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While many fathers look forward to the cards they'll receive on Father's Day, Terry Hinz, 50, of Soldotna, has to block an afternoon out of his schedule to read all that he'll receive for the holiday from his 16 children.

"The kids definitely like to make their own cards. We put them up at the house and the fridge is covered. You can't tell what brand it is," he said.

Hinz and his wife, Jane, have between the two of them, nine boys and seven girls, ranging in age from 3 to 26 years old. Of these children, four are the Hinz's biological kids. The couple became legal guardians of two of the kids, and the remaining 10 they adopted in two separate occasions to keep the family groups -- of three kids and seven kids -- together.

Though many of the children came from different places, including some from as far away as Missouri and Oregon, Hinz said there is a common thread that binds them together.

"We're all one family now," he said.

Hinz grew up in a large family with 13 kids, but said he didn't always know the same would be true of his own family.

"We started being foster parents and did that for a few years," he said.

Fostering was a mixed bag of emotions, however, and ultimately led the Hinzes to opt for more permanent connections to the kids in their care.

"We got to see kids go back to good and bad situations, and we looked around and saw a lot of kids without good places to live, so we made the commitment to start adopting" he said.

Adopting one child is a huge commitment, and adopting 16 is almost impossible for the parents of average-sized families to comprehend. Hinz said it wouldn't have been possible without two things: a good wife and a good job.

"My wife is a stay-at-home mom and I work in Prudhoe Bay as a pad operator for BP," he said.

That doesn't mean that having 16 kids isn't without its challenges, though.

"Transportation is a big one. We have a 15-passenger van for when we want to go places," he said.

Food bills accumulate quickly, too.

"We go through a couple of gallons of milk a day and we buzz through a box and a half of breakfast cereal every morning," he said.

Then there is all the hygiene that is required, such as laundry, dishes and teaching the children how to clean and take care of themselves, or in the cases of the little ones, doing it for them.

"Just cutting fingernails and toenails can be time consuming. There's 20 on each person, so before you know it, your into cutting hundreds of nails," he said.

While the challenges are many, so too are the rewards.

"We try to do a lot as a family. So we go camping, jet skiing and ride motorcycles together," he said.

With all the motorized fun the family has together, the machinery requires regular repairs.

"We do that together as well. They also do these things on their own, which I am proud of because they can gain confidence in their abilities to troubleshoot what is wrong, and take it apart and put it back together," Hinz said.

The only problem is the kids get into his tools, and aren't quite as good at putting them back where they belong.

"They ask what they can get me for Father's Day, or my birthday, and I always tell them the same thing: Organize my tool box and replace the missing tools," he said.

In addition to revving the throttle for fun, the Hinz family also enjoys wetting hooks together.

"We also like to fish; I just have to do it in groups because my boat's not big enough to fit everyone," he said.

Once on the water, Hinz said there are also benefits to be reaped by having a big family. Dipnetting provides a reliable and affordable source of food, since at 25 fish for head of household and 10 for each additional member, the Hinzes can keep 195 salmon if they are lucky enough to get them.

"We love dipnetting and cleaning fish also works well with a larger family. Everyone chips in and it happens fast, even when there's a lot of work. We usually can about 80 quarts of fish and then we'll freeze a lot too," he said.

The same is true for butchering game.

"With such a large family, we're on the list with an organization for moose road kill. That turns into a big family function too, as we all partake in the skinning and butchering. The family really enjoys making the various types of sausage we make at home," Hinz said.

Like all families there are good times and bad, but Hinz said the decision to adopt so many children has always been a very fulfilling one, and he doubts that will ever change.

"It's nice to see them grow up in a good atmosphere," he said.

This is a message he tries to share with others considering foster care or adoption.

"The local (Office of Children's Services) is in need of foster and adoptive homes. Anyone wanting to adopt a child or a sibling group can also go to adoptamericanetwork.org. They can help match a child or siblings with your family, and walk you through the steps needed to complete an adoption," Hinz said. "Be aware it is a long process, but well worth it. There are thousands of children in need of loving homes."

Joseph Robertia can be reached at joseph.robertia@peninsulaclarion.com.