(Chapter 11) Life Goes On

Here's our little bundle of joy, Aimee Stratton. Isn't she gorgeous?

And our other little bundle of joy, Amanda Stratton. Yes, we had twins. Guess I got the twin gene.

As usual in our household times go by rather quickly. In the blink of an eye it was time for the twins' birthday. Here I am holding Aimee.

This is Viola with Amanda.

Our sweet Aimee took after my side of the family. She's the spitting image!

Amanda takes after her beautiful Mommy. I know that everyone says this but we really do have the most beautiful children in the world!!!

Aren't they too sweet? I guess it's hard to tell that I'm a doting Daddy.

Don't get me wrong, we had our share of sleepless nights. Lots of crying and diapers. But it's so worth it. I'm beginning to see how my mother and father ended up with 5 kids.

Here we are celebrating Rebecca's birthday. I'm reminded of the day we adopted her and how much love and joy she has brought into our lives. I don't know what we would do without her.

My! Looks like I'll be grilling the boys she brings over. Look out fellas, nobody better mess with my first daughter!

Knowledge: LTW => Max Out 7 Skills S/N = 2 S/O =3 L/A =10 S/P =7 G/N = 10

Oddly enough, the twins and Rebecca share the same birthday. Here's Viola holding Aimee again and letting her blow out the candles.

Where does the time go? Make a special wish my sweet Amanda.

Yeah, I think it's official. My kids are exceptionally awesome! How I wish they could have known my mother and father. Life goes on I guess. My greatest hope is that I will live to see my own grandchildren.

(Chapter 10) The Next Generation

I, Maddox, the first heir of the Stratton household, was enjoying being an adult and out of college. One of my favorite things was going out to clubs and dancing. I'd met a few women I like to talk to and even flirt with. But never anyone special.

Until one night when I saw one of the most beautiful women I'd ever seen across from me at the bar. I knew I had to go over and talk to her. And so I did. Her name was Viola and she was single. We hit if off and spent every moment of the next several weeks together. It didn't take me long to ask her to move in with me. Thankfully she said yes.

And soon I asked her to marry me. Of course Viola's answer was yes! My family was very happy. Finally I would be able to start working on the next generation's heir or heiress.

My sister Stephanie invited us over to the birthday of my nephew Kevin. Viola was nervous because it was the first time she'd met the whole entire family. There was no need to be though, everyone loved her.

The next big family event was at our wedding. How sad it was going to be that neither one of my parents would be there for one of the happiest days of my life? I was blessed to have my sisters and my twin brother there to support me.

Everyone was happy - it was an awesome day!

We appreciated any occassion that allowed us to dress up and get together.

Viola was a beautiful bride and we couldn't have been more ecstatic. We opted not to go on a honeymoon for several reasons. We wanted to save money and start working on our careers. But more importantly we both wanted to get cracking on starting our family.

We wasted no time. We decided that there were lots of babies who needed homes and parents who would love them and take care of them. We adopted our daughter, Rebecca.

What a happy day! Our beautiful little angel arrived!

Viola decided maybe it would be better if she waited on starting a career. We both agreed that family was the most important thing and she should stay home with Rebecca. And I think both my girls were more than happy with this arrangement.

I spent as much time with Rebecca as I could. I couldn't wait for when I would walk through the door and get to snuggle my child. She was growing so fast.

Too fast for Viola too. She was very sad when it came time to celebrate Rebecca's first birthday. Where did the time always fly to?

Viola baked a cake and held Rebecca up to "blow" the candles out.

In normal Stratton fashion, time once again flew at warp speed.

Here we are again at Rebecca's birthday.

Once again I held her up to make a wish and blow out the candles.

What a beautiful little girl our Rebecca had become. And smart too! She loved school and making new friends. But more than anything she wanted a baby brother or sister. Or a puppy, but we told her we would discuss that if she kept her grades up.

Her wish was soon granted when Viola told me we were pregnant.

It was early in the morning when Viola went into labor... I was filled with excitement as we were about to welcome our second bundle of joy into the world!

(Chapter 9) Goodbye Again?

Keith and Stephanie got a surprise on their honeymoon... Stephanie became pregnant. After many months of anticipation the day we had looked forward to had finally arrived.


Stephanie seemed to be in a great deal of pain.


She asked me why I never told her how excrutiating labor was...



But I told her soon it would all be worth it.


And it definitely was! We thankfully welcomed a healthy baby boy into our family. Keith and Stephanie named him Kevin.


They were so happy!

And needless to say, so was I. I was very grateful to have gotten to see the birth of at least one of my grandbabies. Let's face it, I certainly wasn't getting any younger.

Soon after Maddox and Sebastian left for college.



My poor Maddox, I thought I had taught him to dress better than that.


There - that's much better!



Instead of going to SSU like the rest of our family, Sebastian decided he would rather attend La Fiesta Tech. It was alright with me. Also at La Fiesta Tech was Sebastian's girlfriend, Caryl Pai.



As sad and difficult as it was, I knew there wasn't much time left for me. It was time I wrapped up a few loose ends. Since there wouldn't be anyone to take of Linus I decided he should go to Stephanie.

Imagine my excitement when I made it to little Kevin's 1st birthday! I felt so blessed.

My little baby's baby was growing up. It was such a proud moment.

What a handsome little fella he was! Looks like he got a mixture of him mom and dad's hair color. But he clearly resembled his momma.

Melissa and her long time boyfriend, George McCarthy were engaged. What an exciting time for my family. I took comfort knowing all it would be okay once I was no longer on this earth.

Sebastian was the next Stratton to be inducted into the Secret Society.

Maddox wasn't far behind, although he wasn't sure what was happening at first.

He almost thought a prank was being played on him. It looked like the tradition was continuing... all of our children were a part of the Society.

Marisol graduated with honors...

Followed soon by Melissa. Could there have been a prouder mother?

Immediately following their graduation, Melissa and George got married. It was a beautiful ceremony.

Our whole family was there - even Mark in spirit.

They looked so happy and I could only hope it would last. Melissa's father and I had shared many wondeful years together so that was my wish for her.

And they left for their honeymoon. Would they come back with the same surprise as Keith and Stephanie had? And if so, would I be around to witness the birth of yet another grandchild?

It wasn't to be. I was in my garden doing what I loved when I got a strange feeling... one that I wasn't alone.

At first I was a little apprehensive. I didn't want to leave my children and little Kevin. I had so much to teach them still! But then I thought of my Mark.

I had missed him for so long...

I knew soon I would be with him again.

Would the family continue to thrive without the matriarch they had come to depend on? Who was destined to be the heir? Only time would tell...

(Chapter 8) Moving On

It took quite a while for the reality to sink in that my husband was gone. I was a widow. I wasn't sure if I knew how to live without Mark. Most of the time I didn't even want to get out of bed.

Working in my garden seemed to help... at least it allowed me to re-focus my grief, if only for a little while.


Mostly I just thought a lot. Thought about my life before Mark, my life with Mark and how my life was going to be without Mark.


I knew what he would want me to do. He would want me to be the strong Matriarch he married. He would want me to finish raising our family so that after I was gone they would be okay.


Sebastian seemed to take over the role of "man of the house." Not that Maddox didn't help, he was just more interested in his studies and making sure he had a head start in college.


Sebastian also helped out with washing Linus and the cleaning indoors.

But he also made sure to save a little time to get himself in trouble. Not trouble exactly, it was a while before he confessed to sneaking out with his "friend," Caryl Pai. I figured he was missing his dad and it was only normal to act out a little.

The day finally came when Stephanie was graduating from college.

While she was happy to have the rest of the family, she still missed her dad being there. He would have been so proud of her! After all, she was a woman after his own heart.

After graduating, Stephanie, along with her longtime boyfriend, Keith Zhang moved into a very comfortable home. She used the money her father had left her in his will. They began the home renovations right away.

One day while Keith and Stephanie were out for a leisurely day in the park, Keith popped the question.

A very surprised, but ecstatic Stephanie quickly agreed!

With the death of her father still very fresh in her mind, Stephanie decided there was no need to wait. Keith readily agreed and they were married right away.

I could not have been happier for my firstborn child. While I couldn't help but wish her father was here to see it, I felt blessed that I was still here to be a part of it.

Stephanie's brothers and sisters were very happy for their sister.

My darling daughter was absolutely gorgeous! Everything about the day was beautiful.

Stephanie playfully smashed wedding cake into her new groom's face. What a happy day!!!

After the wedding ceremony, Keith and Stephanie immediately got on a plane headed for the mountains. What a cozy and romantic honeymoon that awaited them. Again I was thankful for my last trip with my beloved.

They retreated to Three Lakes and stayed at a 3-star resort called Blau Hills. From what Stephanie told us, it was quite quaint.

They did a lot of outdoor activities like log-rolling, which the newlyweds both agreed equally was hard to master. They got waterlogged with all the falling off they did.

They also met a few furry friends too. Stephanie told us not to be alarmed, Victor Bigfoot as he liked to be referred to, was very friendly.

Their life together was beginning now and our family was moving on. We still missed Mark, but we knew deep down he would be with us forever.

(Chapter 7) Saying Goodbye - Part Two

Late one night while Stephanie was at her dorm, a strange man came in and without saying a word handcuffed her and put her in a limo.

While she was a little terrified she couldn't help but be a little intrigued...

Afterall, she'd never been in a limo before. It was quite cozy and very spacious. "I could live in here!" she thought.

She arrived at a beautiful brick mansion called The Landgrabb Society. After arriving she was greeted by a group of people in uniforms. The informed her that both her mother and I were once members. But then again, once a member always a member.

Stephanie was always enjoying giving the ladies (and a few fellas) makeovers.

She was becoming really good and was starting to think she might want to do this professionally once she graduated. I always thought my kids could do anything they set their minds to.

Marisol was adjusting to college life pretty well. While she always made sure to get her school work done she made sure there was time for making friends.

And since her oldest sister had bragged so much on the Tri-Var Sorority she decided to call and see if she too was worthy.

And of course my darling angel was accepted. It didn't hurt that Stephanie was one of the sisters now. Still, Marisol got in on her own accord - no favors when pledging one of SSU sororities or frat houses.

Just as it had happend to Stephanie, in the wee hours of the night Marisol was handcuffed by a man who never spoke and placed in a limo. Seemed like the Secret Society was becoming a family affair!

Suzanne and I were enjoying our time together when suddenly a fantastic idea came to me!

Why not take my beloved on a vacation. We had never dared to leave with all the kids. I could only imagine how much trouble that would be. And after all it was supposed to relaxing.

If you could have only seen the look on Suzanne's face! She was so excited, she almost seemed like a young girl again.

I had booked us at room at Sky Vista Hotel. Supposedly it was one of the best around Three Lakes. And man was it! Very pricey, but it was well worth it. We were in heaven!!!

We enjoyed axe throwing and log rolling. After getting soaked quite a few times we both became fairly decent log rollers. We took walks and went on a few tours. Suzanne and I also met a lot of very friendly locals as well as tourists. But before long it was time to go back home. We were both dreading the end of our vacation, knowing what it would mean upon our return.

It all happened way too soon. We never realized it would happen THIS quickly. My time was up and death had come for me. The new look that washed over Suzanne's face was painfully different than the one I had been looking at the past three days.

I don't know why, but though I'd miss my family terribly I was also strangely peaceful.

My poor family. I could feel their enormous grief.

Sebastian was at work during my passing. Not surprisingly he was devastated.

My poor sweet Suzanne. I knew it would be harder for her than for me. Her pain was great but I knew she was strong and eventually she would be alright. Not that it would be too long before we would see each other again...

(Chapter 7) Saying Goodbye - Part One

The whole gang was together for Melissa's next birthday. Even Stephanie and Marisol took a break from campus life to celebrate the next phase in their little sister's life.

Melissa made a secret wish and blew out the candles.

Just like her older sisters, she was gorgeous. Taking after her mom and sister Stephanie definitely didn't hurt her chances. And of course there was the fact that I was a little biased, being their dad and all.

Suzanne immediately got on the phone and called the Headmaster of Isla Segundo Private School. It was time for Melissa and the twins to have a chance to attend the prestigious school their older siblings had attended.

BJ Ryan came over the next evening promptly at 5pm. The whole house was a buzz of nervous energy. I, however, had no doubt the rest of my brood would get admitted with no problems.

Of course, "father knows best." Mr. Ryan congratulated us and said he was looking forward to seeing Melissa, Maddox and Sebastian first thing tomorrow morning.

Shortly after the children's acceptance to Isla Segundo Private School, Suzanne and I celebrated our Golden Anniversary. What a joy we had made it this far. We had successfully (in our minds) raised 5 healthy and wonderful kids, through it all loving and supporting each other.

We were still very much in love, possibly more now than ever. Was life this good for everyone? I could only wish and pray that it would turn this fulfilling for my offspring, seeing as how I most likely wouldn't be around to see it for myself.

The boys were getting older and Suzanne and I spent as much time with them as possible.

Suzanne had found a new hobby - gardening. She loved being outside with nature and watching something that she had a hand in growing. And we sure enjoyed the "fruits" of her labor!

Melissa was definitely like any other teen. Interested in boys far too early as far as I was concerned. She had met George McCarthy down at the general store and they had developed quite a fondness for each other.

They spent a lot of time together and eventually decided to only see each other. George was a regular fixture around the Stratton household. Well, my baby girl finally got her first kiss. I guess there could be worse things...

Meanwhile back at SSU, Stephanie had decided to pledge Tri-Var Sorority.

Heather Huffington, Brittany Upsnott and Tiffany Sampson all came to her dorm. They quickly took a liking to her and before long and accepted her as one of their "sisters."

Stephanie had also met on campus, Keith Zhang. The two had hung out a lot together and had several meaningful conversations.

They begun to develop more than friendship for each other. Stephanie was very attracted to Keith and the feeling seemed to be mutual.

Back at home time as always was flying by. It had seemed like it was yesterday when Melissa became a teen, and here we were with the twins.

The last of our crew were becoming teenagers. I couldn't help but be a little sad that I would probably never see any of my children get married or have kids of their own. The only consolation was that Suzanne and I had raised them to be loving, caring and honorable human beings. My Maddox, yep still looked like his old man!

Sebastian, a little eccentric but a good kid. He was the only one that was a mixture of both Suzanne and I, together. What would the future hold for them and my daughters? Only time would tell and that was somthing I just didn't have much left of.

(Chapter 6) Be Careful What You Wish For

Life with the twins was anything but peaceful. We loved them dearly, but it wasn't easy going on zero sleep and add that to working. And here we were at the birthdays. Suzanne held Sebastian while we sang "Happy Birthday."

I held Maddox while we sang another round. Could it be time already?

Maddox was beginning to look more and more like me...

... while Sebastian was a mixture of both Suzanne and I. The boys were full of energy and it was all we could do to keep up. We truly learned to be careful what we wished for!

After the twins birthday it was time for Suzanne. Even as an elder I still thought she was just as beautiful as the day we met. I would never admit this to her, but I was quite relieved - I was starting to feel like a mid-life crisis was coming on, what with being married to a "youngin" and all. After Suzanne's birthday time flew by at warp speed.

Stephanie was off to college, and from the looks of what she was wearing she had high hopes.

Luckily she decided to get a makeover before she scared off any potential suitors. And from the looks of it there would be many.

• STEPHANIE STRATTON
• (Knowledge)
• sloppy/neat: 2
• shy/outgoing: 10
• lazy/active: 10
• serious/playful: 3
• grouchy/nice: 10

(***The only way I could that list to single spaced was to use the bulletins. I'm not real good w/ HTML***)

She was studying hard and found it fairly easy to make friends.

Of course Suzanne couldn't resist visiting her first born at college. Steph was more than happy to have her family spend time with her.

Even Linus was getting older. While we weren't too sure what breed he was, we loved him and thought he was adorable all the same.

All too soon it was time for the twins to celebrate yet another birthday.

Here's Sebastian - we still weren't too sure who's looks he inherited.

Then it was Maddox's turn.

There was no denying he was my son. And pretty darn handsome if I do say so myself.

My little Marisol was off to college too. Like her older sister, she decided to attend SSU and live in the dorm. She liked meeting new people and what better way to do it?

MARISOL STRATTON

(Popularity)

sloppy/neat: 10

shy/outgoing: 10

lazy/active: 9

serious/playful: 3

grouchy/nice: 1

Like her sister she made sure she got her studying done and out of the way. But unlike her sister she enjoyed a party or two. Fortunately her mother and I weren't aware of any of this. While things had slowed down now that we only had school-aged kids (FINALLY) but Melissa was becoming a teen and she too would soon be off to college, then the twins. Now Suzanne and I had to face the next stage of our lives. Death.