Surviving or Thriving

Heaven and I were shopping a few days ago and had just turned down the salad dressing isle to find the Apple Cider Vinegar and being in a small town sure enough someone I "kinda knew" was walking down the isle towards us. I smiled and quickly turned back to my business knowing that small town grocery shopping can seriously take hours if you stop and talk to each familiar face.

This particular woman spotted my not so camouflaged baby belly and headed straight towards me and with sympathetic eyes placed a "loving" hand on my shoulder and asked, " How many now Honey?" Being an ol' pro at these remarks I quickly replied, " How many what? How many dogs, how many pigs?" and shrugged my shoulders as I played dumb. She was not catching on that her sympathy was not needed nor wanted and gave me a very serious and concerned look as she actually touched my tummy and said, " Children honey, how many children?"

"Nine, this will be our ninth child!" I responded back as I myself laid a protective and loving hand over my unborn.

"Oooooooo" eyebrows lowering and a look of disapproval and sympathy, " Oh Honey, you are a survivor..." pat pat pat on my back as she is "comforting me" in front of the vinegar.

Thank the Lord for my quick tongue... ( a blessing only 1/4 of the time )

" Surviving? No I am thriving! " I responded quickly back as I am looking for a way out of her death grip. ( Look I even kind of rhymed! )

So than on she went with her day and Heaven and I went on with our shopping...than right in front of the produce section I see another familiar face and again my "condition" is noticed.

Smiles exchanged.

" Oh Sister!' this one starts in. " How many does this one make?" she asks, pointing to the life inside of me.

Again my hands go straight to my tummy and I smile, " Nine, this makes nine for us!"

"Oooooh I just love large families, I only had two. Large families are sooo cool, it is so good for the kids too." Woman #2 has just won me over for the next five minutes in front of the cantaloupe.

As for woman #1 - Offered no congratulations, did not even look at my amazing daughter standing right next to me as she "lovingly comforted me for having to have all these dreadful little nose pickers".

Now for the record everyone. Joe and I are having our ninth child. This is GODS mercy and very own fingerprint in our life. We, speaking for our whole family, can not wait to meet this little man and be blessed.

As infertility is higher than ever and people are turning to pets to fill the void of children, Joe and I are basking in the beautiful atmosphere of family, busy playing with play dough and teaching 6 year old twins how to shoot BB guns and reading books about Pocahontas. We are learning our states and capitals all over again and planning tea parties! We are measuring our 11 year old every month as he is shooting up before our very eyes and sleeping with a very wiggly 3 year old who talks in her sleep every night. Setting up a bassinet next to our bed and discussing names as we fall asleep together, waking up to the chubbiest and cutest almost two year old as he sings " Daddy, Daddy!".

Our cup runneth over! We are thriving not just surviving. As we go about our days, gather around the Holy Scriptures at night we are seeking GODS approval not any man or woman.

MOSES, MICAH AND SIMEON THRIVING!