Green Gabled Acres Belongs to Us!

We closed on the house today so it is officially ours!  I don't know another way to say it, but what I really mean is that the Lord has given it to us to live in and take care of because it really belongs to HIM.  Everything belongs to Him.  We are just incredibly thankful that He has blessed us with the opporutunity to be stewards of this place.  We got to go out there today for a walkthrough before the closing...  I had to think happy thoughts while we were driving on that section of dirt road in the rain :)...  but once you pull in, a dirty car just fades away and the peaceful tranquility takes over.  It's the most lovely place I've ever seen.  I can't wait to make it "home"!!  I'm busy thinking about paint colors and where to put furniture and John's thoughts are filled with how many chickens to get and what kind of coop to build!  Our farming adventure is about to begin!  Pinch me...  am I dreaming...  it feels so wonderful.

One of the barns...



Saying Goodbye to Shauna

We sadly went to my cousin Darren's wife's funeral this past weekend.  They have two very young children and she was only 29.  It was really just incredibly heartbreaking and so hard to see people that you care so much about to be hurting so much.  I often want to ask the Lord "why"...  don't we all?  Some things seem too hard to bear.  But as my precious friend told me recently, God's grace is there.  She reminded me of these verses...

"We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life.  Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death.  But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God... on Him we have set our hope that He will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers." 

2 Cor. 1:8-10

So, we pray and continue to pray.

The service of the celebration of her life was lovely.  I especially enjoyed listening to the people gathered sing...  I had lost my voice and sounded like a frog so if I had tried to sing it would have sounded only like a squeak.  So, I ended up with the privilege of listening...  beautiful.  And then the song they recorded before she died of her singing with her family - (and my extended family) - a treasued keepsake!  Even now the thought of it brings tears to my eyes and I think how good the Lord was to give them that gift.

I snagged this picture from her sister's blog...

Catching Up From the Growing Kids Sale Spring 2011

I haven't had time to blog in awhile...  I don't seem to be able to do much else while we are doing the Growing Kids Sale!  But, our spring sale is over now and we are finally getting back to normal again. :)  The sale went great!  It was smooth and wonderful... a huge blessing.  And we made a lot more memories together!

Here's a pic of this sale in the main room... 

Another room...

Sweet friends who work at the sale!

Josiah and Madie and Catherine working the concession stand.  (Shep worked a lot at this sale, too, but I didn't get a picture of him.)

Me and the girls...

Me and John (on duty at the check-out area)