Nick...our "hero"

If a hero is someone who you look up to and try to be like, then Nick is definitely a hero to his younger siblings. I have never seen children look up to their older brother as much as our kids do. If a hero is someone who is always willing to help and shows great character and is a hard worker, then Nick is a hero to his mom and dad too. He is an excellent "first born".

Tatiana...our little angel

Tatiana is the only sister in a house full of brothers, but she doesn't mind a bit. She loves to play with her brothers, but "girl time" and "mommy dates" are very important to this one. She is my angel and is very affectionate and compassionate. She is also brimming with talent off all kinds!

Ben...our superstar

Ben, always full of questions and a source of never ending hugs and kisses. We waited a long time for our Ben and he has made it worth the wait. This kid gives his all and is bubbling with enthusiasm!

Andrew...our sweet (not-so-little-any-more) baby

He is our sweetheart. He may be the smallest, but he has a personality that can rival anyone's. He is full of life and full of love. Our grand finale!

Sibling Shots - Too cute!

Here are just a few of the sibling shots we got of the kids. I love how their personalities and their close relationships and love come through in the photos!

Family Pictures

In April we had our family pictures taken. A friend, Keith Halladay, took them for us. It was a lot of fun. The kids were great! The weather even cooperated, which is lucky for spring in the northwest!

This first one was a pose I wanted. I printed off a few different ones (I am only showing you one here) and put a nice framed collage together with the saying, "LIFE ISN"T ABOUT WAITING FOR THE STORMS TO PASS...IT'S ABOUT LEARNING TO DANCE IN THE RAIN!" I love this saying and feel like is describes are family.

Here is some other poses.

Showing our true colors!


This is my favorite family picture. For years I have admired these yellow flowers that bloom in this field near our house with the picturesque old red-roof barn. They are only in bloom for a short while, so finding a day when both Keith and our family were available, the weather was nice, and the flowers were blooming was almost a miracle. I'm grateful for the little miracles!

I also LOVE this one!

I will post more of the kids individually and in different groupings later. Stay tuned!