A New Addition

RUTH GRACE JACKSON was born January 21, 2011 at 9:06pm! We are now a family of EIGHT ! John accidentally got cut out of this picture. Soon we will get another one with all of us.

RUTH is just as precious as all the others and everyone is so smitten by her! Being pregnant with your 6th child is an arduous event, or at least is was for me. I had to endure more this pregnancy than any of the others. I had more minor difficulties with this pregnancy, more irritability, more sleeping and just more of a distaste for the whole process this time. I loved being pregnant, for the most part, with all the other children but this one was different. Even the labor and delivery were a different experience and I just prayed for the endurance and patience to get through the hospital stay. When i did arrive back at my safe haven, my home, little by little I began to feel better. The Lord is faithful and "an ever present help in times of trouble". He saw us through. Once home, my heart began to melt all over again for this new precious little life entrusted to us. I was beginning to wonder if it would. Through my pregnancy as my friends were having babies all around me I would catch myself looking at them and their newborns and saying to myself about my situation, "Oh no, not again. I'm going to have to do all of that, all over again". And honestly, at that time, there weren't pleasant feelings going on as i viewed the happiness of all the new moms.

Matt and I had both wanted a lot of children. This was something we talked about as we dated, married and began our family. However, you just never know how things will play out in life or what each new addition will bring. "Many are the plans of man, but the Lord's plans prevail". Thankfully, the Lord has seen fit to bless us over and over. We have 6 wonderful, healthy, happy children, the maximum number we mentioned when dreaming realisticlly about our family. We don't know what the future will hold for us or our family but personally I think i would now be content if I didn't birth any more :)!!! Though that thought has some sadness attached to it, child bearing for women at some point must come to an end. At this point in our process i can't imagine NOT having anymore babies but I can't imagine having anymore either. I must admit however that in the above picture, even if John were not accidentally cut out, it doesn't look like a lot of children to me. We don't look like a BIG family. It looks kinda like a small family to me, looks like there might need to be a few more added. Adoption is always an option and another thing that Matt and I have dreamed and talked about for the future. But for now........WE are BLESSED and CONTENT, VERY CONTENT :)

Thank you everyone for your love, prayers, gifts and blessings on/to us!