I haven't had much time to blog because the last couple of months I was 'nesting', and 2 weeks ago we welcomed blessing #6 to our home.  I think each childbirth experience is more precious to me, as I always wonder if it will be the last.  So right now I am reveling in the smell of newborn babe, the peach fuzzy skin, and the joy of getting to know a new little person.

I know that there are so many people who simply don't 'get' us at all.  Having more than 4 children seems to brand us as some kind of fanatics in most circles ... most of all in our own families, which can be a really painful thing.  In fact, just less than a week before my scheduled C-section, a family member asked if I was planning on having any other surgery while I was in the hospital.  She volunteered her opinion that we had a nice sized family and that I should get my tubes tied.  Then she went on to express her opinion (for the nth time) about homeschooling ... and how our kids need to be exposed to the real world sooner or later, need the competition that a classroom offers, our property taxes are already paying for public schools, and a dozen other arguments why we need to be doing something else as far as our children's education, too. 

 Just the week before I had heard that my own mom had expressed concerns to another of my family members about our homeschooling ... whether it was the right choice for one of our daughters, how I don't get any time to myself etc.

It gets so discouraging when you feel like you're marching to the beat of a different drummer, and even those in your own family (and oftentimes your church) don't understand or completely support what you are doing.  But I know that in the midst of it there are so many great faith-building lessons that the Lord is teaching both my husband and me.  Lessons about self-sacrifice, dying to self, patience, perseverance and laboring for God's approval instead of man's approval just to name a few.  In fact, I think that parenting (including homeschooling) is one of God's best character development curriculum.

Well, the new baby is calling me ... and it's a wonderful sound to hear.  Incidentally, we named him Matthew, which means 'gift from God', as a constant reminder that even though he is #6 in our family, he is a treasured gift from the Father's hand.