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[dreamy-cowplant]

1322:

In the summer of 1322, near the time of the harvest, Delia aged up into a child. She had always been an active toddler, and that manifested into a rather rambunctious childhood. Delia is always exploring the world around her, fascinated by nature and the animals that lived within it. She was already proving herself to be a clever and beautiful girl. It surprised Leif just how much Delia looked like their mother. Out of all the Broughton kids, Delia was the youngest when Eydis died and is constantly asking Leif and Wilkin to tell stories of her mother.

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[dreamy-cowplant]

1322:

Juliette's pregnancy was going smoothly, and the entire family was anxiously awaiting the birth of the next potential heir. While the rest of the family was preparing a space for the baby, Leif was busy worrying for Juliette. With this being he and Juliette's first child he was unsure what to expect. He remembered what his mother went though having his siblings, and the grief she felt after losing them, and he wanted to make sure everything went smoothly for Juliette.

They didn't have to wait long for the new baby to arrive. Juliette gave birth in the middle of the night to a healthy baby boy they decided to name Lucius Allender. Within the next few days Juliette was beginning to feel like her old self and began slowly resuming her normal chores.

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[dreamy-cowplant]

1322:

It had been a few months past the wedding when Juliette announced her pregnancy. The family was overjoyed and began making preparations for the child. The nerves of Juliette's first pregnancy were soon replaced with excitement thanks to the enthusiasm of her husband's family. Erika was particularly glad to hear the news and found Juliette's pregnancy fascinating. She had been fairly young when her mother had died, and there were no older females around to teach Erika about that aspect of life. Juliette was by no means an expert, but she taught Erika what her mother had taught her and welcomed Erika's constant questions and curious nature. Luckily for the soon to be parents, both of them had experience caring for their younger siblings so they felt prepared to care for their baby when the time came.

There was still a lot of work to do on the farm and the whole family worked hard to play their part. Juliette, even during her pregnancy, was no exception. She understood that eventually she would have to pass some of her duties on to the rest of the family as her pregnancy advanced, but for now Juliette continued as normal.

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[dreamy-cowplant]

hey where did you get your medieval clothing cc from?

I think i got most of my medieval cc from The Sims Resource medieval page, or the Sims 4 Medieval CC tumblr. I've spent a long time building up my collection so I can't remember where all of it came from, but if there is a specific piece you're wondering about just lmk and I can find it for you!

There is one other creator, Elfdor, that has quite a bit of historical cc that will be useful for the late medieval period and beyond. I absolutely love her clothing and can't wait to use it later in my challenge.

Hope this helps!

[dreamy-cowplant]

1321:

Things on the farm were peaceful after the wedding. The household was running smoothly thanks to Juliette, and Leif appreciated the extra set of hands when it came to farming and taking care of the animals.

Unfortunately the relaxing rhythm on the farm was soon interrupted. Olive, Eydis and Wilkin's second youngest daughter, lost her struggle with the flu and passed away. The family was devastated and lovingly buried her next to her mother.

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[dreamy-cowplant]

1321:

Juliette and Leif finally tied the knot amongst family and friends at the beginning of 1321. Juliette becoming a part of the family was an easy transition. She had already been a frequent visitor for many years and took on her new role easily. The young couple was excited to start their new life together in the small shack, around the back of the house, that Leif and Wilkin had built earlier in the year.

That night, the new Allender family made their marriage official and enjoyed a surprise visit from Eydis who come to see her children.

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[dreamy-cowplant]

1320:

Another uneventful year for the Broughtons. The family was still recovering from the aftermath of the famine, but food was no longer an ongoing concern due to Leif's persistence when it came to farming. Everyone was pitching in to do their part around the farm and the family was once again able to sell some of their extra produce and woodcarvings to start making money once again.

Juliette was coming around the farm more often after the two of them became a couple. Helping prepare meals and keep the house in order alongside Erika. Leif, like his mother, had a deep appreciation for music. In the quiet winter nights when his siblings were struggling to fall asleep due to the cold, he would try humming a song while playing a few notes. Hoping that would help them get to sleep a little faster. Elric longed for the kind of relationship he observed between his brother and Juliette. He knew he was too young for such things, but even so, he started to develop feelings for Brianne despite her being quite a bit older than him.

(Author's Note: For some reason I don't have any photos of Revna giving birth, but she and Wilkin had a baby girl they decided to name Bodil. When I was in game playing this through I forgot that her husband died at the end of 1317 so there is no way to pretend this child was legitimate. Most of her children would have been too young to understand that Bodil was not their full sister so they wouldn't know is the story I'm going with.)

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[dreamy-cowplant]

1319:

After the tragedy of the past few years, the calmness of 1319 was a welcome reprieve. The crops from the previous season had grown successfully, taking away some of the burden of preparing for the winter. The family had nowhere near the necessary amount of food stored away, but it was more than previous years. Winter was always the favorite season of the Broughton household. There were less farm chores that needed to be done so the children could spend the early days of winter playing outside or doing whatever else they wanted. The siblings always treasured how much closer the winter season brought them.

Author's note: (There were quite literally no events that happened during 1319, which was surprising, so sorry if this post is a little boring!)

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[dreamy-cowplant]

1318:

Love was in the air for Leif and Juliette as Fall drew to a close. It was no longer difficult for the two of them to sneak off on a walk together, or run errands. They tried to take time everyday to see each other. Juliette was everything to Leif. Even as a child she brightened his world and made sure he knew there were people around him that appreciated him. Although Leif and Juliette weren't engaged, everyone expected the young couple to quickly tie the knot.

A common objection the couple often heard from either Wilkin or Revna, was Juliette's unknown background. Her father was unknown and, due to her mother's constantly changing stories about the man, she and her sister were assumed to be born out of wedlock. Which was not really an issue for peasants, but Wilkin believed that Juliette's heritage might impede Leif's success later in life. Leif ignored his step-father's concerns and continued to see Juliette. Firmly believing his mother would have approved of the girl he loved.

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[dreamy-cowplant]

1318:

Wilkin spent most of his time in Revna's company. The only time the Broughton children would see their father was if Revna decided to visit the family. Wilkin was beginning to feel guilty about leaving Leif to care for the farm while he coveted his wife's best friend. He didn't feel like he could place either party above the other at this point since Revna was his support, but he loved his children and they were his responsibility. All it took was a small push from Revna for him to return home and begin caring for his children again. Of course with the promise that Revna would visit as often as possible.

Erika and Elric were also beginning to aquire more chores around the farm, and were hopeful that their father would be around more often. Even if it meant Revna would also be around more often. Leif knew that he should be happy Wilkin had come to his senses and started working again, even though it came about through the persuasion of Revna. But Leif was old enough to understand that Wilkin and Revna were more than just friends, and their relationship did not look new. He couldn't believe that Wilkin could love anyone other than Eydis, and was beginning to rethink what his step-father and mother's relationship.

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[dreamy-cowplant]

1318:

The time finally came for Leif to start taking on more chores around the farm. With his mother's death there were many chores around the house that were no longer being done. Leif found his step-father, Wilkin, to be less than helpful. He was no longer helping on the farm or trying to provide for his family. He was often alone woodworking or visiting Revna. Leif didn't understand why he was supposed to work through his greif while Wilkin was allowed to practically abandon his children. So naturally someone had to keep the family and the farm in order, and all of this work was handed to Leif as the oldest son. With the famine still fresh in their minds, the Broughton family prayed that the few seeds they had managed to plant would take to the soil and give them healthy crops by the end of the season.

Leif's day began and ended with the sun. Between caring for his siblings and trying to grow enough food to feed his family, he was rarely away from home. Juliette would often try and visit Leif towards the end of his day to try and cheer him up and help him put his younger siblings to bed. Wilkin usually came home long after night had fallen, so Leif and Juliette would stay up late and talk. He enjoyed what little time he could spend with the few friends he had, but he especially liked hanging out with Juliette and their new friend Brianna.

Author: (The first time I wrote this post the story flowed SO much better, but unfortunately I lost that progress so I tried to recreate the text from memory)

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[dreamy-cowplant]

1317:

After a restless night filled with hunger and uncertainty, Leif set off early in the morning in search of anything edible to bring back to the house. Something to make him feel useful. While combing the forest he discovered a small stone house that didn't look particularly stable. Hoping that the rickety structure would at least have some dusty vegetables lying within, Leif slowly began to approach the building. He didn't get very far before he noticed a small girl about his age collecting sticks. Before he had a chance to duck behind a tree the girl saw him and bounced over, seemingly unbothered by the strange boy. The girl immediately introduces herself as Juliette. Leif quietly introduces himself and quickly backs away from the odd girl. Juliette doesn't seem to notice his haste to get away from her, and begins to follow Leif home. Rambling about whatever comes to mind. Strangely enough, Leif begins to find her odd stories calming, laughing and enjoying his walk home with his new acquaintance.

When Leif arrived home the house was in chaos. Erika and Elric had discovered their older brother Arthur had passed away during the night. Arthur had been a steadying influence on both his older and younger siblings, and the family was deeply affected by his passing.

Wilkin, having to try and push through the pain of losing his first son, desperately wished he had someone to share this burden with. In this moment he missed his wife more than ever.

Luckily for him, Revna decided to drop by the Broughton household after hearing the news of Arthur's death. Despite the tragedy that also struck her family due to the famine, Revna was quickly becoming a perminent presence around the house. Although she seemed much more interested in talking to Wilkin than helping around the house.

(Revna's husband Leif and their Oldest son Larry both passed away due to the famine. Along with Arthur, the oldest son of Eydis and Wilkin Broughton)

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[dreamy-cowplant]

1317:

It was easy for the children to leave their worries behind once they were away from the farm. When they could no longer see the barren fields and empty pantry, it felt like a weight had been lifted off their shoulders. They could pretend to be anything they wanted, and ignore the hunger that their stomachs could no longer fight off.

Leif always found it depressing to go home after a day spent playing outside. With both of his parents dead, Leif felt like an intruder on his stepfather and siblings. He did not have the same father as any of his siblings and shared nothing with Wilkin other than their love for Eydis, which did little to unite them after her death. And with Revna coming over more frequently to help with the chores, it became harder for Leif to believe that Wilkin still had any feelings for his mother.

As the kids approached the house they saw black smoke coming out of the front door. Arthur immediately ran inside and came face-to-face with a roaring fire. The kids were shocked. They had never seen such a large uncontrolled fire and were unsure what to do.

Luckily Wilkin quickly got things under control and put out the fire before it could spread to the rest of the house. Wilkin had tried his hand at making a stew for dinner and had failed miserably. He had burned the only food the family had so unless they all wanted to wait until dinner tomorrow to eat, they would have to make the best of the burned stew.

Elric and Arthur were beginning to believe that their lives would always be burdened by hunger. Everyone went to bed disappointed and hungry that night.

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[dreamy-cowplant]

1316:

In the last half of 1316, Eydis have birth to a very small baby girl they named Delia. Not long after, the bubble that the Broughton family seemed to be in since the beginning of the famine, burst. The lack of food finally caught up with Eydis one hot summer day, and she collapsed. When the family found Eydis she was still alive, but it was too late to help her. Leif pleaded for his mother, but it was no use.

Eydis passed away in 1316 of starvation.

Revna was quick to come over and try to settle the household, which deeply unsettled Leif. He understood that Revna was the only person keeping little Delia alive, but she was slowly encroaching on the every day tasks that were his mother’s responsibility. The family had barely had time to mourn before Revna was invited over, and Leif thought Wilkin was a little too eager to have Revna stay with them.

(We have now officially begun gen 2)

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[dreamy-cowplant]

1316:

There was a lot of love floating around the Broughton house. The start of the warmer months brought with it the hope that new crops could soon be planted and the possibility of foraging for food. The twins, Erika and Elric, were finally children and developing their own interests. Erika was often off playing by herself and Elric chose to spend his time fishing.

Eydis was also expecting yet another baby to the shock of the entire family. With the lack of food Eydis and Wilkin were worried the child wouldn’t survive long. It was already difficult to feed five kids they had without worrying about the burden of another one coming before the end of the year.

These pictures don’t show just how much this poor family was struggling during the famine, but trust me it was hard!

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[dreamy-cowplant]

1315:

The Broughton family had always been poor, so when the famine struck at the beginning of 1315 the children barely took notice. Life continued peacefully despite the lack of food. Leif and Arthur were always running off together since there were less chores around the farm.

Being a survivor and a mother, Eydis was prone to stress and worry, the famine did nothing ease her fears. The heavy rains had destroyed most of their crops before they could be harvested, effecting both the family and their livestock. And to make matters worse, the nobles that technically owned their land were asking for a larger share of crops than usual. Eydis had already begun rationing the amount of food she made for her family and prayed they would have enough to last them until they could grow more.

During the first part of 1315 Eydis gave birth to a healthy baby girl named Olive. Eydis and Wilkin were relieved that the birth went smoothly and were constantly checking on their little girl. Both parents understood the grief of losing a child and hoped to prevent any harm from coming to little Olive.

1315 came to a gentle close. The Broughton family had yet to experience the full effects of the famine.

Other births:

Revna Olsen gave birth to twins: Wymond and Marie Olsen

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[dreamy-cowplant]

1315 Family Portrait

Here is the family portrait for the beginning of 1315. This officially marks our first major historical event: the famine of 1315.