By Mollie Beth Wallace

NATCHEZ — If five family trips to Disney World aren’t enough togetherness, the Stevens family of Natchez has a few additional hobbies that keep them close.

Ricky and Rhonda Stevens work hard to make sure their lives center on family, from the living room to the softball field.

Friday afternoon the parents of three girls were trying to cram in a quick air conditioner repair at their Peachtree Drive house, where The Dart fell, before hitting the park.

Despite the sweltering heat, the family was headed to watch their daughter’s softball game. Ricky Stevens coaches his daughters’ teams in his off time from his job as an investigator for the Adams County Sheriff’s Office.

And Rhonda, who works as a public relations and marketing consultant for Air Evac, said juggling a full-time job and motherhood is difficult but not impossible to manage.

“I don’t want to miss a thing that they do,” she said. “But the company I work for is very good about encouraging you to spend time with your family.”

With so many obligations and activities, the Stevens family said they always have something going on, but they wouldn’t have it any other way.

“My mom is awesomely wonderful,” said Leah Stevens, 11.

Leah and her younger sister Anna, 6, both attend Cathedral Elementary School. Julia, 19, attends Copiah-Lincoln Community College.

“We try to do a lot with our girls,” Rhonda said. “We try to make things memorable.

“We play beauty shop and have game nights.

“There’s not much we do we can’t take our kids to,” she said.

Ricky, who has three older children as well, said spending time with all his children is very important.

“My Lord, I blinked my eyes and (Julia) was 19,” he said. “If you stop and think about it your family is really all you got.”

Rhonda said her grandparents were very involved in her life as a child, and she appreciates the time they invested with her.

“I remember wearing my grandmother’s red lipstick and high heels,” Rhonda said. “And they would take me on Sunday afternoon rides.”

Rhonda said she believes taking the time to have fun with her girls is what keeps their family so close.

Of course, their favorite thing to do together is go to Disney World, and their next trip — the sixth — is planned for October.

Julia said she enjoys seeing her younger sisters have the same experiences at Disney World as she did at their age.

“Pretty soon (Anna) won’t need a map anymore,” Julia said.

Though it will be only her second time in the Magic Kingdom, Anna said she is excited to go back to her favorite ride, Peter Pan’s Flight, and might even work up the courage to go into the Tower of Terror with Leah.

In the meantime, Rhonda said the family plans to spend a lot of time at the pool and cookout on their grill and try to enjoy a summer with a more open schedule.

Rhonda and Rickey have been married for 21 years.