I love big families!

I have been meaning to start another survey/poll like the one I have above about how many children you have, but I wanted to write first about how awesome it is that so many of you have 3+ children! I wanted everyone to see the the diversity of family sizes before I started a new one!

Let me tell you why I love big families! I come from a family of 8 children - 2 boy and 5 girls. It was always a blast growing up - there was never a dull moment, you learned to eat fast or not at all, and you always had someone to talk to! In fact, when I moved out to go to college, I HAD to have music playing or be around a lot of people while studying (instead of in a quiet place like most people) because I could concentrate better! 

I have a big extended family too! I have about 70 cousins (60 of them are from one side), two aunts with 15 children, one with 8 (7 of them are boys), and 2 sets of grandparents still alive. When we have a family reunion (on one side) we take up a whole hotel in the Wisconsin Dells. My family is so big in fact that I honestly (and sadly) do not even know some of my cousins' names. I could pass right by some of their spouses and children and not even know they are related to me! In my defense, my family has always lived at least 2 states away from everyone else so we were never saw them much, but we sure loved getting to know everyone at those crazy family reunions!

So anyways, that is why I loved to see that many of you have 3+ children and 10 of you have 4+! That is great! I think families are a huge blessing from God no matter how large or small, but you have a lot of love (and challenges) in those big families.

However, as a mother now, I know how hard it is to be a mother and how it can challenge you financially, mentally, emotionally, and physically at times. So I have never had more respect and love and thankfulness for my mother and all mothers out there than I do now! No matter how big or small your family is God has truly blessed you and it is hard no matter how many you have!

But God bless those mothers who have expanded and expanded and expanded their brood! God has a special place in heaven for you....with a huge spa, endless massages, and many, many drinks of your choice!