Younglings

Jonas, the silly little munchkin, is starting to scoot and crawl his way across the house. And you know what that means.

Jonas and Aaron

It means we have to start worrying a little bit more about the legos, popcorn, and dirt that might, on occasion, be left behind in the clean up process. 

But even that isn't enough....

They caught me....

Our books, papers, and pens aren't safe either. He is quite pleased with himself, it seems. Sweet boy! :)

Sweet baby goats, too. These kids were born a few days ago. It was really cold the morning we found them, and they were really weak, but thankfully we were able to nurse them back to health. Their mama, Nyla, helped too of course. :)

"Oh give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: because his mercy endureth for ever."

 Happy Weekend! 

~ Lindsey 

Driving, Babysitting, and Riding

"...and beginning in her sixteenth year, she..." - Future history book.

Well, not that I'll be in a future history book, but if I was, what would it say?

I was looking back at some the other posts I made on the blog and I had to laugh. It's like looking at pictures of yourself as a toddler or at an old story you wrote. I feel like I've matured a lot since then---hopefully I have. There's a few things in particular that I have gotten better at.

For example, instead of merely mowing the grass as driving practice, I have been driving to and fro on our gravel roads for some time now. In fact, a few days ago I drove on the highway for the first time---fun, but nerve wrecking. :)

I am not quite ready to get my driver's license, obviously, so I won't be doing that right away. But other things are keeping me busy.

I have been helping out our neighbors, the Pelcs, by babysitting their children---mostly on Friday mornings, but also whenever they need me. They have four little children, three girls and a boy, and I have grown so fond of them! Sometimes I refer to them as mine, lol.

The Pelcs are one of the sweetest families I know. I have really gotten along with Mrs. Pelc...she is so sweet and we have a lot in common...and for a while now I have considered her a good roll model. Both she and Mr.Pelc are home school graduates, and all together they are a good, christian family. Sadly, they are going to have to move at the end of the month. I'll really miss getting to see them, but I plan to keep in touch. I'm going to send the children birthday cards. :)

After they are gone, I have few other mini-job opportunities that may come to fruition. We'll see. :)

One thing I have been doing for fun in my spare time is writing. Well, let me correct that. I have been doing a BUNCH of research in preparation for writing. Just recently have all the pieces began to fall into place. The time period I am trying to write about is really complicated---it's the 1400s, or more specifically, the Wars of the Roses.

It's a lot of fun, but challenging. I won't be finished with it anytime soon. I also have to be careful how much time I spend on it, because I don't want to become obsessed. There was one time in my life when I was so fixed on writing a story (that I ended trashing, mind you,) that I wasted a whole summer thinking about it all the time. I don't want to do that again.

So, despite the fact that my WotR (Wars of the Roses) story is very historical, it is also partly fiction, so I am only doing it in my afternoon free time.

There was something I did a week or so ago that would (sort of) count as research.

As a birthday surprise, Mom and Dad had arranged for Chloe and I to ride horses for the first time! 

Some of our other neighbors own horses, and they were kind enough to let us come over to learn about and ride them. Mrs. Sabrina taught us a lot: how to lead a horse, how to brush, halter, and saddle them, and of course how to ride.  

My horse's name was Star. They call her sorrel because of her reddish-brown color---my favorite color horse. She was so beautiful, and the whole experience was amazing (and good for WotR research, though I wasn't thinking about that at the time, lol).

When we first got there, I was a little nervous but remembered to keep my self calm because horses, like some other animals, can sense your feelings. But I got over it quick enough. It was so much fun! I was able to mount and dismount all by myself. It was just like I had imaged it to be.

Chloe and her horse, Lyst.

I love this picture.

By the time we left, I was so in love with Star that I didn't know what to do with myself. I knew I would like horses...I had imaged talking to them, riding them, and leading them so many times before that when I actually did it, it felt something like a distant memory.

I hope to go back sometime. Maybe do some work in exchange for spending time with Star.

Well, for now, I've got to go. Work to do, lessons to learn, people to love and encourage...and "The hand of the diligent shall bear rule, but the slothful shall be under tribute." See you later!

~ Lindsey

The Next Chapter

Isn't it interesting when you finally realize that your life is in chapters? Looking back, you can see your own character development, the coming and going of ideas, and the changes in the world around you.

You said goodbye to friends, and said hello to others.

You had some internal struggles, and overcame them.

You had a few hidden sins, and finally begged forgiveness for them.

You wasted time without thinking about it, but suddenly saw the bigger picture.

And thanks to God's grace, you realize things. You see the truth, like a flash of lightning. All those decisions and beliefs that you said you hold to...you see that they're so much more important than you had thought. Every single detail.

Another strike of light, and you glimpse what would be your future if you continued on in the same way. And you know you have a choice. So you choose. Granted, it's after a while of sitting on the fence (and scolding yourself for it), but finally...

And the chapter closes. A new one opens. You look back and see it all like a distant dream, but remember not to look too close or you'll fall in again. "Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall".

And then you suddenly find yourself free...every thing seems fresh, new, happy, optimistic.You look forward now, and not so much at the computer screen or your new favorite fantasy. There are struggles ahead and you see them, but you have a plan for each one.

You may still have to say goodbye to people.

You may have to conquer your nervousness.

You will have doubts.

You will sometimes feel like you're good for nothing.

(And you know you still have to conquer math.)

But isn't it worth it? Because a clear plan of the future will guild your step, like a lantern shining bright on the dark forest path. "Where there is no vision, the people perish; but he that keepeth he law, happy is he".

All that is me. Thank the Lord for his mercy.

*************

I haven't written since September of  2016! Well, that's not completely true...I have written, just not for a blog post. The fact that six months have passed since my last post kind of surprised me. I hadn't really meant to abandon my blog, it just happened. Sorry! :)

Here's some pictures to show what we've been up to.

Jonas is such a big boy now! He is seven months old and
is starting to move all over the place. 

This is Aaron with cousin Jaden. They are
close in age and really enjoy playing together. 

Our grandparents gave us a punching bag, which is now
hanging in the garage. It's a fun way to exercise.

Our sheep had lambs! This is Catalina and her twin girls.

Some of our other sheep. 

We have three ewes and one ram (not pictured). The mamas are Tess the Friendly, Catalina the Cautious, and Dot the Scaredy Sheep. Seriously, though---the most she will do is sniff the tips of our fingers.

Tess had the only boy lamb. We'll probably butcher him eventually. The other ewes each had twin girls, and we'll probably keep them to grown our flock. 

One of our goats had kids too, and still other is expecting soon.

These naughty goat kids are being good for
once and posing for a picture. 

Throwback: This is one of our puppies from
Beulah's first litter. We called him Haelix.

This is him now. We gave him to some friends at church and they
named him Canaan.

Some of my brother Noah's ducks. He takes great care of
them and they are so much fun to watch. If I had a favorite animal
on the farm, the ducks would probably hold first place most of the time. 

These are Muscovy ducks. Unlike the others, they are able to fly. 
Sometimes they come over the fence and visit us in the front yard. :)

Today is the second day of March, meaning my sixteenth birthday is only a few days away. Sometime soon I'll update a picture of myself. :)  My little brother Seth will be turning seven. He and I share a birthday---March 6th.

I would write more, but this post is getting really long. Maybe I'll post again later this weekend. See you then! :)

Blessings,
Lindsey