Hello! Welcome to this special pre-episode interview with me, the author of All About The Armstrongs!
I’d like to give a shout out to CathyTea for suggesting this Q&A!
This interview will be comprised of some of your favourite characters asking me questions about their story and will be written in a kind of script format.
I hope you enjoy this and the special episode that will be up afterwards!
Without further ado, let’s get on with the interview!
First up we have Kate Armstrong, our main character – she who started it all! Hey Kate!
Hello! I’m so happy to be back!
We’re so happy to have you back! What questions would you like to ask me? Well first of all, I’d like to know why you decided to write my story
Great question! I have always enjoyed The Sims and came across a story a while back called The Life and Times of Kaley Green by Celiria and I enjoyed it so much, so I decided to do something similar with you.
As for your story specifically, I think I wanted to write the story of an average person trying to make their way in the world, working hard to achieve her dreams.
Great! I’m glad I was what you wanted. So, is there anything you decided early on about me that you kept in mind while writing my story?
Yes. I decided you were independent. I knew that if a spark didn’t arise with a guy naturally in the story, I’d keep you single until it did. I didn’t think that romance was a huge necessity in your story – you’d make your own way in the world. But I also decided you’d be a mother. Somehow. Because you had a maternal vibe about you from the start. So, I wanted to incorporate children and carry on your story however I could.
I also decided early on that you wouldn’t work forever. I wanted to have you writing books a lot and also have you around to write about everything you do, not just see you off to work every day.
But you did end up giving me a boyfriend early on, the love of my life Salim Benali. Why him?
It felt natural. When you went out that first time with Summer and Liberty you were approached by a number of guys. I had no control over any of that. It just happened and you seemed to respond to them in a way that meant I included it in your story. But no guy had a natural connection with you until Salim. He showed up at your door, at the club, he seemed to always be there. It just happened so natural that it seemed meant to be, and I guess it was, because you guys lived your whole lives happily in love.
We certainly did! What was your favourite part of my story to write?
There are so many. Your wedding was amazing to write, because of again how naturally well suited you and Salim became. Also your pregnancies. But I’d say that my favourite part of your story is the little traditions you kept up and created throughout the story. Pancake breakfasts, snowball/water fights, building snowmen… I loved adding those little details that just added extra personality to you and your story.
Oh, I love that! Thank you! My final question is this: if you could have added anything else to my story, what would it have been?
Oh so much! I wish you could’ve lived forever, met your grandchildren and seen your children get married. But I’m also glad that I had the opportunity to write a really nice funeral episode for you, because you became very important to me.
If I could go back and add something else, I think maybe I’d have explored your past, your parents or your childhood a little more. But at the same time, not doing that meant we learned about you all at the same time, and I loved that.
Thank you. And thank you for writing my story. That’s all of my questions. I believe my lovely children have their own questions for you so I will leave you here.
Thank you for everything, Kate! I’ve loved talking to you.
Well, that’s all that Kate had to ask me! In the next part of this interview we will see what Leia would like to ask me. Tune in soon to see that!
And welcome back! In part 2 of our Q&A, Leia is here to ask some questions of me. Let’s get into it!
Hey Leia!
Hi! Wow, this is cool!
It is! This is my first chance to write a conversation between us – it’s great!
So, what would you like to know? Okay. The first thing I’d like to know is about my career – when did you decide to make me a vet, and why?
Well, I’d had the idea from early on really. I liked the idea of the family owning a business and being a vet seemed the natural choice for you. You always loved animals, approaching strays outside and playing with your toys. You’re a cat lover, and of course when we bought Tiddles for you that’s when it truly hit me that a vet was really the only option for you. Aw, I loved that little guy! And yes, I do love being a vet! Speaking of love… What made you decide on Harry for me? We broke up and got back together, why did you decide to keep me with him?
Well I definitely considered not, to be honest. All three of you ended up with the first person we saw you date, and I did want to explore a break up – but at the same time, it seemed unnecessary to throw that kind of storyline in unless it was natural, and none of you indicated any desire for it.
There was one moment over breakfast that Harry wasn’t the kindest, but he quickly became sweet again and so I decided to keep him around. The same as your mother, there were definitely contenders for all of your hearts, and if I could go back I think I may have had at least one of you date more than one person, but it just wasn’t needed for the story.
When you broke up that was because there was really no space or time to write your relationship on top of the death of your parents, helping Josette as she grew up, and running a vet clinic. But once there was room again, I weighed up having you date again or go back to Harry, but you had developed a real relationship with him, so I didn’t want you to have to start fresh.
Well, for that I thank you. Harry and I are very happy.
Haha, you are very welcome!
What is one thing you wish you had added to my story? Or something you want to add in the future?
Well, the dating game was definitely something part of me wished I’d added, but I’m also glad you ended up with Harry, because he’d met your parents.
I wish I could’ve explored your friendships a little more. People don’t get to see your friends much because there’s such little time in the day for me to explore everything – so I’d like to tell everyone that you definitely have other friends and see them, but not enough to write big storylines with them.
Otherwise, I think I’ve written as much as I’d have liked to for you.
Yes, I certainly do have friends guys! Haha. So, you’re happy with what you’ve written for me and that’s great. What is your favourite part of my story?
Well, that’s a little easier for you than your mother! My favourite part of your story is your relationship with your father. Whether its watching TV together, asking advice, or the moment he saw you when you were ready for prom – that father/daughter relationship is so special and you were also his firstborn, so it was even more powerful.
In terms of specific episodes, I’d say the episode in which you moved into your apartment. It was sad to move you from the family home – I’d moved your mother 4 times in total, I believe, but that move was the hardest to decide to do. But I wanted your story to start properly, in a new home and a new neighbourhood where you could be your own person. And the fact you and Josette moved in together was so important – you took on that responsibility after you parents died and that was important to explore.
Wow! That’s so sweet! I certainly love my father a lot. I’m almost out of time, so I just have one last question for you. What’s next for me?
Well, that’s a big question! You’re a married woman now, with two children! You’re set up now, with a family of your own, so next?
We’ll explore you as a mother, as a sister, and as a woman. We’ll look at your work, when you return to the clinic, in more detail, and we’ll get to continue to watch you grow as a person as your family grows with you.
Well I can’t wait! Thanks for answering my questions!
And thank you for asking them, Leia!
Next up, we’ll be talking to Mateo, and answering some of his burning questions. Don’t go away!
We’re back and we’re here with Mateo Benali Armstrong! Hello Mateo!
Hi! It’s great to be here!
It’s great to have you! So, what would you like to know, Mateo?
Well, we know that you follow Leia’s story the most as the oldest – do you wish you had more time to spend on everyone else?
Oh absolutely! If I had it my way, you’d all live together with your partners and children forever, there would be 100 hours in a day, and my fingers could handle typing up all of your individual stories!
Unfortunately there just isn’t time or space to cover everyone’s stories completely, so I have to try and make the decision of who to cover on what day.
For example, your wedding was a moment we couldn’t miss – but when it’s just a normal day, the only fair way to decide who I’d focus on was simply to look to Leia, as the oldest.
Of course, I understand! I’m glad my important moment are still covered, and my sister is certainly interesting!
That she is!
So, you mentioned my wedding to Hope. Can you talk a little more about her introduction to the story?
Yes absolutely! So Hope was one of the characters I had originally created to fill out the worlds – most of the people in the various worlds were related to each other by this point because of the various relationships and marriages, and I wanted to include a few new people and see if they popped up – next thing I knew, I spotted that you and she had gotten together off screen, and I wanted to include that!
I developed your ‘how we met’ story and moved you into your own place, and eventually you got married.
It may have seemed rushed, to the readers of your story, but to me it was the most natural relationship yet – it happened out of my control!
Well, when love happens it happens! I think it’s great that people not focussed on directly can go about their lives, getting married and having children without needing your input.
Me too, I also like that I can control which families I give that freedom too – haha! Can’t have everyone going off and having lots of babies without letting us know!
Absolutely! So, Hope and I recently welcomed a daughter, Katherine. Why did you decide to let me take that name, instead of Leia or Josette?
Well that’s a good question. I knew I wanted to memorialise Kate in her grandchildren. When Leia gave birth to the first of the new generation, her son, the only name I could possibly fathom giving him was Armstrong – see, you are the only son, and so you will be the only one to carry on that surname – with Leia’s children taking Muse and Josette’s taking Villareal, if she has any.
When your mother married your father, I didn’t want to get rid of Armstrong completely. She had her own label at that point, so I barrelled it with your fathers, creating the Benali-Armstrong line. So, because of that, I liked that Kate Benali Armstrong Jr. would be born to you, keeping the full name there.
Leia also recently had a daughter and if you hadn’t had one, perhaps she would have been Kate or Katherine. But, I did like the idea of keeping the name with the surname, to give it the true namesake effect it was intended to have.
Thank you for clearing that up for me! I love my daughter and I’m so glad I could name her after my mother. This question has been asked by everyone, but it’s a good one – what is your favourite part of my story?
I loved writing scenes of you fishing with your father. The day he took you to fish the day before you started high school was such a special moment, and I love that you kept the first fish you ever caught too!
Your story was unique because after you became an adult I lost the ability to follow you as much as I’d have liked – I love that you moved in with the twins, because from the moment your mother and Liberty found out they were both pregnant we all know you’d be best friends, and we were right!
Yeah, those guys are like my brothers! You’ve said you’d like to have followed my story more – what will be next for me and my family? Do you see yourself coming back to us much?
I will absolutely keep updating people on your lives, but to an extent you have that freedom from my control now. You’ve had your daughter, and I am going to move you to the uncontrolled households. So, what’s next for you? It’s up to you! I’m excited to check in with you, find out if you and Hope decide to have any more children. Of course, I’ll have to move you into a bigger place if you do, and so we will be sure to check in often and make sure you’re living a great life.
I definitely see myself coming back to your story. You are the one carrying on the Benali-Armstrong name, and you are just as important as your sisters! As I said, I wish I could cover you all – but as I can’t, I’m just going to do my best to cover you all as equally as I can, and make sure I’m there for the big moments! That’s great! I look forward to seeing you for all the big moment! Thanks!
You’re very welcome, Mateo. Thanks for talking with me!
Coming up – we’ll be talking to Josette about her life and story, and I’ll be answering her questions! Don’t miss it!
We return now to our fourth and final Q&A, where Josette is in the interviewer’s chair asking me everything she wants to know. Hi, Jo. Hi! I’m so excited!
Me too! It’s great to see you! As you know, I’ve been speaking to your mother and your siblings, and now it’s your turn to ask me all you want to know!
Yay! That’s so much fun!
Okay, okay, questions! Can I start by asking about my name? Leia and Mateo have stories about theirs, do I?
You certainly do! I just haven’t mentioned it!
As you know, your sister was named from a suggestion I got from a reader, and Mateo was named after a character from a show I love and also because he was a salvadorada honeymoon baby.
You were named after another character of a show I love, and also somewhat after your mother – Jo.
Your birth mother got to discuss naming you with your parents before they adopted you as a toddler – Kate and Salim named you Josette after your birth mother, Jolene, who went by Jo as a child.
Oh wow! I have a namesake! That’s so cool! Thank you! So you’ve mentioned my adoption – I wanted to know, why did you decide to include an adoption in the story?
Well, for a few reasons. Your parents already had two children and seemed to really enjoy being parents, and so after exploring their thoughts and discussions and seeing a decent amount of baby signs, I knew they wanted another child. However, pregnancy was going to be difficult for Kate, writing and looking after the kids while Salim worked.
But more than that, I wanted to add something new and important to the story. I think adoption is amazing, giving a baby a chance in a family that will love them so much – so, I decided that adoption was the right choice for Kate and Salim.
They had a few meetings and met a few children, but after they heard about your mother and the open adoption, they decided that you were the daughter they wanted to adopt. They loved the open adoption idea. The fact you’d get to see your birth mother sometimes.
I wanted the open adoption in the story too for a few reasons, including to just add something of substance and importance that’s so often overlooked. You gave me the opportunity to write about something so important and so unique – I couldn’t say no!
Aww that’s so sweet! I’m very glad Mum and Dad adopted me! So I guess you’re glad you included my biological family? Was that challenging?
It was. See, it wasn’t easy to have a biological and adopted family for a number of reasons, including the limited detail put into adoption in The Sims World. So, it took some thought and work to make sure I did it justice.
I’m very glad I included your birth mother’s story, and that you are in contact with them a lot now.
I did worry that, with the audience and myself being so attached to Kate and Salim as parents, introducing essentially another mother into the frame would be a challenge. And it wasn’t easy, making sure to word things right so to not negate the fact that Kate was your mother in every way.
I hope I did it justice.
You did! Thank you! When did you decide to include my grandmother and uncle?
That was after writing Jolene’s backstory. Of course, I created the characters to fit in with the story – I didn’t have a need for them before, frankly.
I wanted Jolene to have a single mother, but not to give detail into why her father wasn’t around – I like the ambiguity of that.
As for her brother, Clayton, I wanted a child in the household to add to the difficulties that Jolene faced. I didn’t want to write adoption as an easy thing, because it isn’t. Having Clayton there really gave Jolene that difficulty making the decision that I wanted to show – ultimately, she made a decision for you, and she got support from her family. That was the key point of their story.
Having you see them now is a little more complicated. It’s as much about their story as yours. See, they aren’t under a controlled household – they can get married and have children without me even knowing, and that’s what happened.
First I found out about Clayton’s wife and son, and so decided to have you visit them as a way of updating you and the audience as to this.
Then, when Jolene had a child with her husband, I knew I had to introduce you to him – he is your biological brother, after all! It was difficult to decide to tell the audience about that, just as it’s difficult for birth parents to tell people that they’re having a child after placing one for adoption.
Wow. You’ve really put a lot of thought into my adoption! Why is that?
I just think it’s important. If I’m going to add an adopted child to this story, I want to do it right. I don’t want to do a half-baked storyline where I add a child in with no explanation. There’s no personal reason for it. I just enjoyed the challenge of writing it and doing the concept justice.
Okay. Is there anything you wish you’d added to my story?
Not your father. I know that’s the answer people might expect, but I’m glad I left him out of it – I wanted to show the complexities of that relationship.
As for your story – like your siblings, I wish I could have explored friendships a little more. We know that you were close with Rita, and Winter, and that Moses was your friend prior to becoming your boyfriend, so we have a lot more detail than your siblings. But still, given the chance, exploring each of you more in depth would’ve been great – unfortunately, there just wasn’t time.
You did write a lot about me and my siblings, though. What is your favourite part about me?
I just love your character. You’re bubbly and fun! You have a real personality – all of you do, and that’s why writing about you is so easy. I think your relationship with your siblings is really great to see, especially with Leia after your parents passed away. She looked after you. Luckily, you became an adult just a few days later, but Leia was still just there, making sure you weren’t alone. The fact you were still a teenager when your parents died is actually, in some ways, a good thing for the story – it meant we got to experience that new bond that formed with your older siblings the moment it happened.
It was sad, but I was glad that I was able to help show how much the three of us banded together after it happened. One last question – what’s next for me?
Well, your story isn’t complete. You fell in love with Moses young, and I don’t think either of us realised his wealth until you moved in together and discovered the live he was able to provide you with – which actually, I think perfectly fits you. If any of you were to live the truly rich and lavish lifestyle, it would certainly be you!
So, what’s next? Well, first and foremost, it's having your baby!
Your artistry will also be important, we will really get to go deeper into your dreams for your art and what you want to do.
But, as for whether you’ll get married, have more children, or achieve your ultimate artistic dream, is something we’ll have to wait and see!
Ooh I can’t wait to tell everyone what I want to do!! I have big dreams!
You certainly do.
Well, that’s all the time we have for our author Q&A! Stay tuned as within the hour we will be premiering the main event! Part 100! Thanks as always for reading and a big shout out to everyone who has stuck with this story since the start and helped shaped the characters into who they are today! I truly appreciate being able to write this story and know people are reading and enjoying it, so thank you! See you soon for Part 100!
Hello friends! Welcome to a very special 100th episode of All About The Armstrongs!
In this extra special episode, we are celebrating Christmas at the house of Josette Benali Armstrong…
Without further ado, I welcome you to a magical Christmas with the Armstrongs…
It’s Christmas morning and Josette is getting her house ready for a wonderful Christmas. She gets the rest of the decorations ready, waiting to decorate it with her siblings like in Christmases gone by…
Meanwhile her boyfriend, Moses, is setting up a second kids table for Christmas lunch
And just in time, too, as the families have arrived! The Muse family – Harry, Leia, Armstrong and Soleil, are first to arrive outside The Old Salt House, excited for their first Christmas as a family
Outside the bump into the Armstrong clan – Mateo, Hope and Katherine. The families greet each other happily before knocking on the door
To be greeted by Josette and Moses. Hugs, kind words and Christmas wishes are exchanged as the family catch up
Then it’s all hands on deck to prepare the perfect Christmas meal – Leia and chef Hope are in the kitchen helping to prepare the dinner
While the boys are playing video games in the living room, and pretending not to mind that Armstrong is beating them all at party frenzy!
Upstairs in the newly decorated nursery, Mum-to-be Josette is spending some time with her nieces, watching them play and listening to their excited babbling about the snow outside – she’s excited to become a Mother and have one of these cute little toddlers herself!
With the turkey roasting and the snow falling, the tree is begging to be decorated. Leia, Mateo, Josette and Armstrong decorate it, while the siblings tell Armstrong the tradition of tree decorating and the way they’d always decorate the tree as a family on Christmas eve
Meanwhile, Soleil is listening to a Christmas story with her Father – she loves Christmas and hopes to see some reindeer tonight!
What a good-looking tree! The family appreciate their work before all splitting off to grab their presents to place underneath it
Mateo places his gifts under the tree first
Followed by Leia
And finally, Josette
As the last present is placed under the Christmas tree, a faint knock at the door echoes through the house
“Are you expecting anyone else?” Leia asks Josette, confused at who could possibly be popping by on Christmas day
“No” she responds, a look of confusion on her face too
She crosses the room to see who’s outside
When she sees the silhouette of the mystery knocker through the icy door, she lets out a scream
Mateo and Leia quickly rush to the front door to find the source of the scream and let out shocked squeals themselves, hardly believing their eyes…
Leia is shocked, asking how their mystery guest could possibly be here today! Trying her best not to faint in shock, she exclaims…
“MUM! DAD! HOW ARE YOU HERE?!”
As the shock is replaced by overwhelming happiness, the children greet their parents with long hugs, still confused as to how they’re here but not caring – they’re here, and how is irrelevant!
Josette is excited to be able to share her news with her parents…
Josette smiles happily as she shares the big news, excitedly inviting her father to feel his grandchild kick in her belly
News of the miraculous arrival of Kate and Salim is buzzing through the house, and Harry heads upstairs to find Armstrong, playing happily in the nursery with the girls.
He pulls him outside to tell him that there is someone downstairs who wants to meet him, and he rushes downstairs wondering who it could be
He recognises the faces instantly from photos around his house, but stands cautiously, sure it couldn’t possibly be who he thought
But it is! He rushes over and is pulled into a strong hug by his grandmother
Before also meeting his grandfather!
The girls are brought down afterwards, and Katherine meets her namesake!
Kate is totally elated to be meeting the grandchildren she’s been watching grow up from the other side
Leia excuses herself from the emotional reunion and sees to the food, using it as an excuse to compose herself – seeing her parents back is a big thing to process
And we know nothing has changed for our Kate as she pulls out a book – Reeling Her In! The book she read when she decided to open herself to love! Oh, the memories! Some things never change!
Before long the Turkey is ready, and two extra places set at the table for her parents, Josette calls the family to dinner
Kate and Salim tuck into their dinner, listening as their children recap their lives – the pregnancies, the engagements, the weddings…
But they didn’t miss a thing. They were there for it all.
Over at the kids table, Harry decides to sit with his children and niece, and listens to them chatter excitedly about meeting their grandparents
Dinner over and a few people enjoying seconds (I see you with that second plate, Mateo!), Josette takes some time to talk to her Mother. She recaps everything that’s happened – meeting her baby brother, Jolene’s marriage, finding out she was pregnant…
Then she takes her parents upstairs, to show them the nursery!
She shares some photos of her with AJ and Jolene, as well as some baby scan photos and some pieces of artwork she sold for good money
Then it’s Leia’s turn for some quality time – Salim talks to her about her clinic, the one he helped her open! She enthusiastically tells him how well it’s doing, and how she’s even hired an assistant so she can spend more time at home with her family
She shares some photos with her father, including baby photos of the kids and some photos from her wedding
Meanwhile, Kate is hearing all about Katherine from Mateo – she’s thrilled that her name lives on in her granddaughter!
Josette, ever the gift fiend, can’t help but head over to the tree and ask if they can open gifts yet!
Armstrong encourages her, and they manage to convince the family to break off their conversations, so they can exchange gifts!
Josette gets some new clothes, some baby items, and some new art supplies
Mateo’s next – he receives some new fishing supplies so he can take Katherine out to fish when she’s older!
Next up is Leia, who loves the nick knacks and collectables she receives
Armstrong is thrilled with some new toys and books
Soleil loves her new teddy and a doctor teddy play set – now she can be a vet just like her Mum!
And Katherine adores her toddler art station!
What an amazing Christmas it’s been! While their family open their gifts and talk excitedly, Kate and Salim take a moment to appreciate the wonderful family they created
The night is growing darker and soon it’ll be daylight – Kate and Salim decide to begin their goodbyes.
As they hug their children and grandchildren, they give each a message
Leia – we are proud of the beautiful family you’re raising, and the way you run your business so well to provide for them
Mateo – thank you for naming your daughter after me. She is beautiful. I hope you enjoy every minute of raising her the way we did with you.
Josette – you have two families who love you eternally. Your baby is so lucky to have a mother like you, and to be born into both families who will love them just as much as we’ve always loved you. Keep painting – you’re amazing.
Armstrong – our first grandchild. We love you. We have watched you grow and watched as you became a big brother. Look after your sister the way your Mother always looked after her siblings. We’re so proud of you.
Soleil –You remind us so much of your Mother. We hope you continue to grow into an amazing young woman.
Katherine – you were named after your grandmother, and she is the love of my life. She never failed to make everyone around her happy, and no doubt you will take after her in more than just your name. We can’t wait to watch you grow.
After the emotional messages are given and hugs exchanged, the family head outside to enjoy one final tradition with their parents
They each build a snowman and enjoy the cold snow as a new morning slowly begins
Each pair are proud of their creations, and each show their personalities in some way
Armstrong thoroughly enjoys his first snow man build!
As Leia, Mateo, Josette and Armstrong begin a snowball fight, laughing and joking as they pelt each other with the snow
Kate and Salim slowly slip away, listening to their children’s voices laughing and shouting behind them
The couple share a final kiss in the snow of the mortal realm before the sun rises over the horizon and it’s time to go
In the distance, a group are waiting to greet them as they too prepare to return to the beyond
They walk towards the gazebo, feeling the morning sun on their faces
Where they are greeted by old friends
And fade back into the beyond together, grateful for their Christmas miracle
And that’s all for this special episode! It was an emotional one, and one I was so excited to write up. I hope you all enjoyed the return of Kate and Salim and their reunion with their family. Our special part 100 is now at an end, and tomorrow we return to normalcy with the Christmas miracle little more than a memory, a dream… Did it really happen? Or was it just that? A dream? We may never know. But we know this: Kate and Salim love their children, and as long as there is an Armstrong descendant this world, they live on, as does our story.
Yes!!! I was right! I am so glad you decided to involve Kate and Salim in Christmas. It was so sweet to watch them meet everyone and actually be able to hug their children again. Sad to see them go but I am so happy that they came.
(Top left to bottom right)Edur Zahrah, Cinderella, Tiana, Pocahantas, Ariel, Aurora, Belle, Emerson, Nicole, Traci, Addisyn
Yes!!! I was right! I am so glad you decided to involve Kate and Salim in Christmas. It was so sweet to watch them meet everyone and actually be able to hug their children again. Sad to see them go but I am so happy that they came.
It was certainly bitter sweet to write out! I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Ohhhh I really loved the Q&A, that was such a cool idea!! And ahhh I never expected Kate and Salim to make a comeback lol! Good for all of them! Big congrats to your 100th episode, serious dedication there!!
Ohhhh I really loved the Q&A, that was such a cool idea!! And ahhh I never expected Kate and Salim to make a comeback lol! Good for all of them! Big congrats to your 100th episode, serious dedication there!!
Thank you!! Let's see if I can make it to part 200! What would I do?!
It was something I toyed with for a while and the Q&A and the return just gave me a chance to write about Kate again, something I miss doing!
Loved seeing Kate and Salim again. I can't believe how time has flown since they both passed away. The look on their faces when the two of them showed up at the door was priceless.
Hey maybe by part two you can bring back Leia, Mateo and Jo so their kids and grandkids and maybe even great-grandkids can see them. That would be awesome!
(Top left to bottom right)Edur Zahrah, Cinderella, Tiana, Pocahantas, Ariel, Aurora, Belle, Emerson, Nicole, Traci, Addisyn
Loved seeing Kate and Salim again. I can't believe how time has flown since they both passed away. The look on their faces when the two of them showed up at the door was priceless.
Wasn't it! It has really flown by and now they are grandparents! It's crazy!! I loved seeing them back again, even just for a day!
Hey maybe by part two you can bring back Leia, Mateo and Jo so their kids and grandkids and maybe even great-grandkids can see them. That would be awesome!
Hey guys! After a few busy days I'm back writing up some new episodes which will be up later in the week! There may be some delays in posting as it's nearing exam period at Uni, but unless I say otherwise the story has not stopped! You can subscribe to the armstrongssims4.blogspot.com to get notified of new updates or bookmark us here! Thanks as always for reading and the Armstrong's will see you very soon!
Hello friends! Welcome back! It’s been a crazy Christmas in our world but we’re back to normalcy now as we check in with Josette, who as we know is pregnant with her first child!
We’ll be following her until the birth of her child, at which point we will go back to our bouncing between important milestones! Hope that is okay with you all!
Anyway, back to our story…
We start the morning with Moses and Josette enjoying some breakfast before a big day ahead – they have a scan today!
After a quick change of clothes, the couple head off to the doctor
An hour or so later Josette returns alone – Moses had to head straight to work from the doctor’s office
Here it is! The scan! Josette has decided to keep the sex a secret (which is really hard for me because if I hover over the scan it tells me – I’ve been avoiding it at all costs!) but now she has her first photo of the little one
Jo has just enough time to change her clothes
Before her best friend Rita Delgato arrives at the door
She greets her happily before being whisked away – Rita has planned a baby shower for Josette! How sweet!
Rita knows her best friend well and (with the help of Leia and Hope) has planned it in the art gallery in San Myshuno! Perfect for Jo!
There’s a table for presents
And one for food
Rita’s done a great job!
Family and friends begin greeting Josette happily – Armstrong gets to feel his baby cousin kick
And Jolene, Josette’s birth mother, comes over to congratulate her and tell her how proud she is of the woman she’s become!
Josette gets some hands on experience as she spends some quality time with Soleil (strategically ignoring Katherine making a mess in the background! Wise.)
And spends some special time with her big sister too, getting all sorts of parenting tips!
The twins even came by to say hello! Thomas says hi to the bump while Tobias gets to know Jolene
And we get to meet some other new additions! We haven’t checked in on the twins for a while and they’ve certainly grown up! So here’s an update:
Thomas has stayed in the house he shared with Tobias and Mateo (the old BFF home) and is now married to Courtney
The two have twins:
Libby (named after her grandmother!)
And Liam!
Meanwhile, Tobias now lives in Windenburg and is married to Priya – the two have a son, named Gavin!
With introductions out of the way, let’s get back to the party! The guests enjoy some food and conversation
Before Josette sneaks away to thank Moses for helping with the surprise
He grabs a glass of wine and makes a toast to his girlfriend, excitedly chattering about his child and their lives together
Before calling Josette over for a hug
And getting down on one knee! That’s right! Moses is proposing!
Josette, of course, says yes, and is thrilled!
The newly engaged couple share a kiss
Before receiving their congratulations – Mateo shakes Moses’ hand, but is sure to tell him to treat his baby sister right
While Josette excitedly chatters to Leia about the engagement
As well as being congratulated by Jolene, who again talks about her pride and how happy she is that Josette is living an amazing life
With the night drawing in, however, the guests must slowly head home
Josette thanks them all for coming
And thanks Rita for planning an amazing baby shower
And then the couple head home
Where they spend the evening watching TV
And cuddling
Before heading to bed, tired but happy after a long and exciting day
And that’s all for this episode! What will happen next? Will Josette have her baby? And will it be a boy or a girl? What will their wedding be like? And what else will happen?!
It’s another morning in San Myshuno and Moses is getting in his morning exercise
While Josette is prepping breakfast
The couple sit together to eat, and talk about their plans for the day – Moses has work, and Josette is going to try and get another painting done before the baby is born
So with lots to do, Moses heads out to work
Leaving Josette to tidy up from breakfast
And then get started on a new abstract painting
But pregnancy means lots of toilet breaks for the artist!
Back to it, the painting is coming along
But before long the mum to be is hit with a craving and makes herself a grilled cheese
And then back to the painting once again – man, this whole pregnancy thing makes painting take way longer!
A little later Moses returns home having earned a promotion! He’s now a minor leaguer!
He greets his fiancé with a kiss on the cheek
Before she heads into the bedroom for a nap – pregnancy is tiring!
She finished her abstract painting and I’m trying to decide whether she should sell or keep it as it’s so pretty, so let’s sleep on it!
While in the living room, Moses is blowing off some work tension by playing some video games
And then orders a pizza for dinner
Yum!
The couple sit on the couch to enjoy a few slices of pizza
After dinner Moses decides to head out on a jog, needing to keep his fitness levels up for his new promotion
While Josette begins nesting, getting the final things ready for the baby’s arrival!
She takes a moment to look around the nursery, excited to soon be welcoming her baby into the world
And with that the soon to be parents head to bed, needing to get their rest!
And that’s all for this episode! It’s mostly planning and getting things sorted for the new arrival! So, what will happen next? Will Josette have the baby? And what has been going on with Leia and Mateo, once we get to get up with them?
Hey guys. I've officially moved over to my own blog - I know I won't get as many readers there, but it makes writing and posting so much easier for me and therefore more fun!! I can see a few people are reading already and if that's you thank you so much!! I'll post the link here and I've added a follow button so you can follow my posts!
Hey guys! Just a reminder to check out www.armstrongssim4.blogspot.com - we're approaching part 140 and I have some exciting stuff planned! Remember to subscribe to be notified when I post new episodes! See you over there!
Navigating thru your blog is frustrating. There is no Next Post button to easily go to the next posting. I have to go back to the beginning & push “more posts” until I get to the correct post. Am I just missing it somehow?
You like me because I'm a scoundrel. There aren't enough scoundrels in your life.
Navigating thru your blog is frustrating. There is no Next Post button to easily go to the next posting. I have to go back to the beginning & push “more posts” until I get to the correct post. Am I just missing it somehow?
Oh no! Thank you for letting me know, I will go and check it out now!
Navigating thru your blog is frustrating. There is no Next Post button to easily go to the next posting. I have to go back to the beginning & push “more posts” until I get to the correct post. Am I just missing it somehow?
I have now changed the coding so that there are NEXT and PREVIOUS buttons at the bottom! Thanks so much for letting me know about this issue! I hope this resolves it! XX
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Hello! Welcome to this special pre-episode interview with me, the author of All About The Armstrongs!
I’d like to give a shout out to CathyTea for suggesting this Q&A!
This interview will be comprised of some of your favourite characters asking me questions about their story and will be written in a kind of script format.
I hope you enjoy this and the special episode that will be up afterwards!
Without further ado, let’s get on with the interview!
First up we have Kate Armstrong, our main character – she who started it all! Hey Kate!
Hello! I’m so happy to be back!
We’re so happy to have you back! What questions would you like to ask me?
Well first of all, I’d like to know why you decided to write my story
Great question! I have always enjoyed The Sims and came across a story a while back called The Life and Times of Kaley Green by Celiria and I enjoyed it so much, so I decided to do something similar with you.
As for your story specifically, I think I wanted to write the story of an average person trying to make their way in the world, working hard to achieve her dreams.
Great! I’m glad I was what you wanted. So, is there anything you decided early on about me that you kept in mind while writing my story?
Yes. I decided you were independent. I knew that if a spark didn’t arise with a guy naturally in the story, I’d keep you single until it did. I didn’t think that romance was a huge necessity in your story – you’d make your own way in the world. But I also decided you’d be a mother. Somehow. Because you had a maternal vibe about you from the start. So, I wanted to incorporate children and carry on your story however I could.
I also decided early on that you wouldn’t work forever. I wanted to have you writing books a lot and also have you around to write about everything you do, not just see you off to work every day.
But you did end up giving me a boyfriend early on, the love of my life Salim Benali. Why him?
It felt natural. When you went out that first time with Summer and Liberty you were approached by a number of guys. I had no control over any of that. It just happened and you seemed to respond to them in a way that meant I included it in your story. But no guy had a natural connection with you until Salim. He showed up at your door, at the club, he seemed to always be there. It just happened so natural that it seemed meant to be, and I guess it was, because you guys lived your whole lives happily in love.
We certainly did! What was your favourite part of my story to write?
There are so many. Your wedding was amazing to write, because of again how naturally well suited you and Salim became. Also your pregnancies. But I’d say that my favourite part of your story is the little traditions you kept up and created throughout the story. Pancake breakfasts, snowball/water fights, building snowmen… I loved adding those little details that just added extra personality to you and your story.
Oh, I love that! Thank you! My final question is this: if you could have added anything else to my story, what would it have been?
Oh so much! I wish you could’ve lived forever, met your grandchildren and seen your children get married. But I’m also glad that I had the opportunity to write a really nice funeral episode for you, because you became very important to me.
If I could go back and add something else, I think maybe I’d have explored your past, your parents or your childhood a little more. But at the same time, not doing that meant we learned about you all at the same time, and I loved that.
Thank you. And thank you for writing my story. That’s all of my questions. I believe my lovely children have their own questions for you so I will leave you here.
Thank you for everything, Kate! I’ve loved talking to you.
Well, that’s all that Kate had to ask me! In the next part of this interview we will see what Leia would like to ask me. Tune in soon to see that!
Hey Leia!
Hi! Wow, this is cool!
It is! This is my first chance to write a conversation between us – it’s great!
So, what would you like to know?
Okay. The first thing I’d like to know is about my career – when did you decide to make me a vet, and why?
Well, I’d had the idea from early on really. I liked the idea of the family owning a business and being a vet seemed the natural choice for you. You always loved animals, approaching strays outside and playing with your toys. You’re a cat lover, and of course when we bought Tiddles for you that’s when it truly hit me that a vet was really the only option for you.
Aw, I loved that little guy! And yes, I do love being a vet! Speaking of love… What made you decide on Harry for me? We broke up and got back together, why did you decide to keep me with him?
Well I definitely considered not, to be honest. All three of you ended up with the first person we saw you date, and I did want to explore a break up – but at the same time, it seemed unnecessary to throw that kind of storyline in unless it was natural, and none of you indicated any desire for it.
There was one moment over breakfast that Harry wasn’t the kindest, but he quickly became sweet again and so I decided to keep him around. The same as your mother, there were definitely contenders for all of your hearts, and if I could go back I think I may have had at least one of you date more than one person, but it just wasn’t needed for the story.
When you broke up that was because there was really no space or time to write your relationship on top of the death of your parents, helping Josette as she grew up, and running a vet clinic. But once there was room again, I weighed up having you date again or go back to Harry, but you had developed a real relationship with him, so I didn’t want you to have to start fresh.
Well, for that I thank you. Harry and I are very happy.
Haha, you are very welcome!
What is one thing you wish you had added to my story? Or something you want to add in the future?
Well, the dating game was definitely something part of me wished I’d added, but I’m also glad you ended up with Harry, because he’d met your parents.
I wish I could’ve explored your friendships a little more. People don’t get to see your friends much because there’s such little time in the day for me to explore everything – so I’d like to tell everyone that you definitely have other friends and see them, but not enough to write big storylines with them.
Otherwise, I think I’ve written as much as I’d have liked to for you.
Yes, I certainly do have friends guys! Haha. So, you’re happy with what you’ve written for me and that’s great. What is your favourite part of my story?
Well, that’s a little easier for you than your mother! My favourite part of your story is your relationship with your father. Whether its watching TV together, asking advice, or the moment he saw you when you were ready for prom – that father/daughter relationship is so special and you were also his firstborn, so it was even more powerful.
In terms of specific episodes, I’d say the episode in which you moved into your apartment. It was sad to move you from the family home – I’d moved your mother 4 times in total, I believe, but that move was the hardest to decide to do. But I wanted your story to start properly, in a new home and a new neighbourhood where you could be your own person. And the fact you and Josette moved in together was so important – you took on that responsibility after you parents died and that was important to explore.
Wow! That’s so sweet! I certainly love my father a lot. I’m almost out of time, so I just have one last question for you. What’s next for me?
Well, that’s a big question! You’re a married woman now, with two children! You’re set up now, with a family of your own, so next?
We’ll explore you as a mother, as a sister, and as a woman. We’ll look at your work, when you return to the clinic, in more detail, and we’ll get to continue to watch you grow as a person as your family grows with you.
Well I can’t wait! Thanks for answering my questions!
And thank you for asking them, Leia!
Next up, we’ll be talking to Mateo, and answering some of his burning questions. Don’t go away!
Hi! It’s great to be here!
It’s great to have you! So, what would you like to know, Mateo?
Well, we know that you follow Leia’s story the most as the oldest – do you wish you had more time to spend on everyone else?
Oh absolutely! If I had it my way, you’d all live together with your partners and children forever, there would be 100 hours in a day, and my fingers could handle typing up all of your individual stories!
Unfortunately there just isn’t time or space to cover everyone’s stories completely, so I have to try and make the decision of who to cover on what day.
For example, your wedding was a moment we couldn’t miss – but when it’s just a normal day, the only fair way to decide who I’d focus on was simply to look to Leia, as the oldest.
Of course, I understand! I’m glad my important moment are still covered, and my sister is certainly interesting!
That she is!
So, you mentioned my wedding to Hope. Can you talk a little more about her introduction to the story?
Yes absolutely! So Hope was one of the characters I had originally created to fill out the worlds – most of the people in the various worlds were related to each other by this point because of the various relationships and marriages, and I wanted to include a few new people and see if they popped up – next thing I knew, I spotted that you and she had gotten together off screen, and I wanted to include that!
I developed your ‘how we met’ story and moved you into your own place, and eventually you got married.
It may have seemed rushed, to the readers of your story, but to me it was the most natural relationship yet – it happened out of my control!
Well, when love happens it happens! I think it’s great that people not focussed on directly can go about their lives, getting married and having children without needing your input.
Me too, I also like that I can control which families I give that freedom too – haha! Can’t have everyone going off and having lots of babies without letting us know!
Absolutely! So, Hope and I recently welcomed a daughter, Katherine. Why did you decide to let me take that name, instead of Leia or Josette?
Well that’s a good question. I knew I wanted to memorialise Kate in her grandchildren. When Leia gave birth to the first of the new generation, her son, the only name I could possibly fathom giving him was Armstrong – see, you are the only son, and so you will be the only one to carry on that surname – with Leia’s children taking Muse and Josette’s taking Villareal, if she has any.
When your mother married your father, I didn’t want to get rid of Armstrong completely. She had her own label at that point, so I barrelled it with your fathers, creating the Benali-Armstrong line. So, because of that, I liked that Kate Benali Armstrong Jr. would be born to you, keeping the full name there.
Leia also recently had a daughter and if you hadn’t had one, perhaps she would have been Kate or Katherine. But, I did like the idea of keeping the name with the surname, to give it the true namesake effect it was intended to have.
Thank you for clearing that up for me! I love my daughter and I’m so glad I could name her after my mother. This question has been asked by everyone, but it’s a good one – what is your favourite part of my story?
I loved writing scenes of you fishing with your father. The day he took you to fish the day before you started high school was such a special moment, and I love that you kept the first fish you ever caught too!
Your story was unique because after you became an adult I lost the ability to follow you as much as I’d have liked – I love that you moved in with the twins, because from the moment your mother and Liberty found out they were both pregnant we all know you’d be best friends, and we were right!
Yeah, those guys are like my brothers! You’ve said you’d like to have followed my story more – what will be next for me and my family? Do you see yourself coming back to us much?
I will absolutely keep updating people on your lives, but to an extent you have that freedom from my control now. You’ve had your daughter, and I am going to move you to the uncontrolled households. So, what’s next for you? It’s up to you! I’m excited to check in with you, find out if you and Hope decide to have any more children. Of course, I’ll have to move you into a bigger place if you do, and so we will be sure to check in often and make sure you’re living a great life.
I definitely see myself coming back to your story. You are the one carrying on the Benali-Armstrong name, and you are just as important as your sisters! As I said, I wish I could cover you all – but as I can’t, I’m just going to do my best to cover you all as equally as I can, and make sure I’m there for the big moments!
That’s great! I look forward to seeing you for all the big moment! Thanks!
You’re very welcome, Mateo. Thanks for talking with me!
Coming up – we’ll be talking to Josette about her life and story, and I’ll be answering her questions! Don’t miss it!
Hi! I’m so excited!
Me too! It’s great to see you! As you know, I’ve been speaking to your mother and your siblings, and now it’s your turn to ask me all you want to know!
Yay! That’s so much fun!
Okay, okay, questions! Can I start by asking about my name? Leia and Mateo have stories about theirs, do I?
You certainly do! I just haven’t mentioned it!
As you know, your sister was named from a suggestion I got from a reader, and Mateo was named after a character from a show I love and also because he was a salvadorada honeymoon baby.
You were named after another character of a show I love, and also somewhat after your mother – Jo.
Your birth mother got to discuss naming you with your parents before they adopted you as a toddler – Kate and Salim named you Josette after your birth mother, Jolene, who went by Jo as a child.
Oh wow! I have a namesake! That’s so cool! Thank you! So you’ve mentioned my adoption – I wanted to know, why did you decide to include an adoption in the story?
Well, for a few reasons. Your parents already had two children and seemed to really enjoy being parents, and so after exploring their thoughts and discussions and seeing a decent amount of baby signs, I knew they wanted another child. However, pregnancy was going to be difficult for Kate, writing and looking after the kids while Salim worked.
But more than that, I wanted to add something new and important to the story. I think adoption is amazing, giving a baby a chance in a family that will love them so much – so, I decided that adoption was the right choice for Kate and Salim.
They had a few meetings and met a few children, but after they heard about your mother and the open adoption, they decided that you were the daughter they wanted to adopt. They loved the open adoption idea. The fact you’d get to see your birth mother sometimes.
I wanted the open adoption in the story too for a few reasons, including to just add something of substance and importance that’s so often overlooked. You gave me the opportunity to write about something so important and so unique – I couldn’t say no!
Aww that’s so sweet! I’m very glad Mum and Dad adopted me! So I guess you’re glad you included my biological family? Was that challenging?
It was. See, it wasn’t easy to have a biological and adopted family for a number of reasons, including the limited detail put into adoption in The Sims World. So, it took some thought and work to make sure I did it justice.
I’m very glad I included your birth mother’s story, and that you are in contact with them a lot now.
I did worry that, with the audience and myself being so attached to Kate and Salim as parents, introducing essentially another mother into the frame would be a challenge. And it wasn’t easy, making sure to word things right so to not negate the fact that Kate was your mother in every way.
I hope I did it justice.
You did! Thank you! When did you decide to include my grandmother and uncle?
That was after writing Jolene’s backstory. Of course, I created the characters to fit in with the story – I didn’t have a need for them before, frankly.
I wanted Jolene to have a single mother, but not to give detail into why her father wasn’t around – I like the ambiguity of that.
As for her brother, Clayton, I wanted a child in the household to add to the difficulties that Jolene faced. I didn’t want to write adoption as an easy thing, because it isn’t. Having Clayton there really gave Jolene that difficulty making the decision that I wanted to show – ultimately, she made a decision for you, and she got support from her family. That was the key point of their story.
Having you see them now is a little more complicated. It’s as much about their story as yours. See, they aren’t under a controlled household – they can get married and have children without me even knowing, and that’s what happened.
First I found out about Clayton’s wife and son, and so decided to have you visit them as a way of updating you and the audience as to this.
Then, when Jolene had a child with her husband, I knew I had to introduce you to him – he is your biological brother, after all! It was difficult to decide to tell the audience about that, just as it’s difficult for birth parents to tell people that they’re having a child after placing one for adoption.
Wow. You’ve really put a lot of thought into my adoption! Why is that?
I just think it’s important. If I’m going to add an adopted child to this story, I want to do it right. I don’t want to do a half-baked storyline where I add a child in with no explanation. There’s no personal reason for it. I just enjoyed the challenge of writing it and doing the concept justice.
Okay. Is there anything you wish you’d added to my story?
Not your father. I know that’s the answer people might expect, but I’m glad I left him out of it – I wanted to show the complexities of that relationship.
As for your story – like your siblings, I wish I could have explored friendships a little more. We know that you were close with Rita, and Winter, and that Moses was your friend prior to becoming your boyfriend, so we have a lot more detail than your siblings. But still, given the chance, exploring each of you more in depth would’ve been great – unfortunately, there just wasn’t time.
You did write a lot about me and my siblings, though. What is your favourite part about me?
I just love your character. You’re bubbly and fun! You have a real personality – all of you do, and that’s why writing about you is so easy. I think your relationship with your siblings is really great to see, especially with Leia after your parents passed away. She looked after you. Luckily, you became an adult just a few days later, but Leia was still just there, making sure you weren’t alone. The fact you were still a teenager when your parents died is actually, in some ways, a good thing for the story – it meant we got to experience that new bond that formed with your older siblings the moment it happened.
It was sad, but I was glad that I was able to help show how much the three of us banded together after it happened. One last question – what’s next for me?
Well, your story isn’t complete. You fell in love with Moses young, and I don’t think either of us realised his wealth until you moved in together and discovered the live he was able to provide you with – which actually, I think perfectly fits you. If any of you were to live the truly rich and lavish lifestyle, it would certainly be you!
So, what’s next? Well, first and foremost, it's having your baby!
Your artistry will also be important, we will really get to go deeper into your dreams for your art and what you want to do.
But, as for whether you’ll get married, have more children, or achieve your ultimate artistic dream, is something we’ll have to wait and see!
Ooh I can’t wait to tell everyone what I want to do!! I have big dreams!
You certainly do.
Well, that’s all the time we have for our author Q&A! Stay tuned as within the hour we will be premiering the main event! Part 100! Thanks as always for reading and a big shout out to everyone who has stuck with this story since the start and helped shaped the characters into who they are today! I truly appreciate being able to write this story and know people are reading and enjoying it, so thank you! See you soon for Part 100!
XOX OliCait XOX
Hello friends! Welcome to a very special 100th episode of All About The Armstrongs!
In this extra special episode, we are celebrating Christmas at the house of Josette Benali Armstrong…
Without further ado, I welcome you to a magical Christmas with the Armstrongs…
It’s Christmas morning and Josette is getting her house ready for a wonderful Christmas. She gets the rest of the decorations ready, waiting to decorate it with her siblings like in Christmases gone by…
Meanwhile her boyfriend, Moses, is setting up a second kids table for Christmas lunch
And just in time, too, as the families have arrived! The Muse family – Harry, Leia, Armstrong and Soleil, are first to arrive outside The Old Salt House, excited for their first Christmas as a family
Outside the bump into the Armstrong clan – Mateo, Hope and Katherine. The families greet each other happily before knocking on the door
To be greeted by Josette and Moses. Hugs, kind words and Christmas wishes are exchanged as the family catch up
Then it’s all hands on deck to prepare the perfect Christmas meal – Leia and chef Hope are in the kitchen helping to prepare the dinner
While the boys are playing video games in the living room, and pretending not to mind that Armstrong is beating them all at party frenzy!
Upstairs in the newly decorated nursery, Mum-to-be Josette is spending some time with her nieces, watching them play and listening to their excited babbling about the snow outside – she’s excited to become a Mother and have one of these cute little toddlers herself!
With the turkey roasting and the snow falling, the tree is begging to be decorated. Leia, Mateo, Josette and Armstrong decorate it, while the siblings tell Armstrong the tradition of tree decorating and the way they’d always decorate the tree as a family on Christmas eve
Meanwhile, Soleil is listening to a Christmas story with her Father – she loves Christmas and hopes to see some reindeer tonight!
What a good-looking tree! The family appreciate their work before all splitting off to grab their presents to place underneath it
Mateo places his gifts under the tree first
Followed by Leia
And finally, Josette
As the last present is placed under the Christmas tree, a faint knock at the door echoes through the house
“Are you expecting anyone else?” Leia asks Josette, confused at who could possibly be popping by on Christmas day
“No” she responds, a look of confusion on her face too
She crosses the room to see who’s outside
When she sees the silhouette of the mystery knocker through the icy door, she lets out a scream
Mateo and Leia quickly rush to the front door to find the source of the scream and let out shocked squeals themselves, hardly believing their eyes…
Leia is shocked, asking how their mystery guest could possibly be here today! Trying her best not to faint in shock, she exclaims…
“MUM! DAD! HOW ARE YOU HERE?!”
As the shock is replaced by overwhelming happiness, the children greet their parents with long hugs, still confused as to how they’re here but not caring – they’re here, and how is irrelevant!
Josette is excited to be able to share her news with her parents…
Josette smiles happily as she shares the big news, excitedly inviting her father to feel his grandchild kick in her belly
News of the miraculous arrival of Kate and Salim is buzzing through the house, and Harry heads upstairs to find Armstrong, playing happily in the nursery with the girls.
He pulls him outside to tell him that there is someone downstairs who wants to meet him, and he rushes downstairs wondering who it could be
He recognises the faces instantly from photos around his house, but stands cautiously, sure it couldn’t possibly be who he thought
But it is! He rushes over and is pulled into a strong hug by his grandmother
Before also meeting his grandfather!
The girls are brought down afterwards, and Katherine meets her namesake!
Kate is totally elated to be meeting the grandchildren she’s been watching grow up from the other side
Leia excuses herself from the emotional reunion and sees to the food, using it as an excuse to compose herself – seeing her parents back is a big thing to process
And we know nothing has changed for our Kate as she pulls out a book – Reeling Her In! The book she read when she decided to open herself to love! Oh, the memories! Some things never change!
Before long the Turkey is ready, and two extra places set at the table for her parents, Josette calls the family to dinner
Kate and Salim tuck into their dinner, listening as their children recap their lives – the pregnancies, the engagements, the weddings…
But they didn’t miss a thing. They were there for it all.
Over at the kids table, Harry decides to sit with his children and niece, and listens to them chatter excitedly about meeting their grandparents
Dinner over and a few people enjoying seconds (I see you with that second plate, Mateo!), Josette takes some time to talk to her Mother. She recaps everything that’s happened – meeting her baby brother, Jolene’s marriage, finding out she was pregnant…
Then she takes her parents upstairs, to show them the nursery!
She shares some photos of her with AJ and Jolene, as well as some baby scan photos and some pieces of artwork she sold for good money
Then it’s Leia’s turn for some quality time – Salim talks to her about her clinic, the one he helped her open! She enthusiastically tells him how well it’s doing, and how she’s even hired an assistant so she can spend more time at home with her family
She shares some photos with her father, including baby photos of the kids and some photos from her wedding
Meanwhile, Kate is hearing all about Katherine from Mateo – she’s thrilled that her name lives on in her granddaughter!
Josette, ever the gift fiend, can’t help but head over to the tree and ask if they can open gifts yet!
Armstrong encourages her, and they manage to convince the family to break off their conversations, so they can exchange gifts!
Josette gets some new clothes, some baby items, and some new art supplies
Mateo’s next – he receives some new fishing supplies so he can take Katherine out to fish when she’s older!
Next up is Leia, who loves the nick knacks and collectables she receives
Armstrong is thrilled with some new toys and books
Soleil loves her new teddy and a doctor teddy play set – now she can be a vet just like her Mum!
And Katherine adores her toddler art station!
What an amazing Christmas it’s been! While their family open their gifts and talk excitedly, Kate and Salim take a moment to appreciate the wonderful family they created
The night is growing darker and soon it’ll be daylight – Kate and Salim decide to begin their goodbyes.
As they hug their children and grandchildren, they give each a message
Leia – we are proud of the beautiful family you’re raising, and the way you run your business so well to provide for them
Mateo – thank you for naming your daughter after me. She is beautiful. I hope you enjoy every minute of raising her the way we did with you.
Josette – you have two families who love you eternally. Your baby is so lucky to have a mother like you, and to be born into both families who will love them just as much as we’ve always loved you. Keep painting – you’re amazing.
Armstrong – our first grandchild. We love you. We have watched you grow and watched as you became a big brother. Look after your sister the way your Mother always looked after her siblings. We’re so proud of you.
Soleil –You remind us so much of your Mother. We hope you continue to grow into an amazing young woman.
Katherine – you were named after your grandmother, and she is the love of my life. She never failed to make everyone around her happy, and no doubt you will take after her in more than just your name. We can’t wait to watch you grow.
After the emotional messages are given and hugs exchanged, the family head outside to enjoy one final tradition with their parents
They each build a snowman and enjoy the cold snow as a new morning slowly begins
Each pair are proud of their creations, and each show their personalities in some way
Armstrong thoroughly enjoys his first snow man build!
As Leia, Mateo, Josette and Armstrong begin a snowball fight, laughing and joking as they pelt each other with the snow
Kate and Salim slowly slip away, listening to their children’s voices laughing and shouting behind them
The couple share a final kiss in the snow of the mortal realm before the sun rises over the horizon and it’s time to go
In the distance, a group are waiting to greet them as they too prepare to return to the beyond
They walk towards the gazebo, feeling the morning sun on their faces
Where they are greeted by old friends
And fade back into the beyond together, grateful for their Christmas miracle
And that’s all for this special episode! It was an emotional one, and one I was so excited to write up. I hope you all enjoyed the return of Kate and Salim and their reunion with their family. Our special part 100 is now at an end, and tomorrow we return to normalcy with the Christmas miracle little more than a memory, a dream… Did it really happen? Or was it just that? A dream? We may never know. But we know this: Kate and Salim love their children, and as long as there is an Armstrong descendant this world, they live on, as does our story.
THANKS FOR READING
XOX OliCait XOX
(Top left to bottom right)Edur Zahrah, Cinderella, Tiana, Pocahantas, Ariel, Aurora, Belle, Emerson, Nicole, Traci, Addisyn
It was certainly bitter sweet to write out! I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you!! Let's see if I can make it to part 200! What would I do?!
It was something I toyed with for a while and the Q&A and the return just gave me a chance to write about Kate again, something I miss doing!
So glad you enjoyed it!
(Top left to bottom right)Edur Zahrah, Cinderella, Tiana, Pocahantas, Ariel, Aurora, Belle, Emerson, Nicole, Traci, Addisyn
Wasn't it! It has really flown by and now they are grandparents! It's crazy!! I loved seeing them back again, even just for a day!
It would!! We'll see!
Hello friends! Welcome back! It’s been a crazy Christmas in our world but we’re back to normalcy now as we check in with Josette, who as we know is pregnant with her first child!
We’ll be following her until the birth of her child, at which point we will go back to our bouncing between important milestones! Hope that is okay with you all!
Anyway, back to our story…
We start the morning with Moses and Josette enjoying some breakfast before a big day ahead – they have a scan today!
After a quick change of clothes, the couple head off to the doctor
An hour or so later Josette returns alone – Moses had to head straight to work from the doctor’s office
Here it is! The scan! Josette has decided to keep the sex a secret (which is really hard for me because if I hover over the scan it tells me – I’ve been avoiding it at all costs!) but now she has her first photo of the little one
Jo has just enough time to change her clothes
Before her best friend Rita Delgato arrives at the door
She greets her happily before being whisked away – Rita has planned a baby shower for Josette! How sweet!
Rita knows her best friend well and (with the help of Leia and Hope) has planned it in the art gallery in San Myshuno! Perfect for Jo!
There’s a table for presents
And one for food
Rita’s done a great job!
Family and friends begin greeting Josette happily – Armstrong gets to feel his baby cousin kick
And Jolene, Josette’s birth mother, comes over to congratulate her and tell her how proud she is of the woman she’s become!
Josette gets some hands on experience as she spends some quality time with Soleil (strategically ignoring Katherine making a mess in the background! Wise.)
And spends some special time with her big sister too, getting all sorts of parenting tips!
The twins even came by to say hello! Thomas says hi to the bump while Tobias gets to know Jolene
And we get to meet some other new additions! We haven’t checked in on the twins for a while and they’ve certainly grown up! So here’s an update:
Thomas has stayed in the house he shared with Tobias and Mateo (the old BFF home) and is now married to Courtney
The two have twins:
Libby (named after her grandmother!)
And Liam!
Meanwhile, Tobias now lives in Windenburg and is married to Priya – the two have a son, named Gavin!
With introductions out of the way, let’s get back to the party! The guests enjoy some food and conversation
Before Josette sneaks away to thank Moses for helping with the surprise
He grabs a glass of wine and makes a toast to his girlfriend, excitedly chattering about his child and their lives together
Before calling Josette over for a hug
And getting down on one knee! That’s right! Moses is proposing!
Josette, of course, says yes, and is thrilled!
The newly engaged couple share a kiss
Before receiving their congratulations – Mateo shakes Moses’ hand, but is sure to tell him to treat his baby sister right
While Josette excitedly chatters to Leia about the engagement
As well as being congratulated by Jolene, who again talks about her pride and how happy she is that Josette is living an amazing life
With the night drawing in, however, the guests must slowly head home
Josette thanks them all for coming
And thanks Rita for planning an amazing baby shower
And then the couple head home
Where they spend the evening watching TV
And cuddling
Before heading to bed, tired but happy after a long and exciting day
And that’s all for this episode! What will happen next? Will Josette have her baby? And will it be a boy or a girl? What will their wedding be like? And what else will happen?!
Find out next time on All About The Armstrongs!
THANKS FOR READING
XOX OliCait XOX
It’s another morning in San Myshuno and Moses is getting in his morning exercise
While Josette is prepping breakfast
The couple sit together to eat, and talk about their plans for the day – Moses has work, and Josette is going to try and get another painting done before the baby is born
So with lots to do, Moses heads out to work
Leaving Josette to tidy up from breakfast
And then get started on a new abstract painting
But pregnancy means lots of toilet breaks for the artist!
Back to it, the painting is coming along
But before long the mum to be is hit with a craving and makes herself a grilled cheese
And then back to the painting once again – man, this whole pregnancy thing makes painting take way longer!
A little later Moses returns home having earned a promotion! He’s now a minor leaguer!
He greets his fiancé with a kiss on the cheek
Before she heads into the bedroom for a nap – pregnancy is tiring!
She finished her abstract painting and I’m trying to decide whether she should sell or keep it as it’s so pretty, so let’s sleep on it!
While in the living room, Moses is blowing off some work tension by playing some video games
And then orders a pizza for dinner
Yum!
The couple sit on the couch to enjoy a few slices of pizza
After dinner Moses decides to head out on a jog, needing to keep his fitness levels up for his new promotion
While Josette begins nesting, getting the final things ready for the baby’s arrival!
She takes a moment to look around the nursery, excited to soon be welcoming her baby into the world
And with that the soon to be parents head to bed, needing to get their rest!
And that’s all for this episode! It’s mostly planning and getting things sorted for the new arrival! So, what will happen next? Will Josette have the baby? And what has been going on with Leia and Mateo, once we get to get up with them?
Find out next time on All About The Armstrongs!
THANKS FOR READING
XOX OliCait XOX
https://armstrongssim4.blogspot.com/
Oh no! Thank you for letting me know, I will go and check it out now!
I have now changed the coding so that there are NEXT and PREVIOUS buttons at the bottom! Thanks so much for letting me know about this issue! I hope this resolves it! XX