simsofcourtyardlane

[simsofcourtyardlane]

"Whatcha two talking 'bout?"

"We're gonna stop the monster under the bed by shoving so much stuff under the bed that it won't fit anymore!"

"Because Aubrey said that mommy didn't wanna help us," Begonia adds.

"She didn't. She said to pray about it. I know God helps us a whole lot, so we're gonna make it easy on Him and solve this ourselves!"

Chrys nods. "Can I help?"

"Ok! Let's all go look for things to shove under our bed."

[simsofcourtyardlane]

You open up Faithbook and see a new post...

TODAY is a PERFECT EXAMPLE of why VIGILANCE MATERS!!!! As an ATTENTIVE mama, I NOTICED when my POOR LITTLE BABY started SCREAMING!!!!!! So I RAN IN....

...and SAW my ROUGH LITTLE BOY daring to BITE HER!!!!!!

MY POOR BABY CRIED, then SHE bit HIM!!!!! Which PROVES how SUSCEPTIBLE us GIRLS are - she SAW her BROTHER do it, so SHE did it!!!!! If HE didn't START it, she would NOT have BITTEN him!!!! Girls just aren't VICIOUS enough!!!!!!

So I put HIM in the shed FIRST...

...THEN her!!!!!! HE needs to LEARN to not START violence, and SHE must learn to not FOLLOW violence!!!!!

THEN I realized WHY he was acting SO UNWATCHERLY - his SINFUL HAIRDO!!!!!!! My poor BOY looked like a GIRL, and no DOUBT it opened the GATE for SATAN to attack him with GENDER CONFUSION!!!!! He must have LASHED OUT from the EVIL FORCES working on his HEART!!!!!!

So I FIXED it!!!!! He was SCREAMING and CRYING the whole time, but THAT is how EXORCISM works!!!! I'm POSITIVE he'll be MUCH nicer now!!!!!!!

[simsofcourtyardlane]

You open up Faithbook and see a new post...

As a WOMAN, of course I focus on my DAUGHTERS, but don't think I don't LOVE my sons too!!!!

Chrys is SO SMART, and such a WONDERFUL big brother!!!! Jeb is teaching him ALL about the BIBLE and also STOCKS!!!! It all flies over MY delicate feminine brain, but to CHRYS it makes perfect sense!!!!

Lion, of COURSE, is still my SUNSHINE BABY!!!! He's so CUTE and BUBBLY, it's IMPOSSIBLE to NOT love him!!!!!!!

[simsofcourtyardlane]

You open up Faithbook and see a new post...

THINGS are CHANGING around here!!!!! While I've ALWAYS been a DEVOTED mother to ALL my children, there are times when I got a LITTLE distracted!!!!! NOT ANYMORE!!!!!

Children NEED their PARENTS more than ANYTHING - except GOD!!!!! THIS is why SINS like divorce and adultery are SINS!!!!! Without a MOM and DAD, children will BURN IN HELL FOREVER!!!! So, ladies, NEVER give up on your CHILDREN, and GOD will NEVER give up on YOU!!!!!!

[simsofcourtyardlane]

Begonia felt bad.

Christina was outside making snow angels, Jeb was in his office, and Aubrey didn't care about the twins. If Begonia didn't throw them a party, nobody would. So she did.

At least Chrys showed up.

Begonia wasn't allowed to use scissors, so she put Eranthis's hair in a ponytail. And she certainly wasn't allowed to go to the shop and buy baby clothes, so the twins got hand-me-downs. Giving Forsythia the clothes she herself once wore made her heart warm in an odd way.

"If nobody else loves you, I will," she said.

[simsofcourtyardlane]

Christina was in a daze.

The last time she felt like this was her wedding day. She had loved Jeb then. Did she love Jeb now? Yes? Maybe? They hardly spoke anymore.

She loved Abigail. Too? Instead of? Did it matter? It was sin. Does sin matter? It matters more than anything. Does it?

This is the height of temptation, she decided. The devil found her weakness. A good Watcherly woman would go back inside and pray for forgiveness. If she could. The kids were always running around, Aubrey and Bibi and Chrys and Lion and whoever. Christina had checked out as soon as Aubrey could watch them.

The kids. She couldn't leave them. She loved them. What would happen to them if they didn't have a mother?

She had to stay. Not for Jeb, not even for God, but for the children. Their happiness had to come first. Over what? Her own happiness? Was she happy?

No.

She still had to stay.

For the children.

[simsofcourtyardlane]

"Abigail! What a nice surprise! I haven't seen you since church!"

"Yeah. I've noticed. You never call anymore, Christy. Is everything ok? You're so distant lately."

"Oh, just busy! You know how it is! You're up to seven children now too, right?"

"No, just six. But that's not it, is it? You're doing that strange squeaking thing you do when you're lying."

"I'm not lying!" Christina squeaked. "I am busy!"

"But that's not why you're avoiding me." Abigail looks at her hands.

"I'm not av-"

"You know I'm gay, don't you?"

"What." Christina's voice is completely flat with shock.

"Is that... not... why..." Abigail's voice is small, and she tries to shrink into the couch.

"No?! You're- You're a- But you're a mother?!"

"Anyone can can have children. But I was never a fan of it, or him." Abigail speaks timidly. Her cautious eyes watch Christina's every movement.

"Then why marry him?! I thought les... I thought ga..." Christina finds it hard to say, hard to apply to Abigail.

"I couldn't wait forever. You were seeing Jeb and I was scared you'd leave me behind if I wasn't in the same season of life as you. So I found Archie and I married him. I guess I liked that he looked a little like a girl."

"Because of his disgusting and sinful mullet?"

"It wasn't a mullet, just long. But yes."

"Abigail..." Christina pulls her to her feet.

"Listen to me, Abigail! I know the devil's in control of your brain! This isn't you! You're being tempted by the sin of homosexuality, like I am, but we can survive this!"

"Christina...?!"

"The devil's put lust in my heart for you, but through prayer and focusing on the family God gave me I've been overcoming it! He wants to save us, we just have to let Him in so he can cast Satan out!"

"No, wait, back up-"

"Pray with me, Abi, please? You're too beautiful and kind to be corrupted like this!"

"Christina!"

"You're in love with me?!"

"Women can't fall in love with other women, silly! I just have forbidden thoughts of kissing you and cuddling you and wondering what life would have been like if I married you! But I'm not in love!"

"Do you like what you think about? Do you think you'd be happier if I was your wife?"

"That's Satan talking! You need to stop this!"

"Just answer that, Christy, please."

"...Yes, I do. But I won't let my heart get in the way of what's right! I'm going to pray, and my feelings will go away, and then everything will be back to normal!"

"Good luck, Christy. If that doesn't work..."

"You know where to find me."

[simsofcourtyardlane]

"Hello, Yvette, how was- what do you have there?"

"The blood of Christ!"

"Good Lord, Yvette, what are you doing?!"

"I'm sorry, Ethel. The handsome man at church said holy water was the only way to stop you from becoming a vampire."

"You've lost your goddamn mind! Ough!"

"You'll thank me later!"

[simsofcourtyardlane]

You open up Faithbook and see a new post...

What a blessing it is that Jeb was here to watch Gardy grow into an infant!! He's missed so many birthdays, any time he can be here it's a treat!

Isn't she just so precious?! I'm so happy to be a mommy to seven angels with another on the way! So grateful to God for my family! I love them!! There's no greater calling in life for a woman than having and raising children!!

[simsofcourtyardlane]

"Kids? Why are you sleeping in the living room?"

"It was awful, mommy! There was a monster under the bed! And then I-"

"A monster?! There's no such thing!"

"There was! It was ooky and spooky and scared me really bad!"

"Then the Devil was sending you visions! Oh, girls, I'm so sorry! It's all-" Christina freezes. She felt like it was her fault, that God was letting this happen because of her sin. But how could she tell her little girls that?

Neither girl noticed the half sentence. Begonia started talking about her nightmare instead. "I dreamt of bad things! I dreamed I was all grown up and I had a job and I never got pregnant! I'm sorry!"

"Shh, Bibi, it's ok! It was just a dream! Satan was trying to tempt you, but you won't let him win, will you?"

"No! Never!"

"Then God forgives you! You didn't do anything wrong! Why don't you go to your room and pray? Tell God your worries and ask Him for protection! He loves you and He wants to save you, ok?"

"Ok, mommy!"

[simsofcourtyardlane]

"Hello, Pastor. I'm so glad I found you. I must speak with you about a dear friend. I fear she's considering vampirism."

"That's terrible! Follow me into my office."

[simsofcourtyardlane]

Christina couldn't take it. The only thing worse than being pregnant was not being pregnant. She could hear it now, the gossip of why she isn't with child, the speculation that God is punishing her, or that she's failed as a wife and displeased Jeb, or that she's chosen to reject God's will and not try at all.

Despite her best efforts, her mind kept wandering to Abigail. It was as if trying not to think of her only made the thoughts of her worse.

At least she got pregnant from it.

[simsofcourtyardlane]

Several renovations later, The Grove was open for business.

Unfortunately, the only interesting thing to happen during the shift was Nancy Landgraab spontaneously dying in the middle of her meal.

[simsofcourtyardlane]

You open up Faithbook and see a new post...

GUESS WHAT!!!! Sweet and precious little BIBI came up to me and ASKED to be BEST FRIENDS FOREVER!!!!! As a MOMMY, sometimes I WORRY that my children won't always LIKE me, but then something like THIS happens and I'm REASSURED!!!!!

LET IT BE KNOWN that if you are a GODLY mommy, your kids will NEVER forsake you!!!! My children LOVE me because I LOVE JESUS!!!!!! AMEN!!!!!

[simsofcourtyardlane]

The Grovers were celebrating a birthday as well. Benjamin was entering toddlerhood.

Compared to the neighbors, theirs is a small family: mother, father, two kids, and the butler-nanny-maid that actually raises them. But they like it that way.

[simsofcourtyardlane]

"Whatcha doing?"

"Hi, Chrys!" Aubrey calls back. "We're building a snowman!"

"Can I join?"

The girls laugh.

"Chrys, we're the daughters of God! Girls only!" Aubrey says.

"That's not fair! I wanna build a snowman!" Chrys stomps his foot.

"Nobody's stopping you! You just can't do it with our club!"

"Why not? Girls are supposed to be nice and submit to boys, but you're just being mean!"

"I'm not mean! Mommy says that boys who play with girls are gay, and gay people destroy families! You wanna destroy our family?!"

"No! I-"

"Then don't play with girls!"

Chrys sticks his tongue out at her.

[simsofcourtyardlane]

You open up Faithbook and see a new post...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CHRYS!!!!!!!! Our precious OLDEST SON is finally a CHILD!!!!!!

Look at my HANDSOME young man!!!! During times like THESE, I'm reminded just how MUCH our children need BOTH parents!!!! For EXAMPLE, if my daughters didn't have ME, there would be NOBODY to teach them how to COOK or CLEAN or CARE FOR CHILDREN!!!!! They NEED me!!!!!

And my BOYS need JEB!!!!!! ONLY a man can GUIDE young men to the MASCULINE role God created them for!!!!! Chrys NEEDS Jeb so he can learn to LEAD, REPAIR, and WORK!!!!! The BOND between father and son is VITAL to a boy's WELLBEING!!!!!! Thank the LORD that Jeb can PROVIDE that!!!!!