"You don't plan on twins. Twice," said Aviation Ordnanceman 1st Class Joshua Koren, leading petty officer of the ordnance branch workcenter of Aircraft Intermediate Maintenance Department (AIMD) aboard the aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73).

Koren and his wife had two sets of twins, back to back. The chances of a couple having twins are low to begin with, but the chance of having twins twice in a row is less than one percent.

The couple has seven kids in total: six boys and one girl, who is five months old. The boys are age six and four, one set of twins are three, the other set of twins are two.

Koren said that although he expected to have kids in his lifetime, he did not expect to have this many.

"I've always wanted kids," said Koren. "I finally met the right woman and she wanted kids just like I did."

Koren said when he told his kids they were having twins again, the children were nothing but excited because it meant they would have more playmates.

Preparing for such an extreme change in their lives took a lot of planning. Saving money was a huge priority. They would need to buy more of everything including food, clothes, and toiletries.

Buying extra supplies was not the only big change for the family. Renovations were also essential. Koren hired someone to convert more than half of their garage into a bedroom for the twins.

Another aspect of their life that changed was their methods of transportation. In addition to their minivan, Koren bought a 12-passenger van to better accommodate his family.

With reliable transportation for his growing family, Koren uses the smaller vehicle to and from work so he can continue to be 100 percent committed to his Navy responsibilities.

"He still keeps everything in the shop in check," said Chief Noah Korrell, the AIMD ordnance workcenter chief petty officer. "He's a better man than most to be able to handle all that and balance work."

Koren's 13 years in the Navy have prepared him in many ways for his current lifestyle. He's had to learn to manage stress and multitask as a leader in his department. Also, he's had to learn how to adjust to changes in his life. These qualities directly translate into his life as a parent.

He said the most difficult adjustment so far has been trying to find opportunities to get things done around the house.

"It takes a lot of time, commitment, and patience," he said.

However, through all the changes, Koren said he wouldn't change a thing.

"I just love every minute," he said. "I wouldn't change anything. I love having kids. I love having a large family. I never thought I'd have such a large family. I just love everything about it."

oren said there was really no way to plan for all the things that have happened in his life, but he takes each day as it comes, with the support of his family.

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