Interview With Mom of Nine, Photographer, and Boutique Owner Karissa Collins

Photos Provided By: Karissa

Me: Thank you so much for the opportunity to have you and your family on my blog. Please tell us a little about yourself and your family.

Hi. Thanks for having us. My name is Karissa. We are the Collins family. We have nine children ages 11,9,8,7,5,4,3,1, and 2 months. I am a stay at home mom that home schools all of the children and I run two at home businesses. Photography and an online modest boutique for women. My husband works in finance and we run a family home church as well. My husband also is currently doing a home flip, runs basketball camps, started an axe throwing business and has a wood working business. We also run men and women's Bible studies every week. So yeah...we are busy.

Me: What an inspirational family. I am sure many as myself want to know how you and your husband stay so organized.

Honestly it is all with God's help. I am dedicated to putting God first every single day. And then just allow Him to guide and direct us. I try to have some down time each week to just stay home. I don't necessarily feel that organized. LOL. Don't open the drawers or cabinets. But we do try to keep the house clean as much as possible and the children have their own individual chores that they keep up so that helps a lot.

Me: When people see you all out with all nine of your kids, do you think people are quick to judge?

I don't know if they are judging, but they are definitely curious and dumbfounded by our family. We do get a lot of attention from people stopping to ask questions. But I love it. I love interacting with people and sharing our story so it just makes going out more fun.

Me: I learn from your Instagram that you all homeschool your kids. Please tell me why you all chose this path for your kids, and tell the amazing award of having this option has given your family.

My oldest two children started in public school for two years. I knew God was calling me to home school but my husband wasn't on board. Towards the end of the second year that they were in school, God made it very clear to home school and every where I went that day God sent people that home schooled. But I didn't think my husband would approve. So when I got home, I told him God wanted me to home school and he said ok. That is when I really knew it was God. It has been a hard journey but rewarding. It is such a blessing being able to be around my kids all day every day. I love it. And such a blessing to get to know what they are learning and get to shape their individual talents and gifts. When they were in school, I didn't get to see them that much and didn't know what they were gifted in. But now I know them fully and it is such an honor and blessing. We definitely have our hard days where I want to quit, but God refreshes me. It has caused me to become a better and more patient mom and pushes me to be better everyday.

Me: I know that people had so much to say about your faith about believing in God's healing. I myself believe God is a healer. I do know that people that are non-believers, doesn't understand. If you can explain to them in a short write up what would you say.

Honestly, I get the most push back from believers on this topic. A lot of believers don't believe that God heals anymore. And I was kind of raised with this mentality. That God can but doesn't always. So I went on a quest to see what God's Word says. I am now on my fourth year reading the Bible in a year and it has been life changing. You simply can't read God's Word and not believe that God heals and wants to heal and always will heal. He never turned anyone down. Jesus never said no to anyone asking for healing. He always said...”Your faith has healed you.” He just wants our trust, faith and belief in Him.

Me:  As any parent, I know without a doubt you love your kids and want the best for your kids, so I would love to know why you all choose to not vaccinate your kids? 

This might be a long story but I will try to keep it short.
So, my first six children are almost all fully vaccinated. I struggled with this for a long. God convicted me with vaccines for years. And instead of looking to God, I looked to my pastor. My pastor said that he wasn't sure so he just trusted the government and prayed over his children, so that is what I did for years. Then after I had my 7^th baby 11 weeks early, God started to really speak. And I believe it is because she was at risk of death from them. I also had two children that almost died from them years prior and no matter how many times I told the dr I thought it was vaccine related...they always told me I was crazy. (Aynjel almost died at 2 months in ICU from a vaccine and got incredibly sick after every single vaccine after that...but I never really put it together and just trusted the doctors.) So when my 7^th child, Ansyr, was born, I got her her first vaccine but was trying to space them out. She hadn't even hit her due date yet when she got her first vaccine. I prayed over her before she got it but I immediately felt God telling me it was not okay. He told me that I can not pray away my obedience when He has told me to do something or not to. It is just so hard to find a doctor that will let you deny them. I was breastfeeding her and got so sick from her vaccine shedding to me that I coughed so hard I broke my rib. I was in the emergency room in so much pain. As I prayed for healing from God, God told me to never vaccinate again. I agreed and was instantly healed. I have never vaccinated another child since then. And never will. And God was faithful to send me a family doctor that was glad I didn't vaccinate. Since then, God has been faithful to give me all the education as to why I shouldn't vaccinate. There are many reasons but the most important being that most of them contain aborted fetal cells. And not just typical abortions. Babies aborted alive so they can get healthy fetal cells. Babies tortured. I also don't believe that God would create us to need toxins injected in our body. And many scientists have come out exposing vaccines and how they are mostly money driven. There are MANY more reasons but I will leave it at that. The movie VAXXED is a great to educate people.

Me:  Karissa, I know that on top of being a phenomenal mom, that you are also owners of  two businesses.  Please tell my readers and I a little about both. 

I started photography about 6 years ago when I had quit my job and became a stay at home mom. I loved taking pics of my kids and people started to ask me to take pics of their families and that is how it was started. I trained myself online and on Youtube and now have a business I love so much. But I do not advertise it because I am very busy. I don't want to take away too much time with my family and so I allow God to bring me business as He pleases.

And I started an online modest clothing boutique for women about a year a half ago because I was tired of not finding clothing that I liked that was long enough and affordable. I am 5'9” and so finding pants and dresses that are long enough is impossible. I also wanted other women to be able to dress modest and treat themselves at a reasonable price. So I wanted to be a blessing to others. I currently don't profit but that is okay, I want it to bless others.

Me:  I know kids grow so fast.. I am sure a mother that has many kids, who feel like they are not doing their best could use some words of wisdom. Could you give my fellow mothers some advice on how to not beat themselves up.

I beat myself up quite often.
My best advice is this, Live one day at time. Prioritize your children and let the little things go. I don't spend tons of time deep cleaning or folding laundry. We have a clothes room with buckets for all their clothes and they just throw their clothes in there. Kids don't care if they are folded and that saves us lots of time. Also if you can afford a house cleaner, get one. We shopped around and found a good cleaner to come once a month for $200. She is amazing and saves us a lot of time and worry. And remember hard days will come. Don't let them define you. We all make mistakes. No one is perfect. Lay it at the feet of Jesus every night and start over each morning.

His mercies are new every morning!

Me: I know you chose breastfeeding for your kids, why was this so important to you?

Actually, I tried breastfeeding but was unsuccessful with most of my children. I believe breastfeeding is how we were created and best for our babies. I believe it is essential for their health. But I also have struggled greatly. My first six children wouldn't latch and my milk would never come out. It was terrible especially since I have such a desire to breastfeed. It has caused PPD in many of my post birth journeys. I continue to try and my ninth child is still breastfeeding but I am supplementing with formula as well due to immense Raynaud's syndrome pain and lack of supply.
I say do your best to breastfeed but if it just doesn't work, trust God and formula feed.

Me: I absolutely enjoy reading your posts and testimonies on Instagram. I know people don't understand you because the don't believe what you do. If you could tell your followers and my readers one thing about you. that sums up who this God fearing woman real is, what would that be.

I am just a normal girl trying to live a life pleasing to God. I was raised in the church and even went to Bible college. I thought I knew God. I looked so much like the world and was chasing a life for me. A life all about me with Jesus sprinkled on top. I tried to consistently spend time with God, but just never would stick with it. Then one day God told me not to let my feet hit the ground until I spent time with Him and from there I became consumed by Him. Consumed by His love. Consumed by His truth. And I started reading the Bible front to back each year and found Him. I never had even known Him. I knew what pastors said about Him. I knew someone else's view of Him but didn't even know what His Word said for myself. And through that God has shown me so many misconceptions of what I thought I knew. And I can't help but be loud about it. I want everyone to know what He teaches me. I want everyone to seek God and find Him and know Him. It is life giving and exciting. I never planned a life of nine children or even wanted children. But God's ways are so much better than the life I had planned for myself and I want everyone to experience what I have.

Me: Please share your social media pages.

Follow me on IG at @thecollinskids.
Follow me on FB at www.facebook.com/karissnanissa
Follow me on Youtube at Created Collins for Christ.

Shop my boutique at www.rootedinchristboutique.com.