A Girl's Garden--A Farmacy Story (COMPLETED)

[deedee_828]

And when I mention it to Mom, she's all for it!

She contacts a Spa she used to frequent back in Bridgeport and finds out they're offering a special promotion for their new 'rejuvenate and refresh' program.

It's an all day spa treatment package that includes your choice of hair care options, sea salt scrubs, mani-pedi's, mud baths, and full body massages of various types, including a couples only massage class.

The only kicker is that it's only for adults, no children are allowed, not even teens.

But the entire package is free for adults agreeing to photos and reviews of their experience in their next promotional brochure.

It wouldn't hurt anything for me and Nolan and Mom to take a break right?

Just a day to relax and be pampered while the older kids are at school.

And Ward and Ben will be perfectly safe with a sitter until their sisters get home in the afternoon.

We'd take a late flight out of Bridgeport and be back early Saturday morning so we'd be out of town less than 24 hours.

Breeze and Rielle are certainly capable of looking after their three younger brothers for one evening. Right?

And their Mimi and Aunts and Uncle would all be at hand if they needed any help.

Mom, Nolan, and I decide it sounds too good to pass up.

So Nolan and I discuss it all with Breeze as the oldest, stressing how much we're depending on her to be responsible.

Breeze nods through our whole conversations and says, "It sounds incredible! I wish I was old enough to go along, I'd love to see the city and all it's night life. But you can count on me to take care of things here!"



 
While Mom tells Rielle all about our plans for Friday.

And she's just as receptive.

"None of you have ever had a day away from the farm, I agree, it's too good to pass up. And I'm old enough to help Breeze with the boys! In fact, Dean's asked his friend Tyrone to sleep over tonight. It will be good practice for tomorrow."




Rielle tries her hand at her first 'babysitting' opportunity and reads a bedtime story to the young boys.

As Dean starts to climb to the top bunk, he says, "Are you sure you don't mind the bottom bunk Ty? I usually sleep on the top one, but I wouldn't mind letting you have it tonight."

Tyrone can't take his eyes off of his friend's pretty older sister and doesn't even mind that she's reading a logic book to them rather than a real bedtime story.

He's so distracted by Rielle that he just shakes his head and says, "I'm fine here. Maybe next time I'll try the top bunk."




With the kids all sleeping, we gets our bags packed so we'll be all set for our early morning flight.

Aggie's Corner has grown since mom arrived all those years ago and they have a real airport now.

It's small, but they have direct flights to Bridgeport so we'll be there within a couple of hours.

But in the morning, I'm already having second thoughts, maybe even third, as I rock with Ben.

Can I leave my little boys with a sitter even for a day?




But Mom and Dean won't hear of cancelling our trip and they tell me I need it more than either of them.

We get all four kids off on the bus the next morning, and then introduce Ward to the new babysitter, Jessica Brandt.

Jessica picks Ward up straight away saying, "Well, aren't you just the cutest little thing!"

And when she tickles him and we all hear his sweet little laugh, she says, "It's probably best if you all head out while I have him occupied. It usually works best that way. Goodbyes with toddlers can be tearful."

Nolan looks at me and says, "I think our boys are in good hands Summer. I'll get our bags as the taxi will be here any minute."




Within moments mom and Nolan have me all tucked up in the taxi and we're off.

Mom reassures me saying, "Relax Summer, you'll feel so much better after a day of pampering."

I like the idea of being pampered but I'm still a little nervous about leaving the kids on their own.




But the boys do great with Jessica who calls me and says, "Everything's fine Mrs. Swanson! I like calling my first time parents with progress reports as it helps them enjoy their time away. I've fed, changed, and rocked little Ben, and he's down for a nap. Ward's been an angel and he's eating his lunch in his high chair right now. None of my toddlers ever pass up Mac and Cheese!"

I'm so relieved to hear the boys are doing well, and so thankful for Jessica's call that, once she rings off, I turn to Nolan and tell him we'll have to give Jessica a bonus and let her agency know just what a gem she is!

With my mind at ease, I head off to that couples massage class with Nolan, eager now for some relaxing, romantic time with my husband.




And though Breeze had every intention of keeping her promise to us, things didn't work out like she had planned.

I got all the details after the fact of course.

Here's what happened while we were gone:

All Breeze's thoughts were focused on tomorrow night being Prom and she couldn't wait to go with Barrett.

"Do you mind if I do my homework first then head home Rielle?  I want to get it out of the way before Prom. I promise I won't leave you home alone with boys for very long."

"I think I can handle it Breeze. And I'll have plenty of time to work on my homework since I don't have a date."

"You could join me and Barrett. We wouldn't mind at all."

"Um, thanks for the offer but I really don't want to play gooseberry and ruin your big night."




So she worked on her homework diligently and was almost finished when her cousin Flynn looms over her sneering, "I knew that prank of yours was just a one-hit-wonder! I asked around and you're not even planning a party while your parents and grandma are out of town. Some party animal you are, no fun at all!"

Breeze doesn't answer but his words have touched a nerve.




Across town, Dean's having a better time as he met a new boy in school and volunteered to help him with his homework after school that day.

The boys were doing homework at the Kindle family*** dining room table when Leonard's dad came downstairs, tired and sweaty from moving boxes all day.

"Who's your new friend Leonard?" asked Rhone Kindle.

"Oh, he's Dean Swanson dad. He sits next to me in class and he's helping me with homework."

"Well, then I won't keep you from working on it. If you get it done early, you'll have the whole weekend free."

"Do you think Dean could stay over dad?" Leonard asked eagerly.

"We're still getting settled in Leonard, maybe another time."

Hearing Leonard's disappointment, Dean says, "What if Leonard stayed at my house tonight instead Mr. Kindle? I have an extra bunk bed he could sleep on and my parents said I could have a sleep over this weekend."

"Why that's nice of you to offer Dean. If Leonard wants to, I think that would be fine. He'll just be bored here with most of his stuff still on the moving van."




But when Rielle's cousin Flynn and their class mates from school start showing up at the house she asks bewildered, "What's going on? Why are you guys here with Grandma and mom and dad out of town?"

Flynn, trying to play it cool with Jeannette nearby, answered her saying, "Because your sister finally put on her big girl panties and invited our whole class over to a party. I'm sure she only invited me to prove she had the nerve to do it! But I'm liking what I'm seeing so far so I may just stick around for a bit."

Rielle shook her head ruefully and said, "And I'm sure you had nothing to do with goading her into it."

But then one of her favorite songs started playing and she started dancing to the familiar tune, her objections to the party fading a bit.




And pretty soon the hall was filled with chatting and dancing teens.

Breeze and Barrett practicing their dance moves for Prom.

While their cousin Emilie Dean persuaded Henry Crumplebottom to dance, and despite his clumsiness, her smile shows everyone she's having a great time.

Janna Rios was dancing slowly by herself, trying to get up her courage to ask Flynn to dance as she'd seen him grinning at her earlier.

Caitlyn Culver was dejectedly standing alone in the middle of the room, trying not to show her disappointment at the boys neglect of her as her vampirism had a tendency to scare them off.

While Rielle wondered how it was going at the Spa and if it was really a good idea to have a party with their parents out of town.




With that thought in mind, she checked on Dean who was playing outside with his friend, then she took care of Ward and Ben.

Giving Ward a snuggle and helping him use the potty and then spending a little big sister time with Ben.

Taking care of all his baby needs, clean diaper, a bottle, and some play time, so he wouldn't feel lonely.




Once Rielle returned to the party, she told Breeze the boys were fine, but Breeze just nodded, asked her to order a pizza as they were all getting hungry, and continued dancing with Barrett.

While Rielle called to place their order, she noticed Caitlyn was still on her own and she wondered if she wasn't the only one uncomfortable about this party.




Outside, Dean and Leonard have changed into swim trunks to play on the new slip 'n' slide that Dean had gotten as a birthday gift.

"Thanks for deciding to come over Leonard. I'm glad I've got a friend to play with while my sisters are busy with their friends. All they do is talk and dance, and my brothers are still too little to play with me."

"I love it here Dean! Having a friend to play with and no one telling you to keep the noise down. It's awesome! But where are your parents? I didn't see them when I got here."

"Oh, my parents and Grandma are out of town, but they won't be gone for too long. They have a late flight back from the city. They'll get home after bedtime and be here in the morning."

"That's so cool that they let you have friends over when they're not home. My parents would never allow that. Maybe it's because you have sisters in high school?"

Dean thinks about that a moment, shrugs, and says, "I guess so. Hey, the slide should be wet enough now, let's give it a try!"




And when the pizza arrives, Rielle's in such a hurry to get it into the kitchen that she inadvertently catches Flynn's should with the corner of the box.

"Oh, sorry Flynn! I didn't mean to bump you…"

Since Flynn was now dancing with pretty Jeannette Crumplebottom he modifies his typical snarky comment by saying, "Great, the grubs here at last, though I could have done without being clobbered with it!"




And soon the kitchen is filled with hungry teens waiting for a slice of pizza or some of the mac and cheese Rielle made earlier.

When Rielle sees a young boy she doesn't know looking a bit bewildered in the crowd of teens, she says, "You must be the new boy in school, Dean's friend."

The boy nods and says shyly, "Yes, I'm Leonard Kindle. We just moved to town and I met Dean at school today. Is it okay for me to get something to eat?"

Rielle smiles and tries to put him at ease, saying. "Of course! Did you want pizza or mac and cheese? You'll never get anything on your own is this crowd!"

With her friendly words Rielle has made an unknown conquest of yet another one of her brother's young friends.




But when most of the teens have eaten their fill, Janna Rios almost has a meltdown when she realizes she's wearing the same dress as Jeannette, which is why Flynn had been watching her earlier!

She's mortified and though no one else really cares, she screams dramatically and clutches her head!

Some of the teens laugh, but Rielle tells her it's okay, not a big deal.




To take the spot light of Janna, Rielle whispers to her cousin Emilie and laughing they both collapse to the floor, feigning sleep.




But what draws even more attention is a dispute that arose between Barret and Drake Westmoreland.

One that neither one of them was faking.

Apparently Drake had said something about Breeze dancing really well, and Barrett took offense at him looking at his girlfriend!




And that's when we got home!

As I strolled in the front door, relaxed from a day of pampering, I was met with the sight of Rielle and our niece Emilie passed out on the kitchen floor!

And my ears are assaulted with the yelling of two teenage boys arguing about Breeze!

My relaxed state evaporated immediately as I stared in disbelief at our house full of teens at 2 a.m.

And even worse, a young grade school boy that was a stranger to me, who should have been in bed long ago.




But my immediate worry was our three young sons so I told Nolan I would check on the boys while he dealt with our daughters.

The way I was feeling I was counting on his 'military face' to be a big part of his lecture!

And it was.

The Dean's hidden talent not only led to unexpected blazes, but could fire up their tempers as well.

And though Nolan would have rather not have had an audience, he wasn't waiting for an empty house to give Breeze the dressing down she deserved.

But he found out she had just gone outside as we walked in the front, so he headed determinedly out the back door.




And poor Caitlyn Culver got to hear every word of his lecture.

"How could you throw a party when we weren't home!?! I'm so disappointed in you Breeze! We counted on you acting responsibly and you've let us down."

"I'm sorry dad. It just sort of happened, but no one got hurt or anything. We just danced, ordered pizza and made mac and cheese. We didn't drink any nectar, I swear! Rielle and Emilie were just fooling around, they weren't really passed out."

"Just sort of happened? A party lasting until 2 a.m. doesn't just sort of happen! And two boys were in the kitchen almost coming to blows over you! As for the nectar, that's something I will check on with your sister, believe me. And what about your brothers? You were supposed to be watching them, you and Rielle. No, I'm not accepting any excuses. There's only one punishment that will suffice for something of this magnitude. You are GROUNDED young lady, until further notice, you will not leave this house!"

"But dad?! Prom is tomorrow…umm, tonight! I can't miss my Prom!"

"You should have thought of that before throwing an unsupervised party when we were out of town and you were supposed to be babysitting your three younger brothers! You had better do everything you can to get back in my good graces Breeze. Starting with cleaning up the mess in the kitchen."




With his anger still flaring, Nolan waits for Breeze to get back inside to get started on clean up duty.

He finds Rielle in the kitchen looking downcast but he's determined to find out the truth about what happened.

An embarrassed Henry Crumplebottom says, "I'll help clean up the table Mr. Swanson. Right away, sir!"

Nolan responds with a tight nod of his head, saying, "Thank you Henry. That would be appreciated."




But when he starts asking Rielle about her part in all of this, Breeze interrupts and says, "Dad, it wasn't Rielle's idea. The party was all me. She went home right after school and took care of the boys. She even took care of them during the party. The only thing she did was order pizza and I asked her to do that. Please don't punish her for my mistakes. It was all my fault!"

"Well, at least you're being honest Breeze, that will help your current situation. And I'm glad to know one of my daughters is responsible." Saying that, he patted Rielle on the shoulder and added, "That let's you off the hook."

But his words about having one responsible daughter struck Breeze and Rielle saw the hurt look on her face.

So Rielle clasped her hands together and said, "Thanks dad. But it wasn't really all Breeze's fault either. Flynn goaded her into the party and somehow it just got bigger and bigger."

Nolan asked, "Is that true Breeze? The party was really Flynn's idea?"

Breeze reluctantly answers, "Sort of. I wasn't even thinking of throwing a party, not while you were gone anyway. But then Flynn said I wasn't any fun, not a real party animal at all! And then…"

"So you let him get to you and then the party 'just happened'. I'm beginning to get the whole picture here. That doesn't mean I'm letting you off the hook completely, Breeze. But if you and your friends can get this place cleaned up quickly so we can all get to bed, I just might reconsider Prom. But I will have to inform everyone's parents. It's not safe or responsible for any of you to throw or attend unsupervised parties. Does everyone understand?"

Breeze, Rielle, Jeannette, and all the other teens still there, nodded and meekly answered, "Yes, sir."

Of course, Flynn was nowhere to be found, though we all assume he heard Breeze get grounded, which was probably his goal in the first place.




Well, the battle of the teens continues with Flynn getting a point for this round.

Nolan's relented a bit and given Breeze a way to earn the privilege of attending her prom Saturday night.

And we promised Dean he could throw a Slumber Party that same night!

But Rielle gets an unexpected surprise Saturday morning, one her father isn't thrilled with at all.

So much happens on Saturday, I had to break it up into several journal entries.

The first entry is Chapter 48: A Date for Prom
Coming soon.

***Author's note: Thanks so much to Amaranthin for generously uploading her Kindle family (Rhone, Karie, and Leonard) to the Forum at my request. I was smitten with YA Leonard and his dark good looks when he appeared in her Kindle Town Jump story. She not only allowed me a copy of him, but provided a child version, along with his parents, and they have just moved to Aggie's Corner. Since Rhone is the grandson of Blaise Kindle and Justin Kayes and his wife, Karie, is the daughter of Zelda Mae and Christopher Steel, I feel it only fitting for this family to make an appearance in my Farmacy story. A story that takes place in Adventureland, a deserted Sunset Valley, that Agnes Crumplebottom** vowed to return to it's former glory. So this branch of the Kindle family has returned to their roots, to a town their forbears used to call home, to reestablish the Kindle, Kayes, Mae, and Steel family genetics. And if I have my way, to add those genetics to my own Swanson family!

**Authors' note: The Agnes Crumplebottom in my Farmacy was provided to me by MrsFlynn, along with her two YA adopted children. Agnes is no longer be with us, but Henry and Jeannette Crumplebottom are her grandchildren, through her son, Gerald. While Barrett Rios, Breeze's teen boyfriend, is her grandson, through her adopted daughter Olivia. So there's a very good chance that Crumplebottom genetics will be added to the Swanson family as well.

[Beks]

It's so lovely to see the Kindles popping up in a totally different story! (And surreal. Hard-to-wrap-my-head-around surreal.) I'll be keeping an eye on this to see what happens!

[deedee_828]

The next morning, mom's up early with Ward, who demanded his breakfast in his highchair.

After having toddler food with Jessica, he's decided he really likes it.




Later that morning, the doorbell rings and in comes a young teen that Breeze doesn't recognize, though he looks slightly familiar, and he's cute, very cute!

Her heart beats a little faster and she wonders if he has a date for prom.




"Hi, I'm Rielle. You look a little familiar. Were you ever a paper boy?"

The boy grins and says, "It's me Rielle, Dean's friend, Leonard. I was here last night at the party. You got me some food. I had my birthday after I got home. I start high school on Monday."




As Rielle looks at him even more intrigued, Leonard stares right back.

Their mutual interest in each other obvious by their star struck expressions.

Rielle whispers, "It's true, love at first sight is really true."

Leonard smiles and looks deeper into her eyes..




But Rielle's not wasting any time, prom is tonight and now she's determined to go.

With a date!

"So what's your sign? Do you think we're compatible?"

Leonard says enthusiastically, "I will be any sign you want me to be! I'll make sure that we are."




Rielle smiles and asks, "Well, you met a house full of teenage girls last night. Is there a possibility you've already decided on someone special?"

Leonard nods, looks deeply into her eyes and says, "Oh yes, I met someone quite special. She made me feel welcome and got me a slice of pizza!"

Rielle's smile grows larger and she says, "So I did. Who knew that a small kindness would provide such a spectacular return!"

And though the teens have eyes only for each other, Nolan has his eyes on both of them and he is not happy, not even one little bit!

When Rielle realizes they are no longer alone, she turns to her father and says, "Dad? Do you mind? You're staring at us!"




Nolan reluctantly leaves them alone, but his parting words are, "Remember Rielle, no boys in your bedroom, for any reason!"

Rielle made a face and her embarrassed response could have been heard down the road as she moaned, "Dad!!! You're killing me here!"




But she quickly recovered and her put her new trait to good use.

Gazing deeply into Leonard's eyes.




Giving him a sultry look from under lowered lashes, basically flirting for all she was worth.

And new teen Leonard Kindle didn't stand a chance against her charms!

He had already been smitten with her last night and now that they're the same age, he's a goner.




Then Rielle pops the big question, "I know it's last minute Leonard, but I haven't met any other boy I wanted to go with. Will you be my date for prom?"




Leonard answers, "You bet I will Rielle. I'll be the envy of all the boys there, having the prettiest girl as my date!"

In their excitement, they hug each other tightly.

And at that special moment, a very disgusted Dean walks by heading outside, and he says, "Can't a guy catch a break around here? I only had you for my friend one day Leonard and now you've gone and grown up, acting all goofy and hugging my sister. I asked you over to play with me, not her! I will be outside on the slip 'n' slide. Not that you care!"




Leonard pulls back reluctantly as he says, "I should probably hang out with Dean. He did invite me over."

Rielle smiles and says, "We'll both go hang out with him in a few minutes. First I want to spend a little more time alone together."

And she starts off by giving him a back rub.




Then they hold hands and, as Leonard strokes his thumbs across her wrists, he feels her pulse racing just like his own.

He says, "You have magic fingers Rielle. So soft but so strong. I'm really looking forward to tonight, to spending some more time alone with you."

Rielle whispers softly, "Just think, our first date is going to be Prom Night. It doesn't get any more romantic than that."




Then they both change into swimsuits and head outside to join Dean.

A very surprised Dean, who says, "You're both really going to play with me?"

Rielle nods and says, "Until we have to head in to town and finish the decorations for prom! So we're all yours Dean for the next hour." Then as she watches him go down the slide first she adds, "But I will never forgive you if I sprain my ankle and miss prom!"

Dean laughs and says, "You won't hurt your ankle. But if you fling yourself down too hard, you will hurt your belly! Ask Leonard. He did that last night."

Rielle hides a smirk and then glances over at Leonard's stomach.

She doesn't see any red marks but when her eyes meet his, both of them look away, their faces heightened by a bit of color.




But that's all forgotten as the three of them take turns on the slide.

Slipping and sliding and enjoying the cool water in the summer heat.

Rielle sticks to sliding in a sitting position, not wanting a bruised stomach to ruin her prom.




While Rielle, Leonard, and Dean play outside, an anxious Breeze begs her grandma to intervene with her parents and let her go to prom.

"Please grandma, you know how much prom means to me! My friends and I cleaned up the kitchen. I've taken care of all the trash. I even did some laundry! And I'll go back to be grounded afterward, I just don't want to miss this night."

Brooke smiles and says, "We've been watching you and you have worked hard. We know you didn't actually pre-plan the party, but you did let Flynn push your buttons and you ended up doing exactly what he wanted you to. So we're still not happy about that part. But we all know just how much prom means to you, so your father's decided to let you off the hook."

Breeze dances her grandmother around the room, saying, "Thank you, thank you, thank you! I owe you big, grandma! Whatever you need done, just ask."

Breeze shakes her head and laughs dramatically, saying, "I'll hold you to that girl. But you have to promise me one thing tonight."

"What's that?"

"That you'll dance all night and have the time of your life!"

Her eyes shining, Breeze nods enthusiastically saying, "Now that's an easy promise for me to keep!"




Breeze hurries to shower and dress so she's just perfect for prom.

But when she finds her sister in the kitchen, still in her swim suit and eating a snack, she says, "Hurry up! You're not even dressed yet and the limo's here. I'll go out and stall the driver, but don't take too long!"

"Is it that late already!? I just have to throw my dress on and grab my shoes. I'll be ready in a jiffy. Have the boys arrived yet?"

"Barret's meeting me there since he had to work this afternoon. I don't know if Leonard's here or not."




But Leonard is definitely here, all spiffed up in his new suit.

A bit nervous, but anxious to see Rielle again.




A few moments later Rielle walked out to meet him and she hurried down the porch steps as the limo driver tooted the horn again.

The worry of every teen girl going to prom showing all over her face.

I know exactly what's going through her head, *Is my hair perfect, my dress, my make-up? Will he think I'm pretty?*




They're all actually a bit nervous as they settle into the limo, each one of them lost in their own thoughts and expectations for tonight.

Breeze breaks the silence saying, "I hope our decorations turn out as well as we planned."

Rielle adds, "Me too. But I don't think you can go wrong with a theme like 'Starry Night', it's just so romantic!"

Leonard laughs as he says, "Setting it up sure wasn't romantic. We must have pasted a million glow-in- the-dark stars on the ceiling. It seemed like it anyway. I was still scraping glue off my fingers today!"

Rielle smiles and says, "With all the twinkle lights we draped everywhere, no one will notice the glue. And if it makes me stick to you, well I won't mind."

Leonard slides his hand across the seat to cover her hand and says, "I wasn't thinking of it that way, but glue or no glue, I'll be by your side all evening Miss Swanson."

Sitting alone Breeze now realizes why her sister didn't want to go to prom as a third wheel!

She hopes more than ever that Barrett was able to get off work in time to meet her there.




When the limo stops, they pile out onto the sidewalk and hear the music as it drifts out through the open windows of the high school.

Leonard and Rielle don't want to miss a minute of it, so they both take off at a run for the doors.

But Breeze pauses a minute and scans the other arrivals, hoping to spot Barrett, and give her sister and her date a chance to get ahead of her.




Rielle and Leonard stop outside the doors waiting for others to enter and Leonard whispers, "You look beautiful tonight Rielle. More beautiful than I could have ever imagined."

Rielle smiles and says, "Thank you. You clean up nice yourself!" Then she pauses and adds quietly, "I know it was last minute Leonard, but I don't want you to think I just wanted a date for prom. Until I met you, I wasn't even planning on coming. I didn't want to go without it being with someone I really wanted to share this night with and I can't wait to share it with you. I know we're going to have a great time together."

"I have the kindest, most beautiful girl I've ever met as my date, so there's no doubt in my mind about that!"




As Breeze gets closer to the entrance, the music gets louder, but everything fades into the background when she hears a welcome voice.

Holding the door open, Barrett says, "There's my princess now! Welcome to the ball Cinderella! No fairy godmother, horse drawn carriage or glass slippers required. But Prince Charming is waiting to dance the night away with you!"

Breeze smiles, her eyes shining as she says, "As long as he doesn't step on my toes too much, Prince Charming is all I need!"

And arm in arm, they head inside to the magic of prom night.




And what a magical night it was for both sisters, who tore up the dance floor with their dates and showed off some epic moves.

Barrett and Leonard stayed by their sides all evening, getting them punch, dancing with them, and being as romantic as possible.

In fact, the two couples were considered the cutest ones at the dance.

Breeze got voted Prom Queen and was so surprised she almost fainted.

And moments after being crowned, Barrett told her he was falling in love with her and she told him she felt the same way!

Leonard made the night super special for Rielle too as, during the last dance, holding her close, he asked her to go steady!

All in all, just what each girl had hoped it would be, a romantic night with a special boy, one they would cherish whenever they looked back on their teen years.

I'm so glad my daughters had such a wonderful prom night, it doesn't always turn out that way and with their cousin Flynn there, I was expecting the worst!

Though he did try to sabotage it right at the end.

Breeze was just heading out to share a cab with Rielle when Flynn started yelling at her.

"You think you're so special Breeze because you got crowned Prom Queen! Well, isn't it funny how Barrett confessed his feelings after that?! Seems to me like he just wanted to ride someone's popular coattails!"




But she kept her cool this time and told him that she wasn't going to let him ruin her night.

She just smiled and said, "Barrett treated me like a princess all evening Flynn. He's truly the knight in shining armor type. Unlike you who just wants to cause trouble and make others feel badly. I'm thinking that you're just jealous that I have a steady boyfriend and you're going home alone to an empty house! See you later cuz, much later! In fact, consider yourself uninvited to my after party at the Grind!"




So Rielle ended up having a date for prom after all.

And both she and her sister, Breeze, had a wonderful time.

So now both of our oldest girls have steady boyfriends.

But what happened at home while the girls were enjoying such a magical prom night?

We celebrated Ben's birthday with some additional guests, who stayed for Dean's slumber party!

And Breeze and Rielle and a few of their friends had a great after prom party too.

It was a busy night that's for sure.

I wrote it all down in Chapter 49: A Night Full of Parties
Coming soon.

[Beks]

Aww, Leonard and Rielle are very sweet together. Who knew he was such a gentleman!

[deedee_828]

With Ben's birthday being the same night as his older sister's prom, Dean was worried we'd put off his slumber party, but we told him to go ahead and invite his school friends, and we started Ben's party a little early.

Right after Dean and I had spent some time in the sprinkler as I wouldn't even consider the water slide.

Nolan and Dean were both super excited about seeing Ben grow up!

I was anxious to see who he would look like, so when the sparkles started, I held my breath expectantly.




And little Ben inherits the Dean dark hair, which was so apt since he was named after his great-grandfather Bennie.

So our five children covered the family hair colors nicely with Breeze, Dean, and Ward having red hair like me, mom, and their great-grandmother Murielle.

While Rielle got her Grandma Brina's golden locks shot through with purple streaks, and Ben followed the male Dean's inheriting Nolan's, George's, and Bennie's dark hair.

Ben looks a lot like the Dean's with his striking cheekbones, though he's still got the birthday boy cross-eyed look!




And Dean's slumber party guests starting showing up just in time for cake.

While we were all enjoying the sweet treat, Ben occupied himself with his new doll.




My niece Samantha grabbed a piece and started chatting away about being so happy that Dean invited her as it was her first slumber party ever.

The rest of us didn't comment as Dean wasn't really thrilled about having to invite his cousins, not that he didn't like them, it was just that the three that were in grade school were all girls.

In fact the entire guest list was girls!

Dean had wanted to invite Tyrone Crumplebottom and Leonard Kindle, but of course Leonard aged up to teen earlier and was at prom with Rielle, and Tyrone was celebrating his teen birthday party tonight.

So if Dean wanted a slumber party, girls it was, and three of the four were his cousins!

But we were surprised at how well Dean acted once the girls arrived.

He chatted away with Samantha as he got a piece of cake.




Nolan ate his cake quickly and started teaching Ben how to walk when the rest of us had cleared out of the kitchen.

Except for the cats, Kobe and Flynn, who were eyeing the leftover cake!




After they finished their cake, Dean showed Samantha where the kid's play area was and they chatted a bit about school and their hobbies.

Dean told Samantha he really liked riding the rockin' rider and chasing the bandits.




She couldn't wait to try it out and just hopped on straight away!

But instead of chasing bandits, she just closed her eyes and rocked slowly back and forth, much more sedate than Dean ever was!




With Samantha occupied he checked on his other guests, going outside to chat with Samantha's twin, Stephanie, and the young Gallo girl, who's name I've forgotten.




The girls decided to play on the water slide together, but Dean passed as he'd been sliding most of the day.

But after a painful slide, Stephanie decided the sprinkler might be a better option.

She looked so cute in her red two-piece, even if she did have a red mark on her belly to match!




I even caught up with Rayne's daughter, Nicola, and we chatted about the new baby they were expecting.

I though Rayne would have a house full by now, just like me, but she's only on baby #2.

And Nicola was thrilled about being a big sister soon.

She told me it didn't matter to her parents whether it was a boy or a girl, but she was hoping for a baby sister.

I told her I really liked being a big sister myself, to my younger brother and all three of my baby sisters!




Then it was time to head inside and get settled down for the night.

Samantha decided to take one last ride on the rocking horse.

And the little Gallo girl played with a stuffed animal while little Ben played with his xylophone.

But when it was time to don pajamas and get into sleeping bags, she decided she needed to go home.




So my three nieces and Dean settled into their bags, though Dean ended up sleeping on the other end of the hall.

I guess his hospitality had hit it's limits by that time since he was down to three guests, who were all female cousins!

But after all their playing, it didn't take long for all four of them to drift off to sleep.




And it's about that time that Breeze's after party started at the Grind!

Most of her and Rielle's friends had to go straight home after prom, including both of their boyfriends, but a few friends were able to join them.

The outside of the dance club was drab and bland looking, as it had been a shipping warehouse back in it the day, with multiple loading docks and a basic gray clapboard exterior.




But inside was an entirely different story as the club owners had made it into a teen and older hangout for those wanting to dance the night away.

With fun pinball and video games scattered throughout, for those not inclined to shake their booty.

Of course the bar was only for those of nectar drinking age, but it did offer snack foods like pizza and wings for all ages.

And their was a drink machine for those wishing to keep a clear head.

As Breeze and her group arrived, they saw her Aunt Autumn, who had agreed to be their adult chaperone for the evening, something the club encouraged for teens and parents wholeheartedly approved of.

Autumn was already enjoying herself on one of the dance floors and Breeze and Rielle quickly joined her, with their cousin Emilie close behind them.

Henry Crumplebottom and Drake Westmoreland made up the boys of their teen group.




Rielle and Emilie quickly grabbed them for dance partners as Autumn asked if any of them were tired.

She laughed when they all yelled, "No!" and said, "Well, I'm old compared to you so I'll probably want to find my bed soon!"

She met their groans with another laugh and said, "Just kidding! I'm used to being up all hours on the road so we can close this place down if you kids are up for it!"




The five teens all cheered and continued showing off their dance moves as confetti from the special affects machine flew over them.

Breeze yelled, "This is so much fun! No wonder grandma loved being a party girl, I could certainly get used to it! I wish they still had party and dance careers, like sims used to long ago. I'd sign up for those in a heartbeat!"

Autumn yelled back, "And from what I can see, you'd be great at either one! But maybe you'd consider a career in music as an alternative? The rock branch? I know we can always use back-up singers, musicians, and dancers!"

"That's a great idea! We toured the theater with our class this week and it was really awesome! I've already gotten on honor roll so I could pick Virtuoso as my YA trait."




After a few more songs, Henry asked Breeze to dance as the others wanted to take a break and get a cold drink from the soda machine.

He thanked her for inviting him to join the group as so many people just assume he's busy with Sammi, but since she graduated and is now working full time, he spends most of his free time home alone.

"That's too bad. Sammi could have met you here. She's my Aunt too, so she could have been another chaperone. Oh, I just had a weird thought!"

"What's that?" Henry asked.

"When you guys get married, you'll be my Uncle!" Breeze said with a smirk.



 
Henry's eyes flew open wide at the thought, but then he deepened his voice and said, "And yet I can still keep up with the Prom dancing queen!"

And he boogied down to the floor to prove it!

Breeze laughed, bent her legs to match his move, and said, "Not bad for my clumsy Uncle!"

Henry laughed and said, "You have no idea how much I had to practice that so I wouldn't trip over my own feet!"




Upstairs, Rielle danced to the music on her own, thinking about Leonard and their magical night together at Prom.

He was so romantic all evening, and then, whispering in her ear during the last dance, asking her to be his girl.

It really had been special and she knows her wish came true, as she's definitely in love!




But all too soon the lights flicker and the last call goes out for patrons to finish drinks, food, and games as it's closing time.

The teens and Autumn, as well as other patrons, all head outside to say their goodbyes.

But suddenly a spectacular pillar of flame shoots up in the corner!

A local police officer says, "Not funny at all Ms. Swanson. We were told there might be some shenanigans here tonight so it's a good thing I showed up! We got an anonymous tip that you like playing with fire, just like all the other Dean's in town. I'll have to bring you down to the station as soon as I get this fire under control."




At the officers words, all eyes focus on Breeze but Henry defends her saying, "Breeze was dancing with me for the last dance, Officer, and we just walked out here together. She didn't have time to set fire to anything or do anything else for that matter."

With the flames mysteriously dying out, the officer says, "And who are you young man? Maybe you helped her set this up and now you're just trying to cover it up!" She turned her thumb down as she added, "I may just look the other way when teens pull harmless pranks, but a fire like this one could have caused some serious damage to the property and sims could have gotten hurt!"

Henry may be clumsy physically, but mentally he's at the top of his class, and genetically he's a Crumplebottom, and all his grandmother's and father's training comes to the fore now.

"I'm Henry Crumplebottom Officer….Drake is it? And like my grandmother, Agnes, and my father Gerald, I want this town to be brought back into it's glory. I don't stoop to setting fires for pranks or any other reason and neither do my friends. You have no evidence that Breeze or I had anything to do with this fire, so if you take Breeze down to the station Officer, you'll be taking me as well. And since we're both underage, we'll be calling our parents as well as our family attorney before we answer any questions. Or we could just answer them informally here. Your call Officer."

In the face of the young boys self-assured stance and tone, Officer Drake relents and says, "Well, you do have a point Mr. Crumplebottom. As you and your friends are minors, it would be best to just get the basic facts for now and additional details later, if that becomes necessary."




And once the officer really starts looking around, she finds that the flames weren't part of a fire at all, but just another special effects machine set to give the illusion of a fire, so she tells Breeze she's free to go home.

In fact, within minutes of the flames, confetti starts flying about, so there really wasn't any harm done.

Except to Breeze's reputation, as most bystanders will remember the flames and the officer blaming her.

And others will recall Rielle running after Breeze in tears as her magical night ended with her sister almost getting arrested!

Henry has the insight to say to Emilie, "I think we know who the anonymous tip came from, don't we? Someone who would think calling the cops is funny!"

Before Emilie can respond, Autumn dejectedly says, "Yes, there's no doubt in my mind that my nephew Flynn was behind this. But thanks for stepping in Henry and standing up for Breeze. You're a really good friend."

Henry smiles determinedly and says, "I'm better than a friend Ms. Rios, I'm almost family. And I don't let anyone mess with my family!"




When the girls get home, Nolan meets them outside and he's understandably upset, as he asks "What happened?!  Are you girls both okay?  We got a call from a reporter saying there had been a fire at The Grind and that Breeze had been accused by an Officer and they wanted me to make a public statement! I hope this wasn't some publicity stunt Breeze to gain celebrity status! Playing a prank on Flynn is one thing, but starting a real fire is dangerous! That is not the kind of reputation you want!"

Breeze quickly assures her father that it was no such thing as she replies, "I would never do such a thing dad. Yeah, I'm a Dean and I wanted to teach Flynn a lesson, so the flaming bag of poo was perfect for that. But I'd never start a real fire! But this wasn't even a fire at all. Turns out it was a special effects machine set to flames just as I walked out of the building with everyone else at closing time. And an Officer Drake was already there as she got an anonymous tip that I like to start fires. Three guesses on who called in the tip and set up the machine, and the first two don't count!"

Rielle, more angry than upset now says, "And the officer said 'just like all the other Dean's', daddy! What did she mean by that?! She made it sound like we're pyromaniacs or something, going around town setting fire to things. Who would tell people such lies about our family?!"




Nolan raised his hands and said, "This is all my fault! My families fault. You girls shouldn't have to fight a reputation that isn't your own. Breeze, you obviously know some of the story or you wouldn't have felt the prank you played was so perfect. And Rielle, you remember Gerald Crumplebottom telling Henry to hide the matches if he invited Sammi Dean over to the house, when you just started grade school, right?"

Both girls nodded with Breeze saying, "I've heard a few rumors about the Dean's being partial to fire, not a lot of details though. Just something I heard Aunt Sammi joking about before she graduated."

And Rielle asking, "I remember feeling confused when Mr. Crumplebottom said that about Aunt Sammi, dad. What's the deal with the Dean's and fire?"

Nolan took a deep breath and said, "It's really not my story to tell. I know it's late but I think this is something your grandfather needs to tell you himself."




Nolan called his father, and George agreed that it was time to get the secret out in the open, and came over right away.

He settled in a rocker while the rest of us stood back and listened respectively.

Then my father-in-law told his story, one that started long ago when he was a young boy, around Dean's age.

A tragic story about a boy who lost his mother to a fire and became obsessed with mastering it so none of his family would ever lose their lives to the deadly flames again.

George continued, "For years I played with fire until I could transfigure objects into flame fruit, and I could start a fire spontaneously, and as it's master, the flames can't harm me. Me or anyone who shares my Dean blood. But some of my children have been careless in their use of this power and it's causing those who are blameless to be wrongly accused. I apologize Breeze. My obsession with fire after my mother's death has led to my grandchildren being held accountable and I won't have it! This was meant to be a protection for us, not a curse! I will be sharing this story with the papers, so all will be aware that Dean's have this power and that those of them that choose to use it unwisely will be responsible for their own actions. The sins of the few should not condemn us all."

Everyone was touched by George's story in a different way, but we all hugged him and thanked him for sharing it with us.

I'm sure the kids will have lots of questions, especially the younger ones, but will try to answer them all as best we can, after we all get some sleep!

Good thing it's Sunday, and we can all sleep in.




Dean's slumber party went well, even with just his three female cousins being the guests.

And Breeze's Prom after party was a blast, until Flynn played a not-so-funny prank on her that included a local law enforcement officer accusing her of deliberately setting a fire.

And though that part was unpleasant, hearing their grandfather's story of the Dean's power of fire will go a long way in making those with Dean blood think twice before they use it in a destructive way.

At least we hope it will!

But tragic stories will visit us again, much sooner than we planned on.

I'll be sharing another tearful passing in Chapter 50: Saying Goodbye to Mimi Murielle
Coming soon.

[deedee_828]

"I'm so sorry I wasn't here Michael, Winter…I just can't believe she's gone!"

"It's okay mother Swanson, I've handled the immediate necessary arrangements. But Mimi wanted you to handle the grave side service. But it's quite an unusual request. She doesn't want anyone from the family there but you and Jack."

"It's because of daddy's funeral, she saw how broken up her grandkids were over him and she didn't want to be the cause of such grief. She didn't consider it…"

Michael and Winter both break in with, "Proper." And the three of them share sad smiles.

While Winter adds, "She made me promise not to cry too much, but to think of all the good times, the special times. And I'm trying to do that, especially around Errol."




"Oh, how is the little guy doing? I'm so sorry I haven't been able to visit lately."

"We understand mom, life gets hectic, especially with kids and you still have a house full! But Errol's fine. Getting to be quite the big boy now. If you'd like you could get in some snuggles before bed."

Mom smiled through her tears as she glanced down at her youngest grandson and said, "I would love to! How's my big boy doing? Wow, look at your pretty blue wings! Just like your daddy's!"

Errol turned his sweet face up just in time for mom to snap a photo.

He's so cute!




She scooped him up, and put him in an overnight diaper and tickled his bare tummy!

Hearing his little boy laugh, it eased her grief just a bit.

Especially knowing Mimi got to spend some time getting to know Winter, Michael, and little Errol.

But Errol's sleepy so mom heads upstairs to put him to bed.




"If you're sure you don't mind putting him to bed, I'll head off to my own."

"You go ahead Michael, I've had lots of practice putting toddlers to bed."




And mom promised Errol she'd see him again soon.

"Goodnight sweet boy. Sweet dreams. Grandma will visit again soon."




The next morning, Stephanie is not happy about being woken up by the cat toy.




But she shakes it off when Dean challenges her to a game of chess.




But while the younger family members are playing games, Mom's experiencing her own personal grief over Mimi Murielle.

"I'm an orphan now Summer! I know it's something you always expect when your parents get older, but it's still a shock."

"It's okay mom, we all understand. Are you sure you don't want us going to the cemetery with you?"

Mom got herself under control, wiped her tears, and said, "No, your Mimi was right. It's too upsetting for everyone. Jack will be there of course, per Mother's wishes. We'll get through it on our own Summer."




But the loss of Mimi hit mom really hard at the graveside, especially when she read the inscription:

'Beloved Wife and Mother, Murielle Swanson Crumplebottom
Take Heart, For You Will Always Be in Mine'




As mom was wiping her tears away, she heard another sobbing nearby.




And she realized she couldn't do this her own, so she called her closest friend, Brina Dean.

"Brina? I thought I could do this by myself, but it's too hard. Jack's taking this even harder than I am!"

"Don't say another word, Brooke, George and I will be there. It's times like these that friends are the most important."




Jack Crumplebottom was as devastated over loosing his second wife as he was with his first.

Mimi and Jack hadn't been together long, but they'd bonded over losing their spouses, so their love was born from loss.

And Jack is a broken man as he weeps openly in his grief.




Mother waits for Jack to compose himself a bit, not wanting to intrude, but wanting him to know she is there.

"I'm so sorry Jack. There's been so much loss lately. Agnes, Daddy, Jerad, and now Mother."

She placed a hand gently on his shoulder and said, "I know it's hard, but maybe we can get through this together?"

"Thank you Brooke. I just never expected it to happen so fast. Murielle was a rock when I lost Agnes, even though she was suffering just as much as I was with Howard's passing. Your mother was an amazing woman!"

"She was Jack, she certainly was. It took me a long time to realize that, too long really. I wasted so many years."




"Don't punish yourself Brooke. Your mother knew that they'd messed up raising you, giving you too much too soon, and no loving foundation. But you all turned it around and came to understand what family meant, became so close, here in Aggie's Corner. I didn't quite understand why Murielle demanded only you and I be here at first, but I think I do now. She wants us to focus on the living, the future, not the past. I know I probably don't have many days left myself, but I'm going to do just that! Agnes and Murielle both left me generous funds to donate to charity and I'd love some help getting one set up in both their names!"

"Oh Jack, that's a wonderful idea! I'd love to contribute some of Jerad's lottery winnings. I know Daddy and Jerad would approve of that idea. Maybe a memorial fund that includes all of them?  Something special that celebrates family life here in Aggie's Corner?"

"Maybe a community center and park where families could get back to basics and enjoy time together?"

"Or special funds for families when times get rough? I know a helping hand is great for those low times!"

"These are all great ideas Brooke! Let's form a committee and get started on what we want to do. The Crumplebottom Swanson Foundation has just be born! Doing something like this to celebrate their lives is making me feel better already."

"Me too, Jack. Me too."




So when Brina arrives, it's to see a much more composed Jack.

One who's so full of ideas for the new Foundation that he can't stop talking about it.

"That is a marvelous idea Jack! I know George and I would contribute to the Foundation as well. And I'm sure others would too."

"Well, then it'll be the Crumplebottom Swanson Dean Foundation," Jack nodded agreeably.

Brina smiled and said, "If we keep adding names for everyone that contributes, we'll never fit that on a letterhead! What if we just used initials or parts of our names, kept it simple?"

"That's probably a good idea. Did you have anything in mind?"

"Maybe the CSD Families Foundation? Better yet, why don't we make it a contest and the lucky winner gets a prize?"

"That's an even better idea. Of course, none of our own family members could participate so that leaves out half the town! But it would sure generate interest in the Foundation and it's projects. With ideas like that, you'll definitely need to be on the committee, Brina."




And Brina was right as George is just as enthusiastic when mom mentions the Foundation idea to him.

"What a great idea Brooke! Having something so positive to focus on will certainly help all of us deal with the losses we've experienced lately. And Jack is right, none of us know when our time is up, so we need to act now and do what we can to make this town a better place for future generations."

"I'm glad you feel that way George. So we can count on your support and participation for the Foundation's committee?"

"Absolutely! But we better make sure committee members include a wide range of ages and have representatives from all citizens in our community, humans and occults alike."

"Now that's a sure-fire way to get the whole community involved George! That way no group will feel left out, and having both a male and female representative from each one will be a great way to include all citizens viewpoints. And since this is geared toward family, I think having a junior committee to include high school and grade school representatives would give us an even fairer viewpoint of what services would be most helpful in town."

With a smirk George replied, "It might be best if you left any mention of fire out of it!" Then with a nod, he added, "But seriously Brooke, this Town Family Committee is sounding great on it's own, separate from the Foundation. That way representatives on the committee could submit their requests to the Foundation."

Brooke laughed and said, "This is growing by leaps and bounds George! We're definitely going to need help getting this all set up. But once it's all in place, the Foundation will be a wonderful Memorial to those we've lost."




Once Brina and Mom finished discussing all their plans with Jack and George, they took a moment to speak to each other.

"Thank you so much for coming to get me through this Brina! I was worried about supporting Jack all on my own, but now that he's broached this Foundation idea, I think it's the best thing for both of us."

"Oh, Brooke, no need to thank me at all. That's what good friends are for, helping us through all the points of our lives, the good and the bad, the high and the low. And hearing all of Jack's ideas, I think a Memorial Foundation is just wonderful."

"Well George had some good ideas of his own and now we're thinking a separate Town Family Committee as well as a Foundation with it's own board members. So we've all got a lot of work ahead of us!"




Mom and Brina continued chatting, moving on to friends and family, children and grandchildren, like you do with old friends.

Then they hugged goodbye, promising to get in touch soon and get started on all their plans.




Meanwhile, across town, Breeze is out on a date with Barrett.

They met out in back of the theater by the dumpster hoping to avoid paparazzi, but no so luck.

Barrett ignored the intrusion and continued his romantic actions from Prom and presented Breeze with a bouquet of yellow roses.




Then he suggested they check out a movie.




Breeze was all for that as watching a romantic movie with her handsome boyfriend was definitely at the top of her to do list!

But getting away from family wasn't easy as Barrett noticed her Aunt Mysti entering the theater just ahead of them.

I'm sure they made a point of sitting very far away!




On her way home, mom had stopped in to see Autumn, Jamey, and little Mitchel.

Mitchel had become a toddler a few days ago, so mom was excited to get in some Grammie time with him.




She chatted and played with him and then got in one last attack of the claw making him laugh and giggle despite being very sleepy.




Back on the home front, Nolan is teaching Ben a few words.

And he's quite satisfied when little Ben repeats 'muscles' very quickly.

"That's right little guy, with regular exercise you can define your muscles and stay healthy."




But I don't think he knows what to make of Ben repeating "'fly wings daddy, 'fly wings!"

At Nolan's confused expression, I show Nolan mom's photo of little Errol and his beautiful dark blue 'fly wings.' "I shared this with him earlier. He loved it!"

Then Nolan laughs with Ben as he says, "That's right little guy, your cousin Errol has wings like a butterfly."

Looking at me he adds, "No way I'm explaining about Errol being a fairy."

I laugh and say, "And cousin Mitchel being a werewolf, while Nicola is a genie. I think Mom and George may be on to something with having representatives of each culture on a Town Committee. Aggie's Corner is fast becoming another Moonlight Falls!"

Nolan gives me a look of pure panic as his Supernatural skepticism is fast being overrun with more occult families in town and in our own family!




And though Nolan's not looking forward to explaining about Supernaturals, we are looking forward to Ward's child birthday soon.

Along with Carter's and Mysti's twins becoming teens.

And welcoming new siblings to their family!

So though Mimi's passing has saddened us, we are looking forward to the future as she wanted, with new additions to the family, and enjoying the children as they grow up here in Aggie's Corner.

Follow along with me in Chapter 51: Growing Children
Coming soon.

[deedee_828]

I'm not sure who was more excited about Ward becoming a child, me, Nolan, or Dean!

With Dean blowing a party horn for all he was worth, and Nolan cheering for the birthday boy, along with my huge smile, Ward knew we were all happy and excited about his birthday.




So much so that Ward even blew out his candles all by himself!

Just look at his cute little face as the flames disappear!




But after my initial excitement, I turn away a bit ambivalent about another one of my babies becoming school age.

Ward does the traditional birthday spin and sparkle while Dean claps excitedly.




And Ward becomes a child, adding Frugal to his Brave and Good traits, taking after both his Grandpa and Great-Grandfather.

But we could have done without the 'muscle' shirt as part of his sleepwear.

Ward just shrugged, blinked his crossed-eyes, and headed off to use the big boy bathroom for the first time.




Dean, on the other hand, joined us for cake and chatted happily away about having Ward join him in school.

"And he'll be big enough to play on the water slide with me, play catch, go to the festivals, all of those fun things!"

"Your sisters do those things with you already," I reminded him.

Dean looked at me for a moment and said, "But they're girls, Mom! It's not the same!"

I laughed and said, "Just teasing sweetie. I'm really glad you're planning to do all of those things with Ward. He's lucky to have a big brother like you!"

I saw Dean frown when I called him 'sweetie' but then his frown turned into a smile when my final words registered.

And a wheedling one at that as he said, "Lucky enough for that big brother to have a second piece of cake?!"

Nolan laughed at that and replied, "There's plenty of it, but it may mean an extra game of catch to work off all that sugar!"

Dean's smile grew even larger as he nodded enthusiastically and said, "You're on dad!"




After his first submarine adventure, I find Ward checking out the bronco rider, in pink cowboys boots!

And being frugal, he decided there was nothing wrong with keeping them.

"They're almost new mom! Hardly worn at all. And they work great for chasing the bandits!"




But with dad's lottery winnings and all the high dollar income from the garden, I have Ward check out some new clothes.

Athletic gear so he can play and keep up with his big brother.




A formal outfit which he looked quite the grown-up little man in!




And a new everyday outfit, minus pink cowboy boots.

Ward decided they worked even better to keep up with the bandits and set off at a run to catch them!




Then it was off to bed for the boys as there was school in the morning.

I took a moment to spend some time playing with Ben, enjoying my last little one's toddler days.




But Mom's anxious to see her new grandchildren so she heads on over to Carter and Mysti's house.

She finds Samantha outside and they chat for a bit with Samantha excited about her new grown-up dress and shoes, but bemoaning her rather old-fashioned hair style.




So mom helps her choose a new style that suits her personality a bit more.

When mom showed me this photo I saw so much of Mysti in her except for Mom's red hair, of course.




Samantha eagerly introduced mom to her latest granddaughter, Justine.

And mom couldn't help but cuddle her close.




But when she brought Justine up to her crib for a nap, mom cried out in surprise when she saw a little boy in one of the cribs!

She knew Carter and Mysti were the parents of twins again, but had just assumed they were both girls.

Mom snuggled little Jacob close just drinking in that baby smell and listening to his nooboo gurgles.




With Jacob off to dream land too, Mom chats with new teen Stephanie, who couldn't be more different from her twin if she tried.

They both have Mysti's facial features, but that's where the resemblance ends, as Stephanie has Carter's dark hair and an Avant Garde sense of style.

"I don't mind my hair at all Grandma, but I'd like to try something different for my everyday look. I love red though, so including that flashy color would be great!"

"Red suits your coloring quite well, dear. Let's see what we can do for something different but stylish."




And they both decide that this southwestern style dress with matching red sandals fits the bill perfectly.




As Mom heads out she finds Samantha putting her Virtuoso trait to use learning guitar.




And down in their entry she finds Carter serenading Mysti with a piano solo!

Despite their heartbreak over Flynn and his moving out, these two are a wonderfully loving couple.

I'm so glad my in-laws, my grandparents, and dad, influenced Mysti to move here and become not only part of our growing town, but part of our family as well!




Early the next morning, Ward grabs a tasty chocolate brownie for his breakfast.

Since he passed on cake the night before, I let this slide, just this once.




Then I watch as my newly aged-to-child heads out the door and off to school for the first time.




Since he's joining his older teen sisters and his brother, I'm not worried about him.

Not until I peek into the bus for once last glimpse of him, and see this!

A taxi cab stuck in the middle of the school bus!

And if that's not bad enough, Ward is nowhere in sight!

Breeze, Rielle, and Dean all looked as shocked as I feel.

Then I hear laughter behind me and realize it's nothing more than a fairy trick or witch spell!




Once the bus drives off, no worse the wear, despite the way it looked, I grab the mail.

And I'm intrigued by a new package of seeds we've received.

Something new to grow in the garden!

I've been so caught up in family lately, that I've been neglecting our garden a bit.

Except for running through the sprinkler!

But with four of our five kids now in school, it's about time we got back to basics.

Meaning making sure our Red Berry Bean cash crop is being looked after and maybe trying our hand at something new.




And I really didn't have anything to worry about for Ward's first day of school, because he not only arrived safely and enjoyed the day, but he got invited over to a new friend's house after school.

A cute little blonde girl with pink wings, Diana Aragon, who I think may be a vampire too!

Not that I was checking up on him, oh no. Not me. I'm not THAT type of mom!




But he may have a grandma that was seen around that part of town just after school got out!

But with those tinted windows, who could tell for sure!




But later that afternoon, what had me more concerned was when I overheard Rielle eagerly start chatting to mom about babies!

I breathed a sigh of relief, and I know mom did too, when we realized she was just excited about Carter and Mysti's twins!

I know I want to be Surrounded By Family, but I'm not quite ready to be a grandma yet!




Well, the children are all growing up and in school, and now it's just little Ben at home.

So it's definitely time to get some serious gardening and nectar-making done.

Before we know it, all three boys will be in school, and then Breeze will be graduating, followed by Rielle.

And heirship choices will need to be made again.

But not quite yet.

Let's see how I handle the coming weeks in Chapter 52: Back to Basics
Coming soon.

[deedee_828]

Rielle and Leonard are so sweet together! They remind me so much of me and Nolan.

I try to give them their privacy, knowing how much it means as a teen, but I do catch a photo or two for my journal.

Here's Leonard looking at Rielle like she's the only girl in the whole world!




The two of them running out of words but so totally focused on one another that none are needed.




But Leonard's been here all day, fighting sleep, and sways on his feet.




I should have realized what was coming next, especially with Rielle being a hopeless romantic, and caught them in a passionate goodbye kiss!

Oops! Time for me to make myself scarce.

Rielle's not a moody teenager, but I'm sure finding me out here watching wouldn't be a good thing.




I head inside and find mom with Ben, giving him some last cuddles before bed time.

Since it's a school night, I make sure both the older boys have taken a bath or a shower, and are settled in their own beds.

The sun rises early this time of year and I want to get in some gardening before it's too hot, so it's early to bed for me as well.




The kids head off to school and get on the bus.




Both boys are on it, thankfully, and Breeze is watching over them today.

The girls have been taking turns on the bus with the boys while the other gets to drive in to school.

After that weirdness with the cab, I'm not taking any chances!




I hurry toward the garden to join mom and Nolan, who's braving the outdoors so we can get everything harvested this morning.

We're focusing on the red berry beans as our cash crop.

But we're still planting life fruit and flame fruit for Nolan's nectar, and the far plot is our kitchen garden that keeps our fridge filled with healthy, perfect vegetables.

Those, along with the fruit from the orchard, make the best meals!




Mom heads straight to the consignment shop to deliver all the newly harvested red berry beans.




While Nolan takes a well-deserved break from gardening outside, and heads to the gym.

With the great vibes of the gym surrounding him, he's very close to reaching level 10 in athletics!




But before he can, a call has him hurrying towards the school for an important event he doesn't want to miss.




Dean's Scouting Award Ceremony!

I was even able to get a photo of him in uniform with both Mom and Nolan.




To commemorate the event, we let Dean go across the road to the festival and grab a treat.




Back at the house, Dean showed off all his badges, beaming with pride at his accomplishment.

"This one was for learning the fishing skill, and this cluster here was for learning all the outdoor skills, and this one was for knowing and performing all twelve of the scouting laws."

I smiled down on him fondly, saying, "You've made us all proud Dean! You've done a great job with scouts and in grade school. And after your birthday tomorrow, you'll move on to high school, after school clubs, maybe even a part time job, if you're interested."

"Don't forget learning how to drive Mom! I can't wait to drive myself to school in one of our trucks!"

"That's something most teens want to do straight away! But before you get too excited about that, get your bath and finish up your homework for your last day of grade school tomorrow."

"I did my homework after we set everything up for the Scouting ceremony mom! I wanted to be free to get in one last play time with Ward before my birthday."

"Well, go ahead then, just make sure you both get cleaned up afterwards."

"I'll make sure mom. Ward and I can really get dirty when we play outside!"



 
It didn't take the boys long to change into swim trunks and I could hear them laughing and squealing as they took turns on the slippery slide.




Then they played catch for a bit while they dried off.

And soon after I heard them racing for the bathroom to see which one could get to the tub first for a submarine adventure.

Then, as I hear Ward's words, I knew we'd brought them up well, as he slowed down at the bathroom door and said, "It's your last night before your birthday Dean, you can have the tub. I've got a lot more time to get in submarine adventures."

"Thanks Ward! I won't forget that! When I'm a teen, we'll still do lots of stuff together. If you decide to join Scouts, I could help you out with all your merit badges."

"That's a deal Dean! Dad's not big on outdoor stuff, so it'll be great having a big brother to help me out."




Mom decided to stop in to visit with Rayne and her family after the Scouting ceremony, and got there in time to read Nicola to sleep.




Then she spent some time with Rayne chatting with her and the new baby.

"And grandma will feed you your bottle, and change your dirty diapers, and give you lots of cuddles!"

"That's going to be pretty soon mom! The doctor said any time now! Nicola is so excited to finally be a big sister. Johnny and I hadn't really planned on having them so far apart, but I think she's going to be a big help."

"Especially since she'll be a teen soon. It's hard to believe I've got so many teen grandchildren already!"




Once she got home, mom spent some time with ghostly dad and told him all about Dean's Scouting ceremony, Nicola, and the new baby expected any moment.

And she told him all about Jack Crumplebottom's memorial plans and how they were coming along.

"Jack's with his dear Agnes now, but he put the wheels in motion, setting up the Foundation, and we open our first community project soon. I'll be checking it out as soon as I get the word."

"It sounds wonderful dear. A great place for all of the Aggie's Corners' families to spend quality time together."




Rayne's doctor wasn't kidding about it being any minute, as Mom got a call early the next morning, and hurried over to meet her newest grandson, artistic and athletic, Genie Lamar!

After a bottle, she played her favorite baby game, nosey-nosey.




Got in some cuddles and then rocked Lamar as she told him all about his family, especially his grandpa Jerad.




And as soon as everyone was gathered that afternoon, we celebrated Dean's birthday.




He took a moment to think of a good birthday wish.




Then the sparkles hit and when they disappeared, our oldest son became a teen!




The clothes weren't half bad, as birthday age up clothes go, but the military hair cut wasn't his style at all, especially since he picked Rebellious for his new trait!

And along with that trait, he decided he needed a pair of jeans that reflected his new attitude.




So now we have three teens in the house, one a Party Animal, one a Hopeless Romantic, and a son who's Rebellious!

I'm not sure what to expect for the weeks to come, but I have a feeling it won't be boring.

And on a positive note, I'm one teen closer to fulfilling my LTW.

But Nolan's really close to his, and Mom's all excited about the Foundations' first project that's almost ready.

I'll tell you all about it in Chapter 53: A LTW and a Community Project
Coming soon.

[deedee_828]

Leonard's almost become a permanent fixture at our house, here every day after school, and at all family events, including Dean's teen birthday.

It seems like he and Rielle grow closer every day, even braving the rain for some alone time.

My Hopeless Romantic daughter seems to have chosen the love of her life at a young age, just like I did.




The next morning, my youngest boys spend a bit of time together in the play area before Ward heads off to school.

Ward learning some basic cooking skills with the toy oven as Ben beats on the toy drum.




With the four older kids off to school, Nolan gets some nectar processed in the basement.




With his nectar machines all set up, Nolan heads in to the gym to finish his athletic skill.




And finds Carter, Mysti, and Autumn all working out there too!

I'm pretty jealous of my sister and sister-in-law, look what great shape they're both in.

Especially Mysti who's had 5 children, with two sets of twins!




After seeing that photo, I decided to get in a little exercise while mom dances to the radio.




But as my athletic bar creeps slowly upward, Nolan maxes his and completes his LTW!

He's maxed three skills, Gardening, Handiness, and Athletic!

And he's almost maxed Nectar-Making too!




After school, mom helped Ward with his homework.




Then read him to sleep afterward.

I was a bit surprised that it was a cooking book, but Ward seemed to enjoy it, and maybe he'll make something besides all those cookies and brownies that go straight to my hips!




The next morning while she was rocking with Ben, mom got the call from the Foundation that she'd been waiting for.

The first steps of the community project were completed and they wanted mom to be the first visitor.




So mom dug out the stroller, popped Ben in, and headed across the road to the former fishing hole.




The first thing they saw was a beautiful Carousel which was the addition that my generation decided to add to the park.

"Oh Ben, when you're a bit bigger you can ride on a lion, an elephant, or one of the horses."

"Horsey, horsey!"




Then they passed a playground and a refreshing fountain area, all part of the Foundations' Romper Recreation Playground that the Founders donated to the community.

"With a slide and swings, and even a teeter totter. I love all the vibrant colors they used. They're even more appealing than in all the photos."




Then through the central area with benches, flowers and hop scotch courts.




And they made their way to the mock carousel that had ride on toys for toddlers and children.

"Oh, what an exceptional job they did with this Ben! Shall we try out the pirate ship?"

"Try out, try out! Ride ship!"




With Ben's big smile and happy laughter showing his approval, Mom gave it a thumbs up too!




Mom's so enthralled with the new park that she makes several phone calls to family and friends to join her.

"It's amazing, just perfect! Come join me and see the Helping Hands Foundation's first community project."




When I arrived, I headed straight for the hopscotch courts and my mother-in-law Brina joined me.

"Isn't this place great Mom Dean! I know all the families in town are just going to love this place."

"I think so too, Breeze. It's turned out better than we all dreamed of and there's so much space that the community members can add more special projects down through the generations."

"I think I loved that idea the best Mother Dean! Each generation choosing to add something to the park for future generations to enjoy."

Nodding, Brina added, "It truly makes it a community effort and makes each and every generation feel like they're a part of it. So it not only helps family members draw closer together, but the whole town!"




As I glance over, I see my father-in-law accompanied by a man with glowing eyes.

Eyes that are definitely focused on my mother!

And though she's giving Ben a horsey ride, I know she knows he's looking at her and she's flattered that, at her age, a man still finds her attractive!

I know mom would never act on something like that, but I want to tell her that it would be okay if she did.

She's given all of us so much that she deserves to be happy, cherished, and loved.

After all, Mimi Murielle and Jack Crumplebottom found solace with each other after their spouses passed.

And this whole park was built as a memorial to founding families that want to pass on their love of family with all the other families here in Aggie's Corner.

As I look around, I can already see memories being made here.




Rielle and Leonard chatting away as only young lovers can with eyes only for each other.




While my in-laws are still so much in love long after the bloom of youth, that it warms your heart to see it.

And George is still so romantic that he surprises Brina with flowers!




Breeze enjoys a game of hopscotch with Jeannette Crumplebottom.

And mom cuddles Ben after his horsey ride.




Then George spends some time with little Ben as Ward makes a sand castle.

With the inevitable paparazzi close by snapping photos.

But we want this place to get lots of publicity and draw more and more families here, so the more reporters the better!




Breeze has moved on to the swings with her cousin Emilie, but I spot Dean behind her on the grass.

Apparently his rebellious trait hasn't fully kicked in yet as I see he's dutifully doing his homework.




Then I notice that Rielle and Leonard have found a comfortable spot on the grass over by the fountains for some star gazing.

I guess it's only fitting that since I started this journal entry with them, that I finish it with them.

What better way to end a summer evening than with two young lovers star gazing in the new community park!




But where was Nolan during all this happy family time?

My hates-the-outdoors husband accepted an invitation to Carter and Mysti's house-warming party.

They'd been in the house awhile, but with the girls' teen birthdays and then the birth of the younger twins, they were just getting around to throwing a house party.

Which is exactly the type of party Nolan enjoys, safely indoors!

So next up I'll be sharing some photos of that party as well as a few more of the park.

Join me for some lovely candid shots in Chapter 54: Our New Park and A Party
Coming soon.

[deedee_828]

Brina and I decide to take a ride on the carousel and a paparazzi got this great shot of us laughing and whooping it up!

Publicity like this will be great for the park. 




While we were all enjoying the park's many activities, Nolan went to Carter and Mysti's house-warming party.

Since it was a formal affair, Nolan was all decked out in his best suit.

And our niece Stephanie looked amazing in her red formal dress.

She was focused on her little brother Jacob so all attention turned to him.




Jacob's become a cute toddler but there's nothing cute about his current mood.

"He misses mom and dad, as soon as they leave the room he cries. And with all the stairs in the house, he keeps getting stuck down here. I'll take care of him and get him back upstairs so his mood doesn't ruin the party."




Then Autumn arrived in her pink rocker glory, and Stephanie told her she'd be right back to hear her play.

"My friends love your music Aunt Autumn and I'd love to hear one of your new songs."

"I'd be happy to play one for you Steph, you know I never pass up an opportunity to play my guitar."




But Autumn's not the only family that's attending this party, Rayne's upstairs and looking quite glamorous herself.

"Is that supposed to be music? It doesn't sound like Autumn. Who's making that racket?!"




When she reaches the hall she realizes that it's Nolan who's picked up a guitar and is plucking the strings for the first time.

"Sorry Rayne, it sounds pretty bad, I know. But it was just sitting here and I didn't realize anyone else was on this floor."




"No need to apologize Nolan. Autumn sounded just like that when she started playing too. I'm sure you'll sound better with more practice. And I'm pretty used to the cat howling noises with our Magic around!"

But Rayne softened her words with an encouraging smile so Nolan didn't take offense but determinedly kept plucking away.




Then he heard cars outside and glancing out the window he saw Carter stepping out of a taxi with little Justine, while Mysti was engaged in a water balloon fight with a guest.




Carter questions Mysti about it saying, "A water balloon fight in formalwear? Are you sure that's wise?"

Mysti taunts her opponent with a yelled, "Missed me!" and then to Carter adds, "Wise no, but so much fun!"




But just that second of inattention has her opponent hitting her mid-section with a forceful throw that tosses her to the ground!

Carter grimaces and says, "Sorry hon!"




With a big smile, Mysti stands up and says, "No need to be, I haven't had this much fun in a long time."

And lobbing another balloon at her guest, she says, "I need more practice! Keep 'em coming! I have so got to do this with the kids!"




Carter leaves Mysti to her game and brings Justine inside.

Hearing music he follows the sound to the other side of the basement.




He finds Stephanie listening to a new song of Autumn's and listens for a bit.




But hearing other music, he heads upstairs to the top floor to see another guest playing.

And pretty well too, so he hangs around tapping his foot to the new song.




By this time it was getting late, and mom had headed home after a long day.

So I picked up Ben to head home myself and get him to bed.

While I was tickling him, Brina surprised George with flowers saying, "That's why I was so surprised when you gave me some earlier, I had some for you too!"

My heart warms at seeing the two of them still so romantic, still so in love, and I hope Nolan and I follow there example.

That's when I spot Leonard heading over towards Rielle at the grill, and I say, "Don't stay out too late you too, tomorrow is a school night."

"Yeah, I was just heading over to say goodbye to Rielle. I'd love to stick around for some grilled hot dogs, but I need to get home before curfew too and I live way across town."




As I leave, my heart warms even more as I see Rielle chatting with her Grandpa Dean as they munch on the hot dogs.

"Breeze is pretty sure she's going to pick Virtuoso for her YA trait grandpa and join Aunt Autumn at the theater, but I haven't really decided on mine yet."

George chews thoughtfully and says, "Well, I guess it all depends on if you're staying on the farm as the heir, doesn't it? You'd need a trait to help you with the next generations expansion if you stayed, whereas if you decide to move out, you could pick just about any trait."

I quickly head home before I overhear anything else.

I know it's pretty cowardly of me not to just come right out and ask the girls, or Dean, but I'm just not ready to know if none of them wants to stay on the farm as heir.

And I don't want to influence any of the children to do so, or make them think they have too.

I want it to be a decision they make from their heart, like I did.

But today was such a nice day, I don't want it ruined by any negative thoughts of the future, so I shake my head and continue across the road.




But as I get closer I hear a shout that can only be Nolan.

Nolan in distress!

And through the window I see his face contorted in shock and pain.




But it's what he's looking at that causes my heart to freeze in my chest.

Mom! No!!! Mom!!!




I put Ben in his crib and rushed into her bedroom, but it was too late.

Nolan was beseeching Grim to give us more time, but a golden urn was already on the floor.

I'd been through this with dad and I knew what that meant.




And mom? Well, I knew she missed dad a lot.

So I wasn't surprised when she greeted Grim cheerfully and chatted a bit.




And then shook his hand and told him she was ready to go.




She even did quite the nice swan dive into her urn.

Which I caught just before I covered my face with my hands, lost in my pain.




But then the cats started acting up, yowling, and joining me and Nolan in our grief.

Flynn even yowled at Grim!




But, within moments, we realized he'd done more than just yowl, as with a wave of Grim's hand, mom's ghost appeared.



 
Then Grim brought his scythe down on the floor, once, very hard, and Mom started to come back!

Her ghostly gray pallor disappeared and yellow mist surrounded her.

Then rainbow sparkles twinkled as her life essence flowed back into her!




Could it be true?

Would Grim really give mom back to us?

I'd never heard of anything like this happening in Sim Land ever before.

So it's going to take some time to process it.

I'll tell you all about it in my next entry, Chapter 55: A Gift from Grim
Coming soon.

[deedee_828]

It was true! Mom was back!

As she raised her arms in triumph, I looked at Flynn, and it struck me.

Flynn had saved her life!




Mom showed her thanks by petting him for a long time.




Then by giving him some snuggles and kisses.




Then she just held him as she realized what had just happened.

He had begged Grim to give her back!

And Grim has listened to her dear cat and given her the gift of another day of life!




The next morning, mom told Dean all about it and you can see just how terrified he was.

"Are you okay grandma? It sounds horrible!"

"I'm fine Dean. I've had a great life her in Aggie's Corner. Meeting your grandpa Jerad, having five children, and so many wonderful grandchildren. But I wanted to let you know that I love you and your brothers and sisters. Not everyone gets a second chance to say that."

"But grandma you said everything was fine! It sounds like you're saying goodbye!"

"No one knows when their time will be up Dean. Last night made me realize that. I want to say it now, just in case."

"I love you too grandma! We all do. It's hard to think of you not being here."

"I'll always be in your heart Dean, just like you'll always be in mine."




With the scare of mom's near-death experience, Nolan headed to the basement nectary to calm down and work on another batch of nectar.




And I took a moment to talk with mom about Flynn and the amazing way he saved her life.

"I never knew a cat could do anything like that mom! You must have a very special relationship for him to have that kind of pull and with Grim of all beings!"

"I thought the same thing Summer! But apparently it's a known thing, pets that love their owners can save their lives. But…."




"But what mom?"

"It doesn't last long Summer when a Sim has lived as long as I have. Just a day. A day to say goodbye to your loved ones."

"So you were saying goodbye when you were talking with Dean. Mom, no! It's too soon. We just got you back. I don't think I can do this without you!"

She grabbed me in a fierce hug and said, "A daughter of mine can do anything Summer! Don't forget that. You've got five fine children, you and Nolan maxed gardening, Nolan's completed his LTW, and you're close to yours, just a few more birthdays, so that will happen soon enough. Now you be your mother's daughter and give me a smile."

 I squeezed her tight and smiled despite the pain of knowing she was leaving us, leaving me.

Again.




I stepped back, my voice quivering just a bit, and said, "I love you mom, more than I can ever show you."

"You've shown me Summer. By taking on heirship, keeping this farm going, finding a way for Nolan to be a part of our farm with the nectary, and you did all of that and raised a family. All of those things show your love. And most of all Summer, it's because of you that we have the cats. And Flynn intervened with Grim and gave me this extra time."

"I just followed your example mom and loved them. You made friends with them on your own. But Flynn will have a special place in all of our hearts for giving us this chance to say goodbye."

"That he will Summer. That he will."



 
Then mom stepped into the bathroom for one last shower, to be all squeaky clean for the next part of her life journey.

And the yellow mist and sparkles slowly engulfed her.

Even knowing it was coming this time didn't make the shock any less.




But it was pretty crowded in the bathroom with Rielle and the maid already in there.

Though the poor thing didn't stay long when she heard Grim's signature song.




And Grim squeezed his way in somehow, scythe and all!

Rielle questions the seemliness of Grim performing his duty in the bathroom and I smirk and totally loose it, saying, "Doody in the bathroom!!!!"




Rielle rolls her eyes and says, "Really mom? Jokes now?"

Grim shakes his head and gives me a so-so on the joke.

But I can't stop giggling especially since I heard a distinct rumble come from Grim!

A laugh? This makes me giggle even more.

And mom?

Mom begs for someplace more dignified so she doesn't have to spend eternity in her nightgown.




But Grim tells us he only has the power to grant the gift of life for one day, unless there's a flower involved.

"A flower?  What flower?"

Grim says he can say no more and must complete mom's reaping, so she dutifully jumps into her urn for a second time.




With his work completed, he then turns to Rielle and jumps up and down excitedly at the idea of meeting a celebrity!

Rielle crosses her arms to ward him off and gives me a puzzled look.

The working of Grim's mind is just as puzzling to me but I don't want him any closer to my daughter, so I move to the hall and call his name.




Grim almost goes into a spasm when he sees Nolan in the hall, even more excited than when he recognized Rielle.

I'm not sure what's going on but if our family is at the top of his celebrity list, then the Underworld has hit hard times, indeed!




And then Flynn approaches Grim and my heart nearly stops.

Can Flynn save mom again?




No, he just asked Grim to fill up his food dish!




And with that task completed, Grim concludes his ghastly visit.

Leaving a startled Flynn alone in the entry way.




Nolan has a duty to perform, but succumbs to his grief.




So I wipe away my tears, stiffen my backbone, and bring Ben to his cake.

Just because mom's not here, she wouldn't want us to forgo Ben's birthday.

Nolan calms himself so Ben can focus on his cake and candles.




Rielle fakes a smile and twirls a noise maker, while Breeze blows a party horn.

Poor Flynn howls in the background, missing mom, unable to stop even for Ben's sake.





I can't hold myself together any longer, and run outside so as not to ruin his party.

And in a shower of sparkles, little Ben grows up into a child!

I'm not sure if Ben somehow new what our cat Flynn had done, intervening with Grim, but he becomes a Cat Lover, just like me!




He grabs a piece of birthday cake as poor Nolan breaks down behind him.




But his siblings rally around and join him in eating cake as they all wish him a happy birthday.




So now all of our five children will be in school, but we go on with our lives without the matriarch of our family.

But my mother, Brooke Swanson,  the foundress of our family, will live on in our hearts and our memories, a part of us for as long as we keep those memories alive.

But the birthdays aren't quite over yet, right after Ben another family member aged up.

I'll tell you all about it in Chapter 56: Life Choices
Coming soon.

[deedee_828]

A cat birthday actually as Flynn ages up to an elder!

I know it was only a day, but Flynn giving us that extra time with mom, I hope he has a very long elderhood.

But being a cat lover, I never want to lose my pets!




Rielle persuades me to take her out on her night time driving lesson.

I'm not sure it's the best time, but I agree, so we head to the road.




Surprisingly, focusing on driving actually helps me and Rielle calm down.

And she slowly and carefully makes her way down the road.

It's not typically allowed but I let her use mom's motive mobile.

Under the circumstances, I feel we could use the boost to our needs.




Dean had been holed up in the nectary doing homework when we left.

But once he finished, he had other plans.




Plans I knew nothing about of course, but photos were produced later, after the fact.

He decided to check out the dance club across town!

Look at his grin as he dances alone with bubbles surrounding him.

Each of us works through their grief in their own way and doing something on the sly was Dean's, I guess.




And getting a snack from the mixologist!

They don't offer nutritious food, of course.




But Dean scarfed down those hot wings like they were nobody's business!

Seeing my sister in this photo, it made me feel a bit better, knowing he'd not been without adult supervision completely.

But I was a bit peeved she hadn't called to let us know where he was.

Nolan reminded me that teens need a little space, and if Winter had told us, Dean would have never trusted her again.




After his restoring snack, he played some basketball, with two fairy reporters watching avidly.

Most of the NPC's are hybrids, but the wings make it obvious that they have fae in their family line, at least.

And the blonde has glowing eyes, so I'm pretty sure he's part Lycan too.

He hangs around our house a lot and he must have decided to follow Dean in hopes of a fascinating story.

Though, I think Dean's first attempt at rebelliousness is pretty tame.

Lucky for us I guess, but I'd never admit that!

As a mom, I'm happy he just snuck out to the local dance club to enjoy some night life.




But when I see the female fairy reporter in a lot of the photos, her attention totally focused on my teenage son, well, let's just say I wasn't fond of the idea.

I didn't say it aloud, but I was screaming, ***Back-off, lady! No cougars in my young son's life!***




Then my disapproval grew as I saw this one, Dean showing interest in her!

And that look in her eyes!

I know she's thinking that as a young human male he's going to be an easy conquest.

But as a fairy she's been around since I was young and is old enough to be his grandmother!

I'm not against any of the occults in town, we have fairies, genies, and werewolves in our own family, and I love them dearly.

And May/December romances are fine too, but there is a limit!

I'm a nice person, but where my children are concerned, I just don't want them in relationships where they could get hurt.




While all that was going on, Rielle's driving had improved considerably and she was cruising along through town without a hitch.

By the time we got back to the house, she'd put enough hours in behind the wheel to earn her license!




Nolan was working on another batch of nectar, so I decided to call it a night and head off to bed.

The nectary has been a lot of work, but Nolan's really determined to discover the best blends.

So far most of is blends have been terrible and poor, with a few great ones now and again.




The next morning, I overhear Rielle sharing words of comfort with Breeze.

"It's okay to cry Breeze, we all miss grandma. I won't tell you it's going to be the same, but she'll live on in our hearts, in our thoughts and memories. And every time we visit the park, we'll think of her too. Her and Grandpa, and all of the others that have moved on. And I know grandma will visit us, just like grandpa does."

"Thanks Rielle. I understand that better now that we're older, and I know what you mean now about them not being really gone. But….it just hurts so much right now. I want to tell her things, share stuff with her, dance together, and then it hits me that she's gone!"

"You could start a journal, like mom has. But instead of writing down stuff about all of us, you could focus on things you want to share with grandma and grandpa next time they pop in."

Gulping back a sob, Breeze nods and says, "That's a great idea Rielle! Thanks for understanding baby sister."




As they share a warm, affectionate, sisterly hug, I know we've done a good job with them.




That's not to say they always get along!

The teenage years can be filled with drama, especially if both girls are having mood swings at the same time.

I remember one particularly bad morning when they started arguing over the other hogging the bathroom.

That was not a good start to the day!

Thankfully, those days were few and far between.




Once the kids are off to school, I head to the consignment shop to deliver our latest batch of produce.

The same guy has been here since it opened, so he was really good about walking me through the process, since mom did most of the trading with him.

Though I did get a glimpse of his sharp teeth, and completely understand why no one has ever tried to rob the place!

Who would take on a hybrid that had both vampire and werewolf genetics!?!

Only someone with a death wish, if you asked me.




Breeze took her sister's advice and went to the park that afternoon after school.

She shared the following photos with me and told me what happened there that day.

"It's all part of my grieving therapy Barrett. Since grandma helped to get the park built, it's a place to feel close to her. But I'd feel even better if you'd come and join me."




Barrett quickly arrived to get Breeze through this tough time.

The two of them playing in the sand pit, with Barret really enjoying himself!

Breeze told me she just sat there soaking up the warm sunshine and spirit of the park, a gift from both sets of grandparents and so many others.

 A place to reflect on family memories, and a place to make new ones.




With that thought in her mind and heart, she took Barrett's hands in her own.

She told him the deepest feelings of her heart and when he smiled and squeezed her hands, she knew he was telling her felt the same way.




So she said, "I know we've been together for awhile Barrett, but I just wanted you to know that I don't ever want to stop being your girl!"

And then she told me, "He's the one for me, mom. I'm sure."

I smiled and said, "I don't doubt that at all Breeze. With some sims you just know. Like me and your dad."

And though we don't say anything else, our bond grows over shared confidences.

Not just our mother/daughter bond, but woman to woman, as I realize that Breeze has taken another step toward growing up.

Not jumping into a relationship without thought, but giving a friendship time to blossom and grow, to develop into something strong, something to build a life and foundation on.




Fulfilling his promise to Ward, Dean takes him to a fishing hole on the edge of town.

"You doing okay little brother?"

"Yeah. I guess. But I haven't even caught a fish yet!" he yells, disappointment evident in his voice.

With a friendly laugh, Dean tells him, "Give it a minute, you just put your line in the water! But let's keep the noise down or we'll scare away the fish."

Lowering his voice, Ward says, "Oh right. I read about that in the Scouts' handbook."




Ben, who was thrilled to be old enough to be included in this expedition said from across the pond, "Thanks for letting me tag along, guys. This place is great! I was hoping to bring Flynn but, now that he's an elder, mom said the trip up here would have been too much for him."

Dean nodded and said, "Yeah, besides the distance, he might have wandered away with all the woods around here. We wouldn't want him getting lost."

Ben's eyes grew round with fear at the very idea and his new Cat Lover trait comes to the fore when he says, "I hadn't even thought of that. I love him too much to have that happen. It's better that he stayed safe at home."

Then all three boys quietly fish, enjoying the great outdoors and warm summer air.




They are all so quiet that some wild horses come to the lake for a drink of the fresh, cold water.

Startled by Ben fishing at their drinking spot, one of them rears up on it's hind legs, whinnying loudly.

Ben doesn't move, frozen by their unexpected appearance, but thrilled to see them so close.

Dean wants to help Ben, afraid for his little brother's safety, but he's not sure what to do from the other side of the pond that won't panic the horses even more.

Silently he prays, ***Stay still and calm Ben. Grandpa, grandma, if you can hear me, keep him safe!"




Whether it's Dean's plea, the friendly nature of the horses, or Ben's tranquil demeanor, they calm down and graze close by.

Dean was able to even send me some snapshots of the horses before they left the area.




It was such a hot afternoon, that Rielle and I donned swimsuits and got wet before we tended to the garden.

When Dean's photos showed up on my cell, along with his excited text, I mentioned it to Rielle adding, "I'm glad Ben wasn't hurt! Wild horses can be unpredictable. Though I've heard that once trained, racing can be quite a profitable career."

Rielle looks at me with interest and says, "That would be considered an improvement to a farm wouldn't it, mom? A stable, training area, and a horse?"

I nod as I add yet another barren plant to the recycle bin, "Of course, most farms have stables and horses. Why?"

Excitedly she says, "After my talk with Grandpa George, I've been wondering what trait and expansion to pick for the farm when I become heir and I think you've just given me the perfect one!"

I stand still in shock at Rielle's words. She's chosen to stay on the farm as heir!

But I can't let my feelings be the main focus here and, playing devil's advocate, I ask, "Are you sure Rielle? That sounds wonderful, but I don't want you to feel like you don't have other options."

"I've always wanted to stay on the farm, mom. Especially since Breeze is more into parties and wants to follow in Aunt Autumn's footsteps and have a music career." Her voice breaks a little as she adds, "Unless you were planning on one of the boys for heir! I mean, I'd understand, if that's what you want….." but her voice trails off with clear disappointment at the thought.

"Sweetheart, I would love to pass the torch on to you as heir! I just wanted to make sure it was what you wanted, that it was in your heart!"

With relief in her voice, Rielle says, "More than anything mom! I've always felt this is my place, my home."

Hearing her words, my spirit lifts as I realize I was worried for nothing. Of course it would be Rielle. The child that was convinced that dad wasn't gone after he met Grim.  Knowing his spirit, his love, and his memories were so deeply rooted in all of us, in the farm, that he would never leave us completely. And knowing it was her place to stay, to live out her life, and continue the legacy.




Our kitty, Flynn, is now an elder. I'm still hoping we can find a female to continue his line.

Breeze has chosen Barrett for her boyfriend and knows he's the one she wants to spend the rest of her life with.

Rielle learned to drive and her brothers' unexpected meeting with wild horses has given her a wonderful idea for her farm expansion as heir!

A decision that calms my heart and leaves me with fewer worries for the future.

But calm isn't part of my next entry as Dean's got a slumber party coming up so we'll have a houseful of teens!

I wonder what drama that will bring into our lives?!

Let's find out in Chapter 57: Party Time!
Coming soon.

[deedee_828]

As the sun sets on another warm, late summer evening, teens start arriving.

And Nolan, as the ever watchful father of teenage daughters, chats with their boyfriends, Leonard and Barrett.

I'm sure Breeze and Rielle would be worried, if they were watching, but I'm thankful Nolan takes an active part in getting to know his children's friends, especially boyfriends.

Even braving the hated outdoors to do so!




And with the rise of the full moon, our resident reporter can't stop the transformation to werewolf!

It's rather frightening to behold, but doesn't deter the teens one bit.

I guess growing up with so many different occults, they're getting used to such things.

But I politely asked her to leave, just in case.

I was surprised when she readily agreed with only a low growl, but I think she was just as concerned as I was with so many impressionable teens about.




Two of them surprise me and work on homework first thing, especially when I see one of them is Flynn!

I don't know if it's Flynn being diligent or just because it gives him an excuse to sit close to his girlfriend, Nolan's niece, Emilie Dean, his sister Nikki's daughter.

Or maybe they just want it done so they can enjoy the rest of the weekend without worrying about it.

Probably a combination of all three!




But with homework completed, Flynn joins the other kids as they dance to popular songs.

One poor boy has been zombified, though he takes it in stride and just joins the other teens dancing!

I guess kids are really much more resilient when it comes to change and acceptance.




And Nicola aged up to teen in time to be invited to the party!

She looks just like Rayne, having the same blonde hair and pouty lips, and she's got her dad's genie powers!

A winning combination for sure, though her skin tone sometimes has an ashen cast to it, but looks peachy in all my photos.

I'll definitely have to show you what I mean in an upcoming entry.




Most of the teens started pairing up to dance, and I was a little concerned when I noticed Dean dancing with Jeanette Crumplebottom.

Seems our oldest son has a taste for older girls, first a fairy reporter, now one of Breeze's classmates!

When I mentioned this to Nolan later, he just laughed and said, "Like father, like son!"

I shook my head ruefully as I realized he was right.

Nolan should be a few days younger than me, but one of my pregnancies delayed my birthday a bit, so we're close to the same age now.

Since that never mattered in our relationship, I can't very well hold Dean to a different standard.

As a mom, I know I really need to loosen up the apron strings. But it's hard!




But when the pizza arrived, it didn't take long for the kids to start digging in!

I was happy to see Dean making sure his little brother, Ben, got a piece with all the teens around.

Though there were still those that were focused on homework, Leonard being one of them.

"Careful Leonard, it wouldn't do to turn in your homework with pizza cheese on it! And it's disappearing fast!" Rielle warns him.

"I'm almost finished, and then I’ll grab a slice. It smells great!"

He was right, it did smell good.

But I was trying to stick to healthier eating. And slim down a bit.

I'll confess though that I did sneak a piece of pepperoni when no one was looking!




After pizza, Ben played with his imaginary friend doll.

Ben claims that the doll grew to child size on his birthday, but to all of us, it's just a doll.

I think it's great he has a such a vivid imagination, and wants to keep his friendship alive with his IF doll.

Breeze gave hers away when she became a child, but every child is different, and I don't think it hurts him to have a special friend of his own.




And then, when we hear a squeal from Samantha, we realize we must have a ghostly visitor.

I peek into the other room and see Mom's ghost!

I guess she couldn't resist the party and the music.




Though, instead of dancing, she heads straight for a rocker.

But with both of them occupied, she just floats in limbo in the middle of the room.




I went to ask Dean if he could ask the girl to dance or something, so mom could use a rocker, but I spotted him with a classmate, Danica Gallo, in the kitchen.

He apparently wants to get to know her better.

And the feeling must be mutual, as I see her take his hands, and Dean doesn't protest at all.

But then, with a girl who looks like that, I'd be surprised if any boy did.

I hope the girl's personality is as nice as her outward appearance and that she won't break my poor son's heart!




In the morning, I realize some of the kids must have stayed up all night, as I find one sleeping in the garden!

Hopefully none of the other teens parents call with complaints, I don't want to get a reputation for being that kind of parent!

Lucky for me, on closer inspection, I realized it was my nephew Flynn.

If anyone deserves to sleep in the dirt, it's him!

Okay, maybe that was a little harsh.

He's not been mean to anyone recently.

Though you can tell I've still not quite forgiven him for being mean to Breeze when they were young.




Speaking of parties, the slumber party may be over, but we've got two birthdays to celebrate.

With a house full of teens, what better time to bring out two cakes?

Ward goes first, standing there in his train pj's looking so sweet that I'm almost sad to see him grow up.

Since that's not really an option, and I want to complete my LTW, on with the party.




Rielle cheers, Ben blows a party horn, while Nicola twirls a noise maker, and Breeze and I add birthday wishes for the birthday boy.

Gilbert Rios's eyes are almost popping out of his head!

Aja Culver's have that distinct vampire glow while her smile is a bit…off-putting, to put it nicely.

But I'm glad so many kids hung around to help us celebrate.

And Flynn, well, for some reason, he's focused on Breeze and not Ward, I hope he's not up to something!

But I focus back on Ward as he starts his age up twirl, squeezing his eyes tight against the brightness of the sparkles.




And our fourth child becomes a teen!

As he grabs a piece of cake, the growing crowd cheers even louder.




But the celebrating isn't over and my heart clenches just a little bit as our eldest, Breeze, steps up to her cake.

Her young adult birthday already!

It seems like just yesterday she was a nooboo!

I look on knowing Nolan and I have done our best and hope it's enough to give her the loving foundation she needs to become a responsible adult.




Nolan cheers wildly and Flynn surprises me with a genuine smile as he claps for his cousin.

It seems that these two have put the past behind them and remembered that they are family.

So I need to do the same and forgive and forget what he did as a young boy and new teen.

I can't expect the two of them to behave like adults if I don't myself!




Breeze takes a moment and makes her wish!

And Nolan suddenly looks as panicked as I feel, but Flynn and Ben and the rest of the crowd just keep cheering her on.




And Breeze becomes a young adult with hair covering her eyes again, and Flynn's so focused on blowing a party horn that he doesn't make any snarky comments!

Maybe he truly has grown up or he's putting forth his best effort for his cousin this time.

Either way, I'm glad of the change.

I'm not sure what to make of Nolan's response, I think he's laughing at one of the cats.

But Breeze seems happy with her new self, posing confidently with her hands on her hips!

And me? My newest wish is to see her get married!




Though she does request a little tweaking before cake.

Breeze chooses a hairstyle more in keeping with her new trait, Virtuoso.

One that reflects her party animal style as well, and will be fitting for the music career she plans on pursuing.

With the hair out of her face, she looks so much like her father, but has my hair, such a wonderful combination of Dean and Swanson.




I have some great outfits that I thought she would like, so she tries them on.

A rockin' warm weather outfit, perfect for our long summers, and some serious guitar playing.




A flashy and hip cooler weather outfit that shows off her party animal style without being too out there!




And for outerwear, a warm and stylish leather jacket with highlights of soft pink.




She found the swimsuit she aged up in quite acceptable, so just changed the tie color to match the skirt and gave it a pop of hot pink, her favorite color.

When she was all set, she invited everyone to grab some cake!




With the house settling back to normal after all that partying, I find Breeze working on her athletic skill.

And seeing how easily she slimmed down, I realize she got her father's metabolism too!

But I smile and determine to keep at it myself, even if it doesn't look like I'm making much progress.




Wow, it's been party after party at our house lately!

Dean had a teen slumber party where he spent some time with pretty Danica Gallo.

Ward aged up to teen, giving me a total of four out of five teens towards my LTW.

And Breeze is now a young adult, soon to be leaving us and heading out on her own.

Next up it will be Rielle's turn and I'll soon be handing over the responsibilities of heirship and journal entries to her.

Let's see what happens in my final entries, starting with Chapter 58: Surprises
Coming soon.

[deedee_828]

I wanted to take a moment to show you how different my niece Nicola looks in person compared to her Stylist photos.

Here she is looking cute and cool in her pretty summer dress after Breeze's birthday party.




But when we helped her pick it out, her coloring was a bit different.

No one's sure why her skin color changes like that, but we think it might be because she's got genie genetics from her father, Johnny.

I wonder what that means for her children? Maybe they could inherit either one or a blend of them? I guess it will be a surprise.

Since her mother, my sister Rayne, is a scientist, she's been doing some testing, but hasn't found anything conclusive yet.




While Rielle's boyfriend, Leonard, chats with Nolan.

"Thanks for letting Rielle invite me over again Mr. Swanson. I'm here so much it's almost like I'm part of the family! I really appreciate it! Especially with the twins at home! I love my baby sisters but the crying with two of them at once has got me and my parents at our wits end!"

I heard Nolan laugh at that and say, "We've never had twins but some of ours are pretty close in age, so I can just imagine."

"Yeah, between the babies and all the cats, it's gotten so bad, I'm thinking of getting my own place!"

"All the cats? How many do you have?" Nolan asks, and since I'm curious, I listen too.

"We only had one, a female, Ilia, but then she had a litter of three kittens. They're almost grown now and Mom's planning on giving them away soon. But not soon enough for me!"

My ears perk up at this and I know what I'm doing first thing I get a chance---stopping in at the Kindle home!




I head to the garden and the sprinklers for one last run through before bed and am pleasantly surprised when Danica comes out and chats with me.

"Thanks for letting Dean host a slumber party Mrs. Swanson. It was really fun, getting to know him and all the other teens outside of school. You've got such a nice home and a beautiful garden. You can tell you've all put all lot of time and effort into it."

"Why thank you Danica! That's so sweet of you to say."




As our conversation continues, I realize she is a sweet girl.

Her beauty isn't just skin deep, but she has a good heart too.

Which prompts me to add, "Well, make yourself at home and stay as long as you like. We love having our kids' friends visit. Just ask Leonard! He's here all the time."




Danica takes my words to heart and is soon chatting away with Dean again.

I overhear a bit of their conversation as Dean excitedly says, "I took my little brothers fishing and we saw three wild horses! It was pretty cool, once I realized Ben was safe around them."

"I'd love to see wild horses! Do you think you could take me some time?"

"That sounds great! It's a date then!"




Then I catch something that warms my heart, their first kiss!




I know I should give them some privacy, but I hang around for just a few more minutes and see them settle down on the grass to watch the stars together.

I have a good feeling about these two, but I think I've done enough mom spying on them for one night!




So I head inside to check on the rest of my family.

I find Ward talking with Nicola, while Samantha's cuddled back up in her sleeping bag, though her eyes are wide open.

"I'm trying to sleep here you two. Can't you chat somewhere else?" she says sleepily.

And Ben's grabbing a snack before bed.




As I glance into the sitting room, I see Rielle and Leonard saying goodbye.




I grit my teeth and decide I better do some exercising and once I get going, I'm happy to see that my continued efforts are paying off, I am finally trimming down!

Breeze joins me as she says, "Yeah, without a daily routine, it's easy to put the pounds back on isn't it mom?"

Between breathes I say, "You got that right. But some things are worth the extra effort."




"I'm glad you feel that way mom, because I've got some news for you. After I signed up at the theater for a job, I decided to hang around and play my guitar a bit, since it's still warm out."




She continues with, "But then I got a text from Barrett asking me to meet him by the stadium. I started playing my guitar there too, until he walked out all grown up!"




"He told me he was so happy that I was getting the chance to pursue my music career."




"And then he pulled me close and said that I was the best part of his life and he wanted us to be together forever."




"I know I should have asked you and dad first mom, but I just couldn't wait and asked him to move in!"




I look into Breeze's anxious eyes and with a laugh, I say, "Like mother, like daughter! I asked your father to move in without asking my parents too! Let's welcome him with the chance to pick out some new clothes and a new hairstyle."

Without further ado, here's the newest member of our family, Barrett Rios!

What a fine looking young man.

Then he chose an outerwear outfit with a scarf in a shade of pink, just for Breeze!

You know it's true love when a guy wears his partner's favorite color.




None of our children were comfortable taking over their grandparent's bedroom, so Nolan and I moved into it.

While Breeze didn't waste any time getting Barrett settled into their room, which was our old one.

I promised them I'd leave them alone after one quick photo, so they posed for me cuddling on the bed.




While our eldest daughter is making positive life decisions, her sister is not!

Rielle had woken in a bad mood, so I sent her in to town to do some errands, trying to take her mind off it.

But it had the opposite effect and we got a call from a local police officer who caught her trying to egg a house in town!

Rielle pulling a prank like that?

That was a surprise that caught me totally off-guard.




Apparently she tried to run when the officer caught her, so she had to endure the embarrassment of being brought home in a police car.




Needless to say, the whole experience didn't improve her mood any!




But before Nolan or I could scold her, Barrett's actions had us focusing on something else.

He surprised Breeze with an engagement ring, got down on one knee and proposed!




As we all watched in anticipation, Breeze happily accepted and Barrett slid the ring on her finger!




Then our newly engaged daughter and her fiancé shared a romantic hug.




In all the excitement, we forgot about Rielle's actions, but she had a moment of indecision where she thought about reminding us.

It was her brother and his rebellious attitude that stopped her in his tracks when he flashed her a big smile and said, "Let it go! You dodged a bullet there sis, go with the flow! Nothing like putting it to the man!"

Being in the mood she was in, she did!

Of course, we weren't told about this until much later.




So many surprises and all at once.

Dean's first kiss.

I actual start seeing some results from all my exercising, and I love my slimmer figure.

Then Breeze asked Barrett to move in and he asked her to marry him!

And they don't want a long engagement either.

In fact, they've decided to get married tonight!

So we're all busy with wedding plans.

I'll tell you all about it in Chapter 59: Wedding Bells
Coming soon.

[deedee_828]

First thing was getting everyone's formalwear in order for the big event.

The guys wouldn't take as long, so they endured it first starting with Ben.

So cute at this age, but hating being dressed up more than the others.




Then Ward stepped up, as the next oldest.

He went with traditional black which covers most formal events well.

And he looked so handsome with his red tie matching his hair.




And finally Dean, putting aside his rebellious nature, and going with a distinguished looking white suit with red tie and lapels.

So handsome, all my men!




And finally, the groom, looking quite dashing in a gray tux with a slate blue scarf, bringing back a stylish look from a bygone era.

For a man getting married that evening, he was quite at ease and waved when I took his picture.




Since Rielle and I had suitable formalwear, the only one left was the bride.

Breeze took my breath away when she modeled her gown for us!

She looked stunning in the off-the-shoulder cream gown that was her favorite.




Before we knew it, it was time!

I could barely contain my excitement, our daughter was getting married!

It didn't hurt that I'd had to have my formal dress taken in a lot.

I barely recognized myself in the photos later.




Breeze and Barrett stood under the arch where Nolan and I had exchanged our vows.

Both of them looking solemn and maybe just a bit nervous.

I exchanged a look with Nolan from across the lawn and we both smiled, our baby was all grown up!




Just before the ceremony began, I spotted a pretty teen fairy with her eyes glued to the bride and groom.

I'd told the children they could each invite a special guest but introductions would have to wait as the music ended and Breeze began her vows.

"Barrett Rios, with this ring I thee wed, from this day forward the two of us as one, my friend, my love, my husband."

At her words, I clutched my hands to my heart, and glancing down saw my youngest son do the same.

My heart swelled even more to see how much his sister getting married meant to him.




But he wasn't the only son of mine affected, I could hear Dean behind me not even trying to hide his tears!

While Ward stood by me solid and strong, much like his namesake, Grandfather Howard.




But Dean's tears were nothing compared to Rielle's sobs, I could hear them from across the lawn!

Such a tender heart, this hopeless romantic daughter of ours.




Then Barrett said, "Breeze Swanson, with this ring I thee wed, from this day forward we will be as one. One mind, one body, one heart, today, tomorrow, and always, my wife."

Breeze's face twisted showing emotion no words could describe, as her groom placed the ring on her finger.

Nolan clapped in his happiness but I could feel his eyes on me, thinking of our vows in this very spot.




As they shared their first kiss as Mr. and Mrs. Barrett Rios, heart-shaped petals showered over them.




Then the bride gave her new husband a quick massage, something none of us expected.

But his sigh of relief made us realize that though Barrett had looked so composed and at ease, he'd been strung tighter than Breeze's guitar!




But all it took was a quick flick of his bride's fingers and Barrett was all set for the next task.

Cutting the wedding cake!




Once everyone had grabbed a piece, we headed for seats to chat together while we indulged in the delicious cake.

Breeze, Rielle, Dean, Ward, and I ate ours at the kitchen table.




While Nolan joined Barrett down in the nectary.

I don't know if it was planned, but it gave Nolan the opportunity to chat with his new son-in-law.

He told me later that Barrett had promised to take good care of Breeze and that they'd visit often and we were welcome to visit them.

That's when Nolan learned that Barrett's mother, Olivia, was so ill she hadn't been able to attend the ceremony.

Which was why Barrett and Breeze would be leaving soon to be by her side.




I was a bit sad that Breeze and Barrett would be leaving our home so soon, but I helped Breeze pack and we headed over first thing in the morning.

Wait until I tell mom that not only did Breeze marry Agnes Crumplebottom's grandson, Barrett, but that they'll be living in Agnes' first house too!

When Agnes married Jack, they'd found a house of their own and left the house to her adopted children.

Olivia and her husband, Jason Rios, had raised their four children there, Brannon, Brandy, Tanisha, and Barrett, the youngest son.

All three of his older siblings had moved out into homes of their own to raise their own families in, so Barrett was inheriting the home place.




The house was beautifully furnished so Breeze and Barret just had to bring their clothes and a few personal possessions.

For Breeze that meant her guitar, of course!

But I found one downstairs and couldn't resist plucking away at the strings.

I wasn't terrible, but I wasn't as good as Breeze either.




But with just a few things to unpack, it didn't take Breeze long and we christened the living room with some dance steps.

Being a party animal, Breeze sure knows a lot of them just like mom did.




Then we probably had Agnes' ghost howling when we started pillow fighting!

Right next to the full-length glass picture windows too.

But we were careful and didn't break anything.

Afterwards I thought how embarrassing that would have been.

But my only thought at the time was that my oldest child wouldn't be sleeping at home anymore.

So I took the opportunity for one last moment of silliness, sometimes it's the only thing to do.




That afternoon, I spent some time in the garden, harvesting some of the late summer crop.

Happy for Breeze but missing her already.




Nolan helped me out knowing I needed the company.

In the outdoor garden he usually sticks to quick things, like grabbing a barren plant or two and popping them into the recycling bins.

But I knew he'd prefer to be inside, so I sent him to check on his latest batch of nectar.




He's made 15 combinations of nectar now, so he can predict what specific fruits go best together.

It'll be a great help in building up his nectar collection to make the ones that are awesome combinations.

He's only discovered one of those so far.

He calls it NN Pomeylife, as it's made with 9 life fruit, and 1 pomegranate.

He has a few bottles that are worth over $500 simoleans each!

But honestly, with all the work to get perfect fruits, then to master nectar-making, I still think our red berry beans will continue to be our biggest money-maker.




With his nectar-making duties done for the night, Nolan took on one more task.

Giving Ward his night time driving lesson.




I even let them use mom's motive mobile to make it a little easier.

We don't use it often, but now and then it comes in handy.




Our oldest chick has left the nest and Rielle's birthday is upon us.

So this is my final entry as the 1st generation heir, telling you all about my family, generation 2.

I'm giving Rielle a new journal as she begins the next stage of her life and takes up heirship to bring in generation 3.

My current wishes are to see her age up well, and to get a grandchild, of course!

But I'll let her tell you all about her new life and responsibilities.

Check out her first entry for Gen 3, Chapter 60: Rielle's New Life
Coming soon.