Welcome to our family blog. We are a Christian homeschooling family of 12. Yes, there are just two boys so far. We’re working on evening things out.
Yes, this family photo is sadly outdated. You try getting this many kids to stand still and look at the camera.
See our 2008 family photo here.
Since you’re here on the About Page, I’ll assume you are new and want to know a little about us. If not, just roll your eyes at how self-absorbed we are and move on with your life. We’ll never know.
Our blog is our home on the web, and we try to keep it like our real-life home: fun and friendly, a little opinionated, but always striving to glorify God. Of course life doesn’t always go the way we plan and we’re ok with that because we know Who is in control. Besides, when things go really, badly wrong, I can always console myself by blogging in my head.
We know we’re far from perfect, but we’re trying to do better day by day. Just laugh with us, learn with us, and stop in for a visit whenever you like. Better yet, subscribe so you won’t miss anything. Want to throw us a bone? Buy something via one of our affiliate links, and we might get a little kickback. Want to help out without spending money? Link to one or more of our posts on Facebook or your own blog, so others can find us. Thank you!
Some of our most popular posts:
Encouraging
Controversial
- Ectopic pregnancy and the sanctity of life
- Being Quiverfull
- An open letter to working moms
- 100 Reasons to have children
Funny stuff
Gone awry
- The Great Poop Flood of ’99
- Water Woes
- My dignity is saved by my crazy gypsy skirt
- In which I consider becoming a smoker
Helpful
- How to remove a toilet tank in 10 easy steps
- Spiky postpartum hair: a scientific explanation
- Grocery shopping with Littles
- The bean cure for morning sickness
- 4 Moms, 35 Kids series
The family bloggers:
- Pc3 (Dad)
- KimC (Mom) – Here are 100 Things about me. Well, sort of.
- Deanna – 1993
- Kittykait (Kaitlyn) – 1995
- Liddybug (Lydia) – 1996
- Megan – 1998
and the rest of us:
- Natalie – 2000
- (Re)Becca “Crazylegs” – 2001
- Sarah – stillborn in 2003
- Rachael – 2004
- The Boy (Perry IV) – 2006
- Bethany Grace, 2008
- Parker, 2010
A few things about us:
- No, we don’t all wear matching clothes like in the photo above. It was an annual staff photo for Perry employer, Vision Forum.
- The girls in our family wear mostly skirts, most of the time.
- We live on 5 acres in the Texas Hill Country. Yes, Texas has hills.
- Yes, they’re all ours. Yes, from the same two parents. Yes, we know what causes that.
- No, we don’t receive government aid to support our big family and never have. The economy may be a mess and prices are rising, but the simple truth is kids don’t cost that much to raise.
- We don’t use birth control, and we think you probably shouldn’t either.
- Our house is smaller than you think. Way smaller.
- How many bathrooms? One. Just one. I don’t know how we do it, so don’t ask.
- We love books.
- We are second generation homeschoolers.
- We have a constantly changing assortment of pets, including but not limited to tarantulas, snakes, praying mantids, and various mammals.
- We attend a reformed Presbyterian church in the CREC.
- All of our children were born at home.
- I live-blogged the births of my last 3 children: Perry IV, Bethany, and Parker.
- I have posted birth stories for all 11 of our children.
- We drive a 15 passenger van. What else would we drive? Driving a big white van with darkly tinted windows within a few hours of the border sometimes creates interesting situations.
- We all spend way too much time on the computer.
Need to know more? Check out our archives in the right sidebar.
Heard enough? Subscribe to our blog!
Do you know something we need to know? Contact us.
Want more? Subscribe to the Life in a Shoe newsletter for special updates and subscriber-only giveaways.
What beautiful daughters you have! Your husband has alot of work ahead of him interviewing potential husbands : ) Your little guy I’m sure is the apple of everyone’s eye in your family.
What a great looking family. Praise the Lord for your blessings. I enjoy your blog and get inspiration from your posts.
Take care!
Oh, how I would love to have 7 girls. My dd wants to move next door to you
She asked if we could visit you.
Blessings,
Linda
Just thought I would add that I wouldn’t trade in my five boys
but wouldn’t mind adding in seven girls 
Blessings,
Linda
What a beautiful family!
Would it be possible to add the kids ages or year of birth next to their names to help us keep track of who’s who? I’m glad in your posts you say things like “Becca, our 6-yo…” Very helpful! LOL
Now I know who you are!!!! lol!
My father and I met your husband and some of your daugthers at this year’s VF father/daugther retreat!! 
My b-day is July 12th!
Congratulations on your new little blessing!!
Rebekah,
If you get the Return of the Daughters DVD by the Botkin daughters, you’ll see my daughter and my husband in the footage from this year’s father/daughter retreat.
Oh, how neat! I can’t wait to get the DVD! It’s going to be so wonderful!
We have 6 girls and have just had a baby boy. It is different isn’t it? Mine is only 2 months old. Just thinking about his future is different.
Anyway, I did some poking around on your blog(and the old one) and read some of the contraversy about blanket training and child rearing.
I wanted to encourage you in your approach. We did blanket traingin before it was “a thing”. I love the rule you posted for blanket training!! We have also done carpet training, room training, and genrel “do as I say ” training. We have well behaved kids that are such a blessing to us and I am sure yours are to you.
The proof is in the fruit. I don’t just love my kids, I love being with my kids!! We have a great relationship. I wouldn’t trade that for anything! I am so glad God had revealed the truth to me about traing my children so early in my journey.
I see where you girls are taking over things for a while. They remind me of my girls! They are so great and loving and responsible.
Thanks for the great read. Keep it up! It is encouraging.
I just stumbled upon your blog and am very much enjoying reading it! You’re a fount of wisdom – oh Mother of 10 (I have only two…and I’m struggling??). You have a beautiful family, and you write very well, to boot. (and you have time….when?). I’ll be bookmarking this page for regular reading. Season’s Greetings!
What a beautiful family! I found your blog researching Vision Forum products (last night of the big sale) and i am so excited!! It’s always nice to find encouragement out there and i will be returning often. My husband and i have 4 boys and 5 weeks ago welcomed our first GIRL to the family. It’s a whole new (pink) world and we are all over the moon in love with her. The trick will be to keep her from becoming spoiled as she gets older… I sometimes panic that i don’t know how to raise a girl. I have studies raising boys endlessly, but this is a whole new ballgame. I will be pouring over your blog for tips and ideas.
ok – off to order the elsie dinsmore library
I am very happy to see you are a supporter of Vision Forum, which as far as I can tell is a truly honorable Christian company that supports values I embrace wholeheartedly. And your sweet family photo depicts a family that would embrace the high standards of Vision Forum. On the other hand, another company linked on your site is more troubling, i.e., CBD. Their motto is “Everything Christian…for Less.” The “Everything Christian” part is just a tad untrue, because as of this writing they sell high school study guides for very indecent, debauched, distinctly unChristian novels. These are novels containing profanity, explicit sex, perversion, etc. Examples are One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (Kesey), Slaughterhouse Five (Vonnegut), Bless Me Ultima (Anaya), The Bluest Eye (Morrison), Animal Dreams (Kingsolver), The Bean Trees (Kingsolver), Chronicle of a Death Foretold (Marquez), When I Was Puerto Rican (Santiago), Fallen Angels (Myers), and NUMEROUS others. CBD knows the nature of these novels for which they sell guides because they have been informed in detail. The Christian philosophy of Vision Forum and CBD are obviously completely at odds based on what CBD is willing to sell, and CBD is at odds with itself in that it violates its own motto. I think these CBD study guides are aimed at homeschoolers, so I would be very interested to know if there are Christian homeschoolers who study such indecent novels as part of their curriculum. I know that public school systems and the American Library Association push such novels on kids. I mean no unkindness in this but am just thinking that many Christians are probably unaware CBD sells these things. I realize that amazon.com sells similar stuff, but the big difference is that amazon.com makes no pretense of being Christian.
You all look great, I am so proud to call you all my family. I tell everyone about your clan. Make sure you get your rest Kimberly and tell the girls we love them!
A beautiful family. I only have 5, four girls and a boy. I keep telling my husband he’s walking now, he’s not a baby…hint hint. Anyway, many blessings, as I’m sure you will receive.
Hi. I love your website and I’m enjoying reading through it. Your family is beautiful. It is nice to see who is behind the wriings and meet their families. You must be proud. May God continue to bless your life.
Congratulations on your next child , soon to arrive. Love and hugs to all of you.
You have a beautiful family!
I just found your blog searching for VF coupons. I think you are darling, too! I also saw that you are going to be at the hs conference in Houston. I hope to see you there! I am looking forward to reading the rest of your posts.
Sheryl
congrats on your new little one!
we have 7 kids, 5 girls!
Love the site and the pic of the family. God has surely blesses you… Hugs
We’re gonna need an updated photo and list of kids and ages now!
I love your family picture. I hope it’s OK to post it on my personal blog. I’m doing a posting about the number 8. You have 8 children in this picture, and 8 living daughters now so it’s perfect. I also suffered a stillbirth and I love that you included your angel baby here! It’s only positive. I have also featured another family from Oregon with 8 children.
You have a lovely family. What beautiful girls! I have 7 boys so far – maybe #8 will be my girl? Secretly I’m praying for twin girls LOL
Congratulations on your newest baby!
i cannot believe you’re grown up and with such a beautiful family — please help me get in touch w/your mom, Carol — I emailed you a message
Patty
It’s nice to see your family. I have six girls, they are so much fun. It’s just amazing watching them grow up, isn’t it?
I’ve stopped by and meandered through your blog a bit. I just wanted to let you know that it inspires me and brings my heart joy. My husband and I have *gasp* five kids (12yob, 10yob, 6yog, 3yog, and 8mog). Our current baby was also born in June 2008 (the 25th – at home). We love having a big family and would feel very blessed to have more. I honestly hope it’s God’s will. Only families such as yours seem to get that and it’s so refreshing. Kids are BLESSINGS!
(But, yes, moms of many still have hard moments sometimes…lol…we’re still only human.) Anyway, keep up the wonderful work! It’s truly great!!!
I am new to your blog. I do really enjoy it! What a beautiful family! We are a fellow large homeschooling family as well. We have 14 children ages 14 down to 1 years old. Eight biological and six adopted from Liberia Africa. (Eight girls and six boys) . I am looking forward to reading more of your blog!
Okay now I’m actually SEARCHING for those elusive clues (and enjoying finding them in hindsight – good job!), and here it is right smack dab in front of everyone, lol! Congratulations again!
What a gorgeous family!
Hi!
I saw you linked in my referrals and wanted to come by to meet you!
What a wonderful family and fun blog!
Wish you were in Wisconsin…thought one of those puppies might have been meant for us.
We are waiting for God to send us the dog He wants us to have.
)
I look forward to getting to know you and your family thru your blog!
Donna Boucher
What a great family. We are homeschooling six and also spend WAAAAAAAAY too much time on the computer.
How lovely to find your site! I came here from the homeschool blog awards.
Blessings
Mrs. White in Vermont
You truly are blessed with such a lovely looking family.
Hello… Forgive the weird question, but as far as the skirt-wearing goes, is it all right in your book for girls to wear pants? More importantly, how about in God’s? I understand that “a woman shall not wear a man’s garment”, but my pants really shouldn’t be mistaken for a guys’ style.
I totally respect your decision in wearing mostly skirts, but a lot of the activities I do require different measures- plus, I simply prefer pants. Therefore, I needed a Christian family’s guidance on the matter (seeing as where I’m from they’re quite few and far between), and I have yet to get a solid answer… My conscience is sound on most of what I wear, seeing as I try to stick with modesty, but I thought a second opinion couldn’t hurt. Upon stumbling on this blog, I figured God was giving me the opportunity to ask. Thank you! God bless you this new year!
Beautiful family!
We are also a homeschooling family who only dreams of living in Texas. God has decided to bless us with mostly boys — We have five and only one daughter! {How do you feel about arranged marriages? lol}
I’ve enjoyed learning about your family and would love for you to come on over and meet mine.
Blessings!
Awesome! I love the picture of your family! I have 5 girls myself. I’m always being asked “All girls, did you say ALL girls”, “Are you going to try til you get the boy”, and of course “You know what causes that right”.
I love big families! I love reading blogs about big families and getting ideas on how to do somethings at my house.
Congrats on your little one due very soon! I’m almost 8 weeks along with our 6th.
Looking for Christian stuff on ebay for my homeschooled Grandchildren 8,5,3 and 4 1/2 months old (yes, her Mother is teaching all of them constantly! And then I stumbled on your site (when I saw something about coupons). I could cry!! My 8 year lod Grandaughter has been helping her Mom a lot with the new sister who has Down’s syndrome (very rare for a 29 year old Mother, and a total surprise), and is also a lot of help with the middle two who are boys. She is saving for a Miss Liberty Doll (which I was in the process of looking up, when I found you). She would have had enough money for the doll, if Grandma (me)had just done some ordering a few days ago! It would be very easy to spend a lot on good things at Vision Forum. Keep up the interesting blogging, but I would feel better tonight, if I hadn’t just missed out on the great coupons! They don’t do that very often, do they? Ann
Yea for Texans. I did not realize until just now that you guys were in Texas. Whohoooo. How I did not know that until now I will never know..lol
Congrats on baby #10 Hope everything turns out good for you.
Do you know if it’s a boy or girl?
Blessings from Yahuah
ONE BOY! Wow. Awesome.
Hi!
We live in New Braunfels, so we are in South Texas as well! Love your blog! Congrats on the new baby
Love seeing other large families…. I’m the oldest of nine.
What church do you attend? my family and I attend All Saints Pres (CREC) in Ft. Worth Tx!! We are familiar with large families…fun!
I’d love to hear back, blessings,
KB
KB,
We attend the CREC in San Antonio, and we have visited the one in Weatherford. We know some people from your church!
Hello! I came across your blog and I’m so impressed with your organization and large family! I have one child, 6 months, and that’s going to be it for me! Oh, and I needed an epidural. It was fun reading your blog.
Hello, I’m a mom of four boys and 1 baby on the way. I’m here to learn from you!!
I need all the help I can get.
I’m curious. Where in TX is the “hill country”? Why do I ask? My oldest son and his family are considering relocating (from here in northern Indiana). One place they are considering is the Dallas area, specifically Plano. What is your opinion of that area?
It’s north and west of San Antonio. Not at all what people expect when they come to Texas!
Dallas is much closer to most people’s idea of Texas. We like that area too and both of us lived there as children, but it certainly has more of a big city feel to it.
I came across your blog looking for ideas for making the most of our space in our small home. Your family seems so sweet and wonderful. Kudos to you!
I’m so glad to have found your site! I’m a planning-to-be-a-2nd-generation homeschooling mommy with a 1 year old and a 2 1/2 year old.
So glad to find advice, tips and encouragement from someone farther down the path. Blessings on your beautiful family, and thanks for sharing!
Hi! I am new to your blog. We have 5 children and all girls from almost 11yrs to almost 7mths.
)
Thanks for taking the time to introduce yourself. Isn’t it fun to have a houseful of sweet little girls?!
I have four daughters and two sons. Two of the girls and one boy are 2 year old triplets. I love my family and all my children. May God bless your entire crew. No man can have too many daughters (or sons).
I love your new header picture! Your daughter (holding Parker) looks so much like you!
I also wanted to tell you that I really enjoy your blog! I found it probably about a year ago through Vision Forum’s (Doug’s) blog. I’ve checked your blog nearly daily since then!
Thank you, Tara. I wasn’t sure about the photo, but I love what the designer did with it!
Hi,
I work with a non-profit ministry, Your Story Hour, and we produce dramatized audio stories on the Bible, History and character-building stories. I was just wondering if your family would like to do a review of one of our products and sharing it with your readers. You can visit our website at http://www.yourstoryhour.org or contact me at 1-800-987-7879.
Hope to hear from you soon,
Sincerely,
Julie Clayburn, President
Your Story Hour
jclayburn@yourstoryhour.org
You have a beautiful family.
PS we have a Natalie in 2000 as well:)
Wow your family has grown since I dropped by last. I am pretty sure you only had six girls back then. Well done you two!