My New Drying Rack!

We had a good week last week. We had very little appointments and reasons to get out of the house, so we were able to really concentrate on school with no interruptions. Keith was able to work from home. A new friend brought supper to us and it was enough for two meals! Keith and I went on two dates last week! They were short, but we had a great time. One was at a coffee shop and I enjoyed my first cup of chai. The other was at a Thai restaurant and I had my first cashew-crusted chicken. It was great! While we were eating I told Keith that it might not have been the best idea with the nut allergies that some of our kids have, and the fact that I am nursing Mercy. Well, I should have paid attention to that intuition, because the next morning Mercy was red and splotchy and trying to scratch her neck where she was the most broke out! That was a lesson learned.

The couple who kept our children also surprised me with a birthday party when we got home. She brought the decorations and let the kids do the decorating. It is still up today. We thought we might keep it up and use it for Stephen and Keith's bday, which is right around the corner. It was very sweet and we will never forget it.

Earlier that day we all had a family meeting and laid out the plan for the day. Housecleaning!! Everyone was excited, as you can imagine. Keith and boys tackled the bathrooms and mopping. The girls and I did all the other rooms, including dusting and vacuuming, along with preparing lunch. It took us a few hours, but the final product was so refreshing. I think that is the first time we have all done it together. It was fun and rewarding.

What does this possibly have to do with my new drying rack?? Nothing really....except I was able to wash little Mercy's diapers and hang them on our new rack last week as well. I have done several loads on it already. Mostly they have had to dry inside. The picture of them outside with the sun looks a little deceiving. We haven't gotten many of those kind of days here lately. When we did,  I loaded that rack down the steps and out the door. It is light weight and very portable. 

I am excited about the rack for two reasons. One, I love the family that is now selling them. We have their homesteading videos. Though we have never met in person, we feel like we know them. They have five children. Several years ago they bought land out in the country and began to learn homesteading skills to become more self-sufficient. This intrigues me, so we bought the videos when they were on sale and have been following their website ever since.

They have gone through some health trials in the last few years, but always remained faithful to their Savior.

Two, I wanted to let the diapers air-dry. Particularly, outside. The sun acts as a disinfectant and bleaches out a lot of stains that most people put chemicals on to get out.

I was able to use money that friends or family had given to Mercy to buy this rack for her diapers. It is really reasonable. It is handcrafted and they use wood that doesn't rot.  You will see their button on the ride side of the blog. Take a look over there and check out all their racks. They have 3 different sizes. I hope to one day purchase the large one for our larger loads of laundry!

Thankful for my new drying rack and the ability to become more self-sufficient in baby steps,

Nichole