family
Photography by Kasey Hulon Skipper
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life abundant
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MOLLY MCKENZIE ALWAYS DREAMED OF BEING A MOTHER WITH FOUR CHILDREN.
her in God’s hands. The day they were going to insert a trach due to her failing lungs, Kaitlyn
“I had the best mom and I wanted to be just like her. I have a sister, Pam, who is 10 years
reached up and pulled the tube out herself! She received complete healing that day. Doc-
younger than me. I thought when she was born that I had a living baby doll. I pretended all
tors couldn’t find anything wrong with her, and we went home two days later with our little
the time she was mine.”
miracle.” Their second miracle occurred when Leah was born in December 2003. “I had a
Molly and Chris met when she was a senior in high school. “I was working at a local video
store. When I saw him, it was love at first sight.” After a year of dating, they married. They
were a perfect match. “When God made Chris, he was thinking of me. Chris loves babies and
we both have a strong sense of family.”
A year after they were married, Molly and Chris welcomed Brittany. “Life at that moment
changed forever. I was finally the real Mommy I had always dreamed of being.” Five years later, they welcomed their second daughter, Allison. By December 1999, Lauren became baby
girl number three. “I had to have a routine and be organized in order to juggle everything.”
Molly and Chris became adjusted to their new life, however, and decided to further expand
their family. With the arrival of their fourth daughter, Kaitlyn, came quite a miracle from God.
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Pictured: Michael, Leah, Kaitlyn, Lauren,
Allison, Brittany, Molly and Chris McKenzie
traumatic delivery with her, and she had to be resuscitated. Thankfully, she was completely
restored.”
After having two kids in NICU, Molly and Chris decided not to have any more children. However, God had other plans. “I became pregnant again and we had a baby boy in July 2005.
Life again changed as we knew it. He has come close to death three times due to a severe
peanut allergy, but God always shows up right on time.” As one can imagine, life stays pretty
busy in the McKenzie household. “In all the chaos, we had to learn to sit back and enjoy the
moment. As James 1:17 states, ‘Every good and perfect gift is from above.’ We have a large
support system and rarely have a dull moment in the house. We enjoy movie nights, late
“At 12 weeks, I had a placental abruption, which tore my placenta 80% apart. I was given
night snuggles, chasing each other through the house (usually because the sisters have each
no hope. We were instructed to go home and expect to miscarry in a few days. But, lots of
other’s clothes or shoes) and laughing around the table. The older siblings always help me
prayers went up for our family. A week later, I returned to my doctor for another ultrasound.
take transport their younger siblings.” Molly and Chris also breed German Shepherds. “We
She couldn’t believe that the placenta had completely resealed itself and Kaitlyn was fine.
have had many over the last 15 years and usually raise one to three litters per year. With six
Born premature at 36 weeks, her lungs were underdeveloped and she was placed on life
kids, dogs, and a husband, I stay busy!” Currently, the family has two adult dogs and nine
support for two weeks. As doctors kept telling us that her body systems were failing, we put
puppies.
NOVEMBER 2015
SHEMAGAZINE.COM