ashleyannphotography.com

So I recently did my first ever “corporate” sponsorship at a golf tournament. Funny thing is usually sponsors do it for the advertising or tax write-off – I did it for neither. My hubby and an incredible team of others put on the first ever adopt[ed] golf tournament. They did a fantastic job. Along with the tournament they did a sports memorabilia auction and banquet…raising nearly $40k to provide grants for those adopting, help for the local DHS children’s home and the ‘purchase’ of an international orphan trust.

Baby Sister kicked it back in her stroller…but chose NOT to sleep all day…firecracker.

We got Biggest Brother out of school early so he could play a round with his daddy.

HANDS DOWN THE CUTEST GOLFER ON THE COURSE.

(those are my clubs when I was a little girl – my dad hoped for a golfer, he got a gymnast)

Biggest Brother’s AWESOME ‘Sunday School’ teachers….he was stoked to see them there.

A bit of a hockey player stance

With me at my sign – I think we look a lot alike in this pic. Can I just say I am crazy about this kid. Crazy about him. And with his daddy (I’m crazy about him too).

With yesterday’s post and today’s I am guessing I will get more emails asking if any of my kids are adopted.

My answer, “not yet.”

I was reading a friend’s blog and he challenged his readers to share how an orphan has changed your life. I love that idea for many reasons, but one of the biggest for me is to get to share about a little girl who never had a mom or dad go on and on about her to others. This might be a wordy post…

In the summer of 2000 Chris and I spent 8 weeks in Kazakhstan. It was the summer before we got married and we were there partnering with workers in that country to teach summer english camps. The camps were great, but in our down time we volunteered at an orphanage. My time with those kids was the highlight of my summer. It was amazing to watch Chris with the kids – confirmed in many ways he was the guy for me. From the first time we walked through the gate a little girl with a questioning smile caught my eye. She always stayed on the edge of the group and never demanded my attention. In the games she seemed to have a need to prove to the boys she could beat them – which she usually did. She was strong willed, quiet, and liked to take charge. She reminded me of myself in many ways and we just hit it off. Her name was Sabina and she became my little friend for the rest of the summer. I would have adopted her had the country allowed it. When our summer was over and we began preparations to leave my heart broke at the thought that I wouldn’t know how her story ends. The only picture I have of the two of us now hangs on my refrigerator. My boys know her story – which makes me happy that she is not forgotten. I still think of her all the time. She is probably about 14 years old now. Most likely she is still in a government home for teenagers. If that is the case in a couple of years she will age out of the system and be left to fend for herself in a very poor country. If she goes the road of many young girls like her it is likely she will find herself in the sex trade industry. If she is like many young girls she will sell her body to feed her stomach. As I look at her picture, I pray that she has found a different road. I pray that light in her eyes is still there. I pray that the fire in her would be used to change not only the course of her life but the lives of other girls like her. I pray that when she falls asleep at night she would somehow know she is not forgotten. I pray she is happy…and loved…and safe. And so I share her story with you, so again she is not forgotten….

We killed Chris and the boys at baseball – we had to prove ourselves and we did

Like I said yesterday, over the course of 10 days all 4 of our kids got sick…each at different times. We wrapped up last weekend with the last kiddo throwing up. It was a long 10 days. When the weekend hit and we still had one sick I decided instead of playing the “Whoa is me” card, I would take pictures of things that made me smile…thus taking my focus off the eaten lunch that was now on the carpet

I also snuck away to my favorite ‘flea market’ shops on Main Street while everyone was taking naps (& dad was home)…that really cheered me up. Just fyi the “Resolve” picture only mildly makes me happy. On one hand I am happy it cleaned up the mess on the carpet – on the other hand I am bummed it worked so well (maybe I would have gotten to rip up carpet and put in wood). There’s always next time.

Like many parents I am keenly aware of how my boys are influenced by their friends. Right now they are at an age where I pretty much have control over who they are around…and thankfully there are a lot of really great kids in my circle of friends. As I consider how they are affected by the friends coming into their lives I am reminded how I am shaped in many ways by the company that I keep. I am so grateful that I can look around at the women that I spend most of my time with and see things in each of them that I hope will rub off on me – making me more of the woman I want to be. I am surrounded by some amazing women and am so grateful that they put up with me!

Last week we batted 4 for 4 in the area of our kids getting a virus…the pediatrician might as well give us reserved parking. On one of the oh so fun days of sickness, I called Chris at work to report that Big Brother was STILL throwing up. He asked what he could do to help and I replied, “Figure out a way to build a Starbucks in our kitchen.” About an hour later two friends showed up at my house with the largest Caramel Macchiato I have ever had. Despite the craziness of their schedules and their combined 5 kids they brought me coffee. I hope and pray my boys and girl grow up surrounded by incredible friends like I have. Thanks girls.

(sick Big Brother laying on couch in background)

In a family of 6, everyone has to do their part.

We are teaching Biggest Brother to give Littlest Brother a bath….

Unrelated, but I finally got some cute ones of Baby Sister with her eyes open. She was happy, wide eyed and I put on several hair accessories I know the first two are basically the same, but I just couldn’t decide which I liked better…

Remember this post – I was mourning the end of a “hole-y jean era” and baffled by a really girly tutu. Well, I was guessing she was about big enough for the tutu, so before we headed over to my grandpa’s house we tested it out. SPEECHLESS again. I wish I had a picture of my grandpa’s face when we rounded the corner with her dressed in this. It was priceless. My grandma would have loved to see her in it too. I just kept laughing – this is so out of my element!

I think our faces say it all….

Her cheeks grow in awesomeness every day…the jeans are hanging like artwork in Littlest Brother’s room.

After we got the tutu on her we wanted to see the boy’s reactions:

Biggest Brother: smiled and said she looked “very pretty”

Big Brother: “UGHHHHHHHHHHH”

Littlest Brother: kept bringing it back to us after we took it off her, he wanted it back on her

Thanks Angie for the gift and Holly for making it

One of the greatest things about photography to me is that I get to witness a lot of incredible moments…some in the lives of families, others in the community. About 5 years ago I remember hearing a couple of guys at church share about the needs they saw in downtown and their plan to meet those needs….fast forward to last Friday and they celebrated giving their 25,000th lunch sack away!  Those guys and their families have become close friends since that day and I am SO GRATEFUL that they continue to ask me to come out and capture milestones with them. It is truly an honor.

Congratulations Filling the Void!

To find out more about Filling the Void you can visit their website or blog:
The Filling the Void website

The Filling the Void blog (monthly reports)

The day of celebration included flowers for the ladies and girls, a balloon release and of course the passing out of meals.

The volunteers also take time to pray with those that request it…this little guy’s grandmother received the 25,000th lunch sack.

Just a note: I do take pictures with faces, but didn’t post them for privacy reasons.