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party of 7
I have a few friends who have always been supportive of our family. Available to spend an occational weekend with them so hubby and I could attend a seminar or something. But with 13 years between the oldest and the youngest, we were mostly self-supportive. I always longed for more support from my parents, but that wasn't going to happen. And my husband's family is in New Zealand so we were on our own! Personally, I found that having my friends simply get to know my kids was a huge help. I could talk about them to someone who knew and loved them too! Too often, people would see them as a group, rather than as individuals. That always bugged me. I have known people for 15 years who still refer to them as "that one" or "the tall one". I once had a photo taken of the 5 of them, with each one holding a "prop" that represented their personal intrests. (great pic by the way) Anyways, the other thing I would say is , don't be afraid to invite a large family to a party! LOL Or.....if you are hesitant to have that many children, be honest with them. I have never expected to be invited to things where my kids would be a bother. But it would have been nicer to have people say, "I don't feel comfortable with alot of kids here", rather than, "Oh, I figured the kids would be bored so we didn't invite you!" Having kids makes me a very busy mom, but it didn't make me stupid! Now they are older and are very sought after for parties, as they have very entertaining personalities! I love my large family and enjoy our time together. I hope to always have vacations together, including the grandchildren who should be a part of our lives before too long now! (In the next few years anyways) Love, Debi
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