Done!

Saturday was our last day of cleaning the church. Hurray. I was so excited the morning of. I had one hour to go. It wasn't until later in the day that I was actually finished. I found myself walking really slowly as I finished up and was locking the doors. I brought our keys over to Ben and Heather and it was done. Wow. Those 9 years went really quickly. 

We started cleaning about 4 months after we moved to this house. Josh had just turned 5. Micah was 18 months and I was almost expecting my Naddie girl.  I loved this job when I started. It gave me new purpose. I worked every day at church then. That place was SPOT-LESS. No really, every single corner and window was done every week. I am pretty sure it actually sparkled! (o; The kids loved going then already, it was a playground for them.

I remember for at least a year or two after we started, every time I opened an outside door at church, while were cleaning,  Micah would run out. I can't count the times I would have to chase him into the woods screaming for him to stop. Seriously, I loved him , but he was a trial. I remember lots of tears.  (O;

As the kids grew, they took on more jobs. The first job was always garbage and garbage off the benches as the other ones  did Psalters and Bibles (P and B consisted of taking the bulletins and candy wrappers out of the book holders.) Then there was the job of putting chairs on the tables and preparing a room to be vacuumed. Another job was cleaning up the nursery and then putting everything in the middle of the room. There was dusting the benches and Josh had started some sweeping and vacuuming. It truly was a family affair.

After I had Natalie, Ken starting helping. He always vacuumed the sanctuary and mopped the fellowship hall. Ken didn't mind the church at all. He looked at it as quiet time.

Over the years,  during the week, the church became a bit of haven for me. It was a lot of work, especially as my kids got older and homeschooling was more demanding. Truthfully, it was so hard for us the last few years. But there were times that getting away to church with an ipod or music player was just what I needed. I loved to listen to sermons, books on tape or loud music as I worked. It also gave me time to think and pray that I wouldn't normally have had. Hehe, I also wrote tons of blog posts in my head as I worked, that were fantastic. I just never got them down on paper! (o;

If we were having a rough day at home, sometimes I would go to church (especially in the winter) to clean and give the kids a place to run  in the meeting room and have fun. Many long afternoons I was thankful for that place to go to.

When Micah was sick, I remember cleaning being harder because we had too much time to think. I remember many times while cleaning, finding Ken and the two of us just crying together in the sanctuary or if he wasn't there I would lay on the back bench and cry by myself.

There are so many memories tied up in our cleaning days. Nine years is a long time and  a lot has happened during those years. It is part of us.

One time we forgot the water in the baptism thingy. Pastor John opened it and looked at me and I looked at him quite blankly and shrugged my shoulders! (o;  Ken thought I put water in and I thought he put water in. Pastor John handled it super well and just got his water cup off the pulpit and poured it into the baptism thing. I think he even made it into a lesson about the water just being ordinary! It was good for me to have that happen. It made me relax more. Those things are not a big deal! Although, from then on, the lid of the water bowl  did not go on until there was water in it.  (o;

The other day, I took some pics of the church and the kids, just to have for my memories.Too bad they are kind of yuck in color and clarity.  When we visit home, we will attend our church. It will always be our home church. But the intimate day in and day out of cleaning and attending every Sunday most likely won't ever happen again.

God has plans for us and I am thankful that He is leading us. But I will miss my church, maybe even the cleaning the part! (o:

Nata and Micah doing the dreaded Psalters and Bibles.

Done dusting the benches forever! (o;

Play, play, play! The thing grace is sitting is on, is where we lost bunny for like 32 hours! She put her in the seat! (o:

Naddie, was just starting learn how to vacuum well. I still had to go over what she did, but she was getting there!

Many hours were spent here watching movies and looking at books. Just so you know this was totally staged. There was no movie playing! I just needed to remember this scene. (o;

My beloved cleaning room.

Fellowship hall

Full sanctuary... ugly thousand year old curtains and all! (o:

Everything I said up there is true. I loved this place and God provided for us with this church job.  But I don't think that I will miss the responsibility. I am excited to have time to actually clean my own house and have those extra hours for my family especially on Saturday and Sunday. I know it will be a blessing. (o;