The Whole Truth: What's a Large Family?

"Uncle" Scott asked:
Ok, I'm game.
"...nor do I feel we have a large family. But, apparently, by today's standards we do."
In your opinion what is a "large" family? Do you hope to eventually have one? 

I'm starting with an easy one!   First questions first...I have no clue what a large family is!  If I stop and look at us or any family with more than two or three children, I guess, I'd have to consider them a large family.  I don't consider us to have a large family because we know people who have more than us (and probably always will).

If you talk to any family with more than two or three children they'll tell you the same thing, I don't see numbers, I see Zoe, Ace, Liam, Josiah, Ceili Rain and Bryant.  While that's a mouth full, I just see individuals.  They are all so different and unique.

I honestly look at pictures like this:

and think, hmm, is that all we have.  It just doesn't seem like a lot of kids.  Maybe we're used to it, maybe we're a tad bit crazy or maybe, just maybe we love each of them as little individuals and not as a massive group of six children.

My sister-in-law (pregnant with #8) is the same way.  This past weekend, we had pictures with Grandmere and Papa.  After arranging all thirteen kids with the grandparents, we all looked and said, "Is that all?  Seems like we're missing someone."

As far as hoping to attain to a number.  Well, we tried that.  We thought we wanted four children and to adopt maybe two (giving us six).  God closed the door on adoption for now and neither Mark nor I had a peace about getting him "fixed (although nothing is broken...obviously)."   I've said a few times that ten is a nice round even number but we're not fixed on it or any other number.  We don't have a goal we're trying to reach nor are we trying to "beat" some other large family...and please don't compare us to the Duggars.  That just drives us crazy!  We're happy with the seven we have but if God chooses for us to have more we say "Woohoo!" and "Thank You, Lord!"  If he chooses for us to just have our little brood of seven, then we'll be happy with that (but we still feel called to adopt...just waiting for Him to open that door again).

I can see where that is hard for people to understand in today's society.  We're (meaning American society) used to getting fast and firm answers.  We want to know numbers.  We (me included) can have our days planned out to the millisecond.  So, saying that our bunch is leaving our actual family size up to God is a bit wacko sounding.  But, it's what we feel called to do.  We don't walk according to our will but to Him who is in us.  We want to live our lives to honor and please God and this is where we feel He has called our family to surrender obedience to Him.  I'm not saying He won't tell us to stop at some point, but for now, we feel His hand on our family size leading and guiding.  

For now, we'll keep counting and recounting the kids in our pictures to make sure we have them all!

Got any more questions for our Bunch?  We'd love to answer them!  Ask away!

*The two lovely pictures in this post were from Tracy Carr!  Isn't she awesome.  I'm waiting on the others (including some maternity ones) before I post them all!  Hint!  Hint!