Deaths of brother and mother inspire artist
“I remember when I was young, my mom would write all of her kids’ names down on paper. She had this beautiful handwriting. She also would draw a flower over and over, the same flower. She...
Tagged: family
Marine’s plan to focus on his family falls apart
“I took a year break after graduating high school before joining the Marines. I served about 10 years. I was stationed in California and deployed twice to Iraq. “My son was born just before my second...
Divorce leads to questions for children
“They sat me and my sisters down and told us they were divorcing. They said they just weren’t happy together anymore. I had an idea. But I didn’t think it would happen. “I guess it wasn’t...
Four sons keep mom busy and happy
“He’s 8 months old, and he never cries. He’s just happy all the time, smiling and playing around. “I’m lucky. Normally babies cry for everything, for no reason sometimes. The only time he cried is when...
Five children help keep them together for 57 years
“We met in high school and dated for about two years before we got married. We’ve been together now for 57 years.” What’s your secret to such a long marriage? “Well, we had five children. That...
Big family means that you can have lots of friends
“We have seven kids, ages 28 to 3. He had three from a previous marriage, and we have four together. The best part about having a big family is that you have plenty of friends. “Once...
Meeting on the internet leads to love, then marriage
“We met on the internet. I was on AOL Instant Messenger, and he popped in one day. He said, ‘What’s up with your last name?’ At that time, my screen name was Jenny Willis. And he...
Daughter with cerebral palsy inspires mom
It’s not always easy. But as the mom in a family of six, Amanda Vela tries her best to spread the love around. “One of my biggest challenges is time,” she said. “With multiple children at...
Family embraces togetherness in their tiny house
When it comes to family togetherness, Tamlyn and Toby Hayman are experts. It’s a benefit of living with their six children — four girls and two boys — in a home that measures only 32 feet...
Dad makes sacrifices to help take care of his family
“We have five kids: 19, 17, 15, 13 and 9. They’re all my world. But my youngest one here, she goes everywhere with me. I can’t even go to the grocery store without her. She’s daddy’s...
