Updated Sept. 2014
My Children ~ My Teacher's is a blog about my family. A journal of sorts! When time permits I love sharing photos, stories, links, recipes, and anything and everything that 'makes life' for our family real. We have 12 kids! Nine girls and three boys. This page is dedicated to sharing a tidbit or two of each of them.
I suppose it is appropriate to begin with mom and dad. The story could be long but I'll spare all the small details. We met a looooooooong time ago. (that's what our kids say anyway) We were both in high school and were playing basketball in the same place one night. It was there we first laid eyes on each other. We dated some in high school then after a few months we went our separate ways for a time. Mom joined the Colorado Army National Guard and played around with life a time. After almost 2 years we joined forces again! This time around we had our ups and downs but boy finally caught girl for good and she settled into marriage and kids and the rest is history.
I suppose it is appropriate to begin with mom and dad. The story could be long but I'll spare all the small details. We met a looooooooong time ago. (that's what our kids say anyway) We were both in high school and were playing basketball in the same place one night. It was there we first laid eyes on each other. We dated some in high school then after a few months we went our separate ways for a time. Mom joined the Colorado Army National Guard and played around with life a time. After almost 2 years we joined forces again! This time around we had our ups and downs but boy finally caught girl for good and she settled into marriage and kids and the rest is history.
Juli is our eldest and one of the best examples 11 brothers and sisters could ask for. Her kindness, patience, example, and love that she has for her siblings goes a long way in the eyes of her mother and I'm so grateful for the 'extra set of hands' so to speak when it comes to raising a large family. Mainly speaking of her love, example, and path she is walking. The younger ones tend to look upwards at their siblings and mimic them in ways we aren't always aware of. It's a wonderful blessing to me knowing they have someone wholesome and clean to shine for them as they grow! She is married to a wonderful guy whom we all love and she is busy raising 3 kids of her own these days!
Vance Jr. is kid number two and a great example for his two younger brothers. He has a fascinating and adventurous job working on the BORSTAR team associated with our nation's Border Patrol. He loves his work and is good at it. He too is married and his wife Heather is wonderful. We love her as our own daughter. Their third child Brynlee Eliza was born in August and is as beautiful as their other two blessings Gemma and Vance.
Kimmy is our second daughter and third child. Kind and thoughtful Kim! She is living happily in our home and working as assistant manager at American Eagle Outfitters. Having an older daughter in the home is amazing and I loathe the day she marries and moves on. It's truly like a second mother. And not in the sense of chores, baking, cooking and all that but just having another "mama" around to help keep things running smoothly! She keeps the younger girls busy by sharing her time and talents with them. And of course there is the fact that she works at a clothing store and is able to supply them generously through her own wardrobe and the many purchases she makes for them! She is truly a blessing.
Robyn is our 4th child and a joy to her family. She married Luke in April 2012 and is busy being a new wife while also working as a teacher to special needs children at an elementary school. Robyn is a joy to talk to and always brings insight into tough situations. Not having her around on a daily basis certainly brings a void into my life. Her marriage to Luke has brought her full circle and she is happy and content in her life as a wife and homemaker of her own home! Beautiful baby girl born April 2014. Charlotte Hope
Christie is baby number 5. She too is now married as well. Known for her quiet, loving and thoughtful ways I have found it very hard having her out of our home. As it has been for each of our children. I suppose time will help fix that but in the end it's never really easy or fun to have our children move out! Five months after Robyn and Luke joined forces Christie married Jeff. They both are still college students and stay extremely busy with working in a family owned ice cream store. Beautiful boy born July 2014. Jordan Jeffery
My youngest 7 blessings have kept my busy. Life is incredible with children. And the more the merrier. My boys Aaron and Gregg are full of life. Both boys are honest, hardworking, kind, loving, thoughtful and busy. When they were little I always wondered how I would survive two little boys back to back. I know that sounds funny considering how their are so many mamas with lots of boys but I was, and still am on more of a girl road! My girls have always been quiet, sweet, and smelled good! So when I got two boys together that all changed for me! (mostly the smelling part!) But they are bigger now and bring me so very much joy. I really don't know what I could ever do without them!
I tend to lump my 5 little girls into one sweet pile. They come on each others heels and are living their life in the same way. First of the five were my twins Emma and Kaydee. What a wonderful shock and surprise it was when I learned there were two babies on their way. And both girls. I was in heaven! They are growing into beautiful, thoughtful young ladies and are such a blessing in my life. They definitely share their own language both verbally and in bodily gestures. It is a sweet thing to watch them grow and see their individuality that peeps in on occasion. But I am noticing that the older they get the more and more individual they are becoming but at the same time they are growing closer and closer to one another. Twins are definitely complex but come with many joys and blessings.
Makenzie, Janai, and Mary came close behind my twins blessing me with 5 little girls in eight years. Makenzie is my comedian. Like her brother Gregg she is always quick with a gesture, a smile, or a trick that makes us all laugh. I am very thankful for the personalities of each of my children and for all the color they bring into my life. Janai is my serious one of the five. She loves reading and searching pinterest for crafts of all kinds. She is very imaginative and artsy! Being so "stuck" in the middle of many girls isn't easy but if anyone can pull it off she can. And speaking of stuck! She is very much a child that loves being with me! Where I go she loves to go and what I'm doing she loves to do. I love having her around and sharing my life with her. Our baby Mary is all that. Our baby. What's with the youngest in families anyway? She, as well as all of my children fills my heart with love. As with Janai, she loves being mom! Grocery shopping and running errands is all the more enjoyable when my Mary comes along. She is my hugger and snuggler and I love every bit of it! These three youngest girls are known to camp out on mom and dads bedroom floor at night and sometimes still sneak in between mom and dad in the middle of the night. Waking up with one of them next to us brings joy and happiness to my heart and smiles to my face!
I tend to lump my 5 little girls into one sweet pile. They come on each others heels and are living their life in the same way. First of the five were my twins Emma and Kaydee. What a wonderful shock and surprise it was when I learned there were two babies on their way. And both girls. I was in heaven! They are growing into beautiful, thoughtful young ladies and are such a blessing in my life. They definitely share their own language both verbally and in bodily gestures. It is a sweet thing to watch them grow and see their individuality that peeps in on occasion. But I am noticing that the older they get the more and more individual they are becoming but at the same time they are growing closer and closer to one another. Twins are definitely complex but come with many joys and blessings.
Makenzie, Janai, and Mary came close behind my twins blessing me with 5 little girls in eight years. Makenzie is my comedian. Like her brother Gregg she is always quick with a gesture, a smile, or a trick that makes us all laugh. I am very thankful for the personalities of each of my children and for all the color they bring into my life. Janai is my serious one of the five. She loves reading and searching pinterest for crafts of all kinds. She is very imaginative and artsy! Being so "stuck" in the middle of many girls isn't easy but if anyone can pull it off she can. And speaking of stuck! She is very much a child that loves being with me! Where I go she loves to go and what I'm doing she loves to do. I love having her around and sharing my life with her. Our baby Mary is all that. Our baby. What's with the youngest in families anyway? She, as well as all of my children fills my heart with love. As with Janai, she loves being mom! Grocery shopping and running errands is all the more enjoyable when my Mary comes along. She is my hugger and snuggler and I love every bit of it! These three youngest girls are known to camp out on mom and dads bedroom floor at night and sometimes still sneak in between mom and dad in the middle of the night. Waking up with one of them next to us brings joy and happiness to my heart and smiles to my face!
