My First Blog

Well here I am, starting something new.  Why am I doing this I ask myself.  I think it's more for me to write than for you to read.  But, if your interested then here it is. 
Just some history on our family and get you up to this point.
Way back in 1999 is when this journey started.  That's when Doug and I met while working together at Toyota in Georgetown, KY.  We both worked in Assembly very close to each other.  Even though I was not first taken by him, it didn't take long for the sparks to fly!  And there begings our journey.
Doug and I were married April 14, 2000.  We both knew we wanted children and started trying immediately.  I do believe we actually got pregnant on our honeymoon in Hawaii.  We were both estatic.  At 12 weeks while working at Toyota I started miscarrying.  I did miscarry later that night at the hospital.  Devastated but God works his wonders in strange ways.  Who knows why miscarriages happpen.  Some are so unexplainable.  At the hosptial the OBGYN on call was Dr. High.  I was going to a different OB in Lexington that I wasn't completely sold on so to speak.  I really liked Dr. High, he made the hardest thing I had ever went through as easy as it could have ever been.  That started a wonderful Dr./patient relationship.  I give credit to Dr. High for getting me through other high-risk pregnancies and other complications.  I wouldn't have choosen another Dr. to go with me through this journey.
Almost immediately after the miscarriage I got pregnant again with our precious son Wesley.  Born March 29, 2001.  Wesley is now 8.  He loves to play video games, shoot bow & arrow and has a new dog Sam.  He has struggled through school.  Being diagnosed with ADHD.  He went through a year of different medicines with some helping a little and others only hurting.  So I decided no more meds just hard work and presistence, we will get through this.
A few months before Wesley was born we got the news that Doug had a son, a two year old son.  Shocking? Yes!  No one can tell you how to deal with news like that.  But, everything happens for a reason, this is a child of God and we will love him and we do.  Colin David is such a blessing.  Spitting image of his PaPaw George, Colin now 11 enjoys video games and plays hockey!  We don't get to see Colin as much as we would like but do treasure everytime he is with us.  I haved loved watching him grow into the young man he has become.  Also helps me to anticipate what is to come with Wes.
Two years and 4 days after Wesley we were blessed with lil Miss Ashley Jean!  So precious in every way.  Now 6 going on 16!  Rightfully named after my grandmother whom went to be with the lord almost a year ago.
Ready for the shock of you life...or at least mine!  Ashley was just 10 mos. old and we had decided that we wanted 3 children, so pregnant again.  Started getting big really quick but I had two kids under 4 so that was expected.  Went in for my 10 week ultrasound.  Went by myself, telling Doug, just stay here with the kids, it's no big deal, you can't see much anyway!  HA!  Was I wrong.  When Dr. High said there they are, I questioned there who is!  I was having two!  How did this happen?  Twins in our family-NO, fertility drugs-ABSOLUTEY NOT, just by the grace of God.  On Sept. 15, 2005 we were so blessed with the birth od Anna & Emma.  I had a pretty uneventful pregnancy, considering twins, delivered both naturally even with Emma coming breach.  Yes, it can be done!
So now we have 5 kids under 6!  This is probably when we started experiencing things that only parents with many children experience.  All the questions from complete strangers any where we went.  All the looks, dragging that many kids into Wal-Mart, or going somewhere with the triple stroller.
Allow me to back track a lil...After Ashley was born I quit Toyota to stay at home.  Working 2nd shift and paying daycare for 2 kids was not what I had in mind for my family.  I got my real estate license and sold real estate to help supplement my income.  I did this until the birth of the twins.  Paying childcare, even part-time, for 4 kids was not possible while working on commission.  During this time we also, sold our house, moved into a rental mobile home more than 1/2 the size of our house and built the house that we currently live in. 
So now, after having the twins, getting them to about a year old, mom is getting cabin fever a lil.  Some women and men are cut out to do the stay-at-home thing.  It's not as glourious as you may think.    So, I started looking for some way to get out of the house, without spending money and without having a babysitter.  I also knew I would want to re-enter the workforce at some point but doing what?  With that I started to think that maybe I could be a nurse.  Something I would have never considered growing up or while in college.  So I took classes and got my CNA license and got my wonderful job as a tech in Pediatrics. 
Right after starting my job, here we go again...our thinking, we had 3 girls and 2 boys, gotta try for anther boy, right??  Then it happened, started showing really early, all the same symptoms I had when I was pregnant with the first twins.  Twins again?  Yes, but no.  At the 10 week ultrasound it showed that I had a vanishing twin.  So, I was actually pregnant with twins but only one was a viable baby.  Mixed emotions about this.  But we were then blessed with Chelsea Grace!  And yes the lord knows what he is doing even if we don't always see the reason when it happens...I'm not exactly sure I would have survived 2 Chelsea's!  Talk about an independent child!  Such a sweety though.
Almost immediately Doug and I knew we would try again.  And that we did!  4 girls and 2 boys, you've got to try to even the playing field a little.  Not to sound like a broken record but here we go again, same symptoms as with the twins.  Shocked, not this time, almost expected it.  We would be blessed one more time last April with Chance and Sophie!  Yes, twins twice, well almost 3 times!
These days are filled with non-stop voices, laughter, playing, cleaning, cooking,  laundry, moms taxi service, dr.'s visits and just about anything else you could think of.  People always ask, "how do you do it?"  how to answer that question...we just do it.  We make it work for us.  We make every dollar stretch as far as it can.  We clearance shop constantly.  We drive older cars.  We do what we can ourselves.  I could go on and on.  We even had problems adopting a dog because they couldn't see how we would have time for a dog.  We make time for everyone and everything.
I have probably bored you to tears by now.  Still not sure why I am starting this blog.  We aren't doing anyting really exciting that some start blogs because of, we are just being us.  I feel this is for me to write more than for you to read but if you want to read please enjoy.  Maybe you can get a laugh out of some of the things that happens to us.
For now, off to more cleaning, need to get dinner started and the dryer just sang to me.  Got a couple of busy days ahead. 
Jennifer