What happened to the pictures? My one and only critique. I'd love to see Paige as a toddler. Baby number 2! lol ^ ^

They're back! Lol, at first all the pictures said "image not available" or something. Courtney really looked pretty at her wedding.

I like seeing them progress!

2.3 Tabby has Twins

Paige was growing up faster than I wanted to say. I loved spending time with her. She was beautiful, always happy and she really made every day brighter.




On Paige's birthday, I threw a party, and I invited Courtney and Lukas over. Courtney was just beginning to show, as was I. Her due date was only a few weeks before mine. We started talking about names for the babies, and how much fun it would be to have our children grow up with one another. Mom was smiling at us from across the room, while our husbands watched some TV.



When it was time to blow out the candles, I brought Paige over and she blew them out one by one.



My then 5-year old daughter demanded that she get her cake, and it was promptly given to her, and she ate it quicker than I would have thought possible. Afterwards, there was some present-giving. She got a few new toys and a couple new dolls, as well as a teady bear that was mine when I was a child.

She appreciated her gifts, and by the end of opening up presents, the poor thing was worn out, and Kendrick took her upstairs and put her to bed.



Before she left, I went and talked with Courtney, joking that I could hear twins and that she needed to prepare herself. She just laughed a little, and not too long after that, she and Lukas headed home.



Paige loved the color yellow, so, when we moved her into the "big girls room" and told her that she could design it any way she pleased, she chose yellow. Everything in her room was yellow. Everything. I tried to convince her that yellow wasn't the only color, but rather than fight her, I decided to let her have what she wanted.



Three and a half months after Paige's birthday, I went into labor. Kendrick, now knowing what to do a little bit better than before, grabbed everything we needed, and drove me to the hospital.

I knew that I was going to come out of the hospital with a baby, however, I didn't expect to come out with my arms full.



Everyone, meet the two newest members of the Stephens clan. Julia Naomi Stephens (right) and Natalie Jessica Stephens (left). Julia was born at 5:06 in the morning, and Natalie was born four minuets later, at 5:10 AM.

Welcome to the world, little ones.

Tabitha says Goodbye to Harmony

Julia and Natalie were a handful. They looked almost exactly alike, the only difference being their hair color.
Kendrick had to work more, he was close to getting a promotion right after the girls were born, so mom helped me teach them how to walk and talk. Mom loved helping me with them. It brought her so much joy to be teaching children again. I had gone from having one beautiful daughter to having three. It was hard to adjust and I had a much busier schedule, but I loved it. My little girls were a joy, and I loved having them around.

After the girls had learned how to walk, mom and I sat down and watched them play with their toys. They played quietly together, trying to smash little blocks into little holes.

Mom smiled at me and laughed a little, causing me to turn my head and give her a quizzical look.

"Oh, it's nothing," she smiled. "I'm just enjoying being a grandmother. The girls are beautiful, Tabby. They take after you. They're learning very quickly, and they're all gonna be smart and beautiful. Just like you."

I smiled a little and watched them play, working together to get the right pegs in the right holes. When one would go in the hole, they'd clap excitedly and pick up a different peg and start the proses once again.

"Yeah," I smiled, "I suppose they do a little bit, but that's only because I take after you."

My mom smiled, crying a little as she gave me a side-hug and kissed my forehead.

"You're still with Kendrick, going on eight years of marriage. He's a wonderful father, you're a wonderful mother, taking all of your responsibilities seriously and taking care of everything, and everyone, all while still making time for yourself. I'm so proud of you, Tabby. You're doing everything right, and you're giving your children everything I couldn't give you."

I gave my mom a big hug and a tear escaped my eye. It made me so happy to know that my mother was proud of me. It touched me and I was beyond happy to know that I was doing everything right.

"It means so much to hear that, mom. You have no idea. Thank you, mom. You're the reason I'm who I am today, you taught me everything I know. I'm going to live rest of my life trying to be as good of a person as you are."

She smiled even wider at me and kissed my hair again, and then she went downstairs and made my favorite food for dinner, something she would do every time she was proud of something I did.

I just smiled and looked back at my two youngest daughters, knowing that one of my three girls would be where I am someday, and that I need to prepare them just like my mother prepared me.



Even though he did have to work a lot more, he still managed to be home in time to help Paige with her homework and read her a bedtime story before she went to bed. Paige really loved having that quality time with her dad and he really loved spending time with her. It really was their little bit of quality time. He had almost completely mastered the Logic skill, so he was very good at explaining things to her in ways she could understand. It was cute to watch, and I was happy that my daughter had the father I could have only dreamed of having.



When Julia and Natalie's birthday came around, I invited over Courtney and her triplets. Yes, that's right, Courtney had triplets. Two girls, and a boy. Regina, Ursula, and Eric. Their birthday had been a few days before, but rather than having two different parties, we all just had one big one. That being said, there were five cakes and five young children. To say it was chaotic is an understatement. However, when it was Julia's turn to blow out her candles, I don't think I ever saw her more excited. Maybe it because she knew she was going to be getting cake once everyone was done blowing out their candles.



When it was Natalie's turn, she giggled a lot and blew her candles out with a huge puff of air. She was pleased to have blown them all out, and since she was the youngest, and the last to blow out the candles on her cake, everyone ran to get a slice of one cake or another.

Needless to say, after a whole bunch of cake, all the kids were hyper, so we let them loose in the back yard, where they all played on the mini playground we had back there, having a blast and enjoying themselves until late in the evening when Courtney and her family had to head home.

We said goodbye to each other and hugged. It had been almost two months since we saw each other, the both of us being so busy with our young children. She had quit her job, swearing up and down that one day she'd get back into it, but I could tell that she wouldn't be able to, and that made me sad because I knew that she wouldn't be able to fulfill her lifetime wish.



Two years later, it was Kenny's 37th birthday, and my 35th was a few days later. We had a small party that consisted of our close family friends, and we went out to dinner together. It was a small party, but still a party. We were both full-fledged adults now, with three children, and fairly advanced in our careers. I was a level 9 painter, and he was a level 7 in the athletic career track. Mom took the girls out for a night so Kenny and I could have the house to ourselves, which was something we both appreciated.



In her later years in life, mom took up gardening. She loved it, and would spend most of the day outside tending the garden. She'd come back in at the end of the night and teach me new recipes using all the fruits and vegetables she harvested that day. It was a fun and unique experience that we both enjoyed. I loved cooking with my mother, and when we cooked together, the meal was always so much better than when we cooked on our own.




Kendrick and I stayed close, even after 15 years of marriage. Being with him was how being with someone was supposed to be. Things weren't perfect, we had our disagreements, but he was my best friend, he was everything I wanted and everything I needed. He understood me and I understood him, and he was always home, every night and he was always there to sleep by my side. He always whispered in my that he loved me, and he'd always hold me when we drifted off to sleep together. He was the man my father could have never been. He was the best husband that I could have ever asked for, and the best thing that had ever happened to me. I loved him with every part of my soul, and I knew that he felt the same way about me. I trusted him completely, and I was beyond glad to have him in my life.




When Paige's 13th birthday rolled around, I invited the family and a few of her friends. She had a great party and I had a lot of fun too, but I also realized that she was a teenager, and soon she'd be driving, bringing home boys, going to prom, staying out late, and the thought of all of that scared the living hell out of me.




Paige was a beautiful teenager. She looked quite a bit like me when I was her age. That thought made me smile. For her birthday we got her a keyboard, a guitar and a bass. She was musically talented and she was beyond excited to get those instruments for her birthday.

The party lasted a few more hours, but it was on a Sunday night, so I sent the girls upstairs to go to bed, letting Paige stay up an hour later than her younger sisters, and that seemingly gave her quite a bit of joy.



When Kendrick and I went to bed that night, I smiled as we laid in each others arms and he kissed my forehead and mumbled into my hair.

"Do you remember how we met?"

I laughed softly, "Oh, how could I forget?"

He chuckled a little.

"I don't know, but I do enjoy reflecting upon the story."

"You mean Tina, your cousin embarrassing the hell out of me?"

"It couldn't have been that embarrassing. All she did was tell me that you thought I was attractive."

"Oh no," I started, "It was much worse than that."

"Oh was it?" He questioned.

"Yes, yes it was."

"Then tell me how awful it was." He chuckled.

"Alright, alright." I laughed, "So basically, Tina invited me over to hang out and watch some movies, and I was totally cool with that. Watching movies, popcorn, hanging out, it was all fun. So, I cam over. In my god-awful pj's and my hair in a mess. She didn't tell me that you and your friends were there. So, I walk in, carrying The Notebook and a box of popcorn and then I see you, and like your four friends all sitting there and chilling out. I saw you first and I thought you were so hot, I could not stop blushing."

"I could tell," he laughed, "You were so adorable."

I blushed a little bit and continued explaining exactly why the experience of our first meeting was so embarrassing, "So then, Tina comes down and we go upstairs into her room and the very first thing I ask her is 'Whoa, who's that really hot guy downstairs?' and she asked if I meant you, and I said yes, and she said, 'Oh, that's my cousin. Sorry. I didn't think about telling you he was here visiting.' I fell back on her bed. I was so embarrassed. Especially since when I first saw you I couldn't stop blabbing on about what I was there doing. So, then Tina goes downstairs to pop the popcorn and I suppose that's when she told you what I thought about you."

"You would be correct in thinking that." He smiled.

"She comes back up, we watch a few movies, we fall asleep, the next day I come downstairs and there you are in a pair of boxers getting some cereal and I squeak out of embarrassment and then you turn around and we start to talk..."

"I noticed how beautiful you looked as you were coming down the stairs. Your hair was all wild and messy, but it was beautiful, it framed your face perfectly. You had this unzipped hoodie on and it was off one shoulder and the sun was coming in through the main window. It danced off your hair and the skin on your shoulder and reflected in your eyes. Your cheeks were so red, I laughed a little. You were simply too cute. So, when we started to talk and I saw that you relaxed a little, I asked you out on a date."

"In the middle of your aunts kitchen, wearing nothing but a pair of boxers."

"Yup."

"And I squeaked out a very excited yes and gave you my number."

"And we went out on our first date two days later." He chuckled, kissing my lips softly.

"Mhmm, indeed we did." I laughed a little, kissing him back softly and lovingly.

"Now look at us, 17 years later, married for 15 years, with three beautiful daughters, still as in love as ever." He smiled widely, kissing me once more.

I smiled and snuggled into him whispering softly, "Yeah, I'm really happy about that. Thank you for not being like my father, Kenny. Thank you for loving me, and our children. Thank you for keeping your promises and staying with me. Thank you for being a wonderful husband and father. I love you more than I can say."

He gave me a deep, reassuring kiss, "Tabby, it;s my pleasure to love you, our kids, to keep my promises and to spend every second possible with you. I love you more than anything, Tabby, and I will never, ever hurt you, and I will never, ever, ever be like your father."

I smiled and looked into his eyes and we stayed like that for quite some time. How long, I'm not sure. All I know that was that night, I slept peacefully in the arms of the man who loved me and that I loved.



Two months later, my mom got news that my father, Don Lothario, had passed away two nights before. She was completely heart broken. I never really knew my father, so the fact that he was gone didn't really upset me. But it broke my mothers heart. It was like watching her after the divorce all over again. She was so upset, it was painful to watch.

I heard her crying in the bathroom that was next to her room. I went inside to see her crying while sitting up next to the wall. My mom looked broken. It was the only time I had ever seen her that way, and I had no idea what to do.



I helped her up and held on to her shoulders.

"Mom? Why are you so sad? I thought you hated my father."

"Oh, sweetheart," she breathed, "I never hated him. I could never hate him. I loved him more that you could fathom. He was the love of my life, Tabby. I dated many guys before your father, and even one or two after, but he was the one I loved the most, he was the one I wanted to be with more than anything else. He was the man I loved. I have a box underneath my bed with all our wedding photos, and the ring he gave me."

"But he cheated on you, and you divorced him. If you loved him so much, why did you divorce him, momma?"

"Because I was mad, and I was hurt. But one gets over being mad and hurt after 30 or so years my dear. I'm not saying I regret the divorce, because that divorce gave me your beautiful sister, but god damn, honey, I loved your father, and no one, I really do mean no one else could compare to him."

I looked in her eyes and I saw all those years of sorrow and loneliness. My heart broke for her and I gave her a big hug.



"I'm sorry, momma." I whispered.

She cried a little into my shoulder. "I just wish I could have told him before he died that I was in love with him just as much as I was when we got married, but now he'll never know."

"No mom, I'm sure he knows. I'm sure he knows."

She cried harder into my shoulder and I held onto her. My mom had always been so strong, so to see her like this broke my heart. She sounded so old, and weak, like she was about to break for the last time and I started crying too.

"I loved your father. Remember that. I loved him, and he gave me you. He loved you, too. I hope you know that."

The tears started coming a little bit faster and I whispered, "I know mom. I know."



Three days later I got up int the middle of the night to go get some water. I walked passed my mothers room and I didn't hear anything in there. I looked inside and I saw my mother. I went over to her, and I touched her shoulder. It was cold. I called 911 and they came and confirmed that she had died in her sleep in the middle of the night.



We had her funeral a few days later and we laid her to rest in the back yard underneath a willow tree, right next to my father. We held a funeral service for her and the entire town came, showing their respects for my mom.



A few months after my moms funeral, I found out that I was preggers once again, and the doctor confirmed it when I went in the next day. It was at that point Kendrick and I decided to re-build our home.



The old house was torn down, save a few pieces, and the new one was built and finished three months later. We had one guest room put downstairs, and one put upstairs that could easily be converted into a bedroom. The house was huge. But even though the house and most of the things inside were new, I still thought of my mom all the time, and it was hard not having her around, and I could often times be found crying in the kitchen. Kendrick would always just come up behind me and kiss my hair and assure me everything was okay. I believed him, for the most part. I still missed my mother dearly, though.



Not too long after the new house was built, I had another surprise. Another set of twins, and this time, they were boys. Everyone, welcome Chase Alec Stephens (left) and Scott Don Stephens (right).

Looks like we needed that second upstairs guest room after all.

2.5 Tabby sees her Girls Grow

Kenny absolutely adored taking care of his sons. He loved Scott and Chase very much, they were his boys. He could often be found just sitting in their room, playing with them. He told me after we brought them home that he was going to sign them up for sports, take them camping and fishing, and do a whole bunch of "guy stuff" with them. It made me smile, I loved seeing Kenny so excited. He loved all our kids, but I think the two boys really made him happy simply because he didn't think we'd ever have any. We both taught them how to walk and talk, and he volunteered to do the potty training, as I had done it for all the girls. I was very much okay with this arrangement.

Often times when all the girls were at school, I'd sit in the doorway and watch him play with the boys. His eyes would light up, and he was so very happy to have them in our home, as was I. Both boys take after their father with most of their looks and eye color, but have my hair color and nose. They're quite adorable, if I do say so myself.

It really was a shame that mom couldn't be here to see them, she would have been just ask excited as Kenny is. I thought to myself more than once during those many times I stood in the doorway watching Kenny, Scott, and Chase play.



When the girls' 13th birthday came around, I felt much older than I really am. We threw a party with all of their friends from school and our family members. Her cousins had already had their party two and a half weeks before, simply because we didn't want five-sugar high teenagers running about.

Julia got to go to her cake first. She was quite excited and when she blew out her candles, everyone cheered.



When it was Natalie's turn, everyone got even more excited because they knew after she was done, they'd be getting cake, and after all, who doesn't love cake?



Natalie looked like the perfect blend between Kendrick and I. She had my hair, Kenny's eyes, and a mix between our face shapes. She's quite beautiful, and I think with the hairstyle she currently has, she looks quite a bit like me when I was a teenager.

She loves the color purple, and following in her oldest sisters footsteps, she has a completely purple room, and has not changed it since her birthday, which I honestly thought she would.

She basically only ever wore two colors; purple and black. She was quite the artist, and she would ask me on many occasions to teach her how to paint better.



Julia, like her sisters, is beautiful, and I personally think she takes more after Kenny.
Julia is the sweetheart of our family. She's constantly thinking about others and asking if we can donate some money to some charity she found out about. She loves the color pink, and like her two sisters, has her entire room decorated in that color.

She's very happy, and sweet to everyone. There are very few people in her class that are not friends with her, and she is genuinely liked.



Paige was now in her Junior year in highschool, and while for the first few years she basically ignored boys (much to my delight), she decided that now was a good time to get involved and there was one boy, Jordan Crowely who had caught her eye. She invited him over for dinner so that Kenny and I could meet him, and he was quite the nice guy, and he seemed to be head over-heals for Paige. To be honest, seeing those two together were adorable.

Kenny, however was not seeing the adorableness of the situation and said that he "really didn't like the kid", and that made me laugh. I had always heard about fathers being over protective, but I really didn't see it happen until now.



In the few years that have passed since mom died, someone had to take over looking after the garden. That someone ended up being me, and it took up quite a bit of my free time, but I did it simply because I knew that my mom loved her plants, and she'd want me to take care of them for her. I also enjoyed being outside in the late afternoon, after the girls come home from their after-school clubs. They'll hang out on the playground and talk about things they did that day, and it was a great way to hear about how their social lives were going.



One afternoon a few weeks ago, Natalie brought a boy over. His name was Clifford Gains, and those two had been friends in elementary school, but since she started highschool, I hadn't seen much of him. So when I saw those two together, I laughed a little to myself. Cliff was obviously crushing hard on Natalie, and I over heard him ask her to the spring dance. She said yes, and my smile grew even wider, and I could really see those two together sometime in the future.

Seeing the girls interact with each other and boys made me realize that one of them will be taking over the legacy some day, and some day soon. It was hard to think who I would pass it on to, each one of my girls was so beautiful, and very capable.

However, it wasn't time to chose yet, so that's good, but it wont be too long until it's time to chose.

-------

A/N: Who do you guys think should take over?

He whispered in my ear, "Do you mind if after we finish here, we go back to your place?" "For what reason?" I asked, laughing. "Dinner?" "Sure, we'll start with Dinner. Who knows, though, Miss. Stephens, you might want me to stay longer, for other purposes..."

Ah, finished. Wow...it's very long! I've never actually finished a generation - i.e. finished a sim life from cradle to grave. I don't know why, but I just get bored with my sims doing whatever's expected of them. But you've made me realize how much fun it can be - endless possiblities. So much to do... and the interaction between child and parent and all that, nice. I was sad to see Harmony go....but that's what you said 10 generations! Brilliant work, I love your writing. It's very realistic and life-like. I can really connect with the sim. Keep it up! Love Squalls_Lover

From what I've seen, I'm sure you won't disappoint.

Love the updates! I've missed your story lol, I wouldn't know who to choose if we really had to choose right now. The kids have pretty much been mentioned in passing so far, but Natalie seems to be something else lol. I mean that in a good way lol. Can't wait to see what you do with her.

2.6 Tabby's Daughters

When the boys' 5th birthday came around, we invited my sisters family over for a barbecue, at Kenny's request. They were growing up so quickly, it shocked me. I couldn't believe how big they already were. Its surprising how quickly the years go by. However, I was happy that I wasn't going to be having anymore children. 5 children is more than enough to keep me busy for quite sometime. I was in my mid forties when the boys were born, and now that they're 5 years old, I'm pushing 50 while Courtney is in her late 30's. God, I feel old.



Paige is now 17. She's our little musician. She's most skilled in her piano playing, but she also plays guitar, bass, and is trying to convince her father and I to buy her a drum set. We wont. Not ever. If she wants to play her keyboard at 1:30 in the morning, she can turn it down, drums on the other hand...oh, I just shudder at the thought. She's the most creative in our family. All the girls in the family, including my mother, did ballet as children, however Paige was the best in her class by far, and got a special statue for her achievements in the class. She does music club after school and is the best in her group at everything musical. She's a real virtuoso and loves everything that has even anything remotely to do with music.

Her other interests include going after guys her father doesn't like. First, there was Jayden Ratcliff. "Jay", as she called him, was a junior when she was a freshman, and he wasn't the best kid to be around. He was rude, loud, and rather obnoxious, and if I may speak bluntly, kind of a dick. So, because he was the first boy she introduced to us, Kenny now assumes that she goes after the same kind of guy, and that's part of the reason why he's so against Jordan Crowley, even though, from what I've seen of him, he's a nice kid.



Julia is 15, and she's our writer/future journalist. She adores writing, much like Courtney. She especially loves writing factual articles on whatever is assigned to her. She's also the bookworm of our family, and like me, you could say she's a bit of a loner. She is very friendly once she gets to know people and is a real sweetie. You could say that she's a girly girl, but also a bit of a nerd. She's not too interested in boys, but she does keep talking about this one guy, Nickolas Rapp. He's in the newspaper club with her and she thinks that he's "quite amazing".

She's shy in school and she's always the first one to finish her homework and help her younger brothers with theirs. Her voice, like she is, is very soft and sweet, and I can see her being quite an excellent mother someday. However, she doesn't want to be stuck at home, and she insists that she's going to become a journalist, and eventually, be the star of the evening news.



Natalie is much like me in the sense that she loves art, and she loves to paint. She also adores taking photographs and is quite good at it. She'll spend hours painting after she does her homework, and sometimes, we'll even paint something together, which can be a rather awesome experience. She's very much a free spirit and while she say's that she "really likes" Cliff, she's not in an exclusive relationship with him, and "doesn't really plan on it", either.

She tells me that she wants to travel, and go see the world before she's "too old to enjoy it", and I love the fire she has. She's very passionate and very much an intense personality. Most people find her to be over the top and loud, but it's that very thing about her that makes me smile. She knows what she wants and how to get it.



Teaching the girls to drive was the most terrifying experience I have ever encountered in my entire life. There was a lot of yelling, break-stomping and mini heart attacks. Julia was the easiest to teach to drive, then came Paige, and Natalie...Nat was quite the pain to teach, as she kept insisting that I had no idea what I was doing. Not that I "ever did anyway", according to her.



Mostly, the boys were very...well, they were boys, and Kenny was more than happy to run around outside with them, push them on the swings, or throw a ball around with them. As a pro athlete, he didn't tire out until after the boys did, which was always a good thing, as by the end of playtime with their dad, they were worn out.

Scott was a little more...intense. His personality was the most like his older sister, Natalie's. Chase, on the other hand was very outgoing, funny, and very active, but he wasn't as in your face as his slightly older brother.



After the school dance in late spring, everyone displayed their dance pictures in their room. Julia, being the lover of pink that she was, wore an all pink dress, the same color as her carpet. I tried to get her to wear another color, but she insisted on the pink.



Natalie went with Cliff, and they were just plain adorable in their picture. She kept insisting that she was "just keeping him around for now", but you could see when they were together, you could see how into each other they really were.



And when Paige went to prom with Jordan and won prom queen, I was beyond happy to have my oldest daughter win, like I had when I was her age.

All in all, as I watched my daughters grow, I was more and more torn as to who I was going to pass the legacy on to. Each one of the girls would be amazing as mothers and at upholding the legacy, and as time went on, the choice just got harder and harder.



I was now, thankfully, a much, much better cook than I was before. Now that I was at level 8 in my cooking skill, as well as level 7 in gardening, the meals I was making were continuing to get better and better, and I think my mother would be beyond proud of how good of a cook I'm becoming.

However, now that I was gardening, cooking, cleaning, yelling at my children to clean their rooms and do their homework, calling the repair man every time something broke, doing all the laundry and attempting to spend some time with my husband and children, I hardly ever had any time to paint anymore. That made me a little sad. I loved painting, it was the way that I dealt with things, or just the way I relaxed. Now, however, I never had the time.



After Kenny would come home from work, the kids would have just finished eating dinner, and were normally burning off some steam by playing a game or doing a fun activity together. Most of the time, it was hopscotch. Everyone loved to play hopscotch.

Often times, on Friday nights, whoever wasn't out on a date or catching up on late homework was playing hopscotch in the play area off the living room.



A few months before her 18th birthday, Paige came up to me while I was in the garden and asked me something that was quite unexpected.

"Mom?" She asked.

"Yes, Paige?"

"Um...I was wondering if it'd be okay if I got a horse."

"A horse? Why do you want a horse?" I questioned, very confused.

"One of my best friends, Sara West has one, and he's so beautiful, and well, I just really want one. We have the land, the yard already has a fence a horse can't jump, all we need is the stall and another small fence to protect the plants." She mumbled.

"Where are you going to get the money to buy a horse?"

"Oh, I'm not gonna buy one, mom. I'm going to adopt one. Plus, I've been saving up money from my job at the grocery store, I already have my car...please?"

"I'll think about it sweetie," I smiled, now knowing exactly what to get her for her birthday.

"So, I'm guessing that means that you need to talk to dad about it?" She asked.

"Yup, now, hurry up and get ready for work, silly."

She smiled and skipped back into the house, and I just laughed a little, smiling widely at her.

I'm leaning towards Natalie, seems to have a little rebel in her. Although, I'm not sure if Cliff should end up being her husband or lifetime mate, but he's cool for just dating in high school. I see Natalie being with someone a little more like her, someone with a little edge. Maybe my feelings about him will change by the end of Tabby's saga.

2.7 Tabby Starts Feeling Old

The next day I made a point to speak to Kenny before he left for work about possibly getting our oldest daughter a horse. When I told him the idea, he laughed.

"She wants a horse?" He chuckled, seeming to be amused at the idea.

"Yeah. She does." I replied with a smile.

"Well, she wants either a drum set, or a horse, and we both know she will not be getting the drum set anytime soon." He grinned.

"You have a point."

"So, it's settled. We'll go pick out a horse for her in a few days, so she can meet the horse and decide if she wants to adopt the one we picked out for her, or if she wants a different one, and by the time all of that happens, it should be reasonable to let the horse be her birthday present." Kendrick spoke.

I smiled and gave him a quick kiss before heading back inside to get dressed. I was going to go look at the horses after Kenny left for work, and then when he had his day off, I'd make sure he liked the horse as well.



We chose on a beautiful mixed breed mare. She was very well tempered and smart and very friendly. Her name was China and when Kenny and I brought Paige to see her, we could tell that we had picked out the perfect horse for her.



Two and a half weeks later, we brought China home, and instantly, Paige began to ride her around the neighborhood. At first the poor girl was scared to death about falling off, but, as time went by, you could see her getting more and more comfortable.



Most nights when the kids were out or sleeping, and everything was quiet, Kenny and I would relax in our room and talk. Sometimes we'd talk about the day, the week, how things were going in our life, our kids. The topic of who to pass the legacy on to came up a few times as well. The conversation would normally fell from daughter to daughter, lingering for a moment on a different one of our girls each time.

One night, while we were talking, Kenny whispered, "Whoever you chose, I'll support you. I'm sure your mother would too."

I smiled at him and gave him a soft kiss, smiling a little at him. Kenny always knew what I needed to hear, and what to say to calm me down. He was the definition of a good husband, and I was beyond happy to have him as mine, and in my life.



In the month before Paige's 18th birthday, Natalie and Cliff started to hang out more and more. Each time they hung out at night, she'd cut it closer and closer to curfew. When I asked her about it, she just kept saying that Cliff was just that awesome of a guy, that when she was around him, she easily lost track of time.

I smiled at her when I heard that, realizing how crazy about him she must actually be.



The boys were getting older, and because of this, Kenny would take them down to the hatchery in town and let them do a little bit of fishing. It was a good way for all of the boys to bond and spend time together. Scott and Chase adored it, and they would bring back fish for me to use as fertilizer in my garden.

Scott loved to be outside. Often times, you could see him standing beside me in the garden, talking about plants, animals, life, nature and playing outside.

Chase, on the other hand didn't really care either way, he just wanted to spend time with his brother and father, and get away from all the drama three teenage girls can create.



I started to try and let Paige have some more freedom. She was going to be a young adult soon, and so, she needed more freedom, as well as responsibility. She had a job, car, and a horse to take care of, all on top of her school work, and she was doing very well.

I pushed her curfew back to midnight, and she would normally be home by 11:15 when she went on dates with Jordan. One night, however, she didn't make it home until almost 2 AM.



To say that Kendrick was mad would be an understatement. He was furious and scolded Paige for staying out so late, especially with a boy. He grounded her until her birthday, and she did not think that was fair. She explained that they went out to dinner after the movie, and it had simply taken forever to get inside, eat, pay the bill and leave. The diner was all the way across town, and it took awhile to come back.

I eventually said that I understood her reason, and that she was still grounded, but for only a week, and to go upstairs. She seemed to think that was more reasonable, and went to bed. I told Kenny not to worry about it either. It was a Friday night, she was nearly 18, and there was no reason to be so mad that she was out with a boy, especially one as kind and reasonable as Jordan.

He eventually sighed and admitted I was right, and that he had simply been worried about her. The next day he lifted off all punishment, and told her not to stay out so late again. She agreed and swore to always be home by a reasonable hour.



When Paige's 18th birthday came around, all of her friends from school came. All in all, the party was a blast, and my oldest daughter was now a young adult, ready to take on the world.

Now that I read it again, Paige does need to be on her own it seems. She might be the first to leave. So...I go for Natalie too! I wonder what the boys will be like. You know... I'm leaning toward Paige actually. I love that she wants a horse and Jordan could be a good husband. She's my favorite lol.