Well…no word of a move to the new orphanage yet and no phone call yet either. Talk about suspense! It is frustrating and stressful to say the least!

While we continue to pray and wait, I wanted to share some things I have read from the book, “A Sane Woman’s Guide to Raising a Large Family” by Mary Ostyn.
The book opens with this great quote:
“How can there be too many children? That is like saying there are too many flowers.”
-Mother Theresa

Other great points in the book:
-Parents of large families are the richest people in the world.

-The decision to grow your family consists much more than adding up noise, groceries, and laundry. You also have to factor in the multipliation of hugs, the many more funny sayings, and the additional joy of witnessing each child succeed at each new phase of life.

-”Not only is it possible to raise a large family without going broke or crazy, it can also be a joyous, deeply satisfying adventure.”

-”I’ve wondered why people seem so interested in another family’s choices. In many cases they’re simply seeking to validate their own choices.”

-”Each time we have adopted, we have not done it out of some misguided savior complex, but because we wanted another person to hug at night, another face at our table, another little one to teach to talk and walk and ride a bike, another person to rejoice over as she or he grows and learns.”

-”With a little frugality, a large family can be totally manageable, even on a moderate income. To me, frugality is not deprivation. Frugality is freedom.”

On what children really need:
“What do our children need most from us? They need love. They need food, clothes, and shelter. They need clear expectations and responsibilities. They need time just to be kids. They need faith in a power higher than themselves. But they do not need huge allowances, rooms of their own, TVs in their rooms, and brand-name clothes.”

On Sharing rooms:
“Living in the Western world gives people a skewed persepective about the amount of space needed to raise a family. In the 50’s many families lived in two-bedroom, one bathroom houses that were no more than 1,200 sq. feet. And then, most families had four or five kids. Young children shared a bedroom for many years.”

“For an even more recent perspective, you only have to visit another country. All over the world, people live in spaces that Americans would consider unacceptable. In Ethiopia,  families of 8 or 10 people live in one-room mud huts. Ideal? Of course not, but it works!”

“Kids who share rooms during childhood are learning all sorts of useful life lessons. They are better prepared for the give and take of room sharing as adults when they get married. They also have a chance to develop sibling relationships in a way that is not possible when kids hole up in separate sanctuaries all over the house.”

In closing:
“In a big family, you’re never alone.” This applies to ALL of life’s ups and downs!

Tonight I was looking at the boys’ pictures with Evan and I just cried. How I want this to work out and how I want them to be home with us, a part of our loving family! Who knew you could get so attached to someone you have never met in person. I feel like I’ve know them their whole life and already feel like their mama too! Oh God, please open some eyes and make the right thing happen soon, for we all have the boys’ best interest at heart.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 31st, 2009 at 8:53 pm While Dave was in Uncategorized. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.