I never planned on having 9 kids, I just knew I wanted a large family. My first experience with a large family was while I was helping the Harris family with their 4 kids (piece of cake!). I guess you could say I was kind of like their nanny. My responsibilities were laundry, cleaning, picking up and helping to watch the kids. My time with the Harris family was an experience that prepared me for my future as a mom to many children.Thank you Harris family for that investment in my future!
Being a mom to many comes with a lot of sacrifice. When I share with people that I have 9 children, I get one of two responses.... a look of pure horror or total amazement and joy. I prefer the amazement over the horror any day. God says " Children are a blessing" and I truly believe His word is true. It doesn't mean my kids will never drain my time, energy and finances. But all those negatives will never compare to the never ending hugs, laughter, watching my kids share their faith in Jesus and watching them worship Him in their daily lives. If all my children choose to follow Christ (I pray that they do every day), just think about how many lives God can change using my kids as a tool to reach those that are in need of Jesus!
I could sit here and write all the things we don't get to do as a very large family,but my goal with this blog is to share with others all the positive things that come with having a large family. For instance...How do we get our many many loads of laundry done and put away? Where do you go out to eat without going bankrupt? How do you keep your grocery budget, so you can have something left to keep the power on? What do you do to make time with your spouse and some activities you find that are inexpensive,but investment into your marriage? This is a very important question, time with your spouse should be at the top of your list no matter how many kids you have. Reconnecting with your partner on a regular basis will keep your marriage healthy and your children happy and healthy. Kids are very in tune to what is going on with their parents. On another note... what do you do to make time for yourself ? Was it Susannah Wesley who would pull her apron over her head for quiet time ? Her children knew then to not bother her until the apron came down. Mommy guilt can sometimes get the best of you if you let it. Telling your kids NO will not hurt them! We do this quite often with our kids. Yes they get mad at us when we do. They are kids and they want to go, do and have just like their friends. However time and money doesn't always allow a "yes " to their request. 1st John 2:15 says;Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. Being a Christian doesn't mean we can't enjoy life or do and have things and stuff. I think trying to keep up with what our friends have and do can become our focus in life, instead of living our lives to please the Lord. Now, back to the questions.... what does your very large family do for fun? If your family is large enough, do you ever get a group discount? How do you clothe your family? What vehicles do you drive (make and model)?
These are some questions many probably ask you when being fascinated with your family.
Large families usually bond real well together. We often meet parents with a large family and immediately feel a bond. Who else could understand what life with many is all about, than someone who has walked that same road? Do you have other large families you fellowship with? What activities might you do when your large group is together?
When posting your comments you are more than welcome to post anonymous. Time to time I may post your comments here, if you are not comfortable with that please let me know in an email. Thanks for your help! Walking the road of a very large family can be lonely at times ( I know this sounds impossible), Hopefully this project can help to make others more understanding and comfortable when encountered by large families.
Blessings,
Karen
Fear has no place...
8 years ago
I loved it when you said, "Where do you go out to eat without going bankrupt?". Once on a Wednesday night, we went to Chik-Fil-A, for supper. Well, with five hungry little chicks,and a Momma trying to keep them all in line, we all went in. Boy were we a sight to see! I am afraid to know what people thougt, there was this one table of teenagers, that were staring at us, and who knows what they thought when we went out with a huge bag of food with Chick-fil-A printed across it. I guess thats what you get when you have a big family!! Could I post this blog address on my blog?? Got to go!
ReplyDeleteLydia
Hey girls! Thanks for the post,I need all the help I can get. I know you guys have more post floating around somewhere.Please pass this blog on to whomever you can.The receipe for your laundry soap would be good too! I hope you all are doing well.
ReplyDeleteLove ya,
Aunt Karen
Hey!
ReplyDeletethanks, I will post it on my blog today!
Here is the recipe for laundry soap-
The Recipe
Now that you have assembled all the needed ingredients here is the recipe:
Homemade Laundry Soap
1/3 bar Fels Naptha or other type of soap, as listed above
½ cup washing soda
½ cup borax powder
~You will also need a small bucket, about 2 gallon size~
Grate the soap and put it in a sauce pan. Add 6 cups water and heat it until the soap melts. Add the washing soda and the borax and stir until it is dissolved. Remove from heat. Pour 4 cups hot water into the bucket. Now add your soap mixture and stir. Now add 1 gallon plus 6 cups of water and stir. Let the soap sit for about 24 hours and it will gel. You use ½ cup per load.
**A few things to note about the soap**
~The finished soap will not be a solid gel. It will be more of a watery gel that has been accurately described as an "egg noodle soup" look.
~The soap is a low sudsing soap. So if you don’t see suds, that is ok. Suds are not what does the cleaning, it is the ingredients in the soap.
I copied and pasted it from the website, so I am not sure how it turned out!
Got to go now!!
Lydia
You are a wealth of information... I look forward to reading more of your blog and learning more about being a mother and wife :)
ReplyDeleteIn Christ,
Laura.
PS: Your family picture in the sidebar is beautiful, you truly are blessed :)