Amanda Sellers, 29, always knew she wanted a big family and is happy to be welcoming her 10th child soon — even though she spends a small fortune on food each month.
Shortly after marrying her husband Chris, 33, in July 2013, they began trying to have a baby. Chris already had two children, Logan, now 12, and Ryan, now 11, from a previous relationship, so when the couple welcomed Liam in February 2014, the family quickly filled a car.
Amanda went on to have twin girls, Mya and Mia, in May 2015, and twin boys, Asher and Brycen, in January 2017.
Wanting to keep growing their sweet family, Amanda gave birth to Eli in November 2018 and Emma in July 2020.
Even then, the Sellerses weren’t done. The family from Roanoke, Va., is now expecting No. 10 to arrive in January.
“There wasn’t a year I wasn’t pregnant from 2013 to 2020,” the stay-at-home mom told SWNS. “I think 2021 is the only year I haven’t been.”
But that’s not a complaint from Amanda, who said, “I’m very happy with our family size. Ten is a great number.
“We think this might be our last baby, but we’re keeping an open mind for more.”
To manage her super-sized family, Amanda follows a coordinated system.
She plans the meals for a month and does a big grocery shop that costs around $1,100. She said she spends an additional $400 per month for fresh supplies each week.
“I plan about 15 dinners and then double them,” she said. “I don’t plan out the exact days we have the meals, but I make sure we have enough. We have a big chest freezer in the basement and fridge freezer in the kitchen.”
“I’d love another freezer if we had room,” she admitted.
The Virginia mother is happy to take care of her family, but makes sure she’s not the only one maintaining the house.
She has taught most of her brood to help out with chores, like cleaning up after large family meals.
“Most of them know how to put the wash on, or make a peanut butter sandwich,” she said. “I set a 10-minute timer most days to get them to all tidy up.”
The older children also have designated tasks, which get switched up each week, Amanda said. “It can be chaotic at times, but so can any household.”
The Sellerses have a 15-passenger van, but they don’t take it to school. All nine children are home-schooled. Amanda spends her days focused on the children. Chris, a structural steel detailer, is able to work from home and lend a hand.
Chris is happy to raise a large family with Amanda, but he was a bit worried by the idea initially. “I was apprehensive at first of having a big family, but now I wouldn’t change it for the world,” he said.
“If you’d have told me then that I’d have nine children and one on the way I would have said you were crazy.”
The family man said he is excited to be welcoming another little one into the mix.
“We’re trying to build a healthy bond with the kids. I don’t think we could ever have too many children that we wouldn’t have time or love for.”