Auntie news

This was a birthday card that I got from Megan and Henry the other day.... 

Ridiculous picture I know.... but hey, it was the best I could do with photo booth :)

MEEEE IS EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!

Dream list #6

Ever since I discovered that I like to run... I have had the goal to run 5 miles. Somehow I was just never able to get there, I'd usually only ever be able to get up to 3 miles each summer before something would come up... or I would give up.

This year I decided that enough is enough! I was gonna do this! 
I set my goals higher by choosing to train to run half a marathon.
Not to run in an actual race, but to push myself to achieve things that I never thought that I could do.

Running 5 miles means more to me then just the physical accomplishment. 
This victory is wrapped up with a story... a story that I hope to be able to share with you all someday.

But until then I'm gonna keep running on until my next goal is met. 
13.1 miles

Thank You!!!

Thank you all for the birthday wishes!
And thanks to Mom and Megs for hacking my blog.... you are both just so sweet :)

Wowsers.... it has been a while! I didn't really mean to neglect my blog for this long, but with everything that has happened around here this past while (wedding, new baby, creating a new normal etc.)... blogging has kinda got pushed to the bottom of my priority list. And not to mention the fact that our photographer has left home.... so we have not really gotten many pictures to speak of :)

But I shall try my utmost to blog more often.

Ok, wow. Where to start.

Our summer has been amazing. We went on two camping trips, one with our church... and the other with just our family.

Lately our every day has been filled up with picking peas, shelling peas, blanching peas, picking raspberries, picking cucumbers, canning pickles, canning relish as well as keeping our busy household running smoothly.

And, I shall have to say.... SORRY, no pictures :(

We had our first full day of harvest last week Saturday. 

Once again, I'm driving this contraption......

And we are now into full blown harvest.... and things shall be rather busy for a while. 

So anyhoo.... without further ado I shall press publish so that ya'll have something to look at! 

And as I already said.... I shall TRY to blog more often.

Happy Birthday to Jennifer!!

Hey! This is Jennifer's mom! I interrupt Jen's blog for a little bit to tell you something very special!
It's Jen's birthday!!!!

I can't think of anyone who loves to celebrate life more than Jennifer! She has this way about her that just brings excitement and fun to life! One of her favorite sayings are, "It'll be an adventure!!!" And that's what life is to her....one BIG adventure!

As you know, Jen is a very precious young lady. She loves the Lord, she loves people. I know many of you have been blessed and challenged by Jen's blog. She has a way of putting things into words that make you think, encourage you on and challenge you in your walk with the Lord.

So today, take the time to say Happy Birthday and tell Jen what her blog has meant to you....tell her what she means to you. Give her a big blog hug, I know she'll appreciate it!!!!

Sombody's Birthday...

Is TODAY!! 

Jennifer is turning 21 today!!

So it's only right for me (Megan) to hack her blog and share some pictures with you :) 

Jennifer is an amazing person. I am so glad that I get to call her my big sister.

She is an amazing big sister to all her siblings. 

 She is a HARD worker.

She is totally amazing at plucking chickens feathers. 

She is a great friend. 

 and sister in law

 and daughter :)

She loves playing sports and is very competitive! 

She's a cowgirl and loves being with her horses.

 

 

 In Harvest she's the grain cart driver.

She can fly

She loves to sing and play piano and is great at it!

 

She Milk's and Takes care of the cows during calving season.

She cut's hair

Jennifer is an amazing girl (did I say that already?? :) I couldn't have asked for a better sister. 

Happy birthday Jennifer!!!

Content in Singleness

Ever felt like there is no possible way that you could ever feel content spending the rest of your life being single?

I remember a time that I thought that there was absolutely no way that I could ever survive staying in my father's household all of my life.
It's not that I didn't LOVE living here, it was just the fact that I thought that getting married and having a family of my own looked WAY more fulfilling and special.

I was reading back through some of my journals from years back, and I laughed to see how many times I wrote about how worried I was that I would grow up to be just an "old maid".
God has taught me so much through the years, especially this year as I watched my little sister fall in love and get married herself.

I have finally learned to be content with where I am. 

I now could honestly say that would be happy to spend the rest of my days with my family if God so wills.
This change of heart did not come about all of the sudden, it took many years of growing and learning and some hard knocks in the head before I realized what is really important.
And that is this....
The most important thing in this life is not to find the perfect job, have a perfect body, find the perfect man (or woman), or live the perfect life.
But the most important thing that we can do in this life is to seek FIRST His kingdom. Serving God and loving Him with ALL our heart, ALL our soul and ALL our mind should be what we live for.
And upon saying that I'll say that the time we have being single is the only time that we have to serve God with everything that we are.

1 Corinthians 7:32-34
But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord:
But he that is married careth for the things of the world, how he may please his wife.
There is also a difference between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband.

Now I'm not saying that you shouldn't get married, if you keep reading Paul goes on to say that marriage can be a good thing. And if you think about it God was the one that created man and woman to be together.
The point that I'm trying to get across is this:
Our time being single shouldn't revolve around constantly looking for that "special someone". If you spend your days dreaming, wishing and searching, you might end up missing out on what God wants to do in and through your life right now.
We need to trust God to bring the right one to us in His time if it is His will.

If you read earlier on in 1 Corinthians chapter 7, Paul talks about being content with where God has placed us in our life. We shouldn't try to get out of a situation just because we think that a different life would suit us better. God has us where we are for a reason. And unless He clearly shows us to travel a different path, I believe that we should bloom where we are planted.

I still dream of getting married and having a family someday, but now instead of holding tightly onto what I would like to see happen in my future, I have given ALL control to God.
I now truly understand what God meant when He said to seek first His kingdom, and all these things shall be added unto you. It means that what is important is to seek God, if we do that, we will not have to worry about all the other stuff. God will add into our lives everything that He knows is good for us. Whether it means being married someday or not.

I know now that God has me where I am for a special purpose, 

and knowing that I'm needed right where I am right now is all that I need to be content.

My Hero