Around the Farm at Summer's Start

 It's really good to have seasons. 

How awful would it be to do the exact same thing every day with no rest days or holidays or breaks? 

I love routine, for sure. But I love routine even more after a break from it.

Summer break is here. It's busy in a different way, and I'm thankful for it.

Sunset from the front yard.

Perhaps you can't see it in this picture, but this was the first day we noticed the corn had popped up. We didn't see it that morning, but we could see it by afternoon.

Here's a close-up of that first day we could 'row it,' as Phillip says.

Rows seen from the front porch in the morning.

I go sit down on the front porch to read and enjoy the morning. And the cats must be able to smell my coffee because they come slinking up begging for food. 

This is getting ridiculous. We thought Abigail had three kittens, but she actually had six. But they are letting us hold them and play with them, so they'll be used to people, and maybe someone will want them! That dark grey tabby is a cutie.

Jonathan and his friend Jack played with the worship team on Sunday. I got to hear Jonathan's first song before going to teach the younger kids. He did a great job. He'll be helping with worship for one of the camp weeks as well. Who knew we'd have a musical one in our family?

Mimi and Papa gave us fresh strawberries, and they are beautiful in a jar.

Sunset from the backyard.

I don't know if I shared on the blog this podcast interview with Modern Miss Mason. We did it several weeks ago. We have another one coming up next week (it will be filmed! Eeek!). 

I'm grateful for the beauty around us and for my kids and husband and all of us being together. Uvalde, TX is heavy on my mind. Which just intensifies my gratefulness for those things.

Lanaya Elizabeth Graduation

The whole family headed to Joplin this past weekend to watch Lanaya Elizabeth graduate from Ozark Christian College with her Associate's in Christian Ministry.

Taco Bell lunch stop.

The kids hanging out at the hotel. 

Lanaya E and Amos came over to have pizza with us Friday night.

Lanaya opening graduation gifts from family.

Amos also received gifts. He is a youth minister and a studier of God's word. So Phillip got him some theology books and commentaries. From one Theo nerd to another! 

The kids watching patiently all of the graduation proceedings. 

I really appreciated and enjoyed my college graduation and ceremonies. I graduated from a small private school in high school. While I did have a cap and gown, there wasn't the pomp and circumstance that my college graduation had. And I think I enjoy a little bit of that. I was glad for Lanaya to have some of that too, but I'm not sure all of the family appreciate it as much as I do! At any rate, we all experienced it this weekend. With three speeches and over 130 graduates, it was longer than the "it'll just be about an hour" that I had promised Harrison.

Lanaya is the blonde to the right of the brunette. 

They announced the plans for each graduate and the brunette is going to be a stay-at-home mom. She was the only one with that specific announcement (although lots of graduates were announcing weddings), and we applaud that! I remember feeling inferior if I told people I wanted to get married and have kids. But that's exactly what I wanted to do! To raise your children well and make your place a home, to have the heart of your husband trust in you ~ all of the Proverbs 31 and Titus 2 things ~ they are honorable work for a woman.

Receiving her diploma.

Phillip got pictures of the kids while I was talking to my parents on the phone. They had watched the ceremony online since they couldn't be here. My mom's sister passed away last week (Aunt Delores), so they stayed in Louisiana to attend the funeral and be with family during this hard time.

Amos and Lanaya. 

We had a lot of fun spending time with the both of them. They've got wedding plans in the works, and they are both spending time in Joplin for their jobs this summer. Lanaya is working at her church as the manager of their coffee shop and cleaning the building. Amos is working for CIY as a drummer.

Phoebe has been working on a cool thing. 

She made a long braid out of grass and is now sewing it together into something. I can't wait to see what it is. 

Planting corn.

I was little bit disappointed to see that all the fields around us had already been planted when we got back from Joplin. That means we don't get to watch. But we will get to watch it grow. We'll be surrounded by corn this year.

 

Last Day of School!

I told Phillip this morning that I should take some Last Day of School pictures today. 

And I forgot.

We just start and stop school. I never really remember to photograph it.

But today is our last day of the school year. 

Harrison is done with 6th grade. 

Phoebe is done with 9th. 

Jonathan is done with 11th.

And Lanaya Elizabeth is graduating with her Associate's Degree from Ozark Christian College. (She was called Lanaya at Ozark [it being her first name] and she didn't correct people, so we're getting used to using her first name now.)

We finally found a night to burn the pile of branches and boxes we've been saving up through the cold, rainy season. Jon invited the youth group kids over for a bonfire. It was a hot night for it, but lots of fun to have this bunch over to our house. 

Our weather jumped from rainy and 60's to sunny and 90's overnight. Not complaining. I'm glad to get some sunshine!

The farmers are just now getting in the fields this week. My understanding is that it's a little late for planting. I mean, not devastatingly late, but irritably late. The ground has been too wet. You can see the headlights from a tractor working the field behind the kids there.

Jonathan had to make soap for a science project this year. I can't wait to try it out.

This was one of the most interesting of Phoebe's paintings this year. 

There's some kind of story there. 

It freaks you out, but draws you in all at the same time........

We went to Lay Center Sculpture Park a week or two ago with another homeschool family from church. The kids were having a good time with the sculptures until we saw the "Do Not Climb" sign. Ooops. We had a good hike and a fun time at the play ground. We'll definitely go back.

And we have more kittens. 

John Quincy had hers (turns out "he" was Joanna Quincy), but she left them and they died. Abigail should be called Eve because she's the one supplying all our cats! She brought her three new ones out today, so that's been a fun after-school treat. They aren't afraid of us, which is a big win! Maybe we can give these away.

Jon and Gabry on the bus to Camp Kickoff.

Jon and Gabry at restaurant in Springfield. 

The Jacyna family took him with them to a concert.

Farmers working the ground near our house today. 

So fun to watch the progress.