Raising six kids has been an adventure to say the least. Six different temperaments. Six different personalities. Six different ways of thinking.
First born was on the early side of things. Balancing the
scales at three pounds three ounces. Full of fight and not a hold of meanness in him.
He had to have a blanket berm around him to keep him in the ICU bed. I would
step on him all the time when he was smaller because he had to always be in the
thick of it with me. Has called me Pops for so long I’m not sure he is sure we
have somewhat the same name. Teen years presented many a close call with the
law. Gladly for his hide there are some judges and police officers that are
friendly to teen shenanigans. He did make the grades and Graduated UVU with an
associate’s degree with honors. All is well to this point he is still alive,
married, with some kids to return challenge his thinking.
Second child of the crew is a mysterious thinker. I found
early that she could hold her own in the scuffles of life. School was a challenge
for her due to people there. Books have always been her best friends. She
managed to make things work with school and now sits as an accomplished writer
and editor. Although hiking has not been one of her most favorite things she
has check many fabulous adventures off the list of great places to be. She
surpassed so much in being the first of my bunch to graduate with a Bachelor’s
degree. She has a sweet side that is amazing caring and warm. On the other hand
she has a fiery side that keeps things very interesting.
The third kid is the “let’s do this kid”. She has some
pretty wide interests. She has challenged and stretches us keeping up with her.
She has travel places of grander and yet also the simple and peaceful ones. From
church missions to soldier she has some drive. She has a way with machinery and
tools. Is a daddy’s Shadow through and through. She picks up things more easily
than most like the piano, second language, sports, school, and more. She showed
her strong independence side very young when she would not allow any one to
help her do things. She made it a point to dress herself when any one tried to
help it added to the challenge. She did at collage change a starter on a truck
in the cold and snow. When she went to the auto parts shop for a new starter
they asked if she needed helpful hints etc, she gave them the look of “well
duh, I got it out didn’t I”.
The fourth is kind of the over achiever. She had the knack
of making up homework to keep herself for being board. Plus doing her other
sibling’s homework. We could never understand how she could keep going like the
Energizer Bunny. She challenged us on many occasions with her hide and seek
tricks that started at maybe two ish. Hiding in a hutch and then clothes racks
at the store to name a few. Her last part of high school we watch as she
balance classes, job, sports, and social life, adding maybe just enough time to
eat, sleep, and run. Known for the barefoot climbing and mud parties. Where
some would say EW to things it was her thing. So she now is perusing the
nursing thing in school. She married this past July too a good hearted guy.
The fifth is the point guard of this team. He jolly
heartedly pranked the rest of the clan. Help filled to the max. He would never
say a word but just do things because they needed to be done. Like one big
cuddly Teddy bear, he attracted kids. When he wacked out his knee we walk and
talked many times as he got back up. He did have his follies along the path. Finding
as flat tire in a parking area with the beast suburban. Chopping a few items
with mowing equipment. Sleep walking while camping. His toughness can out big
at about two, when molding came instantly off the walls when he touched it. He
found a nick name quickly of “The Bulldozer”. It took some time but he fixed many of his own
mishaps. We had many of mix emotions sending him off on a church mission. We
knew he needed to be there but missed his strong helpfulness. Missed his help
in moving pianos, with him on one side and four of us on the other.
The sixth expanded the parental thinking. Creative to the
point of almost deadly. He wanted to make a hang glider and jump off the house.
Not that we didn’t have the tools or stuff he wanted but some of us didn’t want
to help in endangering him. Known for his out of the box thinking. He has some
very serious charm and especially with the girls. Lots of friends but no real
serious arrangements with any of them per say. He is a planner and outlines a
lot of how his next steps of life are going down. Finish high school this past
year and now off to the next phase of his plan. He has never really spent a
time away from home so his next stop could be an adjustment. Boot camp in the
east with other training in the mid south.
