It has been quite the kidding season and it is so fun watching our little farm grow! 

When we got goats 9 years ago we had a lot to learn! And then last year when we decided to move more towards the registered side of goats, we had even more to learn!

We've learned about testing for diseases to make sure our herd is clean and safe.

We've learned how to give tattoos to identify them.

We've learned how to disbud them when they are really young so that they will not have horns. Honestly that's not my favorite duty at all! So I just let Patrick and Silas handle that one 🙂

We've learned how to give vaccines and what to watch for. We've also learned how to be in contact with other farmers and watch for kids born with traits that we would like to bring onto our farm.

And I'm pretty proud to say that through this, we've been able to see some amazing goat kids born on our farm! As we've developed what we desire to see, it's so fun to see that come to fruition!

I love raising my family on our little farm!

 

This says summer

 My favorite place to be in the summertime is on the beach with my family. 

I love when you get out of the car you can instantly smell the ocean. 

I love the sand between my toes and the sun on my arms. 

I love hearing the seagulls and the waves on the shore.

I love reading a good book with my feet in the water.

I love how the kids can find adventure!

I love how it makes us slow down and laugh and talk and play.

And I love how at the end of the day you can watch the sun as it sets and praise the Lord for another beautiful day!

 

Learning to be a big brother

As you can see, Asa had been reading up on his baby skills. 😊

He has done incredible with the adjustment to becoming a big brother and loves his baby Azariah. 😊

Has there been a little jealousy? Maybe, but not much and he's doing great. I love this picture though of him at his pops knee.  He's proud of his brother, but we still give him plenty of Asa attention too. 

Azariah is growing and doing great. And Brenna is too! Praise the Lord!!

Enjoying this life as Lolli. Each season keeps getting sweeter. 💕
 

A Place to Write

 A really great opportunity came up for my Beth! We heard of a small camper that came up for sale for a really great price. She decided to buy it for a place to write. 

 Our home can be quite hectic and busy and not all that conducive for a place for her to write. If you've read her books, you know that they are very good! But they also take a lot of time. I'm so proud of her for letting her light shine for Jesus and using her talents for Him! She told us she's just not quite ready to move out yet and that's perfectly fine with us! But she and we have recognized that she needs a little more space for her. 

So she has had fun painting and putting her touches to this camper. She still has a little ways to go before it's done but it is amazing and awesome to watch God provide!

 

A Summer of Serving, Learning and Fun

What an amazing summer we are having!  We are halfway through and we are busier than ever!  But it's one of those good kinds of busy.  So happy to enjoy this life with my family!

Silas and Micah have had several oppurtunities to preach at the assisted living facility.  They are doing so well and I love to hear them declare the Word of God!

Callie had a fun project to finish up from the school year.  She loved her Forensic Science from Masterbooks.  It will be hard to top that next year!  

She was the prosecuting attorney.   Silas, the guilty.  I was the baliff, Patrick the judge, and Micah the plantiff.  It was fun!

We've enjoyed having children over to show them our baby bunnies, baby goats, and baby chicks.  God is really prospering our little farm and we are enjoying sharing it with others.

Micah is my new Texas Sheet Cake Baker!  He has learned how to use my Mom's recipe and it's so delicious!

We were given a bunch of beans to string, snap and freeze.  It took a group effort, but we got it done!

Beth took a bunch of green tomatoes to make a green tomato salsa.  Wow it was good!  While she was at it, she fried a bunch.  What  great snack!

Micah headed off to junior camp.  He had so much fun and made many great decisions for the Lord.  That's what camp is all about!  We love Camp Oconee!

I didnt' know my Callie liked lizards!  She was excited to hold this guy for a friend.  I have decided that Storybook Farms DOES NOT need any lizards!

Callie has also been working on her drawing skills.  She's got talent!  We plan to work on that this schoolyear and find some art classes for her.

Silas has been building his Holland Lop rabbitry.  His first breeding was successful and he found homes for the baby bunnies.  He now has a wait list with 4 people added so far that want to be notified when we have more babies.

With his profits he bought a sweet doe, Charleigh.  She's so cute!

Unbeknowst to us, Callie decided to hatch some chicks.  That girl!  That's a story in and of itself! :)  She now has a cute little chick running around.  So cute!

Then all three of my younger kiddos (and my oldest as well) headed off to Teen Camp.  This is the year that Micah was old enough to go to both. What an amazing week!  It was a little strange not having kiddos at home.  We were on baby Azariah watch, so we had a busy week here at home, too.  :)

Since Azariah was born Thursday, we headed up Friday for the last night of camp.  We love being there for our kids and our VSIBC kids.  It was great to hear of decisions they made,  That's what it's all about!

They asked for all boys called to preach to stand up.  I loved seeing Silas and Micah stand.  So proud of them!

Patrick decided he wanted to take S,C and M deep sea fishing.  But, charters are super expensive.  So, he started donating plasma to save up for it.  Yesterday was the day they went.  They caught about 40 fish in the atlantic and had a great time together!

 

Beth has been busy serving, sharing and making new friends!  She was able to lead a friend of hers to the Lord and then a few weeks later she was baptized.  So thankful for Beth as she has such a servant's heart.  Beth also has some new things in the works and she is working on her writing.  I'm ready for her next book to come out!  

My kiddos were also able to participate in youth night with special music, testimonies and preaching.  So proud of them!

I'm thankful for so many things this summer.  Thankful that we have a great church to serve in.  My family is learning first hand how to put feet to a servant's heart!

I'm thankful that we have a couple of months off from school to do extra things like these.

I'm thankful for a family to spend it with.

I'm thankful for the memories we are making.

I'm thankful that there is still so much more to come in the month of July!!

But, please don't tell my family.....I'm thankful that after a great summer, we will start school.  I am already curriculum hunting and we have some great things in store for Fall, too!!