Wheeler Farm Camp. (Narrated) By: Sam Hunt

Here are some things we did today at Wheeler Farm. I had fun. We got to make butter and play soccer and got to let one of the goats out of its cage. We stuck our shoes in the pig pen and the pig shoved it with his snout!

We had a tour of an old farm house. The people who lived there was called the Wheelers, and they wanted the farm to keep going well, and it did! That's why it's called the name Wheeler Farm. 

We played a game with jacks and a bouncy ball. The game goed like this. So, we have to bounce the ball, pick up jacks and catch the ball before it landed. Sadly, I didn't get any jacks. 

After that game I told you about we started to leave Wheeler Farm. I had a great time there! 

The End

P.S. He wants you to know he got the idea of how to draw a barn from seeing a picture of one his friend Aviana drew. :)

Wild.

I just finished reading, " Wild: From lost to found on the Pacific Crest trail", a book about a young woman dealing with the grief of losing her mom and her months hiking the PCT. It was horribly sad. I cried my eyes out several times over the course of the three or so days it took me to read it. The loss of a mom is just tragic, and her mom had loved the author and her siblings with all that was in her, which reminded me of my mom, and thus the crying continued. Anyway, besides causing me to cry uncontrollably, the book also made me want to get back out on a trail. Especially living here, where trails and natural goodness abounds! So, yesterday evening we went for a short hike close to the house. A few things I loved:

* Seeing Jubilee hike. Um, she's amazing! I would look at her as we were going uphill and say to myself, " Now Jenny, if your 22 month old can do this, you can too!" 

* Coming upon a large flock of magpies and hearing Amelia gasp at the sight. She loves birds because, well, she wants to be one! " I just wish I was a Magpie so I could have wings and fly like that. So I could lay eggs and build a nest. Mom, I really do wish I were a bird. I want to live in trees. But mostly I want wings. I really hope in heaven that I have wings. I'd either like to be a unicorn or a bird." 

* To see Sam in his element. He is a child connected to the earth and its creatures and always has been.

* To see Joel in his element. Sometimes I forget what an outdoorsman he is, but boy is he. 

* To remember the freedom of being out on a trail in the fresh air. Love it. 

All for now, 

Jen

                  Oliver says, " co- sleeping is the best!" :)

 

                Sister wholeheartedly agrees. Oh the sweetness. 

Ordinary moments.

I was sitting on the front porch steps tonight, holding Oliver in my lap and watching Jubilee walking around in a little blue sundress that was Amelia's. Amelia was zooming around on her bike, cheering Sam along as Joel worked with him on riding his bike with no training wheels. " Soon you'll be just like me Sam! You'll probably be faster than me actually! If you just keep practicing, you'll get it!"

It's moments like these when I look around and expect some natural disaster to come sweep the whole family away or something- because how good is my life, really? And not that I don't believe God wants goodness for us, but I know that there is lots of goodness and loveliness in this world and there is also a whole lot of pain. So, I look at those sweet faces and at Joel as he runs along behind Sam and I think, " Savor it Jenny, just savor it." 

A friend the other day was talking about how her life looks pretty different than what she imagined it would look like and it got me thinking what I thought mine would. I think I thought I'd have about 12 children, some adopted, some not. Maybe living in Africa. In a hut. Some superstar Christian mama or teacher who grew a huge garden and tended to it while wearing a child on her back. Who taught English and helped birth babies. 

 So, I guess that's pretty different than sitting on the front porch of a nice house in a nice, clean city with four healthy, happy children and a super handsome husband. Sometimes it's hard for me to reconcile that, you know? And maybe someday we will live in a hut in Africa- maybe when it's less about my pride and being a superstar anything! Maybe when I've learned that no matter where we are, it is only by His grace and strength that we can love those around us well. 

Oh, this family of mine. How I hope to love them well. Out of abundance from Him, not out of what I can scrape up on my own. They are precious, each one, and I want to value these moments I have with them. Truly value them, like I was valued as a child and like I saw my mom value my dad. 

All these things swirled around in my mind as I sat on our front porch watching these ordinary moments go by, thinking how quickly things can change through time or circumstance and wishing I could stop it, just for this moment.

That's all for now friends, Jen

Still, there is almost nothing I love more than seeing/ hearing them deep in play. I hear little snippets like,

A:" when we run down the hill the other dragons will mock us." 

S: " what does mock mean?"

A: " I don't know, but it's not good. Just keep running." 

Hehe...They retreated to the basement to escape from " the monstrous Jubilee" after she had finished her breakfast. Amelia said, " Don't worry mom. We'll let her play with us soon.Like on a special occasion."

Okay, Amelia, that's just great.;) The other day she was holding Oliver and said," If I didn't have Sam as a playmate, I'd be horrified about having all these baby brothers and sisters around, but since I do have Sam I love them SO much and just can't stop kissing Oliver!" 

Pretty dramatic, but also probably pretty true! 

Better run, the " monstrous Jubilee" needs a playmate, and that would be me! Jen 

Elephant and Bird, by Amelia

Because I don't have a good filing system for our favorite drawings of theirs, I better start posting them here for memories sake. This is one Amelia drew for Sam tonight. Love it.

He doesn't lack for attention, this one.

Happy 4th to you! We've had a productive "home day" with a few fun Independence Day things thrown in there, like a red, white and blue yogurt parfait snack. Sometimes Pinterest ideas really do come to visit real life:) 

We read about the holiday this week, and Amelia named this masterpiece " The Declaration of Independence" ! Those are two independent girls, that's for sure!

And sweet, studious Sam- loving to work on his new calendar ( we are starting Sonlight Core A, for those Sonlighters out there:).

So, that's it for now. The two babes are asleep, so Joel and the big kids are gearing up to do some fireworks! Hope you had a great one, Jen

Faithful Chariot...

I can't even tell you how worth it investing in this stroller/bike trailer has been! When the twins were babies it was worth it's weight in gold to be able to take them for long walks, even if the sidewalks were packed with snow. Joel has pulled the kids around this city on his bike countless times ( ok, not countless, but you know...a ton!)We were both so sad to realize that they were too big to cram in there anymore for him to pull around. 

However, last night we took our inaugural walk with the new generation of chariot-ers!I saw on Craigslist that someone was selling a Chariot infant sling- I didn't even know there was such a thing! So we grabbed it, and ta-da a double stroller that would work for Oliver! The timing was perfect as this is really the first week I've felt like taking a long walk since he was born. So, off we went to a nearby school with playgrounds, etc. and had a great time in the shade of the evening. 

Little chubby ones! Anyway, thankful for our faithful Chariot, and for the many, many more adventures it will help us have with the " babies" of the family along for the ride. 

Jen