Meet the Yates'...

Today's Playlist:

We Are Family- Sister Sledge
Lean on Me- Club Nouveau
My Wish- Rascal Flatts

(Because music is the perfect backdrop for everything...click on the links above to listen) 

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I can't tell you all how much I love my family...they are my sunshine. I would like to take a few minutes to tell you about them. We are like a melting pot of personalities and nationalities, each of us carrying scars and characteristics that we have acquired on the way to each other. In some ways, we are like the Island of Misfit Toys but, in other ways, we are just all pieces to a big puzzle that God has been assembling for years. To be fair, we are not all Yates.' Due to divorces and remarriages, we have several last names that represent us and several sets of "other parents" in our lives. Despite all this, we truly threw the lines of division out the window when we became a family eight years ago. The task of blending families was not without complications of course, but I cannot imagine our family being any closer than we are. Let me start the introductions...

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My husband, Adam...

We met eight and a half years ago on eHarmony (yes, really) and knew almost immediately that we were meant to be. One of the first things I loved about him was his southern accent.  Look how young (and thin) we were back then...when I think back to what we have been through since this picture was taken, I am overwhelmed.

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My husband is an amazing man...he is a man of God who puts his family first at all times.  He is our protector and our provider and I respect him immensely. He is a veteran and officer of the U.S. Air Force (Captain) and has shown me more love than I have ever known. He is currently the safety manager at a drywall plant and is working on his doctorate degree and just about in the dissertation phase.  He is working really hard and I am super proud of him!

He asked the kids for permission to marry me. We bought a home in Pataskala, Ohio and got married in our new back yard.  This meant me moving two hours from my hometown with my girls. This is our wedding picture. We went to Tennessee for our honeymoon, two days alone and then all the kids joined us for the rest of the trip.  We have been going to Tennessee almost every year ever since. Although we are different in lots of ways, we complement each other just right.  We laugh and have so much fun together and I'm so blessed that God has brought him into my life. 

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Our new blended family...

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Lexi...

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Lexi is our oldest daughter, whose actual name is Alexa...she is 20 years old, currently a barista at Starbucks and is so good at it! She is a college student and still lives with us but is moving in the fall (tear...) to go to Ohio University main campus in Athens, Ohio. She wants to be an event planner and I think she will be great. I can't tell you how proud I am of her and how much she means to me. I had her when I was 20, so we have been very close as she grew up; we have been through an awful lot together. As she gets older I see more and more that she is so much like me. She is quiet and puts others first and works really hard at anything she does. As the oldest child, she is responsible and dependable, a fantastic role model for her siblings. She is quirky and fun, likes bands with really weird names and isn't afraid to be different. The strength she has shown through times of tremendous adversity makes me so proud of her. I admire her more than she knows and will miss her like crazy when she leaves. I never imagined how tough this stage of parenting would be...it is not easy to let go.

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Kacie...

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Kacie is our second oldest daughter...she is forever 16 I suppose, but I'm not quite sure how things really work in Heaven.  I had Kacie when I was 23 and she was definitely a wild child.  She was in her terrible two's for about ten years but she was so full of life. No matter what anyone thought, Kacie would always wear what she wanted, say what she wanted, and stand up for what she believed in.  From the time she was little, I knew she would do something big in her life.  She was passionate about animals and wanted to be a zookeeper when she grew up.  She loved to be outdoors, fishing, catching bugs and pretending.  When Kacie was 14, she was diagnosed with terminal cancer.  For two years, she fought harder, suffered more, and lived fuller than anyone I know.  She beat cancer by choosing joy each day and using her sickness to tell people about Jesus and then He called her home on May 16, 2015.  Today, as I write this, it is the first anniversary of her passing and it still hurts as if it was yesterday.  I will never forget her spunk and her tenacity and I wish I could tell her one more time how proud I am of her.  I will tell her story as long as I live; you can read more about it in my post "Kacie's Story" or by visiting my other blog, Willow Tree Diaries, which documents our family's journey.  

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Hannah...

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Hannah is our third oldest daughter...she is just a few weeks away from turning 16 and is learning to drive. When Hannah came into my life, she was the oldest child and then got bumped down by more siblings (which had to be tough). She was a very determined yet mostly quiet seven year-old who hated to do her homework and now, she is about to enter her junior year of high school and is working really hard in school. Seeing her grow up so fast is making me feel really old. Hannah is the athlete of the family and plays varsity soccer and tennis. I am so proud when I see her out on the field giving it her all. She is also very talented in doing makeup and hair. I so admire her willingness to speak her mind and to protect her siblings; I wish I could be so brave. I love it when she gets in a silly mood and especially when she confides in me. She has shown great resilience and strength over the past few years and I am so proud of her. It has been such an honor to be Hannah's mom and I am so excited to see where her future takes her.

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Caroline...​

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Caroline is...funny, silly, spunky, talented, and the life of our party.  She is the one who is always making us laugh and has a voice that is phenomenal.  At just age 12 (just finished 6th grade), she is already acting in the high school plays in our town and is our best hope for fame and fortune. She aspires to be a singer or an actress but is also talented at drawing and is so intelligent.  I love how she is emotional and sensitive but doesn't hesitate to put herself out there and take chances.  She is not afraid to be herself and different from the status quo; she reminds me so much of Kacie and it thrills my heart to see that independent spirit live on.  Caroline was only about four when I met her and there is not a day that goes by when I am not grateful for the opportunity to be her mom.  I am beyond proud of her perseverance through all of the trials we have come through as a family and I just know that she will do great things in her life.   

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Natalie...

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Natalie is our youngest daughter, the last of our five girls. She has grown up faster than I could have imagined. It seems like overnight. I had Natalie when I was 29 and walked for my Bachelor's graduation when I was nine months pregnant. She is 11 now and just finished 5th grade. It's so hard to believe. I love the parts of her personality that are changing as she grows. She is more special to me than she will ever know. I am proud of her in so many ways...like her siblings, her strength and resilience over the last few years has amazed me. I can always count on Natalie to step in and help and she has such a keen sense of logic and reasoning. I call her MacGyver because she can always figure out a practical solution or a way to fix something. Every spare minute she gets, you will find her tumbling in the yard; she loves gymnastics and has gotten so good at it (she is now working on a standing tuck). When she is not at our house, she is at her dad's hanging out on the river. A river rat at heart and an excellent swimmer, she is not afraid to try anything. She has always been mature beyond her years and I am so blessed to be her mama.

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Dawson...

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Dawson is the only boy among five sisters. For that, I give him all the credit in the world. His middle name is Marshall after daddy's favorite college team. He is 9 and just finished 3rd grade. He is Caroline's sidekick, the other half of our entertainment team, and a dancing machine. He is constantly singing and dancing around the house; I think it is in his blood. If we are watching a TV show or movie and a song comes on, he will jump up and dance. His personality is so fun and sincere. I love how he wears his heart on his sleeve and looks up to his sisters so much. He is loving and giving but can also definitely speak his mind (he has to with five sisters). He plays soccer and is currently the reigning champ of the Mattress Wrestling Foundation in which he battles his daddy on a daily basis after work. He is actually starting to give dad a run for his money. He is a very picky eater and prefers his iPad to just about anything, except going to the movies with me (which we do about every couple weeks). I am so proud of him for how strong he has been through the last few years and I am so blessed to be able to be his mom. I thank God for bringing him into my life and I can't wait to see him grow and change.

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Alice...

Rounding out our full house is Alice, also affectionately known as Nana. Yes, we are a family of six kids with a live-in caretaker named Alice. Ring a bell? Alice is my Adam's mom and an integral part of our family. She has helped raise our kids since the start and is always there for all of us. She would drop everything to help or literally give someone the shirt off her back if they needed it. Born and raised in southern West Virginia, it has taken me awhile to get used to some of the words and phrases she uses. She still surprises me with some crazy ones. Over the years, she has taught me to be more assertive and to stand my ground, something I have always struggled with. She has helped make me a stronger person.  Having two women in one house has definitely not always been easy, but we have been blessed to have her as a part of our family.

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​Ralph and Oliver...

​​I guess I can't forget Ralph and Oliver. Ralph is our 14 year-old Lhasa Poo and Oliver is our 2 year-old cat. They get along pretty much like the Odd Couple. It's a love-hate relationship. Ralph is getting old though and can't do what he used to, which makes me sad. He has a little stuffed dog that Kacie gave him years ago that we call his "baby." He carries it everywhere, takes it outside to "use the restroom" and gets it at night when it is time to go to bed in my room and brings it with him. In the morning, he will bring it back out into the living room with him. It cracks me up.  Oliver is so funny too.  I have never been a cat person but I love him so much.  It is actually my grandcat (Lexi's baby).  She is leaving him with us when she moves away.  They both bring us a lot of joy...

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​Our Family Now

Our family has changed a great deal since we all came together eight years ago. We have made more incredible memories than I can count.  When I think back to all the travelling we have done, all the holidays and sporting events, and all the silly times we have spent just hanging out, I am overcome with gratitude for all the joy they have brought into my life.  God knew that we all needed each other and it is only by His hand that we were knitted together.  We have faced the unimaginable in the last few years and have come through it stronger and closer than ever.  I am so proud of my family and the way we have persevered. Not only have we kept going, but we chose to live, even in the midst of the heartache.  Each of them has taught me so much about myself and about life and I am thankful for each day I get to spend with them.  Thanks for taking the time to get to know my family a little...now, when I post about all of our adventures, challenges, or whatever, you will understand my craziness a little more! Until next time...