Audra Rushing, 40, wakes up every day at exactly 5:50 a.m. She starts her day by waking up her family and making coffee for everyone. Previously an in-home care worker, Audra is now a stay-at-home-mom providing care for her own family.
That includes her husband Bobby Null, 38, a veteran of the Iraq War, and her 17-year-old son, Brayden Cantrell, who was diagnosed with autism. Her daughter, Lilyian Cantrell, 19, is working on a college degree while living at home and has a friend, Zoey Wright, 18, who Audra treats as one of her own. Then there are the eighteen animals including two dogs, five cats, one ferret, five roosters, four chickens, and one turkey named Sunny.
“Mama don’t care. I’ll confront people. I’ll stand up for my kids. When it comes to my babies, I will fight” says Audra. She reflects on her own childhood difficulties, and concludes that these challenges have made her a better caretaker for her own children.
“You do good, and be good,” she tells them.
Audra Rushing, 40, pats her pit bull, Winchester, goodbye before starting her day at her home in Holcomb, Mo. Born and raised in Kennett, Mo., Audra and her family moved a few miles out of town 11 years ago so her son Brayden Cantrell, 17, who was diagnosed with autism, could attend a more accommodating school.
The family home is accessible only by a dirt road and the lack of pavement has damaged Audra's car tires. She uses the battery of her family’s ATV to power an electric tire pump. Pumping her car tires is part of her daily routine.
Audra Rushing carefully lowers a giant chicken coop on its side so that the strong winds from a storm won’t knock it over and potentially damage it. Since Audra’s husband, Bob Null, 38, works almost eleven-hour days, a lot of the home tasks are handled by Audra.
The week has been hectic. Her son Brayden had been given in-school suspension for using his phone in class, requiring a meeting with the principal. Her daughter Lilyian, and friend Zoey, were shaken up, but not seriously injured in a car accident. Audra and Bob also had to drive almost an hour to take Bob for his health checkup at the VA hospital. After all this, she takes a peaceful moment to look out the window at the rainy landscape during a visit to a friend’s house in Kennett
Zoey Wright, Audra's nearly adoptive daugher, rests her head on Audra. The the family dogs, Winchester, left, and Sockers, right, rest with them. Although not her biological daughter, Zoey calls Audra mom and also treats her like one. Audra has accepted Zoey as her own and raises her like a daughter.
Audra Rushing leaves notes on the refrigerator for her family. She takes a moment to be witty.
While making a grilled cheese sandwich for her son Brayden Cantrell, Audra hands her daughter, Lilyan Cantrell, a bag of cheese to put back into the fridge. “He likes his grilled cheeses burnt” says Lilyan in a playful manner, describing her brother Brayden’s unique preference.
Audra gently wakes up her son Brayden Cantrell for school. Due to his autism, Brayden needs a little bit of extra help from Audra to keep him on track for his morning routine.
Audra takes a quiet moment for herself while making coffee for her family. Audra wakes up every morning at 5:50 a.m. Then, she wakes everyone up and starts on the coffee.
Early in the morning, Audra shares a loving moment with her husband, Bobby Null, as he gets ready to leave for work. Bobby has long work days, which leaves Audra to take care of anything that needs handling at the home.