A Home With Heart

 There are responsibilities that come with owning an old farmstead.

Some are obvious, such as;

Respect the land, 

Honor the home's history, 

(and keep all that old woodwork dusted! 😉)

 But others pop up in a more subtle way...

Like when we receive phone calls from past owners, asking if they can stop by to see the place.

Homes with history need hospitable owners who understand their home still lives in the hearts of many people.

We knew we had found a very special home when such a request was asked of us only a year after moving here.

The descendants of the man who built our house came to visit, along with their descendants, (totaling 50 people in all!) and it was a very meaningful experience. 

Meaningful for them, as they got a chance to visit the old family homestead, and reminisce over past times.

And meaningful for us, as we learned the history of our home and absorbed all the stories and memories they could share.

That was over ten years ago, and we told them they were welcome back anytime they wanted.

Well, today we were visited again by the grandson of the man who built our home, along with his daughter. He grew up here, and I could tell it meant a lot to him to be back. 

He was bubbling over when we greeted them at the door. One of the first things he said was, "It is surreal to be here! I am so happy to see it's in good hands and being so well cared for."

It is always a joy to visit with this family. They are such neat people.

The daughter, who lives in California now, was very considerate. She offered to wear a mask and always asked my permission before snapping a photo.

Of course I told her, "No masks! Snap away! I'm thrilled you're here, please be comfortable."

I love hearing their memories of my home.

She told me she remembered the bedrooms upstairs, the large clock in the hall, and her grandmother's massive gardens. Whenever she was looking for her grandmother, she knew she could always find her on one of the porches.

She seemed pleased to see the porches were still here.

I put a pot of coffee on and made a few snacks...

and we walked around and visited.

They showed us where the old back staircase once was that led to grandpa's study...

They explained the original layout of the kitchen...

We heard stories of how they played basketball in the attic and roller skated in the basement...

I enjoyed hearing about his mother, who he described as a meticulous housekeeper. Animals were never allowed indoors and muddy boots were always taken off at the door...

The pocket doors in the dining room were always kept closed and only opened at Christmas, or when company was over....

They didn't have heat upstairs when he was growing up. There was one vent in the middle of the main floor where they all would huddle around to keep warm....

They were kind to share with us some information and photos of the original farmstead, which Micah and I found fascinating. We value any history we can find of our home, and keep it all in a special folder.

I like to try to imagine what life was like here one hundred years ago. It's interesting to look deeply at this woman's photograph and know she stood where I stand, worked where I work, and raised her kids on these floors and on this land.

How would she feel if she knew her descendants still held this home in their hearts and even come back to visit?

💗

Our visitors today wanted to see the trees their grandfather planted; a row of pines along the north side of the house.

We were sad to have to tell them a tornado took them out.

But we showed them the children's play cabin Micah built with the lumber from those trees.

They seemed delighted to know their grandfather's legacy lives on in that cabin.

As they were leaving I made sure to ask, "Did you see everything you wanted to see?" (We don't keep any place off limits for them when they visit, and they're all over the place when they visit; the attic, the basement, the barn, the trails...) Then I turned to my children and said, "Just think, in thirty, forty, maybe even fifty years, you'll come back here with your children and ask to see the trees your father planted."

(These pines were no taller than my hand when Micah planted them after the tornado.)

I hope in fifty years, when my children and grandchildren come back to the old family homestead for a visit, the owners then will welcome them and want to hear their stories.

It is not a fancy house, or a trendy house. 

It isn't eye-catching or up to date.

But it is warm and it is loved.

It's a special house.

It is a home with heart.

🏡

~ Courtney 

Seeing God in Little Things - A Short Story

Homeschooling is for the mamas too, you know! We learn right alongside our kids. 

So when, "How to Make Sentences More Interesting for Writing Short Stories" became the topic in Language Arts the other day, I wanted to write a short story, too. Why should the kids get to have all the fun?

I decided to jot down a true event from just this week as my short story.

And since I have no where else to place my story, I will have to park it here on my blog for the time being.

I hope it blesses you.

 🍃 🌳 🍃 

 We've been experiencing notable weather lately. While visiting my in-law's home on Sunday it was practically picturesque. Warm sun, blue sky, crisp air. Out of no where, however, we began to hear a perplexing, horrible, scratching noise. Before anyone could ask about it, we saw from the kitchen window a large tree falling to the ground. It collapsed in what seemed like slow motion, taking another tree down with it.

We ran outside and noticed immediately the tree was from the neighbor's yard. How strange! It wasn't a dead tree, its branches were filled with green leaves. It just laid there, snapped off from the base and completely filling the road with debris, blocking traffic. Even though the tree was enormous, it somehow did no damage at all to houses, cars, or people.

The following day we were over again, and I saw the neighbors out in the front still cleaning up the huge mess. I walked over to talk with them. They showed me where the tree's massive trunk just barely (but completely) missed their power box, and told me how grateful they were no one was hurt!

"This could have been so bad!" they said.

I told them about the time our property was hit by a tornado, and how we had significant damage all around the yard, yet our house was untouched. I explained to them that sometimes God puts His hand of protection on a situation, sparing people... withholding potential destruction. In those times we should acknowledge God and be thankful. Then I walked back to the house.

The very next morning we awoke to dark skies and sounds of distant thunder. I happened to read Psalm 29 in my daily Bible reading session.

"...The glory of the Lord thunders... The voice of the Lord is powerful... The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars... The voice of the Lord strikes with flashes of lightening..." But the end of the chapter finishes like this, "The Lord gives strength to His people, and blesses His people with peace."

I noticed the correlation between the weather outside and what I had just read, then I pondered for a minute on that tree collapsing - God planned how and when it would collapse and where it would land. His voice broke that cedar.

The thunder intensified as I shuffled around the kitchen, making breakfast that morning. The sky grew darker, and the trees around the yard began to shake. A storm was threatening. I intended to ignore the weather and carry on with my household duties, but the phone rang. It was my mother. She informed me that a hail storm was heading my direction, and advised me to turn on the news and consider moving my car into the barn for protection.

(We are now true country people in that we park our vehicles out in the elements to make room in the garage for the four-wheelers.)

I had so much to do that morning that I did not wish to get bogged down with news watching or vehicle moving, but I hastily made the decision to drive the car out to the barn to just be done with it. The sky was darker now, and more thunder could be heard from far off, but otherwise nothing alarming was happening. It wasn't even sprinkling. I moved the car with the feeling that the storm would blow over, proving the move to be unnecessary. 

Oh well, I thought. At least I did it  just in case.

I walked back to the house in calm, dry conditions. But as I approached the back door the sky opened up and within seconds we were being pelted with driving rain and hail. Upon entering the house I could hear the noisy tap-tap, clank-clank of hail hammering the windows. It would have definitely left unfavorable impressions on our car, but it was luckily tucked safely inside our barn.

I was so relieved!

These are the moments where it is not difficult to see the Lord's provision in life.

He prompted my mother to call me. He promoted me to move the car quickly. (Something I don't normally bother with.) Then He waited for me to reach the back door of the house before He let loose the rain. Of course I was intentional in pointing this out to my children, who watched the events unfold. I also reminded them that God cares about even the details of our lives and is always looking after us. What matters to us, matters to Him.

And about that mysterious tree... I later learned from my mother-in-law that their neighbors are not Christians, nor have they been open in the past to even hearing about the Lord.

I hope He will use what I said to plant a seed in their hearts.

🍃 🌳 🍃

"Fire and hail, snow and clouds;

Stormy wind, fulfilling His word."

- Psalm 148:8

~ Courtney 

Back to School Reflections

 I tend to go through a little "nesting" when Back to School time approaches.

It happens every year.

I suddenly feel motivated to wash windows and scrub out cupboards.

At the start of the summer I wrote out a list of chores I wanted to have completed by our first day of school. I've been picking away at it all summer long.

I am happy to report I only have three chores left!

They are:

- sand and revarnish kitchen table

- repair broken chair in dining room

- wash front room windows

It is easy for any homeschool mother to understand what these chores have to do with getting ready for school.

Our home is where our life unfolds, and is the backdrop to our learning and growing.

 I enjoy it when my home is tidy and in good condition, but it is never staged.

It is a family home.

I start every morning here, with my coffee, my Bible, my books, and a notebook in case an enlightening thought dashes through my mind and I want to preserve it on paper before it leaves me.

I am currently reading through three books at the moment. A Dannah Gresh devotional with Nola,  Spiritual Disciplines for a class I am taking, and The Grapes of Wrath.

Even though I am only on Chapter 6 in The Grapes of Wrath, it is already rubbing me wrong.

The author uses profanity and the characters have false and harmful ideas about religion.

This past winter I read through Maya Angelou's, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings because it was recommended on a book list for sixth graders. Since my oldest was in sixth grade last year I decided to order the book and read it for myself.

The experience left me with the strong conviction to only consider book lists written by Christians.

The secular world does not know what is appropriate for children.

I would never allow any of my children to read that book. Not even at the high school level. I wouldn't even recommend it to adults.

Even though Maya Angelou was a beautiful writer and a captivating story teller, I found her attitude to be quite bothersome.

She grew up in church and had been introduced to God as a child, but rejected Him and developed a very depressing outlook on life.

I am learning that even though something has been labeled a "classic," doesn't mean that it's good.

And Christians have a responsibility before our Lord to only dwell on, "Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things." (Philippians 4:8)

Great literature is supposed to elevate the mind, inspire and encourage you, and show you new things to look for in life.

Through the years my children have enjoyed My Oak Tree because we can relate to it so well.

But we never noticed before today that the little boy brings his cat down to the tree with him.

So, I packed a picnic lunch, the kids scooped up Regal, and we all walked down to our beloved tree together to bask in a gorgeous summer afternoon.

🐾

Regal had never been to the tree before, so it was like a giant playground to him.

He loved it!

When we arrived home Soren and Elsa decided to pack up and go on an adventure.

This is a typical game of theirs, but today it included hidden treasure and a treasure map!

Soren drew up the map that was to be their afternoon adventure. He walked me through it...

They had to cross over two countries, swim through a river, hike over a snow capped mountain, and find their way through a tiger infested forest to get to the hidden treasure.

Elsa said solemnly, "Many have died on this trip, but I think we can do it."

I told them to take their guns and hug me once last time, then I waved them goodbye.

Later, when I asked about the inspiration for the game, they replied that they were playing Journey to the Center of the Earth. Then it made sense. Micah had just finished that book during their bedtime read aloud.

This is why we read.

📚

Many will be homeschooling for the first time this year, since so many parents are fed up with being yanked around as a result of this pandemic.

I can tell you, that this is what homeschooling is.

Read together.

Laugh together.

Go shopping together.

Eat meals together.

Go to church together.

Serve together.

Do school together.

Be a family together.

Trying to imitate or outdo the school system isn't necessary.

This chart has greatly helped me, so I'll pass it along to you...

If you are homeschooling for the first time this year I want you to know that you have been set free.

Your family's schedule and priorities are now up to you!

It helps if you can look at yourself as an Independent Contractor.

Demonstrate good judgment and time management skills in front of your children.

Be self-goverened and teach them to be self-governed as well.

It can be jarring to find yourself home and all alone now with your children and no one telling you what to do next.

But you are the mother.

What you say, goes!

Create a reasonable, custom-made routine for yourself and your family and just stick to it!

Your daily school routine should include chores, personal hygiene, faithfulness to your curriculum, nourishing food and fresh air.

🍃🍃🍃

"The work we do at home is, in many ways, of inestimable value. At the same time, there should not be pressure to do more than we are really able to do given our own parameters of time, energy, and resources. It's about doing the work with great heart, love, joy, and purpose, as a gift to everyone we serve."

- SimpleSusy blog

💗

"He who calls you is faithful, and He will do it."

- 1 Thessalonians 5:24

💐

~ Courtney 

Celebrating 12 Years

 We bought our farmhouse in July 2009.

That means we have lived here for twelve years!

I didn't want this month to end without recognizing our house-anniversary here on my blog.

Our farmhouse is over 100 years old, and has embraced families with a sense of home for generations.

This greatly appealed to me, as I have always had a heart for old homes.

My grandparents fixed up an old farmhouse when I was a kid in the 1990's. Their use of floral prints, antiques, built-in bookshelves, and other authentic elements, had caused that house to leave a permanent etch upon my heart...

This is what home feels like.

"We shape our dwellings, and afterward our dwellings shape us."

- Winston Churchill

Micah, being from Texas, wanted a place in the country. 

He wanted hunting land, trails, privacy and space to roam.

Twelve years ago we found this piece of property, with this old house sitting happily on it, and have been pouring our hearts into this place ever since.

We would not be who we are today if it weren't for our move here.

It has truly shaped us.

It has tried our patience, and taught us commitment.

These old homes need gentle owners who understand it is better to respect their past than to chase modern trends.

That has always been fine with me.

My style is less "new from Hobby Lobby," and more my mother saying, "Aunt Marilyn was cleaning out a cupboard and wants you to have her bowls."

My home is a mix of family hand-me-downs and my own finds from treasure hunting in antique stores.

Remember, I like to use my blog to record family stories and house renovations. So, to celebrate twelve years, I would like to share some before and after photos.

The following is a small collection of photos of what the house looked like in July 2009, and what it looks like today.

I hope you enjoy this look into my home.

We have tried our best to love her well through these twelve years.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

The kitchen:

The barn:

Dining room:

The laundry room:

Bedroom:

Family room:

Front room:

Staircase:

Hallway:

Front door:

Front yard:

Micah built this arch for me for my birthday last summer because it's always been my dream to have climbing roses.

I haven't planted any yet, however, so that will be my next project.

🌹🌹🌹

Thanks for stopping by my blog today, friends.

I hope you all are enjoying your summer.

💐

~ Courtney 

Getting My Bookshelves Ready

 Summer has been flying by, hasn't it?

It takes a conscious effort to savor the summer and make it last.

When my children were very little this "savoring effort" would cause us to not begin our school year until a week or two into September.

(We could get away with it then. School was simple in those days.)

Sometimes I sit on our swing that hangs from our big oak tree and I listen to the bugs and birds, I soak in the muggy air, I watch my children play around me and I think, maybe if I hold real still nothing will change. . . Maybe if I don't move this will last.

But fall always seems to come. 

And as the years have passed, our homeschool journey has grown more complex. 

 Now I know I need to start getting ready for the new school year sooner rather than later.

So lately I've been crafting a vision and a plan for this fall, which I'm looking forward to very much! 

It started with getting my bookshelves in order.

It is therapeutic to take the books down, dust them off carefully, then wash the grime off the shelf. I allow myself the luxury of letting go of a few by keeping a Goodwill box handy. The fun part is putting the books back in a new and organized way.

Of course all books that are a part of a series are kept together, and all the Little Golden Books are together. But the book stacks that are facing outward are grouped according to category. Like, social studies/ politics, character building/ spiritual, nursery rhymes/ poetry, etc... I even have a section for Christmas books.

Our curriculum is kept separate, in a cabinet.

Last year the kids had little wooden boxes they kept their daily work in, which proved to be a mistake. The constant in and out of the cabinet with the wooden boxes scratched up the paint.

See?

This bothered me, so I retired the boxes and replaced them with these plastic ones instead.

I found a jar of wood filler in the basement, along with some left over green paint, and made the necessary repairs.

Ahhh, much better!

I feel like I've given myself a fresh start.

The other books we own are scattered around the house in a somewhat intentional way.

The Chronicles of Narnia and Hardy Boys series are in the boy's room.

Corduroy, Cricket, and Nancy Drew are in the girl's room.

And my coffee table up in the front room is absolutely cluttered with all the books I want close by me at the moment. (I've left a tiny spot along the edge open for my coffee mug.)

"Books help you to know what to look for in life. Reading develops the taste buds of the mind, for great literature has a way of building people."  - Gladys Hunt

It feels good to get started on preparing for the fall.

But I still plan to savor every minute of this fleeting summer.

💐

~ Courtney