My first blog...... a brief overview of life.

Well, here is my first attempt at creating a blog to document my crazy life. So, I am the 37 year old mother of 10..... yes, 10 children, 7 biological, 3 adopted, 5 boys, 5 girls. So, how did I get so many kids? Kaleb Jaxon Jeffs came in January 1997. I was an unwed mother, 23 years old, and had just recently started working as a registered nurse. I met my and fell in love with my husband in 1998, he adopted Kaleb and we were married in 1999. On 9-9-1999 our beautiful daughter Delaney Collette was born. Shortly followed by another boy, Nathan William Walter in July of 2001. In February of 2003 my husband, Frank, was deployed as a member of the Utah Army National Guard to Baghdad, Iraq. While he was there I gave birth to our 4th child, Matthew Edwin Eli, on April 30th. He was born at 19 1/2 weeks and was stillborn. Nine months after Frank returned home from Iraq, in Feb. 2005, Kaytlin Elisabeth became the newest addition to our growing family. Up to this point in my life I had no difficulties getting pregnant. I practically thought about it and made it happen. But, it was at this point in my life that I was diagnosed with PCOD. Boy, did I have to work at baby number 6... temperature charting, medication... I really knew I wanted Kassidy Annette who finally graced us with her birth in September 2007. Ethan Robert Rian arrived in May 2009 after a tense and scary emergency c-section. I had already decided our family felt complete, but the c-section solidified this decision. I was afraid I was going to lose another child and then myself. I was content and happy with our family... Until we got the call from DCFS that changed everything. We had been licensed foster parents for a few years but hadn't really had any placements. In April 2010 we had a sibling group placed with us that was in danger of being split up. After several months with us it became clear that they were going to be with us forever. In March 2011 we finalized the adoption of Derrick Andrew Anthony (June 2002), Dessa Rene (January 2002) and Danika Avery (January 2008). So there you have it in a nutshell.... I am the mother of a 14, 12, 10, 9, 7, 6, 4, 3, and 2 year old. Am I nuts? Most definitely.... am I happy? Beyond words. I am learning every day, and adjusting constantly the busy schedules of a household of 11... with some dogs, cats, rabbits, chickens, gerbils, and a chinchilla thrown in for good measure. Hey, just another day surviving life with Lisa :)