A Legacy of Love & Laughter
Imagine a group of 23 people walking towards you. Ten adults. Thirteen kids, ranging in age from 2 months to 17 years old. Sporting perfectly coordinated blue and white outfits. Everyone is laughing. Everyone is getting along. Not one tear was shed from any of the kids. Sounds like a photographer's dream, right??
This is the exact scenario I experienced with Bob & Bonnie's family on Mother's Day! It is rare to encounter an entire extended family that is as close-knit as they are. But their love for each other is so evident when you're around them. I truly felt like part of the family!
Aren't Bob & Bonnie the cutest?? I was swooning over the way they gazed into each other's eyes with so much love after being married for almost 40 years. Talk about #couplegoals!!
God blessed Bob & Bonnie with 4 beautiful daughters: Kristin, Rachel, Abigail & Becca. They are an absolute blast! Never a dull moment, they were reminiscing and laughing about various memories, really demonstrating their different personalities. Can you tell which two are the rule followers and which two are the life of the party?? By the end of it, I really wanted to be the 5th Shimko sister! Ha!
While everyone was having a really good time, it was also bittersweet. In all honesty, this would be one of the last times they would all be together for awhile. Abigail, her husband Travis, and their 4 sweet girls, are following God's calling to become missionaries in France, and plan to leave later this year. While I'm sure it is super difficult to watch part of your family prepare to move overseas, the way the entire family has come around them in support of this mission is inspiring. Bob & Bonnie have demonstrated for all of their children and grandchildren how to love the Lord and trust His purpose for their lives, which is the greatest gift they could pass on to future generations.
I've had the privilege of knowing Abigail and her family for the past 4 years and they are just the best! They are on fire for the Lord and so passionate about bringing the unreached to Christ. To say they will be missed would be a huge understatement. But we all know they are going to do amazing things for His glory!
This family was such a pleasure to photograph, I just can't say it enough! I was impressed with how respectful ALL of the kids were. Their cooperation was unmatched. And the bond is clearly unbreakable.
A lasting legacy of love, laugher, and service is what the Shimko family will be known for, for years to come. It was such a blessing to be a small part of it and to capture these special moments for all of them.
