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Day One
On a Monday morning my twin sister and I were born by C-section in the general hospital in Graham, TX. With four older brothers and sisters and a large extended family packed into the waiting room, this day was quite an event. When my parents decided to have one more child, they never imagined that they would end up with twins, but I know it has been a happy adventure for everyone. -
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My life in a nutshell
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Settling Down
With six kids and two full time jobs my parents struggled. So from the time I was born we lived with my paternal grandparents. My granddad was an interim preacher for the methodist church system so we moved about four times before my second birthday. In December of 1989 my granddad decided to retire to Abilene, TX. So of course we all went. Over the next two decades Abilene would become my home. I still make sure to go home as often as I can. -
Country Living
Growing up I spent quite a bit of time on my great-grandparents farm. I loved running outside, exploring through the grapevines and the plum bushes, and digging my bare feet through the rows of vegetables after the dirt had just been tilled. My great-grandparents taught me what their childhood was like growing up in a time where everyone grew their own food and traded for the items that they couldn't make on their own. This was a way of life for my family for generations. -
Reaching Out
As a kid my parents always pushed me and my twin sister to get to know other kids besides our classmates. One way that we did this was through girl scouts. Through this organization I got to meet other girls who were home schooled or went to private schools and girls who came from out of state. By attending girl scout camp in the summer, we were provided with opportunities to share our story and enjoy the stories of others who came to camp. -
Hard Loses
When I was nine years old my great-granddad passed at away at home on the farm. In december of that same year my granddad passed away from a heart attack. Losing the two patriarchs of our family in the same year was difficult. My dad was then forced to take on a larger leadership role in the family to make sure that everyone was taken care of. The farm was sold, my great-grandma was placed in an assisted living home, and I lost a huge piece of my childhood. -
Summer Time
My mom had lost almost all of her family before she and my dad married, with the exception of my Aunt Connie. She and my cousins lived in Graham, about an hour and a half from us. During the summer we would always get together and go camping for about a week to celebrate Independence Day and my cousins birthday. During those summers I built a bond with my cousins that is still very strong today. -
Family Expansions
On this cold day in January my brother and his wife welcomed their baby boy into the world. He was the first grandchild born into the family but he would not be the last. Over the next seven years my older sibblings would bless my parents with five more grandchildren. I have loved getting to watch my nieces and nephews grow up and sharing our family traditions with them. -
Happy Holidays
The holidays are always a crazy time in my family because we all still come home for Christmas. All of my brothers and sisters come with their families, my cousins come, and my grandma. We usually have about 25 people in my childhood home all cramming around the Christmas tree for presents in the morning and around the table for lunch. I cherish every year that we get to spend together and look forward to many more. -
Feeling Accomplished
After seven years of studying, I became the first in two generations in my family to graduate from college. After taking a two year break for financial reasons, I finally found the motivation to make myself go back and obtain my bachelors degree from UTSA. My family all made the trip to San Antonio to watch me walk across the stage. As a twin I always had to share my birthday and any major life events. It was nice to have a day that I could call my own. -
Starting a New Adventure
After working as a substitute for a school year, I took my first assignment as a middle school math teacher in Snyder, TX. Even though I had already had my certificate for a year, walking into my own classroom on the first day of school made it all seem real. I have thoroughly enjoyed being in the classroom and cannot wait to continue my journey working in the education field.
