Returning "Home"...

It's an early Tuesday morning...
One load of laundry is on the line with another one in the washing machine.
The chickens are fed.
Meat for supper has been chosen & laid out for thawing.
The coffee Kyle made before he left for work is W-O-N-D-E-R-F-U-L... ♥

# 1317 ~ Afternoons with Marci...

#1318 ~ Bri hugs...

#1320 ~ Tucker kisses...

With the rising cost of living & a renewed perspective on responsible financial choices, I have been looking for ways to cut monthly expenses. Since laundry is more of a hobby than a household chore, I find myself doing it more often than necessary. So... I have been trying to discipline myself & since I haven't washed clothes since last Thursday, today will be a full day of washing, hanging (on the clothes line), folding & dispersing...clothing & bedding. Something I looked forward to the moment I woke up. :)

#1323 ~ Familiar faces on 8 North...

Life has been incredibly busy for the past few weeks with things to do & places to go. Appointments to keep & commitments to fulfill. As a rule, we are homebodies so the constant state of running, going & doing has been a bit wearing & we are very ready for things to slow down.

#1329 ~ Laying in the arms of the one I love most... ♥

A few highlights over the past few weeks...

♥ Our first egg...

♥ A belated birthday celebration for Hunter...

♥ A week ago Sunday we were so very blessed to be able to travel to a local town to take in the musical 'Oklahoma'. Mal's vocal coach (who has become a treasured mentor & friend) played the lead role which made the production extra special. ♥ The show was absolutely fantastic leaving us wishing we could watch it again & again & again. Near the very end Heidi spotted our family & waved warmly at Mal...♥ & since no photography was allowed, I was only able to take pictures following the show... Kyle & I have seen Mallary make GREAT strides (in more ways than one) since she has been spending time with this beautiful woman... ♥

♥ Bri came home for a brief visit so of course that made for some extra trips to my hometown... It was so good to see her & to have the opportunity to spend time with Marci & her family. ♥

♥ Although no pictures, August 6th marked the five year anniversary of Kyle's colectomy/ileostomy resection. It was no coincidence that we made a road trip to Des Moines that evening to see a good friend from church who was recovering from a traumatic farming/mowing accident in the same hospital where Kyle had his surgeries. It was surreal... We've kept in touch with a few of the nurses that we truly grew to love so we made a trip to 8 North to see if Ashley was working & she was... ♥ Blessing upon blessing.

♥ Our annual Farrens family outing to the Iowa State Fair which included Darrel & Amber (Troy's oldest daughter) exchanging vows...

Sinful pitstop at Cold Stone... ♥

♥ And to top off our busy few weeks, Sunday evening Kyle, MaKayla & Mal were asked to share in praise & worship at the church where Kyle began his worship leading journey & where my dad continues to pastor at. With the responsibilities the three of them carry at our own church, we don't make it back to visit as often as we like, therefore returning "home" with the opportunity to share was a rich & priceless blessing. Seeing people who helped to shape our children... Being welcomed by hearts who loved us even when we were unlovable... Reconnecting with those whom we shared spiritual growth & life-changing situations for 14 years... Worshiping with ones whom are treasured & priceless friends... Dwelling with family...spiritual & physical... ♥ Mainstays in our lives... ♥ It was such a blessing for me to sit & witness Kyle & the girls using the gifts that God has so richly lavished upon them to draw souls closer to Christ... ♥

Ted & Betty ~ ♥

Mike & Sherri ~ ♥
Sherri is the one who instilled a love for fashion in MaKayla... ♥

Daryl & Penny ~ ♥

Uncle Mark & Aunt Marci ~ ♥

Uncle Troy ~ ♥

Sunday evening was a real opportunity for our family to see how rich & blessed we are...
To see where God has brought us...
And to realize that every step we take in life, God has a reason & a purpose for...

#1326 ~ Days that seem impossible...

Many of those steps He calls us to take we may not fully understand...
Yet He tells us to trust in Him regardless of the depth of understanding...
For He does & that is all that matters... ♥

#1339 ~ The unexplainable sacrifice of Christ...

Yesterday I met with my great friend Nan, who is also family, to help me solidify Mal's curriculum for the upcoming school year. When we lived in Iowa she was our supervising teacher through the local school's homeschool assistance program & although that stipulation is no longer relevant, I love the reality of accountability. Nan has been a tremendous blessing & has many times been the encouragement & voice of reason I have needed to keep me going. Along with laundry, my goal for today is to make final decisions on books that need to be ordered.

A few final pictures from our past few weeks...

Bri-Bri & Tuck... ♥

Little feet pattering through our home... ♥

Coffee with my love... ♥

Grandpa & his grandsons... ♥

Double-yoked egg...♥
Straight from the coop...

New suit for Bri to see... ♥

Happy Tuesday & much love... ♥

I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God.

For He has clothed me with garments of salvation 

and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness.

Isaiah 61:10

Three Men of "Brotherhood"...

The last time these three men were in the same place at the same hour was when Tom was in ICU for the second go round...

Little did we know that the first time Kyle, the girls & I ever saw/met Bill would be the evening prior...

Being together in an ordinary hospital room, casually exchanging introductions, sharing a love for the same man...the same family...yet we didn't really "connect". Knowing Bill lived in South Dakota & was in town for a short visit & that Tom was tired, we didn't stay long that particular evening so that they could have time to visit & catch up. We had no expectation/anticipation of crossing paths again. When we left to go home, the talk was that Tom's dismissal would be either the next day (Wednesday) or the day following (Thursday) & although neither Kyle nor I had any sense of peace in regard to him being released, we trusted that God was in control...

Little did we know that we would be seeing Bill again on a much more personal level in the early Wednesday morning hours...

Sharing love for the same man... ♥
the same family... ♥
the same faith... ♥
the same God... ♥

It quickly turned into a "brotherhood" that has been beautiful for this wife to see develop.
Simply something only God could do...
Through heart-wrenching circumstances (literally)...
A circle we never could have dreamt...

Three men who love their wives, their God & one another.
Three men who clearly see God's hand moving, working, transforming.
Three men so deeply grateful for grace.

Kyle received a text from Bill mid-week saying he was in town & wanted to get together. Last night we were so very blessed to be able to do that very thing.

Sharing life's victory's...
life's struggles...
life's uncertainties...

Sharing the faithfulness of the same God...

It was a sweet evening filled with wonderful food, precious fellowship & cherished laughter.

With tears of thankfulness in my eyes...  ♥

And joy in my heart... ♥

Until we all meet again... ♥

Just as lotions & fragrances give sensual delight, a sweet friendship refreshes the soul. 

~Proverbs 27:9 (The Message)

She. Is. Mine...

She is...

♥ wonderful

♥ beautiful

♥ caring

♥ thoughtful

♥ grace-giving

♥ loving

♥ confident

♥ courageous

♥ a servant by nature

♥ a lover of learning

♥ a perfectionist

♥ an organizer, through and through

♥ assertive

♥ content

♥ simple

She loves...

♥ pie

♥ 90 degree angles

♥ order

♥ Hershey's dark chocolate

♥ fru-frued coffee

♥ road trips

♥ her "sisther"

♥ shopping

♥ strawberries

♥ anything vintage

♥ fashion & style

♥ musicals

♥ jammies

♥ to be with people

♥ Snoozie house slippers

♥ adventure

♥ to clean

♥ to create

♥ the smell of the mall

♥ her "ocean"

♥ pearls

♥ hard work

She hates highly dislikes:

♥ snakes

♥ drama

♥ nursing homes

♥ funeral homes

♥ sweating

♥ defiant children

She. Is. Mine.

It's still hard for my mind to fathom that our first-born...

♥ the one who was the guinea pig

♥ the one who received the brash side of this momma

until Jesus fully got a hold of me

♥ the one who played alone a great deal of time

♥ the one who was expected to be a perfectionist

until I realized that it's all about the heart, not about the performance

♥ the one who had big independent, no husband/family aspirations in life

until Jesus fully got a hold of her

♥ the one who surrendered great accomplishments & worldly accolades

because she knew those accomplishments/accolades, although adrenaline rushing

were building her pride & destroying her spirit 

♥ the one who has always known what is like to live as the "outsider"

♥ the "square"

♥ the "freak"

♥ the one who is choosing to live the Jesus life rather than the familiar life

not because she is more righteous or holy or better

or insecure or scared or attached to her momma

but because she desires His will & His best for her individual life

♥ the one who daily teaches me the essence of grace

♥ the essence of a servant's heart

♥ the essence of love

...has turned 19.

I've made so many mistakes in raising this one I love beyond words, yet God's grace trickles down through her spirit & transfers over to me. She has every reason to hate me, defy me, rebel against me & long to run a million miles away...yet she loves me & her grace is abundant to me. ♥ For that, I am thankful. ♥ I know life could be very different...for her...for me...for our family. She could choose to do her own thing, her own way yet she humbly surrenders her life to Christ & lives a life of contentment until He shows her where to go, what to do or which direction to take. It's not about anything her daddy & I have done, it's all about the grace & redemption of Christ. Grace & redemption brought straight to our level. ♥ For that, I am rich. ♥ Many people don't understand why MaKayla isn't moving on or how God could really be telling her to do what she is doing. I don't understand it either but one thing Kyle & I have taught her through the years is to always, always, always follow the leading of the Spirit. No matter what, follow the Holy Spirit & do what God so desires. As she waits & listens, she holds tight to diligence, hope & obedience. She serves. 

 ♥ For that, I am blessed. ♥

 MaKayla~

You are everything wonderful & I celebrate the beautiful creation of God that you have been, are & continue to become. Thank you for calling me 'Mama" & for loving me much more than I could ever deserve.  You are a gift...

~A million Swedish fish & oh, so many more than you can count... ♥