The loves of my life aren't "synthetic"

Yesterday could only be considered a "bad day at work" at best.  So getting through it took most of my time and energy.  But as always, I did, and now I'm back to my usual self and catching up with "the real world".  

Over the weekend fashion icons, Dolce and Gabbana, caused a controversy over comments about IVF babies and how families should be made and formed.  The basis of the argument was that children conceived through IVF or other medical procedures are "synthetic" and "unnatural". 

Let me introduce you the Spratties (like you didn't know them already!).  There is nothing that is synthetic or unnatural about these crazy two year olds.  There is nothing unnatural about our family either (unless my insistence on turning the backyard into a free range chicken haven strikes you as odd).  We love each, we love God, we try to eat at home when we can, but take out comes into our lives more than I would like to admit. My kids probably shouldn't know all the words to the Frozen soundtrack but they can count to 20 and almost say their ABC's.  Our home isn't perfect, but it is home.  We fight and there are times we don't like each other- but we always love each other and that is what makes us a family.  Not how they were conceived. 

I will be honest, I was never going to buy D&G items anyway.  So boycotting them wasn't going to impact them because of my beliefs.  But in reality it is more important to me to educate not just those individuals, but others as well.  The stigma around IVF and infertility is still very very real.  You see it in churches, in parenting groups, the media and more importantly- public policy.  God gave us brains and the ability to reason and discover for a reason.  I can't believe that anyone can look at my children and call them unnatural- they are a gift and a miracle.  Jim and I are blessed that we could afford to do what was needed to have them- but it wasn't an ugly thing, it was beautiful.