The Lawson's had moved three times in the two short years of their marriage, each time to a different part of the country. Not being able to sign a long term lease, the month-to-month houses they rented were shabby. Dana would paint and spruce up one house and begin to feel settled, when Bill suddenly uprooted the couple and they'd move to whatever state offered him a contract.

The day Bill came home waving the letter in the air changed their lives forever.

"It's a permanent contract at the air force base in New Mexico. It's renewable every year. Do you know what this means? We can afford to buy our own house. Real estate is cheap and I'm being paid top dollar."

They found a three bedroom bungalow less than twenty minutes from the base where Bill would be working as an aircraft mechanic. The future began to look bright.

Bill liked the guys that he worked with, and returned home every day cheerful. Dana painted the rooms and scavenged through obscure shops for furniture and art to decorate their new home. In the evenings they'd have quiet meals, make jokes about the empty bedrooms, then retire to their own bed to put their plans into action. Within the first year, Julie was born. They both adored their daughter and continued to be thankful for the life they were living in New Mexico.

Julie was barely three months old when Bill came home to find a sullen Dana sitting at the kitchen table.

"What's the matter? Are you not feeling well?" It was the first time in their marriage when Dana did not have dinner ready. Finding Dana sitting in the twilight without a single light on in the house was disturbing.

"Actually, I'm not feeling well at all. Bill, I think I'm pregnant again."

Bill's jaw dropped. "How can you be? We both agreed we'd wait for two or three years before we had any more kids."

"Believe me, this is nothing that I planned. I went right back on the pill after Julie was born."

The immediate disbelief at the contraceptive's failure, slowly settled into anticipation for the new baby's arrival. Dana gave birth to a strapping son, weighing in at over eight pounds. With Ezra and Julie, they both agreed that two children made for a perfect family. They toyed with a permanent contraception solution, but neither was ready to make the commitment.

Not three months after Ezra's birth, Dana was once again pregnant.

"You've got to be kidding," Bill groaned and immediately booked an appointment for a vasectomy.

Three months after Gregory was born, Dana was pregnant for the fourth time.

"Are you having an affair?" Bill was adamant that he could not have sired the child, insisting on a DNA test after Elizabeth was born. It confirmed Bill as the biological father.

"Maybe it has something to do with the aliens at Roswell?"

"Don't go all touristy on me. There are no aliens at Roswell." Bill snapped back.

Light years away, in another galaxy, a mother called her daughter to the dinner table. "How is your 4H project coming along, Xenia?"

"Not so good. They've stopped breeding and the mama looks sad all the time."

"I'm sure you'll figure it out--as always, but I've warned you; don't start treating the livestock like family pets. Now come. I'm serving last year's crop for dinner."

"Yes, mother. Could you pass me a slice of Fred? I'll have a scoop of that Linda puree too, please. This looks yummy."