Where is Everyone?

So I'm cleaning, vacuuming doing my own little thing in my own world. Vaguely I know I have children in the house, because well.... Where else would they be?

Sure enough Billy comes running into the room, asking 'where is everybody?' I tell him that I believe everyone is in the playroom and off he goes & I don't think much of it.

But then I do start thinking of it. Not 'oh my gosh, where are the kids?' because, again, I'm pretty sure they're in the house. Billy's simple question of "Where is everybody". Everybody. His 4 other siblings equal enough for an 'everybody' title. Too many names to list, and really Everybody is where the fun will be, not just one other sibling.

I grew up with one sister. I didn't have an 'everybody' to play with. I didn't have a choice of other kids to help decide what was going to be the fun factor for the moment. It was me and my Barbies and hopefully my older sister would play with me. Not a big selection to choose from.

But God has blessed my children with their siblings. Everyone is about 2 years apart from at least one other kid. God has blessed me with my children. Even when it's crazy, and boy does it get crazy, we have our wonderful, big family unit to rely on.

(this pic is about 1.5 years old, it's hard finding full kid group shots!)

I never expected a large family. Never. Ever.
Once married I figured I'd have one child, to carry my husband's family name on with (so, not only was I reluctantly agreeing to myself to have one child, but I better get that boy first shot!), as a side note I should say hubs never-ever pressured or pushed to have children. This absolutely dumbfounded idea about having kids because I have to carry on family names was completely 100% me. I had the smarts in my earlish 20s....

Bill and I ended up pregnant 3 months after our wedding - he was doing backflips & cartwheels in the hallway as I was looking at my pregnancy stick in shock.

But something amazing happened after we had Donal. I found love, true unconditional love. I wanted to have billions & billions of kiddlets!! Okay, I said 5... And here we are just a blink away from welcoming number 6 into our home. My kids are ecstatic, we're blessed beyond belief with the amount of love in our family.

We fight, we struggle to get everything we 'need', we have one car, we don't wear the latest & greatest in designer goods... but you know what we do have? Support for each other, compassion for each other, and no matter which way you turn theres someone to cry on or rub your back. We have each other, we are full to bursting with love and laughter.

We have Everyone.

**Shannon**