Thanks to some really amazing photographers (aka Kaley from Kansas), and the mamas that invited them into their homes to document their families, we get to celebrate all the wonderful things that come with being a mother. There are so many paths to motherhood, and we know we’re only showing a snippet, but we think you’re really going to fall in love with Maria and her son, Asher. She’s going to share a bit on the story behind her adoption process and what motherhood has been like for her. Enjoy!

What is your favorite part about being a mom?

My favorite thing about being a mom is getting to experience love in a new way. The way I love as a mother feels somehow different from how I have loved as a wife or a sister or a friend and it has helped me to grow and deepen. It’s incredible to have the privilege of taking care of someone who needs your help in so many ways. I feel I get to experience one small ounce of the perfect way that God loves me. God uses Asher to change me. He helps me see the ways I am being selfish. He shines a light into the cobwebs of my heart.
Another thing I love about being a mom is helping Asher navigate the world. Helping him discover new things and see them through his eyes. His sense of wonder is contagious.

What’s a typical day for you as a family?

On Saturday, Steve loves to make us all oatmeal for breakfast, or we will all walk to the nearby bakery for cinnamon rolls. Steve and I have a non negotiable little coffee date, while Asher plays by himself for a bit. Then we’ll read books and have a tickle fight. Steve and Asher often go on some sort of father/son adventure together…like hiking or the zoo, while I do projects around the house, or work on vintage clothes. Then we’ll go out for dinner, oftentimes pizza. We’ll probably have a dance party when we get back. Then put Asher to bed and watch copious amounts of our favorite Netflix show. Pretty simple, but it’s so good.

How did you meet Asher and why did you chose the path of adoption?

Steve and I have both felt passionately about adoption for a long time. I think it is just something God put in both our our hearts. So when the time seemed right to have kids, we chose that path. Our first experience was a failed adoption and one of the most difficult experiences of my life. A month after we said goodbye to Baby Emerson, we received a call about Asher. My heart was still raw in a lot of ways, but also open. I was in awe of the chance to be his mother, but still carrying the grief of loss in my heart. When we found out his birth mom chose us, we drove through the night to get to him. His birth mom put him in my arms at the lawyers office; I remember he was wearing a striped shirt and jeans. That little three week old looked up at me with the deepest dark brown eyes I had ever seen and I couldn’t believe that he was going to be ours. The next few days we spent in a hotel in Florida, falling in love with this gorgeous baby. We held him with his skin to ours almost constantly and his body nestled into mine with such contentment.

What’s your favorite thing about Asher?

My favorite thing about Asher is his kind and happy spirit. He has always had a special way of making connections with people even as a very young baby. He is often ready with a big “hi!” everywhere we go. His name means “happy” and it truly fits him. He sees the world as wonderful, and lets me see that too. Plus he’s the life of the party. He makes us laugh all the time.

Such a beautiful look inside their family, isn’t it? This just makes us want to share stories from mothers everywhere, every day!