Good morning! I haven’t been blogging for a few days (several, few days, actually) because we were blessed to have a large part of my father’s family (my father’s mother’s family, to be particular) descend on us like a flight of butterflies for the 1st KHZB Family Reunion–which we were tickled to host at The Lowe Farm!
Normally, I would think of hosting, feeding, and entertaining about 30 people from ages 89 (Grandma Koeller!) down to almost 1 (baby Zoe!) for five days more like a horde of grasshoppers than butterflies. But folks, my family is wonderful! W-o-n-d-e-r-f-u-l! They brought food and drinks, games and toys for the kids, and helpful attitudes. They weren’t just guests–they were family. Everyone helped set up, cook, and clean-up and when we said our last goodbyes, all I had to do was throw in some laundry and sweep the floor.
I can’t wait to post more pictures, but today is my favorite blog day…Thankful on a Thursday…and besides being thankful for my wonderful family (and my wonderful husband who gladly welcomed my wonderful, big, family!) there’s something special about my family I’d like to share today.
Today, I am so thankful for the women in our family. Watching my aunts, my grandma, and my great-grandma this past week gave me a lot to reflect on. The example they’re setting for me and my cousins is amazing. They are God-fearing, family-loving, and generous beyond words in everything they do. “The aged women likewise, that they be in behavior as becometh holiness…that they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obiedient to their own husbands, that the word of God not be blasphemed.” Titus 2:3-5.
I am thankful for the opportunity to watch and learn from them. They are amazingly competent–organizing chaos, directing operations, and handling set-up or clean-up with equal efficiency and lack of fuss. And lots of laughter. You just haven’t seen skill until you’ve seen my Grandma and her sisters at the helm of a kitchen! Or a family. There’s a running joke between my sister and I about Grandma’s purse. It’s not even half the size of a diaper bag but we’ve never asked her for something she hasn’t managed to have stashed away in there! “She looketh well to the ways of her household , and eateth not the bread of idleness.” Proverbs 31:27.
And I am thankful to be loved by these women. They love their family with overflowing hearts, sharing freely and generously of their time, their knowledge, and their warmth. We don’t get to see this part of our family as much as we would like (Virginia is just not a hop-skip away from Chicago or Milwaukee!) and while we were together they didn’t spend their time debating politics or world affairs, or discussing fashion trends. They dove right in–How are you? How’s the family? What are the kids into right now? How are they doing in school? How’s work? How are your home projects going? Not because they can’t or don’t talk about those other things, but because when time is limited it’s people they care about. They’ve got their God-given priorities straight and I am so thankful that we’re blessed to be counted as part of their people. Their priorities. Their FAMILY. “Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her…Favour is decietful, and beauty is vain, but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised. Give her the fruits of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.” Proverbs 31:28-31.
- KHZB Reunion, Virginia 2010.
I spent our whole vacation time feeling so loved and appreciated…so…connected! I am thankful to have such a powerful legacy of love to pass down to my children.
