A New Family

Recently we had family photos taken. Phil and I both understood the magnitude of this occasion. As an example, I just started bawling when I saw the proofs of the beautiful photos taken. Seeing with my eyes a picture that included Phil and not Eric was just plain crazy (crazy because it just is...mind boggling, really.)! For Phil it was just plain crazy to be having a family photo taken altogether. He's never had a family to have a portrait taken of and now all-of-a-sudden he has insta fam!
I was not sure when Goose would be heading off to boot camp and I really wanted to have a family portrait with him included. Rachelle is so creative and has such a good eye for these things that I couldn't resist asking this friend of mine to do us the honor.

I have not purchased the photos that she took yet but when I do you will see them displayed all over this blog! They are as beautiful as I was hoping they would be. She captured the love and happiness of this new family that God is forming.
Miss M brought along her camera and basically documented our family's photo shoot. These are the pics that she took.

Looking on and waiting for their turn.

Love this one

One of the many things I love about Phil is his ability to make me laugh.

Rachelle was telling us how she wanted us to stand for the next photo.

Caught telling another joke as Rachelle tries to get him to stand a certain way.

Awkward and funny at the same time.

Oooooh I love this one...I adore this man and love listening to him.

Um...yep, he feels the same!

I can't wait to show you the photos that Rachelle took. If you go to her website you can get a sneak preview of our photo shoot.
Lil' Cowboy just naturally gave his big sis a hug and it was caught on film.
I love the relationship that has developed between these two.

Well, Brown Sugar didn't want to be left out. She got Daisy to take a pic with her.

Big bro and big sis in one of the sweetest pics! I love their relationship as well. Each one of my (soon to be our) children have such unique and different personalities. It is a treasure to have each one of them in my life. Boo is moving on in her life as she moves out and lives with Lisa and her family. This is an exciting time for her and I am blessed to have friends that I trust to help me with my kiddos. This move will give Boo the opportunity to work on her seamstress business and help Lisa out. As I move into a new phase of my life it allows her to move into a new phase of her life as well.
Goose is headed out to boot camp the middle of January. Since this is a ways off he took the initiative and found a job at Best Buy this holiday season. His first job in the business world.
Part of this is very sad for me and yet I am so excited for my older children. It just seems like there has been an incredible amount of change in my life over the past twenty months. Although, as I look at this time of my life, I am thinking that I am only in the middle of these huge life changes. I lost my first husband, two of my children are moving on, I am getting married, the Lord might bless us with more children. That is just a lot in let's say... a three year time span. But, besides Eric's death it is all good.

I will admit that I used to be a bit prideful when it came to my family life. Eric and I had a great marriage and had a fun-loving family atmosphere in our home. There were no ex-wives or ex-husbands to deal with. There were no half or step siblings to have to get along with. The perfect family was what we were striving for and for some reason those extra people didn't fit into my idea of the perfect fam.
Then Eric died...so long to my idea of what family should look like. After twenty months of not having a husband/father in the home I am understanding more and more the concept of God's idea of family. He molds the character of each family. All we must do is obey His laws of faithfulness to our spouse and faithfulness in raising the blessings He has given us.
We must allow Him to create the family that He desires.

As I venture into this new phase of my life I think about how strange it is that my children will possibly have half sisters or brothers. I think about how strange it is that my children will have a step-dad. My former pride has been crushed and what is left in the rubble is a new appreciation for how God ordains and orchestrates our lives for our good and His own glory.
~Heather