A week (no adjective seems appropriate)

We cut our first batch of sunflowers last night. Marie was here to help me, which was really fun because she and a friend planted them as seeds in March. We were thrilled to see her and her Mom last night on their way home from a college visit. (She will only be an hour away next year!) There weren't enough sunflowers for the farmer's market this week. But next week there will be plenty! Andy and Jack are off to our first farmer's market this morning in Homewood. We will have much more produce next week. Everything is just starting to be ready to harvest. But if you live in the Birmingham area, go and check out the downtown Homewood market in the Soho parking lot! Look for a handsome farmer and his cute son with a "Back Home Farm" banner.

Last weekend we saw friends from college and their adorable two boys for the first time in ten years! They are working on the farm's website for us. Their passion for the Lord is contagious and I really enjoyed our time with them. We have many similarities and I think the next ten years will be even more interesting for both of our families! (But hopefully we won't wait that long to share our stories again!)

We also had our pastor and his wife and baby over for Memorial day ribs and bbq. Lydie loves the baby (see photo). And we loved the fellowship. Some how, even though we are in the middle of this rural area, we seem to have regular visitors. It's a gift from God, for sure.

Another highlight was on Wednesday when Jack invited his class over for an end of the year party. Unfortunately the boys in his class (there's only two besides him) were unavailable. But the girls (three out of four) were here. They enjoyed snow cones and the slip-n-slide. And Jack didn't complain a bit about being the only boy. He's definitely turning into a pre-teen. This scenario would have been devastating a year ago! (Andy had to work during the party. So I only took a few pictures!)

Still processing the death of our RUF pastor from college. We were told the wrong time for the Memorial service and missed the entire thing last Saturday. We did redeem the night with dinner in Homewood at Urban Cookhouse and a night alone away from the farm. It was long over due. The occasion wasn't ideal for a date. But beggars can't be choosers.

Still watching our Joshua closely, as he had his tonsils removed on Thursday. He might be the strongest trooper I've ever been around. No tears, no complaints. What a good, strong determination the Lord has grown in him.

The ugly truth...This has been the toughest week for me, BY FAR, since we moved here. I have been overwhelmed with the grief of what we have left behind and the differences here. It's felt particularly heavy, like literal weight on my chest. It's hard to function with a weight this heavy! In fact, I have felt like this all might just be impossible for me to embrace. (But those are just feelings and not reality.) We have moved many times. But we have never had a move where every aspect of our lives changed in such an extreme way. And we have never moved anywhere that we didn't choose together. It often feels like we have entered a foreign country and there is nothing familiar to cling to. (But, thank God, we are not lacking kind people. And that's something for which to praise God!) The children and Andy seem to be trucking ahead with no problem, which is wonderful. We have big decisions to make regarding schooling for next year. Decisions, always. Praying for a new, bright, fresh start for next week. His mercies never fail. For this next week I am going to memorize the following verse. I pray I can live it out, by God's grace alone. And I know that if I don't listen to the Enemy, I will soon see the hand of God in it all. Just need to wait on the Lord now.

"Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer."

Romans 12:12