BOUNTIFUL —Here’s a normal weekend afternoon with what seems to be a typical family in Bountiful.

Three boys are playing while mom prepares for an evening get-together with neighbors and friends at her home. Welcome to the Davis family. Mom, Donna, 11-year-old Zach who enjoys showing off his most recent invention, this time a double-barrel pea gun.

Nine year-old Joel is excited to display his array of rocks from his collection including what he calls, “mutated barnacles” — and 4-year-old Asher can hardly contain himself over his plastic dinosaurs.

The Davis’ are just another Bountiful family — with one difference.

All three boys have different fathers who, more than likely, they will never meet. The three born to Donna all came via a donor bank in California.

“That’s about the only difference between our family and other families,” Donna said.

Donna notes she never really considered marriage but sees how it works for other families. This full-time nurse at Lakeview Hospital is extremely comfortable and happy being alone, not that she ever is really by herself with her three sons.

“Back about 12 years ago, I was in a relationship that wasn’t going great, and I knew I wanted to be a mom,” Donna said. “What I did not want was the hassle that would come with having a baby with that guy or any other. I wanted my own family.”

With her mindset, Donna moved forward with the process of contacting the donor bank in California. After she was cleared medically to proceed, Donna began the process of reading the profiles of hundreds of donors until she found three she liked. Then a more detailed profile was sent about those three donors.

“You learn quite a bit about the donors,” Donna said. “But you never know their names.”

The next step after selecting her final donor was getting a read on when her body ovulated. Like other would-be mothers in her circumstance, Donna used a basal body temperature to help track when the most likely time of her ovulation would take place.

Realizing it was still not a precise science, Donna would contact the donor company two days before she suspected ovulation would occur. The sperm was then sent packed in dry ice.

During her process with Asher, Donna had narrowed down her three possible donors, and the woman at the sperm bank gave her a little nudge. It was three simple words that Donna still laughs about today.

“She said, ‘Oh, he’s cute,’ about Asher’s donor, and I was impressed by all three donors so I went with the cute one,” Donna said.

Raising three boys conceived via donors as a single mother, Donna feels her family is just like any other. The Davis boys are all-boy, and it is no secret how they were conceived.

“Trust me, there is plenty of testosterone in our home with these three boys,” Donna said. “They are as atypical boys as you’ll find. They know their dads were donors. Being honest is the best way to be as far as I’m concerned. There is no shame in how they came into this world. There are so many single parent homes these days, and this works fine for us.”

Talk of their donors is an open topic when it comes up. Each donor sends a “donor’s statement” which the Davis boys can read at any time. And when an urgent medical condition arose with one of the donors that was genetically carried to Zach, quick and appropriate steps were taken to contact Donna.

“Zach’s donor is in his 40s but was diagnosed with a serious cardiac problem that could be fatal if not dealt with,” Donna said. “We were contacted by the sperm bank and UC-San Francisco where Zach’s donor was diagnosed. Donors do have the obligation to contact us in this kind of situation, but it doesn’t mean they will — so I appreciate that he did that for us.”

Initially, Donna’s parents were not thrilled with the idea of her creating a family by herself, but by the time her father passed away he was in love with the boys. Donna believes it was more her decision to remain single that upset her parents.

“I think it was me not getting married that bothered them,” Donna said. “But now this is our family, and they are fine.”

All three boys are well-adjusted and Zach said he doesn’t see any difference between his life and that of his friends. He knows he could read his donor’s statement at any time, but he remains content with life as it is.

On any given day, it is very common to find Zach, Joel and Asher reading a book, working on the computer or exploring the yard for reptiles. Being homeschooled has also worked for Donna and her boys. As much as they are wild kids, the boys also take their education more seriously than most at their age.

“They know when it’s school time, and a lot of times they will just pick up a book and read on their own,” she said. “I’m strict with them about schooling, and the boys are all at their grade level and ahead of it, so we’re happy.”