11 Years Already!

This sweet guy turns 11 years old today! My how he has grown. He is gaining on me everyday height wise and his shoes are already slightly too big for me. His birthday week is being spent at Vacation Bible School and he is having a blast. I think he is mostly just thrilled to finally have a school break, which only started last Friday. :)

Happy Birthday Josh!!  We love you so very much!

Gone Fishin'

Okay, so these cell phone pics didn't come out so clear....I may have to continue to reserve the photo posting for the internet.

Who Knew?

It never occurred to me to check the app store on my phone for a version of Blogger that would make blogging from my phone easier. My friend Tara clued me in. I've got to run give a haircut now, but I may be here more now that I have this knowledge.

Dart Thrower

Is this a country boy or what? Here, Andrew is throwing magnetic darts at an antique manure spreader.We sure are savoring the beautiful spring days that we've been blessed with. Today, Andrew has been helping out with the sheep shearing. Prior to that, he and Josh were both out there supposedly watching. I guess they got bored not being able to get in involved (I had told them to wait for Grandpa or until they were asked to help.) and decided to throw rocks for the cat to chase........ Yeah, I thought it was weird too. Anyway, I knew nothing of it until Josh came in crying hysterics and holding his head. He'd been struck by a rock and got a pretty good little gash. It didn't bleed much for a head injury though, and it looks as though he will survive. Just another day in the life of little boys.......

Kitty Komfort

We are busy trying to finish up our school year. We are more than ready! Unfortunately, we still have a good month and a half left. Early in May, Craig and I will be attending the annual Homeschool Convention and I am really looking forward to it. Last year was so fun and encouraging, and this worn out Mama is due for some encouragement. I'm excited too that I will have the opportunity to look (hands-on) at some different curriculum for next year. Our current curriculum has served us well, but we all seem to be burned out and looking for a change. That's one of the many beauties of homeschool. I'm excited about the change and hope the boys will be too!

The above photo was taken on the Saturday beginning Spring Break. Guess who wasn't finished yet? His sweet companion, Lucy, helped ease the pain.

Beautiful Things

Somehow I never posted this most recent video of my precious singing niece and nephew. Their voices have grown and matured SO much. I can't express how proud they make me! God has BIG plans for them and I can't wait to watch. :)

Called to Seek the Lost

It has been over a week since my replacement at the dairy barn showed up. It took me a few days to recover, and if it weren't now so bitterly cold, I might be missing it... Milking cows that is, and gathering stray lambs. My replacement is accustomed to working hard, but knowing just a fraction of that hard work, I have felt sorry for him. So I baked cookies! :)

This morning the boys and I made an unexpected trip to town after Craig called with truck troubles. Despite the frigid temperatures, the sun was shining brightly and I felt an uncommon joy in my heart amidst a rather frustrating circumstance. (The broken down truck...which is now fixed by the way.) As the boys chattered in the backseat, I began to whisper prayers of thanksgiving. We have SO very much to be thankful for. All of us do. Yes YOU too! Even on our worst day...

My prayers turned to the gratefulness I feel for my husband and our marriage...to the grief I feel over so many hurting marriages in our society...and to the children involved.

This got me thinking about something.... Often I hear preachers and Christian lay people criticize the Church for its lack of evangelizing the lost. It's true the Church can be guilty of ineffectiveness sometimes. However, this comment always leaves me wondering what I am supposed to do.

In my day to day life I am not exposed to many lost people. Oh sure, I pass them on the street and in the aisles of the grocery store. My countenance and demeanor should certainly be Christ-like. If I can offer a hand with something on the top shelf, point someone in the right direction, or let them go ahead of me in line...I should. But, can I really evangelize strangers? Isn't it more likely that a lost person would be led to the Lord by someone they have a relationship with beyond a kind smile in passing?

So what am I to do?

Is my lifestyle as a stay-at-home, homeschooling mom wrong because I'm at home the majority of the time and not out seeking the lost? Do I need to put my children in school with lost kids, and take a job so I can be around lost people all day? Do I need to over schedule my family in extra activities merely so we can forge relationships with the lost? Should we go knock on doors or move to a third world country?

I think the answer to these questions is a resounding NO! Not that those who choose to do these things are wrong, but that just isn't what God has called ME to at this time.

Does this mean I'm not called to evangelize? No.

I just happen to think that God sees this evangelism thing from a much broader view and sometimes (but not always) we are called to do it in a more indirect way.

What do I mean by that?

Okay, so take me for example. Who is in my sphere of influence? Most of the time, that is going to be a bunch of people who are a whole lot like me. Our lives are similar, we do similar things, we face similar struggles...we understand each other. Are they Christians? More times than not, yes. So am I wasting my time by investing in them? If they are already Christians, am I "fishing in a dry hole?"

Let's take this further with a hypothetical... Say I have a friend (we'll call her Jane) who is married with small children. Let's even say Jane is married to a Christian man (John) and they attend church regularly as a family. I have a close relationship with Jane and one day she tells me of some marital troubles between she and John. When she tells me of her troubles I can respond in one of two ways. I can either feed her discontent by criticizing John and pointing out how much better she deserves, or I can pray for her and encourage her to work hard at her marriage even though it isn't easy. If I choose the former and Jane ends up divorcing John, who then besides Jane and John are affected? Remember those small children? Yes Jack and Jill will be profoundly affected by their broken home. Perhaps they may even blame God and want nothing to do with Christ or His Church.

...and so goes the cycle...

Evangelism.

Not so cut and dried is it?

I think our Churches would do well to "focus on the family." If we want to evangelize our neighborhoods, our Country and the world....we have to start at HOME! Falling apart marriages and families can not effectively go out and reach the lost.

None of these thoughts come from a heart that thinks I'm better than any one of you. Period! In fact, after I wrote the above hypothetical, I realized that I have been guilty of choosing the wrong response in a situation very similar. As far as my own marital struggles, I have not been any more immune than anyone else. We are ALL vulnerable. I just want to see us help one another in this area because it is that important. By no means am I implying that those who have been down the road of divorce are deemed forever ineffective. Certainly I believe our God is all about redemption.

Be encouraged today. Regardless of what your home life is like, you can start to make it better just by seeking first God's Kingdom and HIS righteousness. Let Jesus heal your heart and home.

THEN.....go and share what the LORD has done!!

Be an encourager to those who are in your sphere of influence, realizing that the effects go much further below the surface than you could ever imagine.

God Knows.

<3

5 Day Check In

Whew! I told ya life was going to get busy. It has. But so far, so good. I will admit, the first couple of days were HARD! This aging body is not used to exercise, much less manual labor. I just keep thinking about all the awesome lean muscle mass I'm building and it keeps me going. Whatever works, right?

So lets see... I started on Wednesday, this is Sunday. Twice a day, everyday.. That means I have completed 10 milkings so far! Wow! I didn't even realize that until just now when I added it up. It actually doesn't feel like quite that many. That's a good sign right? I'm not burning out too quickly. Truth be known, sometimes it is kind of fun.

I knew the routine of it would be good for me. You would think that having children would be incentive enough to develop a healthy routine, but that has never been my personal style, nor my parenting style. I've probably mentioned here before that I am a laid back person (to a fault!) Schedules are not something I am disciplined to do when they depend on me for enforcement. These cows on the other hand......their bulging udders beckon me to rise up out of bed at obscene hours of the morning. The weird thing is, when I know I HAVE to, it isn't nearly as hard.

The benefit then flows over. I feel so much more accomplished knowing the amount of work I've put in before I would normally have ever even rolled over and hit snooze. I still haven't figured out how to keep the momentum going quite as long as I need to so that everything else gets done too, but I think I can get there once my body is fully adjusted. Give me a break, it hasn't even been a week yet! :) Of course, by the time I do get adjusted, I may not be needed for the task anymore. Hey! Maybe I will actually become a true blue "morning person!" That'd be cool.

I have not gotten brave enough to take my good camera to the barn. I probably won't either. There is WAY too much water involved there. I have been taking a few here and there with my phone and posting them to facebook, so you can check them out there.

If you don't "hear" from me for awhile, you know where to find me.

Life is about to....

.....get a whole lot busier!!

Oh no no....it isn't what you think.

Remember my last post back on January 1st? Yeah, the one where I lament about not participating in the dairy more.

Well...

I'm about to get my chance. That's right folks, unless plans change between now and then, I'll be milking cows at 4 a.m. Wednesday morning while the rest of you are nestled in your warm beds. Rinse and repeat every twelve hours from then until ???

Don't feel sorry for me. I'm not looking for pity... or to make you jealous. HA!!

Although I am feeling very disorganized and unprepared for the busy-ness to come, I am excited for the opportunity to be forced into a routine (something I struggle with) and to work alongside my Daddy and Sons......and sweet Jersey cow faces.

Umm.....I mean udders! 

And just because I think this post needs a picture of the boys.....here you go.

Wouldn't it be fun if I could manage to get everything done (barn chores, home chores, homeschool, everything in between) AND take pictures AND post them?

Yeah...I'll try, but don't hold your breath. I don't know how professional bloggers do it...Seriously!

Dairy Sale

I have been contemplating, for months now, about how and what to share regarding my feelings of the recent dairy cow auction my parents had. For those of you who don't know, or have forgotten, we currently live in the same home I grew up in. My family moved here when I was around 10 months old. Ever since that day, I have known this place as nothing but a working dairy farm, with a constant buzz of activity. Certainly, things have changed over the years...whether it be the number of buildings, the color of the cows, or who was hired to help. One thing that has never changed though, until recently, is the constant movement of someone or something.

Due to the severe drought of the summer of 2011 and lack of forage for the winter, it became necessary for my parents to sell the majority of the dairy cattle this fall. (They still have some left, as well as beef cattle and sheep.) It took several months of preparation to be ready for the big day. The big day came and went and we were all left with our different feelings. My own feelings coming as a bit of a surprise to myself, I decided to write them down. After much thought, I'm choosing to share them here. Perhaps you might gain a new insight into who I am, and where I come from. If nothing else, I just want to have a record of this time.

So, here it is. Consider it an open letter to myself....written October 30, 2011

I was completely unprepared for how the sale would affect me. I had a misconception that because not all of the cattle would be leaving, it wouldn't be so hard. Sometimes when the tears just continue to fall out of no where... I wonder why?

Why is it so hard?

What are these feelings?

I know I am grieving the loss of what has been the second longest standing constant in my life. The first being the love of Momma and Daddy.

I wonder why it hurts so bad when it isn't completely over? There are still cows to milk, calves to bottle, chores to be done.

The view has changed though.

The sounds have changed. Suddenly, the bawling of a calf grabs my attention. Before, I took it for granted.

The tractor doesn't buzz by nearly as often. The hum of the dairy barn doesn't last nearly as long.

Pens, lots and pastures across the landscape stand empty.

The lump wells in my throat....

Then come the "what ifs" and "why didn'ts."

What if I had been more involved personally?

Why didn't I involve and expect more of our children? We want them to grow up in this environment and learn the value of hard work, even if their futures take them elsewhere.

Maybe a part of what I feel is opportunity lost. On the other hand, perhaps it is opportunity found in both a wake up call for me, and paring down to manageable size?

All I know is, I don't want to see it all wasted. All the blood, sweat and tears are far too valuable for it to stay unused. Life in some form must return.

What is my role and how can it be used to shape three young boys to serve in God's Kingdom?

My feelings are certainly not limited to present day involvement. So much of what plays through my head is straight from the song "Precious Memories."

"Precious Father, Loving Mother, fly across the lonely years. And old home scenes of my childhood, in fond memory appear."

So although, it isn't completely over, it is still the beginning of the end of an era, regardless of what happens from here. I'm thankful for the journey and have great hopes for the future.

Touching Base

I am kind of at a loss for where to even begin to catch up here. So much has happened in the past few months, and yet so little. That probably doesn't make sense.

Anyway, right now I am in shock that Christmas is exactly one week away. Not only am I not prepared gift wise, but I have realized that I still have pictures on my camera from October!! That could explain the lack of updates...cause you KNOW I gotta have a picture. Take the one above for example. It has nothing to do with a hill of beans in China, but it is there....and quite cute, don't you think?

October was a full, gorgeous, busy month filled with a flurry of activity on the dairy. I plan to share more about that with you sometime. November had some fun times and some scary times. (Read: camping trip and a trip to the ER on said camping trip) I need to write about that too... December has mostly been filled with school, school, school....since we took a week off in October and two weeks in November.

I'm in one of those moods where I wish I had a big garage in a neighborhood to drag everything out for a big kahuna garage sale! I think "stuff" weighs me down and clutters my mind and space. Who wants to volunteer to come help me pare down? Ha!

Speaking of paring down.....no problem like that in the grocery department here. I need to go get groceries in the worst way... So I guess the blogging and the re-organizing are going to need to remain on hold a bit longer while I go restock the pantry and refrigerator and finish last minute Christmas shopping.

...................oh yeah.....and give all my sweet guys hugs and kisses. :)

8 Years Old Today

Once again....another birthday. My sweet boys just keep on growing up. I wouldn't want it any other way!

Andrew has had an eventful lead up to his big day with a trip to Branson, where he also made a trip to the ER. He fell off of his bike and broke his left jaw and cut his chin up pretty badly. Thankfully, he is healing up quickly and is all ready to eat Honeybun Birthday Cake. Yum!

Happy 8th Birthday Andrew!!! We love you!

Trunk or Treaters

Only the younger two chose to participate in the Halloween festivities this year. Aren't they cute?!

I Believe I Can Fly

I believe I can touch the sky!

Come on now sing it with me.....

LoL!

I have been taking more pictures here and there....but keeping up with this blogging thing is still a struggle for me, for some reason.

I just loved this photo of Andrew "flying" on the trampoline. I've always loved jumping pictures, whether it's on a trampoline or just on the ground. There is something really neat about action frozen in time. There are so many moments I wish I could freeze....and some I wish I could fast forward, but we won't go there. :)

I recently saw a sign that someone had made for their home that I love. It said....

This
too
shall
pass
......be present.

Wow! I need that.

How about you?

Along those same lines... Have you been to see the new movie COURAGEOUS? If you haven't....then do! Take tissue and go. It just may change your life.

Speaking of life, it feels as if this post should include an all around life update on our family, although there really isn't anything new to share... It's just the usual extraordinary ordinary.

Craig is working his CaTO Disaster Solutions business, and things are rocking along fairly steady. The busy-ness of that comes and goes, as most businesses do. It gives me great joy when I hear un-biased compliments from clients to potential clients about the quality work that Craig delivers. He really is awesome at what he does! I'm not just saying that because he is my husband. ;)

Josh is getting so big! I find myself having to catch my breath when I realize that he's gaining on me everyday. He's built solid, long and lanky. He loves history and science, reading, music, mechanics and construction, his cats and his brothers. I particularly enjoy his spontaneous laugh when something strikes him funny.

Andrew is growing at an equally alarming rate. He's still one head shorter than his older brother and is my sweet cuddle boy. Math comes pretty naturally to him, but his real love is reading. He loves construction and helping out when the veterinarian comes. He calls his cat, Lucy, his "little princess" much to the amusement of Josh.

Nathan is a stinker...a typical 3 year old, baby of the family. We go through very trying times, but it is in those moments I have to remind myself of the phrase on the above mentioned sign.;) He loves to play with anything his older brothers have and thinks it is quite funny to leave the front door open for the "outside" cats to come in.

And me... I'm constantly striving for B-A-L-A-N-C-E in all things. It's my word. My life theme.

What is yours?

Hugs and Kisses on the Dock

Crack the Egg

One of my very favorite Fall activities as a child was jumping on the trampoline. These brothers enjoy it too, wouldn't you say?

Baby Brother is 3!

Can you believe it?! Baby Boy is THREE years old!

Not only is he not a baby anymore, but I guess he isn't a toddler either. {sniff, sniff}

It's okay though. I wouldn't have it any other way, for I know well how very blessed we are.

Nathan is such a joy and adds a bright spot to our days. He's very animated and opinionated. He likes to tell "jokes" and play with mini figures. He's independent, yet cuddly. He still likes his blanky and is not the least bit interested in potty training. His eyes sparkle and his dimples are deep. He says the most grown up things at the funniest times. He likes his chore of feeding our cats. His k's sound like t's {kitty cat is titty tat, car is tar} and his g's sound like d's {Grandma is DamMa :/ and Gracie is Dacie} He fights going to sleep and then sleeps with his eyes open. He is a meat eater and a sweet eater. He loves to run with the big boys and can be a little bossy. He startles easily and pouts his lip when he's sad....

...Oh how I love this sweet boy, let me count the ways....

Happy 3rd Birthday Nathan! We love you!

All Things Boy

Lately, Craig and I have felt a strong calling towards all things BOY. I guess you could say it's about time right? Seeing as how we have three sons... Well yes, we've had the calling for some time now, but we're just starting to come to a place where we are seeing and acknowledging that calling more fully I suppose.

The other day we found this fantastic website called JM Cremp's Adventure Store for Boys. They offer any and every thing a boy could possibly need for adventure. I can't even begin to list it all. You'll just have to click on the link and check it out for yourself. If you have boys to shop for, it would be a great place to consider. And the best part is....it's a family owned company seeking to honor God.

I do not know this family, nor am I being paid to say these things. (Ha! I wish!) I haven't even ordered anything yet, but I probably will soon. It's cool stuff.

The following was copied from the website about the JM Cremp's Company....

JM Cremp’s products encourage strong relationships between you and the extraordinary boys in your lives!

OUR PRODUCTS FOCUS ON THREE AREAS:
1. Adventurous Products for Boys
Boys are unique! They play differently, they think differently, and they learn and develop differently. Boys’ adventures are an important part of their development and JM Cremp’s provides opportunities to create some of those great adventures.

2. Opportunities for Fathers and Sons
Proverbs 17:6 Grandchildren are the crown of old men, And the glory of sons is their father. NASB
Fathers, you have an unequaled opportunity to positively influence your son…or daughter, and our goal is to help you do that.  Our resources support you in finding activities that build connections with your son. From books, to projects such as building birdhouses, to outdoor activities like hunting and fishing and everything in-between—JM Cremp’s offers a little bit of everything.
3.Parenting Resources
Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. KJV
Moms and dads, we have a section for you too, as you look for parenting ideas or books. In addition, we provide lots of ideas and products for activities that your entire family can enjoy together—such as coin collecting, teaching kids about money, games, camping gear and more.
JM CREMP’S PROMISE
We constantly evaluate our products for quality and value, and if you’re ever not satisfied with a product from our store due to poor quality, we’ll gladly return it. Nothing is more important to us than providing boys with tools and ideas that allow them to grow into Godly men and foster their adventurous spirit. In fact, as part of our internal review process, our own boys often test the products we carry right alongside the executives. If they give us the A-Okay,we’re confident in passing those quality products on to you.

THE COMPANY’S VISION
Our vision is to help raise-up Godly people by providing resources to parents, creating opportunities for fathers to connect with their sons (and daughters) and to offer products designed to foster the spirit of adventurous boyhood. We strive to honor God in all we do, not claiming perfection, but claiming a moral compass pointing us in a focused direction. We will pursue excellence as a company by continually developing employees and being a resource for our customers. We will strive to respect the balance of growth and profitability seeking wisdom and discernment in our decisions

Reality {and the beginnings of a Home Tour?}

I think you get to know someone better by being in their home. I'm sad to admit that I rarely entertain in our home. It is not because I do not have countless good examples. My mother has always been a lovely hostess and throughout the years her home has been a place people enjoy visiting. It's never been about the house itself, but the people and life lived there. My mother-in-law is also a great example to me when it comes to entertaining. Her home is regularly filled with family and friends alike.

So what is it with me?

Pride? Perfectionism? Fear? Laziness? Busy-ness?

All of the above?

Probably.

So while I'm thinking that YES, indeed, I do need to overcome those things and just change my ways....it also gave me the idea to slowly but surely invite each of you to "visit" our home through pictures. Imperfections and all...

Now on to my post.........

Do you ever get completely overwhelmed with clutter? You can't even figure out where to begin to clean up. I often get this way and consequently, so do the boys. I really wish we would be better examples for them. There comes a point when they flat need help getting things back in order, so that they can keep things neat again. Too bad I don't have someone who can help me do the same with my stuff! :)

So a couple of weeks ago I decided it was time.

Here is what a portion of the big boy's room looked like on a pretty good day...(note: it did NOT look this good on the day I got fed up!)

I took everything out and really cleaned.  This is what was in the living room for a few hours....and it did get worse before it got better.

....and this is what we ended up with....minus the mats that I had not yet put back down.

I tried my best to talk them into parting with the cardboard truck,trailer and police car that is setting on the dresser. It clearly isn't time yet....

I didn't even bother to ask if I could dispose of the sticker collection gracing the wall behind the fan yet....I know one day all too soon they will be ready, and who knows....when the time comes, maybe I won't be!

I find it amazing that when things are all cleaned up, there isn't nearly as much as it seemed like before. I will say though...all told, I carried out two kitchen trash bags of garbage and more kid's meal toys than I care to admit.

It feels good to get a fresh start...hopefully the feeling will spread itself throughout the rest of the house.

A girl can hope right?

Possum Holler

Andrew is a hoot. He has been cracking us up since the day he could talk. He's been pretending to be an opossum for almost as long.

Why an opossum?

I do not know, but if you asked him what his favorite animal is....he MIGHT just say "Possum." He sometimes thinks he is one...

I love him! He makes me smile.