Trusting through the Changing Seasons of Motherhood

  

As I write this blog post I am on the long van ride home from Ohio to Texas.  Our family lives on a small hobby farm in Texas, but we also have a vacation home in the heart of Ohio’s Amish country.  We really enjoy going there a few times a year and getting to live out the simple life while enjoying the beautiful agrarian scenery. We have a growing number of precious friendships there, and so we look forward to going and spending time with friends as well.  

  As we left the leaves in Ohio were just starting to show signs of turning color, and some days are starting to cool down with fall winds starting to blow across the countryside.  As we head back towards Texas the temperatures are getting muggier and hotter with each stop, and I know we are months away from any resemblance of fall.  We got an early taste of fall in Ohio, but now we will have to wait patiently for cooler air in Texas.  

  Thinking about changing seasons has had me pondering the different seasons of motherhood.  In all honesty I definitely feel that I am in a transition period in my own mothering journey.   My oldest is inching up on graduation, and so we are praying about what the days ahead hold for her.  My second-born is right on his older sister’s heels and is starting to think about how he can find a way of bringing in some income to save for his future.  I am quickly coming up on the tail end of raising my first two children, and I feel as though the others will be like dominoes falling behind my first two. 

  Then I look at my last two children, my babies, and I see that they are growing up very quickly.  My next to last baby recently turned five which in my mind is a milestone birthday. This means he is no longer a preschooler but a little boy who is of school age.  My baby also just turned three which means I no longer have a baby. There is a true sense of loss I feel in knowing that I am moving out of the baby/toddler stage very quickly and will no longer have these precious little munchkins to hold and enjoy the little years with.  

  I would LOVE to have more babies, but I cannot.  I had my last baby at the age of forty-two and had a near death experience in the hospital.  I was hospitalized for eighteen days and had a real battle for my life and health.  The whole story is written out in my book Legacy Reflections of a Homeschooled Homeschooling Mama.  After that ordeal multiple doctors strongly advised us against having more children if I want to be around to raise the seven children the Lord has given. It took a long time to restore my health to where it was before I had her which was not the optimum of health anyway. I still have some chronic pain issues that I live with.  

  At this point I am forty-five, and I know my season of having babies has passed.  I have been grieving this the past three years and still just break down crying sometimes.  I am really having to pray that the Lord will give me eternal hope in Him in light of this loss.  I know all ladies come to this reality sooner or later.  I think, however, that when you give your life to having babies and raising children for as long as I have that it can be a real issue to work through when this season closes.  I really don’t know of anything that has ever broken my heart to the extent that this situation has.  I long to have even just one more sweet bundle of joy, and yet I know that I will never be able to experience giving and nurturing new life again.  

 So here I find myself on the cusp of starting to launch children into adulthood and trying to figure out how to do that graciously and also clinging to the last moments of the little years with my baby number seven. It has caused me to cherish the sweet little antics of my little ones as I know very soon I will have all adult and school aged children and then they will all be gone.  Life is flying by so very fast.  

Recently I came across a writing from Elisabeth Elliot where she quoted the verse, “In quietness and trust shall be your strength.”  - Isaiah 30:15  I have been mulling that phrase around in my head and trying to counsel my heart with this truth.  I realize that the Lord is calling me to have a posture of heart that is quiet and trusting before Him.  This situation has also given me a deeper compassion for those who deal with infertility. I now know what it is to long for a little one with no hope in sight.  

  As I grapple with the changing seasons I wonder what the future will hold?  I feel like I am in a new season of learning as a mother.  When I was a new mother everything was new and I was having to learn a lot.  At this time the launching of young adults is also new,  and I am having to learn a lot of things along the way.  Seeing myself moving very quickly through changing seasons feels uncertain and a bit scary, but I know Who has been there holding my hand thus far.  I know that my hope has to be in Christ alone.  

  Sometimes I ask myself questions like what will I do with myself once my children are grown and gone?  Will I be happy? Will my children carry on the faith?  Will we be safe and well?   What will life be like in the years ahead?  All I know is that I must cling to my Savior and trust Him to be my fulfillment.  I think there will be new joys, different joys, new opportunities, and hopefully more opportunity to engage in ministry and serving others.  Recently I was in the basement of one of my Amish friends, and we were discussing children growing up.  Just in the midst of the conversation she offered me a word of encouragement that I have been thinking about.  She said the time does come when you think to yourself, “OK I’m ready for it to be just me and my husband again.” Her words made me think about the fact that one day it will be just the two of us again, and when that time comes we will be free to focus on one another and enjoy more time together again.  She was not at all trying to communicate that we don't value or desire children, but rather that when the time comes that our children are grown there is a new sweetness in once again having more time to spend as husband and wife.  I guess the seasons go full circle to where husband and wife end up where they started with just the two of them.  This is a reminder of why it is important to nurture the marriage even in the midst of all the busyness of raising a family.  While I really do not want to see the seasons change, I pray that I can graciously embrace each season as it comes and goes.  I know my God is faithful, I know He has always been loving and kind, and I don’t know about tomorrow but I know Who holds my hand.  

 Can any of you relate to the changing seasons of motherhood? What is the Lord teaching you about changing seasons? What do you cherish about today and what do you look forward to in the days ahead?  

Lowering the Bar

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https://s3.amazonaws.com/aws-website-legacyhomeschoolreflections-d3zzd/Podcast+Lowering+The+Bar+-+8_4_18%2C+4.30+PM.mp3

There are areas in life that are important and where we should never lower the bar.  Those would be things like seeking the Lord and obeying His Word.  There are also areas, however, where we can lower the bar in order to free up time to do the things that matter most.  This is what I am talking about on today's podcast.  I pray you are encouraged.  

Tis the Season for Canning Peaches!

  

  If you have read my book Legacy Reflections of a Homeschooled Homeschooling Mama, then you know that our family has some treasured friendships with a few Amish families.  Since writing the book, our family purchased a vacation house in Ohio's Amish country where we love to come from time to time.  Most of our days are spent on our hobby farm in Texas, but a few times a year we take the long trip to Ohio and enjoy the beautiful, simple, agrarian life here.

  One of my special friends here in Ohio invited me and three of my daughters over to can peaches this past week, and we had so much fun! The day before canning, we went to the market and bought peaches.  She went with us and helped us select what she thought would be good for canning.  We ended up choosing Baby Golds for the canned sliced peaches and Contenders for the peach jam.  I never knew there were so many different varieties of peaches!
  When we arrived at her farm we all sat outside and began the process of cutting the peaches in half, twisting them into two halves, removing the pit of the peach, skinning them and then slicing them.  Since "Many hands make light work" we were able to do the Baby Golds (for the sliced canned peaches) in good timing.  It was so fun to chat while we worked and to hear the leaves rustling as fall is definitely on its way in Ohio.

  After this we began filling jars with peaches and pouring a syrup made of mostly water and some sugar over the peaches.  Then we wiped down the rims of the jars with a damp rag and put on the lids and rings.  Then it was time to give them a water bath.  We canned twenty-four cans of these sliced peaches, and I am so excited to get back to Texas and line my pantry shelves with these beautiful Mason jars.  

  At this point we started focusing more on the jam by cutting up the Contender Peaches and making the jam mixture of peaches, sugar, and pectin.  My friend has a large oversized water bath canner, so we were able to put quite a lot of jars in one water bath.  When all was said and done we processed twenty-four jars of sliced peaches and twelve jelly jars of jam.  We had to do the jars in two separate batches, but that is a lot of jars in only two baths.  My canner at home will only hold seven quart jars, so this process went much faster with the oversized water bath canner.  

Our friend also taught us how to make a peach slush by mixing pureed peaches, orange juice and a little sugar and freezing it.  This slush makes a nice snack and is a good alternative to ice cream, especially for someone who is avoiding dairy but desires a cold, icy treat.  I am thankful for my friend and for her willingness to teach me more about a skill I have wanted to learn for years.  

  You may remember that I canned five small jelly jars of Dewberry jam a few months back, but that is all I had ever canned until this week.  My sweet friend spent her afternoon teaching us this life skill, and I value her friendship and her sharing with us a skill that can benefit our family for years to come.  My girls are very interested in canning now and have expressed that they desire to can more in the future.  I think this is a beautiful example of how Titus 2 talks about the older women teaching the younger women.  I think this is biblical and beautiful; one generation passing down wisdom and experience to another.  We enjoyed our very peachy afternoon with our kind and dear friend.  We are thankful! 

History Is His Story!

  

  We have been on a historical road trip showing our children some of the major historical sites around the Washington DC area.  Back when my parents were homeschooling me, they took me on a trip like this, but I had not been back to the DC area since I was a teenager.  It has been really great to be able to take our children along this journey and to see famous historical sites along the way.

 My husband and I really see great benefit in teaching our children history, because we firmly believe that history is His Story.  There is a great benefit in studying and understanding history whether it be world history, American history, church history, or homeschool history.  There are always lessons to be gleaned when we study the providential hand of God moving through the ages and the way He directs the events surrounding peoples and cultures.

  In increasing measure what we are learning is that we want to highlight the Sovereign workings of God as we show our children history.  We are not just seeking to elevate men like George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and others, but rather we are seeking to show the impact that Christ and His gospel have had on the affairs of men.  What happens to peoples and nations when impacted with the gospel of Jesus Christ?  These are the questions we want our family to keep in mind as we study history.  It is inspiring to learn from the examples of great men, but what we really desire is that our children see the goodness and Sovereignty of a our great Lord Who holds history in His hands.  This is the viewpoint that we are striving to teach our children from.  

  Our first stop on this historical journey was in North Carolina where we visited the Billy Graham library.  We appreciate the legacy of this man who spent his life preaching the cross to so many across the world.  We appreciate the emphasis on the cross that is presented even in the architecture of the building there.  

  Our next big stop was Colonial Williamsburg.  Time did not afford us the opportunity to visit Jamestown or Yorktown, but that gives us something else to look forward to if we travel this way again.  

  After Colonial Williamsburg we landed outside of Washington DC for a few nights.  During that time we spent a day in DC and then moved on to the Family Bible Conference.  The day before the conference began, we had a full day of touring different sites; once again we felt we didn't have nearly enough time to see it all!  I personally loved seeing Mount Vernon.  It was so BEAUTIFUL sitting along the Potomac River.  The view of the river from Washington's house is breathtaking.  

  Our next stop after Mount Vernon was to take the subway to the Bible Museum in DC.  Taking seven children through the subway was a bit scary, and I'm thankful we did not lose anyone.  Although I would not want to take that means of family travel often, it was an experience worth doing.  :) 

 I did not get many photos from the Bible museum, but it was an amazing experience.  Sadly we did not have enough time to go through all of it.  I really think that it would be great to have two days to go through the museum.  We really appreciated the Old Testament exhibit.  It was a multimedia, walk through journey of the Old Testament and really well done!  We were so sad when we realized it was five o'clock and the museum was shutting down.  Another highlight at the Bible museum was seeing a demonstration of Gutenberg's printing press.  

  Once the museum closed we started walking towards the monuments in DC, and we enjoyed a treat from an ice cream truck along the way.  It was fun to introduce my little farm children to the ice cream truck; I don't know if they even knew ice cream trucks exist.  :)  This is not something we see along our farm road, but I do remember the ice cream truck coming down the streets in our neighborhood as a child.  I don't think it took my children long to decide they very much appreciate ice cream trucks.  :)  I was thankful we had a large package of baby wipes for all the sticky hands and fingers.  

The rest of the pictures are of our walk around DC with the sights and monuments.  There was so much we did not get to see, but I guess this gives us motivation to think about another trip another time.  

  Lastly, here is a picture of one of my daughters wearing her new Martha Washington cap.  I just added this one for the cuteness factor.  :)  

Thank you for reading this long post about our historical road trip.  I would like to close out this post with the reminder from II Chronicles 7:14.  I am praying for revival in our land.  We have some beautiful roots, and God has blessed our nation immensely.  Sadly, our nation is turning its back on Biblical truth on many fronts, and America desperately needs the healing that only our Lord Jesus Christ can give through His gospel.  Let's keep our eyes on the cross, on the Savior and pray for revival to visit our land.  

Today I am linking up @ 

Sewing Skirts with my Daughters!

The last two weeks I have been busy at work with my girls making new skirts.  They LOVE to do sewing projects with me, and I love imparting skills to them that they can use throughout their lives.  I am thankful for how my mom taught me basic sewing skills and now I am endeavoring to pass these skills on to my daughters.

 We have one skirt pattern that we have revisited over and over.  It is the Kitty Mae gored skirt by Marie Madelleine https://www.etsy.com/listing/85604923/kitty-mae-skirts-pattern-with-applique?gpla=1&gao=1&&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=shopping_us_b-craft_supplies_and_tools-patterns_and_how_to-other&utm_custom1=c4103867-5d57-4fc2-9d56-99322eac6554&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIraSUm6bX3AIVBjBpCh19UgpYEAkYAyABEgJgYfD_BwE  Through the years we have had fun making this twelve-gore skirt in various fabric combinations, and the girls love the way they can spin and twirl in these lovely skirts.  :)  

  After making so many of these skirts with my girls,  I find myself wondering if I will one day be making these for future granddaughters.  These really are a lot of fun to make!  They can take some time due to the amount of gores that have to be pieced together and then adding the yoke and waist band, but we have learned to do these in an assembly line.  It helps that I have daughters old enough to be doing different parts of the process as we go.  At one point I had one girl sewing gores together while another daughter was ironing out the seams and I was serging the seams.  

  These can come out looking very different based upon the fabric combinations used.  For these I used six different fabrics twice, but you could also do something like use four different fabrics three times each.  Another idea is to use two different fabrics alternating every other gore.  Anyway you make these, they are lovely and have lasted my girls for years.  

  A much faster project we have been working on has been simple A-line skirts with an elastic stretchy band.  I just learned how to make these kind of waist bands, and I think they are a great way to put in a waist band quickly!  I found the wide, stretchy elastic for these skirts at Walmart.  

  I used this link to understand how to sew the band onto the skirt.  http://www.cucicucicoo.com/2016/02/sew-an-exposed-elastic-waistband/  The fabric we used has a denim feel, and the print has many fun colors.  The girls will be able to wear many different colors of shirts with these skirts.  Also,  I think this print will not show stains very easily, so that is a huge positive.  Do you have any skirt patterns that you particularly love?  I would love to hear about/see pictures of your projects!  Blessings to you all!