SPOKANE, Wash. -- When Rita Evan's twin boys did strange things, she simply took it in stride and figured two minds are way better for getting into trouble then one.

"They planned as a duo, like when they used a garden hose wrapped around a tree with each of them holding an end that they had thrown thru a tree branch (arch) and were going to shimmy themselves up the tree," she said. "Who would guess you could use a simple garden hose for a climbing aid?"

But those same two boys could double their minds for good. When they were 12, they became entrepreneurs and developed R&J Lawn Service. They earned their own money to buy motorcycles, jet skis or anything with a motor, said Evans.

Through the good and the bad, Evans had support. A member of Miracle Bonus Mothers of Multiples (MOMs), a Spokane-based support group for moms of twins, triplets or more, she found other moms knew what she was talking about and how to cope.

"As your kids grow up, out of diapers, and go from training wheels to learning to drive, you still have challenges," said Evans. "My twin club friends know what I'm going through and how hard it is with two learning at once. The club has been a blessing for me."

Founded in Spokane in 1958 as a nonprofit club, Miracle Bonus members aim to support, learn and grow from other MOMs' experiences. The group shares educational materials, ideas and equipment, and promotes friendships and social activities among MOMs and their children. Miracle Bonus also awards scholarships to high school graduates, as wells as MOMs, to support advanced education opportunities.

Twin pregnancies, whether fraternal or identical, occur spontaneously in approximately one in 80 pregnancies in the U.S. With fertility treatments, the occurrence of twins, triplets or more has drastically increased the number of multiples born each year. Spokane reflects that trend. Birth announcements in the local paper frequently include twins -- something that was a rarity a half century ago.

After 50 years, the club still is going strong. From helping those frazzled moms cope through pregnancy and the first months after birth, to the friendship and support of lifelong friends, Miracle Bonus has been a double blessing.

Though her boys are now 24 and becoming more and more independent every day, Evans said she's stayed active in the club because of the friends and relationships that she developed. "Five of my very best friends are still active in Miracle Bonus. The six of us have traveled together now that our kids are older."

The club is open to Mothers of Multiples from all over Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho, and is a member of the Northwest Association of Mothers of Twins Clubs. Members hail from all over the greater Spokane area and outlying areas, including Liberty Lake, Cheney, Spangle, Waverly, Desert Aire and Moscow, Idaho. For more information, e-mail miraclebonus@gmail.com or visit www.miraclebonus.com.