The Roundup Summer 2012 - Cal Farley's

A New EraSibling Trio Makes the Best of It at Boys RanchLeAnn, Christian and Emily are one of the 11 sibling sets currentlyliving at Boys Ranch. The trio will remain with us until they each graduatefrom high school.They arrived on June 6, 2006 when Emily was only 5 years old. Thechildren were told on LeAnn’s birthday that they were to come live at BoysRanch. “It was the most terrible present ever,” LeAnn recalled. They wereliving with their grandparents – who still live nearby and visit them asoften as they can – but the three children were more than they could takeon with their health and their age.LeAnn, who is the oldest of the three, had experienced foster care at ayoung age and she knew she never wanted to do that again. She wanted tokeep her family together.“It’s so nice to be able to play around with my brother all the time,” saidEmily, who just finished fifth grade. “It’s been really good to have themhere with me. I probably wouldn’t do sports or bullfighting or any of thestuff I do nowadays if I didn’t have them with me. I got my bullfightingfrom Christian and I got my sports from both of them.”“Emily is doing cross country, basketball and track,” LeAnn interjected,proudly.Christian jokes that Boys Ranch would be more peaceful with no sistersaround. “But also boring,” he said. “I wouldn’t have anyone to pick on.”Christian has a real passion for football and intends to try out forquarterback next school year. He teaches both girls how to play, too.LeAnn, always playing a motherly role when her siblings are nearby,(L to R) LeAnn, Christian and Emily are enjoying their summer break.speaks of how proud she is of them and how much she enjoys being ableto watch over them each day.“I want them to be active and keep their grades up and do what’s right,”she said. “I want them to go to college and make something of their lives.“You know, we fight a lot, but then we just make up. We have a greattime together. At least we are a family. We stick together and we just try tomake it one step at a time.”Adam and Ellie*Adam and his little sister *Ellie have experienced in their homesignificant life challenges that have included drugs, violence and separationfrom those they love. Eventually, their father ended up in prison and theirmother’s drug addiction led the family nowhere good.Every morning since their arrival at Boys Ranch, Ellie asks Adam’shouseparents if it is alright for Adam to walk her to school. Of course, eachmorning they reply with a smile and a ‘yes’ to Ellie. The two of them strolltogether to the middle school across the street from the Dining Hall, andthey talk and laugh the whole way.The turbulent life they have experienced is softened only by their beingable to remain together. Ellie said that she feels safe having Adam there towatch over her. And Adam is happy to fill that role for Ellie.*Names are changed to protect the children’s identity. They were placed at CalFarley’s Boys Ranch by the state child protective services agency and therefore arerequired to remain anonymous.“We stick together and we just try to make it onestep at a time.”Miguel and ZarinaMiguel and Zarina came to live at Boys Ranch when their mother wasincarcerated. This young brother and sister have and will remain with usfor many years. Both are thriving in our programs and do well in schooland numerous extracurricular activities. Zarina also is a fine artist.Miguel recently made a profound and inspiring remark, “You need to besatisfied with anything you have and grateful for anything you get.”Find us on Facebook to read more about Miguel and Zarina, and to keep upwith the latest news on Cal Farley’s: facebook.com/CalFarleys.15