This Week

Early mornings for mucking out pens, feeding hordes of critters and mumbling groggy good-mornings.

Hot, sweaty days of practicing, checking animals, grooming livestock, wheeling manure, sweeping barns, showing animals and learning, learning, learning.

Evening hours of cheering for fellow 4-Hers, dodging in the GaGa pit, helping new members, riding the rides, watching the circus show and mulling your losses and victories.  Late nights of strolling, eating and chatting with family and friends.

Days upon days of building community.

This is the Fair.

All the Colors of the Rainbow

And so it begins...

The Fair, that is.

We did our annual show shirt inventory the other day and it was as diverse as the Blossoms are.

I've learned to pick up these kinds of shirts when they're on clearance at Walmart, when I see them at the thrift store or when I find them in bags of hand-me-downs. That has saved us a pile of money!

To make my life easier, we keep all the show shirts in one big bin.  Then, I don't have dig through a bunch of different bins to find them at show time.  We just have a little try on session and then, we're good to go for Fair week. 

We've been waiting all year for it and now, the Fair is finally here!

Dominique

Kept Holy

"...Father, may Your name be kept holy..."

(Luke 11:2, NLT)

This is what is at the heart of my desire for this home, that God's name would be held holy in our hearts... always.  

Choosing the holy road is simpler when God's name is holy in my life.  When He is the most sacred and pure standard, held above all else, choosing to stay in His way isn't a complicated decision. 

The choice of sin in any situation is so small compared to the massive holiness of God ~ the holiness that I shudder and grieve to violate. 

This morning I prayed this verse for our home, for my husband and for each of our children.  I besought God that His name would always be kept holy in their lives. 

For them to keep their ways pure, deep in their hearts, His name must be held in deep reverence.  

To be free of the influence of others, the influence of God's purity and holiness must be held in highest regard. 

May we glorify Him fully.
May His name be kept holy today.

Dominique

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Photo Credit to Blossom2

Life Lately - Summer

"What have you been up to lately" is a common conversational tool I use whenever I chat with people. 

What if you ask me that when I next bump into you at Walmart? 

We've been busy with our version of summer in the Hollow.

We've spent countless evenings wrapping up sewing projects.  Threads everywhere.  Sewing paraphernalia strewn throughout the dining room.  The circuits of my brain were fried by the end of each evening and yet, I was thankful for the skills the girls honed during it, and for the special memories the girls now have of sewing with Grandma and me. 

We have tallied hours of researching, taking pictures and compiling research for 4-H Fair posters... hours at the computer, at the dining room table, discussing how to break down the steps, sifting through notes, choosing what pictures to print, and making another Wal-Mart 1 hour photo stop.  I'm pretty pleased with the results thus far.  We'll see what the judges think in their upcoming interviews. 

We finished up 4-H books.  Thank goodness, we've been working on them all year, so they just needed the final touches, but still, it took time for me to make sure they had everything done and ready to turn into their 4-H leader.

The garden... it's a a never-ending project.  Weeding, harvesting, planting, researching... then processing the fruits of our labors.  I sure do wish those delicious veggies would just jump into my freezer on their own, but they don't.  We have to get them there.

Errands... Fair paperwork... buying feed... barn clean up... helping my sister out a little since she has a brand new squishy delicious baby.

And all the animals?  Who keeps them cool when it gets hot?  Who checks on them?  Who refills the water?  Who gives frozen water bottles to lean against?  And don't even get me started on the time it takes to care for them when they get sick.  I despise having sick animals.  It's draining on all sides, often with a sad ending anyway.

There's lots of music practicing that happens all summer long, and piano lessons too.  And band practice. Blossom1 and Blossom2 have a talented circle of friends, who are helping them grow musically.

The homestead needs so much upkeep - hours of weeding, mowing and cleaning.  We're all a part of daily keeping it running smoothly. 

We've been privileged to be a part of some really cool community service projects too.  Our church held a Family Fun Fest and we got to help make that happen, both with prep work and staffing it on the day of.  Watching Blossom3 and Blossom4 dole out popcorn and snow cones for kids in their community has to be one of my favorite memories this summer.  We also did a one day local mission trip that I told you about the other day. 

I'm a part of the Fair Queen committee.  I didn't realize what a fantastic opportunity it would be for me to influence the next generation of young ladies.  I really enjoy it... but it takes time too, especially right before the Fair.  Thankfully it's all coming together and I'm getting excited.

Oh and FUN.  Somehow, just like Christmas, mamas feel like they have to create magical seasonal memories... and still get everything else done.  We've managed to get to the pool often.  I'm super pleased with how Blossom3 and Blossom4 have progressed in their swimming skills.  We've enjoyed the cabin, getting away from technology and responsibilities.  The girls have spent lazy hours reading books or crafting.  We've managed to see Aladdin. The Lion King is on the docket for tomorrow. 

It's definitely summer here.  I'm thankful for this season, even if it's a whole lot of juggling and facilitating and balancing on my part. 

Oh yeah, and I caught a head cold this week.  Thank God I'm recovering quickly. 

Boots on the Ground

Recently Blossom1, Blossom2 and I were privileged to serve alongside friends at a personal care home for impoverished and mentally challenged people.  

It was a day of boots-on-the-ground-Christianity.  

We did whatever the staff asked us to do.  Service is like that.  

Sometimes acting out our Christianity is washing another car.

Sometimes sharing our love for Jesus is cheerfully asking what toppings a resident wants on his pizza.

Sometimes loving people is overcoming your personal reserve and peacefully playing the piano for a resident.  

Sometimes obeying God looks like smiling while a resident precociously inspects the windowsill you just cleaned.  

Sometimes loving the Lord is pulling down cobwebs.

Sometimes pleasing Jesus is cleaning the maintenance van like Jesus is gonna be the next person that drives it.  

Christianity is practical.  It's tangible service.  It isn't flashy.  

Everybody can do something for Jesus.

Dominique

I snapped these shots of the hydrangeas that were on the property.  My friend, Carol and I, admired them in between our various tasks there.

Thoughts on the Swimsuit Dilemma

After my sister shared a pretty swimsuit she'd found in her Amazon trolling and my very old swimsuit demanded to be replaced, I decided to give a long sleeved swimsuit a try.  I'd since started wearing an under armor type shirt over my old suit, along with a little skirt.  I felt more comfortable than ever, when hanging out waterside.  It was so much closer to my normal summer standard of clothing. 

I haven't regretted this AT ALL.  

I'm not hot.  I get in the water more because I care far less about water temperature.  I use little to no sunscreen.  I'm comfortable around other pool-goers.  What a fabulous decision!

Also, this year, when doing the Blossoms' swimsuit inventory, we ordered Blossom1's from Amazon.  It was under $30 and modest.  She had been gifted the same suit previously by a family friend.  She LOVED IT and then outgrew it. 

This year, she elected to simply order the next size up.  It was a slam dunk!

Because Blossom2 adored my flashy taste in my gymnastics days, she raided my old leotard stash and added a pair of active shorts for the bottoms to complete her ensemble.  This was a great choice for her.  She is super active. 

I can see that most leotards seem to hold up just as well as any other swimsuits out there. For future purchases, I'll definitely keep my eyes out for leotards as more modest swimsuit options.

Though I was prepared to purchase a new number for Blossom3, she loved her sister's leotard idea so much that she raided the dress-up bin for this cute 90s style number. 

All the suits seemed worn out by the time they got to Blossom4.  This happens often!  I was loving my own long sleeved swimsuit so much that I searched Amazon again for something pixie-sized.  She's thrilled to pieces with this little set, and I am pleased with how much less sunscreen I have to use on her. 

I wanted to share some of these options because modest swimsuits are not impossible in this day and age.  Sometimes, we just gotta think outside the box.

In His Grace

Summer mornings are golden for me, breathing deeply of the fragrant air, savoring the country "quiet."  I think, I pray, I read, I mull, I write.  There is so much strength that I draw from this. 

And yet, over the past week, I found myself so easily offended.

I couldn't figure out why. 

Does there need to be a reason?  I am a spirit and I live in flesh.  My flesh often quite crankily disagrees with my spirit.

I mulled and mulled, thinking what is wrong with me?  Not enough sleep?  Too much to do? 

I came back to the fact that it doesn't really matter WHY I am cranky.  God loves me and He wants me to show love to others. 

This morning, I felt the Lord speaking to me through the song that says "It is well with my soul."

It is well with me.  In my spirit.  In my soul.  It is well with me.  I felt His peace roll over me and I felt newly encouraged to act out of love and in His grace, rather than choosing offense. 

Dominique

Photo credit to the older Blossoms

Summer Here

Our days are full, just the same as any other time of year.  

We're anxiously awaiting my new nephew.  We've enjoyed family get-togethers.

The girls are loving time for friends, at the pool, park, VBS, youth group events and elsewhere.

We're enjoying family time... like chasing Frisbee and kickballs.  If only I could get to the Frisbee before the chickens did.  The Blossoms even roped me into handstands in the yard.  We've spent time painting fingernails on the porch and watching the lightning bugs sparkle.

We're plugging away at 4-H projects, putting in work, when we really feel like playing.  

This is what our summer looks like.