Eight.

Kaden Q. Book-A-Roo.

My firstborn. Eight years ago today, you birthed me into Motherhood, and how my heart is so very full of you, Love. My sweet, shy, funny, perceptive, precious little boy who is so much like his Daddy...I love you so. Thank you for giving me the gift of motherhood, Kaden. Thank you for teaching me so much about myself. Thank you for your grace, your love, your sweet gentle spirit, your honest answers, your friendship with your brothers, and your tender love for Jesus. It has been my joy to watch you grow. I love your love for the outside and your crazy love for all things creepy crawly. I love that you love to hunt and fish and play Cribbage. And I love that you love to be with your family. You are a peacemaker, Kaden - and a wonderful big brother. I love your sensitive spirit and your tenderness for those smaller than you. I pray that will never change. Grow in grace and truth, my love. I pray that you'll always have the heart of reconciliation that you do today. I pray that your heart will always remain tender to the things of life and that your love for Jesus and His Word will grow in leaps and bounds. I pray that you will stay pure in body, mind, and spirit - and I pray that God will continue to mold you into the young man and eventually the Godly husband and father that He wants you to become. Stand strong, Love. Stay pure. Love deeply. Stay tender. Don't settle for what everyone else is doing. Humility, vulnerability, and gentleness are signs of strength... Watch your Daddy. And fall in love with your Heavenly One. Happy Birthday, My Kaden - my "Gentle One." You are the BEST!!!

2966. Eight years of life to celebrate today! 2967. The gift of motherhood and lessons learning. 2968. Sweet big brother, two pairs of younger eyes watching. 2969. A tender heart and a gentle spirit. 2970. Gentle honesty. 2971. A heart to please, and prayers that it will seek to please Christ alone. 2972. Best friendships with younger siblings. 2973. Contagious laughter. 2974. Reflections of Kev. 2975. Much grace with his Mama. 2976. Tenderness. Meekness. Sensitivity. 2977. A silly sense of humor. 2978. Eight years of motherhood.

Memorial Day.

Thank you.... 2965. Freedom...and knowing that it isn't free.

Weekends...

Weekends...

They are for slowing down. And speeding up. And going on adventures.

And, they're for catching frogs.

And RE-catching them again.

The are for being outside. For playing, for getting things done, and for getting dirty.

Weekends are for stealing kisses. And for making space for doing nothing...

Lazy Day Loves...

It's a rainy outside/cozy inside kind of a day. The kind of day that can't help but make you take a step back and slow down a little bit. I like those kinds of days once in awhile...the ones that make you change up your pace of life just a bit. So, today, I am thankful for:

:: Crafting at the kitchen table, and the perpetual messes of creativity this space in our home brings.

:: Trips to Fort Knox with just my Marmie and my youngest - picnics on the lawn included.

:: May flowers - and all of the childhood memories that come with them.

:: Filthy, filthy, filthy little boy legs and all of the bike riding road trips in our driveway every single day of life.

:: Watermelon. Always watermelon on hot, steamy days.

:: Great reminders to live by. I love this one.

:: The annual fishing weekend that Daddy and the big boys take every year. And next year, Mama will be home alone. (Whatever will I do with myself....)

:: Sweet table centerpieces handpicked by proud little hands.

:: This sweet little friendship.

:: My chickies roaming free once again. Let come what may....

:: Bike rides on old dirt roads.

:: This little cat - who is just like a puppy - and wants to be with us wherever we are.

:: Road trips with Grammy - kicking it to the wind and being gone all day.

:: Any time that I have one on one time with one of my loves...

:: Evidence of learning to ride bikes without training wheels. Yikes.

:: Beautiful scenery, gorgeous Creation.

:: Yes. A Thousand times yes. I agree..... And more loves this week ~ Flowers planted...and growing. Garden planted...now praying. Lew's tiller. A husband who loves me. Three little boys playing in the dirt. The miracle of life - in garden form. Dirty fingernails; filthy feet. Jesse on his bike - crazy and free. Bandaids, neosporin, and Mama's kisses. Brothers who care and seek to soothe. Lilacs - the smell is my Mother and Grammy all in one. Kaden & Jesse slowing down - so Ransom can be one of them. Runny noses - the gift of a slower day. Yard sale bargains - boy jeans without holes. Ransom's running and skipping and hopping. Kaden's kitchen conversations at the counter. Jesse's love and laughs and LIFE. A school year ending. Baby chickens growing. Friendships near and far. Fresh haircut, color, and feather. Conversations with Kim. Their constant, "Watch me, Mama!" Rainy days at home. Nap times and coffee. (#2923-#2964 ~ My Joy Journey)

According to Lew.

There's an old saying that goes: "Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime." Welp, for the past two gardening years, Lew has helped me with my garden from the very start to the very finish on our planting day. He has handed me my fish on a silver platter. THIS year, we decided that maybe it was time that we became big boys and girls and tried our hand at seeing if we remembered everything that he's taught us. We borrowed his tiller, I got a few last minute pointers on spacing and placement, and then in the span of about three hours, we got 'er done. This could possibly be our first clue that things may not turn out nearly as hunky dory as they did last year. Lew and I took an entire day to plant the garden, whereas the five of us...well...didn't.

Kevy tilled (and tore off sheer pins), Ransom fertilized (played with poison), Jesse watered (drowned the seeds), and Kaden planted and hoed (he actually really did plant and hoe). And I ran around like a crazy lady, racing against the setting sun, trying to get it all in the ground so that Lew could have his tiller back in the morning. It could be interesting.

We planted two types of potatoes, peas - both sugar snap and climbers, beets, carrots, basil, cilantro, three different types of lettuce, cukes, and four rows of corn. The majority is in. I still need to put in a row of beans, some zucchini, squash, and punkins, and my usual stash of tomatoes and peppers. This year, I have changed my motto from "go big or go home" to "Get 'er done...and maybe let's not put so much in that we can't even walk because it's such a jungle down there." So, the rows all have an extra foot between them causing me to lose a bit of planting space, but hopefully giving me a bit of sanity when the boys try to maneuver around everything when it all comes in all big and bushy... That is IF it all even comes in....And as I stepped back and looked at my handiwork, I once again realized that while I could never manage to sew a straight line OR even draw one for that matter...neither am I able to plant a straight row of anything either. It is what it is. (Another new motto of mine).

I am starting to learn what we use more of throughout the year now, what pickles and relishes we really love and what ones we don't so much, and what veggies as a family are real staples for us. I am not planting nearly as much squash because Kaden hates it. We will still have some, but maybe not so much that he has to eat it for every supper of his life throughout the winter! I still have yet to master my spaghetti sauce, and we love love LOVE homemade tomato soup, so I still want boatloads of tomatoes. I have a ton of zucchini relish left, so I probably won't make any this year. Instead, I want to try my hand at pickled beets. The boys specifically requested more carrots and peas, because those are the things that they like to go down and snack on during the day. And I love to share, so hopefully enough of everything will grow that we can give plenty to friends and family.

And did you know - so says Lew - that if at all possible you should rotate where you plant your things each year? Ideally, seven years should go by before you plant the same thing in your rows. Also, potatoes and tomatoes both can carry blight, so it's good if you don't plant those things where you planted them previously. And squash can carry some type of funky worm, so it's good to pull those plants up once they die rather than to just till them back into the ground. AND your seed is good for several years in a row, so if you have some left over from last year, it's still totally good to use. I knew none of these things.

So, there we have it. Most of the garden is in -- such as it is. Man may plant, but God gives the increase, right? It may just take a miracle for things to grow out there, but all kudos will go to Him if it does. Now we wait, and we pray, and we watch Him do what He does best....

New Babies!

Our sweet little babies have arrived.

Three Barred Rocks and three Black Sex Links. So super sweet, and "only the size of an egg" so says Jesse!

The original plan was to have some meat birds, as well - but the store messed up our order somehow, so that plan is now scrapped. The littles are just as happy. They weren't enthralled with the whole "family plucking and processing" idea in the first place.

And now begins the process of naming our new little babies. Each boy can name two chicks. Kaden's fond of repetition and names that are easy to remember - like: Blacky One and Blacky Two etc. Jesse favors names that not a one of us will remember within five seconds - like: "Mophany" and "Shaneenee" or whatever he comes up with on the fly. And Ransom's not really understanding the whole game plan. He just keeps saying: "That's a chicken! No. That's a birdy!" This whole thing is new for him.

The poor little babies don't get a whole lot of sleep during the day, I fear. But, at least they are quickly learning (and hopefully growing comfortable with) the sounds of our voices. Yes, sweet new life has arrived....and now I know for sure that Spring has, as well!

2918. New baby chicks - sure sign of spring! 2919. Ransom's first experience with chickens in our kitchen. 2920. Sweet peeps, sleepy babies. 2921. Smudge, curious only. So far. 2922. A Happy way to end our weekend.

Country Fun.

Or, a better working title might be: "You Might be a Redneck If..." Yes. Let's go with that one, shall we?

You might be a redneck if your lawn decor involves old farm equipment...and you think it looks darling.

You might be a redneck if your version of a fun, easy supper involves a fire in your driveway and hotdogs.

You might be a redneck if your son's "Sunday best" begins to start looking like this...

You might be a redneck if your eldest is starting to acquire quite the amount of notches in his belt for the number of squirrels shot...and many through the living room window.

You might be a redneck if this is the site of a major four-wheeler dump that you took when you were eight months pregnant...with your two-year old toddler on front with you....and rather than rushing to your rescue, your father videotaped the entire escapade with his camera.

You might be a redneck if the very best of naps are taken on a wagon pulled behind the four-wheeler....looking every bit as much like the Beverly Hillbillies as the originals once did.

You might be a redneck if your idea of pretty climbing flowers for your front yard decor involves transplanting some fiddleheads from out back. And hey - if you get hungry, you've got yourself a two-fer-one right thar. Pretty AND edible.

You might be a redneck if when you sit on your lawnchairs in the middle of your driveway and you look at the corn field across the road from you...you can't help but think that's just a little slice of Heaven.

You might be a redneck if you own your very own porta-potty, right in your very own backyard! Again...HIGHLY versatile! Country charm right up there with usability.... I guess I'll just stop right here on that one....

You might be a redneck if your cousins are also your best friends and considered to be another sibling.

You might be a redneck if your idea of a hot HOT date looks like this. OH Baby.

You might be a redneck if your hotdate clothing ensemble looks like this. We are STYLIN'!

You might be a redneck if your fancy appetizers on said hot date look like THIS...canned oysters, sharp cheese, and crackers.

And you might be a redneck if your idea of a "night away" is your very own little cabin situated right on your very own little front lawn... Hi. My name is Amy. And I'm a redneck. Freely, fully, and oh so proudly waving my freak flag high...

Simple Pleasures - Little Loves.

"Happiness is not a station you arrive at...but a manner of traveling." ~ Margaret Lee Runbeck. And I might argue the same for joy and thankfulness....

:: Chickies roaming free. Again. Moments of silence. Piles of freshly folded laundry. Stooping it on my steps and watching life go by.

:: Tadpoles releases to their freedom. Tank refilled with frogs. The summer cycle of collections and release. Eager anticipation of baby chicks.

:: Table centerpieces handpicked by little hands. Gifts of love - spontaneous and unprompted. My favorite kind of flower gift.

:: Mother's Day celebrated in my small world - sweet cards, pancakes, and eggs. Olive Garden supper. and "You're so beautiful, Mama."

:: New life to bring to my gardens. Rainy days to grow our plants. My garden spot tilled...and waiting. Lew - my scout of poison ivy. Warm bread for lunch. And Mom's jam.

:: Brothers who beg to share the same bed. Peals of laughter behind closed doors. Sweet big brothers. Trusting little ones.

:: The Day's first cup. A journal to help me remember. My alarm clock - open windows-sunshine-and bird song. Sleepy bedheads. Rumpled p.j.s. Cozy cuddles. His - "I'm going to kiss you every morning."

:: Warm spring days. Sunset swing rides, Imaginations running wild, BOYS running so wild they are blurry. Boys in bare feet. Grass stained toes. Big backyards. Butterflies - signs of summer.

:: Sunset Cribbage (and crushing) on the deck. Rematches and one point wins. Both going to bed satisfied! A porch riddled with the day's wet wellies and drenched, filthy jeans.

:: Big Daddy Salamanders. And Daddy's who take the time to find a container and bring them home to their 3 little boys. Another school year almost complete. A week up home. My sweet home church. Friendships - young and older - much deeper now. Ontario coffee - the very BEST! Babies come home. Bagels with friends. Honesty and vulnerability.... (#2861-#2917 - My Joy Journey)