If you think the Duggar clan has a lot of kids, allow us to introduce the Radfords of Lancashire, England. Sue and her husband Noel have been quite busy for the last few decades — not just running their popular bakery business, Radford's Pie Company, but also raising their brood of 22 children, who range from being in their 30s down to toddlerhood. But they never meant for their crew to get quite so big.
Back in 2019, the Daily Mail reported that the Radfords were once again expecting and they welcomed their 22nd child into the world the following year.
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The couple announced the happy news on their YouTube channel where they have more than 350K subscribers.
The family regularly vlogs about life with their incredibly large brood, and in an October 20, 2019, post, they took fans with them on an ultrasound appointment to confirm the news that Sue was expecting again.
In the clip, Sue excitedly shares that she is 12 weeks pregnant and is about to head into her doctor "to see our new little baby!"
As her husband giddily assures viewers that "there's only one" baby on the way, Sue laughs and confirms, "I don't do twins."
(She does have to draw the line somewhere!)
They thought they were done expanding the family with their 21st child.
According to the Daily Mail, in 2018, the Radfords had previously declared that they were "done" having more kids after welcoming their 21st child. It turns out, however, they just couldn't quit. (And perhaps that's no big surprise to those who know them.) Noel reportedly had a vasectomy after kid No. 9 but then reversed it.
Today, their clan includes Chris, 32; Sophie, 27; Chloe, 26; Jack, 24; Daniel, 22; Luke, 21; Millie, 20; Katie, 19; James, 18; Ellie, 16; Aimee, 15; Josh, 14; Max, 12; Tillie, 11; Oscar, 10; Casper, 9; Hallie, 6; Phoebe, 5; Archie, 4; Bonnie, 4; and Heidie who is now nearly 3.
Most of the kids are said to live at home, with the exception of Chris, Sophie, Millie, and Chloe, who already have kids of their own.
As you might imagine, life with so many kids living at home can get pretty pricey (not to mention chaotic).
The Radfords spend about £350 (or $453.70) on food every week and spend a total of three hours cleaning up every night just to keep their house "in check," the Daily Mail reported. (Seriously — can you imagine the amount of Legos littering the floor and Goldfish crackers smushed into the couch if you didn't constantly clean the place?)
And if they want to have dinner out as a family, that can get pretty steep, too. The Radfords pay a minimum of £150 if they want to merely head out to a restaurant to catch a bite, instead of making one at home.
If your head is spinning, just imagining how much laundry the children (plus two adults) can accumulate in any given week; it ain't for the faint of heart. The Radfords say that laundry duty pretty much never ends, with around 40 pounds of clothes requiring washing every week.
YIKES.
When it comes to vacations, those costs are staggering, too. But even more daunting is the mere task of packing.
The Radfords say a typical trip away requires about seven suitcases. And Sue describes the packing process as a kind of "military operation" in which she sections the children's clothes into trash bags to keep things in order.
Yet remarkably, the family only relies on about £170 in public child benefits each week, thanks to the family's profitably bakery. Otherwise, they do their best to find discounts where they can and stay organized, plan ahead, and pack lunches more often than not.
The Radfords welcomed their 22nd baby with open arms.
At the time, Sue predicted the baby might be a boy. "I wonder if it will be 11 of each," she said in the video. "I am feeling a bit boy," she said in a YouTube video.
But either way, the Radfords just hoped the baby would be healthy, just as all their others were.
Sue was "very excited" about the whole thing, and even felt like the pregnancy was whipping by quickly. "I can't believe how fast this pregnancy is going already," she said at the time. (Though I'm willing to bet that when it's your 22nd time around the block, you can basically do this pregnancy thing in your sleep.)
A few months later, they welcomed a beautiful baby girl, who is now nearing preschool age. At least they always have a lot of babysitters on hand when they need a break!
