family: part two

“when push starts shoving
you’re left with nothing
just know we’ll always be family
after all that we’ve been through
I will walk with you.”
– Matt Wertz
ten.

it has officially been ten years since the Borror family welcomed me into their home to help care for their children for the summer, and we all decided that i should just stay forever. if you’ve been around the blog for a while, you will recognize these faces and be just as amazed as i am how they have grown. lauren and sam were some of my very first little sources of portrait inspiration back when I very first started this business. they have been on the blog celebrating birthdays (and more birthdays)… summer visits… disney trips… family portraits (from 6 years ago!)…  girls mornings… my happy place where i go on days that seem harder than the rest… and just being an overall source of incredible joy in my life. seriously go back and click on some of those posts to see how they grow up right before your eyes… especially that last link! ah!

i truly can’t believe it’s been 10 years since they hired me to help with the kids, and what a blessing it has been to me that what started as a summer job very quickly turned into my family. thankfully now i live about 20 minutes down the road, so i still get to spend holidays and birthdays with them, attend their sports games, take them on special dates, and have the privilege of being a part of their family. i can’t adequately explain how important they are to me, no word is big enough. but gosh the lord sure knew what He was doing when he had our paths cross.

when julie let me know that all 5 kids would be home for this short window we decided to fit in some updated family portraits! the last time i had all 5 kids in front of my camera was almost 3 years ago back in 2012 when we decided to surprise julie for her birthday with a couple photos of the kids. you can go back and see those photos here: family- part one. this photo below was taken then, and the one right after was taken last week! isn’t it crazy how much changes in just a few years?! i told them to squish in a little closer.. now a liiiiittle closer… even cloooooser! :) sometimes when you’re photographing older kids you’ve gotta get silly to get those genuine smiles :0of course we had to include Chester in a few, who decided photo time was the peeerfect time for a dip in the creek behind their house ;)… guys, you nailed it :) just might be my favorite of the 7 of them :)julie and paul, thank you for sharing your children with me and for trusting me with their hearts. i know it takes a lot for a parent to really trust their children with someone else to the extent that i get to be around them, and it’s a privilege i do not take lightly. thank you for modeling what a Christ-centered marriage looks like, and what it means to support and actively choose each other every day. thank you for your friendship and for the ways that you care for me. it is such a humbling, sweet gift to know that someone is praying for me as often as you do. thank you for constantly welcoming me into your home and for making me an official part of your family. jen, i’m so thankful for your friendship right from day one. on the days where i’d spent hours building blocks and playing princesses with lauren and sam, it was always so sweet to have you walk through the door, catch up with a friend, and have an adult conversation :) it always makes my day to get a little bit of time to hear what’s going on in your life. you are such a stunning young woman and i so admire your strength, and your passion for life and adventure. you love the people around you so well, so completely. your siblings are so lucky to have you as their big sister. joshua, oh man you won me over with your charm (uh, mischievous charm might be more accurate) right from day one. i so appreciate that you are real with me, about the good, the bad, and everything in between. i love that you assumed that of course i was coming to your high school graduation, and i hope you know i’ll be there when you graduate college too cheering louder than anyone else. you’re one of my favorite people to cheer on, whether it’s at a lacrosse game, graduation, or just in life in general. you have the biggest heart and so much to offer. several years ago your mom called me up and said “i just wanted to tell you, josh asked me last night if miss jessie’s ‘prince charming’ had shown up yet, cause he had been praying about it.” and that melted me into about a hundred pieces. even if that just happened only once 5+ years ago, it meant the world that you would pray for me, and pray for whoever he is. we both appreciate it :) oh matthew, you have always absolutely amazed me with your creativity. whether you were making up a song off the top of your head, crafting a new recipe all on your own, or just bringing a fresh perspective, i’m always so impressed with you. you are a rock star athlete and you give the game and more importantly the people around you 100%. you’re dedicated and push yourself in the best way. i literally cannot believe how you have grown up recently, you’ve turned into a man in a blink it seems. before i know it you will starting your own successful gourmet restaurant, or some other endeavor that is guaranteed to be a success, because you are driven, talented, and will accept nothing less than success. i’m so very proud of you. my sweet girl, you are such a gift to me. Lauren, you taught me what it looks like to love deeper and give more. i think God knew that we would be best buddies when He put us together 10 years ago; He knew that your dreamers spirit would match up perfectly with mine. you make anything more fun, and you have always been one of my very favorite people in this world to spend time with. your laugh is contagious and my goodness you have the most beautiful heart; you are so very kind. you have always been so quick to care about the people around you, especially your little brother. you are the best helper, a great friend, and so so very smart. you’ve always had a love of learning and i hope you never lose that. thank you for letting me be a part of your world, you are most certainly one of the best parts of mine. and sammy, you were the missing piece to this family. God knew that it just wasn’t complete until you were a part of it. you bring so much joy, spunk, noise, laughter, and love to your home and i can’t imagine life without you in it. you are so dearly loved. spending time with you is just the best, whether we’re jumping on the trampoline, playing a game, seeing you ride your new bike, or snuggling on the couch watching a movie, i just like being around you all the time! your belly laugh when i tickle you is seriously one of the best things i’ve ever heard, and i hope you always laugh loudly and often. you have made me SO very excited to be a mama to a son one day. i hope he is just like you, spunk and all.  can you hear that laugh i was talking about in this next photo? it’s the very best. she has the most beautiful, tender heart.if you didn’t already, go back and look at this post from 2009… same swings, bigger kids :)lets make updated family pictures a more common occurrence, okay? okay good :) love you all! xoxo!