Hosting Double
When the Ransbottoms said yes to hosting one-year-old twins, they had a little experience with the whole “two babies at once” thing.
Their youngest daughters are twins, too. Of course, those twins are now 19.So when one-year-old Lucy and Noah came through the door for a three-day stay, the Ransbottom house got a fun reminder of what life with two little ones is like.
A Sweet Hosting
“They’re the sweetest babies, and we really enjoyed having them,” Host Mom Heidi said.
Lucy was already walking and ready to explore, and Noah was close behind. Both were happy, playful, and very good at napping, which everyone can appreciate when there are two one-year-olds in the house. “They loved to play with toys and were so happy,” Heidi told us.
And this time around, Heidi had two extra sets of hands.
Her 19-year-old twins helped with feeding, changing diapers, playing, and all the other little things that come with caring for babies. After getting an up-close look at how much work two babies can be, Heidi laughed that the experience might have convinced them to wait a while before having children of their own.
For the Ransbottoms, those few days were simply a chance to enjoy two sweet little ones and help another family at the same time.
Coming Alongside
That’s one of the things Heidi appreciates most about being a Host Family. She doesn’t have to be available for every hosting. “I love being able to help when I can,” she said. To Heidi, that’s what community is supposed to look like.
“These families are just like us, and they don’t have the support system that we have,” she said. “I think of all my family that I have, and if something happened, I could call them and they would step in.”
Hosting gives families that kind of support. For a few days, it can look like two babies on the move, 19-year-old twins learning about diaper duty, and a home with a little more energy.
It’s not one Host Family doing everything. It’s the Church coming together, with each family doing what they can. And sometimes, it’s twins welcoming twins!