on family size

Here's the thing about my family size.

I don't think we are a large family. In fact, I feel like we're little.

I am not talking in comparison to other families- though, if I was, I'd still be on the mark, because just about every family we know has 3 children. And we just have 4.

But just looking at my family size, I do not think we are what you would consider to be a big family. At all.

I don't think we'd qualify as big until we hit 8. So, see? We're barely even medium-sized.

I'm writing this post because...well.. really I just thought once it's out there, my friends will hopefully understand,

my perspective. On why I think we are a little family and why I'd welcome more. 

Here are the questions I tend to get, and the answers I try to share. (sometimes I give a more curt answer...usually because I can see visible eye-rolling or the 'are you flippin' serious, woman' look)

Q: Don't y'all have a TV?

A: Yes, we do. 

Q: You know where those come from, right?

A: Yes, we do.

Q: Are they all yours?

A: All except for that one. We found him wandering out in front of Cracker Barrel.

Q: Are you going to have any more?

A: I'd love to.

Q: You know they have a way to prevent that, right?

A: Yes, but I so appreciate you reminding me.

Q: Aren't your hands full?

A: That really depends on the day.

Q: Are you trying to build your own football team?

A: Yes. That's what we are doing.

I'd rather offer up some other answers to those questions, but I try to take the polite road :) Because, after all, I would never approach a couple with one child and ask them straight away if they were going to have another. So it's slightly off-putting when people say that stuff to us...but I know most of the time it's innocent and without judgment.

I have always wanted to have kids. 8 of them. People would say to me, 'Oh, you just wait 'til you have one....that will change.' To the people that told me that, I say, nope, it sure did not.

The thing is, I am limited in how many babies I can have thanks to my c-sections. So, unfortunately, I don't think there'll be ten of us. I would love to have more, though. Nothing makes my heart leap more than when I see my kids playing together, hearing their conversations, watching one help another, or being witness to those moments of love that they share when they don't think anyone is watching. In those moments, I feel like my heart will burst right open.

Yes, I am aware that they cost money to raise. But I also know that He always provides. And we can always, always, always make do with less. I would love for my kids to go to college, but if that is not the path they choose, I am okay with that-- so long as they do something. My husband isn't really with me on this one, but I think that the individual cost of college should not be a factor when choosing whether or not to grow your family. I really don't. 

There you have it. We are small. We know where babies come from. We know what it takes to provide for them.

And we do have a TV. We also know how to turn it off ;)