Hunting Camp

Every October, we spend a week with my mom's side of the family at hunting camp. We look forward to it as a great camping trip and if there are deer in camp, well, that's a bonus. Aside from the births of our two kiddos, I've NEVER seen my husband more excited than he was this past week. He got his first buck... a nice 3x3. I probably sound like a strange sort of wife right now, but it was actually quite endearing to see all the guys in this hunting camp help with packing the deer out, skinning it, and what not. They're SO excited for whoever got the deer, they all pitch right in and join in on the process... and it really is quite the process! I have to say that it's about the nicest bunch of campers. Camping neighbor, Brian, who isn't even in the family bunch graciously pulled our truck all the way home ---at least five hours--- because we had transmission troubles. Anyway, we enjoyed a great week of camping, riding horse, and lots of dutch oven cooking. On top of that, we're thankful for some good meat for the freezer this year!

a new creative outlet!

Teresa and I and our need for a creative outlet started putting together headbands, clips, and hats (NO, we are not so talented as to crochet them!) We're having SUCH a great time embellishing all of this stuff. And thanks to my dear friend, Jenn (Sweet Bliss Photography is where to find her), we have some great pictures! Not only of our little girls, but of our stuff! We'll see where it all goes, but we're having great fun in the meantime. There's something to be said about having something completed that STAYS looking pretty. While I'm thankful to be able to do daily chores and don't mind folding laundry, washing dishes, and vacuuming/sweeping my floors, they surely don't stay that way! Anyway, here are the pics that show what we've been up to!:)

This girl can fish!

On Saturday afternoon, "E" took Kyla to a local pond to do some fishing. Little Miss LOVES to fish. What blows me away is how incredibly patient she is. The fishing doesn't have to be hoppin' for her to be quite happy. She will sit with a fishing pole in hand for hours... literally! Maybe if I caught something this big once in a while, I'd be more patient too!:)

family...

When God tell us to "think about such things" as in Philippians 4:8, and when I'm tempted to worry myself sick about something or another... I try to pray prayers of thanksgiving. (This is advice from my mom. Believe me, when I'm worrying, I'm not thinking of anything but the matter at hand... my mom is not only wise, she's selfless... and I'm trying to take her advice!)

One of the things I am MOST thankful for is my family. While I'm incredibly grateful for them, I'm also very blessed to have wonderful brothers and sisters in Christ. I love my dear, intermediate family who I'm so comfortable with... the ones I can laugh with, joke with, and be completely relaxed with. But God blesses us with brothers and sisters in Him, and what a blessing and encouragement that is as well! I'm so thankful to have brothers and sisters in the Lord that are very much a part of my "family".

There is a particular couple who "E" and I have been so blessed by. We consistently enjoy wonderful fellowship, fabulous food, and lots of laughs together. Our kids absolutely love them, and they have embraced our kids. The love and kindness that they have shown is overwhelming and something to be most thankful for. It's truly something that is pure and lovely, something I should not only dwell on more often, but spend more time thanking my Heavenly Father for!

I love this picture of Little Miss and the Little Farmer in the back of E's pickup... they are obviously so happy to be there!
I have to say that when the Little Farmer was born, I didn't know how the two would interact with nearly four years between them. My worries were in vain... these two absolutely love each other and watching them just being together is so much fun! These are the smiles we see so often when they are goofing around in their rooms, teasing each other in the car, and playing in the sandbox. Maybe one of these days I'll do a post on the high-pitched, eardrum-shattering screams from the little one when they're not getting along--- or maybe not! I think we'll just enjoy this for now.

Love

When Little Miss turned 3 years old, we bought her something we hoped would be a special gift she would enjoy for a long time... and has Carly ever been special to our little girl! Carly goes with us to church. She comes with us to the grocery store and to our friends' houses. I think she's been on nearly every camping trip we've been on since her arrival. As you can see below, Carly even gets her picture take while doing various activities.:)

Little Miss has had the same outfits for Carly for almost two years! I love that in spite of the fact that this doll now looks like she's low on oxygen and has stuck her hair into a light socket, she is this girl's favorite. She plays with her during her rest time, and gives me all kinds of updates throughout the day as to what Carly's doing, who her friends and cousins are, what makes her laugh, her likes/dislikes, etc... This doll is LOVED. (I can't help but think that Little Miss is going to be a wonderful and much more natural mother than her own is!) Our daughter doesn't notice or care that she's no longer the most beautiful doll. She's been given other dolls since Carly, but Carly remains her favorite. I love that about kids.

Little Miss and her little brother don't ever care what WE as parents look like, what we wear, or what our "status" is in life. They love us, and we love them. That kind love is a special part of being a family. Our Heavenly Father's love for us is incomparably more amazing. Our kids forgive us for our many shortfalls (and we forgive them as well), but our Heavenly Father forgives us all day every day for sinning against Him, both intentionally and unintentionally. Not only that, in spite of our lack of trust in Him, He promises us that "along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light beffore them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them." (Isaiah 42:16) Now THAT is unconditional love! We're called to obey Him perfectly, and we so often doubt. We try to take life into our own hands, forgetting that God always perfectly and faithfully keeps His beautiful promises. That offends the God who gave His own Son for our very souls! And yet, when we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful to forgive us. That is amazing given the fact that we are often so faithLESS! Psalm 103 says that "He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him." I was only going to quote verse 11, but how could I leave out verses 10 and 12-13?! His promises are so clear and stated so often. I am ashamed at the way I often don't trust as I should. Praise HIM for HIS faithfulness and for HIS goodness to us... we truly have an awesome Father whose love, I pray, I begin to fathom!

Boys 'n Dirt

So I'm relatively new to this idea of a very mobile and independent little boy, but am constantly amazed at the irrestible attraction he has to DIRT. And mud. And sand. Even dogfood. All of the previously mentioned items are good for (in his mind, anyway) his nutrition, wardrobe, and overall happiness. Today, my hard-working husband took the time to build a sand box for the Little Farmer and Little Miss. He told me that after he'd filled it with sand, our son lowered his lips directly down onto the sand just to give it a taste/texture test.

See? Red licorice mixed with all of the dirt that was on his hands makes for a tasty sweet/savory kind of treat. And if he sees me coming after him when he's into something he shouldn't be, he digs faster and more furiously, stuffing as much as he can into his mouth. (This is referring to the dogfood in particular...YUCK!)

"You talkin' about me, Momma?"

I was always kind of proud of Little Miss for being a girl who could still get down and get dirty outside. Our sweet little boy has taken filthy to a whole new level. He doesn't think that he's lovin' and livin' the great outdoors until he's plastered in it. Literally, sporting it from head to toe! I just love this little man!:)