My name is Mike Mulvern.  I live in Pocatello, Idaho, with my family.  I have six children who are the lights of my life.

I cannot imagine my life without any of them. 

I have three boys and three girls.  Two of the boys and one daughter are my own; the other three, adopted.  We adopted the three youngest children.  Our son, Eli, is from Mississippi; as for the girls, both were adopted from China before Beth, my wife, got sick and died two years ago.  We all miss her terribly.

Our children are named from the oldest to the youngest: Bethann Grace (15), Bryan William (14), Tiffany Dawn (11), Brodie Patrick (9), Elijah Adam (5), and Olive Willow (3). 

The three youngest all have special needs: Olive and Tiffany both have albinism (lack of pigment, or coloration in their eyes, skin, and hair); as for Elijah, he has cerebral palsy and is in a wheelchair (but I am hopeful that one day he will learn to walk with braces or crutches, or at least a wheeled walker).

When I am not at home taking care of my brood, I work as a football coach; in the off season (like now), I work at a factory.  My mother, Hilda, watches over Elijah and Olive while the four older children are at school.  They used to be homeschooled, but after Beth died, I had no choice but to enroll them in public school.  It was the hardest decision I had to make besides having the medical equipment removed from my wife after she had become so sick with cancer.

I know it is not easy to raise a family like mine, but with God's help, I am doing quite well.  I just thank God I have the older children (and my precious Mama) to help out whenever it is needed.  In addition to that, I also have my church family, who continually lift us all up in prayer and call or come over to see if we need anything. 

I am indeed blessed.

Well, Olivia has been napping an hour (as has Elijah); it is time to get them up or they will be cranky before bedtime.  I will let you go; I will write in here again another day.  Until then, this is Michael (Mike) Mulvern saying so long; may God bless you as much as He's been blessing my family the last several years!  Thank you!

~Mike.  :)