How To Seat a Family of Nine

More boys means more chairs....broken chairs, that is.  Over the years we've collected all sorts of various chairs to fit everyone in - foldable, stackable, wooden, plastic, metal, fabric, etc.  Whatever worked.  They are well used for everything - eating, climbing, fort building, hair cuts, school time, lunch time, dragged down the hall and down the stairs.  Oh the stories chairs could tell....until they chip, crack, brake, fall apart and ultimately end up tossed in the back of a little trailer headed to the local dump.

Well, in efforts to rid ourselves of one more broken chair, and motivated by the need for one more spot at the table (3 more weeks til baby!) Jason went out and built us 2 one of a kind,  hand crafted, extremely sturdy table benches to fit our growing family.  He built them from the left over wood of an old water bed frame he had as a boy.  They turned out FABULOUS! (Maybe he missed his calling to be a carpenter??)

The finished work before varnishing...doesn't it look amazing!

Danika helped by sanding, staining, and varnishing her Dad's work of art.

Happy Father's Day!

Man Of the Hour

Who better deserving of a "day" than a Dad of 7! All the kids got together and helped fill up a huge multi-picture frame with special cards of love and encouragement devoted to Dad.....even little baby still-to-come got in on the action, we placed his ultrasound pic on the lower left.  The older one's also went out and bought something small to give and Mommy took all the little one's to the Dollar Store find something special.  Then Daddy took everyone out swimming and we enjoyed spending the day relaxing together.

We actually found a frame that would fit everyone!!

 

                                                         

                                                                    Nathaniel's Special Gift, lol!

Are Children A Blessing?

People now days believe children to be a curse and debt to be a blessing! But what does God say?



"And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” Genesis 1:28

"And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and
multiply and fill the earth." Genesis 9:1



"And God said to him, “I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply. A
nation and a company of nations shall come from you, and kings shall come
from your own body." Genesis 35:11






"I will turn to you and make you fruitful and multiply you and will confirm
my covenant with you." Leviticus 26:9

"And the LORD your God will bring you into the land that your fathers
possessed, that you may possess it. And he will make you more prosperous
and numerous than your fathers." Deuteronomy 30:5



"His children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright
will be blessed." Psalm 112:2

 "He will love you, bless you, and multiply you. He will also bless the fruit of your womb." Deuteronomy 7:13






"Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward.  Psalm 127:3






"Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children
will be like olive shoots around your table." Psalm 128:3







 

40 Reasons to Love Another Child

A friend of mine sent me this a long time ago:


1. Desiring children with the man you love is as natural as breathing.

2. The experience of delivering a new life to the world is singularly exhilarating. If you fear pain, there's this lovely thing called an epidural.

3. Breastfeeding: it's not only economical, efficient, and good for the baby, but it releases hormones that relax and calm both mother and child, lulling both of you to sleep. Who wouldn't want a natural nap-inducer?

4. The world doesn't revolve around me and my daily desires.

5. Every human being has dignity and worth.

6. A child is an unbreakable bond between husband and wife. Love breeds love. And more love. And more. There's nothing more desirable than the father of your children.

7. A couple becomes a family -- the whole becomes greater than its parts.

8. Having a child is a cooperation with the sacred.

9. Children are some of the most charming little people I know: full of wonder, curiosity and innate kindness. Properly nurtured, they become equally charming adults.

10. You get to read all the favorite books of your childhood all over again.

11. Children naturally grasp the lesson that people are more important than things.

12. Children teach us the freedom that comes with self-discipline and self-sacrifice.

13. The biggest drudgery is facing no one but myself day after day.

14. I am not ideal ... why should I expect my children to be? Kids teach us the joy of unconditional love and acceptance.

15. I will inevitably disappoint my children because I am not perfect. But, along the way, I'll be able to teach them that -- while nothing on this side of heaven is perfect -- the journey and the perfection that awaits us are worth every moment of trial on earth.

16. To remain or become a self-centered, self-enclosed egotist: what horror!

17. Taking time to care for the gifts I've been given ... yes, thank you.

18. Motherhood is a vocation: fulfilling, rewarding, and full of unpredictable surprises.

19. Families: they are a reflection of the Trinity.

20. Relive childhood and all of its innocent wonder and mirth.

21. To persist in saying "me first" is a sign of immaturity.

22. A child will ignite the fond memories of your own childhood.

23. While you cannot ensure that your child will be happy 100% of the time, the desire for his happiness is a good, admirable and unselfish thing.

24. The enchantment of being with one's children outweighs any and all other difficulties.

25. If you worry about sending them off to school, homeschooling is a delightful, intellectually stimulating option.

26. Do something to change the world. Have a child. Raise a saint.

27. Revel in the simplicity of a child's unconditional love and trust.

28. Parenting will soften your hard edges and sharpen your compassion and empathy.

29. Motherhood is an insight into one's soul. It's better than analysis.

30. Success is not defined only in terms of what one does for money. To succeed as a mother is beyond worldly success.

31. When your husband becomes the father of your children, a new man appears: fiercely loving but practical and still-logical, nurturing but fiercely strong and protective. You will fall in love with him all over again.

32. The child to whom you give life may be the one to fight the culture of death and the notion of a brave new world.

33. "How can there be too many children? That is like saying there are too many flowers." -- Mother Teresa of Calcutta

34. Children whittle away your time in ways that are ultimately beneficial: they have an uncanny knack for getting rid of the meaningless hobbies that used to consume you.

35. Watching a child grow into a caring, sensitive soul is a reward that cannot be measured in book sales.

36. It's an awe-inspiring thing to have a child and the experience of feeling, "I didn't think I could ever love anyone that much."

37. Already have a child? Have another. Siblings are the best birthday presents, Christmas presents, Father's Day presents, Arbor Day presents ....

38. Baby toes. Need I say more?

39. Okay, I'll say more. Watching your baby sleep: You didn't know that angels could be held in your arms.

40. Worried about money? What's worth more than a soul?

Some Answers To Your Questions....

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And God Designed Siblings

"With all those kids, how do you find time to be with each of them and give them the time they need and deserve?"  This question seems to be a predominant pondering of most curious on-lookers as we parade our little (and not so little) "chicklets" down store isles, into local libraries, or even as we navigate the pews in churches, haha!  So, to the curious, whose hearts may be flooded with visions of lonely, needy,  forgotten children desperately longing for love and affection, we offer this gracious answer: