On Growing Our Family -- 2020s Version

I always thought that we would have another child after we had our youngest daughter. A friend recently said to me, “You have five kids, right?” I responded that we did, and then I paused and said “Well, almost six!” 

Not so long ago, if anyone had heard me say that I had almost six children, it would be an automatic assumption that I was pregnant. Now, since those days seem to be behind us, my friend knew what I meant. Now, almost six children means that I am soon to have a son-in-law. My daughter got engaged this summer and is getting married next summer. I have run through all the emotions --well, all of the happy and nostalgic ones that is! We are thrilled for our daughter and her fiancé. He is a wonderful young man, who loves Jesus and loves our daughter. I think they will have a wonderful married life together. 

But, as you know, nostalgia and sentimentality are my specialty. Many times since her engagement, I have called to mind the movie Father of the Bride, (1990s Steve Martin version). When this movie first came out, I was about the age of Annie, the bride. Oh, how excited I was to find my groom and have those happy moments of wedding planning for myself, which did indeed happen a few years later. But in recent years, I have watched the movie with my own children, and instead of relating to Annie the bride, I now relate to Steve Martin (you can read my thoughts from  2016 about the movie here - and if you haven't seen the movie yet, watch it right away! You're welcome.) Now it is me, getting ready to let my child go and managing all of the emotions that come with that. And just like the scene in the movie,  I can picture my grown adult daughter as a little girl, sitting across from me saying “I met a man and he’s wonderful and brilliant and we’re getting maaaaarried! “. How is it possible that this time has come so soon? Time is a mysterious business, and it is hard sometimes to believe how quickly it passes.

But, ready or not, here we are. And we are ready. We have raised our daughter to love Jesus and to look for a man who also loves Jesus. She is marrying a fine young man who treats her well and loves her very much, and we couldn’t have asked for anything more. And here I am. “Expecting" my sixth child in July. It’s a new way of adding a child to our family (albeit an adult child!). For so many years, we were adding a child to our family every couple of years. And now we are again, in this new and wonderful way. A new son! **  Family is precious, and I am incredibly thankful to God for the gift of our family.

**My younger daughter told her brothers that they better get married someday, so that we can start adding some more girls to this family for goodness sake!