I had the awesome pleasure of photographing the Roberts’ family in June. They had just had their second adoption finalized and wanted to have their family captured. There is so much love in this family and I cannot put their “road” in words better than the one who traveled them, so here is the Roberts’ story in their own words;
“It took longer for my husband, Tony, to know that adoption was the right way to build our family than it did for me. Being adopted myself, I knew that it was what I had always hoped to do. With our daughter, it was a right-time-right-place kind of thing. The agency was looking for a family like us, and we were looking for a bundle of joy like our Viviana. Around three months after starting the process, she was born and we knew it was meant to be.
Weston took his time coming to our family. Vivi was about 14 months old and told us that she wanted a “baby brudder”. We too wanted another baby. There were several disappointing matches that never came to be placements and I struggled during our wait which closed in on 2 years. I even dreamt of Weston long before he was born. I was holding him, with his soft curls, big eyes, and rich, silky skin. His image stayed so vibrant in my mind that I had to draw it on paper so I could get a moment of peace when I closed my eyes.
Then last summer we traveled to Michigan on vacation. Our agency called us and told us we were chosen! We met Weston’s birthmother and we knew that he would be our son. She was due within weeks so our vacation was extended. When he was born and I could hold him in my arms, I knew that he was that same baby from my dreams. I could see it in his eyes, that he too had been waiting for us. Here on earth, it was hard to see why the other matches didn’t work, but now I know that it was because our little boy was making sure from behind the scenes that no one took his spot with our family.
Adoption is never simple before or after the placement. There are so many dynamics that lead people to adoption and that occur post-placement that many on the outside never consider. For us, we were blessed that all circumstances lead us to adoption. In that way, we feel like it chose us. And no children could have ever been a better fit for our silly, zany, and madly-in-love family than our two little lovebugs!”
Beautiful photos!!! Beautiful family
Love these pictures!!
ooh…is it PC to say I love how colorful that family is
GORGEOUS family!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! beautiful photos…joy captured!;)