A Letter from The Maker. Saying Goodbye to a Legacy.

I want to thank you all for staying with me through the events that have lead up to the birth of generation 10.  I never could have anticipated that anyone would ever read or care about the Montgomery Family. 

Before the conception of generation 10, Glenna got into my head and begged me to tell her story.  She really didn't want 10 generations to mean nothing.  As she began to tell me her story, it became apparent to me that I had no choice but to let my sims do what I've so bucked against. I was going to have to let their voices be heard.

It is very bittersweet to me.  I am glad to know that the Montgomery family is going to be around with me for some time yet. I couldn't have been prepared for the loss and destruction of much else that I love and hold dear. 

As you could probably tell from the last chapter, real changes are happening in  my game.  You haven't even seen half of the devastation that awaits my sims. 

I can only make you this promise,  I will try to do right by the Montgomery name and to honor them in every way that I can as I proceed (cautiously) with their new reality. 

I can hope that my faithful friends and readers will rally around me during this transition and comfort me when I mourn the loss of favorite sims and try to rebuild their lives. 

In light of difficult times, I would like to share with you favorite memories from the last ten generations.  I have held these sim close to my heart. They have truly made me a better simmer.  Where I once scoffed at those that stopped to listen to the voice of their sims, I now find that one truly needs to have an open ear and an open heart. Let them tell their story, no matter how much it hurts me to see their pain.  This new era is about them. Though my heart is breaking, it is because I've finally learned to to let my sims have their voice and to let it be heard.

Heidi Ariana: Generation 9 Chapter 3

Glenna's long awaited birthday has finally arrived and the Montgomery family is elated that grandma Scarlet has lived to see the event.   James convinced Glenna to skip her last day of school and also arranged for Gammora to take a vacation day as well.

With guests arriving, James put the finishing touches on the birthday cake and everyone fell silent as Glenna blew out the candles. 

The party was called short though when the family started feeling under the weather.  Coughing, sneezing, fever, nausea, this illness came on fast and with no warning.

 

Hours after this mysterious illness started, the first casualty took place.  Twelve year old Gammorra was in her room when suddenly she burst into flames.  Despite the family's best efforts to extinguish the fire, Gammora perished from her injuries.

The entire family was stunned but there was no time to grieve.  Scarlet was feeling unwell and left the room to go lay down when suddenly, she was engulfed in flames.

Thankfully, the butler was able to put out the blaze but the whole thing is puzzling.  There's no explanation for these two cases of spontaneous combustion.

With the entire family grieving and Scarlet recovering from her near miss, James decided to take a shower to try to clear his mind and to make sense of everything that had transpired.

Halfway through his shower, James noticed a strange burning coming from his core and before he knew it, flames were licking at his body.  The water did nothing to contain the inferno. 

His heart broken family could do nothing but watch him succumb to his fatal injuries as he collapsed on the cold hard floor.

Strange things are happening. Could this be the beginning of the end?  Could this have been what Ariana and James predicted?  Only time will tell.

Heidi Ariana: Generation 9 Chapter 2

Life might be blinking for Scarlet but she's snarled at death and so far he has kept away.  She has reached the top of the astronaut career, maxed a ton of skills and she got to meet her newest grandbaby!

Remember how Ariana promised James that she would go to the hospital and have a specialist deliver her baby? Well, that didn't happen.  One evening she was busy coaching Glenna and labor pains started.  The baby was coming fast and there was no time to make it to the hospital. 

Little Gamorra Lee joined the family after a very quick and uneventful home birth! Ariana didn't even have time to change out of her Lab clothes!

James was relieved that everything went well with the delivery and has been over the moon with his new daughter.  Ariana, though she was also relieved, feels so confused by her birth experiences. Why was her labor and delivery so different from her first?   Glenna's birth had been so scary.  It didn't help that a drug-induced haze clouded what memories she had of that day.   It seems that no matter how hard she tried the only memory she could conjure was that of unforgiving red eyes staring back at her.

Ariana was quick to push down any misgivings that she had from her traumatic birth and focus on what a beautiful blessing Glenna has been to her and James.  Goodness knows that Glenna has been the absolutely pride and joy of  their life.

James, Ariana and Scarlet have all coached and drilled Glenna on how to survive in the world.  Every day has found them studying and working hard to build her skill points. 

By the evening of her 13th birthday, Glenna had already accomplished much more than some adults!

Little Gamorra also aged up. She celebrated her birthday several hours after Glenna which always makes me nervous that the birthday curse is going to strike. I think we all know by now how birthdays end in the Montgomery house!

Glenna is the doting big sister. She absolutely adores Gamorra and spends as much times as she can helping her with her toddler skills.

Time passed all too quickly and little Gamorra grew into a child.  Don't ask me how but I forgot her birthday.  Perhaps it was a blessing though because oddly enough, Scarlet is still alive to see her age up.  Her life bar has been blinking for ever so long!

Glenna is still working on maxing out skills and aspirations.  She has now completed the following aspirations: bodybuilder,freelance,botanist  and mansion barron

Additionally she has maxed charisma,cooking,fitness,gardening,logic and piano.  

This girl is absolutely committed to preparing herself for whatever it is her mom and dad is convinced will happen.  Her mom is always there to mentor her and help her achieve her goals and to remind her how important it is to stay focused.

Whatever the future has in store, Glenna is going to be prepared. Through hard work and perseverance, there's nothing much she isn't capable of.

We are inching ever so closer to the day when Glenna turns into a young adult.   Will Scarlet miraculously survive to see her granddaughter celebrate her birthday?  It would be nothing short of a miracle but she's already proving to be one hardy grandma! 

Heidi Ariana: Generation 9 Chapter 1

It was a day for birthdays and luckily, no one died.  Scarlet aged to elder and little Glenna aged to toddler.  Can't believe how fast that happened!
 

Scarlet is now level 9 in the astronaut career and close to her next promotion so she's done very well for herself. Since she's an elder I'm not entirely sure she'll max out her career but part of that is because of how much time she has taken to help skill up her daughter and now her granddaughter.

The entire family has jumped in and helped educate Glenna. Daddy was on flash cards. Mom read stories and helped with blocks and Scarlet did most of the potty training.

I'm pleased to report that Glenna grew up with every single toddler skill maxed out.  The Montgomery family definitely had cause to celebrate as she aged from toddler to child.

Ariana and James wasted no time in getting Glenna started in on her skills right away.  We have a system going on with James playing chess with her and Ariana is looking on to mentor her.

Of course, Ariana isn't forgetting to keep educating herself either.  After much hard work, she earned a promotion! She's now a Laboratory Leader at the FutureSim Lab.

Likewise, Glenna became a B student and James was promoted to Detective.   With the family doing so well, Ariana began to long for another baby.

James wasn't too eager for Ariana to go through all that she had with Glenna but he agreed to it on the condition that she see a high-risk doctor from the start and not even attempt a home birth.  Ariana agreed to James' terms and they set about trying for a baby...everywhere.

Trying for a baby was a success and Ariana and James were so excited. I swear, these two are the cutest!

Both of them are hoping that Scarlet lives long enough to meet her second grandchild. She's rather old but so far she doesn't show any signs of slowing down. In fact, she's very close to finally maxing out her career and she has unlocked an amazing amount of traits and rewards. If anything, she just gets grumpy that she gets tired more easily or she'd still be rushing through to master everything!

Here's to hoping that Scarlet gets her wish and gets to meet the newest Montgomery baby!