’s just as ready to have children as I am, and that’s so neat to see! Well, I couldn’t just see Ashlyn without taking a few pictures:) So here’s a few pictures from our time together…

Isn't she adorable?

To see a few more pictures of Ashlyn click here.

Oh New York...How I've missed you....

Kaz and I LOVE to travel. I think if we had tons of money traveling would be what most of it was spent on. We love traveling and seeing new places…

My favorite place to visit is New York. I always dreamed about visiting and took my first trip my senior year of college. Since then, I’ve visited once a year. I LOVE it!
It’s weird….some days I will wake up and the smell outside reminds me of New York. Then the day dreaming starts about being in the city.

Kaz LIKES New York, but DOESN’T LOVE it like me. Last September I got to go with my cousin Pam. She had never been before and I had never gone with just a girl:) We had a blast!

Here are my top 10 things to do when visiting New York[in NO particular order]:
1. Eat at Pinkberry’s

2. The shopping
3. Run in Central Park
4. See a Broadway play
5. Eat at off the wall restaurants like Fig and Olive[Yum, Yum]
6. Look for celebrities!!!! My first time in NY, I saw Tony Danza, Will Smith, and Arnold Swartzenager.
7. Walk around in Time Square every night
8. Visit Trinity Church[the most beautiful church I’ve ever seen…Seriously my favorite. I never get tired of it.]

9. Visit the meat packing district
10. Sit in front of The Plaza Hotel and just take in the view. I love that area…It’s gorgeous! Maybe one day I’ll be lucky enough to stay there:)

I’m trying hard to talk Kaz into visiting NY this year…I’ve always wanted to go at Christmas and since my birthday is in December maybe that can be my birthday present;)

Here are a few pictures from some of my visits to NYC.

In honor of this post, I think I will watch a movie taken place in NY! Ha-Ha
Where’s your favorite place to visit?

Hope on the Rocks....

Today someone’s hopes lay dying against the rocks
Today the waves comes crashing down
Reminding her of what is not to be
Reminding her that in nine months there will be no tiny feet
Her husband’s eyes won’t be staring back
Her nose won’t be crinkled on another little face
She beats the ground with her balled up fist
She wipes the tears and puts on a calm face
Wondering if this dream will ever come true
Wondering if this nightmare will ever fade at last
Advice is offered once again, it’s not the right time
Advice is offered once again, relax and it will happen
But the pain still feels the same, gut-wrenching
But the pain still feels the same, heart-breaking
And no amount of comfort can be offered
And no consoling words can bring relief
She watches other ships set sail in the distance
She watches other families grow and evolve
In the flotsam and jetsam she waits, struggling to afloat
In the cold harsh water she clings to the cross she bears
By Kim Caloca

I read this poem and tears streamed down my face…I’ve been this woman for a long time….I can’t explain why or even how my heart has changed. The only thing I know is the Lord has done it….He’s changed my outlook, my desires, my hope.

A few weeks ago I thought I might be pregnant…To be honest it scared me. Terrified me…I even mentioned to Kaz and my good friend Sabrina that I HOPED I wasn’t pregnant….Why you ask? Why wouldn’t I want to be pregnant when the last 2 years all of my hurt and pain has come from me NOT getting pregnant…I honestly can’t explain it except the Lord changed me...He changed my heart. He truly gave me new eyes….He changed my desire RIGHT NOW to adopting a child. I know a lot of people probably doesn’t understand this…and that’s ok. I don’t think adopting is for everyone BUT I’m overjoyed that HE CHOSE ME to adopt. He CHOSE me to go through this trial for the last 2+ years. He CHOSE a SPECIAL child for ME…a child who NEEDS a family and love. LOVE is what I can give that child. Oh how I long to meet him or her….How I long to get a phone call saying we have a child for you….I can only imagine what that day will be like.

The woman above was me for 2 years….The woman today is HOPEFUL and filled with JOY and excitement for what’s to come!

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be HIS name
He gives and takes away….Blessed be YOUR name Lord

5 things TUESDAY.....

1. I bought a new table and lamp for our living room from TJ Max. Total spent $70. What do you think? I love it! I actually want to buy 1 more of the tables….I’m still trying to decide! Sorry the pictures aren’t great[taken with my phone..]

2. I love Monday nights because it’s the night our community group meets. We have pizza every Monday night and I really look forward to it. It’s about the only time we eat pizza! Yum…Yum….

3. I was really disturbed recently at a wedding because there were a few kids[ages 6-8] and they knew every word to the Black Eyed Peas Song “Boom Boom Pow” and Tik Tok by Ke$ha..…I was just really surprised. They even sang all the words like they knew what those words meant…

4. I’ve been having a lot of upper back pains on my right side. I’ve tried everything…massages in the mall, muscle rub, etc. I thought for awhile it was just a knot….now I think it’s stress….Help, how do I get rid of it?

5. Last, BUT certainly not least I get my sweet Miley back today! :) I’m so excited! I haven’t seen her a week and a half! I’m super excited…My parents are coming down this afternoon and I finally get her back with me:)

Tell me 5 things[or less] about you!

Man's role around the house.....

I have a question…AND I WANT you HONEST opinion even if it differs from mine:) What is your outlook on men and women’s roles in the household?

The reason I’m asking is because it’s been a real struggle for me lately. This is why….Since I started photography and working 2 full time jobs, Kaz has had to take on a lot of the household responsibilities. He hasn’t complained not once and he amazes me with the amount of work that he does at home when I’m away. Take for instance yesterday….We were out of town all weekend with the adoption meeting, and then I taught a photography class on Saturday. We got back Saturday night and yesterday I had a wedding. I was gone a total of 10 hours for the wedding. I left home at 12 and got back around 1030 last night. While I was gone, Kaz swept and moped all the floors, washed all the dishes, washed and dryed 4 loads of clothes, folded ALL of them, AND put them all away. He went grocery shopping, made our juice for 2 days, cooked dinner, helped me with a few photography items, and that’s all I saw….He could have done more. See he’s pretty amazing right? I think so!!! BUT I have such a hard time because I feel bad and guilty for making Kaz do all of this stuff. I feel bad because I feel like it’s my role is to do all the house chores…I do think it should be a shared responsibility but Kaz does it all the time…I’m SO THANKFUL…DON’T GET ME WRONG…There’s no way I could do it all or even half of it on my own. I’m slammed right now, but I feel bad that he has to do it….I was telling someone about this and they made the comment “Well, you should stop one of your jobs because it’s the wife’s responsibility to do the house work, NOT the man’s.” She was honest, but she’s from an older generation where that’s the common thing[which I'm not saying anything negative about this....Society has just changed a lot in the last couple years]….I didn’t get mad at all. I’m sure many people feel that way, but right now for us it’s not feasible. It’s not always going to be this way, but for a season it is….I guess part of me feeling guilty is because I feel like I NEED to be doing this stuff NOT him...

Anyway, I wanted your thoughts. I know everyone has different opinions….How do you feel about this?

By the way, if you can’t tell from reading this LET ME TELL YOU….MY HUSBAND is AMAZING!

The winner of the Jade Cluster Earrings is....

And the winner of the Jade Cluster Earrings is…..Alanna over at Sparkles and Sundresses! Alanna left comment # 29 and this is what she said!

Ladies, if you did not win these beautiful earrings but really want them please hop over to Crissy’s[morriscn] etsy shop . She is offering free shipping on any item! Thanks to everyone who entered!

Thank you so much....

Thank you all so much for your sweet comments! Kaz and I are so excited! It’s been a long road….We’ve prayed and thought about this for a long time, and really feel the Lord calling us to adopt! There have been so many amazing blessings that the Lord has confirmed along the way….Yesterday, we had our first meeting with Bethany Christian Services. Our next meeting is April 16th, and then the home study will begin! We will be adopting a newborn domestically!

For a long time, I never even thought about this option…and to be honest with you I didn’t want to adopt but over time the Lord has completely changed my heart AND FOR ONCE I don’t desire to be pregnant. I’m truly so excited about this journey and can’t wait to see what the Lord has in store. Over time, I’ll tell you more of this process and some of the amazing ways the Lord has confirmed this step!

Thanks again for all your support and prayers:)

Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and NOT to harm you….

If you haven't entered for the Jade Cluster earrings giveaway that I'm doing please click here to enter!

REALLY BIG & EXCITING NEWS….

We’re adopting!!!!

Photos by Matt Daniel

We’re at the very early stages….More of our story to come!

If you haven't entered for the Jade Cluster earrings giveaway that I'm doing please click here to enter!

One of those days…..

So today started out good….I was focused on all the things I needed to get done at work and then all these thoughts started entering my head…Confession-the last few days I’ve had a lot of jealous feelings toward one person in particular. I’m not sure why…I could name all the reason why but there’s been nothing of importance to bring them on. I’ve continued to entertain those thoughts and it’s just built up for the last few days…I haven’t seen or talked to this person so why even have these thoughts…I’m telling you they are silly. SO I kept thinking about those all morning…I finally broke down and told my friend[and co-worker, cubby mate:)] Sabrina, how I had been feeling. I felt awful….I would be so embarrassed if this person ever even knew….Why is it that I feel this way?
So around lunch Sabrina and I went to staff prayer[all of the staff at our church meets on Wed for prayer]. During prayer, my heart started pounding really hard and I felt lead to share what was on my heart. I shared a little about what this particular verse means to me[I will share with you soon!]. At the time, I didn't realize just how much it would apply to my day....

For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to PROSPER you and NOT to harm you….

After prayer, I still battled with those jealousy feelings and thoughts all afternoon….I had a doctors appointment to talk about the surgery and I just became so frustrated and overwhelmed with everything…You see I don’t want to talk about the surgery anymore to anyone…I’m tired of it…I’m tired of having to talk about all these things going on in my body…..I’m tired of feeling pressure from other people that it’s time for me to start a family….I’m tired of feeling like a failure because I can’t….Because the truth is I’m not a failure….People say and do things that hurt but they don’t realize that….I’ve come to terms with where Kaz and I are….I haven’t dealt with a lot of these emotions for a long time because we have been on a break and to be honest talking about the surgery brings those feelings back up…I don’t like them….I don’t like crying about them….I don’t want to be upset about the things that I don’t have BUT I want to look forward with HOPE. So anyway, by the time I made it out to my car from the doctor’s office I happened to see my neighbors. We started talking and the husband said something as we went our separate ways that made me loose it….All he said was hang in there BUT after all of the events of the day I lost it….uncontrollably. You see I feel like I’ve hung in there for so long….I’m tired…The devil totally beat me up today and made me feel like I was ready to throw in the towel. Life is hard…for me….for you…..for everyone we know. We all have our battles….We’ve all had hard days like I had today…..BUT THE TRUTH IS The Lord does have plans to PROSPER US and NOT to harm us….That’s my first thought when I hurt-I think He’s out to get me….THAT’S THE FARTHEST THING FROM THE TRUTH…..My life may not be where I hoped or wanted it to be…..and I may look at other people from time to time and wish or want I had the things they do….BUT I’M human….and I’m believing He’s got greater things in store for me…I may have to wait for a little while longer….and I may still hurt…still cry….still have rough days…..BUT HE LOVES ME…..HE’S WATCHING OVER ME…..AND HIS PLAN IS PERFECT!

and I must say…those brownies I made sure helped too:)

If you haven't entered for the Jade Cluster earrings giveaway that I'm doing please click here to enter!