ten things not having a dryer taught me

For the last two months I did not have a working dryer.

I've chosen not to mention it, not to write about it, not to tweet it {except when it broke and when we were having someone come look at it}, and not to complain about it to you all. Here's why -- I felt like I was to learn something in this experience and that learning meant I needed to be quiet about the whole scenario.

Here are 10 things I learned.

1. We produce a lot of laundry. Our family of nine has the incredible capacity to produce an incredible amount of laundry every single day. I realized I was grumbling {which wasn't getting me anywhere} so instead of complaining, I began to take those complaining moments and instead set my mind to be being grateful and praying for those without clothing. And, I prayed for each member of my family as I hung each and every clothing item.

2. I can do things that I thought I could never do. Do you ever have that? Those times where you think I could never do that and then you go and surprise yourself by actually doing, actually living without something that you thought you could never live without? If someone had told me that I wouldn't have a dryer for two months I would have flat out told them that I could not do that. Not with seven children. And yet, here I am two months later, on the other side telling you that I did live without a dryer and we had clean clothes. :)

3. I take for granted things in my life. See point two. Like a dryer.

4. I complain too much about things that are ultimately blessings. Again. See points two and three. I complained and complained and complained about doing laundry for years {and yes, there are numerous posts on this blog about my laundry woes}. And yet, laundry is actually a blessing. Having a dryer is a blessing. A washing machine? Blessing. Yet, I was so stuck in the mundane aspects of the task that I chose to complain instead of being grateful.

5. It takes 24 hours for clothes to hang dry. I figured that out rather quickly. I developed a system {in my laundry room -- it was winter here} for keeping up with laundry and rotating clothes and towels so that everything was clean. Oh yes, and socks? They are still my nemesis. I am trying to be grateful for two buckets of socks to fold, but sigh, and oh my, socks? They take so much time and patience. :)

6. I can keep up with laundry. I used to lament that we had way too much laundry to keep up with every week. Want to know a secret? The months where there was no dryer? I was never behind. And laundry was more work then before. Yet, my mindset regarding laundry changed and I never allowed myself to get behind. Ah, lesson learned.

7. I still prefer dryer dried towels. I'm just saying. I was grateful for clean towels, but towels that could stand up? Sigh. I did grumble a bit about that. Sometimes. And those pioneers? No wonder they disliked washday. They amaze me doing all that laundry and having everything so stiff.

8. I'm quickly discontent. Ouch. Humbling. So we have a friend who just gives our family a dryer of his {we've been saving to get a really good dryer versus just buying the cheapest, and expenses just kept popping up} this past weekend. While we were at the hardware store grabbing a piece for it I walked by those beautiful, large, super capacity, burgundy Amana front end loader washer and dryers. And, immediately, I started thinking that I needed one of those. How quickly I lost the gratitude for what I was just blessed with. You know what? I am grateful for that running dryer in my laundry room replacing the old one now sitting in the garage by the sled, shovels, and bikes. Grateful.

9. Laundry as prayer time. Every morning when I went to hang clothes and fold clothes I ended up having to pray. I was so easily grumbly. Complaining. Bitter. Angry. Frustrated. And, yet, I began to realize that the attitude was doing me no good. Was it super inconvenient? Absolutely. Did the Lord use a trying time to break down a bit of my pride? Absolutely. Did I begin to learn to appreciate simple things? Including things that I've complained about? Yes. And so I'd pray. I'd pray for a grateful, content, and joyful heart as I hung items of ours.

10. I love {I hope this lasts} laundry now. This morning, as I opened that gifted dryer, I was loving laundry. I loved pulling the clothes out, folding them, and stacking them in piles. Somehow not having a dryer was a reminder to me to be grateful for the little things in life that we take for granted. It was an eye-opening time into my own life and my own heart.

So now, today, laundry is back to normal. {thank goodness} We've still got our savings going for a new washer and dryer, but at this moment, I'm content with what's down in that little laundry room of mine. Maybe I'll have to redirect that money to a new swingset for the backyard. I'd rather have that then those new shiny Amana appliances anyway. :)

linking with Angie for Top Ten Tuesday

mismatched socks, surgery, and letting go.

I didn't blog yesterday.

It was intentional.

1- I've been thinking more and more about taking Sunday off from writing. I'm not sure yet, but I do know that for me, yesterday, I needed to step back and get my plans figured out for the weeks to come.  And that involved not opening the computer for more than the fifteen minutes I gave myself.

2- I knew that I needed to set aside my day for work and things around our home. Yesterday morning, I sat on the couch thinking about our day and recognized the deep need for me to get our home in order prior to my shoulder surgery. I called it pre-op nesting. So I worked very hard cleaning, and organizing, and preparing for the upcoming weeks.

3- That shoulder surgery is one week from today. It would be a normal week except that Hannah is having ankle surgery on Wednesday. Her surgery was a surprise -- less than two weeks ago we walked into the Orthopedic Urgent Care and now we've got a date on the schedule. She needs to have an extra bone on the back of her ankle removed that creates severe impingement issues. {Yes, really, that's what she's having done - you may go back to drinking your coffee now.} We're hoping and praying for a full recovery within 4-6 weeks.

4- Since there are two surgeries on the docket I determined it was time to really deep clean the home. I know I wrote about how I need to run from perfectionism and having the perfect house --  here's the secret --  having a day like this actually helps me throughout the weeks. Since I know that I'll have a deep cleaning day  every 4-6 weeks it makes it easier to not stress about the home the rest of the time {see this post - running from perfectionism}.

5- Deep cleaning led me to my laundry room. Where I finally, totally, and completely caught up on my laundry. And, just so you know, I do not like laundry at all. I have friends who love laundry -- but not me -- it's kind of the thorn in my housekeeping side. But, I am totally caught up. And that includes all the mismatched socks.

6- Speaking of mismatched socks why on earth do I have an entire laundry bag full of lone socks? What is that about? Where oh where did those socks end up? So now I'm stuck -- do I keep the blue large bag of socks or do I <<gasp>> throw them out?

7- Those socks remind me of how often we hang on to things in our minds -- like when things don't work as well as we want, or hurts, or when we've failed. I know that in my own life I tend to remember where things didn't work -- the morning where my temper was short, or when we were late for a class, or when I don't have the laundry done, or well, you know -- and then I let those memories taint the day. So just like that bag of socks that's sitting in my laundry room, I just need to let them go. No need to carry a bag around of mismatched pieces. There's freedom in throwing out those socks and starting new each morning.

8- And now it's today. Monday morning. I've got my pre-op physical, and Chloe has ballet, and there's homeschooling, but you know what? -- there's no laundry on my plate. And that's a great thing. Wait. That's an awesome thing. I am just going to enjoy today, I'm going to let go of those things that I've been carrying around that hold me back, and I'm going to live grateful. For today.

linking up with my dear friend carissa.

the every mom needs these -- giveaway

Yes, it's about laundry.

How to make it easier.

Better.

Natural.

With no chemicals.

Back in January I was given the opportunity to review these very colorful

wool dryer balls

from the Willow Store.

{http://www.willowpads.com/t/the-willow-store/everyday-willow/new-taxon}

I completely-absolutely-totally-love them.

I just throw them in my dryer.

And

I love the fact that they reduce drying time.

As a mom of seven I need to get those clothes of mine done quickly.

{otherwise you'll hear me lament on here about laundry}

They also softened my clothes -- and I didn't need chemically dryer sheets.

Since Samuel got sick I've been trying to reduce any allergen in my house so these dryer balls were a perfect answer for eliminating chemicals in the dryer.

Plus they're adorable.

Their adorability {is that a word?} makes laundry more fun. Really.

{I love to fling them in my dryer}

{And my boys try to fling them around my family room}

The Willow Store is generously giving away one basket of these dryer balls to one of my readers.

They're valued at $19.95 and honestly are worth every single cent.

Want some?

It's easy to enter. 

There are 4 possible entries. Choose one or do them all, but PLEASE leave a separate comment for each entry.  Since I have so much laundry to do I need this nice and simple.
 Simple like using amazing wool dryer balls....;)

1} tell me what day you do laundry. And, yes, it can be everyday.

2} hop over to the Willow Store and tell me what your favorite color of dryer ball is-- want to know mine? It would be the red one. Because, you know, I love red. Here's the link - http://www.willowpads.com/products/wool-dryer-balls

3} Like the Willow Store on Facebook - Click here {They've got great tips over there.}

4} follow this blog {and if you already do, just let me know}-- and learn about my love/hate relationship with laundry. And you'll learn about Celiac Disease, my kids, our homeschool journey, life in a large family, some gluten-free recipes, my insight on life and finally, why I seek joy. :)

This give-away will be open through midnight (CST) next Friday, March 11.

Good luck.

And happy laundry!

cleaning and scrubbing and folding and washing

can wait.

It can simply wait.

Those dishes? Or the pillows that fell off the couch? Or the Lincoln Logs that need to go back in the box? Or the mirror that needs to be wiped? Or the laundry that should be switched?

That can wait.

It's okay.

Yesterday was our first day back to our homeschool routine.  I had spent hours the day before planning the week -- with a hand drawn chart (no fancy charts for me) -- so I was ready to go.  We had our agenda.  The kids were eager. As was I, despite that awful aching back and shoulder that pestered me throughout the day.

But, I had to fight myself.

Many times I had to stop from doing just that one thing.  I'd see a couple of dishes and want to take care of them -- while my kids would wait.  Or I'd feel myself frustrated over the blankets on the floor. Or I'd tell them I'll be right back and just spend what I thought was a couple minutes picking up stray legos in the boys' room.

I made myself wait.

We have times during our day dedicated to chores and cleaning.  I knew they were there, and yet I wanted to take care of everything and have the house closer to perfect.

But I waited.

This is terribly challenging for me.  Yet, I knew that I was to focus on them, and the weather cycle, and those division problems, and that literature, and reading to my little ones.  They trump.  They are simply more important than quick washing those dishes + folding the laundry + just a short vacuum + one quick phone call = time away from them.  When we as a family work together doing our chores and tidying it only takes 30 minutes.  Why on earth was I trying to pull myself from my kiddos to clean?

There is contentment found in waiting.

After about 8 times of battling myself and forcing myself back to the table I began to feel flooded with relief.  I didn't realize how much I used busy work to pull me away from the real important.  I'd make excuses in my head -- what if someone comes over? or I can't function with 4 dirty dishes on the counter -- and yet they were just excuses to avoid doing the hard work.

Hard work that is fruitful.  And beautiful.

This work involved me sitting beside them.  Laughing as we read together, marveling as we drop vinegar on certain rocks which causes a reaction causing them to bubble, have encouraging words as my seven year old works hard on reading, playing trains over and over.

And gradually this work made my heart content.

I was content to let my "busy" agenda go.

And then they were content.

It's not personal...

...it's just being a mom.

Yesterday, I was irritated.  There was a big pile of laundry that needed to be folded (imagine that, laundry here?).  This gigantic pile sat in my laundry room for days.  No one touched it.  Well, they'd dig through it.  Or ask for clothes.  Or add more clothes to the dirty side.  But, no one folded it.

So I began to felt resentment. I remember thinking -

how come they don't help with the laundry?  Don't they see all this work?  Are they just assuming I'll take care of it?

And I got crabby.

But, while I was folding -- swim trunks, and tees, and towels, and bibs, and shorts, and more -- my mind started mulling over my "all about me" statement.  Then I began to realize (again) that part of being a mom is not initially expecting them to see the work, but rather training them to learn how to do the work.  Then, once the expectations are set, then I have a right to be frustrated if the work wasn't done.

I hadn't set the goals.

I simply assumed they'd see all the work the way I did.  And then I assumed that because they didn't do it that they didn't really care about all the work that I had to do.  Then I started to develop a grudge based on my own inaccurate assumptions.

Planning and training takes work.  Hard, hard work.  There are stewardship areas in our home where I've invested this time and energy.  The kitchen, garbage and girls' bathroom.  Those stewardship areas are maintained.  Completed.  I was convicted to do the same with the laundry.  And that means letting go of the perfect folds that I like, and instead praising for the learning attempts that they make.  And holding them accountable.  It's all to easy to do it myself -- but then look where that leads.

So starting today, I'll be developing my goals and targets for laundry.

And then we'll see how many posts about laundry I do after this.

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Remember to enter

The Teething Bling Giveaway.

CLICK HERE!

chaos to order

(first--thank you for your prayers for Samuel.  I just needed to thank you all again.)


My laundry is folded.

All 8 loads.

 Folded, stacked and -- sitting on my family room floor.

folded order -- really

Now, I need to put it all away.  And that's the part I really dislike.  Up and down the stairs, hanging, moving -- it's just not that enjoyable.

It's that whole idea of follow-through.  If I don't finish, then all that work till the wee hours of the morning was in vain.  The stacks will become piles.  And I'll have to start over. Again.

Honestly?  The last thing that I want to do at 7:13 in the morning is to lug 4 baskets full of laundry around the house.  But, I will.

There are two trigger points that I have with regards to my home.  One -- a messy kitchen.  And Two -- excess laundry.  If either of these are not kept up with then the rest of the house suffers.  They become the catalyst for mess.  And, honestly, I function better in order.  So even though I do not want to deal with that laundry now -- I will.  And order and peace will be the result.

These are the things that take the most time and most work, yet have the largest impact on our day.  So I plod forward determined to once again catch up.  And slowly, the energy in the home shifts from behind to on-track.  Frustration moves to contentment.  And honestly, there are lots more smiles when they -- the kiddos -- realize that I'm not operating overwhelmed. It's a daily task -- not weekly.

Chaos = discontent.  Order = peace.

Off to put away those clothes.

basket 2 of 4

taming the laundry

I am, once again, in need of the magical laundry fairy.  You know?  The one who can instantly catch an individual up on all of that laundry build up. Laundry that got ignored as I ran our garage sale.  I've got piles waiting to be washed and piles waiting to be folded.  And a hamper overflowing.  And wet towels, used for that hot day yesterday in the pool, hanging over the edge of the deck railings.  And I'm wishing for that quick, instant fix.

Which won't come.

Taming the laundry.  

This involves work.  Dedicating time to fold, wash, and put-away.  Work that honestly, I don't really enjoy.  I can putz around in my garden and yard for hours, and yet, spending that time in my laundry room isn't my idea of a fabulous afternoon.  Make that day.

It needs to be done.

I know that once I'm caught up I'll be grateful, and have that sense of accomplishment.  It's just those steps of catching up that are so difficult.  Isn't that how life is?  Sometimes we have to go through these times that we know will be challenging -- there's no way around those trials -- and yet, once we re-emerge we're so grateful for walking through.

There are beautiful analogies in the everyday.  Images of perseverance, diligence, and faith.  Sometimes it seems as if the Lord gives us lessons in the little things so that we are a little bit prepared when the big deals come about.  And then, at least for me, we're really grateful for all those little things that used to be challenging.

So off to do laundry. 

And to be grateful for the laundry.

All the while telling myself to stay caught up.

Till next time.

And honestly -- I'm doing the laundry for my family -- and that includes this little guy. 

 It's worth it.

don't you love what the humidity did to Samuel's hair?

Happy Birthday dear Gracie...& Momentous Monday

my sweet Gracie born 4/12/01

Happy Birthday to you!

Where does time go?  It just seems like yesterday that my Grace Eva was born.  She's the third child of ours, and our third daughter.  What a joy she is to our family.  She's funny, smart, and oh...so creative.  And she's a spitfire.  I've got to tell you that I've discovered that if you have a child named Grace that you need to be blessed with an abundance of grace.  She's so determined, focused, and yet is tender, loving and oh-so-sweet.

Grace doing an experiment

It's a bit bittersweet having Gracie turn nine.  Sigh.  My girls are growing up.  Soon the cute braids and bows won't be desired as much.  I miss those little moments of little girls sometimes.  Oh, don't get me wrong...I love, love, love my four boys (who are all six and under)...but there is something tender and sweet about having a little girl in the house.  And, yes, I know nine isn't THAT old, but it FEELS old.  It feels like those days of young childhood are leaving and she'll be crossing into that threshold of her older sisters.  Those times where she'll crave being the little girl and yet at the same time want to be older.  Where she'll question if she should play with that toy...even though part of her really wants to...and the other thinks she's too old. Will she still love pink?  Or her Littlest Pet Shops? The finite days of young childhood seem to be racing in all too fast.

Grace with her sisters (2007)

I love my Grace.  Sometimes I forget just how special a gift she is for our family.  Birthdays are great reminders.  They smack you in the face with the importance of those around you that you love.  As I sit here I'm thinking of all the times where I was too short-tempered with Grace, or when I didn't really listen, or when I told her I'd play a game, or read a book, or did something...and didn't.  Tonight as I was working on the yard I was showing my husband places where it was worn bare.  Of course it was right in front of the swingset...nestled in between that and the garden and the steps from the deck.  My husband replied:

We're growing children...not grass.

Straight to the heart.  Truth.  Does it matter that our grass is matted there?  Absolutely not.  Does it matter that my children, our children enjoy the freedom to run and play in our yard.  Absolutely yes. So, once again, I need to refocus and refresh.

Grace's 6th birthday

So often it's easy to allow the people around us to be tainted with "build up."  You know...where we keep a record of wrong.  When we look at them and we don't allow them to move past the mistakes.  It's like we see them with a record of short-comings, or mistakes, or wrong-doings.  That lens needs to come off!  Our Savior has washed me, and you, white as snow.  All of my sins are forgiven through Him.  And yet, here I walk, forgetting to wipe the slates clean of my own daughter...or sons. I need to learn from their errors, but give them the grace that they deserve.  Our Father bestowed on us grace that we could never ever ever deserve.  I need to learn from Him...the truth.

Grace's art

Writing this makes me love her more.  And it fills me with such gratitude for her, and my six other children.  They are such blessings from the Lord.  It's all to easy to get overwhelmed with the nitty-gritty ins and outs of daily life.  Whether the dishes are done, or the laundry folded, or the yard watered, or socks put-away, or things dusted...and then miss out on the beauty and joy right before us.  Grace is growing up.   Too fast.  I need to slow down and soak in this gift of time that I've been blessed to have with her.  That's why I love birthdays.  They refocus my heart.  I see the truth and value of REAL importance again....the gift of time with these blessings from the Lord.  Use it wisely.

Happy 9th Birthday Grace Eva!

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I'm joining in on Momentous Monday today.  It's a wonderful way to remember those daily things that make life beautiful.  Well, of course I had to think of something that Grace did or said last week since today is her birthday. :)

I decorate the house for my kids the night before their birthday so that when they wake up it's quite festive.  I have had one friend laugh and tell me to just keep the decorations up since I've got birthdays all the time.  Well, anyways, last night before bed, Grace came to me and was trying to stay awake, you know getting water, asking a question, etc....so that she could peek at the decorations. After a bit I told her she needed to go to bed.  Then a couple minutes more I heard,

you know the streamers that you hang from the door?  Well, those are my favorites.  Just thought you'd want to know.

This morning?  A bunch of streamers hanging down from her door.  That's memories.

Grace's 7th birthday