Baxter Family

The Baxter Family is a series of characters, featured in roughly one-quarter of Karen Kingsbury's novels. The family grew up, and many still reside, in and around the Bloomington, Indiana area.

* John Baxter--The family patriarch, former emergency room doctor and professor of medicine at Indiana University
* Elizabeth Baxter--The family matriarch, mother of six children (two boys and four girls), died of cancer.
* Elaine Baxter (nee Edwards)--John's second wife.

* Dayne Matthews--The oldest child, born out of wedlock and placed for adoption; his adoptive parents died in a plane crash when he was 18. A successful actor, at 30 he begins the search for his birth parents; he connects with Elizabeth shortly before his death, and later reconnects with John and his other siblings, who make him part of the family. He also saves the Christian Children's Theater building from demolition.
* Katy Matthews--Dayne's wife, also in the acting profession.
* Dayne and Katy are the parents of Sophie, Egan, and Blaise.

* Brooke Baxter West--The oldest daughter, a pediatrician.
* Peter West--Brooke's husband, also a pediatrician.
* Brooke and Peter are the parents of Maddie (adopted as an embryo) and Hayley (who has severe disabilities resulting from a near-fatal drowning at age 4).

* Kari Baxter Taylor--The second oldest daughter, a designer.
* Ryan Taylor--Kari's second husband, a coach at Clear Creek High School.
* Kari and Ryan are the parents of Jessie (who's biological father, Tim Jacobs -- Kari's first husband -- was killed by a stalker shortly before Jessie's birth as a result of Tim having had an affair), RJ, and Annie (Ryan is their biological father).

* Ashley Baxter Blake--The self-professed "black sheep" of the family, an artist.
* Landon Blake--Ashley's husband, Captain of the Bloomington Fire Department.
* Ashley and Landon live in the Baxter family home, having bought it from her father.
* Ashley and Landon are the parents of Cole (Ashley's son by a former relationship with a man who later died of HIV), Devin, and Janessa. They also had a daughter, Sarah Marie, who was born with anencephaly and died shortly after birth. They are also the legal guardians to Amy, who's family died in a car crash.

* Erin Baxter Hogan--the youngest daughter. She and her family (except Amy) died in a car accident.
* Sam Hogan--Erin's husband.
* Erin and Sam adopted four children: Heidi Jo, Chloe, Clarissa, and Amy.

* Luke Baxter--the youngest son, a lawyer.
* Reagan Baxter--Luke's wife, a blogger.
* Luke and Reagan are the parents of Tommy (their biological child, born out of wedlock), Johnny and Malin (adopted).

In addition to the Baxters, the Flanigan family are close friends who are featured in several of the novels.