Issue link: http://cp.revolio.com/i/139497
"That helps us keep our sanity. We keep a schedule and we try to stick to what's important." Lists and calendars are key. Each Sunday, Kerri and Darren sit down to make a menu and grocery list, and sort through coupons to help keep their $3,000 per month grocery bill in check. Monday night is family night, when they pile into their 15-passenger van to go swimming, or have a meal out. Date night is Friday night. And Sundays, everyone gets the day off, in honor of their strong Mormon faith. "That helps us keep our sanity," says Kerri. "We keep a schedule and we try to stick to what's important." At 3:45 p.m. the door swings open, and the three older boys - Martin, Dallin, and Hans rush in - setting down their backpacks just as baby Nola begins to cry – awakening from her nap. Without hesitation, one boy heads upstairs to grab the baby and give her a bottle, while another heads to the kitchen to warm up mini chicken pot pies for his siblings. "It's never boring around here," says Hans, cheerfully. Soon the elementary schoolers - Tanner, Savannah, and Lily – roll in, crowding into the kitchen to get started on homework, and say hi to Mom before she leaves for a business meeting. Remarkably, no one is bickering, and their parents seem more content than worn out. "There is way more joy in it than exhaustion," Kerri says, standing beneath a wall adorned with portraits of her 12 children and a sign that states "All Because Two People Fell In Love." Will there be a 13th? "I don't know yet," she says. "I would even be open to adopting. I cannot stand to think that there are kids out there without shelter and love." Kerri and Darren Bunker show off their newest addition, Nola Sadie Bunker. Health & Wellness Magazine • 15