Have a Baby / Lloyd

I was a graduate student at Yeshiva University on a fellowship with a living stipend that included my wife and children. We had two daughters ages two and one, and we were stretching that stipend by living with another family and providing child care and household chores for room. We also paid a share of the food budget. They had two boys ages two and six and both parents worked full time.  We planned to continue having children after I finished my schooling and after daughters were in school.

Then Judy had an acute and painful health condition over several days. We gave her a blessing in which she was encouraged to communicate with her Heavenly Father - that He had important information for her, and it was important to listen. That fast Sunday the rest of us went to Church leaving her at home in bed.

When we returned home from Church Judy said that she had had a very personal, spiritual experience - that we should not wait until after graduate school to add to our family.

You know that feeling when a member of the bishopric or stake presidency calls and asks if he can stop by to visit? And after we accept the calling he has for us, and he takes his leave, our whole life is turned upside down. Heavenly Father can do that very directly without going through anyone else. Once we realized that Heavenly Father was taking a personal interest in our having children, we found ourselves rethinking our long term family planning.

In the end we’ve had nine children interspersed with four miscarriages. There was barely time to work everyone in. All nine are married. And now we have 46 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren. [See note below.]

In these 55 years of marriage I’ve learned that Judy is the one authorized to receive inspiration about having children. It’s been my role to sustain her in that decision. Then we work it out together. Now our children are beginning to have grandchildren. Family continues to be a vital and exciting adventure.

[Note: The years of marriage and ultimate number of children have been updated in this article to current status as of 27 July 2022 for postings on Facebook and Twitter.]