~paying with a goat!

It is a strange feeling when you have raised children for 20 plus years, to not have any children to actively be raising or to be responsible for.  It leaves you with a feeling of "whats next".  I know it is not just me, we have all heard talk of the empty next syndrome.  As the younger generation say, "THE STRUGGLE IS REAL".  It really is.  But I am no more defined by my position as a mother raising children, than my husband is by a position he no longer has after a long military career.  Our relationships with our sons and now daughters have moved on to a different place. Are we still there as parents, of course, we always will be. If they ever want our input, opinions or advice we are happy to be engaged in their lives and speak whatever wisdom we have gained through the years that it might be of some help to them.

We are people with a purpose and when one mission is over, rest assure there is another one lined up.  After having lived in the suburbs of  North Carolina, we bought a beautiful heavily wooded farm property when we moved here nearly 5 years ago.  The busy but laid back farm life suits us well and having this property to work on together causes my beloved and I to be a great team for a joint effort.  From keeping quite a few hives of honey bees, to the trial and error of our own wine, to gardening, raising livestock and everything in between!

I cannot tell you how stinking excited I am for our next addition to the farm.  Speaking of stinking...                                                                                                                                                                    

We are adding two adorable little piglets to the farm, for a short life - sigh.  These little piglets will be raised as holistically as we possibly can, for some good clean tasty meat for the freezer. EEK.  I am not sure if I can envision savory bacon as I look at these two little sweet hearts!  All I see is two adorable little sucklings.  Look at those curly-q tails!  These girls arrive in a week or so. Were paying for these two cuties with one of our little goatlings! I love bartering.

~Lynnie

~a little peek into our recent past

Do you have a time in your life when things were/are normal.  You know, a regular schedule, when you pretty much know what to expect? There was a time in my life like that and I don't think it will ever be that way again. I am good with that (it's a good thing huh).  We started raising children very soon into our marriage, so until just a year ago, we have not know life any differently.  We are no longer raising children. Yep, were empty nesters.  Did we miss our boys when they both took flight? Terribly.

I cannot explain the pain we felt during those first moments of having dropped our youngest son off at the Air Force Recruiter, to be driven to MEPS and his next destination there on.  It was a very difficult, beautiful time.  My husband - goodness.  He was, how do I say it, "a hot mess".  I think my love and admiration for him grew a gazillion times on that day and the ones that followed shortly there after.   This was another opportunity for me and my beloved to draw close, so very close again.  These such opportunities never really feel that opportune, they feel rather a misfortune more than anything else. But after it is all said and done, I can always look back and see how such a time has ushered in a more intimate and closer relationship with my beloved.  It sort of reminds me of the scripture, found in James 1:2-6.  I am not always good at counting it all as joy, but I have had enough such opportunities over the years, I am getting a little better at it.  

WHEW.  All of that to say, life for us is no longer a neat little thing that sits in compartments that we know what time, when or where it will take place.  Of course, EVERYTHING wasn't planned to each second or moment of each day, however while raising our boys we did have a schedule that was a routine that helped map out our days in advance to a large degree.  

My beloved served this great (yes I am still calling it great) country in the armed forces for 28 years long.  He retired a year ago.  Some time passed between the transition of having been a part of that culture to "what's next".  Applying and testing for a job on the outside, in the civilian sector was daunting to say the least. My beloved had served in a job that took him away from his family, in harms way on the missions he was a part of and unfortunately the job he is trained to carry out is not something he desires to do any longer.  Working for a contractor and deploying, being in harms way, etc... was not an option.  So after many many months of seeking employment my beloved took a job with a landscaping company.  He went to work, was grateful for the opening and employment, gave it his all. In giving his all, nothing was left at the end of each day. NO KIDDING.  After working there for a little over a year, we made the decision for him to quit.  There are other parts of this story that I will share with you as time passes.  

But for now... we are having a blast!  We do miss our boys so very much, but we raised them to be active, responsible citizens and providers and husbands!  Both of our boys are married and we feel so very blessed because both of them have chosen young women who are more than we could have dreamed of for each of them! 

~Lynnie

~New Year, New Beginnings

Here we are in a new year, like most, has begun with change, but this year unparalleled change.  I am grateful for change, how boring would life be with the "same ol same ol". While sometimes new beginnings can be intimidating and a bit scary. We can either choose to do one of two things; The choice is ours for the taking -  

While in some situations the running may be the most attractive choice, the problem with that is the situation will still be there when you get back, so let us choose carefully the first time around!  

I am really looking forward to getting back into the routine of writing out the gratitude that flows through my heart, those aha moments, times that challenge me and how it is that I made it through, sharing things with you that seem very natural to me through the giftings and teachings that I have acquired through the years.   I hope you enjoy your time here when you have opportunity to read a post or two from time to time!