(light wind rustling tall grass) (girls giggling) (soft piano music)
♪ (clock ticking) (soft piano music)
♪ (wrapping paper tearing) (soft piano music)
♪ (tree leaves rustling
in the breeze) (soft piano music)
♪ Mother: Have you seen it? Father: I don't think so.
Mother: You sure? Father: Does she know
what she's getting? Mother: Yeah, she chose it. (soft piano music)
♪ Mother: Voila! Hollie: Thank you. Sister: Where's all her
stuff that was with it? Mother: It's in the box, there's
a bottle, there's a soother. Sister: The bottle
isn't in the box. Woman: Oh. And her name. Father: Does it come with a name or do you have to give her a
name? Hollie: I named her. Mother: And? The name is... Hollie: Everly.
Mother: Everly. (soft piano music)
♪ Hollie: The doll is
usually a tradition. When the girl is
about 12, 13, around there, then she'll
get her last doll. Or in this case, I was
14 when I got it. Kind of means that,
that's the last nice doll. You're kind of stepping
out of that age where you're going to
be playing with dolls. It just kind of means
you're growing up, I guess. (soft piano music)
♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ (passing car) (horse hooves clip-clopping)
(harness bells jingling) (soft music)
♪ ♪ ♪ Mother: Hi.
Clerk: How are you? Mother: Good.
Enjoying your summer? Clerk: Yep. Mother: Looking for just fabric
for Hollie something stretchy, she wants to make
your own, so. Clerk: Sure, do you know
what color you want? Mother: Not necessarily, just...
Hollie: I don't know. Mother: Nope, we'll just look
around like we always do. Clerk: Sure.
Mother: See what we find. Is this new stuff on here?
Clerk: Yep. Most of it. Hollie: Most of it. Mother: Oh, and some
of the remnants would be big enough to actually. Some of those are
stretchy and nice too. So, and I need one for me, so you look for you
and I'll look for me. Hollie: Yep. Hollie: I haven't thought
about my choices a lot yet. I probably do want to get
married when I'm older. To someone in the church
and have kids. But I haven't thought
about that much because I'm not at that age yet. Some of my friends from school
are going on to high school. And I'm not choosing to do that. (soft mellow music)
♪ Mother: Hollie is the
youngest of four daughters. Um, has now left
elementary school. So she'll spend the
next year at home with me learning some basics. And some of that would be cleaning, cooking, baking, canning, uhm, outdoor gardening. Hollie: Blue, red and pink. Not those together, but I like
those colors by themselves. And for dresses. I tend to pick more neutral
so that they match with my sweaters and other accessories and
stuff that I wear. (soft music)
♪ (clothesline creaking) (soft music)
♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Mother: So... you need it flat. Hollie: Mhm. Mother: Okay, let's
start on this. You know what, let's switch
it over, then it's closer... for you to get at.
Hollie: Yes. Mother: And this edge
has to line up perfectly. Hollie: This is
the sleeve, right? Mother: So there's no puckering. Yeah, we start with the... bodice front. Hollie: Should I find that? Mother: Yeah, it's...
got the sleeve. Hollie: Yeah, front,
bodice back. Mother: This is it. Ok.
Hollie: Ok. Hollie: You do that on the fold.
Mother: Yep, so on the fold. So, couple pins. Right here.
Hollie: Yep. Mother: So, put a pin in there. You can just, you don't
need to lift it, just... Hollie: Why is it not letting...
Mother: That's good, now another one here. There, and is it
against the fold? Hollie: Yes, it is. Mother: Okay, let's
set this on here. Keep it from moving.
One in there. (upbeat piano and string music)
♪♪ ♪♪ Hollie: This was... between... Grade 7 and grade 8 for me, I finish grade 7 and
then in the summer before I went to grade 8
we got together and camped again except at a different girl's
place in their bush. You leave school at 14
and then after that, you're at home until you
turn 15, then you join. That's when you
put up your hair. And you are wear a covering
and then you go to the youth. And be with friends. Like teenagers
that are your age. This is my sister's wedding. That was important. And...trying to see, camping
is... oh here we go. During the summer we camp
at Ray and Sara's pond with a bunch of
Goshen East girls. Had so much fun
swimming of course, eating candy, drinking
pop and Kool Aid, eating warheads, taking
pictures, doing plays, jumping off the diving
board and dock, roasting mMarshmallows
and carrots, and so much more. Some
of the memories we made, were clearing the pond
covered in scum, getting Crystal to do
here rubber face, crazy old ladies running away, a cat outside our tent, Kimberly telling us multiple
stories about her cousins. Lol, had a blast, a good time. (soft piano music)
♪ ♪ ♪ Hollie: I should have
worn my hair bun. Mother: Soon you'll
have your hair up. Yeah, then you won't have it
in your face all the time Hollie: I can't wait.
Mother: Okay. (soft piano music)
♪ Okay, this pin's kind
of useless here. Mother: Yes, see these patterns
have been around for years, that's why.
Hollie: Who made them? Mother: I did. Um...
maybe my mom did but, I've used them for four girls. And the pattern,
I used for my sleeve was from when I was 15. And it's pretty um... Getting pretty ratty actually. Hollie: Which one
did you use for...? Mother: My sleeve pattern has
been around since I'm 15. Okay. Hollie: The one that you use? Mother: Mhm, and Kayla,
okay cut around there. (mellow soothing music)
♪♪ (horses neighing) Mother: Long ago when
our ancestors came, they probably wouldn't
have worn pink. I'm not sure. They came from Pennsylvania. But before that, they
came from Switzerland. Have you read Hidden Riches
or any of those books? No? So you don't know that they came
'cause they were persecuted? Hollie: Well, I knew that. Mother: Yeah, they
were often hunted down because they didn't want
to baptize their babies and conform to the state church so then they came to Canada. First they went to
Pennsylvania, a lot of 'em, and that's where a lot of
your ancestors come from. ♪♪ Mother: Okay. Now we will make a nice
little bundle with the rest, and we might need it. What's your favorite
dress of all time? Hollie: (laughs)
I don't know. Mother: I remember I used
to love in the summer when you had short sleeves. I think I like dressy dresses. Kayla doesn't, she
likes casual ones. Hollie: I do too.
Mother: You do? Like you don't feel... more attractive in a... Like a...really dressy dress? You like just as much a denim
one or something like that, or corduroy and that's it? Hollie: I always feel
more attractive in denim, like a school one.
Mother: Ah. Girls are born to want
to look attractive. Hollie: Yes. But we also don't believe in feeding their vanity
until their conceited. You have to find a balance
between the two. Right?
Hollie: Yeah. Mother: You want to look good,
but you don't want to be... Hollie: Vain. Mother: Look better
than everybody else. Hollie: I won't always be looking in the
mirror and be vain. Mother: That's right,
'cause that's disgusting. Mother: Our internet is
sort of church, um... influenced as far as
typically most families, if they have a cell phone and
they want internet on it, there's a filter that
our church supplies. It's to keep out all kinds of
things that they don't want people going on right
to keep them sort of... As separate and uninfluenced.
As possible. So obviously if we're not
allowed to have television because of the influence
and what the content is, if we have wide open internet, And you have people watching TV shows and sports games, and all those things, then what would really
be the difference right? so they have a church filter
that they filter out, and then there's
also a time limit on some of the internet. Just so that people aren't
on at all hours of the day. A lot of it, I
think is geared to young boys, for their own safety that there's a system in place to protect them somehow. (upbeat music)
♪ Hollie: Some pressure that
I might have would be, I want my dress to be just as nice as the others
or I want it to fit properly. I don't like if it's too loose. ♪ I want my hair to be neat. ♪ In a year from now, she
won't have braids anymore. So then... I'm sort of-
it's always been work. But now, the last...
this last year is going to be my last
connection. And even when I wasn't feeling
well, or anxious or whatever combing calmed me because
it was very much repetitive and regular and safe. I see the end in sight, so I'm
kind of like clinging to the last braiding's because it used
to be a big job and now it's just sort of the last link with her childhood you know. ♪ Mother: So do you think
you'll join the church at about 16 or so? Hollie: Probably. Mother: You think your
friends will too? Hollie: I'm guessing.
Mother: Most of them will. (sewing machine whirring) Hollie: I think so, yeah. Mother: And then that's
baptism and church membership, they're the same,
they go together. Mother: And then you
need to be mature enough for both, not just one. Hollie: (laughs) Mother: Well, then after
baptism you'd be about maybe 16, or 17, and then you'll be helping
out at other families. And by the time you're 18, you'll need to support yourself and you'll need to get a
job that pays half decently. Hollie: Mhm.
Mother: Right, and then after that,
it's your decision how long we want to work
until you get married. Or if you don't get married
then you keep working. And even if you do get
married you have to work. But maybe in your
own home. For free. (sewing machine whirring) And then if you
don't get married and want to become a nurse,
can you see that happening? No? Cause you have to go to
college for that, yeah, maybe you're not really
the nurse type. Hollie: No.
Mother: What about a teacher? Hollie: No not a teacher. Mother: No? Not
a teacher either? (sewing machine whirring) What about... hm... (sewing machine whirring) Not sure, what other
ideas is there? What other
ideas do you have? (sewing machine whirring) Maybe you need to work
at a shirt factory. And you can sew
all day everyday. I wouldn't work there either. Hollie: It would get boring.
Mother: Yeah, I know. Hollie: Come on. Mother: Maybe they'll
go on the fly coil. There's one on the light.
Hollie: Where? (thwap) Mother: That one you got.
Hollie: Yeah. Quite sure. There! Yep, go on the
ceiling I don't care. Mother: Get him. There.
At least you maimed him. Hollie: Where?
Mother: There. No, I think it's... they're pretty much
dead if they get hit. Mother: Being a
Mennonite is not just a choice of lifestyle for those that were raised that way. It's actually a conviction, we believe it's right for us. So it's, while we have a choice To leave if we want to, ultimately, we don't really because we wouldn't
feel free to leave, and be able to do that
with a clear conscience. Some will, and they'll be
totally fine with it. We see value in it,
we see security in it. This is what I've known.
I'm content where I am. (uplifting piano music)
♪ ♪ How do you put a
meter on happiness? What makes your life fulfilling and going out and
getting made up, or wearing an outfit
from a store at the mall, is not going to make me happier so what makes you think your
life would be better than mine? (soft piano music)
♪ Mother: What do you
think you'll do then, will you work for awhile? Work till you're 20, get
married at 20 do you think? Or would you rather
work 'till your 25? Hollie: No.
Mother: No? Not that long. Hollie: No. What if you really
loved your job, you'd rather have a family? Yeah? (soft piano music)
♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ (Hollie and mother singing) ♪ Spirits are burning
bright in the night ♪ ♪ guiding my way. ♪ ♪ - Faithful love.
- Faithful love ♪ ♪ from above came to earth
to show the Father's love. ♪ ♪ - And I'll never.
-And I'll never. ♪ Mother: We don't know
the sheets do we? (humming) (laughter) We're lost! (both singing) ♪ Wow! It's done!
Hollie: Yep. Mother: Very good, fits
perfectly doesn't it? Hollie: I like it. Mother: Spin around, let's
check the side, the fit. Yup. Feels good,
is it nice and soft? Hollie: Yep!
Mother: Yeah. (soft piano music)
♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪
