Mariska Hargitay may be Olivia Benson to most, but to her three kids, she will always be mom, first and foremost.
The Law & Order: SVU actress first became a mom in 2006, when she and her husband Peter Hermann welcomed their first son, August Miklos Friedrich Hermann, who is 18. Then in April 2011, they adopted their daughter Amaya Josephine, 12, and just six months later, in October, the couple adopted their son Andrew Nicholas.
Mariska and Peter first met in 2001 on the set of Law & Order: SVU, when he began guest starring as defense attorney Trevor Langan. Their first date was at church, per Peter's request, and of the special moment, Mariska once told People: "We went to church together, and it was like getting hit with a lightning bolt."
She added: "I just started sobbing. Peter thought I was crying because I was so moved by the service. No, it was because I was just overwhelmed, realizing he was the one."
Below, see some of the best photos of the family of five.