Adoption Day Photos Celebrate the Joy of Becoming a Forever Family

Millie Holloman Photography

Millie Holloman always knew she'd become a mom. She just didn't know the path she'd take to get there … at least not until she began looking into foster care. As a photographer, Holloman was a business owner with a flexible schedule and plenty of room in both her heart and her house. Now three years after signing on to care for kids who need it most, Holloman has just become a "legal" mom, and a beautiful series of photos she shared celebrating the event shows that it really does take a village.

Holloman tells CafeMom the photos of her "village," each showing a person or people holding up a signboard with a personalized statement, celebrate the people who supported her on her journey to motherhood.

"I've often said that when I signed up for foster care, I signed up for the heartache and pain that often come with it," Holloman wrote in her now viral Facebook post. "But my family and friends didn't sign those papers, just me. I just drug them all into it. They've been through the ups and downs with me. They've supported me when I called crying after court hearings or given me a shoulder to cry on when I've had to buckle kids in their car seat and send them off with another family to love. They have fallen in love with these kids and they have prayed big prayers for us all. They have stepped up and filled in the gaps for the roles I can't be to these kids."

She never meant for the photos celebrating her adoption and her village to go viral — she just wanted daughter Vera Wren to have something to look back on, something to show her how incredibly loved and wanted she was from the very first day of her new life.

The Judge

Although Holloman had already planned to feature a signboard photo of Vera, it was her sister-in-law who suggested they feature signboard statements in images of other people celebrating the day, and Holloman wanted each one to be special.

Holloman's lawyer had to ask the judge to throw an adoption ceremony for little Vera — although common in some jurisdictions, they're not usually held in Holloman's area. The judge readily agreed, noting he wanted to take part in a happy ending … leading to the saying on his signboard!

Thanks Be to God

Vera was just 2 years old and had just entered the foster care system when she went to stay with Holloman for a short time (she later returned when her case changed from "pending" to "able to be adopted"). The woman pictured brought Vera to her future mom's home all those years ago!

Holloman has been able to foster eight different kids since she began as a foster mom, and a social worker from the Bair Foundation helped her as she walked through the process from fostering Vera to adopting her.

Love!

Friends and family both came in to help welcome Vera officially to the family.

Cousins Forever

The 5-year-old has plenty of excited playmates!

Forever Friends

When Holloman shared this photos, she told the women pictured, "I can't wait to see all of the memories we will continue to create watching our kids grow up together! Your prayers are a HUGE part of [how] we got here!"

Proud Grandparents

There’s no question these grandparents are thrilled!

The New Aunt and Uncles

Vera has a host of new relatives!

The Witness

Although Holloman took several of the images, she wanted to be "in the moment" that day, so other members of her photography business team jumped in to take the bulk of the images!