Southern Utah Family Photographs: Adoptive Family, the Stucki's (with slideshow)

I am particularly passionate about promoting families who adopt since I myself was adopted when I was 14 years old.

I will be frank. There is nothing easy about foster care, foster to adopt and even adoption on its own. Any Age. It is heart wrenching. Hard for everyone. But let me tell you, rewarding and beautiful in so many ways, that it makes the hard times seem like a required class, that can only make you a better person.

I recently photographed a very unique family. The Stucki Family. Lara and Sam by age traditionally would be parents who might be sending children off to college and perhaps even looking forward to their first grandchild. Instead, they have one fabulous older son (biologically) who is 18 years old and in college. Then, they made a decision to have a large family.  Over the past seven years, they have foster to adopted three children and recently adopted three more children from Ethiopia. All six of these children are under the age of seven.

This was a very busy sitting! Working to keep attention and moving very quickly to capture each smile. Regardless of how busy the photoshoot was, I was amazed at the connection these children had with each-other, their big brother and their parents. They could not stop hugging each-other. It was wonderful. I always have many questions for families like this. Lara and Sam answered my questions and did not hesitate to be frank about the sacrifices and hardships they have had to endure in order to have this family. They are also equally strong about how grateful they are for these children and what a blessing they are to them. They are not shy about expressing the fact that they would not ever exchange tough times, it was necessary so they could have these children. One of their small daughters I had met that day, held my hand as we walked across the street to their car, after the sitting was over. She looked up at me in the most sincere way and said "I love you." I drove away from this sitting with tears in my eyes. Thank you Lara and Sam for hiring me. People like you, make this world a beautiful place to live in.

I hope you enjoy the slideshow: