Family Ties.

For anyone that knows me, you must know how connected I am to my family. While I don’t yet have any kids of my own, I love to brag on my brother, David’s, kids: Kaeli, age 7; David, age 6; and Jonathan, age 3. I love them as if they were my own. At a young age, Kaeli tagged me as “Mantha” and I’ve never been the same!

Kaeli is an absolute doll – with her two front teeth missing now and her short blond hair, I remember a time when I was her age – carefree and fun! She slept over on Saturday night to play the Wii and just to spend a little bit of time with Mantha and Jim. I vowed to teach her something new EVERY day. We started on Saturday.

1. How many months is a pregnancy?
Kaeli: “I think 8.”
Mantha: “Actually, it’s nine.”
Kaeli: “Oh, that’s right! That’s what my friend Mallory told me.”

2. Can men have babies?

Kaeli: “No, that’s gross!”

3. What are four freedoms and what is the name of where they come from?

Kaeli: “Freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, freedom of worship, and freedom of the press. I think, um, the Ame…Amend, Amendment thing? The first one?”

David is the spitting image of my brother and as such, he’s taken on that little brother role. Kicking, laughing, tickling and wriggling to get away – there’s never a dull moment! He also plays a mean game of checkers (HE TRIPLE JUMPED ME!) and he recognized when I was drawing a KNIGHT, even though my own brother didn’t.

Jonathan is the baby and I never imagine him getting older. Before he could talk, I remember thinking – “He’ll never talk. Everyone else talks for him.” I also wondered how he would sound. As he’s getting older, it never ceases to amaze me how much he knows. Recently, I celebrated my birthday and I asked what he was getting me.

Jonathan (as he walks up to his daddy): “Mantha, birthday, we go to da store.”
Daddy (my brother): “Tell Mantha to go to grass.”
Jonathan (looking up in wonderment with a scrunched face): “Huh?”

I also realized once again just how interconnected we are at the church! It’s like a twisted game of six degrees of separation! We tried explaining all the connections to Debbie Flattery (the new Pastor’s wife!).

I, formerly Samantha V., now Schultz, have two parents, Randy and Julie Vales. My brother, David Vales, married Marisa Mulick, and they now have three children. Marisa’s mom, Teri Mulick, used to work for the Academy, as did her sister, Jessica. My husband, Jim Schultz, also has a twin brother, Jason Schultz, who sits in the front row with his wife, Jessica, formerly Campins whose parent’s are Joanna and Eduardo – Joanna who formerly worked as a secretary for the church. In addition, Jim’s uncle Brian now attends occasionally, and a distant cousin, John Janks and his family also attend Stone. It causes my mind to become tangled!

I wouldn’t trade it for the world. Ah the joys of family ties…