Sims In Bloom: Generation 2 Pt. 234 (Celebrating Retirement and New Family Members)
Following the family's trip to the Forgotten Grotto in Oasis Springs, Neal and Daisy returned to Henford as happy and in love as ever. Neal transferred his business to his son, River, and now all the paperwork was complete. He was finally ready to retire!
The Nesbitts hosted a get-together that doubled as a chance to celebrate freshly-grown but baby-faced teenager Michael "Mike" Nesbitt, River and Cassandra's eldest child, and to meet their newborn daughter, Victorine "Tori" Ravendancer Nesbitt. (You guys helped Tori grow on me so I stuck with the plan, thank you! And Mike looks so much like Cass, but I think he got the Nesbitt smile!)
The Gordons came to Henford to celebrate retirement, milestones, and family among the wriggling gnomes in the Nesbitts' garden, reflecting with loved ones on their shared health and happiness.
Having just attended the wedding of his baby sister, Anika, in the Bramblewood, Kris, Holly, and their kids extended their trip from the city to celebrate with the Nesbitts. The house was full with the love and laughter of their loved ones, but the chaotic sounds were music to their ears.
Sometimes, Neal and Daisy could hardly believe their family had grown so big and so wonderful. Hazel and Suri ran late, but apologized with big smiles when they finally arrived.
"We ran late because we were at the ob/gyn," explained Suri. "We needed her to confirm the news: I'm pregnant!"
Neal and Daisy were ecstatic to welcome one more grandchild to their family. Hazel and Suri only planned to have one and revealed they'd used the assistance of Beaker Labs' quality scientific research to combine their DNA and carry the baby to term.
"We're waiting until Suri delivers to find out the sex," Hazel said. "It won't matter to us, anyway, because eventually the kid will tell us who they are. We're just glad the embryo was successfully implanted."
Despite the successful procedure, Suri wasn't enjoying pregnancy thus far. Due to the extreme heat, she soon switched her dress for shorts and a tank top, leaving Hazel wearing her dress so it wouldn't wrinkle. But even with her discomfort, Suri was excited to welcome a child with Hazel. They'd been together for years now, and they'd talked about this. They didn't want to wait, especially with several cousins close in age on both sides of their family tree.
Mayor Varner came by to congratulate Neal - just in time to hear the eco-conscious civic designer give a speech about the importance of using clean energy while building for sustainability. "It's not even about some kind of legacy I might leave behind; it's always going to be cheaper in the long run to do it the cleanest way the first time."
He eyed the mayor with a sideways glance when he said this, but Mayor Varner just chuckled warmly. "Budgets, my friend. Some of us have to care about them."
They could laugh off their sometimes different approaches to town projects now that Neal's tools were strictly for his hobby builds.
Inside the house, Conrad asked his father-in-law whether he'd spend more time in Granite Falls now he was retired. It was a fair question - Neal had only travelled anywhere else for family weddings.
"I started subscribing to that limited edition magazine, Touch Grass Weekly. Lots of inspiration in there. I think Daisy might even convince me to head somewhere other than Granite Falls the next time we take a vacation."
"The magazine sent you a plaque to thank you for subscribing, Grandpa," pointed out nine-year-old Samuel. "It says you're a grass toucher!"
Neal smiled proudly. "Well, it's accurate."
Upstairs, the Nesbitts and their extended family socialized with longtime friends, Bob and Annette Pancakes, who congratulated Neal on a lifetime of great work.
"You made a career you can be proud of," said Bob. "Nesbeets might be one of the best meat substitutes anyone's ever come up with."
From a professional chef like Bob, the compliment meant a lot, and ten-year-old Lavender listened intently to the man's praise for her grandfather.
But something else was taking up most of her attention, as the Dating Deanna fangirl had heard from her cousins that two former contestants were together at the wedding of their aunt to Nicola's brother, Dominic.
"Tetra and Betta said Nicola's dating Arista Queen now, Mom! She was at the wedding they just went to, and they said they looked really good together!"
Lavender had no memory of Nicola as Hazel's first wife. She was still too young when they divorced, and only knew Hazel with Aunt Suri. To her, Nicola and Arista were like celebrities, and she talked excitedly with her mother about show gossip.
"I can't believe Nicola and Arista are dating now! That was the pink-haired mermaid; she was so cool! I loved her purple eye makeup! It didn't work out with Deanna, but they still got to have a happily ever after! I'm so happy for them, Mom! Do you think they'll get married and have a baby like Aunt Hazel and Aunt Suri?"
Heather shrugged. "That'll be up to them. It's probably still pretty new, so they might want to take some time to figure out the relationship or just be together."
"Like you took time with Dad?"
"Exactly like that. We had a lot to think about with our jobs, and you and your brother. We were fully committed, but the wedding was so you guys could have a party and we could get the paperwork."
"Marriage is paperwork?"
Heather chuckled softly. "Not all the time, but sometimes it is."
"Is it love most of the time?"
Heather smiled. As unflirty as she was, she'd never thought much about it, but Lavender's questions made her introspective. "It is, yeah. Especially when you find the right person."
"I like that," Lavender said. "I'm going to take my time before I get married some day, too."
"I promised to call Scotti before sunset so we can watch it set together," announced Ash, checking his phone and heading downstairs, where he ignored teasing looks from his young cousins in the kitchen.
Unflirty Heather hoped for level heads in love for all her kids, but Ash's affection for Scotti was all heart and teenage passion. ->
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NOTE: Just so you know it's real cuz I had some belly glitching at this family event, Suri is indeed pregnant with her and Hazel's science baby (thanks to the Relationships and Pregnancy Overhaul mod tweak that lets couples with at least one 'can get pregnant' sim have a science baby with a regular pregnancy.)
WCIF Event Plaque: I think I left Neal and Daisy's lot too soon after the event, because the plaque hasn't arrived in the mail at their house or the Gordons' since I finished. Gallery hack engaged, I found this room by user RazzashiRaptor on the Sims 4 Gallery with the Grass Toucher plaque for this event - and all plaques for the other three if you need them. I know how much Lavender wants a collectors' plaque, but Neal and Daisy (and River and Cass) followed the whispers more. Since they collected all the magazines when they earned the points, it seemed right that they should have the plaque, too.
Very much looking forward to these! I love the more textured items they've been doing since Werewolves/Horse Ranch. They feel so usable.
I'm probably the only one getting excited over ✨ rocks ✨ of all things but I love to use the base game rocks for decoration and I'm tired of always using the same ones 😭
New magazine collection too and I love that it's framed and has pretty covers! This is gonna look so good as decoration, especially on modern homes.
Also hello new wall texture 👀 The BG rock textures are not great imo so these are more than welcome.
Sims In Bloom: Generation 2 Pt. 230 (Enchanted By Nature)
cw: event was extended to September, so for those still to complete it, this post contains spoilers for week 3 and 4 tasks.
River Nesbitt's parents, Neal and Daisy, had been at an impasse for months over Neal's reluctance to retire. Neal hated the thought of "granola-sniffing San Sequoia techbros with more ideas than sense" turning the popular beet meat into the antithesis of what he'd invented.
Nesbeets meant simple living off the land, naturally-grown and free from hormones or pesticides. Neal thumbed his nose at capital over progress, and letting go of Nesbeets meant losing control.
So even with another baby on the way, River had spent the last few months drafting a business plan, and he planned a quick trip to Chestnut Ridge with his sister and sister-in-law to find support for it.
"So this place is just going to grow beets exclusively for Nesbeets and cut supply costs by 20 per cent? How do they do it without growth hormones?"
"It's the soil out here. Some say it's enchanted. By nature...I think."
Hazel looked at her older brother like he had three heads. "That doesn't make any sense."
"It might if you believe in fairies."
Hazel laughed. "Is fairy dust even a natural ingredient? I thought all the fairies were in Innisgreen..."
"Look, whatever it is, the farms out here have proven results," he insisted despite her teasing. "Their yields are even better than Henford's. They've all been tested, and there's no growth hormones or anything synthetic in them. All natural."
"Have you talked to Dad about this?"
"Not yet. That's why I brought you, so I can practice my pitch and get your take on it. Suri's got refined taste so I know she'll tell the truth if my plan needs work."
(Suri is indeed a snob and it comes out sometimes! But she gets along great with people, regardless, so I think of it as a love of nice things and not judgmental snobbery.)
Before heading home, River picked up some beets to show his father and presented his proposal to hard-nosed Suri in a practice run.
"It's good," said Suri. "Your dad would probably be proud knowing the company would stay under the control of family. Who understands his vision better than you?"
River nodded thoughtfully. "I hope he sees it that way, too."
By the time River returned to the family home in Henford, his loved ones were ready to leave again on another mission led by whispers on the wind.
"The whispers called us to Desert Bloom Park in Oasis Springs this time," announced Daisy, finishing off a plate of grilled fish while Mike and Sam played chess in the yard. "We'll drive so Cass can go, too, with both dogs. And we thought we'd take Lavender so she knows we haven't forgotten how much she wants to find a fairy."
"Does Heather know this probably ends with her getting a forbidden fruit monstrosity in her backyard so you don't try to become a PlantSim again?"
Daisy chuckled nervously. "Not yet."
Once Neal finished a new reclaimed wood project - a wooden outhouse he placed out back by the laneway - the family was ready to go. But before they left, Lavender needed to relieve herself and was the first to decide to use the Wooden Throne. Lavender didn't mind roughing it, but she was more than happy to use something her grandfather made before it smelled inside!
The family made their way to Oasis Springs with Lavender and the dogs, Bubbles and Rainbow. The hot summer sun made for a sweaty afternoon, but they all took advantage of the weather, half listening for the sound of further whispers.
They were content in one another's company, with River and Cass watching the sky on a park bench. while Daisy played with the dogs, Neal cloudgazed in a dried up creek bed.
Eventually, the whispers picked up again, leading them to the opening of the Forgotten Grotto near the north end of the park.
Years ago, before River and Cass were married, the family took a trip to Oasis Springs. Using their combined wit and skill, the family (with Cassandra's help) broke through the sealed entry to the underground caves, where Daisy caught a batfish on her way to earning the Fishing Society's completed collection plaque.
The door to the caves was still wide open, and the kids were all excited to go exploring - but they had to remember the specific way down. Despite the motley crew - two elders, a pregnant sim and her husband, and three excitable kids - Daisy and Neal remembered the steps and led their family into the caves.
The place looked just as they remembered - lit by glowing crystals embedded in stone walls, and swarms of bats churning above their heads inside the cavern. A large pool called Neal to get in a bit of fishing. The family explored, finding an old off-grid toilet and some piles to dig through for various treasures. Lavender found little besides a broken fossil, but she was more disappointed they found no trace of fairies.
The whispers had com from a PlantSim named Dahlia Fern, but she disappeared as quickly as she gave her name. "Maybe Dahlia's as small as a fairy and we can't see her," Lavender said, joining grandpa Neal by the underground pond.
(Side note but, if you played the event, did you actually see Dahlia Fern or did you just get a popup like me? She was the redhead from the event promo, apparently!)
Having made it back to the not-so-Forgotten Grotto for the first time in decades, the whispers led them to two small, familiar bean seeds. Keeping up her end of the bargain with Neal, Daisy passed the colourful seeds to Lavender. "We'll send you home with the stump to grow them in, but if your mom says no, you have to promise not to disobey her."
"I promise, Grandma."
It wasn't difficult to convince Lavender to take home the seeds. She was sure her mother wouldn't allow her to transform into a PlantSim at ten years old, but maybe she could grow one, instead. Maybe Dahlia Fern would even come back and help her find a water fairy!
After they'd spent the hottest part of the day underground, the Nesbitts returned to the surface and River approached his father about his plans for Nesbeets.
Neal listened intently, and when River was done, he smiled. "I never wanted to force you, but I always hoped you'd want to take over Nesbeets someday. I trust it with any of you kids, but this plan's good, Huck. I've got a feeling you're going to make Nesbeets more successful than ever."
With Lavender and River's heads full of hopes and ideas, Neal and Daisy took a moment together before they left the park. "I'm going to start squaring away some work projects when we get home, but I'm ready to hold up my end of the deal," he said, drawing a heart in the sand as Rainbow sat dutifully nearby.
After four long decades, Neal Nesbitt felt his life's work would be safe in River's capable hands. The master eco-inventor was finally ready to retire. ->
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NOTE: If you played through the event, you might notice I moved around some of the tasks. My sims live so far away from Oasis Springs, in canon, it didn't make sense for them to visit more than once. So the random trip out to Chestnut Ridge for bonus points was moved up for plot. Hazel and Suri are there as a surprise even to me because I didn't invite them; they randomized on the lot when it loaded.
NOTE 2: River's nickname from Neal is Huckleberry/Huck, a plant nickname like he gave to all four of his kids - Heather "Buttercup," Holly "Daffodil," River "Huckleberry," and Hazel "Dandelion." (Yes he gave them plant nicknames even though their given names are also plants, except River's.)
I gave River the new tree ring tattoo but you can't really see it in anything he wears. Like rings of a tree growing with each year, family trees grow branches with each generation. Since this event saw him set himself up to take over as President of Nesbeets Faux Meat, the tree ring felt fitting for his first ever tattoo. You can sort of see it peeking out from under his shirt when he's talking to Hazel above, but here it is in a tank top I put him in just to show it off:
Sims In Bloom: Generation 2 Pt. 223 (Dog Days of Summer)
cw: Nature's Calling reward event tasks for week 2, if you're avoiding quest spoilers!
Henford-on-Bagley, the picturesque country town with cobblestone roads, was experiencing its hottest summer in years. Some days were so deliriously warm, Daisy Nesbitt thought the gnomes were suddenly wiggling around in their backyard.
Cass was into her second trimester and feeling the heat most of all. Despite a bug (disappearing belly glitch but only in her everyday wear) and high blood pressure, she was dealing with trying to train Duchess the cat not to jump on tables to eat human food.
"I don't care if you like Nesbeets Wellington as much as the rest of us. Your bowl is on the floor," she scolded.
But Duchess never listened.
On his days off, Neal was content to collect honey from the bees and work on reclaimed wood furniture - a new hobby he'd recently picked up after years honing his handiness skill.
The family still thought they heard faint whispers on the wind from time to time, but never enough to convince them they were really on the trail of a fairy.
Instead, Neal focused on installing reclaimed wood wall paneling inside their home with the help of his son, River. The wallpaper and mismatched paint upstairs were finally gone, replaced by a classy wood finish that reminded Neal of a cozy cabin in his favourite place, Granite Falls.
One day, while he worked on a reclaimed wood dining table on his workbench, he heard another faint whisper, like the bark of a new pet. For dog-loving Neal, this could only mean one thing. He called the local shelter, who sent a man to greet the prospective adoptees of Rainbow - a friendly, playful and loyal Australian cattle dog.
Their youngest granddaughter, Iris, had a name that meant 'rainbow,' and to Neal this felt like a sign. He took to the pup immediately, heading out to enjoy the sunshine for Rainbow's first walk through Finchwick Town.
Daisy tried to ensure they could handle another dog with so much else going on in their lives. "We're leaving soon for Hazel's wedding in Windenburg, and the baby will be here soon. Are we sure Rainbow will get along with Bubbles?"
"We'll always have room for another dog, and Bob and his wife will look after the pets for us while we're away."
"You still go off to job sites three days a week. Will you be home enough to train both dogs?"
"Are you still trying to get me to retire?"
"Would it really be so terrible? You could build furniture and eco-friendly smog vacs to your heart's content in the backyard, care for the bees, and spend more time with me."
He blushed. "I can spend more time with you anytime. I'll just make less furniture."
Daisy sighed, letting go of the debate they kept having more and more often, lately. They'd both been remarkably successful and Daisy was practically retired already, but her husband's work had always been more demanding. She worried about him, but more than anything, she wanted him home to spend more time with the whole family.
Despite Daisy's apprehension, everyone was instantly smitten with Rainbow, and while Mike and Sam were away at summer camp, they took Rainbow and their terrier mix, Bubbles, to bask in the warm summer weather in Isle of Volpe Park.
Neal and Daisy flirted on a blanket while River and Cassandra discussed baby names by the pond, until they heard faint whispers on the wind once again.
Tread carefully. Some secrets are deeply buried for a reason. The path ahead may lead to unforeseen consequences. Heed the warnings of the land.
"We better not tell Lavender about this," Daisy suggested when they got back home that evening. "Heather and Conrad are already freaked out about the curse, and that sounded pretty ominous."
"That's fine with me. The last time something strange came out of the earth nearby, you spent over a year as a plantsim."
"That really was a failed experiment." Daisy chuckled as she remembered growing a plantsim tree and eating a forbidden fruit, thinking the effects would last a few weeks. But she met newborn Ash, her first grandchild, as a plantsim, and later that year watched River and Cass get married with green skin and leafy hair. As an expert botanist, she thought she knew what she was doing when she embarked on that adventure, but the mighty plantsim tree had humbled her.
"Just promise you won't try it again if it turns out the whispers we've been hearing have been plantsims, after all."
"I'll promise not to try for a better experiment if you promise to retire before the end of the summer."
Neal grumbled with disinterest. The couple almost never argued, but sometimes they had a habit of delaying the inevitable to keep the peace.
They next day was cooler, and they took both dogs for a long walk to a tree with colourful vines. The whispers were louder here, but they remembered the windswept warning and left again without exploring deeper.
(Daisy went down here - during her time as an astrobotanist! - in Gen 1 and did a bit of fishing, so they skipped it this time around.)
River's childhood best friend, Kash Munch-Pancakes, stopped by to extend an invitation on behalf of his aging dad, Bob, who'd lived down the street from the Nesbitts for all of their adult lives. Daisy still remembered his first wife, Eliza, as a great friend gone far too soon.
Kash and his husband, Wolfgang, were fathers to a daughter, Fredrika, and they'd recently moved back home with his aging father and stepmother to let their daughter grow up in beautiful Henford.
"Dad and Annette just installed a hot tub in the yard, and they said to tell your parents to come over this evening to check it out."
Daisy grinned. She'd just bought Neal and herself matching leaf-patterned bathing suits in her favourite colours. Neal hated yellow, but he wore the shorts without complaint for his wife.
The picturesque country summer was already half over and they wanted to enjoy it, so Daisy and Neal put aside their debates and disagreements to spend a night with great old friends. ->
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NOTE: I laughed out loud when one of the optional tasks for week 2 was to adopt a dog. The house is stuffed, there's a baby on the way, they already have a dog with which they could have earned the points, but the quest offered dog lover Neal the chance to adopt Rainbow and I couldn't say no.
TOWNIE TREE NOTES: Just tracking my big small world for those interested - Bob has lived at the other end of Cobblebottom Street from the Nesbitts since the start of this save. He had three kids with his first wife, Eliza - twins Everett and Malia and son Kash, who had daughter Fredrika with husband Wolfgang Munch through a surrogate.
Everett has three kids we know with Spencer Kim-Lewis (though Jett is biologically Heather's via surrogacy), Malia has two sons with Dr. Jamar Scott, who delivered both Ash and Roan. Malia and Jamar's sons are Jaden, who helped build the treehouse, and the recently born Maverick. Eliza died tragically while trying to make grilled cheese for the kids and their friends - Heather, Holly, and River Nesbitt - when they were all very young.
Bob later had another daughter, Elizabeth, with his second wife, onetime Henford mayor Annette Rhoades. Elizabeth now lives in Brindleton Bay with her husband, Stanley Chopra, the son of Henford townies Rahul Chopra and Rashida Watson. Stanley's sisters, twins Thomasine and Ranvi, are married to Marcus Flex and Oliana Ngata, respectively.
