(By ASHLEY LOPEZ)

GUN BARREL CITY, Texas — Elizabeth Aviles has been buying baby diapers and wipes every two weeks for the past five years. No, she’s not a doomsday prepper.  She’s a mother. Something she never planned to be.

A difficult family life is why Elizabeth never planned to have kids. When she was just a teenager, the responsibility of caring for her 10 siblings fell on her shoulders.

With a schizophrenic mother in and out of hospitals, and an alcoholic father, Elizabeth was forced to take on the role of a mother, as well as going to school and holding a job.

“My life was hard,” Elizabeth says. “God was definitely preparing me.”

Becoming a mother was the last thing on her mind. She could have never imagined that she would have her first baby at 19.

Eighteen years later, Elizabeth is now the mother of six children: four boys and two girls. Three of the boys are under the age of 5. One still wears diapers.

Elizabeth’s childhood was difficult, but it was her inner strength and positive outlook that saw her through those tough days.

“But you can’t blame other people. You have to take responsibility for the way you live your own life. You can get angry or you can choose happiness. I choose to be happy.”

As a happy mother today, Elizabeth says that the difficulties she experienced growing up prepared her for motherhood.

It’s a lesson she’s passing down to her own children.

“Your life can sometimes be chaotic, but these experiences are preparing you for later on in life. Believe it or not, these things don’t happen for nothing,” Elizabeth says.

 Juan Aviles, who has been married to Elizabeth for 17 years, says, “It’s amazing where God leads. Apart from him, we wouldn’t be here.”

The couple, who now live in Gun Barrel City in East Texas, met in college and married after their first daughter’s birthday. They’ve been through thick and thin together and value the responsibility of caring for their growing family.

They are eagerly expecting their seventh baby, a boy, in late May of 2020.

With another little boy, the Aviles know that they will be busier than ever. Another baby means more noise, less sleep, more diapers to buy and change.  

But Aviles doesn’t see it that way. She doesn’t mind at all. She believes that each child is a blessing and knows that they grow up all too soon.

Of course, it’s not always easy.

Elizabeth has sacrificed and has gone without certain things for the sake of her children. She only gets a few hours of rest each night. She doesn’t have free time for herself or hobbies.

But she continues to choose happiness. She greets each day with a positive outlook, believing that God and her faith will get her through.

“You have to have joy, trust God and be happy. Even if it means changing a hundred more diapers.”

(Editor’s Note: This story is part of our Featuring Texans series. The writer of this story, Ashley Lopez, is one of Elizabeth’s daughters, and submitted this piece as part of ACC’s News Reporting 1 course.)