What a Gift!!

No, it's not a gift that I received. It is a gift that God has given to Faith. This gift is one that she shares every opportunity that she gets.

You see, Faith has been given the gift of encouragment. She has such a sweet gift of lifting people up and making them feel good about themselves. It doesn't matter where we are, Sonic, Sam's, Wal-Mart, a toll-booth, walking down the beach, Faith will find someone that she wants to tell that they are pretty. In her words, "maam, you are very pretty".

I have seen more ladies faces light up when this sweet little girl tells them that they are pretty. It almost seems that they have a new found confidence. It's like some of them have never been told that and are hearing it for the first time.

You can't imagine how sweet it is and how much it means to me as a mom to hear these precious words come from her mouth. She truly sees beauty in each and every one of these people.

I think we can all learn from Faith and should always strive to see the very best in everybody. It may seem strange to give someone you don't know a compliment, but you never know what it might mean to them. We can always find something nice to say to people around us. One thing for sure, I do believe that it shows God's love in a very powerful way.

Something's Happening

Okay, I have waited long enough to share something that has been on my heart so often lately. Why have I waited...because I know many of you will think I am absolutley crazy, others will think it's just a passing thing and others probably just won't care.

But...because most of you who read this probably do care at least a little about our family and are interested in our life's happenings and do love me enough to just smile and pray for me (us), then I am going to open my heart and talk.

I have shared a little of this over the last few months but now I want to share just a little more.

Over the last couple of years, God has been stirring up a desire within Donnie and I both to start becoming a little more self-sufficient. This would include the chickens that we began to raise several months ago, the garden that we are growing, the bread we are baking and the vegetables we are so hoping to begin canning and freezing and storing up for the winter.

I believe He has also been showing me that I need to begin watching the foods that I am allowing my family to eat (additives, preservatives, etc). I also have begun to read labels on toiletries and cleaning supplies to see what is in the things we are putting on and in our bodies. Now, let me say that I have not become a radical about it all but I do feel that it is something I am supposed to be watching and learning about. I have begun to buy organic as much as possible to the extent that I can afford to and to what is available.

We are trying to make our garden as organic as possible and are trying not to use any pesticides. And this year it seems as though fire ants are trying to take it over. I have been using Peppermint Essential Oils mixed with water and that seems to be doing the job. I have read lots of suggestions and am willing to try most anything as long as it is natural.

I have gone to the library more in the last few months than ever in my whole life. I have checked out every book that I can on chickens, gardening, goats, homesteading and whatever I can get my hands on about this sort of "simple" life.

I remember growing up and being at my Nanny and Papa's house where they had big gardens and shelves full of beautiful canned goods that my grandmother had canned from her garden. They had chickens in the barn where my Papa and I would go and gather the eggs. I remember going to my Granny and Pa's house where you could sit in the living room and hear the windchimes outside and feel such peace and tranquility. Then my Pa would pull on his barn boots, put on his hat and walk out to the barn to check on the cows. What beautiful memories that God has been awakening within me for months now.

I know that farming is hard work. I saw my aunt and uncle get up at the crack of dawn for years to go and milk the cows. I even scheduled my wedding around milking time. I have seen my father and step-mother feeding, branding, doctoring their cattle and breaking their horses. I have seen my mother work harder than most men doing anything inside or outside that needed to be done. Farming is not simple and I do not profess to be a farmer, but I do tell you that there is something deep inside of me that is working it's way to the surface that so desires something of this lifestyle.

It excites me to think of what may come next. I pray that if we are found faithful in taking care of the things that God has given us so far, then maybe He will give us more. My desire is to have a couple of goats that we can milk sometime in the near future. Now do you think I am crazy?

I also believe that this sort of lifestyle will teach our children things they would have never learned otherwise. There is great responsibility when you are raising chickens and other animals. They have seen life and they have already seen death. They will get to see food that we normally buy at Wal-Mart coming out of the garden that they worked so hard to produce. Those are good lessons.

I told a dear friend that I was going to nickname myself the prissy farmgirl because I still love my pretty things, jewelry included, but I also love this hobbyfarm life that we are venturing down.

I want to tell you that I love being a wife and a mother. To me, there is no greater joy or responsibility than taking care of my family. It is an honor and a privilege to be raising my children and taking care of them and their daddy. I want to teach them well, feed them well and love them well and this is an opportunity that I see as a good way to do just that.

I want to share something that I copied from someone else and put on my refrigerator. It simply says...I am the most content when I live a life in my home, doing the things that make my home run smooth, and giving my family a quality of life that is fulfilling.

In the end, I must tell you that I just want to please my heavenly Father in all that I do. I pray that I will live a life that is in alignment with His will and will teach my children accordingly. I want to be a good wife that loves her husband in a way that he is so deserving of. And if all of this can involve chickens, gardens and windchimes then I will be so happy.

Now, I have to get back to chicken watching and bread baking and quit story writing. Sorry it took so long this time.

From your prissy farmgirl friend. :)

Grandmother Time

After years and years of working, my mom has finally retired and we are getting to spend some extra quality time with her. Yesterday we went to Fayetteville and had lunch at a neat little restaurant on the square. We also walked around the square looking at different places that hold lots of memories for me growing up there as a child. We even got to sit on the whittling bench that I remember seeing the older gentlemen sit on while they talked and whittled away the hours.

We spent the rest of the afternoon just relaxing at mom's (AKA JuJu's) house. I think mom is enjoying making up for time that she hasn't gotten to spend with the grandkids. The kid's and I had a wonderful day and look forward to many more throughout the summer.

Thanks, JuJu, for the delicious lunch and wonderful company.

Tournament Time

Beth is playing on an All-Star tournament team during the month of June and is L O V I N G it. She is practicing three to four days a week and playing weekend games.

It's kind of crazy to me because I have never really enjoyed sports so I don't really understand that joy of red dirt being all over my face, neck, legs, etc. I don't understand how playing three back to back games on a 90 degree day is fun. BUT...I don't have to understand because Beth does love it. She thinks this is the greatest thing since...hmmm...volleyball. And she LOVES volleyball.

I love watching her play and I love her enthusiasm for the game. Her coach says she is a natural athlete and I believe it. I can brag on her because she certainly does not get that from me. That would be a daddy gene not a mommy one.

Best Buddies

What a joy it is to see your children having fun, playing, and lauging with their friends.

Last week, Faith's best friend from Georgia got to come to our house for a couple of days and stay with us. Her name is Lily and Faith absolutley loves spending time with her. They played for hours with Barbies, dress-up clothes, arts and crafts, water toys, tree house and whatever else their little minds could dream up. It was wonderful seeing them having so much fun together.

What's cool is that even though we don't dress up and play with Barbies, I also have that much fun with Lily's mommy, Mary. I don't want to leave out the boys, because we also had a great time with Caleb and Shad here.

I am thankful for friends like the Goltz's who even though they live several hours from us, they are still so much a part of our lives and we LOVE being with them.

Chicken Talk

I wanted to give a quick update on our chickens for those of you who were wondering how they were doing.

You know we began with fifteen little bitty chicks almost nine weeks ago. We now have fourteen full grown chickens. Are you wondering what happened to the other chicken? I would love to be able to tell you, but we really have no idea. We went to bed with fifteen and woke up with fourteen. We are assuming that somehow it got out or something swooped in and plucked it out. Thankfully, there was no sign of struggle or distress. It was just gone...disappeared...kind of like it was raptured and all of the rest were left behind.

We are sad but happy that at least we still have fourteen. We are still waiting to determine for certain which ones are roosters and which ones are hens. We will be keeping all of the hens but only one rooster. The more hens, the more eggs.

I also want to give you an update on Murr. This is still, I think, the prettiest chicken that we have. We are going to hopefully show her in the fair this year. Her namesake, Mary, is so proud, I know, that she will be put on display for all (or maybe just those few who are interested in the livestock barn) to see.

This is Murr.

Fun In the Sun (finally)

Our family just got home from a ten day vacation to New Smyrna Beach, Florida. We had not intended to stay that long, but due to tropical storm like weather for the first five days, Donnie thankfully decided to extend our trip a few days.

We spent the first five days of our trip in the condo except for a few excursions to the pool for Faith to swim in the rain. This was more rain than I had ever seen...and...of all places...Florida. It was crazy and kind of depressing. Until...God sent me a sweet Christian sister to remind me that we are not "fair-weather" Christians. She said that the joy of the Lord fills her and that no matter the rainy, stormy weather outside, she was going to have fun and enjoy her family vacation. Thanks, God, for sending me a reminder through this sweet lady.

Anyway...after five days of rain, the remainder of our vacation weather was wonderful. We played outside until we could play no more. What made it even more special and fun was that the end of our trip included my brother-in-law, his wife and their four children.

I always love vacation time and spending uninterrupted time with Donnie and the kids and this time was no exception. The rain was not great, but the time together was priceless.Meet our crazy Uncle Earl who went along with us.

This is how the vacation began.Finally, headed out to the beach.I don't think Faith liked the seaweed. Do you agree?

"The Boys", as they are so affectionately referred to by their mom and dad, had a ball playing together.
All of the cousins were together for a great vacation.

I have made a picture like this since Keith and Beth were little bitty standing looking at the ocean. I have about fifteen years worth of these and LOVE them.

Faith and Donnie got to touch and feed a manatee that came up to the dock where we were walking.





Faith loves her Mamaw and Papaw. She and Papaw are especially big buddies.