Can't Get Quite Enough...

...of Jon & Kate Plus Ei8ht. With the whole writer's strike thing that had gone on FOREVER it seemed, I thought there wasn't much to watch on tv. Which I honestly didn't miss as much as I thought I would. Usually I have to DVR everything and watch it late at night anyway. But it wasn't long before I was drawn to Jon and Kate Plus Ei8ht, and I am seriously hooked. And although I have missed watching new episodes of Private Practice, Grey's, and ER, this amazing family of 10 has me completely intrigued.

For those of you that have never heard of this show, or don't know much about it, Jon & Kate Plus Ei8ht is about a couple who has one set of twin girls who are now seven, and a set of sextuplets (three boys and three girls) who are three. It is a reality show that comes on TLC that documents their day to day life. What I love about the show is that Jon and Kate are about the same age as Brian and me, and are very much like we are with each other. Kate is fun, funny, and seems incredibly approachable...someone I would want to be friends with. Jon is laid back, hard-working, patient, and very hands-on with the kids. They are incredibly real, so real that it is has been a little uncomfortable to watch at times~ there have been a couple times that Kate has gotten upset with Jon over something, and just when I start to think that the guy is a saint for putting up with her control-freakiness, I am very quickly reminded that I have done the same thing to Brian way more often than I should. And Jon isn't perfect either...but their relationship is sweet, fun, and incredibly committed~ together they are raising a houseful of children who are smart, incredibly sweet, compassionate, fun, and all so very different. It is fascinating.

What I love most about them is knowing they are Christians. They are fairly open about their faith, but not to the point that look like Bible-beating weirdos. In fact, they make Christians look so very normal...in a good way, not as people that aren't trying to make a difference in the world~ it is so refreshing to watch a family on tv trying to do it the right way...knowing they aren't perfect, but forgiven. Knowing that bad days are going to happen, bad choices are going to be made, but that God is bigger than all of that, that He is in control, and tomorrow (God-willing) is a new day to do things even better. And to hear them talk about what a miracle their family is (they had fertility problems, and are very open about it) is inspiring. And they are incredibly honest about how difficult it is raising a family this big, but that God has provided for them through one miracle after another. I know by watching them that they wouldn't have done things any other way.

As a mom of three, this show inspires me so much. I watch Kate successfully feed, bathe, dress, play with, etc. 8 kids every day. This family goes and does stuff all the time. They go to the zoo, to some Chocolate Land place in Pennsylvania, out to dinner (so very brave) and they even took a trip to Disney World last season. Kate has made me realize that if she can handle six 3-year-olds all day while the twins are at school, I can certainly handle my ONE 3-yr-old and ONE 1-yr-old while my ONE 7-yr-old is at school. Wow. Talk about perspective. I am in the one, in fact, who has it easy.

This show has reminded me that there is great big world out there, and we are going to get out more and explore it. So this family of 5 has become much more adventurous in the past few weeks...it was the Jon and Kate factor that made me realize I really could handle a day at the zoo by myself with the kids while Brian was away. And not only did I handle it, we had a perfect day. So now we are on to the next adventure, as soon as this way too cold weather warms back up.

If you haven't watched this family yet, check it out. It comes on Monday nights at 8:00 on TLC. Let me know what you think!