Are we crazy?

As you can imagine we get asked lot's of questions. Actually I'm so used to my life that I forget that we look "different." I don't consider us having a large family when I look at some of my friends who have 6, 8, 10... But the reality is, we don't look like your average family. I'm going to try to answer some of the questions that I've been asked, or respond to the comments that I hear.

1. Do you want more? YES! We would welcome more either biologically or through adoption. When we say, "Children are a blessing from the Lord," we truly mean that. Just as you might say, "God has blessed me financially, or with my health, or with my family..." God has blessed us with children. I would never turn down or want to miss out on a blessing that God might have for me. God has trusted my husband and I with one of His greatest blessings, the responsibility to teach and train these little ones to follow Him.

2. How do you do it? The grace of God! I know that sounds very cliche', but it's true. Clinging to Him, His word, and prayer. God gives me everything I NEED. I would also say by the forgiveness of my husband and children. I make many mistakes, but hopefully they are witnessing God's grace and transforming power in my life.

3. You homeschool! Wow! Okay, that's not a question but it is the response I hear when people find out that we educate ALL our children at home. Truth is I could do a whole blog post on questions I get on this subject. In short though: yes I teach them all, no I don't have any "formal" training, yes I test them, yes it is hard teaching a 7th grader, 1st grader, Kindergartner, and Preschooler, while taking care of a nursing baby, yes I get tired, yes we keep a schedule, no we don't follow it exactly, yes I'm more concerned about their relationship and knowledge of Christ than I am with their formal education, yes I want my children to excel in there formal education, yes we will teach them all the way through high school.

So again, we feel that it is our responsibility to teach and train our children. One key verse for us is Deuteronomy 6:7 "You shall teach them diligently..when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down, and when you rise up..."

4. How can each child get the attention they need/desire? This is a good question, but one that I believe people are misconceived by. Most of the time people that ask this question don't have that many children so they only have to focus on 1, 2, or 3 children. It's not that easy to understand unless you have more. God truly multiplies our time with all of our children. Martie and I have such a unique relationship with each one of our children. I would like to answer this question in 2 ways.

First, we want each one of our children to have that special time with us. We tell each one of them that they are, "Our favorite Taylor, Ethan, Andrew, Tabitha, or Carissa." We mean it! Taylor loves it when her and Martie randomly stop at Starbucks or go on a "date." She loves baking with me. Ethan loves to cuddle. He'll crawl up in our lap and just cuddle. He likes for us to read to him and play video games with him. Andrew always sneaks in the bed with us. He likes to give me "Andrew love," when I'm running low on it. He is our helper, don't sit him in front of a television. Give him something to do. He helps me in the kitchen with dishes, dinner, setting the table. He helps daddy fix things. Tabitha, oh Tabitha. She is our comedian. She loves to make all of us laugh. She probably has the BIGGEST personality of anyone. She loves to tag along with me, is very content just sitting with me. But in the next minute she could be rolling on the ground with Daddy and the boys. Carissa, my sweet baby girl. Her special time comes every time I nurse her, when she's in her baby carrier, when I'm changing her diaper. She gets lots of kisses, cuddles, and songs.

The second way that I would answer this question is probably hard for some to understand. I think having more children means they get more attention. They live with their best friends, they don't necessarily want "alone time." We live in a country where children have anything they could want, but is that always the best for them. What is that teaching them? I don't want them to grow up with a "it's all about me" perspective. I pray that having a large family with lots of brothers and sisters helps them to be selfless. I want them to give away their last piece of candy, share their favorite toy, comfort their hurting siblings. I want them to be willing to "sell all their possessions" and follow after Jesus.

Hopefully I've answered some of your questions. I pray that God would use our family's convictions to help some of you. There are lot's of other questions that we get, maybe I'll post more at a later time.