Does everyone's family magically multiply?

Does everyone have a family that magically multiplies?  When I was a young woman, I thought I would love a large family.  My mom was one of nine and my dad was one of six.  But I only had one brother, and no sisters.  I always thought four would be the ideal number of children.  The good Lord had other plans and four just wasn't part of it.

I would like to say they never gave me a minute's worry, but I don't like to lie!  Yes, they were typical kids and teenagers.  We had our share of scraped knees (baseball and softball), scraped knuckles (Tae Kwon Do), Concussions (baseball again)!  And one hyper-extended knee (softball).  And they had their typical teenage moments.  You know, getting stuck at the river in Dad's four wheel drive, or better yet, using Dad's four wheel drive to pull everybody else out... Prom...getting pulled over for racing on Main street (yes, it was and still is a small town).


But I would have liked more than two.  I have laughingly said over the years that the good Lord looked down and said "This woman has enough with the two that she has!"  But truly, they were good kids, never in jail, didn't get into drugs or anything like that.  Just typical teenagers, who grew up while I was busy trying to live our life.

They both went on to marry their own loves and have given me eight grandchildren.  Each of my children have four children of their own, which I find downright ironic.  But I won't complain because they are my life.

Ages 12 (13 next month, our first teen), 11, 9, 8, 6, 6, 3 and 2.  Little stair steps.  They are a joy, and a worry, as all children are.  Two have an incurable disease, one juvenile Type 1 Diabetes and one Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis.  But even with those, they are all pretty normal children.

The entire family, grandparents included, have all gone to watch baseball, softball, soccer, dance, choir and now band.  Four live in my hometown, four live 12 hours away from me.  I see the one's who live close three or four times a week, including Church.  The children who live far, either come home, or I go to them once every couple of months for a week or two at a time.  We also do Facetime and Skype now.

Eight beautiful beings the Lord brought into my life to fill it up with smiles and tears and frowns and those four little words I live for...

"I love you, Grandma."

Until next time.