The Creepys are Crawling

I got a refund for my dead worms, they sent me another order for free. 1000 Red Wrigglers all very much so alive and crawling!!! YEAH!!! I was so excited. Even the girls shared in my enthusiasm for the little creepy crawlers. I don't know if you'll be able to see them too well but here is a picture.


You know, I'm not fond of spiders at all, not scared of them mind you, just not fond, however, there is just something about a spider on its web that is beautiful to me. I feel like its natures lace works! What intricacy and craftsmanship! Its these moments I wished I had one of those specially equipped cameras that would catch the details I see. God is so good! Be sure to look for Him always! He is in all the grandeur of the world but you can also find Him is the little things in life as well.

Hair Cut

We took our little man to get his first hair cut today. He did sooo good. Sat up there like a pro. He even reached out to the Barber as if he were an old friend! I can't get used to the way he looks now. He seems so different, but absolutely adorable none the less!

Travis and His Hair

I know some of you have questioned Travis' hair color. I've said before that often it looks red but never seemed to prove that because all the pictures I post show him to be dark blond. Well I think I can prove my strawberry-blond theory. Be my guess to comment on what you think.











He is also in dire need of a haircut. Poor little guy. When my dad gets home I think I'll ask him to take Travis to the local barber.


Miles will have to miss out on this 'first.' Miles will not be home until OCTOBER!! Yes, you read that correctly! He got offered the chance to go from his boat to another boat and then back to his boat. It sounds absolutly crazy we know! But we are just that... crazy! You have to live like no one else in order to live like no one else. Sometimes it takes a little effort to get to where you want to be. Debt-free is our goal afterall and this work opportunity gives us a HUGE boost towards freedom!!

Homesteading Step 1----FAILURE

The worms are dead! I didn't kill them, they arrived that way. I just don't think it'll be possible for anything to be mailed ALIVE in this triple digit weather. I think I'll have to try again in the fall. What a bummer. I was really looking forward to those little guys eating my garbage and turning it into black gold for the soil! I sure hope I get my money back. Funny ain't it, buying worms? These that supposedly compost the best aren't the regular earthworms in the garden. Not that we could find any on the land anyway. What could possibly dig through solid clay?

I'm still pouring sweat from being out at Shallowroots. And not just a little covered in dirt. I'm forced to seat on the floor as not to get moms furniture all sweaty and dirty. Miles decided to sale his shave ice trailer. He has other plans that is causing him to go in another busy direction. He just hasn't the time to sell shave ice. I really hate that, its such an adorable little concession trailer. And I will really miss the shave ice. But honestly we ate more then we sold. If its not being profitable its really quite silly on our part to just let it sit there. Anyway, I busied myself cleaning it out this afternoon because the couple is picking it up tomorrow. I have to say its rather a bitter sweet ending. We spent alot of money to get that business started for Miles and it ended pretty quickly just for lack of time to run it. I guess its one of those live and learn adventures. Life is full of costly mistakes and you just have to learn to get over it. I guess I'm sounding alot more 'bitter' than 'sweet.' Sorry, it's bound to be the heat and dirt getting to me. It was 102 today. And we fools were out in it!
Boy, I sure could use a shave ice!

Umm..a House

It feels like its been a while since I've posted. You all now we have no internet but my parents internet has been down for a while as well. We are house sitting for my parents for two weeks while they are in Louisiana. I forgot how much I enjoyed living in a house! The amount of space...the running water...doors...humm the good life! I refuse to go too far indulging in this fine luxery. We've been going back and forth to the land so that I can feed our dogs and spend some time there. And you know what? I love it there! And I love going back 'home'! There is so much I am not able to accomplish on my own ( I really do not WANT to learn to drive the tractor), however there is plenty of work! My parents helped me build on a small porch before they left to at least get us up off the ground which is really nice. Another little venture I'm really excited about is vermicosting! Its composting with the use of worms! The worms basically eat your garbage. Kitchen scraps, paper, coffe grounds, etc. Thier castings are supposed to be one of the best forms of compost. My soil needs MAJOR improvements and this is a start. I hope to plant broccoli for this fall and winter season. I'll keep you posted.
Meanwhile here are a few more pictures.

Have Shoes, Will Travel

Well, today was the day!! Our little man is finally walking. I'd got him some brand new shoes today and I suppose he thought he was offically a big boy now. As soon as I put them on him he took off. He was difinately the type who wanted no help from anyone and walked best when he thought no one was looking.

He was treated with an ice cream cone for dessert!

Old-fashioned Fun

When you haven't anything better to do....roll down a hill




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Sunday Praise and Worship

Annagrace, Maddie and cousin Cody.

A Few Random Pictures

Playing peekabo with the flamingo.




Catching butterflies.

Travis loves the harley but was a little uncertain about the noise it makes.

A Love Quest

As I was reading in God's word today a phrase stopped me short. It was in Job36:16 and it says "He(God) is wooing you..." Wow. According to Websters dictionary the word 'woo' is defined as
1 : to sue for the affection of and usually marriage with : court
2 : to solicit or entreat especially with importunity
3 : to seek to gain or bring about
Isn't that a beautiful thought? God truly longs for us to come to Him. It makes me think of when a young man courts his love. Wooing her to him with flowers and time spent on indulging her. Declaring over and over of his enduring love for her. How much more has God done for us. He has created the flowers! He will never leave or forsake us! His love for us in incomprehensible!
Psalms 103:8-11 says "The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, now will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our inequities. For As high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him."
As Jesus has told us in Rev.2:4 may we not "forsake our first love."

The Road to Homesteading

Sometimes the road to living a homesteaders dream is rather rocky, to say the least.
After nearly a month we've finally gotton phones that work!! But the more I think about it, it always could be worse than it truly is. Afterall, my parents house is only five miles away. It just makes us really appreciate the small luxuries we once took for granted. And you know what? It really hasn't been that bad. Now doing without running water is tough, I want lie to you about that one. But that will come in time as well. We are so very blessed!

First Night

Well, Miles left to go offshore yesterday for six weeks. Last night was my first night alone in our new surroundings. It always takes a while to adjust to the sounds and sights of the night in a new location. After nine years of marriage and five moves I still take a little while to rest easy when it comes nightfall. Being in the middle of the woods, in the dark, and without any way to communicate can definitely make someone like me, who has a vivid imagination, require the trust and faith that comes from living life alone. As I lay in bed talking with God I could see from my pillow up into the night sky. The view through the tree tops was breathtaking. The moon and stars shone so bright. It was amazing! I listened to the many sounds around us and could distinguish the song of whippoorwills, the cry of an occasional bob cat and the calls of coyotes as they journeyed through the forest. Not to mention the numerous sounds of the night insects playing their music. It ended up being very peaceful and tranquil. Despite the fact I lay there alone, I really didn't feel alone at all. I felt my Father in the creation around me. I could see his face in the stars that shone so bright through my window and hear His voice in the Pines and in that beautiful song of the whippoorwill. Yes, I'm not at all alone. It reminded me of this verse from Romans.

Romans 1:20 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)
20 From the creation of the world His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what He has made. As a result, people are without excuse.

Rest easy my friends!

New International Version
I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.
Psalm 4:7-8

Hornets-A Lasting Impression

I've gotton into the routine of working outside during Travis' nap now. The girls go with me. We either meander through the woods dreaming of the best place to build a play fort or lay a dry creek bed. And sometimes I grab the nearest tool to work at clearing underbrush. Well, today was one of those days I chose to work. Its been a blistering hot day but the shade of the woods does give some reprieve. The work was going steady and the sweat poured from our brows. I'd chop and the girls would pull the dead limb out to the nearest clearing. Then it happened, I pulled up a dead tree and unearthed a nest of little black and yellow devils, better known to most as hornets. I saw them swarm and yelled out to the girls "Run, Run to the trailer!" Luckily, my kids obey on command and they ran as fast as their little legs could carry them. No questions asked. I could feel those little creatures attacking; as I looked down at my light gray shirt I saw that I was covered in those black and yellow creatures. I must have resembled a wild, Amazon women as I came out of those woods a hollerin' and only half clothed by this point. I had nothing but my hands to defend myself, the tools having been left behind as I ran. I was able to kill them best as a slammed my shirt against the hard earth. When I was finally able to slow down to catch my breath and examine my progress I glanced over at my two little girls. They stood, blue eyes as big as saucers, absolutely bewildered and not just a little scared. What they must've been thinking at seeing their mother throwing such a wild Comanche-like fit, I could only assume. One thing I know is those tiny creatures sure pack a punch! They have made a lasting impression on this women. I just hope that by evening they've settled down enough for me to go and retrieve my tools.

Remember your chains

I heard a song this morning by Steven Curtis Chapman called Remember Your Chains. This is the chorus.

Remember your chains
Remember the prison that once held you
Before the love of God broke through
Remember the place you were without grace
When you see where you are now
Remember your chains
And remember your chains are gone

It truly made me sit and think through all that I'd been saved from. As a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ I know that I've been saved by grace and
that I have eternity waiting for me. Have you really sat and thought back to the moment the chains of sin and slavery were gone? Do you remember the
moment? Do you remember what you've been rescued from? Oh, how it brings tears to my eyes to think on what might have happened if Jesus, my first love,
had not ridden in and rescued me from damnation. Now, I'm not preaching 'fire and brimstone'. I do, however, believe that there is a hell and a devil and
without Christ that would be your destination. But how glorious to have Christ!! I, in may own might would have not found Him, He found me.
I am so unworthy and unlovable at times. I'm not at all worth saving and yet our most loving and holy God has chosen me, of all people, to share in the
glory of heaven. Thats grace! Never would I have been
good enough. Yet He loves me! My chains are gone! Our Lord is the One and Only Living God! He controls the power to overthrow death! All those who have
put their trust in Him have nothing to fear. We will be in His presence. The light of the world! There will be no darkness. Think on what the alternative
would be if you did not know Christ. You need to know what you've been saved from to experience the true depth of His love for you. We are basically
sitting in a sess pool of sin and our Sovereign Father has reached down His marvelous, holy, and unblemished hand to retrieve us out of this world. We are
no longer of this world and it is no longer our home. We have a glorious future awaiting us! Doesn't it make your heart break for those who don't know Him?
Share the news of hope and love with them. Let them know that their chains can also be broken! Let them know of our freedom in Christ!

Remember your chains!

Trailer life

Here are a few shots from inside the trailer.
This is where we eat our meals. Once we get a porch and a picnic table we hope to be eating more outside.
And unfortunately you've caught us once again eating junk! We were celebrating our closing!!! Yeah!!!! NO MORE MORTGAGE!! Hallelujah and praise the Lord!

Here is where the kids sleep and love to play. It has a little door that will close off this area. The top bunk above Maddie we are using for storage instead of a bed.





Here is the couch. I've covered it with a coverlet that I had. I wanted to be able to take it off to wash when needed. Maybe I'll get some blue throw pillows soon.




And here we see the oh-so-tiny bathroom.




This is the view up our driveway from the trailer site.



The dog's fenced in yard.