Family Of Five Becomes 13

Family Of Five Becomes 13

(Arlington, Texas) What happens when a happy family of five becomes a family of 13? There are a lot more dishes to wash, many more school projects to work on, and several more names to remember. But most importantly, there's a lot more love to go
around. For the Middletons, it's impossible to tell where the old family ends and th new one begins. It's like they've always been there.

Ms. Karen Middleton: Everybody, let's get ready to go.

Ms. Middleton: Mommy have breakfast ready in a second.

Unidentified Child #1: OK.

Smith: A peaceful time...

Ms. Middleton: DeLynn, did you do times tables this morning?

Smith: ...but not for long.

Soon the house is alive with the joyful noise of 11 children...

Ms. Middleton: Chucky and Kevin...

Smith: ...getting up, getting silly...

Ms. Middleton: Much better, darling.

Smith: ...and getting ready for school.

Ms. Middleton: Not a hair out of place.

Unidentified Child #2: Not a hair out of place.

Smith: Karen and Mickey Middleton are no ordinary parents.

Mr. Mickey Middleton: OK. I hope you do well on your spelling words, OK?

Smith: And theirs is no ordinary family.

Ms. Middleton: Oh, yes you are. Give it up.

Smith: Until two years ago the Middletons were a happy family of five. Then Karen and Mickey heard about eight brothers and sisters whose mother had died and whose father could not take care of them. Five became 13.

Mr. Middleton: When I look at the whole picture I can't believe I'm the dad of this family, you know. And I'm saying I can't believe how blessed I am.

Smith: A whole lot of people couldn't believe what the Middletons did. They adopted all eight kids. Children who had been scattered in five different foster homes suddenly had a home of their own.

Did anybody tell you a couple of years ago, 'you're nuts?'

Ms. Middleton: Oh, yeah.

Mr. Middleton: Yes. Family and friends. But if we had listened to them...

Ms. Middleton: Mm-hmm.

Mr. Middleton: ...we wouldn't be here now.

Ms. Middleton: We would have missed a lot in our life.

Unidentified Child #3: One, two, three four...

Smith: Making ends meet isn't easy, but the Middletons buy big and sometimes rely on the kindness of strangers.

Ms. Middleton: So many wonderful people who do wonderful things. People come by the house and they leave a gallon of apple juice on the door.

Get ready to make the pizzas.

Smith: And each child is expected — no, required to chip in.

Mr. Middleton: I want my kids to realize there's a lot of responsibility in lif and that responsibility is going to be taught to you here and it's going to be learned by you here.

Smith: Theirs is a life based on love and built on discipline.

Ms. Middleton: Brenda, this is your grades and your work, and I'm not going to chase you down to do it. If you don't want to improve your stuff, then don't sit at that table. Get there.

Smith: After two years together...

Unidentified Child #4: My, turn, bro.

Smith: ...it is impossible to tell where the old family ends, and the new one begins.

Ms. Middleton: Many people compliment our children on how they look like us, and we just smile.

Smith: It's like they've always been here.

Ms. Middleton: Like they've always been.

Bobby: Bobbie.

Brenda: Brenda.

Chucky: Chucky.

Kevin: Kevin.

Smith: But underneath the smiles are eight children who once lived with little love and little to eat. That left scars, and sometimes old wounds open up.

Ms. Middleton: There are times when we are on our knees, saying, you know, 'Lord, just give us direction, just for this day. We don't ask for more than a day. We'll talk to you again tomorrow.'

Group of Children In unison): Give us, Lord, our daily bread in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Mr. Middleton: Whose is this?

Smith: Every day in the Middleton house is Thanksgiving Day. Faith and love have made this a happy home.

Ms. Middleton: Uh.

Mr. Middleton: All the way.

Smith: The welcome Karen and Mickey extended to eight children also extends to strangers.

Unidentified Child #4: Go, Harry! Go, Harry!

Smith: The Middletons have proved there is strength in numbers, and joy, too. Harry Smith, CBS News, Arlington, Texas.