The day after Christmas 2012

It's time I got back to this blog. I guess that there were a number of things that caused me to stop writing around here. Two computers and my phone quit at the same time. Replacing all of them was impossible, after much debate we went with an iPhone and no computers. It was, I think, the best decision for us at the time. Blogging from an iPhone is possible but I quickly discovered that it sucked the fun right out of it for me.

Life during the gap was full of change. The first thing that hit me in the face when I opened this blog agin five days ago was my praying for Pj button. I immediately removed it. The second thing that greeted me was Rebecca's funeral video. I removed the button because Rebecca has been In heaven for over a year, she doesn't need anymore prayers. Sometimes, I still miss her so much I can't breathe, especially in times of trouble. She had a way speaking the truth into my life that will likely never be replaced. I have been amazed as I have watched the Lord work so faithfully to provide for Rebecca's husband and her two sweet girls. HE has written them a beautiful NEW chapter and it's just the kind of story Rebecca would have LOVED. I am not going to attempt to share that story here, it isn't my story, I could never do it justice anyway.

We moved to the farm, yes it's true, actually we have all ready completed our first year here. It has been an emotional transition. In October of 2011 we accepted an offer and sold our Newton house (at a loss.) Sometimes you just have to jump outta the boat. Jump we did. For the first year we rented from Aaron's Grandpa and then in October of 2012 he graciously allowed us to purchase it. "It" is the house that Grandpa lived in for over 70 years. The house was built around 1880 and it is deeply tied into the heritage of this family. My father-in-law grew up here and when we moved here his grandsons slept in the same room he did as a child. They now sleep down the hall where their great-aunt used to sleep. I couldn't handle all that racket next to my bedroom any longer, but you get the idea. We have started the process of making "The Home Place" ours. New windows, paint, and a new roof too. My goodness, the wall paper we have stripped, there actually are not any words.

Someone called my husband a farmer and it caught me off guard. We have had a smallish flock of chickens since march of this year when I talked Aaron into ordering 50 chicks to raise on the porch. That, my friends, was not a good idea. Over half of them died, my house smelled horrible, and dust covered the laundry pile. Lesson learned: chickens are for outside! Eventually My handsome husband built me the cutest yellow hen house that has ever existed. Everything was going along nicely with the chickens and their housing. That is until, Elijah asked for an incubator for his 7th birthday and all of a sudden we needed a brooder house.

Elijah got his first bottle calf in April of this year, It was an all black heifer calf. Elijah named her Lily, my very favorite thing about Lily was that she came from my Grandpa's farm. I loved it so much that my Grandpa was able to give my son his first bottle calf. My Grandpa was pretty proud too.

Tollen is three and he has loved exploring the farm and helping the big boys with their work.

I survived kindergarten as a homeschool mom and I'm half way through first grade. I once thought homeschoolers and their parents were the weirdest thing on earth. Then God started to speak to my heart about it, honestly my heart changed in a way that only God could orchestrate.

Our family had a wonderful Christmas this year. we were so very blessed. It even snowed, the farm looks so pretty in the snow. I got an ipad so hopefully this blog won't just keep collecting dust!








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