More firsts

We took the girls to see the Blue Bell Factory and we tried on everything in the gift shop and then got threatened. (Buy or leave kind of a deal. We chose option B, but got these cute pictures first.)

Joshua had his first baseball game! Love his team, love the coaches. He did okay, but he's a fast learner and I feel confident he will make great improvement over the course of the season! And he's excited and having fun, and so we're having fun, too. The girls shot riflesand tried out our tire swingand make my Dad a coconut birthday cake ("P" for Poppy). And planted potatoes and rode the 4 wheeler. Hilariously common and every day stuff for us. Why did they choose to spend spring break with us? I have no idea, but I'm surely glad they did!

It was such a sweet time having you, precious girls. Tell your parents that we want to be your godparents and that we are already planning your double farm wedding! :) Come back soon (we miss you already)!

Our first visitors

This week two of our friends from our Atlanta youth group are here. They're more like daughter/little sisters. They are darling and sweet and helpful. I feel a little sad for them that they are spending their spring break on our farm, especially when the boys are in school/baseball and so regular life continues. But they say they love the farm and they are enjoying their week. I know I am! They have no access to cell phone coverage or television. We had a big storm that wiped out our cable and it won't be fixed until after they leave. But they are troopers and have not complained a bit (even though Lydie has had them watch Barbie movies with her all week long).

This is our seed dropper that Andy calls the "Amish bicycle". It's pretty handy.

So far we have cleaned and reorganized/decorated the screened porch. I am so mad at myself for not taking a"before" picture. My Dad had put up random lights around the perimeter of the ceiling that were from Cabella's. They were an assortment of fish, deer, camping lanterns, etc. in all sorts of bright colors. And the furniture was a mishmash of desk chairs, card table chairs, and rocking chairs that he had gathered from various sources. He also had an old wasp's nest and random pictures screwed to the wall. It was quite an eyesore.

New flower patch where we planted the dahlias

We made a bonfire in my Dad's fire pit. My aunt gave it to him with "Back Home Farms" inscribed on it. He loves it.

So I bought some new cushions, plants, and lights. Dad brought some new rocking chairs. Here is what it looks like now:

Should I paint those brown walls white??

Besides that project, the girls have helped me with the kids, learned to drive the tractor and my Dad's 12 passenger van, planted thousands of sunflowers and a patch of dahlias, and we had a bonfire. We also went into town to run errands. Our favorite places were the Feed and Seed and the Coffee Shop.

Bunny cage at the Feed and Seed, which is always a big hitTractor lessons Today we hope to pick strawberries, ride go-carts, teach the girls how to shoot a gun, make a cake, visit a neighbor who is sick, and go to Josh's baseball game. Simple pleasures.

New gig

I am so excited. I MIGHT, this is not official, be teaching art at the boys' school next year. Squeeeeal! The curriculum coordinator for the school goes to our church. I mentioned last Sunday that I miss teaching art to my boys, particularly our art history studies. She told me they had recently lost their art teacher and were leaving art education up to the individual teachers. And we continued to talk and the next thing I know the headmaster approached me, and he was excited about what he had heard. So I am going to take in some of the projects I have done with the boys and discuss my ideas with him. I tried to make it clear that art is a hobby, an interest, but I am no artist. Of course Jackson overheard me and retorted, "Oh yes sir, she is an artist. And she's an interior decorator, too." Sweet, naive, boy. But wouldn't it be fun to use this little adventure as an excuse to finally take some art classes?? Normally these fun opportunities come my way and I need to say no because I am homeschooling, or have a toddler or preschooler, and I just can not balance even a part time commitment with being a Mom and wife. It has been a joy to focus the majority of my energy and time at home. But next year Lydie will be in pre-k every morning and the boys will be in school until 2:45. I think I could schedule the art classes in such a way that I would just be there one full day a week. Oh my goodness, I actually think it might be something I could manage without compromising things at home! Fun! So I am praying about it and we'll see what shakes out. I am definitely "dizzy in the noodle" tonight!

Work to rest

I've always enjoyed the feeling of having a really hard day of work, especially when you can see the results. Today was one of those days. Andy worked out in the fields and our make-shift greenhouse. I worked inside for most of the day cleaning our house and washing clothes. Meanwhile the kids played in and outdoors enjoying their Saturday as well. Jack even took a kite on to one of the big pastures and enjoyed flying it. We all had a great day except for poor Josh who is sick again. We would love your prayers for our family's health. We think that one of us is a carrier for strep and I plan to find out how we can be tested. There is a possibility that Josh might get his tonsils out this summer, too. This winter has been, by far, the sickest we have ever been. My parents and our neighbors dropped in around dinner time when we were wrapping it all up. We have this old tool shed in the yard that my Dad converted to a screened porch. Well, it's not technically a porch because it's not attached to the house. But it's screened in with lots of rocking chairs and fans. Its a marvelous place to spend a cool spring night. So we just took our meal to the porch and visited while we ate. My parents came by to bring another piece of farm equipment. My Dad is close to retirement age. Although he will probably never retire he is beginning to enjoy the fruits of all of these years of hard labor. For a while he ordered junk from catalogs for fun. He has always enjoyed auctions. And now, since we bought the farm, he enjoys buying farm equipment. Isn't that an interesting past time? We probably have nearly a dozen attachments for the tractor. I should say tractor(s) because he has bought 4 of those. Our barn is about to bust at the seams. Don't get me wrong, it's amazing and we are so thankful. It's just become a running joke as we wait to see what he will bring next. He gets so, SO excited. Tonight he spent a good while explaining to me this new seed dropper thingy and how it works. I have zero mechanical giftedness and zero farm knowledge, but he likes that I am willing to listen. It is pure joy to see my Dad enjoying himself here so much at this stage in his life. He will turn 64 this week and I am so thankful for the move here where we see him multiple times a week!

We are about to sleep soundly knowing that another week's work is done. It feels good to have the house in order for tomorrow. I love the Sabbath like never before because we really need the rest by the end of the week! So far we have stuck to our commitment to rest and worship, as we should, on Sundays. I am really looking forward to it (have I mentioned that yet??)! Some time tomorrow evening two high school friends from our Atlanta youth group will be arriving to spend their spring break with us. Should be a fun week!!

The Magic City

Lydie and I dropped the boys off at school at 7:45 and headed to the big city for a shopping day. I never imagined when I grew up in Birmingham, Alabama that I would one day call it "the big city". But now, for us, it is exactly that. And although we fully appreciate and enjoy our beautiful, rural surroundings and our nearby small town, we loved a day surrounded by shops, restaurants, and lots of people.We had three stops to make: Lowes, Target, and Anthropologie. Although many things have surprised me in my experience as a mom of a girl, shopping together is one of the experiences that far exceeds my expectations. Lydie is a FUN girl to shop with. She loves to try on clothes and equally enjoys watching me try them on. She loves to look at things for the house. She gasps and oooohs and aaaaahhhhs in stores. And very best of all, she and I have similar tastes. We collectively agree that Anthropologie is our very favorite store. Ever. So we spent our last hour just looking, touching, taking pictures, and feeling inspired. I love their modern-vintage style. I tried on all sorts of things that I could never afford to buy. Lydie would squeal and say, "That is BEEEautiful! Please buy it, Mommy!" And, "You should just get it all!" She loves to be surrounded by beautiful things. We took cash and stuck to our budget. (Translation: We left with a big bag of stuff at Target and ONE item at Anthropologie!) But I sure was tempted by her coaxing to go overboard. (Pictured below, a happy Lydie dancing through the store.)

Afterwards we met my Mom for lunch. Since I went to college at age 17, I have never lived close enough to meet my Mom for lunch. It was SO fun. I loved a quick lunch, kisses good-bye, and promises to drop by sometime soon. No one had to pack a suitcase. It's dreamy. A certain man in my life did pull an April Fool's day prank on me and had me believing that I forgot to ask him to pick up the boys from school and they were stranded because he was running an errand out of town. I fell for it for about 10 seconds until I remembered the day. My Mom and I panicked. (But remember babe, revenge is sweet! Next year you better watch your back!)Tonight we had a fun social event at church. It was game/dessert night. My extroverted personality's cup is bubbling over. Loved kicking off the weekend with such a fun day!

"Be glad of life because it gives you the chance to love and to work and to play and to look up at the stars!"

Henry Van Dyke

Farmhouse tour: The Bathroom

When you walk in our front door you land in the living room. To the left there is a hallway with the kids' rooms and two bathrooms. Our bedroom was an addition and is located on the back of the house. Currently it has no bathroom, so this following bathroom is the one that Andy, Lydie, and I use.

vintage white tile

Water efficient potty because our water is from a well.

Our vanity was supposed to be white. But I hated the color when it came in. So we went with this dark cherry one and I love it. Even though they were bought separately, it matches the mirrors perfectly. The walls are light blue.

::Details::

brushed bronze hardware::subway tile::small jetted tub

We had everything torn out of this room, including the floorboards. There was some rotten wood under there where water had leaked over time. I planned on a completely different look. But I am so thankful that some things didn't work out with my original plan. It's a small, cozy bathroom. But we are enjoying it very much!

Farmhouse tour: The Kitchen

This is the happy view from our back door. View from the same side of the room, other corner. My turquoise hutch is well used and brightens the room. I really thought I would regret the color, but I haven't one bit. Sometimes risks pay off, I guess. That should be my new motto.

We use our dining room table for all meals. I am soon going to recover these chairs with a white and brown chevron pattern. It's very sassy. I might paint the chairs white, but I am definitely leaving the table its natural wood finish. I had so many pieces of art that I wanted in the kitchen that I just decided to make a gallery wall instead of choosing just one. It's a happy mix of bright colors, each piece showcasing my two favorite colors: yellow and turquoise.

This is the kitchen from the view of the table. That little white frig will soon be replaced by a stainless steel one. I have no idea what to hang above that little orange table and the trash can. It's an awkward space right now. But I ignore it because my new island has been so fun. I prep all of our food there. The vintage lights above the island make me feel like I am at my Nana's house. They make me happy.

Enjoying my open shelves! They are so bright and the dishes are all so accessible. The double oven has been a huge blessing, too.

Our counter tops are silestone tiles. I thought they would really bother me because there are so many places for crumbs to escape in the grout. But since I prep on the island it has been just fine. Maybe years down the road we will get solid surface counter tops. But that "want" is way, way down on my wish list!

I keep all of my pots, pans, and colanders right out in the open under the island. On top of the island is the pound cake our neighbor brought us. He is famous for it. It literally weighs a pound!

"Cooking is like love; it should be entered into with abandon or not at all."

Julia Child