sneak peek

loss and found.

2005-04-09T20:23:00.000+08:00

the first 2 years of marriage was pretty much mundane with not much happenings within the family. however it wasnt too long before things start to change - for better and for worse.

greg excelled in his culinary career and became the main chef even in his own home. "practice makes perfect," he would always say.

he goes out to work with his mum almost every morning. he marvelled at the strength of this woman - she was still as energetic as ever when it comes to her career even in old age.

and marylena's answer to her son would be that exercise makes one more full of energy than without it. and she proved herself right when she finally reached the height of her career.

Kaylynn on the otherhand pursued her childhood ambition of becoming a politician. she spends a whole lot of time honing her charisma skill, which she ahs come to learn is absolutely crucial in her career.

however she has always loved children and was longing for one of her own, so you can only imagine how happy she was when she discovered she was 2 weeks pregnant! everybody was happy and looking forward for the baby's birth. mark and marylena just couldnt wait to be grandparents, and greg (tho he was didnt quite like children) was happy for his wife.

mark, proposed to his greg and kaylynn that he would like to build a new wing for the house, dedicated to his unborn grandchild. however, he died even before the wing was completed. worst of all, he died before the birth of his grandchild.

his death was totally unforeseen, but he died loved and happy. he greeted his wife when she came back from work one day. he talked to her, hugged her, kissed her - it was as if he wanted to compact everything he has ever shared with this woman at that point of time.

marylena finally told him laughingly that she'd better go to the toilet before she embarresses herself with an accident in front of the children. but all he could tell her was, "the twins". he got cut off as if he was shocked at the sight of something. marylena didnt understand but she understood the moment she turned. mr reaper was waiting for her husband.

she began to cry softly, realizing what this meant for her. the only man she has ever loved is about to be gone, forever. greg, sensing somethingw as wrong joined his mother. when he realized what was going on, he started to cry to, for the man who has taught him so much abt life.

mark was then laid to rest in the family's backyard...

it is to be noted that mark's death affected greg the ahrdest in the family. he jsut couldnt get over the fact that the man he has so much praise and respect for is gone.

however, kaylynn's presence in his life reminded him that he hasnt lost everything in life. he still has a baby to look forward to. as kaylynn said, a part of mark would be in their unborn child.

kaylynn had an easy pregnancy and spent a lot of time writing in her diary. she wants her pregnancy to be recorded so that she'll always remember the events during that period. mark's death affected her too, but it also gave her the strength to give her husband all the support he needed.

and she got along with her mother-in-law.

the building of the second wing was progressing well and it was nearly completed by the time Leanna Fullerton was born.

it happened one night when greg was working late. kaylynn was in the midst of making herself a late night meal, when she suddenly felt this sharp pain in her abdomen. she called out for marylena who rushed to her side. marylena, who gave birth to greg in their lawn, knew exactly what was going on and helped with the birth. after a short labour, the baby girl was born.

Kaylynn and Greg was very proud of their beautiful daughter. They decorated her room, in the new wing very nicely.

it seems that, mark's death was not to be grieved for long for his grand- daughter brought much joy in the Fuullerton House.

Till death do us part.

2005-04-07T22:54:00.000+08:00

Greg decided that he was going to make Kaylynn the happiest girl in the world. so he planned out a nie way to propose to her to be engaged to him. so he called her over one day, and just spent a little quiet time with her in the fancy hot tub he bought specially for the occasion.

actually they did more than just cuddling in the hot tub, but let's keep this blog child friendly ;)

after spending the whole morning in the tub, greg decided that it was time. he still felt pretty unsure about his decision but he decided to put some faith in his father's advice. so he got down on one knee, an act which pleasantly surprised kaylynn.

"Kaylynn Langarak, the most beautiful woman in the world, would you like to spend he rest of your life, being loved by me?" Greg said this words, while looking into her beautiful green eyes.

kaylynn who has waited her whole life for a moment like this, tearfully said yes and leapt into his arms. she has never been happier.

the couple then announced their engagement to Mark and Marylena, who were really happy to hear the news. Marylena who never had a big wedding decided that they would throw a wedding party, six months from that day. She immediately got down to the task of planning for the event.

the family told Kaylynn that since she is already practically one of them, she neednt work for them anymore. but kaylynn just couldnt be persuaded. she felt that as long as greg and herself are not married by law, she shud just keep her day job and stay with her parents. but oh was she ever so proud of her diamond ring ;)

marylena and mark couldnt be happier with the fact that kaylynn is going to be their daughter-in-law. whenever she was just hanging out in the house, she would never fail to do little chores for them (tasks that had nothing to do with her job as their maid).

mark once saw her trimming a bush that has grown quite out of proportion out of her own accord.

and marylena once saw her spraying bugs that were crawling all over the lawn.

time passed pretty quickly and soon it was the wedding day. guests were invited and great food was served.

greg decided that it was time he had a proper haircut now that he is going to start a new chapter in his life. so he got himself a neat hairdo. as he was walking to the alter, greg confided to his best friend Michelle that he felt pretty nervous about this whole wedding thing. she reassured him that everything would be alright and gave him a hug before joining the rest of the guests.

they were to be married at an alter placed under the big birch tree at the back of the fullerton house. greg couldnt take his eyes off kaylynn once he saw her in a beautiful wedding dress. if she looked stunning in her regular clothes, she looks like a princess in her wedding dress.

they pledged their vows to each other and exhanged rings, and after which they were pronounced man and wife.

mark was filled with unspeakable emotion as he witnessed his son getting married. deep inside, he knew that he had brought him up well, and he just had this really warm feeling inside. yes, he felt satisfied.

more pictures from the wedding:

the day was creamed with perfection when it was revealed to kaylynn that greg had secretly planned a honeymoon for them! she was very awed when she saw the limo waiting for them.

that was a great wedding party. one to be remembered for years in Lolly Spings :)

as i grow older.

2005-04-03T23:22:00.000+08:00

one day at breakfast, the topic of mark's upcoming birthday came up. greg thought it would be cool to throw a party, but mark being the introvert declined the suggestion. instead he made the announcement. he has decided that when it is eligible for him to retire he would. he has decided that its time for him to dedicate time to himself instead of other people; he wants to pursue his lifelong desire of learning everything.

so the big day came, and mark was happy to be surrouded by his beloved family.

he quickly phoned the hospital and announced his resignation. the hospital regretted the loss of such a fine Chief of Staff, but respected his decision. with old age, came poor eyesight (not surprising with all the reading he had done his whole life!!). so mark had to get a pair of glasses.

marylena had no qualms with her husband getting old. in fact she found him extremely attractive, even in old age. mark on the other hand, had no problems whatsoever, with having such a lovely and young wife ;)

mark finally achieved his lifelong dream of aquiring knowldege in all aspects possible. the moment he fulfilled the final body point, he knew he had made it in life. his family was of course very proud of his achievement.

he also makes himself useful around the house.

marylena on the other hand, was thriving in her atletic career. although it takes a lot of discipline, she enjoys her job as it brings in a lot of money. it was soon her birthday but she has no thoughts of retiring. she still wants to be rich.

soon it was time for marylena's bday. she wasnt afraid of getting older having seen how well mark was coping, so she aged rather gracefully.

"happy birthday baby," mark whispered to his wife as he leant in to give her a kiss.

with so much free time in his hands now that he's retired; mark honed his skills. and when hes taking a break from it all, he relaxes by painting masterpieces (for his wife to sell. he thought since he has already achieved his goal in life, why not help marylena where he could?

and marylena appreciates her husband's efforts very very much...

greg was steadily growing up to be a young man. on his 21st birthday, he opted to have the company of just his parents. as soon as he blew the candles off his cake, he felt a change in him. "you're a man now," his father voiced outloud the very thought of what he couldnt put to words.

greg was still adamant abt his hair though. since hes still gonna be in the culinary career, he might as well have a cool image to match it with.

at that moment in time, the family started hiring a maid named Kaylynn. Greg's work schedule was such that he had no chance at all to meet her. from what his father told him, Kaylynn is a "classic beauty".

now, greg being the ladies' man have seen many types of beauty. but he has yet to see how a classic beauty looks like. but one day, he finally met her. and was very entranced by her beauty.

being the daughter of a conservative family downtown, Kaylynn was not very receptive towards Greg's attention towards her. She is a simple person. all she's there to do was do her job, not socialize. papa wouldnt be pleased. but there was just something about Greg Fullerton..

greg knew a challenge when he saw one. so he got all romantic with kaylynn. he even serenaded her. and it worked.

kaylynn was stunned the first time he kissed her, as though she had been kissed before, it just couldnt be compared to greg's kiss. and you can be certain there were many other kisses where that came from.

one thing led to another and before she knew it, she was woohoo-ing with him. she felt so guilty about it afterward, even though she seems to be really falling for greg. what would papa say, oh my god, greg would have to marry me. that wouldnt be such a bad idea, she thought.

so she had a talk abt it to him.

but it was to be understood that greg still had his commitment phobia. he told his father all about it, and was surprised when his father told him its best he marries Kaylynn. "You must learn how to respect a woman, Greg.. Kaylynn is a wonderful girl, dont disappoint her," Mark spoke calmly.

"but dad.."

"i suggest you give it some thought."

but greg didnt have to go far. one afternoon, he saw how loving his parents still are even after 35 years of marriage. deep inside, he knew he wanted that too when he's 35 years older.

the house had some extentions done, whereby an outdoor kitchen was build. and because the family had some extra cash, they had a pool built too.

all grown up.

2005-03-28T20:20:00.000+08:00

author's note: okay i just realized i contradicted myself in the previous post. i mentioned that mark did not tell marylena abt the twins when in the post entitled "back to square one", i mentioned that marylena had been there to listen to him rant abt the loss.

so to rectify this problem, lets assume that marylena having suddenly becoming a wife, mother and a careerwoman all at once, has let the fact that mark once had his own kids slip by her. and thanks for the plot suggestions. dont worry you guys, i DO have a surprise coming up (just not in this post). okay lets gets back to the story.

mark's relationship with his son grew as the years passed by. he was protective of his son, possibly in fear of losing a child again. he spent alot of time nurturing and just being there for greg. in return, greg loves his father just as much. he's on great terms with both his parents.

mark's career was so successful that he reached the top of his career ladder before the required retirement age for the medical sector. he was very pleased with this fact, not only because of the hefty pay cheque he gets every month, but also because now he has more time to pursue his love of knowledge.

the time soon came for greg's 13th birthday. greg was really excited about becoming the one of the "older kids" at school, but his dad wasnt really too keen. he wasnt ready to let greg go. but he still cheered him on when his son blew the candles on his cake anyway.

after he blew the candles, marylena gave her son a hug and sat him down. she said to him, "darling, there is a family tradition from my side of the family that you should know of, everytime a child turns into a teenager, he or she would have to consult an oracle to determine his or her future".

greg being the blooming teenager, and his father being the epitome of individualism clearly disagreed with her suggestion that greg would have to go thru the same ritual she did. but of course she won the argument in the end. greg, it seemed, was fated to have a weakness for the ladies.

greg seemed to have a need to make himself stand out (maybe because of the ritual he had to go thru) so he kept his hair long in the front and dyed it a tinge of purple. marylena, being from a respected background was appalled by her son's behavour, but mark applauded his son's bravado to be different.

it didnt matter to greg. the girls in school seem to be falling at his feet ;)

but the only girl he ever got serious with was michelle, the girl working at a nearby mall. what he meant by serious was going out with the girl without ever having to go steady. it seemed that greg had a serious problem with commitment.

however michelle and him proved to be a really sweet couple. just look at them having their first kiss.

it didnt matter to michelle that they didnt go steady. its best, she thought, not to expect to much out of a guy. so she just enjoyed all the sweet moments she had with greg.

when he was not busy entertaining the girls at school or spending time with michelle, greg was out working. his parents had both encouraged him to take up a part time job at a fast food restaurant.. they think it will make him independent, and show him that making money doesnt come easy. so greg had to juggle his studies and career.

he nearly clinched the over achiever award that Lolly Springs was giving out. but because of his many commitments, he only managed to get an A (and not an A+) on the day he got promoted to be manager of the fast food outlet. mark was still proud of his son however. it was enough that he was doing well in school.

marylena made a career switch to be an athlete, because she figured she would earn so much more and that she could be famous out of it. she's also still painting masterpieces to add on to her gross annual income.

everything seems to be going well for the fullertons.

second 2nd generation.

2005-03-25T22:05:00.000+08:00

mark and marylena kept themselves pretty busy the first few months of their marriage. it didnt matter that they had little cash to indulge in themselves, it was enough that they had each other.

it should have been expected that a little baby would soon be part of the equation. but it really didnt occur to marylena and mark. all they wanted to do was be with each other while focusing on the family wealth.

so it was a complete surprise to the both of them when marylena discovered that she was 5 weeks pregnant when she went for her annual medical check up. the benefit of having a doctor for a husband is that medical fees are wavered off ;) marylena was over the top about having a little person to care for.

and mark.. well, mark was having mixed feelings about this new child. he hasnt told marylena about the twins that he had. he knows he should, but he couldnt. he just feels that its something private. he's worried he might not be able to love his new child the same way.

however, he knows exactly what marylena is going thru (having gone thru it once himself), so he pays her a lot of attention especially when she was heavily pregnant.

marylena was surprised to note that she was having a fairly easy pregnancy. she has read about women having really terrible pregnancy, but no.. not her. she didnt even throw up. our marylena's a strong woman ;)

with that in mind, mark was more at ease about leaving home for work while marylena was on her maternity leave. he soon became a specialist and was earning a reasonable amount of money to keep the family finances going.

one fine morning, marylena felt a sharp pain in her abdomen while tending to her beloved money trees. she realized that the baby was here, and mark wasnt there to help with the delivery. there was no one else to help her except sheldon the mailman. in the end, it was him who helped her with the delivery.

marylena had the natural fears of a first time mother but told herself to brush off anything stupid that was going thru her head and just focus on the child waiting to see the world. plus, if she really wanted to surprise mark, she'd have to do this NOW.

and so, a little boy named greg is born to marylena and mark. he has blue eyes like his parents and mummy's skin tone.

whatever doubts mark had before greg's birth dissolved the moment he held him in his arms. he felt a tremendous emotion towards the little one. it was a different kind of happiness from the time he had the twins. maybe its because, this time, its a shared effort :)

mark decided not to let his wife nor his son (when hes old enough) know abt the alien twins. he'll treat greg as if hes the only child he has ever had and indulge in him.

it wasnt long before greg grew up to be a toddler.

and this time, mark did not have to stay up looking after the precious toddler. marylena played a part too, in bringing up their child.

needless to say, both marylena and mark doted on their son and gave him the very best. greg on the other hand was a pretty much independant toddler. he did fine without the supervision of others; always finding ways to occupy himself.

greg grew up into a child, without much fuss. mark was at first startled by the resemblance that greg held to his first son shane. it was as if shane is back in his life.

with greg, mark still preached about the importance of being independant. so one night, when his parents were both studying for a certain skill or busy trying to make more money, he ordered for a pizza to be delivered.

both marylena and mark enjoyed bringing up greg together. although mark has always been the learned one out of the two, it was marylena who coached greg in his studies every night, to ensure that he did well. with maark, greg found a friend to hang out with.

as mentioned earlier, both mark and marylena want nothing but the very best for their son, and this includes education. mark, the believer of knowledge wants his son to be educated and primed by the best minds in Lolly Springs. Marylena, wanted her son to be in the best private school for the prestige. prestige to marylena, is everything. so they invited the headmaster of the best private school down for dinner one evening.

mark was pretty relaxed abt the whole event. it was marylena who was fretting about it. "what if he doesnt like this small house we live in.. what if he thinks we're not rich enough? what if.." mark puts a stop to her fretting by kissing her fully on the mouth. "just shut up. we'll get through it, i promise".

the headmaster arrived, and didnt look too impressed with the exterior of the house, but still decided to give this family a chance to prove itself. so he requested a tour of the house. mark led the way while marylena cooked up a delicious dinner of roasted turkey.

the headmaster seemed pretty pleased with the house and was even more pleased to find greg working hard on his homework. however, he was most impressed with the dinner that marylena prepared. "you gotta open up a restaurant with this standard of cooking mrs fullerton," he said to a blushing marylena.

the headmaster was so pleased with the family that he admitted greg to the prestigous private school that very night. that was one of the proudest moment of their lives as parents.

"congratulations mr fullerton. your son has a bright future, and im honoured to educate him", gushed the headmaster. mark could only smile.

the next day, greg was all decked up in his private school uniform.

"aww look at my baby looking so handsome," smiled marylena as she saw him walking out the door.

greg grinned because this, will be a day to remember; for this will be the first day of his life.

meanwhile, marylena got some renovations done to the house.

back to square one.

2005-03-22T00:05:00.000+08:00

mark was in depression for months over the lost of his children. he just couldnt get over the fact that they were gone. all those years caring for them.. seemed to go down the drain. he called up the adoption agency to ask if he could have his kids back. but they were not willing to risk letting a negligant parent have his children back.

so mark went back to where he began. he focused on learning. he learnt day and night and was really making his mark in the medicine industry. until one day, something snapped inside him. "i have to wake up," he realized. "i cant just let myself drift away from society like this, no i wont be a hermit".

during the course of his job, mark made a number of close friends. one of them is marylena hamilton, the grocer girl.

marylena has always been there to listen to him rant abt the loss of his kids. in fact she was the only person he kept in contact with during his grieving period. he realized one day that he should curb his grief. there is no use in him stargazing every night, when there is no guarentee that he will be abducted and thus have his own babies again.

its time for the resident nerd of Lolly Springs to grow up. he began spending more and more time with marylena, until one day it suddenly became obvious. he likes this girl. her blond hair and intriguing blue eyes, and that lovely face. not to mention what a nice person she is. he found himself wanting to kiss her one day and he did.

he was delighted to know that marylena liked him too.

like turned to love, as the couple carried on with their relationship.

mark realized that he wants to spend the rest of his life with this girl. he has never had a need to be with someone so badly until now. so he proposed.

but he was rejected. something to note abt marylena: she came from a rich family, and is only working as a grocer because she got bored of idling in her fancy home. she has always had everything she needed. so, it'll be quite a drastic change if she were to marry mark. her family had already told her, when she gets married, she will only be given §1000. this is because her father wanted her to have a taste of real life.

mark's poverty scared her a little. and mark understood. who is he to take this lovely girl away from the comfort of her luxurious life? so they came to a compromise. "okay how about, you move in with me and see how it goes? that way we would have tried". marylena agreed.

after two months of playing house, things were getting on fine for the couple. so mark decided to propose to marylena again, hoping she would agree.

and she did. they were now enganged.

mark knew he couldnt afford a big fancy wedding that every girl dreams of. so he decided to get married in a private ceremony, in the comfort of his own bedroom.

"baby, i know that this isnt what you want for a wedding, but i really cant afford it, but i do love you and i wanna be with you for the rest of my life", mark said to marylena.

"it's okay, i've come to realize that money isnt everything these couple of months. i do love you too and i dont mind loving you all my life" marylena replied

okay enough of the mushiness. (im just the narrator)

so they got married right there and then in all their poverty.

married life proved to be rewarding for mark. he is no longer lonely.

he's getting more sleep than he had in years. he has cut down on stargazing, and marylena always want him by her side when she sleeps :)

and of course, he now can have children the natural way (if you know what i mean)

so as you can imagine, mark is a very very happy man ;)

marylena on the other hand, is on a mission to get rich (on her own that is). so she has been tending to the money trees.

she has also found a job in the business sector in a commercial area in Lolly Springs.

she has also began painting masterpieces to be sold to a nearby art gallery.

so with both husband and wife holding full time jobs, plus marylena's effort in raising funds, things are looking pretty peachy for the fullertons.

a big lost.

2005-03-21T22:55:00.000+08:00

the twins finally got over their tantrum throwing sessions and grew up into children.

shane wanted to blow the candles all on his own, but as hard as he tried, he just couldnt. so daddy helped him :)

he did it for natasha too, after the little angel just couldnt get the flame out.

even tho mark was seriously short of funds, he managed to expand the house a little to build the twins a cozy little room to call their own.

natasha and shane turned out to be little angels. they helped out with the chores at home (mark did not want to spoil his children with the luxury of a maid - besides, he could hardly afford to keep the household running without a maid getting in the way).

"being independent is the only way to go in the world", mark tells his children. he feels that by letting the children do everything by themselves, they are able to learn abt life. he wished he could provide his children with more things, but on the other hand, he's glad they are learning things the hard way.

soon, the first day of school came. for once in his life, mark was worried. it was one thing that he didnt care abt what people thought of him. but he couldnt imagine the pressure the kids are going to go through at school. they are different from other children. he's afraid that they would be in for a hard time.

mark bade farewell to the twins as the schoolbus came to pick them up. he didnt voice out his anxiety; he didnt want them to panic. instead he gave them both a hug and told them to have a good time.

when they came back, they were all smiles and filled him in about their day at school. natasha even brought a friend home from school one afternoon. mark was pleased. things are gonna be alright.

but as the cliche goes, good things come to an end.

seeing how the children get bored after school everyday, especially after doing their homework. so, he decided that he shoudl reward them for doing well in school. he surprised them with a modest tv.

"oh yes daddy! you're the best!" natasha said gleefully as she gave her father a hug.

little did mark know that while he was on his way back from the tv store, his funds went on an all time low. he miscalculated his expenses for that month. so when he got back, kendal the babysitter was not evry happy to find out that he cant pay her for the day.

she got so mad that she took away his comfy armchair (which he specifically bought for reading up for his skills). mark apologized to her. he wanted to return the tv but seeing the big smiles on his children's faces, he just couldnt.

"well, it's just an armchair. i can always study on the floor," thought mark.

the next day, mark went to work after seeing his kids off to school. he couldnt get a day off from work because there was gonna be a staff appraisal meeting at which he could get himself a promotion. besides, kendal cant be that petty as not to turn up to care for his kids.

but that afternoon, the kids came home to an empty home. they had been anticipating the jello that kendal always makes for them. but there was no kendal.

they tried to call her but she sounded really angry. okay they thought, lets watch some cartoons before doing homework. and so they did. shane took a nap while natasha enjoyed her cartoons.

"dad's gonna be home in 30 mins, lets get him to show us the constellations again!"

the doorbell rang. shane opened the door and was surprised to see a well dressed woman standing there.

"are you home alone, little boy?" she said.

"yup, with my twin sister"

"wheres your parents?"

"daddy's coming home from work soon"

"im sorry but you have to come with me. it seems like your daddy isnt capable of taking good care of you"

"uh.."

"yes your sister's coming with us too"

with tears in their eyes, they led themselves be led out of the home that they had grown to love. it seems, that they are leaving the only person who has cared for them too. "but daddy is a good daddy," they sobbed over and over again.

mark returned home with a promotion to be a general practioner and was excited abt opening his own clinic. he was dying to share the news with his kids. but he came home to an empty house.

he broke down when he saw the official letter that the social worker left.

"im such a bad daddy," he sobbed.

single parenting.

2005-03-18T11:25:00.000+08:00

with the birth of the twins, mark was suddenly forced into becoming both a mother and a father to both his children.

day and night he tended to them, while juggling his career. before he even realized it, it was the twins first birthday. seeing his children grow up made all the difficulty he went through all worth it.

however, the difficulty doesnt end there. in fact it was just beginning. now he has two screaming toddlers to attend to.

kendal, who is a nanny he hired when the twins were infants still helps out now when mark goes off to work. by now mark has gone through medical school and is on his way to a fabulous medical career.

and even tho she cared alot for the kids, it was undeniable that she is at times unreliable. mark didnt know about this but even if he did, he didnt have a choice; he needed someone to care for his children while he earned a living.

mark hardly slept during the time when his kids were toddlers. his bed remained untouched. he really wanted to just plonk himself on the bed, but he cant. he had to be Super Parent.

he taught them how to walk.

and to talk

it proved all too much for mark. the twins' sleeping pattern was unpredictable. and if one were to cry, it would wake the other up resulting in both of them crying out for attention. and teaching two twins how to walk, talk as well as go to the potty was hard enough without them throwing tantrums.

mark called up his good friend from medical school, who has always been a genius. mark told him of his problem, and his good friend rectified it with a fabulous invention.

the energizer.

"just turn it on mark, when you feel you really need a boost. i know how the lack of sleep can affect the other areas of your life," said his clever friend.

so mark did.

and he the moment he began the process, he felt so refreshed. and by the time it ended, he felt more than ready to confront his two bratty but adorable children.

a pleasant surprise.

2005-03-15T19:19:00.000+08:00

in between honing his skills for work and getting the much deserved promotions, mark has also pursued his interest in the constellations. he has always believed that there is life outside planet sim, but his collegues scoffed at his idea and deemed him to be a little weird.

however mark isnt someone who gives a damn about what others thought about him. he stood his ground and continued on his search for live outside planet sim. one silent night, his efforts paid off.

mark felt himself being pulled from the earth's surface. "i'm going against gravity!!" he thought excitedly, aleady dreaming of becoming the person to prove sir issac newton wrong. he hung on to his telescope for dear life but the pulling force proved to be too strong. he was flung skyward.

mark was gone for 2 whole hours but it seemed to him like eternity. he found himself in a spaceship with weird looking creatures. it finally hit him that they were aliens. "hah! i knew there was life beyond planet sim! wish i had a camera with me, that would show those fools at work!" he didnt get the chance for after that thought, everything blacked out.

it was truly unfortunate that nobody lives near mark, for they would have seen the spaceship looming over mark's house. mark suddenly felt himself flung towards the ground. and soon, he found himself sprawled on the hard ground in front of his house.

for a moment mark forgotten about his encounter with aliens, mainly because his head was hurting so badly, but once he was more in tuned with himself, everything clicked. everything except what happened when everything blacked out.

just when mark thought everything was back to normal (including the fact that his collegues thot he has really gone crazy when he told them about the abduction), he found himself feeling very very sick. he was lethargic, always hungry and he was puking a whole lot.

stomach flu, he thought. it has got to be stomach flu. but stomach flu doesnt make your tummy GROW, does it now mark?

oh well. maybe ive neglected my exercise regime and have put on weight. but my dearest mark, putting on weight doesnt make you give birth does it?

yeap, mark felt a very intense pain in his abdomen one evening.

it was like nothing he has ever experienced before. and to his utmost surprise, some kind of creature came out from him! it was a baby, at least it looked like it. except that this baby has alien like eyes and green skin. and its a boy!

he named him shane.

and to make things even weirder, he was forced to put shane down because he felt yet another excruciating pain!

and out came another alien child, a girl this time, with his eyes but all her other features were of alien descend.

he named her natasha.

as much as he was in shock of his abilty to give birth, and the fact that he is suddenly a parent of two beautiful children, mark felt a surge of happiness.

now, he has prove that aliens do exist!

a new beginning.

2005-03-13T22:43:00.000+08:00

this is mark. mark fullerton. he's a virgo with deep blue eyes and highlighted brown hair. he grew up in a big city, but being the introvert that he is, he decided to move out to a small town called "Lolly Springs", where he heard it's really peaceful and not crowded at all. he thought it sounds heavenly because he just needs to get away from the craziness in the city.

he only had §20,000 in his bank, but he thought what the hell, life is all about taking chances. so with a little suitcase and what little money he had, he set off to Lolly Springs.

so he built himself a little cozy house which was all he could afford with the cash. it doesnt really bother him that its small, mainly because it is such a great difference from his cramp apartment int he big city. just look at the wide space around his house!

mark has always had a passion for helping others, so when he saw an ad for a medical technician is needed, he quickly applied for the position. and since not many peopleenjoy helping others, he got the job easily.

being the introvert that he is, mark was never really interested in making friends. however with his new job, his boss has been pressuring him to have more contacts, emphasizing that it friends will assure him of a promotion. so he made a couple of friends in the neighbourhood, they seem pretty nice :)

so what does an intoverted guy who likes to help people and but doesnt really like crowds like to do?

he likes to study and learn abt new things. mark has an interest in the stars too. he bought a telescope as soon as he could afford it.

to make sure he stays afloat, mark has redeemed "money trees". it seems that Lolly Springs are kind enough to its inhabitants, giving out rewards for contributions to society. so far mark has redeemed 5 of these money trees, and is contented with his financial status.

an introduction.

2005-03-06T23:00:00.000+08:00

hmm... i finally got to setting up a site just for my legacy family.

"legacy what?" you may ask. "legacy challenge," i will reply. in the simulated world of the sims where there is no rain or natural disasters, certain rules have been created to make the gameplay more challenging.

so without further ado, here are the rules of the challenge (so you wont feel lost as we get to the life stories of my darling sims).

The challenge: Make a family the strongest it can be over 10 generations.The Rules: Start with a single adult sim made with the create-a-sim or bodyshop, male or female.

Pick any aspiration. Assign personality points as you want.

Start the family on an empty 5X5 Lot.

When you marry or move sims in, you may only marry or move in townies or NPCs.

Children may move out if you want but you must keep at least one child in the home to continue the legacy.

When children grow into teenager and you are asked to pick an aspiration, roll a six sided dice:

1: Wealth
2: Knowledge
3: Family
4: Romance
5: Popularity
6: Pick one yourself

This is to give some challenges and variety as you play through the generations.

The 10th generation child must be able to trace family back up to the original sim by blood.

You may NOT turn ageing off
You may use the elixir of life, but use caution, as you may suffer the jump bug.
You may use any other normal aspiration reward objects.
You may NOT use any kinds of cheats or mood trainers.
You may NOT use any "special" objects such as the platinum-maxing painting.
You may use any maxis-made objects, and any 3rd party skins/wallpapers/floors etc.
You may NOT use the new twins or abduction patches.

No reloading after bad events (bad chance cards or accidental deaths)Restarting after a bad bug or a glitch IS allowed. Just as using the move_objects cheat is allowed for bugged objects.

Should you be unfortunate enough to have your entire lot bugged, starting the entire challenge over again is okay.

At the end of the challenge (10 generations or after the family line is broken) score your family on the following terms:

1. 1 point for each generation reached (max 10)
2. 1 point for each $100,000 in net worth the family has (round your current net worth up)
3. 1 point for each PLATINUM grave on the lot
4. 1/3 point for each family friend the family has at the end. (round spare 1/3s down)
5. 1 point every time a sim fulfills an 'impossible' want (a want scoring 30,000 points or more, limit one per sim per want. There are other wants that also count for this, like "have 10 children" I'll try to post a complete list of them soon.)
6. -1 point every time a household member drops into aspirational failure, requiring a visit from the sim shrink. *Does not count for toddlers*
7. -2 points for every inter-bred birth in the family.
8. *NEW* -1 point for each infant, toddler or child that gets taken by to social worker

Special Bonuses.
1. 2 points if all 10 career reward objects are on the lot (One time only)
2. 1 point for each different type of NPC that you have children with over the whole legacy.
3. 1 point for each different color ghost you have on the lot at the end.
4. -2 points for each visitor that dies on your lot.
5. 1 point for each alien born on the lot (1st generation aliens only, children of aliens don't count, unless it's by abduction)
6. 2 points if the birth that brings in the last generation is twins.
7. 2 points if you can get two social bunnies to have romantic interactions on the lot (One time only)
8. 2 points if ALL the ghosts on your lot can acess your sims.
9. 2 points if you manage to collect ALL the different types of ghosts on the lot. (one time only)10. *NEW* 1 point if you manage to get a platinum grave of each aspiration type. (one time only)

Of course there is NO way for anyone to enforce the rules or scoring, so the whole contest is on the honor system.

End Scoring:
0- 9 points: Legacy Loser
10-19: Family Fumbler
20-29: Portrait Pusher
30-39: Ten-Gen Gem Miner
40-49: Legacy Llama
50-59: Outstanding Overseer
60-69: Dynasty Crafter
70-79: Legacy Lord/Lady
80-89: Power Patriarch/Magnificent Matriarch
90-99: Legacy Legend100+: Quintessential Sim Deity

so there you go. now that we've got the basics covered, we can move on to the story of the Fullerton Family.