I (Phillip) just returned from Canada, where I had the distinct pleasure of spending the week with this beautiful and fun-loving family. Eileen and I met fellow photographers Nik and Dana (aka “Mom and Dad”) when we landed in the same small group at the Connect Marriage Retreat in 2013. We “connected” with them (no pun intended — no, that’s not true; pun fully intended) immediately and stayed in touch — even though they are Canadian.

(*Check out the Fioritos’ beautiful work at IloPhoto.)

Since then, we’ve both seen our separate adoption journeys completed, watched our families and businesses mature, and have stood in awe of God’s goodness to us. I finally got to visit them in their neck of the woods, and I don’t use that phrase lightly. They recently took up residence in a new house (built by Nick himself) in the glorious Ontario wilderness, overlooking Thunder Bay and Lake Superior on the horizon. Not a bad place to set up my mobile office as I worked alongside them during the week and horsed around with the kids during the day, too.

So I was honored they would ask me to update their family portraits during this historic time in their lives! We love this couple deeply, and I just love their funny, mature-beyond-their-years, but-still-kids-at-heart (just like their parents) kiddos now as well. Enjoy their sometimes sun-soaked, sometimes rain-soaked family photos; we hope they’ll treasure these moments for a very long and exciting lifetime.