Take Root and Write

Farewell

Have you ever thought about what that word means? It's a wish that the person to whom you're saying good-bye will fare well as she carries on with her life.

Well, I must say farewell to you right now. I'm sorry to say, but I've really had to pare down my commitments and I felt that I just could give this ministry what it deserves of my time. I don't want to be an uninvolved participant, but I simply can't do more than I was--and even that became a hardship.

Blessings to you all and to this ministry. Thank you so much for your time, love and prayers.

A Family That...

A Family that Plays Together, Stays Together

One wonderful benefit of having a large family is that you always have plenty of people for playing any kind of game. Board games, team sports, charades, etc...anything goes. Do you play games with your family? Do you like it or do you participate reluctantly?

If you prefer to send the kids upstairs to play a game while you watch television, or if you let the kids go play football with the neighbors while you clean your house, consider trying something different and see how it goes. Join in the fun and make some memories that will last.

One thing I've learned is that the time goes so fast--way too fast. I look at my one-year twins and my 17-year old, and it becomes all too clear just how quickly the time passes. I can promise that when your kids are grown and out of the house, you'll never say, "Boy, I wish I hadn't wasted all that time playing Monopoly with my family when I could have been folding laundry instead."

Calgon, Take me Away!

Several years ago, the Calgon company aired a commercial portraying a frantic, busy mom in her chaotic home. Kids are yelling and chasing each other, dogs are barking and tracking in mud, and the phone is ringing. One thing is apparent in the scene: she is well past her limit. She has had enough! The noise, the demands, the constant commotion--she's spent her day trying to keep it all together; keep things flowing  and moving along at a peaceful but steady pace. It's finally become too much for ever her--the supermom. Amid the chaos, she utters that still-famous line, "Calgon, take me away!" Miraculously, she is instantly transported to a silent bathroom where she is alone, soaking in a luxurious bubble bath.

Was that mom wrong for needing to get away from the chaos now and then? Should she have stayed in better control of her mood, her tolerance, and her frustrations? Or, perhaps you feel that she should have stepped away sooner, before she reached her breaking point. 

Even Jesus needed an escape from the constant throngs of people swirling around him. He needed to find a quiet place to pray and think. That didn't make Him a bad friend or Master; it simply proved that He was human. He had limited physical capabilities, and He knew the importance of protecting Himself in those human weaknesses in order to do His very best for those He came to serve.

Turn on a Dime

Ever heard the phrase, turn on a dime? It refers to vehicles making tight turns or reversing direction with such a small berth that it could almost take place on the head of a dime--so to speak.

I've noticed the principle, turn on a dime, at work in my home on an almost daily basis lately. Someone starts cross country; then band starts. Oh wait, cross country is too hard on an asthmatic, so how about Girl Scouts? The babies: bottles, then sippy cups; two naps a day, then suddenly only one. The laundry: Done! Not so fast. Five minutes after the last towel is folded, the middle daughter drops a pile in the hamper that she forgot to bring down--for three days. Birthday party at Samantha's house...on second thought, could you pick me up an hour early, like right now? Kids off to school for the day...nope, the front office calls, someone's sick can you come get her?

In the midst of all that, did I perhaps have any of my own plans for the day or commitments of my own? Does it even matter? The thing is, I'm Mom and in this house, Mom = Dime. We'll take the car/dime analogy a bit farther. As moms, we're the dime on the road. The cars whiz by, going about their business, but when they need to turn or reverse and go the other way, they all seem to need to do it on top of that dime (ie, RIGHT NOW!) and often at the same time.

Ready, Aim, Fire

My husband recently decided to take up hunting. He bought a bow, complete with the arrows, some special sights and even a target for practice. He's rather taken with the idea of being the proverbial hunter/gatherer this year. He'd love to bring home a deer (hopefully in little white packages from the butcher!) and fill our freezer with meat that he obtained through the manliest of efforts to provide for our large family.

Eh. I'm just as happy selecting my meat from the meat department at the local grocery store. I'd probably go as far as to purchase a half a cow in order to have a stocked freezer, but that's taking it far enough. The whole "go out and shoot your dinner" concept is slightly lost on me. Especially when the equipment to do this probably costs as much as all of the meat my family will eat this winter--figure that one out! But, I'm a woman. I'm supposed to be at home keeping the home fires burning until my man comes back from the forest with his kill slung over his shoulder, right? Uh, yeah...right.

Although I'm not racing out the door to test that bow myself--he is literally in the backyard practicing his target skills as I type these words--the sight of it and the arrows does bring to mind a familiar passage of Scripture. 

Let Go and Let God

I had a post all planned out for this week. It was mostly written and ready to go. Then life happened--as it so often does when we're making other plans. Suddenly, the post I had written just didn't say what I had on my heart.

This is what a torn ACL looks like...and that's me. Sigh. It happened so fast! All I remember is that I took a step in my kitchen and immediately fell straight forward like I'd been shot from a sling shot. I popped right back up and was hopping around before I knew anything had even occurred. Within five minutes, my knee looked just like that picture. It literally popped out like that within minutes.

My first thought was: How will I take care of the kids? I'm the mom of a large family, and I have a lot of people depending on me--three of them can't even walk yet! As my knee continued to swell to grotesque proportions, my fears continued to rise. All of my daily duties were running through my mind on a metal to-do list. I knew that friends would step up to help--and they have. I am also very blessed to have a wonderfully helpful husband who is a great dad. But, still there seemed to be no reasonable solution in which everything would be accomplished and the kids would get the level of attention and parenting that I love to bestow on them (myself). And these were all worries I started having within five minutes of my injury.

One thing, One Day, One Challenge at a Time.

Things happen. Having a large family and a lot of responsibilities doesn't exempt us from the trials and inconveniences of life. In fact, the opposite is often true.

In's and Out's

This column is going to focus on the issues--joys, struggles, disappointments--of raising a large family. I thought I would use this first article as an opportunity to introduce myself and share some of the details of my family and some thoughts about what it means to have a household that is bursting at the seams.

I am Nicole O'Dell. I work at home as a author while raising my six kids and working with my husband, Wil, to rehab our old Victorian home. 

What is a large family?

I think that is something that can only be determined by what feels large to you. There are families with fifteen children; I suspect they didn’t feel “large” when they had four. On the other hand, the transition from three kids to four is huge for some families. So, in my opinion, being a large family is a mindset.

I have three older kids, Erik (17), Natalie (11), and Emily (8). Having those three precious souls to call my children didn’t feel like it qualified me to call myself a mom of many. Then, Wil and I tried for one more. Number four came along in the form of 4a, 4b, and 4c. That’s right, I have one-year-old triplets: Logan, Megan and Ryleigh. So, do I qualify now? I sure feel like I do!