Helping Hands

Lately my family has become quite helpful around the house. Not that they weren't before but it must have something to do with my protruding belly and the fact that I can't bend over very well these days, waddle around the house, and sit to rest a lot!

Ministry has many needs and Dan gets very busy visiting youth, working on Bible studies, helping coordinate purchasing land for a future camp, encouraging the elders and helping me and the kids that many times things around the house get neglected. I think my nesting instinct must be rubbing off on him as our fourth little baby is due in less than a month because one day he set out to accomplish some "house" needs. He spent one day running around town getting all the parts he needed to do various things and then one day, after a full day of ministry he spent the evening before and after dinner under the sink in the kids' bathroom. What you don't see in the picture is that all three kids were in the tub right next to him while he worked. I think I even overheard him telling them a story while he worked (I was picking up the kitchen and washing dishes and probably sitting down every few minutes to put my feet up!).

Dan is not the only one helping out around the house either! Eli and Toby have become quite helpful as well actually wanting to help set the table, feed the dog, putting dirty clothes in the hamper and occasionally helping to pick up (still working on this one!).

And Sammie. She is Mommy's Sidekick. Because Dan has been so busy with meetings and youth events he has been taking the boys with him and Sammie has been staying with me. Even though she tends to be a little lost without her brothers at first and wants to be right by my side, I have found this mother/daughter time to be extremely precious. I hadn't realized how much she was picking up from her brothers till one time while I was washing dishes I saw her getting into the cupboard with the paper towels. As I began to tell her those were a "no no" I noticed that she was taking a small piece off to wipe up some yogurt she had spilled on the floor. She then cleaned up her small mess and put the dirty paper towel in the garbage. She looked at me with the cutest little face, so proud of herself.