Meet the lovely Spradlin family, composed of Robert and Carin Spradlin, their son Eric and his wife Alexandra, and Robert and Carin’s grandsons, Ethan and Nathaniel, also known as Tate. The family also includes their cat, Sophie Mae. The Spradlins originally hail from Tyler, Texas, while Alexandra is from Houston.

 

The Spradlins have been in Oak Creek for two years, drawn to the neighborhood “because of convenience to everything, people are very friendly, our beautiful home and the beautiful area,” Carin says. Robert and Carin’s Oak Creek neighbors may know them from their five grandsons; one of the five, two-year-old Tate, is an exceptional boy who has been undergoing cancer treatment at Cook Children’s Hospital in Fort Worth, Texas. Tate’s profound and meaningful story can be found in an upcoming Kids to Kids issue.

 

Before their children and grandchildren came around, Carin and Robert began their courtship right here in Tyler. “We met at Tyler Junior College while taking a class,” shares Carin. “My husband actually grew up with my brother in law, and we all graduated from Robert E. Lee.” Today, Robert and Carin have been married for forty-two years.

 

To this day, family and love remain central in the Spradlin family. Both of Robert and Carin’s children are married. Their daughter, LeAnne Shepherd, married Justin Shepherd, and they have three boys together: eighteen-year-old Noah, fifteen-year-old Matthew, and seven-year-old Nicholas. The Shepherds reside in Bryant, Arkansas.

 

Even closer to home, Carin and Robert currently reside with their son and his family. Eric, his wife, Alexandra, and their two boys, eight-year-old Ethan and two-year-old Tate, live with Carin and Robert in Oak Creek. Eric has epilepsy, so Carin is his caretaker while Alex works. Carin says their children and grandchildren are all the loves of their lives. As a family, Carin says they try to “do fun things to make memories,” including visiting parks, going to the movies, and baking.

 

Carin is a retired children's counselor who previously worked with a non-profit agency and later with autistic children at Tyler Public Schools and Hubbard. Her inspiration for the field came from a desire to help children who had experienced abuse and trauma. Robert, on the other hand, has been with Target's warehouse for thirty-two years.

 

Outside of their family life, the Spradlins enjoy taking walks and being part of their faith community at Green Acres Church. Because of Tate’s journey, they are passionate about Children's Cancer Awareness and are looking to get involved with local cancer organizations in Tyler.

 

The Spradlins have been through a lot. In recent times, they’ve dealt with multiple losses in the family, Carin’s own serious illness in 2023, and of course, Tate’s journey battling cancer. Despite these challenges, the entire family maintains a hopeful outlook. Carin says they are “so grateful that God continues to bless [them] each and every day.”

 

Even though their plate has been more than full, they feel God continues to bless them and love them. “Even though we are going through this cancer journey, we find something to be grateful for each day, make memories and don’t put off doing anything or telling someone you love them,” Carin says. There’s a song that says, “Life ain’t about what you do, it’s who you do it with;” for the Spradlins, no matter what comes their way, they love who they get to do life with.