National Adoption Month...and a photography giveaway!!

It's November....which means it's National Adoption Month!
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This month I am going to be posting about adoption all month long. Stay tuned for spotlights of families who are hoping to adopt, more great giveaways and more adoption related posts!
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I've been doing a lot of thinking lately about how much our lives have changed recently. Nothing brings that more clearly into focus than a post I wrote on my other blog exactly one year ago.
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We had just turned in our adoption papers in hopes of adopting our 2nd child and once again found ourselves facing the unknown...I don't like the unknown. I'm not a patient person.
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I want to share this post because I know there are so many couples facing these same trials...
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Whether you are waiting to adopt your first child or your fourth, it's not easy.
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Infertility has brought us to this point and after enduring years of fertility treatments we are all of a sudden bombarded with the reality of yet another journey that we are about to embark on that is out of our hands...
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So here is my post from last November:
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(don't forget to scroll down to the end of the post for a great giveaway!)

I love November for many reasons...I get to celebrate my birthday today,

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gather with family on Thanksgiving and give thanks for our many blessings and I also get to bring a little extra awareness to adoption!

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We turned in our adoption papers again, were approved last month and

I have to admit I have been a little bit depressed lately.

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I thought for sure that once I had the privledge of being a mom, I wouldn't get so caught up in the process the 2nd time around.

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Boy was I wrong.

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I find myself wanting to be a mom of 2 so badly...

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The desire to bring another child into our family is on my mind constantly these days.

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I spend my evenings after Adam is asleep, obsessing over what is going to happen.

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Are we going to be chosen soon?

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Did I say the right things in our letter that will touch the heart of a birth mother reading it?

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Have I done all I can thus far?

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And the thought that keeps creeping into my mind most is..

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Am I good enough in the eyes of Heavenly Father to be blessed with another child?

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I tend to get really down on myself about that last tidbit..

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And then after I'm done analyzing myself, I start feeling bitter...

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Bitter that we can't have kids the way everyone else does.

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Bitter that adoption is so expensive.

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Bitter that it takes soooo long.

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Bitter that I had to fill out butt loads of paperwork and be evaluated by a stranger that would determine if I was fit to be a parent.

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Bitterness is not good...

It only brings you down further (believe me)

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Then I look into the beautiful eyes of our beautiful son

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that wouldn't be here with us...

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If it wasn't for the miracle that is adoption!

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And I realize

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I am grateful

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for every trial

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that brought him to us.

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Infertility brought him to us.

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Loads of paperwork and an evaluation by a stranger brought him to us.

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A loan (that we are still paying on) brought him to us...

I wouldn't change it for anthing!

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Prayer brought him to us.

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The love that our Father in Heaven has for each of us, brought him to us!

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Years of waiting brought us

so much more gratitude

for the day he was born.

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And it is because of his beautiful and strong birth mother that he is here with us. She wanted him to have more than she could give and so she gave up her own desires so that he could have a better life!

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I love her!

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It takes a couragous person to do what she did for Adam.

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And so my heart is filled with gratitude for all that we have been given.

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Heavenly Father knows us.

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He knows our needs and He will not abandon us.

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And even when I'm a little depressed and (slightly) bitter,

I know He loves me.

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I found a quote that sums it up:

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Adoption brings HOPE for all those involved

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Adoption is HARD for all those involved

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Adoption is a MIRACLE for all those involved

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It is really HARD to give up control

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Open adoption is NOT scary

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Adoption is a blessing.

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Reading this post brought back so many memories of the past year.

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Did I think we would have a 2 month old little boy exactly a year after I wrote this post?...Ummm No! We were hunkering down for the long haul!

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Never give up hope.

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Never forget your Father in Heaven loves you.

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Now with all that said....let's have a giveaway!!!

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This giveaway is from yours truly (that would be me).

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I love photography...my grandfather was a very creative and talented photographer so I credit him with the ounce of his talent that I was lucky enough to inherit :)

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In honor of National Adoption Month, I am giving away a photography package...

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An outdoor photography session with me (up to 1 hour) in the Utah County area. PLUS a fully edit CD of your session!

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We all know that we want great pictures to put in our adoption collages, pass along cards and adoption blogs and lets be honest...pictures can be expensive!! When you account for all the other adoption related costs, most people can't afford to get professional pictures taken.

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This giveaway is open to all couples and families who are hoping to adopt! I don't care where you live as long as you are willing to travel to Utah County for the photography session.

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You never know...some new, updated photos in your adoption file could take you

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from this...

to this....

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Here is how to enter the giveaway:
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Visit my website Ray of Sunshine Photography and then come back here and leave a comment telling me which photo or setting is your favorite. you will automatically be entered in the giveaway! Make sure to leave your email address in your comment so I can contact the winner!

You can get extra entries by doing any of the following and leaving an additional comment (for each one)...don't forget to include your email in each entry too!

Follow my blog (if you already follow me just leaving a comment saying so)

Subscribe to my blog. (and leave a comment here telling me you've done it)

Add our button to your blog. (and leave a comment here saying so)

Click the 'Like' button on my brand new facebook page for Ray of sunshine photography (leave a comment here telling me you've done this)

Send me a facebook friend request (if we are already friends just leave a comment saying so)

Post a comment and link to your FB wall about this giveaway. (leave a comment here, telling me)

Blog about this giveaway including a link back to this post (make sure to leave me a link to your blog post in your comment here)

This giveaway ends on Saturday November 6th at 10pm MT time.. I will announce the winner on Sunday!

I will be picking a winner through Random.org