Hiester Family Antics: A Stroke of Luck

The Hiester Family in a nutshell - a big one, like a coconut or something

We are a family of a whole bunch of random people, thrown together in one small house, who all happen to look alike. Each member of our family was hand-picked by God... that's the only explanation for the saga that is our family. Here's the story from the beginning... My husband, Todd, was married before me. His wife's name was Carrie, and together they had 3 kids: Tyler, Kurstin & Elissa. Todd's parents were divorced and his mother remarried. Her new husband, Don, had 2 small children: Ally & Wesley. Their natural mother was killed in a car accident when they were 8 & 11. One year later, they lost their dad and Todd and Carrie took them into their home. 6 months after Ally & Wesley were added to the household, Carrie died of cancer at age 26. Her own children were 3, 6 & 9 and Ally & Wesley were 10 & 13. And Todd was alone with them. Think Lord of the Flies. So when I fell in love with Todd, I got these 5 kids as a bonus. We married about a year and a half into our relationship, with the kids as our wedding party. We made it all official with an adoption lawyer and lots of money, ensuring that we are LEGALLY their parents. They even had to take oaths saying they would perform the duties of sons and daughters, which I think means I have someone to change my diapers when the time comes! After 2 years of marriage we added Robben Carey to the mix. And now we've welcomed Livi Claire...the seventh, and final, Hiester kid (unless, of course, God has other plans). Todd and I are 37 and 35, respectively, and our kids range in age from 1 to 21. It's great because we're cool and always the youngest in a crowd of high school parents.

Thursday, July 8, 2010

A Stroke of Luck

Unfortunately, it was Tyler's...

Yesterday, Ally took Tyler's humongous water jug, filled to brimming with ice-water, to volleyball practice. During a water break, she tilted said jug fully and completely over her head, ready for a refreshing and life-giving swig. She got more. Much more. The spout fell off in her mouth and water poured forth, over her face, down her front, and all over the gym floor. She stood there, much like Tyler usually does, with a look of "really?" on her face, as other members of her team literally rolled with laughter and her coach proclaimed her the winner of the wet t-shirt contest. Keeping her composure, she marched herself to the janitor's closet to retreive some towels with which to clean the remnants of the deluge.