Betsy and Jed VanDen- Berghe of Holladay have eight children, and Betsy said the couple's LDS faith "has played a very big role" in their family planning.

"We have been very prayerful about our family size and have felt inspired," she said. "I kind of envisioned myself with maybe four, possibly five kids. I never imagined eight."

VanDenBerghe said she doesn't believe a good LDS family needs to be large, however, saying, "We took it one child at a time. ... I don't think either of us set out to have eight children. ... We felt with each pregnancy, it was the right thing to do."

Those who choose to have large families often find themselves having to balance the diverse interests of several children and learn to be shrewd in their budgeting. They also sometimes find themselves facing a stigma.

Even in Utah where large families are fairly common, Andresen said she still gets looks and comments from time to time, similar to those she received while living in California. Some people here, and in other states, have approached her with comments such as, "Haven't you heard of birth control?"

The attention isn't always negative though, Andresen said, noting a cashier recently saw her grocery load and said, "You must have a zillion kids."

"I smiled and said, 'I do,'" she said. "When you have two food carts at Costco, it's pretty obvious it's not for two kids."

VanDenBerghe said she's noticed a general shifting of attitudes about big families in the past few years, here and traveling.

"When I had five little kids and was pregnant with the sixth, I do remember getting quite a few stares and quite a few put-downs," she said. "In the last three to four years more people are looking at our family with admiration."

Andresen and VanDenBerghe say despite the challenges, big families are rewarding.

"They are learning to be better people because they've had to sacrifice a little bit and they've had to do their share," Andresen said of her children. "They have to help, and they have a good work ethic. ... It's not easy, but it sure is fun."

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E-mail: dbulkeley@desnews.com