| Being a house parent comes with a few basic expectations; teaching teens how to do chores, look after their own room and laundry, ensure that they practice good hygiene and how to generally embrace personal responsibility. However, we also know that with work comes a balance of rest and play, which kids of all ages (and adults) occasionally need and enjoy. At our home, we love to practice this with either activities that provide physical exercise or educational experiences.
We’re blessed to live in our particular corner of North Georgia, with no shortage of fun activities oriented for both kids and adults. Summertime comes with a variety of outdoor activities as we love to take advantage of the warm weather. A couple of times a year we make a point to hike at Amicalola Falls, where we not only get to view the beautiful water fall, but we also cool off with a dip in the creek after the hike. We also enjoy catching frogs, salamanders and other creatures on the Joy House property, as well as fishing on a hot, sunny afternoon. To wind the evening down, we’ll play UNO on the porch while the sun sets, exchanging laughs and good memories over some friendly competition.
Being just north of the general Atlanta area, we also love to visit establishments closer to the state’s capital. Roller skating at Hot Wheels in Canton is always a great way to stretch our legs and spend a Saturday afternoon. As well, stepping back in time at the Tellus Museum in Cartersville or diving to the depths at the Georgia Aquarium helps us appreciate the wonders of God’s creative work in the natural world, both past and present. We even got to meet astronaut Shane Kimbrough during one of our museum visits!
Summer camp with Trinity Church is always an adventure. This past summer we stayed just off the Ocoee River, where the residents were able to participate in several activities including paintball, swimming and a variety of sports. Not leaving all the fun for the kids, I personally got to launch each of the girls off the blob at the camp lake! As well, we love when the fair comes around each year. That’s why when the fair came to Cumming, Georgia, we made sure to take a chance for a visit. The residents got to choose from several rides, explore the Cherokee village and even meet the visiting magician after watching his show!
In the home, the girls do a lot of activities with Mrs. Jenn and our friends that volunteer to do crafts with the girls. Mrs. Jenn is excellent at braiding special hairstyles for the girls to wear for outings or to church. She also invites the residents to give her a hand in the kitchen in order to learn some of her Southern and Cajun style cooking that they enjoy so much. As well, sweet members of our church come over to help the girls learn crafts such as sewing, and we all enjoy good fellowship while the girls hone in on a new skill. On Saturdays my son Luke and I make the girls pancakes, often times with our homemade berry syrups to go with them.
We daily take a few moments to read from God’s Word and take in the truth of Christ’s love toward us and the practical application of God’s wisdom in our lives. As well, throughout the year we enjoy celebrating different holidays and festive times with the girls. Eating a meal of smoked turkey and Mrs. Jenn’s mac-n-cheese, followed by giving gifts at Christmas time is always a fun way to end the year with the residents before they go home to spend Christmas break with heir families. Lastly, we love to celebrate each resident’s birthday with a meal and cake flavor of their choice, along with décor and lots of singing and encouragement. While we take the job of exemplifying and teaching responsibility seriously, we also take building relationships, practicing healthy self-care and showing the residents how to rest well seriously too.
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