James Van Der Beek relocated his family to a new city during the height of the pandemic. They’ve since settled in, and are now focusing on supporting the actor as he battles a serious illness.

In November 2024, actor James Van Der Beek shared troubling news about his health, revealing that he’s fighting cancer. Fortunately, he isn’t facing the disease alone, as he has the support of his wife, Kimberly Van Der Beek, and their children: Olivia, Joshua, Annabel, Emilia, Gwendolyn, and Jeremiah.

“There’s reason for optimism, and I’m feeling good,” he added. According to the American Cancer Society, colorectal cancer starts in the rectum or colon, parts of the large intestine within the digestive system.

With a picture of two Northern Cardinals feeding each other, the actor’s wife appeared to draw a parallel between themselves and the birds. The post read, “Northern Cardinals, the ‘romantic’ birds that mate for life, travel together, sing before nesting, and feed each other seed beak-to-beak during courtship.”

Meanwhile, James is facing his diagnosis in the Texas home that he and Kimberly leased during the height of the pandemic.

Moving to Texas

On September 30, 2020, amid the pandemic, James shared Instagram images of the new house his family moved into in Texas. His wife and children gathered around a tree in one picture.

In another, he and Kimberly posed in front of the fireplace; and the last photo showed some of the children sitting in an empty kitchen.

The actor captioned the post, “Sometimes a fuller life begins with an empty house.” He continued, “Leaving Los Angeles incredibly grateful for all the friends and memories we’ve made here. Onto the next big adventure! ❤️😊”

“But it was feeling really tight for a family of five kids. We had a pretty modest-sized backyard, no real grass to like scoot on or ride bikes,” she added. They moved there to be close to the local park, but unfortunately, the children couldn’t climb trees, ride bikes or scooters, or play ball due to the concrete surroundings.

The plan was to try Texas for a year, with the house owners allowing them freedom to make it their own. Kimberly shared that she’d been trying to convince James to leave Los Angeles for years, but his work commitments made it difficult.

With the pandemic, they realized much could be done digitally. Initially, they considered moving to an area outside Atlanta, but Kimberly had three consecutive dreams encouraging her to move to Texas.

Before moving, she asked the universe for a sign, which came when a friend opened the door wearing a red cap with “Texas” on it, and then came the dreams. The couple decided to visit Texas for their tenth anniversary to explore the area and fell in love with it.

They began turning the property into a family compound, with Kimberly’s then-pregnant sister and her husband moving in as well. Alongside the expansive land in Spicewood, Texas, the Van Der Beeks also have their own private barn. Here’s a glimpse of their home.

In December 2020, the exterior of the house appeared in an Instagram post by James. His wife was seen riding a four-wheeler with one of their children, with wooden buildings visible in the background.

The star honored his wife by sharing several Instagram pictures of her pregnancy and their youngest child at their new Texas house.

One photo showed her husband tossing one of their children into the air by the pool.

One of the photos captured them posing together outdoors.

Embracing her country roots, Kimberly began gardening and raising three Heritage Welsummers chicks on the land.

During spring, the ranch came alive with vibrant flowers.

The family’s dogs also thrived on the property, growing bigger by the day.

The Van Der Beek children even got to play with their neighbors’ horses.

For Halloween each year, James and his children dress up and pose outdoors to showcase their costumes.

And on some evenings, the family gathers around a fire to spend quality time together.

Besides the pool, the backyard also features a tram overlooking the Pedernales River.

Over the years, James and Kimberly have shared glimpses of the home’s interior on Instagram.

When Kimberly celebrated her youngest child’s birthday in October 2024, she shared several images showcasing the interior of their Texas home.

One photo also showed James and Kimberly’s bedroom.

Based on various posts, it seems they have a bookshelf as well.

Wood is a dominant feature throughout the property, even appearing in one of their toilets.

The house includes a mudroom, and James shared some 2023 renovations.

One highlight of their Texas life, as Kimberly shared, was, “I’ll tell you a secret: This cost less than it cost to live in Beverly Hills.”