Courtney Rogers is a 36-year-old mother from Santa Fe, New Mexico, who recently gave birth to her 11th child. She and her husband, Pastor Chris, started their massive brood shortly after getting married in 2008 and they’re not done yet. Courtney says she is open to having more and hopes to have a family of at least 14 children.
Unsurprisingly, Courtney has been pregnant every year since she got married and has not gone more than nine months without being pregnant. The couple has six boys and five girls living on a 12-acre farm.
Together, the Rogers homeschool their children and feed everyone on a monthly grocery bill of about $1,200.
“We want to have more if we can,’ said Courtney. ‘We want to have 12 children, a family of 14 even,” she said in an interview with The Sun.
“The people who ask how I can give all my kids enough attention are usually those who send their kids off to school,” she explained. “I do not understand their logic when I am around my kids 24 hours a day.”
“We’ve also had a few rude encounters. From unpleasant stares to statements like, ‘Did you have them all with the same partner?!’ or ‘Seven kids? That’s terrible!’” she said in an interview with Love Matters Most.
“Of course managing so many littles has its challenges. Even though they may drive me batty at times I can’t imagine being happy doing anything else. Some of the challenges are having multiple babies in diapers, finding more than one sitter at a time, having to book more than one hotel room, driving and parking a 15-passenger van, washing tons of laundry, always cleaning up messes, etc., etc.,” she explains.
“Oh! And did I mention the staring and comments we get out in public? The ‘You must have your hands full’ comments when I’m out with just two or three of the children are always amusing. If they only knew! Once when I was out with two of my girls, someone asked if I was going to try for a boy. I had to break the news to her I already had six boys.”
Despite the challenges, Courtney says that she cannot imagine being happy doing anything else. She teaches Sunday school at church for local children and says that having a large family is a blessing. For now, she is enjoying welcoming her newest child, 6-month-old Caris, to the family and will continue to take each pregnancy as it comes.
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