Annette Sutcliffe's grocery list included 10 dozen eggs and 10 pounds of bacon. There were several gallons of milk, a number of loaves of bread and 5-pound bags of quick-cooking grits. Every carton and container was jumbo-sized, and the weekly food supply filled two separate shopping carts.

Sutcliffe says she may have cooked a greater number of meals and washed more dishes than the average mother, but managing a household for 10 people was greatly rewarding.

"I love being a mother," Sutcliffe said, "and I believe this is what God planned for me."

Today, as the nation celebrates Mother's Day, Sutcliffe will assume a new title. In addition to being recognized as the mother of Cindy, Thea, Julie, Polly, Janet, Eddie, Mark and Linnie Jr., Annette Sutcliffe will begin her reign as the Times and Democrat's Mother of The Year.

Following the announcement at the second annual Mother of The Month Reception on May 7, Sutcliffe said, "It is an extremely humbling honor to have been selected as the 2007 Mother of The Year. I just hope I can live up to the prestigious title."

As a tiara was placed on Sutcliffe's head, June Derrick, the 2006 Mother of The Year, replied, "You will do just fine Annette; just continue to be yourself."

The Mother of The Month Contest for 2006-07 began last June, and a winner was chosen each month from the nominations submitted for judging. The 11 monthly winners were invited to the reception at The T&D.

Bryan Osborn, the T&D's advertising director, served as master of ceremonies for the event.

Osborn told the audience, "We received more than 100 outstanding nominations for this contest. Choosing 11 monthly winners and a Mother of The Year was very difficult for our panel of judges. The letters were unique and inspiring. One common phrase, however, stood out time and again; 'My mother takes care of me.' That truly is something that a mother does best; she takes care of her children."

The 11 Mother's of The Month enjoyed a time of sharing and received a special gift from Oasis Medical Skin Care. The monthly winners are Sandra Sumpter, Janet Hydrick Antley, Emily Fogle, Sharon Ehrhardt, Annette Sutcliffe, Debbie Joyner, Bernice Simpson Prince, Ruby Hilliard, Marguerite Bowen, Pearl M. Thompson and Alice Clark.

Dr. Tina T. Smith traveled from Franklin, Tenn., to attend the reception with her mother, Pearl M. Thompson. Smith said, "It is a joy to be the daughter of Pearl Thompson. It was an honor and pleasure to stand with her tonight. I only hope that my own children adore and love me as much as I adore and love my mother. She is exceptionally warm and kind and is an outstanding mother."

A tearful Cindy McKeowen embraced her mother, Annette Sutcliffe, following the reception. Softly whispering into her mother's ear, Cindy said, "Thank you so much, Mother, for all you have done for me."

Family quest

Mother says building success

in blended household was ministry

Following is the story of Annette Sutcliffe, The Times and Democrat's 2007 Mother of The Year, in her own words:

When my husband, Linnie, and I decided to get married in 1973, everyone told us we could not put two families together and make it work.

Linnie was a divorced father of five children, and I was a widow with three young children. Our blended family would total 10 people. We asked God's blessings on our decision to marry, and not only did we make it work out, we made it become ONE family. With the daily help of our Lord, we melded and molded "two into one." Today, no one can tell the difference between the children, and they all consider themselves to be brothers and sisters. The words "step child" has never been used in our family.

Motherhood is one of the greatest challenges of life. I was a breadwinner, cook, nurse and counselor, but most of all I was a friend to all of my children. I cried with them, laughed with them and rejoiced with them over their accomplishments. At times, I helped mend hurt feelings between the children when sibling rivalry showed its ugly head. I also tried to teach them how to forgive and how to love as God loves.

My early ''ministry'' was to be totally dedicated to my husband and our children. Regardless of how busy my family was, we always made it a practice to sit down as a family for mealtimes and to discuss how our day went. And even though finances were tight for our family of 10, we always took our children out at least once a month, even though it was sometimes just a milkshake or an ice-cream cone.

A typical day in our home, located on Bonnette Road in Norway, was something of a novelty. On school mornings, we arose at 5:30 a.m. We only had two bathrooms, so the children had to be called two at a time to have their turn grooming. We learned to be organized and the importance of sticking to a schedule.

As a family, we always enjoyed a full breakfast of grits, eggs and bacon before we separated for the day. After breakfast, the children made their beds and cleaned their rooms before going to school. Every child had assigned tasks in the home, and privileges were granted according to the completion of those tasks.

When the children returned home from school, study time was from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.. The two oldest girls started preparations for the evening meal, while the two middle girls helped with the laundry. Each night at 9 p.m. we gathered in our den for family devotions.

There were assigned chores for the weekend, such as yard work, house work, grocery shopping, and everyone had to pitch in for things to run smoothly. We planted a garden and fresh vegetables were harvested, canned and frozen for the winter, and everyone helped with the picking and shelling.

One interesting incident that stands out in my mind about gardening is Cindy didn't like to pick beans and would always lament about how backbreaking it was. On particularly hot summer days, Cindy would lament, "I'm never going to marry a farmer if I have to pick butter beans!" But, when Cindy grew up, she fell in love, and surely enough she married a FARMER!

As a mother, I often became the ''go-between'' for the kids and their Dad, who was the God-ordained leader of our home. If one of the children had a special request, they came to me to and asked ME to be the one to approach ''Dad.''

One of the lessons I tried to instill in my children was the importance of a strong work ethic. As each child reached the age of 16, they understood they would go out and get a job. I also encouraged them to tithe first and then put a designated amount each week into a savings account.

I can proudly say today that our children are successful in life. Linnie Jr. graduated from Clemson University with a degree in poultry science and now works with Boeing, a company that makes airplanes, in Seattle, Wash. Mark, a retired U.S. Air Force Chief master sergeant, has a master's degree in political science and lives in Fort Walton Beach, Fla., where he is employed by the government. Eddie, a computer engineer, is a graduate of both Clemson University and the University of South Carolina.

Janet is employed by Harrell's in Norway. Thea and Julie both graduated from Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College. Thea is a lab technician and Julie is a nurse. Cindy, a Winthrop graduate, is an elementary school teacher. Polly graduated from the Orangeburg School of Nursing and is married to Dr. Rodney Fitzgibbon Jr.

All my children put themselves through college through scholarships and grants.

One of the greatest moments in my life as a mother was the first day one of Linnie's children called me Mom. Another defining moment was when one of the children who never understood the ''rules'' in our home came back to me after she married and said, "Mom, I want to thank you for rearing me the way you did."

After the oldest children left for college, Linnie and I became involved in the foster care program. One of my children majored in early childhood education because of her involvement with the youths that came to our home through foster parenting.

As our children continued to ''leave the nest,'' I became aware that this phase of my ministry was ending, and I began to wonder what God wanted me to do next. When I retired from a career that spanned nearly 40 years, my precious mother-in-law entered our home. I ministered to her until her death 18 months later. After observing how wonderfully Hospice helped her, I joined the Hospice team and worked as a volunteer for 10 years.

Whatever I have accomplished as a mother, whatever ministries I have been involved in, and whatever else I may accomplish in the future, I give full credit to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I have simply been his vessel to be used to reach out to others in his name. Jesus is a very strong and vibrant presence in our home and has been since we began this ''family quest.'' Our children have all accepted Jesus Christ and live for him in their own homes and lives.

I have also had the complete support of a dedicated, loving husband throughout the years. Our blended family was truly a gift from God.

Times and Democrat Staff Writer Sonja Gleaton can be reached by email at sgleaton@timesanddemocrat.com and by calling 533-5540. Discuss this and other stories online at TheT&D.com.

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