Day 1: The Whole Famn Damily
31 days… The beginning.
I still feel a little worried that this will be boring, but hopefully I can try to keep it a little interesting. Today I wanted to tell you a little bit about my family (and I mean the family I grew up in, not my own family). Okay so where I came from….
Here are my parents on their wedding day. My mom made her own dress- she is an amazing and fearless seamstress. It is fun to see this picture because I have my grandmother’s blue dress (she made for the wedding) and I wore it to a dance when I was dating my husband. I like that memory!
I have three sisters and three brothers (in that order) and I am number 7 of 7. Yes that makes me the baby, to some that means I am spoiled, and I won’t deny that I was kinda spoiled. But I don’t think I was a snotty child.
And in the youngest child’s defense, I never got away with anything. My parents knew all the tricks by the time I was born, and they didn’t let me get out of discipline. Also, I have 8 “parents” telling me what to do, how to do it and what I am doing wrong ALL. THE. TIME. Technically, only 2 that have the right to tell me what to do and 6 that think they do. I had hoped when I turned 30 that magically I could actually be considered an adult, but I am 31… so yeah, I guess it never stops. But really, I LOVE my family. I know that I am lucky to have 6 extra people who have my back.
I grew up in Northern California. My parents bought a cheap acreage on the fringes of town and built the house all by themselves (I guess I get my “can do/ DIY” attitude from my parents). I can honestly say that I grew up in heaven. We lived at the top of a hill with 2 creeks on either side that met in the back. We walked to school everyday – literally over the river and through the woods.
I pretty much lived outdoors for the first 11 years of my life. I pretended I was either I pioneer or a native American. I honestly believed I had been born in the wrong century, I felt like I should have grown up with Laura Ingles Wilder and that my name should have been Alice (after my grandmother). Instead, I ran around after my older brother Josh and drove him nuts. Ah… good times.
My dad was a news anchorman, for most of my sibling’s life. But by the time I was born, he had changed his career and was an artist. A really cool artist, a chainsaw wood sculptor. I am proud of that. My childhood was that much more exciting, and I’ve never been scared of chainsaw murderers at haunted houses.
Just a few carvings:
The carving I remember wanting and was so sad when he sold it was this Carousel rocking horse.
My mother stayed home with us, so I feel really lucky about that. She taught us all how to sew, cook and sing. She is a very lively singer in Sweet Adalines, and LOVES to perform.
My siblings are all very creative, fashion design, poetry, 2 chefs, a world traveler, a clock designer, and a sculptor. When I was 11 we moved to Utah to be closer to our grandparents so that we could help them out. I will tell you a little more about my teenage years tomorrow… but for today let me wrap up with our current family picture, 7 kids multiply fast! There are an additional 6 in-laws(one is missing in the picture), a foster brother and almost 25 grandchildren.
Okay see ya tomorrow for some more of the 31 days!
Cassity Kmetzsch started Remodelaholic after graduating from Utah State University with a degree in Interior Design. Remodelaholic is the place to share her love for knocking out walls, and building everything back up again to not only add function but beauty to her home. Together with her husband Justin, they have remodeled 6 homes and are working on a seventh. She is a mother of four amazing girls. Making a house a home is her favorite hobby.
I loved this post Cassity! It was great to get to know you behind the scenes. Loved it! My favorite sentence . . . “Just a few carvings” You’re family is amazing! So talented and blessed. Thank you for sharing!
xo
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Nancy! Thanks! I love those carvings, there were literally nuhdres to choose from, those were some of my favorites! (I think my family is amazing too, so THANKS!)
WOW! this was so fun to read! i wanted to be laura ingalls wilder and my mom made me a dress and bonnet just like hers. 🙂 you have such a cool family!
Cassie- ha we totally need to live closer to each other cuz we need to hang out sometime! Thanks for the support on the post!
I love it already!:)
Thanks Rita… It is helpful to hear you like it! I really am still nervous!
So fun to read this! I can’t wait for the rest!
Phew… well I am glad! It feels really weird to kind go back… but thanks for the support!
I love this! Not boring at all!
Thanks McKinzie! I am really glad you are enjoying it!
I loved reading about your family and what life was like for you growing up. I’ll have to pop back in for the next chapter of the story.
Good I will try to find some awesome picture to keep it interesting!
Love to read the personal info and family background. It does influence how I view your DIY posts because now I can imagine all those creative members of your family giving you feedback on every project you do. Also I can’t imagine how you keep up with all the siblings and cousins with such a large family, especially at holidays and birthdays. Must be a full time job.
I don’t… (Am I an awful person?) Usually phone calls, Huge family dinners and hanging out. We are a really relaxed family, we adore each other’s company, but we don’t have huge expectations… maybe that is part of a big family? I know that my siblings can’t keep up with every birthday and holiday for me because I couldn’t keep up with theirs. Individually though each person is so important and they are all different, so keeping up with them is a joy. It is amazing to me how much I love my nieces and nephews, they may not know it, but they will understand it when their time comes. They are just a joy to have as a part of my family… Don’t think I answered this very well, but I guess it makes sense to me! And yes, discussing projects, can be a bit of a joke at times, with one too many cooks in the kitchen!
You were so lucky to have such a large and creative family! The creativity has definitely been passed down to you. Thanks for sharing this with us!
I agree! Thanks Tricia!
Good for you for posting what you want! And we’ll call you Alice, no problem.
Ha, that cracks me up! Actually after about 11 I realized that I love my name. (I’m named after my Grandpa…. His middle name, and his mother’s maiden name! I really love my name now!)
Wow, so fun to read this! I love stories behind the people I know, and I share a lot of stories on my blog…what a creative bunch with the careers your siblings have (all stories in and of themselves) and your dads carvings–wow! That home/land–wow!
Thanks Kristen! I think we have the creative gene… it is just a part of us all!
Well, you did a great job – you kept my attention. Sounds like you had a nice, loving childhood. That’s great!
Thanks Meg! I REALLY DID!
Loved your post, very sweet and uplifting! If you take care to write possessives and use apostrophes correctly, this and future posts will be exceptionally well written and will magnify your lovely, original, expressive voice.
loved it!
Ronda! THANK YOU! I hope you guys are doing well.. now that I live in Utah we should totally get together some time!
Love my family and miss them so. There are six of us and we are in six different states! Love this post. Your Dad’s sculptures are amazing! Wow, what a gift.
He truly is gifted! And I know what you mean about the spread out family, ours is 1/2 and 1/2 now that we’ve moved back home there are more of us here than out of the state, but it is just so hard to get together!
Love it!! I loved getting to see where you grew up and about your childhood. Thanks for sharing your life with us!!
You are so welcome, thank YOU for reading it!
Great photos and story. I just LOVE your father’s carvings, wow!!
Thanks Julie!
Such a pleasure to read about your family and look forward to hearing more. What part of Northern California are you from? I grew up in the Bay Area and miss it dearly……so much to see and do and, of course, the weather is not much to complain about:). I live in AZ. now and can’t wait ’til we are out of the 100’s. Thank you for sharing!
Farther north… (sorry for not being specific) I really loved it there though, but we did have HOT summers, so i know what that is like!
Love it! What part of Northern CA did you grow up in? I grew up there are well 🙂
Very north! I don’t really want to be too specific, sorry! But I LOVE being from California!
Sounds like a great childhood. You never really appreciate those siblings til you’re older and it’s great to know there is someone who knows where you’ve come from and loves you always! Really enjoyed this post.
Casey- you are exactly right!
I’m usually a lurker but had to comment that I LOVED the post! Not at all boring, on the contrary it has made all your posts more real to me since I now feel like I know you better as a person. Sorry, did that sound stalkery? Is that word? LOL!
Not stalkery at all! I totally know what you mean. It is a funny world this blog. If we were hanging out with as friends, you might see pictures on the wall, or conversations about the past would come up, but the blog is so right now. It has been really fun to go back!