Since I've been bloggin' I have had the opportunity to meet and be encouraged by
many ladies all around the world.
There are some pretty amazing gals out there.
I'm happy to introduce the Take the Time To Guest today....Rachel!
"My name is Rachel Winkler – from sunny, central California. Our family is privileged to serve the Lord as missionaries. In 2003 we left for the field of Krasnoyarsk, Russia in Siberia. We were there for 5 years learning the Russian language, helping veteran missionaries, and later started a village ministry. In the summer of 2008 God called us to reach the Russians in Estonia. Almost one year later (June of 2009), we arrived in Estonia to begin a new work. We live in Johvi which is 45 minutes from the Russian border. Our small town has a large Russian population. In September we celebrated our one year anniversary of Bible studies here. God is good!
My husband and I have been married for 13 ½ years. It’s been a wonderful adventure and I’m glad he still makes my heart flutter {sigh}. We have four children – Daniel is 12, Andrew recently turned 11, Sarah is 9, and our “baby” – Caleb is 5. I love my family!
Today my T’ Time Challenge is……..
let them help in the kitchen!
Having four kids means lots of helpers! However, many times I face one of two problems when I needed a helper 1. EVERYONE wanted to help! Isn’t it hard to choose just one of your kids when they all want to be picked? That is very hard for me and I don’t like to be put in that situation. 2. NO ONE wants to help! Another difficult position that I don’t like to be in.
So, this is what we started doing and it works wonderfully. Each of the kids has an assigned day in the kitchen to be my helper.
Sarah gets the most days since she is the girl, the boys each get a day, and then we have family day on Friday when we all pitch in and help.
The kids look forward to their turn in the kitchen. They help prepare food, set the table, clean up after meals, and sweep at the end of the day.
I try my best to make their day in the kitchen fun and/or special in some way. Sometimes I plan a special breakfast and the helper is in on the secret. Other times it’s letting them choose who sits where when setting the dinner table. Having one on one time while working together in the kitchen is a real treat for them and for me -- whether we have a deep discussion, sing while we cook, act silly, or just talk about the day. One thing is for sure….we are making memories that will last a life time."
I'm so grateful for this wonderful mom giving us a peek into her kitchen and encouraging us with this great challenge. For more about Rachel and her life in Estonia visit her blog Rachel's Reflections and become a follower!
5 comments:
Enjoyed "visiting" with Rachel. We know her family well and think highly of them.
This was so appropriate for me! One of my goals for this new year is to give each child their own special day to help me in the kitchen :-)
I used to babysit their children in Krasnoyarsk! They are a very sweet family. She told it right-the kids do love helping in the kitchen. :) Miss them now, so much! - Lyd Pranger
Such a great idea to assign them each their own day! Thanks, Rachel, for this extra peek into your life, and thanks, Maria, for hosting a dear friend.
What a great idea! You really inspire me as a mother, Rachel. From reading your blog, it is obvious that your family puts priority on family time together--the result is obvious--happy children. It shows up on their faces in the pictures.
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