twins, siblings, and cousins

September 2042 - Alex and Piper Smith are 31, Joey and Lizzie are 7, Alice and Charlie are 5 (Jacob Smith is 9, Elijah Smith is 5).

Alice and Charlie are starting kindergarten this year, and the house is empty for the first time in seven years.

kindergarten days

June 2041 - Alex and Piper Smith are 29, Joey and Lizzie are 5, Alice and Charlie are 3.

Most people wouldn't think that having twin toddlers is easy, but compared to having two sets of twins under five, it's a breeze.

every boy needs a dog

February 2041 - John and Abby Smith are 34, Jacob is 7, Elijah is 3.

Jacob starts begging his parents for a dog a little before his seventh birthday.

John and Abby are a little reluctant to get a dog, but they have a hard time saying no to Jacob. He's such a good kid; he gets good grades, and he plays well with his little brother. Plus John's family always had dogs, so he knows how to take care of one.

olympic gym

November 2040 - Tom Smith is 34, Madison Miller-Kim is 32, Brooklyn Miller-Kim is 8 (Jamie Phillips is 31).

Tom has been a soccer star for a long time, and he decides it's time to move on. He's been thinking about starting a business for a while, and he finally does it.

the happiest guy in the world

May 2039 - James and Anne Smith are 58, Pierce Phillips is 30, Jamie Phillips is 29, J.P. and Jodie are 6, Parker is 3.

Pierce is pretty sure that his father-in-law is the happiest person he's ever met.

"What's your secret?" Pierce asks him.

"There's no secret. I've spent my life married to my college sweetheart doing what I love to do and raising four wonderful children. What more could I have wanted out of life?"

first day of school

September 2038 - Jack Cooper is 59, Jillian Cooper is 56, Jackson and Rose Cooper are 32, Darien and Trip Cooper are 8, Hadley and Christopher Cooper are 5 (Jacob Smith is 5).

Rose can't help but tear up when Hadley and Christopher get on the school bus for their first day of kindergarten.

even more twins

May 2038 - Alex and Piper Smith are 26, Joey and Lizzie Smith are 2, Alice and Charlie Smith are 9 months.

Piper has heard her sister-in-law Rose complain about the Cooper's tendancy to have twins, but she doesn't really understand her exhaustion until she and Alex have a second set of twins.

wanderlust

August 2037 - Martin Miller and Miranda Kim are 57, Tom Smith is 31, Madison Miller-Kim is 29, Brooklyn Miller-Kim is 5.

Now that they have a daughter starting school, Madison and Tom decide it's time to buy a real house.

young scientist

February 2037 - John and Abby Smith are 30, Jacob Smith is 3.

John and Abby are expecting their second child, and they've been trying to give Jacob extra attention before the baby comes.

twin-prone

November 2034 - Alex and Piper Smith are 23.

Alex's life has unfolded so perfectly according to plan, sometimes he's tempted to pinch himself to make sure it isn't all a dream. At 23 he's a doctor at New Athens Hospital, just like he always dreamed of being. Since graduation, he and Piper have been living in Arcadia; they're just around the corner from his parents, and a block away from John and Abby. The house is small, but they have a big yard, and they adopt Jem and Scout from his parents.

another Smith grandbaby

September 2033 - John and Abby Smith are 27.

Tom and Jamie both already have kids when John and Abby decide they want to start a family. They've been married for five years, and both of their careers are going well - Abby has taken over the architecture firm, and John is known as one of the best lawyers in the area.

Their first child is a son who they name Jacob. He has brown hair and brown eyes like both of his parents.

childhood sweethearts

Fall Semester 2032 - Alex Smith and Piper Cooper are 21.

Alex and Piper move out of the dorm into a house for their senior year.

They've been best friends since kindergarten, and they've been dating since ninth grade. They've been engaged since freshman year when Alex proposed one morning in the dorm cafeteria.

an unexpected arrival

October 2032 - Tom Smith is 26, Madison Miller-Kim is 24.

Madison and Tom came back from Twikkii Island refreshed, relaxed... and with an unplanned pregnancy.

and another set of twins!

May 2032 - James and Anne Smith are 51, Pierce Phillips is 23, Jamie Smith Phillips is 22.

Jamie's pregnancy fascinates Pierce. "You're huge," he says. "You're growing people in there!"

a tropical New Year's

January 2032 - Tom Smith is 25, Madison Miller-Kim is 23.

Tom and Madison split Thanksgiving and Christmas with their families, so she suggests they spend New Year's alone at Twikkii Island.

They have a lot to celebrate; Tom has been inducted in the Soccer Hall of Fame, and Madison's dance career is a huge success. She teaches classes in ballroom dance, but she's also pursuing a career as a ballet dancer.

it's not every day you see Jamie in a dress

August 2031 - James and Anne Smith are 51, Pierce Phillips is 23, Jamie Smith is 22.

James isn't quite ready for his little girl to become a married woman.

"It seems like just yesterday she was toddling through the garden chasing butterflies. She's only 22," he sighs. "She's too young to get married."

"We got married when we were 22," Anne reminds him.

are we grown ups yet?

October 2030 - John and Abby Smith are 24.

"Look at this place!" Abby exclaims. "It's so big. We'll get lost!"

post grads

September 2008 - John Smith is 22, Abby Stein Smith is 22, Tom Smith is 22 (Madison Miller-Kim is 20, Pierce Phillips is 20, Jamie Smith is 19).

John and Abby get married right after college. They waited four years to get engaged, but they're only engaged for a few months before their marriage. His mother is a little miffed that they didn't have a wedding, but they wanted to handle things simply.

They found their dream house in Arcadia just a few houses away from his parents' house. But it's out of their price range for now, so they move to an apartment in New Athens. They'll have to wait on the house, and all of the things that go with a house - a yard, a dog, kids. Right now it's just the two of them and their careers.

love is in the air

Spring Semester 2028 - Jackson Cooper, John Smith, Tom Smith, and Abby Stein are 21; Rachel Cooper, Madison Miller-Kim, and Pierce Phillips are 19; Jamie Smith is 18.

One spring day John suggests that he and Abby go on a date to the park.

"Shouldn't we go home? It's starting to rain." she suggests.

"In a minute." This isn't just another date, he has something specific planned.

the last kid left at home

March 2028 - James and Anne Smith are 47, Alex Smith is 16.

For the first time, there is only one child in the Smith house.