There was a time not too long ago where a family of twelve was considered an average sized family. Now a days we are described as a large family. Some would even say huge. Many people are curious about our systems, our laundry, our meals. Our life.
How many loads of laundry do you do a day? How many pounds of meat do you eat per meal? How do you make time for each child? How does homeschooling work with so many little ones? Are they all yours? Are you a blended family? Any adopted? You do know how that happens right?
I’d like to first address that even if they were adopted or we were a blended family, they would be all mine. Children need a loving, stable home to grow up in. They need to know they are loved, that they are heard and that they matter. They need to know Jesus. How they got into my family doesn’t change a thing. They’re still going to be “all mine”. Asking that question, especially in front of the children, is just rude. Am I raising them? Then they’re all mine.
It just so happens that these ten kids are all biologically mine and my husband’s. We had ten kids in twelve years. I spent thirteen years either pregnant, breastfeeding, or both. People often want to know how I did it. Looking back now, I’m not quite sure. I didnt enjoy being pregnant but the end result was always worth it. We trusted that God had a plan and we welcomed each new baby with joy. Sometimes we did long for a little space between pregnancies, or just for a bit of rest, but we had decided that if we could trust God with every other areas of our life we could trust God with how many children our family was going to have. We were not going to take control of our fertility. Looking back we don’t regret that choice and we wouldn’t change a thing.
There are many families who struggle with fertility, who can’t have biological children. We never once took for granted our ability to conceive and carry our children to term. It’s a gift not everyone gets to enjoy. And yes, of course we know how this happens. God’s gift of marriage and all that comes with it is an enjoyable gift!
Now on to the fun stuff. Laundry? It depends on the day and the time of year. In the summer they spend a large part of their time in swimsuits. Shorts and t shirts take up much less space in the wash than jeans and sweaters do. On average I’d say we run 6 loads a day. That includes towels and bedding which doesn’t get washed daily. How do we keep up? We actually have 2 washers and dryers. When we moved into our home 7 years ago there was already hook ups for both pairs and it was life changing. I dont think I can ever go back to a single washer and dryer while the kids are young. In the morning, we start the wash and keep it going. After lunch one of my teens sorts all the laundry into the kids’ individual baskets. After dinner chores each child folds their personal basket, puts their clothes away and then goes straight to taking showers and getting ready for bed. It’s a system that keeps the laundry moving but we never “finish” the laundry. Between spills, animals, accidents and other normal messes that happen in the home there is always laundry waiting. We’ve learned to keep it manageable.
Homeschooling is an adventure. An ever changing one where we are pushing forward, adapting, trying new things while also sticking to the classics that we have found to work for us. Some days we spend hours reading, some days we get through our book work quickly to move on to other things. Some days we just leave it all alone and go to the park.
Eventually I’ll get into my philosophy on homeschooling. I just know that having our kids home with us each day where we can guide them, train them and teach them is our greatest calling. It’s our mission field, our ministry. God has called us to raise these kids in His word, to protect them and guide them until they’ve matured enough to walk independently and confidently in their walk with Jesus.
We don’t have it all figured out. We struggle just like every family does. We have to overcome adversity and challenges. Life is an adventure; we live it to its fullest. It’s not easy, but it sure is worth it.
