Wow!  What an amazing three days we have had!  We have met some wonderful families, listened to some fascinating speakers, learned some interesting historical facts, delved into some deep theological teaching, walked the freedom trail, and had lunch in Boston Common.  My children have met some of the great reformers of the past (reenacters, dressed in costume and portraying historical figures) and we had the privilege of hearing the very talented Charlie Zahm perform.  My husband got to meet and talk with both Geoff Botkin and Kevin Swanson (the highlight for him so far) and I got to enjoy "fitting in" with a thousand other people, even if it is only for a few short days.  It can be lonely walking the path on which God has placed our family, and it has been such and unspeakable blessing to meet and spend time with other families who have the same goals, vision, and ideals we do.

Overall, it has been a full but good week and I am so very grateful to the Lord for allowing us to be a part of this once-in-a-lifetime event.

I'll be sharing pictures once we get home (I forgot my memory card reader and my laptop is not equiped with one--can't have everything!).

Posted in Patriotism

Posted in Family Life

Final preparations are made and we are ready to head to Boston.  Here's a sneak peek at the children's costumes for Vision Forum's Reformation 500:

This trip has been much anticipated by our family for quite some time.  If I weren't so exhausted from all the sewing, cleaning, and packing I've been doing the last week, I might be too excited to sleep.  I am planning to bring my laptop along and share highlights of the trip, so stay tuned!

Look out Boston, here we come!

Posted in Family Life

My children surprise me at times.  They are busy, active little people and, even though it has been raining constantly for what seems like weeks, they have kept themselves occupied with useful projects and activities.  Since we finished our schoolwork for the year all of them have been reading, helping prepare costumes for the Reformation 500, diligently keeping up with chores, and generally staying busy and out of trouble (for the most part).  It was a blessing to see them take the initiative to stay busy themselves.

While they have been keeping busy, we were all beginning to feel cooped up, so it was with a very thankful heart that I awoke to a beautiful, sunshiny day this morning.   What a relief!

My daughter still took a few quiet moments this morning to practice her new reading skills with her old friend Peter Rabbit:

A sweet moment indeed.

Posted in Miscellaneous Matters

Remember when you were a kid and the summer seemed to last forever?  I think back on those lazy summer days, carefree and full of promise of the wonderful adventures I knew would come my way.  Whatever happened to those days?  Here we are, already half-way through June.  In Maine, that means we only have a few weeks left of the summer.  The fourth of July is at the middle point of the summer, and by my birthday at the end of July, summertime is waning and autumn fast approaching.  Life certainly is a vapor and the older I grow, the quicker is seems to speed by.

Busy days lie ahead for my family.  We are preparing for a trip to Boston for Vision Forum’s Reformation 500 at the beginning of July.  This is something we have been excitedly anticipating for quite some time, and I can hardly believe it is almost here.  After that, the remainder of the summer will be filled with many projects such as finishing the barn, tending the garden and animals, berry-picking, jelly-making, canning and preserving, and several more that escape my memory right now. 

Whew!  I love doing all these things, but it leaves me to wonder how on earth anyone has time to sit on a beach with a good book?  I do vaguely remember the days when I was able to do that.  Of course, that was when I had only two little ones and lived in a tiny cabin and had only a dog as a pet.  The dog is still around (though she moves much slower these days), the little ones are much bigger now, and our home is three times the size. 

And life goes on.

Simplifying and savoring the moment while I am in it has become so important to me.  Like the rest of life, summer goes all too quickly and before you know it your baby is getting ready to enter high school.  Much too soon. 

Oh, those busy summer days.

Posted in Family Life

...Just very busy these days.

"Official" schoolwork is finished for the year.  We will be doing plenty of hands-on learning this summer, though, as we now are the proud owners of two (soon to be four) dairy goats, in addition to the laying hens and broiler (meat) chickens we are raising.  We have planted our garden and my husband has already begun to get in firewood for next winter (ugh).  All of this has kept us hopping!  We are having a lot of fun, and it has been a wonderful opportunity for learning.

As I have mentioned to several people recently, I would not have believed five or six years ago that I would one day be excited about moving toward a more self-sufficient lifestyle.  I was as dependent on modern society as the next gal.  I also loved my highly processed convenience foods, chemical-laden cleaning agents, and high-tech beauty products.  Don't get me wrong--there is nothing inherently wrong with any of these things (other than the negative effects on one's health)  However, over the past few years, as my husband and I have moved further and further away from dependence on these things, I have come to realize how much better the "real thing" really is, be it garden-fresh produce or homemade cleaning and beauty products.  I love the feeling of freedom I have in knowing that right here, in my very own backyard, my family can grow our own food.  In my kitchen, I can create my own soap and shampoo.  Simple, safe cleaning supplies can be stirred up (by me--or even my children) at my kitchen sink.  A solar-powered clothes dryer (clothesline) leaves our clothes so much fresher and uses only free energy from the wind and sun.

All of our recent agricultural pursuits have given me a sense of confidence I've never had before.  I never would have believed I could actually make butter or cheese or yogurt.  And yet--I've found that I can!  I really can milk a goat every morning.  I can grow beautiful tomatoes and sunflowers.  I have found that, working at my husband's side, we can do so many things for ourselves, things like making apple cider and maple syrup, putting up fencing and building a barn.  Not only does it give confidence, but it gives my children skills they can take with them throughout their lives.

Living the simple life is a lot of hard work, but hard work is good when it is honest, when it brings us closer to God's amazing creation, and when it yields rewards which can enrich our lives and bring us health, vitality, and joy.