DITFT – Sims Stories

Roots of Emerson – Post 1.14

Post 1.13 | Rules | Family Tree | Post 2.1

A/N: This is a pretty long chapter, way longer than I usually write for this family, but I just really wanted to get to Kevin’s generation.

The news of Kayla’s pregnancy caused some surprise for all of the members of the family, and changes had to be made to the house in order to make room for the newest member to arrive.

Unfortunately, this meant a lot of work for Tim, who had to transform their small 3-bedroom house into a 5 bed-room house. He was determined to give the twins their own spaces, and while it took a lot of adjustments, it was finally completed late in winter.

The kids were thrilled with having their own spaces, no one minded they were small. Jennifer could finally play her guitar without feeling like she was always bothering her brothers.

Ryan and Jennifer continue to help on the farm all the time. Jennifer enjoys getting her hands a bit dirty in the dirt, which she says no one ever expects, and Ryan enjoys helping with the chickens.

Tim is very proud of his garden, and the life he has made here in Willow Creek. The greenhouse keeps everything warm and growing even in the dead of winter, although it does take a little extra care.

When they aren’t helping in the garden Jennifer and Ryan often can be found dancing or listening to music. They have different tastes sometimes, which can lead to arguments, but nothing too major.

Jennifer continues to also help Kayla in the kitchen. This is extremely useful for Kayla who, while still fairly early in her pregnancy, is starting to feel its effects.

Ryan and Kevin enjoy the occasional “guy time” in one of their tiny rooms, or just getting out of the house for a bit. It seems clear Ryan looks up to his older brother.

Tim and Kayla did find out that Kevin was really worried about his test scores, even though he didn’t have to be. They tried to encourage him not to worry so much. They also found out Ryan had been getting bullied at school, but he told him he had dealt with it.

Kayla knew, from her past pregnancies that getting in a workout was not always an option as she got bigger and bigger, so she takes as much time as she can to stay fit now. With large blizzards happening this winter, having a soccer ball to juggle makes it easier to stay inside and stay fit.

Even with the weather, the cowplant still needs to be fed, and Tim tries to always feed him right away, but sometimes it requires a break in the storm before he’s able to get out with the packaged meat.

Kayla was having doubts about this pregnancy. Not that she wasn’t willing or excited to be having another baby, but she knew they were getting older and the rest of their kids were already teens.

Tim assured Kayla that they could handle it, they could handle anything that came along. Kayla spent the afternoon canning and prepping some ingredients in her new kitchen appliances thinking over what he said.

Kevin brought Ash home from school today, and Tim and Kayla were happy to meet one of the kids’ friends. Ash joined Jennifer and Kevin to play games. Ryan came over shortly after and joined in on the fun as well.

Ash was invited to stay for dinner and it seems they are not only Kevin’s friend, but at least friendly with all 3 kids. Kayla was glad the kids were making friends in school.

While the kids went back to video games in the living room Kayla let loose on Tim. She was tired, the house was a mess (at least in her eyes), the kids were growing up so fast and she didn’t know if she wanted to go back through nights of no sleep, and diaper changes again. Tim didn’t know what to say, so when Kayla went up to lay down Tim cleaned up the kitchen and thought about all she said.

After a fairly restless night of sleep Tim was still thinking through all Kayla had said while he went out to tend to the chickens. Kayla had to work today and she basically left without saying much.

Tim knew he had to find a way to help ease Kayla’s fears, and while he looked at the flaming-eyed rooster, who had never lost those eyes, he pondered what to do.

When Kayla got home, feeling more pregnant than she had when she left Tim was ready for her. He pampered her a bit (although letting her go inside might have been a good idea too), and told her how excited he was, but made sure to tell her about his nerves too. He was excited, but he shared many of the same concerns, and so he told her all about his own fears. This was their little nugget though, and he wanted to meet them.

Kayla relaxed, realizing Tim was right, although it was also a relief to know he shared many of the same concerns. She was still a little scared, but she also wanted to meet this new little one. That evening Tim watched her train, tried out some ball juggling himself, and they spent time together.

The kids, meanwhile, had a homework party with another friend from school. Kevin was also busy forming a plan in his mind based on some things they had learned at school.

The spice festival came into town, and it was a pleasant evening so Tim and Kayla decided to take the family and some of their friends out to enjoy the night. Kayla even ended up beating the spice challenge!

Life continued on, Kevin researching things on his computer, trying to make plans for his future, Jennifer continued to practice guitar and was considering writing songs, and Tim kept up on the farm, and of course, the cowplant.

When the new year was here the family took a leisurely morning, Kayla making up some breakfast and the kids annoying her with noisemakers. Kevin had plans for the day though.

Kevin went out to talk to his father about what he wanted to do. He started by asking Tim if he could have some of the current harvest, which Tim agreed to. He thought Kevin was finally taking an interest in the farm. Kevin quickly let his dad know that wasn’t the case, explaining how he had been learning about how to make drinks. While Tim didn’t understand his fascination with it, Kevin explained all the science that goes into making a good drink, including good quality produce.

With produce in hand, Kevin went to the marketplace that had opened up where the old museum used to be. It had a little bit of everything, but for Kevin’s purposes, it had exactly what he needed. A fizzer and a place to stomp nectar.

Kevin came home elated with what he had accomplished and while Tim still didn’t understand the interest, or why this would be the path his son would take, he couldn’t deny Kevin’s excitement.

That night Kevin proudly presented his first batch of fizzed drinks for the new years. Jennifer said it was pretty good, Tim found he really liked the fizzed drinks, but poor Kayla had some issues. The flavor was ok, but the bubbles did not sit well with her. Still, Kevin felt it was a great success.

More bottles of Kevin’s fizzing drink were consumed throughout the countdown to midnight, and Ryan enjoyed the drinks too. The whole family was up cheering in the new year together when midnight hit.

As the celebration was finishing up, however, Kayla suddenly felt her water break. Kevin was immediately nervous it was from his drink but his mom assured him there was nothing to worry about, this was totally normal.

Tim grabbed the bags and worked to get them to the hospital on the icy roads as quickly, but safely as possible. After what felt like entirely too long for Tim they got checked in and the newest little Emerson was born. Kayla looked down into her sweet face and immediately knew, her name was Rachel.

Winter started to fade away and spring flowers began to pop up everywhere. Tim was quite enamored with his baby daughter. Kevin even found himself rather smitten with his new sister.

With spring finally here that meant Tim was able to fish at the fishing spot near home again. Everyone was happy the blizzards were over and the chill of winter was leaving again.

Ryan started helping his dad raise a large pumpkin, and Ryan couldn’t help but take a picture of it. Spring Day also arrived and with it the flower bunny, whom Jennifer enjoyed talking with.

Ryan was growing up and began to enjoy the small talk with his family, and decided he had outgrown the mischief of his youth. Tim and Kayla were actually quite happy to have that stage behind them.

Kayla was happy to be able to start taking care of the chickens again and juggle the ball outside. When she was pregnant before the smell of the coop always got to her. She was very sure she was done with kids now.

Tim and Kayla are happy all of their kids are close, and hope they will help take good care of Rachel. The twins especially seem to be closer than ever now, maybe the separate rooms were good for them.

Tim still loved his garden, and he was thrilled to have Ryan and Jennifer help him whenever they were willing. He was sad Kevin wasn’t going to take over, but he was proud of him all the same.

No matter how many times it happens it’s always sad to Kayla and Tim when their chickens pass onto the other side. The cycle starts all over again with new chicks being hatched, but it’s hard to take.

Kevin: Hey Ryan you wanna…..WHAT ARE YOU DOING???? STAY AWAY FROM THE COWPLANT!!!!

Ryan: It’s all good Kev, you’re too……..CRAAAAAAAAP!!!!!

Tim was furious with Ryan for his stunt with the cowplant. Everyone was relieved that Ryan was ok when the cowplant spit him back out but Kevin was so shaken up he didn’t even want to go into the backyard at all.

Ryan stayed mad at himself for quite a while. He couldn’t believe he fell for the cake, he knew better. Kevin was worried about his brother, but it always startled him when he’d start yelling at himself. Kevin could not understand how his dad could keep that blasted plant around and felt like saying “told you so” to everyone.

Rachel was getting bigger quickly, and it felt like only yesterday they were rushing to the hospital in the wintery weather. She is a very calm little girl, and Tim and Kayla are very thankful for that.

Kevin and Ryan seem to be heading into a competition time with each other, turning everything into a debate, or a race. That included trying to get the table set one night.

The kids say school has been going well for them, they all hang out a fair amount in school, but Kevin also came home and told Tim and Kayla about making team captain. He called for a computer science fair, and one is actually being set up!

Kayla is totally enamored with Rachel. It’s hard to believe she was ever worried about having another baby. She’s a natural mom and Rachel is learning new things all the time.

Sometimes it’s late at night before Tim is able to get through the chores to go to his favorite fishing spot. He’s determined to try and learn all he can about fishing and be even better at it.

Life continues on for the family with the kids doing well in school, and Rachel getting older. Tim and Kayla knew they would have a toddler again before they knew it. Ryan and Jennifer continue to help in the garden, especially with the cow plant, although Ryan has let Jennifer take on more of that responsibility.

Sadly the another chicken was lost to the other side. It continues to be the cycle of life on a farm, but Kayla hates losing her chickens, regardless of the reason.

Tim is just as smitten with his youngest as Kayla. He gives Rachel a bath and just couldn’t help but be a little overwhelmed by the cuteness of it all.

The kids continue to bring friends home from school now and then, and they do love to play video games together. Kayla is back to cooking meals for the family but she does wish the kids would help clean up a little more often.

Kayla is a great mom to Rachel, and it’s hard for anyone to believe when she starts learning to sit up on her own. They really do grow up so fast.

Kevin continues to lead the computer club, and he works hard to try and win the computer science fairs, but so far it has not happened. He says it’s ok, they have a young team and Kevin knows the other participants are really quite good.

For some reason, both Ryan and Jennifer get really moody and downright mean. Tim and Kayla both try to talk to them about it, but there appears to be a bit of a block there right now.

They do seem to confide in Kevin though, and he tries to assure his parents it’s nothing they need to worry about, just a lot of things going on around them, and the idea that he will be moving out soon.

This culminated right before Kevin’s birthday with Ryan picking a fight with Kevin and declaring he hoped Kevin’s business idea would fail. Tim and Kayla could tell it hurt Kevin’s feelings but tried to assure him Ryan didn’t really mean it.

Right before his birthday, Kevin was told to go milk the cowplant. He didn’t want to, but it needed doing and no one else was able to. Tim assured him the cowplant had been recently fed and there was nothing to worry about, but as he attempted to milk it the cowplant jerked up and Kevin ran back inside. Never again…..

A small party was thrown for Kevin’s birthday, and he invited some friends over from school. Kayla baked up a cake, and even Ryan celebrated, having tried to make up with his brother some. He doesn’t really want Kevin to leave.

Tim and Kayla were both so proud when they found out that Kevin was going to be honored at graduation. He had worked so hard and had to overcome some things, but he was well on his way. He would be moving out soon to travel his own path, but they are sure to all be together again soon.

Post 1.13 | Rules | Family Tree | Post 2.1

Roots of Emerson – Post 1.13

Post 1.12 | Rules | Family Tree | Post 1.14

Tim and Kayla adjust to life with teenagers as best they can. There is less to do for the kids now that they mostly take care of themselves, but that just means more things to work on teaching them.

Life continues on, seasons pass and everyone gets older. The chickens that have been so beloved are starting to pass on, and new chicks will be hatched. The farm is changing.

Kevin is close to being done with school and he will be finding his own path soon. Tim still holds out hope that his kids will help take over the farm as he is getting older and knows he won’t be able to stay up on everything by himself.

Kayla has seemed to perfect her cooking, and while she has become a bit of a perfectionist, everyone appreciates her cooking for the family. She makes sure they eat healthy and is happy to have Tim’s produce at her disposal.

Tim and Kalya are happy that the twins have gotten closer over time, and Jennifer and Ryan have become quite the joksters of the family.

Tim loves his kids, but there are mornings he’s not really sure what all they are talking about. At times it seems to him that Kevin doesn’t either, but at least Jennifer and Ryan have each other.

Much like her mother, Jennifer has gained an appreciation for the chickens and has found herself helping with the new chicks whenever she can.

Likewise, the cowplant has grown very attached to Ryan and Ryan has become attached to it. They spend more and more time together playing and Ryan has taken over feedings when he’s around.

Tim is trying to teach each of the kids about plants and farming as a whole. Jennifer seems to be the kid that caught on the fastest, but Tim will keep trying with all of them. His new greenhouse is his pride and joy.

When the greenhouse was all done Kayla was so proud of her husband that they went out into the greenhouse and took a picture to memorialize the moment. Even after all of these years, they are very much in love.

Tim finds himself still learning a thing or two about plants himself and is happy to still be learning new things. He wonders if his father ever felt like he had learned all he could.

Kayla has found herself challenging her cooking skills by creating treats for the chickens. Each one, she claims, does a little something different, and is excited to be trying them out.

Kayla still very much loves her husband and Tim adores his wife. He never believed he would be so successful in life, although he always hoped. Kayla has been the best partner.

Kayla always enjoys being able to help with hatching the chicks whenever she can. Throughout the seasons and the years, she attempts to be one of the first people to meet the chicks, especially with her new treats to provide them now.

The kids continue to do well in school, and Kayla is proud of all of her kids, but holds a special place in her heart for her daughter. She’s so glad that Jennifer and Ryan have gotten closer as they got older.

When the kids are in school and Tim has time to himself after tending the garden he can often be found fishing in the river by their house or feeding and playing with the cowplannt.

The kids are making lots of friends in school and it is becoming rare for them to not request to bring their friends home with them. It makes Tim and Kayla both very happy that they have created a place their kids want to bring friends.

One evening Kayla was out checking on the chickens and found a strange egg. At first Kayla thought it must be a rotten egg, but it didn’t provide a smell and one of the hens seemed a bit more protective of it so Kayla left it alone.

She was highly surprised when right around Winterfest that same egg hatched into a chick with firey eyes. Kalya worried the chick was sick, but everything with him checked out, and he seems like a normal chick otherwise.

Winterfest is always a time the family loves to spend together. Not only do they enjoy the meals and opening up gifts, they can also simply enjoy each other’s company and hang out talking.

Jennifer got a guitar for Winterfest and spent some time practicing in her room. She isn’t really good yet, but she is determined.

Another change came in the setup of the twin’s room. Tim and Kayla were finally able to update it with more appropriate furnishings for teens and while Jennifer would like to have her own room, she is used to sharing with her twin.

Kayla was shocked and surprised when she got confirmation that she was pregnant again. She went out to tell Tim early one morning, a bit afraid of how he would react. He was certainly surprised, and this was an unexpected event, but Tim was thrilled. Now they just had to determine how to tell the kids.

POLL RESULTS

So now it’s time to see who won the poll for heir. Now that another baby is on the way I feel a bit bad that baby won’t be included, but it was a shock. So we will move forward with the results.

So….

Who…

Won….

The…

Poll?

Jennifer???

Ryan???

Kevin???

THE…

WINNER….

IS…

KEVIN!!!!!!

Kevin: Huh?

You won the heir poll, you will carry on the family!

Kevin: I don’t have to stay here with the terrifying plant outside?

You sure don’t, you’re moving to a new town!

Here is the breakdown of our results for this poll. You can see it was fairly close between Jennifer and Kevin, but Kevin won and I’m excited to move on soon. This is great timing since Kevin can move out and make room for the newest baby.

Post 1.12 | Rules | Family Tree | Post 1.14

Roots of Emerson: Heir Poll #1

Post 1.12 | Rules | Family Tree | Post 1.13

So I decided, with the kids as teens now that it was time to hold a poll to determine who is going to take over our Emerson family next generation. Hopefully, you are all caught up on the family’s updates and ready to choose an heir/ess. We’ve watched Tim and Kayla raise their three kids up to teens and now who will continue the challenge?

The next generation will see our heir/ess moving to a new town to start up a business. I haven’t decided if I will try retail or if I will send them into the business career, but if you want to comment on what you think I’ll take that into account. I also haven’t made up my mind about where they will move. Either way, they will be changing their aspiration to be a fortune aspiration, so whatever they get done on their aspiration as teens will be what they get, and if they finish fortune right away then we can move them back to it. So here are your choices:

Kevin Emerson:

Kevin is the eldest and since he has a teen aspiration he should be able to get a fortune one right after. He might be a decent choice for heir but I’m not entirely sure what I would have him do or where he would live. His gluttony trait makes me think some sort of food might not be a terrible idea (not a restaurant, but like a bakery or something) but feel free to let me know what you think.

Ryan Emerson:

Ryan has the mentally gifted trait from his child aspiration, so he will learn mental skills faster, which isn’t necessarily geared toward business-type stuff. He does currently have the City Life aspiration, which would make it a pretty easy choice to move to San Mychuno, however.

Jennifer Emerson:

The only one with the Socially gifted trait that will help her with that charisma building. I have no idea if I would run a store with her or put her into business, but I could see her possibly running a store. Her dog lover trait makes me feel like she should move to Brindleton, and maybe she sells pet stuff?

If you have ideas of what type of businesses you think your choice (or any of the choices) would run feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments, cause I’m just not really sure. This poll will be open for 10 days (until the 16th), so get your votes in! I’m excited to see who is chosen as I don’t really have a favorite here. There will a poll also over at boolprop.net feel free to both in either or both polls.

Post 1.12 | Rules | Family Tree | Post 1.13

Roots of Emerson – Post 1.12

Post 1.11 | Rules | Family Tree | Heir Poll | Post 1.13

The fall had been very uneventful for Tim Emerson’s family so far. While Tim continued with his garden, and Kayla with her job, the kids were growing and changing every day. With Kevin in high school now it seemed like everything was changing so fast.

The twins were getting older too and Kayla recognized that they would, within the next year, be joining their older brother in high school. It was hard for Kayla to believe her kids were getting so big, so she tried to give them anything they needed.

Even with them getting older, however, that didn’t mean they didn’t enjoy things like Spooky Day. All three of the kids enjoyed dressing up and Kevin took them around the neighborhood. Jennifer talked to just about everyone she could since she was still trying to finish up her social aspiration.

Kevin, unfortunately, had an encounter with the cowplant that left him shaken. Tim had always tried to teach his kids about the dangers that could be found near the cowplant, but Kevin apparently was lured by the cake anyway.

Tim is very proud of all his kids, but when Ryan came home with straight A’s it’s an extra proud moment for Tim and Kayla. They ultimately want their kids to be successful. Both, however, are still worried about Kevin. Not only does his fear of the dark seem to still plague him, after his encounter with the family cowplant, Kevin seems to have grown a fear of that as well.

Kayla does all she can to make sure her family is taken care of, even though they need her less and less. It’s important to her to keep home-cooked meals in the fridge, and it’s much easier than it used to be to make sure everything is fresh.

She also loves to help her kids with their school projects. A neighbor who has gotten to know Jennifer also helps out. This was helpful to Kayla as Tim was out fishing at the time.

Even though Kevin spends a lot of time with his computer club nowadays, the family still mostly sits down together for many meals. It may not be all of them all the time, but it’s nice for Tim and Kayla to talk with their kids about their days.

It’s not just the family that has been growing and changing. There are new chicks being hatched as well. Kayla was super happy to be able to help hatch one of them one night after work.

Tim had managed to add an extra room to the house to give Kevin his own room, but often they can still find him hanging out with his siblings in their room. He often goes in and works on his homework while his siblings do.

Seasons come and go and life continues on much like normal for Tim in the garden. It hasn’t gotten a lot bigger, but Tim is still searching for plants to add. It’s getting harder and harder to find new ones.

Kayla continues to run and work out. She is getting closer and closer to completing the bodybuilder aspiration. She has not been focused on her work as much as she would like, having been focused more on the kids, but she feels it is time to buckle down.

Both Jennifer and Kevin have also been bringing home straight A’s, making Tim and Kayla very happy. The twins are getting very close to joining Kevin in high school and they are glad their kids are good students and hope it sets them up for good things in the future.

With Jennifer continuing to want to meet people and complete her aspiration she started up an afterschool club for other students who felt similar. She also invited her brother, even though he wasn’t really working on making friends at the same level she was.

With all the people Jennifer has tried to get to know it means there are a lot more people that occasionally stop by to visit. Kayla isn’t really sure how much she likes all the random people, but Kevin was quick to assure her that he keeps his eye on Jennifer and the people she talks with.

Ryan did manage to complete his aspiration, and he decided, since he was already in the club, to try his hand at social. The chances he would make it was slim, but he figured he could try.

Jennifer began to be interested in the chickens and starts to try and take care of them herself. Tim did catch one of Jennifer’s club members playing with the cowplant and was quick to put a few rules into place about the cowplant and what the kids need to be sure to tell their friends.

Tim was able to save up some money to spruce up Kevin’s room a bit. He is still working on a small tablet computer, but Kevin says it’s fine. Tim would like to be able to get Kevin something better though. Maybe one of his siblings could use the tablet.

Another Harvestfest comes around and the family enjoys the festivities together. Tim was even able to get up some quick decorations on the house for the holiday. Kayla worked with the kids to create a wonderful dinner and they couldn’t believe next Harvestfest the kids would all be in high school.

Tim continues to work on fishing. He found it quite pleasant to fish near his house and often met many other neighbors or people traveling around while fishing. It was right on a walking path so many people came by.

Jennifer finally wrapped up her aspiration before her birthday which made her very happy. She went ahead and decided to see how far she could get with her mental aspiration like her brother did before.

Kevin has started learning how to shave and it makes Tim realize just how close to adulthood his kids are getting. There still may be some years left, but it’s coming quickly and Tim truly needs to start talking to the kids about who will take over the farm once he has to stop.

Before anyone was really ready, it was Ryan and Jennifer’s birthday. They threw a big birthday bash and both kids got presents and Kayla baked a special cake for the occasion.

After both kids blew out their candles Tim and Kayla couldn’t believe it. They had 3 teenagers. They knew Ryan and Jennifer would want to get new clothes and looks so after the party they took them out to find things they needed. For now, their room will stay the same, but Tim wants to update that as well soon.

Post 1.11 | Rules | Family Tree | Heir Poll | Post 1.13

Roots of Emerson – Post 1.11

Post 1.10 | Rules | Family Tree | Post 1.12

With the heatwave over Tim took some time for himself to head out fishing. He was just at the fishing hole by the house, but it felt good to be out of the house without it being so hot he immediately wanted to go back inside.

The kids were also enjoying the break in the heat and spent time hanging out outside enjoying the fresh air. It was clear that school would be starting again and the fall was just around the corner so they were going to squeeze out as much summer as they could.

Sadly the chickens that Tim and Kayla had raised since they were chicks were starting to get old and the first of many deaths to follow came one afternoon. Tim was devastated when he discovered his beloved chickens were gone.

Kevin and Jennifer have become the best of friends, but Ryan is also close with his siblings. Tim and Kayla hope that will continue as the kids get older, especially with the age difference between Kevin and the twins.

Kayla had really been down about work lately but Tim was always there to lend an ear. His pep talk must have worked really well because Kayla went out to play some basketball and ended up breaking the backboard. Either that or she just took her stress out on it.

Until they could get the backboard replaced Kayla decided to do more endurance and aerobic training inside the house instead. It was still great for working out and Kayla started to feel more confident in her work again.

As summer continued winding down and it got closer and closer to fall Tim was grateful for the storms that rolled through town. Not only did they bring some much-needed rain after the heat in the middle of the summer, but also kept the cowplant well hydrated so all Tim had to worry about was keeping it fed.

Since it was about time for the kids to head back to school they decided to spend an evening doing a movie night. The movie was picked and started, but all the kids had decidedly different opinions about it. Seems like either Ryan played a prank on his siblings or convinced them to watch something they weren’t thrilled with.

Before Tim and Kayla realized it, Kevin’s birthday was here again. They were soon to have a teenager. Tim realized the birthday fell on Summer Fun Day this year. So they discussed how they would handle a party for him with the holiday.

Summer Fun Day came at the end of summer and Tim and Kayla started to enact their plan for the day. Kayla still had to work, however, so Tim let the kids play around the neighborhood until she got home and went and did some fishing.

Once Kayla got home they went to the park behind their property. Tim grilled up some food and everyone sat down to enjoy a meal, and then it was time for a water balloon fight.

As dusk came across the day Kayla brought out the cake she had made and they celebrated Kevin’s birthday which was followed by fireworks to wrap up Summer Fun Day for the family. It was a wonderful celebration.

Early fall the family decided to head to the pier to enjoy the festival that had popped up there. They rode the Ferris wheel, Tim and Kayla enjoyed the Love Tunnel, and the kids had fun with the little horror tunnel ride.

Tim always enjoyed the changing of the seasons, as each one meant new plants to take care of and work out in the garden. He had gotten himself a weeder that worked wonders and shortened his chores significantly. Which was great as the garden was getting bigger over time.

The first day of school was here once again and Tim was up to help make sure the kids had everything they needed before they headed off to school. It was still a warm day when the kids head out, and Kevin was ready for his first day of high school.

That evening, after the kids work on their homework, the whole family works on making dinner together. Kayla loved being able to share her knowledge with her kids, and her husband as well.

Ryan started acting out and seemed to be going through quite a mean streak. Tim and Kayla tried to talk with him about it, but his brother and sister seemed to get the brunt of his frustration.

They had been hoping that Kevin’s fear of the dark would pass as he got older, but it hadn’t yet. Not only did his horrible fear linger but being a teenager comes with so many changes that were starting to feel like more than Kevin could handle.

Tim realized he probably needed to expand the house a bit and give Kevin his own room, as he was still sharing with his siblings. That would take a little bit of effort but Tim swore he would try. Ideally, he would love to give each of the kids their own space but he wasn’t sure he had the money for that. Hopefully, he could soon.

Post 1.10 | Rules | Family Tree | Post 1.12

Roots of Emerson – Post 1.10

Post 1.09 | Rules | Family Tree | Post 1.11

On a very cold spring morning, Jennifer sat with Kevin to complete her homework. The kids had started back to school already and the twins were getting the hang of this school stuff.

Now that the kids are all able to take care of themselves (for the most part) and know what they should and should not be doing Tim has taken on more of the cooking. Kayla has focused more on her career. Jennifer is enjoying helping out in the kitchen as well.

Even though the kids are able to do more to help around the house Tim still takes his work outside the house very seriously. The chickens still take up much of his mornings, and they even have new chicks hatching.

One day the kids were really getting under Kayla’s skin and so Tim hurried through his morning chores, getting the kids to help, and then took them into the city to play around a bit and burn off some of their energy. This also gave Kayal a chance for a break.

Tim is a very good dad and nearly anything his kids ask for he will give them. Each of them is their own person certainly, but sometimes their desires align, like the day Kevin and Ryan wanted Tim to read to them out on the porch.

Ryan is really interested in mentally engaging activities and has started learning chess. Kayla is a proficient chess player and has worked on teaching Ryan more and playing games with him when she has a chance. He’s getting better, but still has a ways to go.

In fact, once Kevin got the basics down he started roping in Jennifer to play with him as well. She is picking up the rules quickly enough, but she isn’t much of a challenge for Kevin yet.

The passage of time does not stop, and Tim is noticing his chickens are starting to grow older and some of them appear to be eating less. So he takes a bit more time out of his day to check in and give everyone love.

With the garden going so well, Tim was ready to find more plants to plant. He knew he would likely need to go further out of town than he had before, so making sure the kids were behaving and Kayla was around for them he traveled further out into the country. He found a couple of new seeds he’s excited to try out.

Before heading home Tim traveled into the city to check out the newest seeds those vendors might have had. There wasn’t much new and so Tim grabbed himself a drink and made his way home after a long day of travel.

All three kids were doing pretty well in school and Kayla and Tim both helped them out whenever possible with their school projects. Some of the projects were pretty involved and it seemed all of the kids came home with projects around the same time.

Jennifer was starting to make friends in school and with the other kids around the neighborhood. Kayla and Tim were happy to see their children making friends, even if Jennifer was much more social than Ryan. Ryan mostly tagged along with his sister as she met and hung out with other kids.

Ryan seemed to enjoy staying closer to home and hanging out there. He still enjoyed the dollhouse and Kayla figured out he was often using it to play out various social scenarios. When she asked him Ryan admitted he felt a bit awkward around other kids.

The summer had come and was scorching the town. Tim was worried about his plants staying watered and keeping the chickens cool. Kayla had to worry about the inside, and the day the fridge died was a horrible day. Kayla spent a lot of time that morning seeing if she could fix it, but they ended up having to call someone out.

Shortly after the fridge broke the air conditioning went out and the house got so warm everyone was miserable. The heat made it nearly impossible for Kayla to work out and when she did go out one day to try and get in a bit of a run she really thought she might die of heat.

Thankfully the AC got fixed, the heat broke, and everything started going a bit back to normal. Tim had to spend long hours in the garden checking on all of the plants and trying to coax all of them back to good health. That left Kayla and the kids spending a lot of time together and Kayla was so glad all of her kids get along so well.

One night something terrifying happened to Kevin. No one is entirely sure what it was but Ryan ran in and woke up Tim and Kayla to tell them about a monster under his bed. Jennifer was up and worried, and Kevin was just terrified. He refused to sleep without a light on after that. He refused to discuss it, but Kayla believes Ryan might have woken him up scared by the “monster” and since he was dark he didn’t know what was happening and it caused his fear.

The fear of the dark stuck with Kevin for a long time. Tim and Kayla did everything they could to help him and comfort him, but they were hoping as he grew up more the fear might fade. They didn’t want his fear to spread to his siblings. There wasn’t much they could do but try and explain there was nothing to be afraid of and hope their word took hold.

Post 1.09 | Rules | Family Tree | Post 1.11

Roots of Emerson – Post 1.09

Post 1.08 | Rules | Family Tree | Post 1.10

The resident rooster of the Emerson farm was very happy for spring to be here once again and made sure to announce his joy for all to hear. The hens weren’t too happy to be awoken in such a way, even if it was spring, but that didn’t matter.

The rooster announcing his joy of spring was only really rivaled by Tim’s own excitement about the thawing happening at his farm. A thawing ground meant the time had come to clean out and get his springtime plant growing once again. Tim also took the chance to do a few cuttings and graftings to his plants.

The sun often wasn’t up or was just starting to come up, as Tim headed out to the farm, and he often started with the chickens, who were also typically getting up and searching for food, which Tim made sure they had plenty of. The chickens were wonderful to have and Tim was very happy to have each one of them.

The twins were also enjoying spring, although they didn’t get out much the windows in the house were usually opened and they could hear the chickens and all the activity outside. They wanted to explore more but Tim and Kayla kept a close eye on their very mobile toddlers.

Kevin had started school and was diligent about doing his school work. He had heard of places where kids didn’t go to school in the summer and secretly wished he lived in those places, but it wasn’t too bad. Overall he liked school ok.

Tim’s hard work in his garden was starting to pay off and the variety of plants he was growing had grown. He had learned about some more oversized crops, which apparently were good for canning, and Kayla had expressed wanting to try her hand at that, so Tim planted some new oversized crops too.

Kevin, and the twins, were very excited when it was time for Spring Day. Not only did it mean they got to hunt for eggs, but the Flower Bunny came by to hang out at their house for a little bit.

Kayla’s birthday was around the corner so they did a small get-together to celebrate. She was officially out of being known as a young adult and while she still felt plenty young herself, having 3 kids, one of those being a set of twins, had certainly lessened the amount of energy and free time she had.

Through the grafting, he had done early in the spring Tim was noticing that dragonfruit were beginning to grow in his garden, which made him very happy. He really wanted to learn to grow nearly every type of plant that he could.

With the twins becoming more and more able to care for themselves most of the time, of course, they still needed Tim and Kayla for many things, but they were good at entertaining themselves, and usually put themselves down for naps, Kayla was able to start her daily jogs again. It felt good to her to be out running again.

With the added time that wasn’t required to keep eyes on the twins every moment of the day Tim was able to also help Kayla more with things like cooking and he was enjoying learning from her. They also were able to spend more time with their eldest son and had more family dinners together again.

Kevin, for his part, was doing well in school and starting to make some friends. One boy, in particular, had become a pretty good friend and often came to visit Kevin. Many days he just came home with Kevin after school. It made Tim and Kayla happy to see their oldest making friends.

The twins were hardly ignored however and were often found following either Tim or Kayla watching what they were doing and talking away to both of them. They were quite the chatterboxes and both Tim and Kayla were happy they had each other to talk through often when they had to do something else.

Life continued on and the older their kids got the more time Tim and Kayla had to spend time together. They were still very much in love with each other and were happy to find more time, especially after all the kids were asleep, to be the couple who fell in love with each other all those years ago.

Tim started having Kevin help him in the garden more often as he was getting old enough to understand and learn about the farm. He so hoped one of his kids would be interested in carrying on the farm, heck he would be thrilled if all three would be interested!

So life continued for the Emerson family. Tim and Kayla, Kevin, Jennifer and Ryan, and of course the many chickens. Tim continued to bond with his chickens, and Kayla got back into working out more and more so she could compete as a bodybuilder again someday.

Life was going so well for the family, and when it was time for the twins’ birthdays they were in a good place and decided to take a trip to the park for the birthday celebration. It was starting to get dark early again, but everyone had a good time with the picnic they packed.

The twins were to start school the next school semester, and Tim was starting to feel his age a bit. His life felt so complete and as he and Kayal prepared the twins for school, he couldn’t help but look back over how much he had already accomplished. He knew his family would be proud of him.

Post 1.08 | Rules | Family Tree | Post 1.10

Roots of Emerson – Post 1.08

Post 1.07 | Rules | Family Tree | Post 1.09

Tim and Kayla felt like they were handling life with twins about as well as they could. They were both so glad that Kevin was good at being able to entertain himself so they had time to handle the twins.

While Tim was so happy to have Jennifer, his sweet little girl, he did not hold any less love for his newest son Ryan. Both Jennifer and Ryan were good babies, but they did keep everyone busy.

After a little while, when the twins were doing better sleeping through the night both Kayla and Tim were getting better sleep. That made Kayla feel more and more like herself again and she found herself enjoying preparing breakfast again.

Kevin was doing very well and really enjoyed reading his books now on his own. He probably wasn’t really reading them so much as looking at the pictures, but he really enjoyed them.

Kayla was getting out to spend time with the chickens once again. She was very happy to spend time with them and collect the eggs almost every morning. She was very happy to see some of the new chicks that had hatched growing up as well.

Even with all the work happening on a regular basis, Kayla didn’t do anything less for her kids. Kayla strove to be the best mom she could be, and with the long winter months continuing she was glad Tim didn’t have as much work on the farm so he could help with the twins.

Tim and Kayla took turns making sure Kevin was put to bed and read to nearly every night. Some nights the twins could still get restless, so keeping Kevin on a pretty regular schedule was more and more important to Tim and Kayla.

One morning after there was a bit of fresh snow, Kevin had come down to check out the chickens and Kayla took the moment to have some fun with Kevin outdoors. When Kevin wanted to “fly” Kayla took him up to the large balcony and played with him up there. It wouldn’t be long until they had 3 kids running around as the twins were getting ready to walk, and Kevin would be headed to school before they knew it.

The new year came with a celebration. Kayla wanted to make up a bit for Christmas being a bit of a mess. So she invited a bunch of people over to celebrate with them. The kids were all down a bit early so they tried to keep it down a bit, but had a lot of fun.

The twins grew up very fast and it really did feel like no time before they really were toddlers, and that meant Tim and Kayla were back to having to watch the stairs and keep a closer eye on them when they were awake. Tim couldn’t believe how fast his kids were growing up. Almost all of his younger self’s dreams had come true. All that was left was to be the best gardener he could be.

With the twins officially toddlers Tim and Kayla got to work on keeping them entertained. It was a mixture and combination of tossing them around, reading them to sleep, and playing dolls with them whenever they could. The toddler beds were crammed into the room with Kevins, which made the room quite snug, but no one seemed to mind too much.

Life began to get into a routine with the twins now more mobile. It wouldn’t be long before Kevin would be in school, they would need to consider registering him for the next school year soon. It was also time to start potty training the twins, which Kayla and Tim were ready for so they could finally be done with diaper changes.

The twins spent a lot of time together playing and chatting. They were both very talkative and were getting better and better at it. They were also starting to get very quick. They spent a lot of time in the playroom area with the dollhouse and just babbling away.

Spring was beginning to find a bit of a foothold in the weather, and while there was still plenty of snow on the ground, the soil underneath was getting warmer and warmer and Tim was able to get out and plant some of the early spring plants. He was happy to be able to get some plants planted and knew his garden was growing.

It was hard to believe that it was already Kevin’s birthday again, but things come without input, and time proceeds on regardless of how Tim felt about it. Kayla handled all the preparations and set up a grand birthday for her oldest son. She had invited multiple people over to hang out with them and celebrate Kevin’s birthday.

Kevin enjoyed his party and is nervous but excited to start school. Tim and Kayla made sure to get him all the things he would need. It would only be a short time before the twins would be ready for school themselves, and with spring on its way, Tim knew he would need to get the farm in shape again.

Kevin got new clothes for school and looks very grown up to both Tim and Kayla. Hard to believe it has been such a short amount of time since Tim came to this place or since he fell in love with Kayla. He sincerely hoped one of them would want to take over the farm he was building someday.

Post 1.07 | Rules | Family Tree | Post 1.09

Roots of Emerson – Post 1.07

Post 1.06 | Rules | Family Tree | Post 1.08

Life continued with a new normal for Tim and Kayla with Kevin getting more and more mobile and understanding more and more about the world around him. Kayla also being pregnant again meant Tim had to pick up a little bit of the work when Kayla wasn’t feeling well.

While Tim enjoyed his time with the chickens and he was very excited as they began to grow up, he knew Kayla would be excited about having eggs, he had to keep a close eye on Kevin, who now could come down and pet the chickens too. Although he was a very careful and gentle boy with the little birds.

Kevin was a pretty quiet child overall and kept a fair amount to himself reading books or just playing in his room, which had finally been completed. They had also set up a small playroom for him as well.

Tim loved his little boy, and while Kayla was a great mom, her current pregnancy had really taken a toll on her, so she spent a lot more of her time resting than normal. Tim was happy to spend time with his son, however, and it was fun after a day of chores to play with him.

Tim kept filling Kayla in on how the chickens were growing and that he expected eggs to start getting laid soon. Kayla was missing the chickens so she headed out one evening when she was feeling pretty good, even though it was cold, to spend some time with them. Sure enough, she found some eggs that had been laid.

Foghorn the rooster was beginning to enjoy crowing. The first time startled both Kayla and Tim awake, but it became something they were all used to before too long. Tim was a little nervous about his neighbors caring about the sound, but no one ever complained.

As the pregnancy got farther and farther along Kayla found herself feeling better and she was able to help Tim with collecting eggs more often in the mornings. She even discovered that the chickens occasionally laid fairly random eggs.

Tim celebrated a new birthday and while Kayla had wanted to throw him a big celebration, and even got him a cake, by the time the day came they had to postpone everything due to the pregnancy taking its toll once again.

By the time Winterfest was getting close and with it Kayla’s due date, she was determined to make the holiday special. She was always tired, but they brought over some friends, and one even said they were going to be alone for the holiday, so Kayla told her to join them.

Tim got all the decorations up and Kayla was so thankful to her husband for handling that part on his own. She focused on getting everything prepped for the dinner.

Anything she could do during the days leading up to Winterfest she did. She was getting huge, and uncomfortable, and still had to go lay down multiple times throughout the day, but Tim helped where he could, and she was confident she could make it a success.

All the work and prep helped make Kayla feel better, but even still the big day was here before she knew it. The meal prep did make it so she was able to get the meal completed without too much trouble, and while she was very ready to sit down after it was ready, she was proud it was done. Their friend came over and everyone enjoyed the meal.

Once the meal was over Kayla needed to take a nap so Tim and the family friend watched over to Kevin while she did that. They planned to open presents when she got up. Which she did after a good nap, but felt a little twinge. When she got down to the tree to prepare to open presents she realized it was full-on labor.

Tim grabbed all the things they needed for the hospital and call them to let them know they were coming in. It was cold and snowy and Tim couldn’t get there nearly as quickly as he would like, and by the time they arrived, the doctor was also on the way into the hospital.

Tim got sat in the waiting room to relax and calm down a bit while Kayla and the doctor headed back to the delivery room. Kayla climbed into the birthing machine and prayed and hoped everything would be all right. It has been such a rough pregnancy.

The doctor let Kayla know everything looked just fine and the birth was going to be smooth as far as he could tell, but they monitored her closely. Her heart nearly sank just a little bit when they announced that she had another little boy. She knew Tim had his heart set on a girl.

He was given the name Ryan, but before she could be handed her new son the doctor let her know that the next baby was being born. Kayla couldn’t believe her ears. She was having twins? Sure enough, a new little baby girl is next to arrive.

Kayla rejoiced that they had a girl, and she was so excited to have Ryan and Jennifer here. The roughness of the pregnancy made a lot more sense to Kayla now that she knew she was having twins. Once she and the twins were able to go home the family met by the tree to finish the Winterfest celebration that was put on hold.

Tim looked down at the sweet face of his little girl. He was so thankful that Kayla was ok, and that the babies were also just fine. When he found out they had twins he nearly passed out. They were not ready for 2 additional kids, but he knew they would figure it out.

Tim’s life was pretty complete. He had his baby girl, and two amazing sons to help him around the farm as they got older. He had one of the most beautiful wives, who loved to cook and was willing to help him in the fields when he needed it. What more could a guy want?

Post 1.06 | Rules | Family Tree | Post 1.08

Roots of Emerson – Post 1.06

Post 1.05 | Rules | Family Tree | Post 1.07

Life had really changed for Kayla. She had gotten married to a wonderful man, had a baby, and now their family and farm were expanding with some new chicks. Tim had always expressed wanting some animals, but he was never sure if they could handle it. When the chance to get a few chicks came up they decided to go for it. They had been making decent money from the farm, and Kayla had been doing well at work, so they bought a coop, the chicks and set up a little fence for the newest members of the farm.

Kayla found herself totally in love with the little yellow balls of feathers. She carefully pet them, sprinkled feed for them and checked that everything with the coop was clean and ready for them to have their first night. One of them even hopped right up into her hands.

Kayla had insisted on hanging up some lights to help them, no only see the path out to the chickens when it was dark, but also to make it easier to see where the edge of the fence was. Tim had been spending a lot of time really honing the set up of the garden. No only were the plots coming along and feeling more and more of his parents farm and less like random plants in the ground.

The fall was coming to an end soon and Tim knew he needed to get the garden ready for winter. Some of his plants were going to be coming into their time to shine, but most of the plants needed to winterized.

Before the winter hit there was also some additional work done on the house. Not only did they redo the kitchen, they were getting more work done on the room for Kevin to move into as he got older.

The days continue on similarly to how they had been, both Tim and Kayla falling into their natural daily routines. Before they knew it it was HarvestFest and while Tim’s daily tasks did not change it did mean Kayla got to spend the day at home. Tim helped Kayla in the kitchen to make their grand meal for the day.

After cleaning up Kayla and Tim sat down to watch the game on the television. Kevin had been taken care of earlier and they kept their ear out for him if they needed to go up and take care of him, but were mostly just enjoying their time together.

Kayla found herself spending more time out with the chicks first thing in the morning after taking care of anything Kevin needed. He would be growing up soon and she knew he would be much more mobile and active. She, she was enjoying her time with them while she good.

Tim had located some new seeds, and had also gotten a few new plants during HarvestFest and so he went and spent time planting the new plants. He happily whistled while he work, content with his life so far.

Kayla was not the only one to take care of the chicks, although Tim was happy to let her mostly take care of the majority of their care. She was refusing to cook anything that they couldn’t produce, or at least get easily from the grocer, and Tim knew she was looking forward to having fresh eggs. When he had a chance though, Tim still enjoyed going and spending time with them.

One morning Tim was talking with Kayla and suggested that they get a sitter for Kevin and go out for the night. There was a big push to bring people into the restaurants around town, and so it was the perfect night to go splurge a little bit.

So the couple got all dressed up and went to one of the nicest restaurants in town. They got a chance to sit on the balcony outside with beautiful views of their lovely town. Tim and Kayla ordered and just enjoyed the food and each other’s company.

They talked late into the evening, enjoying dessert as the night became dark. They knew they needed to go home soon but it had been a while since they had just had time to themselves and they were going to enjoy it.

While they had been at dinner Tim talked about his desire to have a little girl, so when about a month later Kayla was able to tell him she was expecting again they were both excited about the possibility of having a daughter. Kayla had trouble believing that she was going to be a mom of two before too long.

They weren’t going to have much time to think about that though because Kevin was getting older, more mobile, and they would have to watch him a lot more closely. He was a super sweet little boy and had shown himself to be quite an angelic little boy.

They had to make room for a high chair in the dining room so they could feed and keep an eye on Kevin while he ate. While they ate their breakfast Kayla was lamenting the fact the hens were still too young to lay fresh eggs. Tim assured her they would be able to soon.

Tim wasn’t overly concerned with the chickens though. He was more interested in his little boy. Someone he could pass his knowledge down to, someone who might eventually take over the farm. As he read his little boy to sleep he imagined what life would be like if Kayla had a little girl, his life would feel complete. He had made it, a wife, a thriving farm, 1 1/2 kids, it was a dream come true.

All of Tim’s dreams were coming true, and he couldn’t believe how happy he was with his life. If only his parents could come visit him to meet their new grandson, he was sure they would love him.

Post 1.05 | Rules | Family Tree | Post 1.07

Roots of Emerson – Post 1.05

Post 1.04 | Rules | Family Tree | Post 1.06

Tim couldn’t believe how quickly his life had changed in such a short time. Not only had he gotten started on building a nice garden, he had found an outdoor loving woman to marry him and she was expecting their first child. Tim contemplated everything there was still to get ready for the new baby while he worked on cleaning up the rocks that forever seemed to pop up on his land.

While Tim always got up early to get started on the chores for the day Kayla took a slightly leisurely pace to her mornings. A typical morning found Kayla awake an hour or two after Tim initially got up and she would enjoy a bath.

After a relaxing bath to help her wake up in the morning Kayla would head downstairs and would almost always look out and see Tim working out in the garden. She was proud of how hard he worked, weeding, harvesting, fertilizing, and planting in his garden.

Kayla would then start on a breakfast for herself and Tim. While Tim would often grab a small snack before heading out to the garden, all the work he put in would make him hungry. Although the pregnancy had already started to affect the foods she was interested in but Tim never seemed to mind.

Tim highly enjoyed having Kayla there to prepare breakfast. Not only did she cook delicious breakfasts, it saved Tim so much time to be able to focus on the garden and know that food was waiting for him that he didn’t have to make. Tim still could not believe his luck in finding this amazing woman.

Early on the the pregnancy Kayla continued to try and keep up her workouts. Tim would shoot hoops with her often to be able to hang out with her. He wasn’t very good, but Kayla was very good. She sometimes stayed out later, while Tim had to head to bed since he would need to get up earlier.

So life continued for Tim and Kayla. Tim working on the garden, Kayla cooking and hanging out with Tim. It was a good life for the two and they were happy, with Kayla barely showing her pregnancy until it was getting closer.

Some evenings Tim and Kayla would fish in the river that flowed by their house. Tim said fish would make good fertilizer in the garden, but neither of them were particularly gifted in fishing yet.

Tim was getting better and better with his garden though, and even felt like he was feeling more and more content in his garden. He talked to his plants and felt like he was getting better at identifying plants and what they were needing as well.

One weekend Tim got a call on his phone and one of their friends was letting him know the GeekCon was in town and wondered if Kayla and himself might want to join them down at the festival. Tim asked Kayla if she felt like going and they decided it would be fun to shake up their day to day while they didn’t have a baby to worry about.

The couple had a lot of fun at GeekCon, but once they came home there were still chores to do for Tim and Kayla, really worn out, decided to lay down for a nap. She was getting closer to the time of the birth and it had started to wear her down faster than she was used to.

After a bit of a nap Kayla went and worked on dinner while Tim finished up the harvest that he hadn’t gotten done earlier in the day. The fridge was getting stocked up with fresh produce and Kayla enjoyed using the fresh ingredients.

Tim and Kayla did take time out to be with each other some evenings, however, especially as the pregnancy progressed. Movie nights were popular with the young couple and Tim would always offer to rub Kayla’s shoulders and back.

As the time for the baby got closer and closer Tim tried to always make sure to tell Kayla how much he loved her and the little nugget how much he loved it. They decided not to find out if they were having a boy or a girl, wanting it to be a bit of a surprise.

Kayla may get a lot more tired now that the pregnancy was nearing it’s end but it never stopped her from raking up the leaves that seemed to always blow into their yard. They didn’t even really have trees in their yard, but there were plenty around them.

Ulrike Faust, a friend of both Kayla and Tim, stopped by one afternoon and the three of them played some basketball before Tim had to go back to the garden and Kayla and Ulrike sat on the porch and chatted away.

It was lovely for Kayla to have Ulrike to talk to as she felt she barely saw Tim lately due to sleeping at all hours anymore. When Kayla went to bed that evening, earlier than even Tim, Tim and Ulrike set up some of the new baby and child things Tim had picked up. They found themselves spending more time playing with some of the stuff than setting it up, but was a lot of fun and Tim appreciated the help.

Kayla was having trouble sleeping one night not too much after Ulrike’s visit and decided to head down to the living room and watch a little TV until she got tired. While sitting on the couch Kayla felt the first labor pain. She called out in pain and Tim, startled awake, took a few seconds to orient and realize where the cry had come from.

Tim quickly grabbed all of the required items while Kayla quickly got dressed in something other than her nightgown and off they sped to the hospital. Tim had called ahead and let the doctors know they were on their way. He was excited but nervous to meet the new baby. Still, he was sure the doctors would take good care of his Kayla.

Kayla was so happy when the baby was born and was was able to welcome their son, a little boy named Kevin. Tim was thrilled to have a son, and while he also wanted to have a little girl, he was super excited. Kayla was also very happy and was immediately smitten with the new little baby she held in her arms.

The family was excited to bring baby Kevin home, although Tim knew the house still needed a few more things in place for Kevin he was glad they had so much done already. Tim once again couldn’t help but think about how his life had changed while looking into baby Kevin’s little face. He wondered who Kevin would take after more, but those were thoughts for a different day.

Post 1.04 | Rules | Family Tree | Post 1.06

Roots of Emerson – Post 1.04

Post 1.03 | Rules | Family Tree | Post 1.05

Tim left most of the plans for the wedding up to Kayla, she knew what she wanted, but he was sure to stress that he didn’t want to make it too extravagant. Kayla had always wanted a much smaller and more intimate wedding, so that worked out fine for her. The announcement went out and Tim started getting calls congratulating him, and a few brought by gifts as well.

None of the plans or excitement about the up coming wedding would stop the work he had to do in the garden however. The plants didn’t take a day off and neither could Tim.

One afternoon, with the wedding getting closer and closer, Kayla stopped by the house to hang out. They had both been pretty busy and hadn’t been able to spend a lot of time just being together. Tim was super happy to see her.

It was a lovely day, however, so instead of just hanging out in the house Tim suggested they head into the spice festival that was going on. He wanted to check out if there were any seeds or anything he wanted to pick up.

Both enjoyed the bright colors of the festival, and Tim was able to get some new plants to put into his garden as well. Each of them attempted to eat the curry, although neither of them were able to fully make it through the whole dish.

As the wedding got closer Tim found himself unable to sleep more and more. It wasn’t that he was tired, but he was getting nervous. The house was almost done, and he was pushing to get it completed in time. Still the nerves came, so on those nights Tim went out and did some fishing.

The big day finally arrived, and while Tim had to tend to some plants first thing in the morning he was able to be done in time to be ready for the wedding. It was another beautiful day, and Kayla had made sure everything was ready. As they gathered with friends and family to exchange their vows and begin their life together.

Kayla, of course, looked beautiful but Tim felt like he looked very dapper himself. It was a lovely wedding, and after it was all done they gathered into the house to celebrate with each other a little longer. Food was laid out and they just enjoyed each others company. Tim felt it was one of the most perfect days.

Once the party ended, Tim and Kayla found themselves alone in the house. Tim had a surprise for Kayla and he led her upstairs to the newly finished master bedroom, and Tim was so proud of what he was able to show her, and that night they enjoyed being man and wife.

Tim was very happy with his married life with Kayla and they were finding out new things about each other all the time. Their life started to fall into some general patterns for their day to day. Kayla enjoyed going for daily runs and was working on getting her house sold off, and Tim continued to work in his garden and fishing during the day.

Fall settled in and Tim’s garden was changing over to fall plants again and Spooky Day was on it’s way as well. Tim wanted to decorate and have candy ready for if any trick or treaters came by. Kayla suggested they dress up too. Tim worked on get the house all decorated before the big day and felt it turned out great.

When Spooky Day finally arrived everything was ready and while the main part of the day went by like it normally would, that evening Kayla and Tim dressed up into costumes to great the trick or treaters that came by.

As the evening wound down Tim found himself picking up around the house while Kayla went upstairs to start getting ready for bed. After Tim was done he head upstairs himself where he found Kayla on the bed with news to tell him.

Tim was over the moon with the news that Kayla was expecting. He had wanted a family of his own so bad. He had told Kayla about his desire to have both a son and a daughter to help carry on the family, so when Kayla told him they would bringing the first of those into the world soon he couldn’t wait.

Tim had started working on getting any of the final pieces of the upstairs completed, and luckily one of those rooms was set to be a nursery, so Tim decided to focus on that one first. Kayla had also started sharing some of the new with her friends as well.

Everyone she told was thrilled for her, knowing she had been worried she would never find anyone to share her life with, and now she was going to have a family of her very own. Kayla was so happy to have found Tim, or really to have had Tim find her. She felt safe and happy here in their house starting their lives together.

Post 1.03 | Rules | Family Tree | Post 1.05

Roots of Emerson – Post 1.03

Post 1.02 | Rules | Family Tree | Post 1.04

Tim goes about his work happily over the next few weeks. Time seemed to just melt away for Tim. Having met Kayla and having her agree to be his girlfriend made him feel like everything in his life was on the right track.

Tim started keeping track of his plants a little more diligently, marking off things about their height, if they had been watered or needed water, and spent time researching the best ways to care for and help his garden flourish.

He continued to keep some of the rocks clear, not only from his garden, but from the community space as well. Sometimes he found useful things like fossils or gemstones in the various rocks, and he happily sent them off to others who had more use for them then he did.

For fun Tim occasionally watches TV. On one particularly stormy day Tim got through his chores in the garden as quickly as he could. He didn’t mind the rain, but the thunder and lighting made him a bit nervous. So to pass the time he decided to watch a little TV, but the lightening eventually knocked out the power in the house so Tim decided to head into town.

As Tim got closer to town the storm started to dissipate. Tim visited a local produce stand and talked with the person running the counter. He sold off some of his produce and purchased some extra seeds that were available.

He turned around to excitedly see Kayla was also in town. Her neighborhood has also lost power, which made sense to Tim seeing as how she lived just a few streets over. They sat down at the picnic table to enjoy the nice weather in town. Then Tim got up the courage to invite Kayla back to his house.

The storm was still going by the time they got back, but the rain had at least eased up some. Tim warned Kayla that he was still working on renovating the upstairs. He figured that sounded better than telling her he hadn’t been able to finish it yet.

They sat and watched Tim’s little tv and he was nervous. Kayla assured him the house was lovely and that the most important thing to her was being able to hang out with him. This made Tim smile, but he couldn’t help but feel it might bother her just a little bit, regardless of what she said.

So Tim turned off the TV and he and Kayla just chatted and snuggled on the couch together. Most of his worries melted away as Kayla reciprocated every move he made. He was in heaven and vowed to finish the house as soon as he could. He would love to have a little more money coming in and made a note to go plant his new seeds soon.

Once Kayla left for the evening that was exactly what he did. Digging in the dirt gave Tim a sense of pride and the fact he was able to have the house he had also made him swell with pride in what he had been able to accomplish. His parents might have given him the land and the unfinished house, but the rest was all money he had saved and earned.

Back inside that evening Tim cooked up a nice meal with veggie he had harvested and kept for himself. He was also able to finally make some headway on the upstairs of the house, getting wallpaper and carpet in the main bedroom and hall way.

Tim spent other days doing a fair amount of fishing. He knew if he wanted his plants to thrive, fish made a great fertilizer, with a little work. He didn’t have the money, or the desire to spend the money he did have, on fancy fertilizers or fish, so he caught his own. Every catch, no matter how small, meant his garden had that much more fertilizer.

Tim started wandering around the neighborhood down some different streets and other areas then he had before. He spotted a magnificent looking tree and took some time to go study it a bit. He had a sense it needed some water and so he went and grabbed his watering can and came back to water it, talking to it a little bit as he went. He almost felt an inappreciable change in the tree, but couldn’t quite put his finger on what it was. Tim vowed to come check back on the tree again later.

Every time Kayla’s name popped up on Tim’s phone he was excited. One night she called and said she was headed out to see a DJ at a local club and she wanted him to go with her. DJ’s weren’t really something Tim knew a lot about, but he did want to see Kayla so he met her at the club. He greeted her with a kiss before heading inside.

Kayla looked amazing as always, and they had gotten there a little early so they had a drink at the bar. Normal club music pumped through Tim’s body, and when Kayla thanked him for coming and gave him a sweet kiss on the cheek he nearly melted. He flushed and smiled at her, and stumbled out something he can’t even remember. It was one of the first times she had initiated a romantic gesture and Tim wasn’t fully sure how to handle it.

As the DJ started her set Tim watched and listened from the bar area. Kayla ran up to dance right away, this was exactly what she was here to do. She would steal glances back and Tim and he couldn’t keep his eyes off of her. It might not be his ideal evening out, but he wasn’t going to say he wasn’t having a good time either.

Not everyone seemed to be having a good time, however. There was a girl who came in and started confronting Nancy Landgraab right in the middle of the dance floor. Some people ignored them, but as the fight got louder and began to turn physical both Kayla and Tim decided it was time to get out of there.

Kayla came back to Tim to his street and they settled onto a bench near his house and the pathway that led Kayla back to her house. Neither was quite ready for the evening to end. Tim told Kayla he had a lot of fun with her.

He offered Kayla a bit of a massage and they just snuggled together and looked out at the water. It was a beautiful night, and while the lights started to come on all around them Tim decided it was as good of a time as he was going to find.

Tim lead Kayla behind the bench and took a deep breath. Kayla looked initially concerned, and then confused as Tim slowly got down on one knee. He fumbled a bit for the ring he had been carrying around for awhile. It’s partly why he hadn’t finished the house, he wanted the best for Kayla. Confusion turned to shock and then excitement and awe as Kayla realized what was happening. She slide the ring on her finger and leapt into Tim’s arms.

A kiss sealed the deal. Kayla was to become Mrs. Emerson and join Tim in growing the family and trying to become a success in his farming. The happy couple hung around the bench a little longer as night descended and then Tim walked up the path with Kayla to make sure she got home ok before floating home himself.

Post 1.02 | Rules | Family Tree | Post 1.04

Roots of Emerson – Post 1.02

Post 1.01 | Rules | Family Tree | Post 1.03

Tim has heard rumors of a girl who lives near him that tries to stay out of the public eye, but spends a lot her time in her yard. A friend of Tim’s tells him they think she would be a great match for him, but Tim is unsure.

Before anything can happen, however, Tim has to get through his morning, and maybe even the next couple of days with chores on the farm. He starts his mornings with a nice fruit salad from the things he has managed to collect.

Then it’s time to go around and collect all the new plants that are growing and taking them to the market to sell to the various people who will pay to have others gather these supplies for them.

Then it’s time to weed and work in the garden. With the seasons beginning to change Tim needs to prepare the plants for summer time and they will need to be checked and watered more frequently.

Tim knows the flea market was on it’s way too town and while this time he didn’t find anything, it’s always good to go down and see who and what is there. Tim chats with some of the people he has met already, checks out the wares but doesn’t see anything he needs right now.

So instead of shopping Tim tries some trick shots at the basketball hoop. He’s not that good at shots, but it’s fun to try and make a basket from outside the fence that lines the boundaries of the court.

Heading out to a bar that evening Tim meets a few new people, but not all of them are as friendly as he has gotten used to. Apparently the flea market brought in people from other areas.

A few days later, Tim walks up to a door and politely knocks. He is nervous and his hands are sweating. He finally gave in and allowed himself to be set up. He is going to meet the person that is supposed to be “perfect” for him. She doesn’t like to go out often, so Tim heads to her house.

Come In….

Tim hears a nice voice inviting him to come inside.

I’m in the back, just walk straight back to the back door, I’m on the deck.

Tim went back to the back of the house and found a lovely girl finishing up cooking on a grill.

She invited Tim to sit down and grab a plate. Tim sat and started to eat. It was very good food. She introduced herself as Kayla. Tim introduced himself and they chatted away through dinner. He learned she was an only child and loved to cook.

As the evening progressed they moved inside and watched a movie together. Tim understood why their mutual friend suggested this date. Not only was Kayla attractive and loved the outdoors, her love of cooking would allow them to put his fresh produce to good use. When the time got late Tim excused himself so he could get home, knowing the morning would come much to early.

As Tim expected, the morning came and he wasn’t fully rested, but he set about his chores happily none the less. When it was time to break for lunch he was brought back to reality quickly when he cut himself making a salad. It would be nice to have a girl like Kayla to help him cook.

His heart skipped a beat when he looked down and saw Kayla’s name on his phone. When he answered she said she had a wonderful time and was hoping he might want to go hang out in a park nearby. Tim was finished with enough of his tasks for the day that he said yes.

Tim and Kayla found a nice bench to sit and chat on. Tim found out that Kayla was, in fact, a bodybuilder. She wanted to be very fit and strong so she could live a long, healthy life.

Tim knew he was starting to feel something special for this girl and so he moved a little closer and took her hand. He looked deep into her eyes and told her he thought she had to be one of the sweetest people he had ever met.

Kayla expressed she was getting a little hungry and Tim knew it was getting late enough he would want to eat again soon himself. Not wanting to have the date end they walked to the near by 50’s diner to see what they had.

Inside they went simple, each getting a root bear float and a sandwich. During the meal they continued their earlier conversations easily. Tim knew he was falling for Kayla, quickly, and he thought she might be feeling the same about him.

As they finished up and prepared to walk out of the restaurant, Tim took a chance and gave Kayla a kiss. She reciprocated and the kiss stretched on. Realizing they were still in the restaurant, and there were patrons probably watching them now, Tim slowly ended the kiss. He looked deep into Kayla’s eyes and asked her to be his official girlfriend.

Yes yes yes! Kayla excitedly squealed and they decided to commemorate their decision with a picture. Tim couldn’t remember having a better meal in his life. They made their way home and Tim went back into his fields to finish his work for the day, but he felt like he was lost in dream.

The next morning was gloomy as Tim checked on his plants and then decided to head out fishing for the day. Kayla called right as he was getting started and asked about hanging out. It killed Tim to tell her he couldn’t but she understood. It was a good sign that they both wanted to spend so much time together.

The house still wasn’t finished though, and Tim wasn’t sure he wanted to bring Kayla over, especially after seeing her house. He wanted to get it a little more completed before asking her if she would be with him for forever. He felt lighter and happier then he had in a long time. He made sure to call his parents and let them know the good news. Life was really starting to come together.

Post 1.01 | Rules | Family Tree | Post 1.03

Roots of Emerson – Post 1.01

Rules | Family Tree | Post 1.02

Well, welcome to yet another challenge started by me. This challenge may not get updated quite as frequently as others, but we’ll see how it goes. It wasn’t grabbing me right away, but I was also biding my time until the Snowy Escape expansion got here, so I’m hoping that might add some additional fun for me.

So I’m going to try a little something different with this blog and we’ll see how it goes, but I hope you enjoy it and let me know if you like it, don’t like it, think of ways it could be better or whatnot. So this is, if you didn’t already know, a Difference in the Family Tree (DITFT) challenge, which means each Gen has a different set of goals. So here are my goals for generation one:

Generation One

“I always wanted to be a farmer. There is a tradition of that in my family. “
Your family was always into the farming deal. They spent their days working hard and asked for their children to do the same. So when you turned 18, your parents surprised you with your own plot of land to continue on tradition. And having always been one to want to impress the folks. You begin creating your own small garden, dedicating your time to that instead of dealing with a dreadful 9-to-5 suit and tie job.

Objectives:
Obtain and plant 20 different types of plant
Get married, but no woohoo before marriage
Have a boy and a girl. Keep trying until you do!
Master Garden Skill
Have and complete one of the nature aspirations

Optional objectives:
Grow a garden with every base game plant in it
Catch every type of fish
Marry a gal/guy with “Loves Outdoors”
Master Fisherman Skill

Ok, so without further ado, let’s get this new challenge under way.

This is Tim Emerson. Tim wants to be a successful farmer like his father, and his grandfather before him. Now he has himself a little plot of land to try and be successful himself.

This is Tim’s house. It is far from completed, and right now has just what he needs, but he hopes to expand it and grow a family into it someday. To find a girl who Love the Outdoors like him is his biggest goal. He also wants a little boy and a little girl to raise.

Tim also is interested in fishing and has learned from his family that fish can make great fertilizer for the garden he is planning on building up. His ultimate goal at this point in his life is to be a wonderful botanist.

These are some of Tim’s neighbors and others from around the world. They bring him fruitcake, which he highly dislikes, but he spends time getting to know them all the same just the same. None of the visitors he has met so far catch his eye, although the spellcaster held a bit of a spell on him for a bit.

Tim begins the day after he gets settled into his new house by collecting seeds, fruits, and flowers from all of the wild plants that grow around his land and around the neighborhood. It provides him with some things to sell to some of the local craftsmen and to plant himself.

Tim is a friendly, cheerful guy, and greets kindly anyone who walks by. Tim is always keeping an eye out for the right girl to become Mrs. Emerson and help him with his dreams for a family.

Tim next tackles clearing the rocks from his property. While clearing he finds some fossils, crystals, and precious stones to sell for some additional money. All of this will help him get started on his farm.

There was a special event happening in town the next day so Tim went down and hung out with some of the people he had met. Tim was getting to know many people from around town, but still no one that struck him as the right person for him.

That night Tim had the strangest dream in which a man in a trench coat, who was very pale and cold, came into his house and hypnotized him. He could feel that something worse was potentially going to happen when he woke with a fright and found everything has it had been.

His dreams the rest of the night were haunted with that pale cold figure, although this time, for some reason, he was cleaning up dirty dishes. When Tim’s alarm went off the next day he noticed the house seemed slightly cleaner, but Tim figured he must have just forgotten he had cleaned up. It had been a rough night of sleep.

Besides, Tim didn’t have time to worry about the house might have gotten cleaner, he had to go take care of the small garden he had forming. He would love to get this garden up to a large, flourishing farm, but that was going to take time, hard word, and patience. After taking care of the plants for the day and ensuring the land was still clear of any stray rocks, Tim decided to head up the coast for a bit.

He traveled to the lighthouse up the coast and visited the museum to learn a little more about the history of the surrounding area. As Tim watched out over the waves he thought back about his dreams and how strange they had seemed. Heading back towards home Tim realized he was a bit hungry and saw a local tavern was open.

Tim sided up to the bar and ordered a drink and some food. He chatted with some of the other locals and visitors of the bar while enjoying his food. Tim realized he had spent many more hours there then he intended to and excused himself to head home.

The night passed dreamlessly and uneventfully for Tim and the next morning was bright and sunny and found Tim in a wonderful mood, all thoughts from the strange dreams wiped from his memory. Tim whistled while he worked away on his garden and thought about fishing that afternoon.

Tim was finding his footing and his plants were starting to grown and flourish on their own. He was far from the size of garden he wanted, which should be at least 20 different types of plants, but everyone has to start somewhere. Even a great oak comes from a small seed. The only thing that could make Tim’s life any happier now was finding someone to share it with.

Rules | Family Tree | Post 1.02