1. How has Motherhood changed you as a woman? Motherhood has helped take the “self” out of me. Instead of myself is has become ourselves. The joy of seeing your baby, taking care of your baby, and watching them grow, is without a price. And your baby, as I phrased it, can be a little black boy (I am white) picked up at the Temple Hospital in Philadelphia. No matter how old my children get, I get a little tug in my heart whenever I think about them. Motherhood is for life!

2. What is your full time occupations? My full time occupation is being a helpmate to my husband. That involves keeping our house clean, cooking meals, doing laundry, taking care of our children, and helping my husband on the farm. On the farm I had jobs of milking cows, unloading hay, and working in the fields. Now my work has changed to helping with produce-picking berries and delivering produce so they can take it to restaurants in Washington Dc, and waiting on customers.

3. Tell us a little about your family… I had the privilege of having 10 babies. I was blest with 5 babies that are biological and 5 babies that came into our home because their mothers were not able to care for them. Some of our babies, I only cared for a few months, some a few years, one until she ran away, and one we adopted at 12 years old. It was like a knife cutting into my heart when they left in a few months, in a few years, or ran away. They were my children!

We raised our children on a farm where they learnt to work in the house and on the farm. They learnt to enjoy animals (not enjoy so much when we were chasing them over the farm or worse; the animals were chasing us!) 4. What is one family tradition you have raised your family with? A tradition for us was playing together after working or going to visit their grandparents. Now were try to stay at a cabin together once a year. 5. What are you “must-haves”/or desires as a mom? For my children to honor their grandparents, to be kind to visitors, to share with other people and be generous with what they have. To also see the love of God and have Jesus live in their hearts.  6. What is something you are talented with or passionate about? I love decorating and finding a neat find at a yard sale or thrift store or vintage store, I love having flower beds and going to green houses for flowers.

7. Any advice for new mothers? Keep at it! Don’t give up! Be persistent. Be kind. Have fun! Love your baby. (they grow up so fast) Grab as much sleep as possible. Find joy in being a mother. Exercise when you can. 8. Where do you call home? Home is right there in my house among family, where I can relax and enjoy the things that I have put together to make a home. Home is-coming into my house, whether I was away for awhile, or outside working in the hot sun, getting a drink and cookie, collapsing on the sofa with my feet up. 9. What is a favorite past-time you do with your child/children? Going thrift store shopping, playing ball games together and in winter, board games.

10. What has motherhood taught you? All of my children are different. I need to give allowances for that. I need to give up my way or my ideals for them. I need to never give up praying for my children. God can work miracles!

“Not flesh of my flesh, nor bone of my bone; but still nevertheless my own. Never forget for a single minute, you didn’t grow under my heart, but in it.”