FAMILY!

It has been brought to my attention that people think that my family dynamic is an oddity.  Robert and I decided to allow God to determine our family size.  This is an ideal that leaves many people scratching their heads and looking at us like we are crazy.  More often than not we hear how the kiddos are ruining our lives; each pregnancy is a burden, and my personal favorite that we are selfish for having more than two kids.  This is something that honestly flabbergasts me.  How is caring for another person, someone created in the image of God, known by the Creator before the foundations of the world, and destined for His purpose, selfish?

There are few things that can make me smile as much as my husband and my children.  Each one of our five kiddos is so unique, so totally themselves, and so totally awesome that it is impossible to NOT look at them and smile.  My husband, having no desire to have more than two kids when we first married almost 19 years ago, amazes me with his parenting style and love for his kiddos.  The other day the kiddos and I were talking that if each one of them marries and has at least four kiddos each, Robert and I will have 24 grand-kids.  Most people would balk at that.  I on the other hand, got excited.  What a legacy!  What an amazing blessing! What a gift to pass on our family love to that many little people.  Those little people have the opportunity to grow up and change the world.  All because of Robert and me, the world can be mightily impacted.  That is a humbling thought.  That is an amazing thought.   Our family is uniquely imperfect and I adore it.

I love having a “large” family, although in my opinion we don’t have that big of a family.  I love how my kiddos are learning to work together to care for each other and even our extended family.  I love how they look to each other to build friendships.  I love how they come to Robert and me for advice.  I love how our relationships work together to make our lives what they are.  I love how the kiddos pitch in to help.  I love how Robert doesn’t complain when the house isn’t absolutely perfect.  I love how he purposes to spend time with his kids and let them be who they are.  I love how the kids don’t complain that they have to pitch in more because I’m in the first trimester blah feeling.  I love how excited the kiddos are at the idea of another new baby.  I love how they can’t wait and are talking about what they can do when the new baby gets here. 

I know that our family isn’t perfect. On any given day there is sand everywhere in the house, boys running naked because I just can’t keep them in clothes, fights breaking out because someone looked at someone wrong, touched them, or breathed their air, and my personal favorite; the wrestling never that never stops, EVER. I know that our lifestyle isn’t for everyone.  There are days that I get tired of laundry and cooking.  There are days when I would gladly ship all the children away, if I could find someone to take them all at once, ha!  I know that my lifestyle is crazy, chaotic, hectic, and just plain nuts!  But I wouldn’t trade my life for anything.  I honestly can’t imagine my life without all my little ones.  I don’t know how I would manage if we would’ve listened to the naysayers and stopped after John Robert.  I honestly cannot imagine this world without Ethan, Cole, and Jacob. 

I love that we aren’t the typical American family.  I love that we are having another baby.  I love that my kiddos are as excited as they are.  I love how our family dynamic works.  I love how the kiddos all come together to take care of things, most of the time without complaint.  I love how excited everyone is to see each other, even if a family member has only been gone for a day.  I love the dirt on the walls and floor.  I love the sarcasm and crazy conversations. I love the under cooked scrambled eggs that were made with love.  I love the hugs and kisses.  I love the outrageous grocery bills.  I love how my kiddos are more concerned with someone’s heart than anything else.  I love my “large” family and I wouldn’t have life any other way.