Laundry, laundry and more laundry...

The thing about having 12 kids is that you very quickly figure out that doing laundry has to be more than a once a week task. Even though 5 of our children are now married, with 9 of us still living at home, there is still a LOT of laundry to do.

I have a system. I have taught everyone, even Christopher, how to do a load of laundry. Sorting is essential: you must separate whites from darks, and very soiled clothes from slightly dirty clothes. Using pre-spot or some other spray for stains is also very important.

I have rules: never put on a load of washing without taking the clothes from the dryer, folding them, and putting them away. That way, clothes are not left in baskets to get wrinkled, and there is no build-up of unfolded clothes in the laundry room. I know how easily that can happen. We have climbed the Mount Everest of laundry many a time. We don't want to do that again.

I have a schedule. The boys do laundry on certain days; the girls do laundry on other days. Nobody is allowed to take laundry into the laundry room unless it is their turn and they are going to wash it, dry it, fold it, and put it all away. They each have hampers in their own rooms, which again eliminates Mount Everest!

And now, TA DA!... I have a nice, new, shiny, clean laundry room. I was thinking today that in all my years of doing laundry, I have never had such a nice room in which to do it.

Darlene's son Joel took it upon himself to surprise me just before Christmas. He had his mother take me out for a nice lunch, and he scurried to my house and completely renovated my horrible laundry room. He washed walls, drywalled, mudded, painted, installed new light fixtures, and put in a new tile floor. It is completely organized now, and when I go in there to do an umpteenth load of laundry, my heart sings! How I have been blessed by this young man, who simply had a desire to bring a little order (and joy!) to my life.

I always have enjoyed seeing the stacks of clean clothes or towels, ready to be put to use by my family. I love to see drawers full to the brim with socks or sweaters, all nice and clean! But now, even the process of achieving those stacks of clean clothes is delightful, thanks to my good friend, Joel.

Joel has learned to bless others by serving them with the talents God has given him. May God richly bless him in all of his endeavours.