Not an Indentured Servant

Some folks out there in cyberspace seem to think that young adults who remain at home are little more than indentured servants.  That may be so in some cases, but I think that in our family's case, it is not so.

My 20 year old daughter got up yesterday morning and went out immediately to care for her horse, and her sister's horse.  This is a joy for her.

She came in to get a bite to eat, then sat with us in the living room as we read 1 Timothy 4 and 5 together.  She had plenty to add to the discussion, as she always does.  We prayed together and had a tea with her older sister who came with her four children to spend the day with us.  The 20 year old enjoyed cuddling a couple of babies and teasing a 3 year old.

After that, she went out to her own computer, where she completed an assignment on 1 Timothy 4:12.  She loves theology, and it is her joy to dig into a verse and to write about what she finds there.  While I did the dishes and began preparations for lunch, she checked her email, read some blogs, and wrote some of her story.  She's a writer, and hopes to be published some day soon.  She also is an illustrator, so she spends time working on that skill as well.

Lunch was next, and she came into the kitchen to help prepare wraps.  We have odd allergies, so we had to chop up different vegetables and had different items to add to wraps, so each person prepared their own.  Again we had tea and a bit of a chat.  While I tidied the kitchen with my married daughter, the littles went out to play for a bit and the 20 year old went back to do her thing...which is writing, studying, reading, illustrating.

While I taught the kids in the afternoon, she worked on various projects of her own choosing.  She joined in the math quiz to prove to siblings and nephews that you can learn your math facts perfectly!  She blew them all out of the water, then she went in to the kitchen to stick the roast into the oven, along with sweet potatoes and butternut squash.  She brought tea to those slaving away in the classroom, and practiced piano for a while.

After a while another married daughter and her husband dropped in for a visit.  While I sewed badges on my youngest's Calvinist Cadet Corps uniform, she helped another married sister (who also dropped by) get supper ready.  It was a matter of getting someone to slice the roast beast, and mash the squash.  The married sister made the gravy, and the green beans were a snap.  (Pun intended!)

Later, this 20 year old hitched a ride to town with her sister to pick up our Cadillac which needed an oil change and a new horn.  On the way home she RAN OUT OF GAS (my fault!) and had to be rescued by her brother.  While she was in town with all of that, I cleaned up the kitchen, fed the dogs, and did all of the dishes with help from her brothers.  

When she arrived home, she played a game on her computer, just to relax.

When you think about it, does she sound like an indentured servant to you?  

More Co-op

Just the highlights from last week, because I am in the middle of teaching square roots.  

• perfected the "boot-scooting boogie"  (Trenton is amazing!)
• looked up the states from where we received Valentine's cards
• Did fun geography with Aunt Adeena:  closest river, lake, island, volcano, sea, ocean, mountain range, etc.
• Learned about Constantine with Aunt Heather
• Everyone arrived late due to doctors' appointments, etc.  Next one will be better!

Co-op

We had a great time yesterday. All the school-aged grandkids came over (with their moms!) and had a blast together. The first thing we did was separate the littles from the bigs. The big kids went to the great room, where Aunt Linda showed them, step by step, how to draw a dragon. They came up with some "realistic" fantasy creatures!

Meanwhile, the little ones were working on Valentine's Day cards for someone special. They loved the gluing, cutting and coloring they had to do - but the best part was the glitter!

Once the little ones were finished their cards, in came the big ones. They, too, went to work on Valentine's day cards.

Lunch followed, then most of the kids trooped outside to play in the snow and ice, while the moms had tea and recuperated.

We then participated in Dance Class. Adeena taught us the "Boot-Scooting Boogie", then we did the Macarena. Most of the kids got the basics, and we plan to practice next week.

Heather read the true stories of Polycarp and Blandina, early Christian martyrs. Then we did Geography, studying maps - including townships, counties, provinces, countries, continents, hemispheres and the solar system. Each child wrote out their REAL ADDRESS!

I have fun asking the kids, as they leave, what they thought of the day at Granny's house. The best part, according to Becky, was playing with Emma. Justin thought that the maps were cool. All of them had fun.

And that's the best part, for sure.

Changed the Settings...

I changed the settings on my blog, so that only invited family members and friends can read it. This is to prevent any kind of surveillance by those who want to limit their liability concerning the crash that destroyed my car and gave me ongoing problems with my neck and back.

I hope that in the future I will be able to open access to my blog once again.

Meanwhile, I trust my lawyer's judgment.

I am about to make some changes...

to my settings on this blog. If you are a regular reader and want to be included in my list of who can read this, please email me: janet.billson@gmail.com

Blessings to all.
Janet

The Courage to Persevere

It takes a lot of courage to persevere in the face of hardship. To keep on trying to have a baby, even though you lost one in late pregnancy is hard. Just dragging yourself out of bed to face another day as a single mom with four kids under 9 takes perseverance. Encouraging a husband to keep on keeping on when the bills are too many and the income too small takes wisdom.

I am blessed to have grown daughters who are courageous. They are women of valour, mothers of strength. I marvel as I chat with them about their circumstances, and inside, in the deepest part of me, I whisper a prayer to my God: "Help them, Lord. Strengthen them. And Thank You for their growth in grace. Thank You for helping them with the daily struggles. Most of all, Thank You for giving them hope."

I want them to know that they are women of valour. Jenni of the Blog "One Thing" says it well. She writes that the "Excellent Wife" of Proverbs 31 is a wife of valor. (Go there and read the post!)

I quote:

"What are these things that make up a wife of valor?

• Working diligently
• Providing food
• Getting up early
• Spending wisely
• Exercising
• Helping the poor
• Clothing her family
• Teaching kindness"

My daughters are women of valour. They hang in there, day after day, patiently enduring the trials that come their way. They have learned to trust the Lord and to lean on His grace. They know, like Jenni, that to do it in their own strength is foolish, for without Him, they can do nothing.

I admire them for their courage. More than that, I praise the Lord of Glory, for He is the One who gives them strength.