Meet the Akridge family: parents Ben and Michaela, who put love and faith at the heart of all they do; resilient and hardworking Tahjja; Ta’sha, who’s so artistic and only silent until she knows you; athletic, life-of-the-party Tajonne; quiet, reserved Ruey, lover of football, basketball, and all things Fortnite; charismatic Levi, who is already a natural leader (and also thinks Fortnite’s pretty cool); and the wild child, trampoline-jumping Brady, who loves to be the center of attention. The family just loves being together, and don’t even try to talk to any of them while they’re playing Just Dance; it’s both celebration and a stress reliever. They also love bowling, arts and crafts, and video games — anything that brings them together as a family, really.

Michaela and Ben credit their faith for the wonderful things that have happened to them and the path their lives have taken. They moved to Nebraska from Tennessee when Levi was just a baby. Devotion led them to Vacation Bible School at church, where they met Tahjja, Ta’sha, and Tajonne, and that same faith led them to later adopt the siblings (by then, good friends and honorary family members) when circumstances necessitated. A similar type of trust brought Ruey into their family, and they were able to adopt him four years ago, though he’s been a blessing for longer. Speaking of blessings, the Akridges celebrated Brady’s birth somewhere in the middle of all that wonderful chaos, and of course, his arrival was a great joy. Faith led them to found and operate Food Fort, a nonprofit that focuses on feeding and educating Lincoln’s under-resourced neighborhoods. Michaela and Ben will be the first to tell you that faith makes the great stuff happen and makes the hard stuff bearable.

A hard blow

In this last year, this kind and caring family who trusts deeply and loves hard had to steel themselves against a harsh blow: Levi, who had been sick off and on all year, was diagnosed with the T-cell lymphoblastic form of lymphoma in March. He’s been going through some intense treatment — pretty rough stuff for anybody, but really hard on a 9-year-old. The whole family is relieved he’s in the maintenance stage now; he’s just glad to feel like a normal kid again. Ben and Michaela tried hard while Levi was sick not to shortchange the other kids, but it was so hard, and Ben’s been sweating bills and medical expenses for a while now, fearing that the kids’ reward for weathering this storm would be a lean Christmas. The kids are awesome and would probably understand, but he’d hate it.

A force for good in the world

It was actually Michaela Akridge who nominated her husband Ben for a Magic Moment, calling him the selfless, solid rock of their family. She told us how Ben managed to be present for the children in every way possible during this last year, while his own fears and responsibilities weighed heavy on his heart. But then we received two more nominations from Ryan Wittmann and Kayla Werth... for Michaela! The consensus is that both Michaela and Ben have giving hearts — this dedicated duo treasure their family, care deeply for others, and are a force for good in the world (and everyone thinks the kids are pretty special, too).

UBT and our amazing partners wanted to celebrate those giving hearts by making some holiday magic for the Akridge family, complete with a holiday dinner and festive lights (thank you, Hy-Vee and Pedigree Exteriors), a date night for Ben and Michaela at Tomahawks, special gifts for each family member, and a whole lot of family fun in the form of bowling, golf, laser tag, and — wait for it — a brand-new Just Dance Xbox Series S video game!

Ben and Michaela, may you enjoy many magical moments with your incredible family. Have a happy holiday, Akridge family!