OUTNUMBERED BY TWO!

In 1988, we had our first child. After several miscarriages, we finally were able to start our family, and were very excited about it. So excited that I can remember fighting with my husband on who was going to change the diaper. TRUE story!

Seventeen months and three days later, we had our second child. Wasn't expecting that so soon, but, again, we were very excited! Now we had a sweet little boy and our darling baby girl. 

It wasn't until one miscarriage and three years later that we were blessed with our third child, another boy. Oh no! Now we were outnumbered! I was really scared about having a third child, but soon that feeling was replaced with utter joy!

We knew we wanted a large family, and since we were late in getting started, we decided to go ahead and have our fourth child. Twenty months later, we were blessed with another boy. We now had four children, ages six and under. I think back on those days and wonder how we ever did it.

When I gave birth to our last child, for some reason I really didn't feel as if we were done. Seven years later, at the age of 42, I once again got pregnant. At first I was in shock, but quickly, I got very excited. From the first day I found out that I was having another baby, I felt as if it was going to be a little girl. Ashley often mentioned about having a baby sister. Sadly, this was not meant to be, as soon after I became pregnant, I had yet another miscarriage. I think about that baby often. I really don't know if I have ever gotten over that last miscarriage. In fact, I think of all the miscarriages I've had and wonder what more joy we could have had in our home.

I can remember so many times when I was out with my children I would get some strange looks. Quite often, people would look at me, then to my children and then back at me. Then they would say, "Are they AAAAALLLL your's?" I would just smile and say, "Yes, they sure are!" A lot of times they would look at them, and then ask me if I had two sets of twins. "No" I would answer. Then sometimes they would ask, "One set of twins?" I would tell them, no twins....

Easter with the cousins when we lived in North Carolina about 1996

I will have to say, I was very fortunate to have some very well behaved children. Now I'm not saying they were perfect little angles all the time. Believe me, they had their moments. 

Easy? well, no, it wasn't easy. It was a lot of work! But I enjoyed it.