random notes and chit chat from the insanity of our life

Peek into our life and see how crazy it can get with 6 kids, homeschooling, sewing, and now farming. We're in our first year on the land, and entertaining the world with what we don't know. By the grace of God, we're learning, day by day, so pull up a chair and laugh with us!

Saturday, September 21, 2013

a mad passionate love affair

I am madly, passionately, insanely in love with the South.
You see, we're new here, so I'm shocked by this.  I expected to like it, but not to feel this intense..."rightness", right from the start.  Like coming home, where I'd never been before.  Like the entire area was saying "there you are, we've been waiting for you", as we drove along.
I love the people.  Everyone is so friendly...they wave as you drive by, even if they don't know you.  They smile and say "hi" as you pass in the store.  They chat everywhere.  It's wonderful.
I love the accents.  From a light touch, to an unintelligible, thick as syrup drawl, I love it.  It's musical.  It's beautiful.  It's contagious, and the kids are already teasing me about mine.  It's only sometimes, but yes, Ah'm developin' it.  And I'm thrilled!
I love the weather.  I love thunder and lightning, and rain.  It's like fireworks, but better.  I love that it's random, that unlike CA, where it almost NEVER rains in the summer, here it rains whenever the heck it feels like it.  I find it fascinating.
I love the humidity.  Yes.  I said it.  I admit, there have been a few days here and there that have been oppressive, but for the most part, it's just nice.  I love that it's not dry all the time.  My skin loves it.  My lungs love it.  It's awesome.
I love the green.  Everywhere, green.  Trees, bushes, grasses, everywhere.  Green...and flowers!  Beautiful flowers.  It's like spring, all summer long this year. 
I love the water.  There is just water everywhere.  Creeks, rivers, ponds, springs...so much water.  I thought northern CA was wet and green... Boy, I knew NOTHING! 
I love the religion.  It's so different here.  There are churches EVERYWHERE, and everyone talks about church.  One of the first things people ask, after your name, is where you go to church.  Stores have signs about Jesus, clerks tell you to have a blessed day, billboards, bumper stickers...Jesus is EVERYWHERE!
I love the wildlife!  We see deer, squirrels, racoons, turtles, birds of all shapes and colors, and the BUTTERFLIES!  Amazing.
I'm sure there's more, but my dessert is ready, and I'm tired.  Hugs, all!  I hope you are as blessed where you live as we are here.

This is my mission field

Sometimes, it seems like the entire Christian world is all about missions.  Uganda.  Haiti.  Mexico.  Romania.  Talking about missions.  Funding missions.  Sending their kids on missions.  Going on missions themselves.  And I start to feel like...less.  Less of a Christian, because I haven't been on a mission.  Can't afford a mission, haven't sent my kids on missions.  I get jealous of the whole idea.  A trip to another country, to help people who NEED me.  People who need JESUS.  And I could be His hands and feet, and help them.
But I know, this IS my mission field.  THIS is where God has placed me, where He has called me.  I am to be His hands and feet here, to children.  My children (where I fail daily, as I'm sure Jesus never shrieked at someone to "STOP HUMMING OR I'LL TIE YOUR LIPS IN A KNOT"), and to other children around us.
And right now, I KNOW that I am where He wants me.  We live in a neighborhood full of children, some of whom seem to REALLY need someone to love on them.  And to bake cookies for them.  Have snacks after school for them.  Hand out lollipops to them.  Have a basket of crayons, and a stack of paper on the table for them.  And when I see my daughter, out on the lawn fixing bikes for the little guy next door, or another of the kids asking if he can share his toys...I know that this mission field is more for us, than them.

Sunday, September 15, 2013

This is me...

I have trouble posting frequently.  Maybe you haven't noticed...yeah, right.  I have tried, and tried, and I have finally figured out WHY I struggle with it.  It's because I'm boring.  Yes, you heard me.  Boring.  Our life...it's not really exciting.  Just normal, everyday stuff.  And I'm honestly not sure anyone wants to read that much about it.
I have bloggers I follow, and they are all really great.  Thought provoking.  Inspirational.  Motivating.  They make me excited to read the next post, but our life...it's really just life, you know?
We're not out changing the world.  We're not busy with activities.  I'm not the woman everyone wants to be.  And my kids aren't the homeschoolers who have graduated college at 7, speak 5 languages fluently and invented somethng that saves lives in Africa. 
I'm the mom next door.  The one who bakes too many cookies and hands them to any kid in the yard.  Exercises sporadically.  Spends too much time reading, or playing on my phone, while watching the kids hunt for bugs and fall off their bikes.  The one who doesn't get up when her kids fall, even when they're hollering (Hey, there's no blood!).  The one who lets them ride around the neighborhood, without following them herself. 
My kids are the loud ones.  Every neighborhood has some.  You know, the ones constantly yelling and laughing and fighting and in general being...kids.  They read...even though sometimes I have to argue to get them to.  They leave toys all over the yard...and bits of paper...and rarely wear shoes.  Their clothes are often stained, and they're dirty, a LOT.  They catch bugs and bring them to me, and we identify them (after a girly screech, lol), and sometimes, we keep them a while.
I pin lots of recipes, and craft ideas, and educational stuff.  A lot of it is "wouldn't it be great if we...?"  Oh, yeah, it would, but my kids don't WANT to learn to sing the presidents in order, or make a paper mache model of the solar system with size and topographical accuracy, or ...any of the things the "good homeschool moms" do.  And I probably won't really make those cool rooms for them.  The themed ones, with the cool crafty decorating stuff, and it all coordinates.. 
So, this is me.  And it's the best me you're getting.  SO get used to it, and maybe I'll remember to post me a bit more often.  But no promises, because I might be busy reading to kids, or baking junk food, or killing zombies with pea shooters...you know, important stuff!