The Secret Life of Farm

I want a farm so bad. It's all I can think about some days. I'm not looking for a working farm. I want a city girl farm....garden, chickens, a tractor I can manage and a horse. The slam of the screen door is what I long for...and the crow of a rooster instead of the robotic sound of my iphone in the a.m.
The desire has grown stronger since the kids pray for a farm every day. Last week Jett said, "Why can't we move to the house with the barn now?" Because God has to give it to us, I said. Jett's next question was, "Is He painting it or something?" Something like that, I told him.

Last night I finished The Secret Life of Bees. I realized why I can't stop thinking of a farm...this book is about that slow, simple life. For three weeks, I have read this book in my free time. My mind was landing on the simple life. My heart wants to follow suit.

In Anticipation of Birds

I finally opened the door for a peek. I could resist no longer. Every morning we watch the bluebirds at work. So we knew there had to be eggs by now. What a great find. The kids took turns standing on the old chair by the tree. And here is what we found. Now we will watch as the bluebirds work in tandem to bring food for their hungry newborn babies.

In celebration of birds, we made these bird rocks. Some were Grand Mother's Day gifts and some will sit on our patio. Thank you Crafty Crow for this fun idea.

National Apron Day

Yesterday was national 'Wear Your Apron Day'. You know I love any opportunity to wear an apron. This was our opp to wear one out in public! My family gave me this lovely frock for Mother's Day. My girls and I had fun wearing our aprons running errands, going to piano lessons, even taking Noah to Boy Scouts.

What I really love is the opportunity to share something of a simpler life with my kids. I think it's cool that my girls are more conscious of aprons than Hannah Montana!

Mother's Day

I don’t think I have ever left a store crying before. I love shopping! Saturday I stopped by a local gift shop to pick out a gift for my mother-in-law. When I walked in, one lady said to the other, “This is the mother of the family that was in here so long the other day.” I knew Danny had taken the kids Mother’s Day shopping and I wondered if Jett had come in there and done something ‘memorable.’ But as they began to tell me their impressions of my family, I felt like the luckiest woman alive.

Without a doubt Mother’s Day is my favorite day of the year. I enjoy the big deal the kids make, the gifts my family gives me and that we go out for lunch somewhere nice. I love that I always spend Mother’s Day with my precious mom who inspired me to pour myself into my family.

This year was no exception. They lavished me with beautiful gifts and hugs and homemade art. We dined on fancy salads and cheesecake while sitting outside by a fountain. But nothing could have made the occasion more meaningful than what I heard those women saying about my husband and children. “Tell us the story on your family.” “Everyone of your children is so precious.” “Your husband was so attentive to each one of them as they shopped for you.” “That man, oh my goodness!” On and on it went as my eyes brimmed with tears of gratitude.

They continued…“Seeing them just made our day.” “We talked about them all day long.” But the one that really got me was….“We know so many rich people, families with plenty of money, but when your family walked out of here I said, ‘That is the kind of family I want to have’.”

Those women don’t know anything about us. They have no idea how we have struggled financially this past year and that picking out gifts in a gift shop was such a treat. But their words were more treasured than gifts that came out of that shop wrapped in beautiful ribbons.

I love Mother’s Day. I feel like the busyness of the world stops for one day (at least my world does) and I get to revel in the fact that I am living a dream. I am surrounded by love. Genuine love. I get to be a wife and mother. Now I did not always think that was a goal worthy of aspiring to. I’ve tried my hand at a lot of things. But nothing has brought me the absolute joy that loving my family brings. The older I get, the more I learn about aspirations.

When I was a kid, my mom tirelessly and patiently raised us to love Jesus and love others. Quietly her example poured into me day after day. As I grew older, the voice of the world grew louder than hers. “Do this. Do that. You have to make a name for yourself. “ All along my mom’s name was just “Mom.” And that is what I came back to!

In the Moment

"Mom, look at this lake!" Oh, to have had a camera in my hand. The rain had made a puddle larger than life. And lucky Jett! He had remembered his rain boots before jumping in the car for the horse farm. Some of my best homeschool memories this year have been made at this little place tucked away in north Georgia. Today was no exception.

The sun was peaking through clouds just as we arrived. By the time we left, we were so messed up we had to forgo our Walmart run. But man, did Jett enjoy that puddle. He was so proud of the amount of mud on his boots and chunks of nature he had tossed into the slime.

The best part was the excitement on his face. I hope I never forget that smile. He was alive. He was in the moment.