The Pastor's Boy with a Rockin' Name

I only have two first-cousins on my Dad's side of the family and they are the son's of my Dad's younger sister. There is quite an age difference between us and they grew up over a thousand miles away from me. Thankfully, my Dad was an Interstate Commodities Transportation Engineer. That was his spin on the occupation of a truck driver. His career path allowed me to make frequent visits to my Aunt's house in Washington a few times each summer when I was a teenager. Those visits allowed my cousins and I a chance to know each other better. Today they are successful adults and we cherish every chance we get to spend time together laughing and loving.

Ryan, the older of the two brothers became a Lutheran Minister and received his initial pastoral assignment here in Phoenix a few years ago. He and his wife just had their first little niblet and he has become the talk of the family. Ryan told us a few months ago that he was going to be named Sebastian Axel. Sebastian Axel!!! It doesn't get any more 80's rock than that!! I mean Sebastian Bach from Skid Row and Axel Rose from Gun's and Roses, the were icons of the era. I was quickly informed that the two names are from Lutheran biblical history. Ah well, he is still a little rock star in our eyes.

Meet the family.

This is Sebastian. I think the socks are a bit distracting but if you check out the next image, you'll quickly realize that he really likes having his socks on.

Sebastian still wasn't happy when we tried this shot. I wanted a peaceful shot of him resting his head on the bible. Ryan even opened the bible to a passage with special meaning regarding children. I thought it was still a beautiful shot with a new daddy trying to comfort his little boy.

Three generations and the new little family.

Ok, so the picture on the left has some real special meaning. The chair that Ryan is in was purchased by our great-grandparents when they were pregnant with their first child. Our grandmother was rocked in that chair, my father, Ryan's mother and the baby of the family, our Aunt Susan were rocked in that chair. I was even rocked in that chair. Susan has had the chair since our grandparents passed away and made arrangements for Ryan and Adi to use it for their children. Its so amazing to see this single piece of furniture have so much meaning to us family members.

The picture on the right says so much about my Uncle Leo. He has so much pride in his family and spending time with just one or many means the world to him. The look on his face in this picture is what you will see every time Leo is around his loved ones. He is a great man and hope to be the husband and father he is.