Chattanooga Family Photographer | the Gift of Gracie

Sometimes I am amazed that I hold it together during a session. Then I upload the images and …. tears over the stories I get to preserve, the love and intimate relationships entrusted to me. I thought it would be beautiful for these images to be accompanied by a bit of Gracie’s story. Thank you, Julie, for sharing your heartfelt thoughts, and for allowing me the honor of holding these precious moments still for your family.

When we first met Gracie in China, she was terrified, sick, and grinded her teeth because she was so scared. Gracie had spent the first 20 months of her life in an orphanage, with most of that time in her crib. Just 12 weeks ago, we flew to the other side of the world to adopt our daughter from the China special needs program. These first few months with her now at home have brought a transformation like nothing I’ve ever seen before. It has been such a blessing experiencing “life” for the first time with this precious little jewel. Gracie had never felt the wind…never touched an animal….never heard rain. She had never felt the great love that comes from a having a forever family. It’s amazing what love can do. It’s amazing what Amy has done to capture the joy and peace that now pours out from our little girl and the great love our first born has for Gracie.

In just a few months, Gracie will have major surgery in order to save her foot and part of her fingers. Gracie was born with little nubs instead of fingers and also has a constriction around her leg. This surgery will also change the appearance of her leg and hands…the doctor says, for the better. This mama adores Gracie’s hands and leg just the way she was made. I wanted Amy to capture the beauty of these differences before the appearance of what drew us together as a family changes. I am forever grateful to Amy for making this happen.

Gracie was fearfully and wonderfully made. She is fiercely loved by her forever family and her three siblings still fight over who gets to sit by her at the dinner table. Oh how her two brothers are going to be jealous over these “girls only” pictures!

I look at these pictures and I’m reminded of God’s love for us. How His love makes us new. I am thankful He heals the brokenhearted and puts the lonely in families. I am thankful for our precious gift of Gracie.

Psalm 139:13-14 “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”