Shelly Andresen had thought her family was complete with three children, but now that it's bigger, she wouldn't have it any other way.
"We just enjoy them," she said of her six children, who range in age from 4 to 18 years. "It's not perfect all the time; we just do our best."
Utah has long had a higher fertility rate than the rest of the United States, though it is declining along with the nation's. In 1960, Utah had a fertility rate of 4.3 compared to the nation's 3.1. In 2004, Utah had a fertility rate of 2.5 compared to the nation's 2.0, said Pamela Perlich, senior research economist at the University of Utah's Bureau of Economic and Business Research.
Perlich said Utah has followed the national trend of decreasing fertility rates and smaller households since the baby boom following World War II. Part of that trend has to do with people living longer, so there are more retirees in households of one or two people, she said.
"It's a downward slope, but Utah is above the nation," she said. "It does not just have to do with the fertility rate; it also has to do with people living longer."
However, unlike the nation, Utah still has a fertility rate above replacement levels, and it experienced an acceleration in the 1980s.
"Right now we're in a pattern of constant fertility rate in Utah for the next little while," Perlich said.
For those with large families, faith often plays a role, said David Dollahite, professor of family life at Brigham Young University. Dollahite, who has seven children, said data has shown that those who are devout in their faith are more likely to have large families.
"Strongly held faith tends to lead toward larger families," he said. "The LDS influence on welcoming as many children as possible into the home certainly has an influence in Utah."
"It's not just a Utah Mormon thing, it's a religious thing," he said, noting devout Catholics, Orthodox Jews and the Amish are among those who also tend to have larger families.
"The data show a positive relationship between religiosity and fertility," he said.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has long considered traditional families to be the foundation of society but has stopped short of saying those families should be large.
"The (LDS) Church views the bearing and rearing of children by a married couple to be a joyful blessing," LDS Church spokesman Dale Bills said in a statement. "However, the decision as to how many children to have and when to have them is a private matter left between the couple and the Lord."
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."
E-mail: dbulkeley@desnews.com