Meet the "Normal" family....

So why did I choose to title my blog the "Normal Family"? Well because we are a total nontraditional family but I think we embody America's new "normal" when it comes to describing the family unit. We have some unique qualities that make us a family but in the end we are just average, ordinary, everyday people. So let me start by introducing everyone.....



I am Briana, a 27 year old stay at home mother. I am married to a 32 year old, hard working, country boy, Owen. He is the worlds best Daddy and a wonderful provider. (so far pretty normal right?) We grew up "next door" to each other in one of the most remote farming communities in the Lower 48. Our parents' ranches neighbor each other and their homes to this day are only 2 miles apart. After high school we both moved away and ended up marrying other people after college. Well, as it is in so many cases these days, those marriages did not work out and we both found ourselves back in our home town as single parents. As we like to say, the rest is history. Our mothers have often pondered as to why "the two of you couldn't have done this the 1st time around??!!" We were married on June 3, 2006. Together we are raising a soon to be family of nine, seven children. This is where things start to get confusing so pay attention.....



Our oldest is almost 9 year old Siera. She was adopted by my husband when he married his 1st wife, Siera's biological mother. She came into my life when she was 4 years old. Siera is a very sweet child, she is the mother hen around here and is just heartbroken if you make her "go be a kid" rather than a "Momma' s little helper." Next is.....



Our second in command, 7 year old Taylor (who came into my life at age 2). Taylor is my husbands biological daughter from his 1st marriage. Taylor definitely possesses most of the spunk in our house. She is smart as a whip and usually coming up with things to say that you really would never expect to come out of a 7 year olds mouth! She is our little perfectionist and gets very frustrated when things are just not done right! That leads us too...



Our third, almost 5 year old RaeLynn. Now RaeLynn is MY biological daughter from my 1st marriage and yet again another long story. RaeLynn was 1 year old when we all became a family. She is our blonde beauty and is just a precious child. RaeLynn is also one of those children who should have been featured on "Kids Say the Darndest Things" she is a regular comedian.



So are you keeping up so far, three daughters ages 9,7 and 5!!



Very shortly after our marriage Owen and I decided to try for anther baby and with that things got even crazier when we welcomed our TWIN GIRLS, Ashley and Alyssa into our family on March 9, 2007. They have honestly been the "glue" to this little project. Even though we were a family before, when the twins came along their were two beautiful little babies who "belonged to all of us" as my older girls like to say. It was after their birth when I noticed we quit using the term "step" around our house. RaeLynn was no longer a "step sister" and I was no longer the "step momma" the girls were no longer my "step daughters" it was just simply "mommy", "sister", "daddy" and "daughter" when we were having conversations about each other. And if that doesn't seem significant to anyone reading let me assure you it is one of the most precious things that has happened in our home. Okay I am getting off topic here!! Ashley and Alyssa are now 1 1/2 years old and they are a double dose of trouble these days, but life just simply couldn't go on without them here.



So it is a little confusing so far, however the next part might be the most unusual. Owen and I survived our first year with twins and both decided our family just was not complete yet. We are both still fairly young (well I am anyway ;)) so we decided to give parenthood another shot. On October 21, 2008 we were shocked and amazed to find out we were expecting our SECOND SET OF TWINS!!



Well I guess that brings you to the present. I wanted to start this blog as a way to track my 2nd twin pregnancy and also as a way to document all the events of this average, ordinary, everyday, "normal" family. Thanks for reading this far and I hope you stick around to see how this all turns out!!