Okay back to bringing the rest of the world up with ours. Some quick rambling thoughts …. At the end of May the children and I traveled to Maine and spent nearly a week there. After our time together in Maine the whole gang traveled back down to Georgia and we enjoyed another week and half together here. We had a wonderful time together!

We are blessed to have her parents live close so Melissa and the girls stayed with them while the boys and I stayed at her house. We are blessed here in Georgia too as I was able to stay with family (Karen’s parents) while the rest of the bunch started forming a new “normal” being together under one roof at our home in Georgia.

Speaking of homes we are selling Melissa’s house or giving it away really as we just want to break even with the mortgage. We feel very blessed to have a contract on the house in this market and ask that you join us in prayer that it would sell before we marry.

The time we spent together was extremely busy and Melissa and I learned a lot. Three things that stick out in my mind are the amount of food it takes to feed our bunch, the need to stay on top of the laundry or you will drown in it! Socks alone, ten people changing socks daily in one week equals 140 dirty socks! The third thought and really the most important is what I touched on in the last post, we are abundantly blessed. The work that comes with eight children is overshadowed with the blessing of having them. Melissa and I have been given the opportunity to hone and sharpen 8 arrows that will fly out into the future. Like a pebble on still water, the ripple affect from what we do today will affect many in generations to come.

You guys should start your own reality show, is a comment we hear often. Thanks but no thanks is my reply but people’s responses upon seeing our crew together does make me smile for the most part. An example, on our way down from Maine to Georgia we stopped into a McDonald’s restaurant for lunch. I walked up to the counter and began to tell the lady that I needed to order 10 small fries, 10 waters when she stops me mid sentence with a quizzical look and a, “How many?”

I begin to repeat myself when she interrupts again with a, “What?” At this point, I’m thinking to myself my accent can’t be that bad. So I say ten, one zero small fries, waters, cheeseburgers. She laughed and said I thought that is what you said but I wanted to make sure, because that’s a lot of food for one family. I’m grateful for the dollar menu and that water is still free!

Sadly we are apart again but not much longer now. Our house in Maine is ready for the move and we are doing a lot of work here in Georgia to make the house ready for 6 to grow to 10. We are all processing different emotions as the changes continue. I marvel at the children’s love and care for each other one moment, desire to strangle the other 10 minutes later which is then quickly followed by laughing and playing together a short time after whatever the problem was is solved. We may not officially be a family for a while longer but you wouldn’t know that if you spent any time with us.

The wedding plans are coming along and we are all very excited about officially becoming a family.

Abundantly Blessed!!!!

Even more abundantly blessed this father's day than just one year ago!

My favorite quote on large familes comes from a man that lived over 350 years ago …

I remember a great man coming into my house at Waltham; and, seeing all my children standing in the order of their age and size, he said, "These are what make rich men poor." But I gave him this answer, "No, my lord, these are what make a poor man rich; for there is not one of these we would part with for all your wealth." Joseph Hall 1574-1656

I feel immeasurably blessed to have 8 children call me dad today! I am truly rich!!

When I hear the song in the video below I am reminded of how fast my children are growing up and the short window of time that I have to influence them and in doing so impact in some way all the generations that follow.