Valentine's Day Recap

This Valentine's Day was so many adjectives.

Sweet. Memorable. Fun. Weird. Disasterous.

How can one day be described by all of those words? Life is just interesting like that.

One minute you can be fully engaged in the sweetest of moments and the next minute can be in the midst complete chaos. Maybe that's not your life, but it is certainly mine. There are 6 lovely variables living in this house that can fill up a day with both wonder and havoc. And we have not even entered into the teenage years yet- bless our souls!

Valentine's Day started off with a heart-shaped breakfast. We had eggs and sausage in the shapes of hearts and strawberries with chocolate yogurt. In regards to the yogurt, my kids proclaimed it indeed still "tasted like yogurt." I think they were secretly hoping it would have turned magically into ooey gooey melted chocolate. But, alas, it was homemade yogurt mixed with sucanat and cocoa powder.

This girl melts when you look at her. She is bashfully sweet. This happens to be one of my most favorite things about her.

 We all received rain boots for our Valentine's gifts.

 What girl doesn't like roses from their daddy?

We meandered around the farm in our rain boots because it was conveniently raining so we got to try them out.

The girls received "Secret Heart Messages" from the Farmer and I. They had a blast uncovering the hidden messages.

This is sweet Laney Rae uncovering her message that said,"When you giggle, I giggle." It's true. Her laugh is contagious.

 After lunch we went across the driveway to our cousin's house for a popcorn dance party. We got dressed up and got crunk. Their honey and I showed them what was up to the tunes of "Ice Ice Baby" and "You can't touch this." We laughed our heads off and left breathing hard- like a good dance party should do.

Here is the white chocolate popcorn buffet. Delish!

Crazy cousins! 

The toddler two!

Laney Rae cracking up at her cousin, Ashton.

The Farmer had deliveries on Valentine's Day so it was up to the girls and I to create our own memories for our Valentine's Day supper. Originally I was going to take the girls to the airport diner just down the road from us. I was bound and determined to see an elderly couple sitting on the same side of a booth sipping on a milkshake and discussing what track to play next on the jute box. This diner is precious and they wear real poodle skirts and some of them even skate.

It was a good thought while it lasted, but our bubbles got popped. The diner was closed.

Note to self: this is not a big city. It's a town. There is a difference and businesses can choose to be open whenever they dang well please. Call ahead of time always.

We ended up at our local favorite mexican food place. Let's just say homegirl right here had lost her ever loving mind bringing four girls to a restaurant by herself on Valentine's Day. We left with bumps, scratches, and a bite mark on the hand of my baby girl from a roaming toddler (not my toddler, mind you). Our meal was filled with screaming and tears. After an awkward moment with the owners, we left and I got to the car and exhaled a big sigh. This was not a good end to our day.

Good thing we had plenty of other sweet moments to look back upon and be thankful for this day that is meant to honor those in your life that you love.

However the lovely or mishmash my day turns out to be, there is not any other five people on this earth that I wouldn't want to be in every part of these moments.

God's word does not say that love is E A S Y. I'd venture to say that love (real love) is downright hard sometimes.

His word says that L O V E is....

patient
kind
doesn't envy
doesn't boast
isn't proud
doesn't dishonor
isn't self-seeking
isn't easily angered
doesn't keep records of wrongs
delights in truth
always protects
always trusts
always hopes
always perseveres
and N E V E R   F A I L S!  


1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Natural elements nativity.....

Two craft posts in a row....I promise this is not normal in my life.

And further more, this craft post has nothing to do with me making anything.

This post is so last Christmas, but my Christmas tree still happens to be up. So there. I have a competition with myself to see who can leave their tree up the longest and I always win.

For one of our Christmas Advent activities, we set out to make a Nativity scene out of mostly natural elements from around the farm and around the house.

Our girls were still struggling to grasp the characters of the very first Christmas. We had asked the littles one too many times "Who was Jesus' mother?" and got the answer "EVE!" one too many times.

I was all gung-ho until about 15 minutes into this and realized,"This is going to be way too tedious! We'll be here all night long!" And the girls were not feeling the nativity love.

Example:

But, you CAN easily see who was feeling the love. Busted!

Jason is a pro at anything tedious. He thrives at doing things that are meticulous. There have been so many times in our 11 years of marriage that I take on something detail oriented and about 15 minutes into the project and me throwing in the towel and giving up, he comes in and totally takes over to finish- this is one of his sweet gifts to me.

This was definitely not the family activity that we had in mind. What I got out of this deal was a bonafide nativity heirloom made by my man. There were several times that he said,"I'm having so much fun doing this!!" This made it even better.

I think he did an amazing job. I love that I have an acorn Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus. I have pecan wise men. My shepherds have cute little almond feet. The sheep are made of cotton.  We used twine, jute, burlap, wood, moss, and pine cones. He exceeded and blew my expectations out of the water when he started building an actual stable. I was just hoping for some nativity peeps. It's just perfect!

I plan on leaving it out year around to enjoy....my tree on the other hand has got to go in due time. We'll see if it makes it until Valentine's Day!

Moments Captured, not Silhouettes

Here dies another day

During which I have had eyes, ears, hands

And the great world round me;

And with tomorrow begins another.

Why am I allowed two?

G.K. Chesterton, Collected Poetry Pt. 1

I set out to snap some photos of the girls for a Christmas project. The photographer in me wanted to feel defeat. But, the mama in me fought through and found delight in what had been captured.

Although this was a failed craft and I didn't get the images I thought I needed, I walked away with something much more. Something I now like even better. Moments of pure sweetness. 

A back sugar from sister.

A photo of the little being held by the other little because she just had to be near. 

The little one. You could forget her sitting still since her world is all discover and only stillness when she sleeps. 

Those curls. Look at those curls.

And this look because “Why am I supposed to turn my head sideways and not smile?” 

This punkin head with her pooched lips and her messy big girl bun. 

And the eldest. Such a sweetie. Sitting so straight and tall. 

I would have missed all of this if I would have entered into this moment with clinched fists and my mind made up just so. 

"Wherever you are, be all there." Jim Elliot

{{{Papa}}}

If you take a step back and look at the bigger picture, you'll see a sweet man who has served and loved his whole life. This is a man who would do anything for his family.

My friends, this is my grandfather. He is precious to me. I can't tell you how overcome with thankfulness I become when I think about my grandfather being a close part of my children's lives; as in, we seem him at least once if not twice a week. As an 80 something, he could put most 50 somethings to shame.

Papa is the rarest of gems in this world.

And oh does he love to sit and hold babies! That is what he loves best.

Ruthie thinks that our Papa is her best friend. There is nobody on earth that she prefers over her him.

If children spell LOVE, T-I-M-E then Papa's love seems endless. Time is his gift to us. He will sit for hours and read and play living in the moment. Nothing is more important than living in those moments to him. I've learned so much from watching Papa love and serve our family.

I want my girls to know how much they are loved by this man. Not many people in this world get to say that they know their great-grandparents. I'm grateful that our girls do. And as I sit here a grown (almost) woman with a family, there has never been a time in my life that my Papa's presence in my life has not been felt. And for that investment, there are no words.

Life has been lived here

Thankfulness. Thankful. Thanks.

Words that are often used very loosely, but mean much your soul.

Simply speaking these words mean little, but actually feeling them do something to your insides.

I've been thinking lots lately about the practice of being thankful and seeing things in a different light.

This lady just sort of does that to you. If you don't follow this blog, you should. I recently condensed my blog reading from a list of about 200 (no lie) to a list of about 25. She definitely made it in the Top 5 for sure.

My girls and I have started a "Thankful Journal." Reading what they jot down is precious and makes this momma grin.

I've been re-inspired to pick up my lens once again and take a mental picture of this beautiful life that the Lord has given me. I want to remember every single detail of this life and choose to put on thankfulness and take off the dirty old rags of ungratefulness.

A life that is filled with sharpie marker adorning the butcher block counter top,

.....Little girls stirring pots and peeling potatoes in the kitchen.

.....A baby girl holding another baby girl.

......newborn smells and tiny eyelashes.

......painting and loads (no MOUNDS) of laundry to prove that we've most certainly painted; and we laughed while doing so. I laughed at the mess!

......map pencils in the floor and sisters coloring.

.......Number 4 in mommas arms while her sweet little big toe peeks up through the seam. A sure sign that this outfit has seen better days, but has kept many a little girl warm and cozy.

.......Nap times filled with creativity with momma and the eldest.

.......Tiny sewing machines for tiny fingers and sewing the perfectly imperfect pocket all by her big self.

These are the memories that I'm most thankful for today.

His words tell me to,"Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful." Colossians 4:2

Be prayerful. Be watchful. Be thankful.

Lord, please don't let me sleep through this life. Don't allow me to be on autopilot and simply coast. I don't want to be friends with regret. Through your kindness and your mercy show me how to BE watchful and BE thankful. Fill me up full of all of these things.

I'm thankful for this house that has been worn and used and that LIFE has been lived here.....today.

Lord, tomorrow when my feet hit the floor, help me to remember this sweet truth that you spoke over me today. Help me to get dressed with the garment of thankfulness.

A snapshot of my day

The girls and I loaded up in the "farm buggy" and drove around for a bit today.

As we were driving around, I was taken aback by the glitter, cheetah print, and PINK!

I snapped this photo to remember this season of life.

Little girlie feet out and about on an adventure. Oh how I love those little feet!

And this photo serves as a reminder to never ever ask my girls to say "CHEESE" to capture a photo. It just doesn't work in these parts.

You know you live on a farm when.....

This post was inspired by the previous post below upon discovering a rooster feather in our sweet baby girl's crack.

At the time, I just chuckled about it and went about my business visiting with good friends.

But, I quickly realized that some funny, sweet, incredible, and unpredictable events have transpired since we've moved to the farm.

You know you live on a farm when.....

(1) you go to wipe the hiney of your two year old and there is a rooster feather in her crack. Gag! This is the only item on the list that a picture will not be present. Thank the Lord!

(2) you use guinea fowl as your alarm system.....and truly take them seriously when they go off.


(3) you brood baby chicks under your family nativity scene on Christmas and it doesn't bother you one bit. The "not bothering" part is when I finally realized that I'm an official farmer's wife tried and true.


(4) the sight of your man getting out of the tractor makes your heart do funny things. If PW can talk about how fine her man is with his wrangler wearing self, so can I.

I simply adore this man.


(5) your idea of FUN is blasting gophers out of their holes with the Rodenator. The name says it all doesn’t it? And it is indeed fun.


(6) you regret taking photos of your kiddos eating dirt even still after 2 years later…should’ve thrown that lesson in there with “Never eat snow on a farm.”


(7) having a car seat in your ATV just seems normal and somewhat safer than the alternative….because babies are suppose to ride in ATVs in the first place. For the record, we are NOT rednecks. There is a difference between farmers and rednecks.


(8) you wake up and the first thing you experience is your daddy guttin' a hog in a tree. Well, I guess this might disprove #7 just a tad.


(9) you have a real live “Charolette’s Web” happening in your barn minus the word-spelling.


(10) a rooster tries to jack your Honda civic.

Snow Day: In pictures

It actually snowed here on Tuesday. You would never know that by looks of things today, but it did indeed snow.

The best part about it was that the snow decided to stick around for a bit.

Craziness fell from the sky in the biggest bunches of snowflakes that these parts have seen.

The snow beginnings.....

A reason to celebrate

In the midst...that is our farm store in the background and an excited 5 year old in the foreground.

Dudley was our only pig out and about.....the rest were nestled snuggly in the barn with their babies.

We had several hot chocolate breaks because, after all, it was SNOWING.

Laney Rae wasn't too thrilled with the snow. She wouldn't even pay me a glance at the camera. She woke up from her nap only to find that her surroundings were covered in "white tuff, momma."

We had some stick-to-yo-bones Potato Soup....for the recipe GO HERE to our farm website. This is a favorite around here as of late. I'm not promising it's low cal- raw butter, raw milk, and raw sour cream make this dish delish!