Hospitality, Friendship, Encouragement

Wednesday, February 3, 2021

Home Keeping: Tidying Up

 The grandgirlies and their parents are home, with Kay and the baby being released from the hospital. 



This little one had never slept away from Momma and Daddy, and is into everything. She kept us hopping, but also liked to play with the toy horses and doll house left from my own children's childhood.

There were also food messes. But yesterday, when Nate went to pick Kay and baby up from the hospital, and Tim, Kyle, and the oldest girls went to my parents house to help with a few things, I got the toddler down for a nap and I tidied the living room and kitchen. 

I picked up dollhouse furniture, cars, and horses, I moved chairs to sweep under the table, I washed some dishes, and straightened up in the living room. It only took about 15 minutes, but when Nate and Kay arrived with the baby, all was tidy, the toddler still asleep (much to Momma's disappointment! She missed her girls!), and I was able to hold my new granddaughter.


Real life can be messy and its hard work! But the reward of preparing a place for hospitality (for guests both young and old) is worth the work.  

Today, we'll strip the slip covers on the chairs, one in particular got smeared with oreo cookie. They wash up easily and well in our washer so it's not a big problem. We'll vacuum the rug in the living room and maybe get some schoolwork done.

The living room doesn't look to bad, does it?  


Watson is certainly not bothered by the throw blankets, the dolly half hiding under the couch, and Kyle's sneakers.  I'm taking my cue from him and will just give it all a quick tidy and we'll be back in shape.

"For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another." Galatians 5:13

Everyday I have freedom - of what I choose to do with my day, how I spend my free time (I have a lot), what I will cook for dinner, etc. It's different than when I had a houseful of kids, and needed to run one to a job, and another to a friend's house.  When I needed to be home to educate my kids well, to put them down for naps, to feed them. 

My freedom can become selfish, and at times it has. That only serves my flesh, my self.  It's not loving, and I've been thankful for the opportunity of the past five days to serve my family with love.

I hope you all are having a good week! I'm trying to get around to your blogs and catch up with what's happening in your worlds!

3 comments:

Sherry said...

whatever our current season in life (singleness, wife, mother to littles, empty nest, widowhood, grammie to littles, etc) our choices go far in preserving that which is truly important in life. i love the glimpse into your life - the season being a grammie *and* mother to a sort-of-little still schooling at home, your focus, your devotion in life. bless you dearly, friend.

Vee said...

Job well done! You are a wonderful mother and grandmother. These were memory making days and we all know that Grammie's home is the next best thing to our own. You really got the house back in order quickly, which says to me that your systems are working. Sweet dreams 😴

Cheryl said...

It's a challenge to me to find my way in this new season of life. I knew it would be a challenge, but I underestimated it.

It is really a joy to serve our families and we'll never regret the time we give to them! You were a big help to your son and daughter-in-law as you cared for those sweet grandbabies . . . and now you have another to love!

Happy Christmas Adam!

  We had a lovely Christmas service yesterday at church. Then we took the girls home, we came home and I made Monte Christo sandwiches for l...