We met the McEntee Family shortly after we moved to our farm in 2000. They had recently adopted a family of three children from Russia. We fell in love with them immediately. They were and still are one of the most giving and loving families I have ever met. They brought these kids into their home and gave them the world. These children who had previously known very little in terms of having anything, came into a world of everything. For the first time in their lives, they had family who committed to loving them, and never leaving them. They had enough food to eat, a warm place to sleep, and people focusing on and loving them 24/7.

When we were first getting to know them, they expressed their frustration with trying to educate their three Russian speaking children in an English speaking school system. They were spending about the same amount of time teaching them at home as they were getting in school. They were frustrated and exhausted. We, who had been teaching our children at home for about seven years at the time, suggested they give it a try. And they did. Boy howdy, did they! They worked harder home schooling those kids than I had ever seen before. I, the relaxed home schooler, paled in comparison to them. They learned about current events, history, mathematics, investing funds, dealing with people, leadership, and most importantly, how to know God. They learned how to look you in the eye, care about your life, and give big hugs.

This May they graduated the older two at a ceremony held in their home, surrounded by friends and family. I was honored when they asked me to come and document the event through my photography.

Yes, the McEntees are golden, and I am so thankful to call them my friends.

Well done, and congratulations, graduates!