The Whatcotts' four living biological children (a fifth died in the military 20 years ago), now scattered across the country, weren't exactly hip on the idea of their parents rearing a second family.

The oldest, Dan Whatcott, found it "a little bit odd."

"We tried to discourage them a little bit, though they seemed a little bit enamored with the idea of adoption," he said. "But they're free spirits. They can pretty much do what they want."

Dan Whatcott, who lives in Idaho, worried how having another set of children would affect his parents' relationship with their grandchildren, some of whom are the same age as their parents' adopted children.

The decision caused hard feelings for a time, but he says that's in the past.

Dan Whatcott has noticed a change in his mom's and dad's parenting style with the second set of children. He says his father, whom he described as very strict with him as a child, has become more lax. His temperament has mellowed. He doesn't get upset as easily. There's more give and take between parents and children.

And the thing about older parents is that they forget stuff like grounding their children.

Wes Whatcott howls with prolonged laughter when told his six adopted teenagers admit to taking advantage of their parents' occasional memory lapses.

"That really strikes my funny bone," he says after calming down. "It's true. We need to write things down and plaster them up on the wall."

The Whatcotts have had to adapt to the personalities of their children.

"What we have to be is adjustable. We have to bend," he said. "We're a flexible family. It's been a healthy thing for us."

Camping and exploring the outdoors, for example, were a big part of their first family. But with these kids, not so much.

"We didn't like camping," Briana said. "They sold the trailer because we hated it so much."

Dan Whatcott says the generation gap between himself and his dad is even wider with his dad's adopted children. "They're sort of the hip-hop generation. He's the pre-boomer generation," he said.

The older Whatcott siblings were concerned about their parents' ages, especially as their children became teenagers. His dad's father, he said, died at about age 70.

"If he passed away, what would happen with the kids? Mom would have a difficult time managing a house full of teenagers," he said.

Neither Wes nor Sandra Whatcott currently have any health issues. "The older geezer, knock on wood, is doing fine," Dan Whatcott says of his father.

Says Sandra Whatcott, "We're not worn out."

Wes and Sandra Whatcott have enjoyed watching their children's interests develop as they have grown.