For As Long As I Can Remember...

 

[Pictures-- I wanted to take these pictures while Calyssa still fit into the girls' doll dresses, that match their dresses.  They fought over who was going to hold her in the pictures, and so we let each of them have a turn.]

For as long as I can remember, I have wanted 6 kids.  There were 6 kids in my family, until I was 14 years old, and I decided that was pretty nice.  (Grant was also raised in a family of 6 children.)  So from about 8 years old on, I would tell anyone who would listen, that I wanted 6 children.  My vocalizing even caused my 5th grade teacher to spend a week teaching about overpopulating the earth, showing videos and such, which taught that 1.4 kids (or something like that) was how many you should have.  I was crushed by these lessons and went home crying.  When my Mom asked what was wrong, I informed her that I was only going to have 2 children.  We talked and she told me it was completely fine for me to want 6 children.

Now, 20+ years later, I have realized that goal and it seems unreal.  I feel so blessed that I have been able to carry, birth, and begin to raise these 6 beautiful, healthy, daughters of God.  It is an honor and a huge responsibility, that I take very seriously.  I just hope that we can raise them in a way that is pleasing to our Heavenly Father. 

I honestly never would have guessed that we would be raising 6 girls!! but the more I think about it, the more excited (and scared) I get.  Everyone who I talk to who had a bunch of sisters only, in their family growing up, tells me how fun it was.  I know it is part of God's plan for us to have these girls.  And they have already taught me so much- they are so good for me!  (I was a huge tomboy growing up and very into sports.  I become girlier and girlier every day that I raise all these girls- they are so fun!)

It is so much fun to see them all playing together- barbies, polly pockets, etc.  (I love how they even include their youngest sisters.)  They are very close, especially since they spend all day together every day (since I home-school them.)  Yes, they do fight, but they love each other so much!  And enjoy doing the same things- clogging, soccer, etc.  It is also fun to dress them alike!  Hopefully, we will all survive their teenage years, and all the hormones- LOL!  :)  And hopefully, we can protect them from all the scary things in this world- that is especially scary with 6 girls/6 teenage daughters! 

This week, I finished reading the book, "Bringing Up Girls," by Dr. James Dobson.  I have to say that despite laying his religious views on pretty thick (most of which I agreed with but at times it just became a bit much), it was one of the best books I have ever read!  Even though it is almost 300 pages, I read it in a week or two, which is by far, the fastest I have ever read a self-help book!  I was just fascinated by the information and was eager to learn more.  I highly recommend it for Moms raising daughters and highly, highly, highly recommend it for Dads raising daughters!!  (It talks several times about just how important a father is in a girl's life, and how their relationship affects her so much, especially her self-esteem.)  I cried several times during the book and I learned SO much about why girls are the way they are.  I reflected on my own father, and the things he did right and wrong, and thought about the father of my children, and how we together can best raise our daughters.  It helped me understand myself, and others, and it gave me a few suggestions about mistakes that I am making and that I plan on changing about things I am doing now.  I am so glad that I read it, and that I read it now!

PS- For all you parents of boys, he also wrote a book called, "Bringing Up Boys," which I'm sure is just as good.