My extended family is very large. There are almost 50 of us on my mom’s side alone. Family gatherings are a blast, but they certainly don’t happen often enough.

There was a time when we would get together at least monthly, if not more. Everyone’s birthday in that given month would be celebrated and the “party” would last late in to the evening.

There were many delicious meals shared. It was common to witness one of my uncles throwing one of my aunts in the pool. There were food fights and wrestling matches. Good times were had by all.

And, then we grew up. My cousins, siblings and I extended our families with in-laws and children of our own. Life got busy. Calendars became full.

We try to get our families together, but it’s hard to coordinate 25 different schedules. Someone is bound to be missing. Now, that’s not to say we don’t try. These days it’s just in smaller groups.

A good chunk of the White Family in December of 2008

It may be time for a large family reunion, don’t ya think?

Are you looking to plan your own family reunion? You may be happy to know that you can head over and visit GetBackToTheTable.com for tips on how to organize a fabulous gathering including recipes, table setting ideas, and more!

But, if getting your family together is as difficult for you as it is for most, you will be excited to enter the Libby’s Family Reunion contest on Facebook for a chance to win a family reunion valued at $20,000! It’s as easy as submitting a family photo and short caption explaining the role food plays when you gather with your loved ones.

This post was sponsored by Blissful Media Group and Libby’s. All opinions, however, are mine.

I am overwhelmed and thankful for the outpouring of excitement and love surrounding the news of Baby Young #7. You all have made this special time that much more memorable!

Now, to address the many questions that have flooded my inbox ::

Really? Seriously? Are you joking?
Yes. Yes. No. I am most definitely pregnant.

Was this baby a surprise?
In my heart I’ve known that our family was not yet complete, but I imagined that adoption was closer to reality than bearing another child myself. God knows what He is doing and I can honestly say that He did indeed surprise us with this one! Now, to figure out why we donated all of our baby stuff to Goodwill…

How far along are you? When is baby due?
I believe I am close to 10 weeks along, which would make Baby Young due in early October.

Are you sure there’s only one dancing around in there?
No. I haven’t seen a doctor yet, so I suppose there could be more than one. Wouldn’t that be something?

Are you excited?
I am. We all are. God has blessed us beyond my wildest dreams. I don’t know if I will ever know why, but I sure am grateful for His generous gifts in the form of beautiful and healthy children.

How are you feeling?
To be honest, I feel pretty lousy. I’m more than tired and experience waves of nausea all through the day and night. I have to eat constantly, just so I can somewhat function. The biggest problem? I have developed an aversion to most fish. The thought of sushi makes me gag, and I can’t stand the smell of salmon!

What will you drive when baby comes?
I can’t say that we’ll be running out to purchase a larger vehicle, just as we did when we discovered Noah was on his way. Currently our Yukon XL seats eights, but if Ray has his way it will soon seat nine. Our bucket seats in the front will swap out nicely for a bench seat!

Will you blog your way through your pregnancy?
Yes. Just like I write about other exciting news in our lives, I’m sure you will hear all about the development of this most precious child. I’d like to think you hoped I’d say that!

On Friday, while I was over 2,000 miles away for Blissdom*, I received a call that would make any mom that far away from her babies wish she wasn’t – Ray was at Urgent Care with Noah.

My parents had called Ray to tell him that Noah was possibly having an allergic reaction – he had a rash and his hands and feet were swelling. I knew it had to be serious for my Dad to have called Ray away from work in the middle of the afternoon. He wouldn’t have been alarmed by just a little rash.

There was, in fact, a patchy red rash all over Noah’s body, but his hands and feet were swollen and appeared bruised. Definite cause for concern. Of course Ray thought it wise to take Noah in, but they were sent home, after seeing the doctor, with instructions for Noah to be given Benadryl every few hours, and the promise that the spots would clear up in a couple of days.

They didn’t.

I returned home late yesterday afternoon to hugs and squeals of joy. From everyone except Noah. Noah’s cheeks were swollen, the red spots had become larger patches and now covered his whole face and his legs, and were spreading to his back and neck. His ankles, feet, legs and hands were turning a smooth shade of purple. He was miserable and cried when I touched him.

I just had to take him back to Urgent Care.

taken last night at Urgent Care (on my iPhone)

We left the emergency office in less than an hour. I was told what to watch for to indicate an immediate need for a trip to the ER, and the order to take Noah to see his pediatrician early this morning and insist on blood tests.

Blood tests?

Noah fell asleep on the way home and Ray put him straight to bed. I started Googling, but stopped when my fears got the best of me.

I tried to eat, but felt sick.

I tried to sleep, but couldn’t.

I sat and prayed over my sleeping baby.

YOU prayed for Noah and you prayed for me. I felt peace.

This morning Noah woke up a bear. He was definitely not himself, but just wanted me to hold and snuggle him. A good sign! In fact, his face was no longer swollen and even his feet and ankles were beginning to look more normal.

Off we went to the pediatrician’s office. Noah was semi-cooperative with Dr. Skiles, but did amazingly well as his blood was drawn for the CBC and ANA… not one peep from him!

As this afternoon passed us by, and we waited for the test results, Noah’s red and purple skin began to turn back to a healthy pink, he became less sensitive to the touch, and even stopped pulling and scratching at his inflamed skin. In fact, even his ‘tude came back!

Noah was already better.

taken just after he found his 'tude

Just a bit ago, I received a very welcome phone call – Noah’s CBC came back completely normal. Noah does have Urticaria Multiforme (a sort of extreme hives, most likely caused by a virus) and we now wait for the ANA results, but with much more hope. God is gracious and my baby is better! Praise God for answered prayers!

Thank you for your prayers!

*More on Blissdom later!

Getting the kids to bed tonight was quite a challenge. More so than usual.

Nearly a whole tube of toothpaste ended up on the kids’ bathroom counter.

Ben fell off the bed more than a few times during prayer.

Ethan and Zach couldn’t contain their goofyness.

Noah managed to head-butt me just above my eye as he climbed up on to his bed to hug me.

The distractions of our kids’ shenanigans doubled during our Bible story. We just couldn’t get past the first chapter of Genesis and the beginning of the world without interruption. Questions. Comments.

But, Ray and I could not stop laughing at Julia’s one and only comment. Tell me you wouldn’t laugh, too…

Daddy decided to embellish the part of the story when God created a helpmeet for Adam – “to do his laundry, rub his feet and cook him dinner.” To which Julia interrupted, without even blinking, “he could do THAT himself!”

Maybe, just maybe, she’s heard similar words before.

D’oh!