For thirteen years I was a mom of boys. I remember telling people "I have two boys!" They would look at me with a little bit of sympathy and say something about how busy I must be. Then I would say "I have three boys!" The sympathetic look would be stronger and they would say that our house must be very loud and I must be very tired. Then eventually I would say "I have four boys!"...and people would just shake their head and smile and say "oh wow." It has been busy and loud and I have been very tired. I never once wished, however, for anything different. I like boys. I like seeing their army men scattered around and their bikes leaning on the house and their trucks in the dirt. I was happy having a unique place in the family as the only "girl" and enjoyed a lot of special treatment because of it. We had a great family, we were happy, and we thought a family of six was the perfect size. God knew different. We never asked for, thought about, or dreamed of having a little girl in this house of toy guns and gum wrappers. We could not have imagined a girl fitting into our life of video games and soccer tournaments and wrestling matches that turn into brawls in the basement.   When we discovered that a baby girl was on her way, we really thought maybe there was some mix-up... some mistake in the paperwork. I told God all about how I don't know how to fix a little girl's hair...or teach a teenage girl about boys. My husband's first words were "I don't know how to coach girls' sports." I know God heard us...but he ignored us. Now we are a family of seven. It is still a loud, busy, tiring house...but we have added pink blankets and frilly dresses. Four boys dote on a little girl and try to make her smile and laugh. We know for sure that she was not only welcome, but necessary to our family. On this day in McPherson when people will "prayerfully stand together in defense of the sanctity of human life," my prayer is that we will as a nation believe and understand that each life that God creates is not only welcome, but necessary. Psalm 139:13-16  For you created my inmost being;you knit me together in my mother's womb.