“The bigger your family, the more organized your home is, because it has to be.”
I’ve heard it said many times, but as my family has continued to expand over the last few years and outgrow the brilliant family closet I designed a while back, and teenagers became college students with jobs and erratic schedules, all of which played havoc with the rhyme and rhythm of a quiet and orderly home life, I’ve just assumed either those who say such things are lying, they’re insane, or they speak the truth and I’m just really bad at life.
However, over this past Christmas vacation, we sat down to take stock of things. We are now looking forward to one more jump in family size in the coming weeks, and we all knew that many changes would be necessary in order to keep the good ship Heidmann afloat. In evaluating the resources at our disposal with so many helping hands in our house, we have newly committed ourselves to restoring order. With everyone’s input and help (especially from Laurent) we worked out a chore schedule in which every member of the family has designated daily chores – right down to the 21mo baby, who could not be more thrilled to help with picking up toys and using a wash cloth to wash the benches! 😀 In the last few days of implementing the schedule, I can tell you emphatically that my home has never been more tidy and clean, and I feel rejuvenated and hopeful heading into our next phase of life.
No matter how often I say it, it cannot be overstated that I am a blessed woman to have a husband so loving, supportive, faithful and faith-filled, a leader upon whom I can depend and with whom I can walk hand in hand round the twisty and unpredictable corners of the path God is laying before us, one brick at a time. And as if that wasn’t enough, I have grown children who continue to love each other and their parents. They have thrown themselves wholeheartedly into the adventure of being a foster-family, not only genuinely loving each child who has come into our home, but embracing the challenges of using space (and bathrooms!) as efficiently as possible. It boggles the mind, to be honest, that they are so grace-filled and unselfish. I am deeply thankful.
Below: Paul getting some help from Cisco and Efrain building a fifth set of bunk beds. I’m tempted to say “… and that is absolutely, positively all the more we can handle!” — but you know what they say about making God laugh…
