Bring Back Big Families

Mother’s Day is a moment to pause and honor the women who hold our families together, especially those navigating the beautiful chaos of raising kids. This year, it’s even more personal—my wife is literally a week away from giving birth to our sixth child, and her strength inspires me in ways I can’t express. But this tribute isn’t just for her; it’s for every mom out there, juggling love, sacrifice, and resilience to make family life shine.

So, here’s to you all.

The Heart of the Home

Starting with my wife, you’re the heartbeat of our family. With everyone tearing through the house—baseball games inside and out, endless laundry and vacuuming, blankets and shoes everywhere, constant sibling chaos—you keep us grounded. Now, carrying our sixth, you’re still planning library lessons at 11:00 p.m. (if you’re still awake!), trying your best to laugh through the exhaustion, and teaching our kids what it means to love beyond measure. I see you every day, and every day, I’m in awe.

To all the other moms out there: you’re the heart of your home, too. Whether you’re raising one child or a dozen, you’re the ones who remember the doctor’s appointments, pack the lunches, bandage the skinned knees, dry the sometimes endless tears, and you somehow manage to turn all those ordinary moments into memories. Your quiet sacrifices never go unnoticed.

Strength in the Everyday

Watching my wife prepare for our sixth child, I’m reminded that motherhood is a marathon of grit and determination. She’s searching for missing baby girl clothes (we haven’t needed those in over a decade!), managing everyone’s school and after-school schedules, and still somehow finding time to read bedtime stories when she can. It’s not the glamorous life she deserves, but it’s nevertheless heroic. Her ability to love so fiercely, even when she’s stretched incredibly thin, is a gift from God.

Moms everywhere, your strength shows up in the everyday. You’re soothing tantrums, working hard to provide, or teaching your kids to tie their shoes. Maybe you’re a homeschooling mom crafting daily lessons for your brood, a stay-at-home mom keeping the house and everyone’s lives in order every single day, or a working mom balancing work deadlines and endless diaper changes. Whatever your story, your resilience makes families thrive.

The Joy of Chaos

Our house is loud—think baseball and football games in the living room and a constant hum of “Mom, where’s my…?” My wife embraces it, even when she has no energy to. She somehow finds joy in the mess, like when our boys all attempt to pile on top of her for our nightly prayers. With number six on the way, she’s already dreaming of how this new little one will add to our wild, crazy, and splendidly wonderful life (looking at you, George Bailey).

To all moms, you know this joy. It’s in the painted handprints from school hanging on the fridge, the late-night giggles when they just don’t want to go to sleep, or the way your little one does their best to say, “I love you, momma,” for the first time over the roar of a thousand other things happening in that moment. You make space for chaos and turn it into something beautiful. That’s your real-life superpower.

A Thank You to My Wife and All Moms

To you, my wife, my better half, my rock, my everything, as we approach Mother’s Day and the birth of our sixth beautiful baby, I want you to know that you are my hero. You make our big family possible, and I’m forever grateful for everything you have brought into my life over the last 18 years.

To every other mom reading this: all I have to offer is a simple, thank you. You’re doing your best to raise the next generation with grace, humor, and an unbreakable spirit. Whether you’re expecting, chasing toddlers, guiding teens, or spoiling grandbabies, you’re doing the work that matters.

This Mother’s Day, let’s celebrate you. Take a moment—grab that coffee (or zero-sugar soda), soak in the love of your kids, and know you’re appreciated. Share your own mom stories in the comments or on X with #BigFamilyLife. Here’s to the women who make families grow, one day at a time.

Happy Mother’s Day from our family to yours.