Saunder Dennes McQuinlan (30) is Zachary’s father, Laurel’s husbund, and a good friend of Lyndon’s.
Saunder and Laurel met at university, though Laurel studied medicine and Saunder studied history. He is currently completing a second degree in law, and hopes to become a lawyer when he finishes. He is very excited about the daughter he and Laurel are expecting - he grew up with 4 brothers and has no nieces, so will be the first to bring a girl into the family in over 10 years.
Saunder started learning sign language when it was realised that Zachary was non-verbal, which enabled him to quickly become friends with Lyndon and Lyndon’s friend from school when Laurel and Grizz became friends. The three of them like to go on hikes together, and Saunder supports Lyndon in his struggle with acceptance with his family. He and Lyndon are considering writing a historical fiction novel together, with Lyndon’s impressive writing skills and experience in writing, and Saunder’s historical knowledge.
Though Saunder understands his son’s difficulty in social situations, he does worry about Zachary, and is trying to help him make a few more friends he will be able to rely on when he grows older. He plans to reach out toAbdallah’s and Summer’s parents to arrange a play date. He is also glad Jonah is becoming friends with Zachary, especially since they are the same age and see each other often.
Zachary was created by me.
Lorelei “Laurel” was created by @kitkatcookie
Grizz, Lyndon, and Jonah were created by @jinxed_peach
[name_m]Gideon[/name_m] [name_m]Edgar[/name_m] McQuinlan (2 months) is the youngest nephew of [name_m]Saunder[/name_m], born to his brother closest in age. He’s also the first child born to his parents, who chose to wait before starting a family as they were living in Australia for several years and separated from the extended family. Gideon’s mum was born and raised in [name_m]Perth[/name_m] actually, however she grew up in the foster system and embracing her in-laws was a wonderful experience for her, as she often felt displaced as she grew up with an awareness of why she was placed into care; confounding a sense of loneliness that she didn’t open up about until her early-20s, very much being a private person.
Her son is the absolute opposite already. Everything [name_m]Gideon[/name_m] expresses is loud and open, be it laughter, discomfort or a demand to be fed [woe betide anyone who takes away his plush tiger shark, Stripey, without adequate warning]. This amuses the majority of the family, thanks to how he’s pretty much a fire alarm when he feels like it, however this has thankfully settled now he’s more comfortable at home with his parents. Although they’re not religious, [name_m]Gideon[/name_m] has pseudo-godparents alongside his aunts and uncles, as his mum’s friends are basically her familial substitutes and she wanted to honour them in the same manner.
@jinxed_peach don’t apologise for the education - it was super important to read and really helpful!
@EloiseM11 Friendly reminder that [name_m]Abdallah[/name_m] is actually Zuben’s (and Laila’s) nephew, not their son, but I love the inclusion in the character!
[name_m]Crispian[/name_m] [name_m]Neddie[/name_m] McQuinlan (24) is one of Gideon’s paternal uncles, who doesn’t see him as much due to distance and has no children of his own, but can’t be underestimated - he was the one who got Stripey for [name_m]Gideon[/name_m] during the baby shower. Actually, he didn’t just get Stripey - he made Stripey with his own two hands! [name_m]Crispian[/name_m] is in nursing school but he loves to sew and create fun items in his spare time. He’s bought some plush fabric and stuffing and is working on creating a plush bunny for [name_m]Saunder[/name_m] and Laurel’s baby. He doesn’t care if people act like sewing is “feminine” or making baby toys is “immature” and he’s done stuff for all the babies and children of the families he knows. He has very jolly and upbeat demeanour towards his nephew. He always has a gift that he gives to [name_m]Gideon[/name_m], either something handmade, from his travels, or a family heirloom. He tells his nephew about the toymaking he likes to do, makes him laugh, and tries to instill a little bit of wonder and adventure in the kid. [name_m]Gideon[/name_m] is always more giddy after an encounter with [name_m]Crispian[/name_m] and a little sad after he leaves once more.
[name_m]Crispian[/name_m] visits [name_m]Saunder[/name_m] and his other brothers a lot. He is excited for [name_m]Saunder[/name_m] and [name_u]Laurel[/name_u] to welcome their daughter someday, as [name_m]Crispian[/name_m] himself hasn’t seen a female in the immediate family in so long, not counting his mother or the extended relatives. He remembers [name_m]Saunder[/name_m] talking about how happy Grizz and [name_u]Lyndon[/name_u] were to have their first daughter, let alone [name_m]Saunder[/name_m] and [name_u]Laurel[/name_u] also having a daughter. [name_m]Crispian[/name_m] is the youngest McQuinlan and is recently taking ASL as well, where he’s met his new girlfriend, a sister of [name_f]Leila[/name_f] [name_m]Ryu[/name_m]. Like [name_f]Leila[/name_f], Crispian’s new girlfriend loves botanical science and tiny perennial plants and the two have one they’re considering sharing. They still like being in the “newly dating” phase for now and don’t talk about having kids but they have a healthy bond and [name_m]Crispian[/name_m] loves to know about her [name_u]South[/name_u] Korean background. Likewise when [name_m]Crispian[/name_m] talks to Gideon’s mother, he is intrigued by her Aussie life. He’s also found out that one of his other brothers is secretly falling for one of Grizz’s deaf relatives and he’s stayed quiet on the matter to not ruffle any feathers about the secret.
[name_m]Jeth[/name_m] ’ [name_u]Jay[/name_u] ’ [name_u]Kennedy[/name_u] McQuinlan [19] is one of [name_m]Crispian[/name_m], [name_m]Saunder[/name_m], and their other brother’s youngest brother. He’s sort of the edgier one of the family, having entered a sort of alternative skater phase as a teen and just never left it. He’s currently in college studying mechanical engineering, which is how he met his current crush. He noticed this last semester there was two new people in once of his general education classes, a new female student and her interpreter. [name_u]Jay[/name_u] quickly realized that she was in fact, Deaf. Unlike Grizz, she doesn’t use her voice at all. Feeling a little impulsive, after class he wrote out a note on his phone introducing himself and welcoming her to the class. To his surprise, she wrote back a note on his phone, giving him her number.
They began to text back and forth were he learned about her generationally Deaf family, although he wouldn’t know that she was related to his brother’s friend’s wife until much later. Over the next few weeks he began to realize that he was in fact falling for her, though he’s afraid to be vulnerable with his feelings. Back in high school he thought he was going to be with his high school sweetheart for a long time, only for her to tell him that she was pregnant. The funny thing is though, [name_u]Jay[/name_u] had never slept with her, or anyone for that matter. He’s still a virgin. Which is another point towards his hesitancy to start a new relationship. In addition to having reservations after getting cheated on, he’s a little worried about how he’ll be perceived considering, while it’s perfectly fine and normal to be a 20 year old virgin, it’s a little socially unusual.
While he sorts out his emotions, he’s been learning ASL online so he and his new friend can communicate face to face as opposed to over a screen to ensure that their relationship will be even stronger regardless of if they stay just friends, or if they one day become a couple.
[name_f]Lila[/name_f] [name_f]Grace[/name_f] [name_u]Carter[/name_u] (18) is Jay’s cousin on his mother’s side. She is a freshman at the same college as [name_u]Jay[/name_u], majoring in graphic design. She is bubbly, outgoing, and creative, always looking for new ways to express herself through art. She loves to draw, paint, and make digital illustrations. She also enjoys music, especially rock and indie genres. She often goes to concerts with her friends or listens to her favorite bands on her headphones. [name_f]Lila[/name_f] is supportive of Jay’s interest in learning ASL and his crush on the Deaf girl. She thinks they would make a cute couple and encourages him to be honest with his feelings. She sometimes joins him in his online ASL classes or helps him practice what he learned. She also likes to tease him about his virginity, but in a good-natured way. She respects his choice and admires his integrity. [name_f]Lila[/name_f] and [name_u]Jay[/name_u] have a close bond and often hang out together on campus or at their family gatherings.
[name_m]Hector[/name_m] [name_m]Brandt[/name_m] McQuinlan (28) is the final McQuinlan brother, father of [name_m]Gideon[/name_m] and cousin of [name_f]Lila[/name_f]. A wildlife researcher who specialises in monitoring endangered bird species, [name_m]Hector[/name_m] jokingly called himself ‘the nerd’ of the four growing up, being bookish and painfully shy until his late teens. He’s always going to be an introvert, but campaigning for animal rights alongside his friends helped [name_m]Hector[/name_m] experience a significant confidence boost, and this is what prompted his decision to study abroad.
People often unfairly compared him to his older brother - seeing [name_m]Saunder[/name_m] as much more impressive, especially where socialising was concerned - so [name_m]Hector[/name_m] wanted a total fresh start, where resentment could be avoided and there also would be a much more ideal natural environment for him to explore.
Here [name_m]Hector[/name_m] would meet the love of his life, who he’s settled and started a family with. They frequented the same coffee shop to complete essays - as the library made [name_m]Hector[/name_m] nervous, given the aggressive monitoring favoured by its staff - and ended up starting a conversation when his now-wife forgot her umbrella and he offered to lend her one when a sudden downpour occurred. In spite of how obviously enamoured they are now, the beginning of the couple’s relationship was very slow, a preference for both of them that helped them open up about themselves in their own time. Hector’s biggest fear was the fact he wanted to return to live closer to his family eventually, and telling his then-girlfriend this was something he deliberated a great deal, being overjoyed when she expressed an openness to this in the future.
When he isn’t tracking animals or discussing upcoming conferences and protests with his colleagues, [name_m]Hector[/name_m] enjoys playing piano - a pastime he picked up as a child - and baking savoury foods. [name_m]Gideon[/name_m] is the centre of his world and he dotes on his son, working from home whenever possible to spend time with him. While he and his wife are confident they’d like to have more children, there’s no rush, especially thanks to all the joy [name_m]Gideon[/name_m] brings them with his expressive personality [and yes, Hector’s brothers do joke about how different this is to him]. Given his background, he’s also the sibling Lila’s suggested [name_u]Jay[/name_u] talk to about his crush, albeit this hasn’t happened quite yet, given [name_m]Hector[/name_m] seems so at ease around his wife now, and that does have an intimidating quality to his brother harbouring a crush.
Naomi Grace Park (32) is Hector’s wife and Gideon’s mother. She is a freelance journalist who writes about environmental and social issues for various online platforms. She met Hector at a coffee shop when they were both studying abroad and fell in love with his gentle and passionate personality. She shares his love for nature and animals and often accompanies him on his field trips. She also enjoys photography and gardening and has a collection of succulents at home. Naomi is outgoing and friendly, but also respects Hector’s introversion and need for quiet time. She is supportive of his decision to move closer to his family and looks forward to meeting them. She is very close to her own parents and siblings, who live in Perth and visits them regularly. She is actually half Australian, half Korean, and she speaks English and Korean fluently, and loves singing to Gideon in Korean. She loves Hector and Gideon more than anything and is happy with their simple but meaningful life.
[name_f]Eleni[/name_f] [name_f]Sue[/name_f] Fisher-Park [36] and [name_u]Julian[/name_u] [name_u]Gabriel[/name_u] [name_m]Fisher[/name_m] [3] are Naomi’s sister and nephew. [name_u]Julian[/name_u] is not her only nephew however as [name_f]Eleni[/name_f] and her husband have an older son as well. Content with their two boys they’re not planning to have any more kids but [name_f]Eleni[/name_f] never likes to say never. Something that started back when she took up gymnastics as a child, something her parents placed her into in an attempt to help her come out of her shell as she was quite shy. [name_f]Eleni[/name_f] loved the sport but always lamented over how she felt she wasn’t as advanced as her teammates. “I’m never going to get this skill!” she would say during practice, to which her coach would reply “Never say never.” The bond between her and her coach did indeed help her confidence and she became much more outgoing over time.
Her gymnastics career came to an end when she was seventeen, she injured herself during her floor routine at a meet. There were attempts to help her heal with physical therapy and other treatments, but ultimately she needed to have her left hip replaced. She didn’t mind having to quit gymnastics as she always knew that she wouldn’t be making a career out of it, but having to leave not on her own terms did sting a little, but not for long as she was soon able to move her focus into her college experience as she started studying to become an art therapist. She met her husband who was in the same internship as she was after college and they married a few years later, welcoming their eldest son soon after.
[name_f]Eleni[/name_f] didn’t have any issues with her hip replacement until she was around seven months pregnant with [name_u]Julian[/name_u]. She started having a ton of increased pain, initially she thought it was just due to the increased weight of her unborn child on her joints but as time went by the pain became more pronounced in her left side and was excruciating. She was hardly able to get out of bed most days. When she was eight months along it finally drove her to the ER where she soon found out that she had contracted an infection in her hip replacement. While neither her nor her doctors were sure where the exposure came from, though it could’ve been as simple as a superficial cut, they knew she needed surgery to clean out the area and revise her implant with a new one. Considering that it wasn’t only her pain that was putting stress on her and her baby, the infection was now putting them both at risk as well so putting off the surgery until delivery wasn’t possible.
While a harrowing experience, [name_f]Eleni[/name_f] came out of the surgery well and [name_u]Julian[/name_u] was unharmed in the womb. His birth was a little more complex since she was still recovering from her surgery when he was born a month later, though that went smoothly as well. Today [name_f]Eleni[/name_f] is very thankful to have two healthy sons, and a pain free hip.
[name_u]Maria[/name_u] [name_f]Isabel[/name_f] [name_m]Rodriguez[/name_m] (42) is Eleni’s best friend from college. They met in their art therapy program and have been close ever since. [name_u]Maria[/name_u] is a warm and caring person who is always there for her friends and family. She has a passion for helping others and works as a social worker at a local hospital. [name_u]Maria[/name_u] is married with two children, a son and a daughter. She loves spending time with her family and enjoys cooking and baking in her free time. [name_u]Maria[/name_u] is also an avid reader and enjoys discussing books with [name_f]Eleni[/name_f].
[name_u]Rio[/name_u] [name_m]Felipe[/name_m] [name_m]Rodriguez[/name_m] (42) is Maria’s husband as they call it, although they aren’t actually male. They’re a muxe, a third gender originating from his southern Mexican heritage. Muxes are assigned male at birth but dress very feminine, however they do not use female pronouns. Muxes don’t tend to have any official pronouns, but [name_u]Rio[/name_u] prefers “they”. [name_u]Rio[/name_u] currently works at a pawn shop and owns a collection of rare novelty items. [name_u]Maria[/name_u] and [name_u]Rio[/name_u] both enjoy art and their children are artistic as well. The two have been married for 13 years and counting and they’re close with their two children. [name_u]Rio[/name_u] also shares a good bond with Eleni’s husband and the two agree that they’re content as parents to two children, but aren’t entirely ruling out more. [name_u]Rio[/name_u] and [name_u]Maria[/name_u] were there for Eleni’s recovery process alongside Julian’s baby shower and are very supportive of the couple.
[name_f]Sofia[/name_f] [name_f]Isabella[/name_f] [name_u]Garcia[/name_u] (28) is Rio’s coworker at the pawn shop. She is a bubbly and outgoing person who loves to chat with customers and make them feel welcome. [name_f]Sofia[/name_f] is also an artist and often shares her work with [name_u]Rio[/name_u] and [name_u]Maria[/name_u]. She is a big fan of vintage fashion and often wears retro-inspired outfits to work. [name_f]Sofia[/name_f] is a great listener and often gives [name_u]Rio[/name_u] advice on parenting and relationships. She is a loyal friend and always has Rio’s back.
[name_f]Nayeli[/name_f] " [name_f]Naya[/name_f] " Ana-Luisa [name_m]Rodriguez[/name_m] (13) is Sofia’s biggest fan, as her parents affectionately call her anyways. She’s the older of [name_u]Rio[/name_u] and Maria’s two children, being more outspoken, especially where LGTBQIA+ matters are concerned, having helped found a society at her middle school to support queer youth - given how she found there was a lot of isolation going on for her classmates. [name_f]Naya[/name_f] also shares Rio’s - who she calls ‘muxa’ as their parental term - love of rare items, having amassed quite the collection of dolls herself over the years. When she was little, she’d sometimes come to work with her muxa when they were working a shift, and of course customers were charmed completely: a fine business model as far as [name_u]Rio[/name_u] was concerned.
When she isn’t raising awareness for people’s rights or tending to her collection, Naya’s working her paper round in the local neighbourhood, and is frequently seen flitting around on her bike even when she isn’t working. The future is something she’s not entitely certain about, however archeology has become increasingly intriguing to [name_f]Naya[/name_f]: granted her mom had to explain to her, when she was 7, that [name_f]Lara[/name_f] Croft isn’t that accurate. Regardless, Naya’s Zapotec cultural heritage fascinates her, furthered by her name paying tribute, something she’s very proud of. Her little brother finds her rattling of facts annoying sometimes - then again he thinks Naya’s a chatterbox anyways - however nothing can deter her spirit, and it’s something her parents always encourage.
[name_m]Juan[/name_m] [name_m]Carlos[/name_m] [name_m]Hernandez[/name_m] (45) is Rio’s best friend and neighbor. He’s a kind-hearted man who always has a smile on his face and a joke to tell. He’s a talented carpenter and often helps [name_u]Rio[/name_u] with his antique restoration projects. [name_m]Juan[/name_m] [name_m]Carlos[/name_m] is also a father figure to [name_f]Naya[/name_f], who often goes to him for advice and guidance. He’s a proud Mexican-American and loves to share his culture with others. [name_m]Juan[/name_m] [name_m]Carlos[/name_m] is married to his high school sweetheart, also named [name_u]Maria[/name_u], and they have two children together.
[name_f]Marisa[/name_f] " [name_f]Macie[/name_f] " [name_f]Carmela[/name_f] [name_m]Hernandez[/name_m] (7) is [name_m]Juan[/name_m] [name_m]Carlos[/name_m] and Maria’s daughter. Named for her mother, it’s no surprise that [name_f]Macie[/name_f] absolutely idolises [name_u]Maria[/name_u], who practices every elaborate hairstyle the little girl asks for on her when she has a moment. To [name_f]Macie[/name_f], she’s a princess when this happens, and it’s not a small favour in her book to feel so special. She’s got quite a stubborn side to her as well, infuriating as it can be endearing when directed at someone else, and her parents joke about teaching [name_f]Macie[/name_f] to not be so set in her ways.
The good side of Macie’s headstrong nature is how she sticks up for her younger sister, never a small feat when she feels a need to let her voice be heard. They’re quite the dynamic duo, and while mischief isn’t their calling exactly, the girls are adventures and explorers who treat the back garden like their palace of wonder. It always makes her dad laugh, as she’s typically all about pink and sparkles, yet bugs never upset [name_f]Macie[/name_f] and she’s not squeamish when it comes to mud either.
[name_u]Cielo[/name_u] [name_m]Francisco[/name_m] [name_m]Rodriguez[/name_m] (8) is the son of [name_u]Maria[/name_u] [name_f]Isabel[/name_f] and [name_u]Rio[/name_u] and brother of [name_f]Naya[/name_f]. He really gets along with [name_f]Macie[/name_f] and adores her “cute hair”. Some joke [name_u]Cielo[/name_u] likes [name_f]Macie[/name_f] but [name_u]Cielo[/name_u] insists he doesn’t; she just has beautiful hair and a sweet voice and he appreciates that of her. Sometimes [name_u]Cielo[/name_u] will also stand up for what he wants, and he stands up for [name_f]Naya[/name_f] despite her being older. He supports the LGBTQUIAP+ community and talks about it a lot with [name_f]Naya[/name_f]. He used to want another sibling to have a little sibling like [name_f]Macie[/name_f] has with her little sister but now [name_u]Cielo[/name_u] is content being the younger one.
Sometimes [name_u]Cielo[/name_u] believes strange things and can’t quite keep them secret. He thinks his grandfather is [name_f]Santa[/name_f] [name_m]Claus[/name_m] given the man’s pudgy body and long beard. The other kids think he’s a liar though, after all he said a few years back that he’s related to the [name_m]Danish[/name_m] royal family despite not even being [name_m]Danish[/name_m]. “You have no famous relatives. Ok?”, [name_f]Macie[/name_f] tells [name_u]Cielo[/name_u] and he stops. Not all the lies he believes are related to relatives, he believes there’s a secret passage from his home to Legoland after he begged his parents to take him to Legoland and they replied, “You can try”. He and Macie’s little siser both think that unicorns slide down rainbows but you have to believe in unicorns to see them. The families are jokingly trying to get [name_u]Cielo[/name_u] to stop instilling lies into her head but at the same time, knows they’re just kids. Plus [name_u]Cielo[/name_u] would just say that the families never see the unicorns because they don’t believe.
[name_m]Christopher[/name_m] ‘Crotch’ [name_u]Denim[/name_u] (8) is [name_f]Macie[/name_f] Hernandez’s close friend. While the origins of his nickname are unknown, Crotch was named [name_m]Christopher[/name_m] after his late father. He lives with his mother and teenage sisters in a small but comfortable house near a large forest. Crotch and [name_f]Macie[/name_f] met when they were 4 years old at a playground where [name_f]Macie[/name_f] fell off the monkey bars and Crotch told her to ‘rub some dirt in it’ when she was crying. They have been inseparable ever since. Crotch is funny and intelligent in his own way. He has a little bit of a crush for [name_f]Macie[/name_f] and would do anything for her. After watching ‘Twilight’ and ‘50 shades of Grey’ with his older sister, Crotch decided that the chance he had with [name_f]Macie[/name_f] was to be a ‘bad boy’. So at a barbecue, hosted by [name_m]Juan[/name_m] [name_m]Hernandez[/name_m], Crotch wore a pair of his older sister’s ripped skinny jeans and, much to his mother’s disappointment, cut the sleeves off his denim jacket. To prove how tough he was, Crotch picked a fight with [name_u]Cielo[/name_u] when [name_f]Macie[/name_f] was looking. At first, [name_u]Cielo[/name_u] refused to fight with him, however Crotch would not stop persisting and insinuating that he was a wimp. Finally the two boys fought and, much to Crotch’s embarrassment, [name_u]Cielo[/name_u] won.
[name_f]Angelica[/name_f] "Ange’ [name_u]Denim[/name_u] (14) is one of Crotch’s older sisters. She will be going to high school next year and wants to be a stylist in the future. [name_u]Ange[/name_u] is seriously into fashion, she subscribes to famous models on social media and loves to shop in her spare time. At the same time, [name_u]Ange[/name_u] loves horses and travelling. She dreams of going on a road trip across the country with her friends, but her mother has no intention of letting her. The relationship between Mum and [name_u]Ange[/name_u] is a bit strange. On the one hand, they often disagree and quarrel; on the other hand, [name_u]Ange[/name_u] never refuses to help her family, especially since her father died. She looks after Crotch without objection and admires their older sister.
[name_f]Nicole[/name_f] ’ [name_u]Nikki[/name_u] ’ [name_f]Cassandra[/name_f] (Lowther) [name_u]Denim[/name_u] (41) is the widowed mother of [name_u]Ange[/name_u], Crotch and their older sister, who’s in high school. Since the passing of her husband shortly before her sons’ birth, Nikki’s become even more protective of her children, with this protective streak leading to some feelings of suffocation where her daughters’ are concerned. They’re the one’s with clearer memories of their mom being more laidback and her absolute refusal to let them go too far from the nest is a source of frustration.
From Nikkis’ perspective, this is the best means of keeping her children safe, but it also inspires their rebellious turns, which is intensified by the fact [name_u]Nikki[/name_u] works long hours to support her family. She’s the PA of a local business owner and hyper organised in just about everything she does, which extends to the home, where everything has its place. There were few things less mortifying for [name_u]Nikki[/name_u] [name_u]Denim[/name_u] than seeing her son show up to the barbecue with his sleeveless jacket, trying to pick fights with other people’s children. In spite of [name_u]Cielo[/name_u] winning the fight, she still apologised for profusely, and has grounded her son in the meantime.
More arguing ensued when she learned Crotch had seen part of 50 Shades of [name_u]Grey[/name_u] - a book [name_u]Nikki[/name_u] absolutely loathes for it’s numerous sins (see: romanticising abusive relationships and having some of the most cringe worthy sex scenes fathomable) - and while he luckily didn’t witness any explicit content, she’s put the breaks on the family Netflix account, much to the horror of her daughters’.
[name_u]Nikki[/name_u] struggles with the fact she knows they’re growing up and deserving of their independence, freedoms and experiences, however the manner of their dads’ passing - he developed sepsis in an injury from rock climbing which he didn’t see the point in treating - has made her terrified any kind of dismissal where safety’s concerned will result in her losing them too.
[name_f]Mirabella[/name_f] [name_f]Amanda[/name_f] “Millie” [name_m]Shelton[/name_m] (39) is Nikki’s best friend. The women met when they were moonlighting in their youth and have maintained their friendship ever since. [name_f]Millie[/name_f] is a social worker and works in an adoption centre. She is married and has four children, some of whom are the same age as Nikki’s children. [name_f]Millie[/name_f] leads an active lifestyle, watching her diet and exercising, but will never refuse to cook a delicious dinner for the family to laze around in front of the TV afterwards. [name_f]Millie[/name_f] helped [name_u]Nikki[/name_u] a lot when her husband died. In fact, she almost took up residence with her friend, helping her with household chores and supporting her daughters. [name_f]Millie[/name_f] has two Chinese Crested dogs, Toffee and [name_f]Lacey[/name_f].
[name_f]Dorothy[/name_f] ’ GiGi DeeDee ’ [name_f]Ruth[/name_f] Hillenberg [91] is Millie’s grandmother and the great-grandmother to Millie’s kids. Both of those relationships contributed to her nickname, as a child [name_f]Millie[/name_f] and her siblings referred to their grandmother as ’ DeeDee ’ for [name_f]Dorothy[/name_f] of course, but when she was ‘promoted,’ as she likes to say, to great-grandmother she found ‘Great-Grandma DeeDee’ to be a little clunky, so she suggested “How about GiGi DeeDee?” as a shorter version of the name, and it stuck. It’s a title that she wears with pride and is very happy to inhabit for all of her many, many grandchildren and great-grandchildren of which there really is many.
[name_f]Dorothy[/name_f] and her husband both came from the kind of upbringing and era that encouraged a large family, of course aided by the lack of invention of birth control, so the two of them had nine children all in all. Millie’s mother is their middle child, with four older siblings before her and four younger siblings after.
Despite being pretty up there in age, [name_f]Dorothy[/name_f] is still very mentally and even physically spry. She loves to play outside with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She even tried her hand at playing a round of Fortnite and surprisingly didn’t come in dead last, which all her grandchildren and great-grandchildren celebrated thoroughly.
