The Bravery Of Sharing A Life

A girl I once knew came to the farm this week. 

Her and I used to sit for hours at a little coffee shop by the beach.

Back then, she was in junior high and I was newly married and we just might have been the most unlikely of pairs. She's the fun and adventurous one and I'm the quieter type.

She's spunky and silly and not afraid to say anything. 

Back then she brought me out of my shell.

Back then I often felt inadequate when we would get together... I was woman who often fumbled over my words, a woman who had no idea how to pour into such a life-filled little girl.

And now she's a woman and a dear friend and this week on the farm we hung out on the front porch for hours and drank peach tea and she asked me about my journey with my man over the past 14 years and there wasn't a moment that my heart didn't sing.

You see, I don't always just sit and think about my marriage. I don't always share all that the Lord has walked my Joey and I through. But when someone has the kindness to ask, then I find the courage to tell it all. And as I talked out loud, I was reminded of God's tremendous grace over two young kids who wandered so naively into a life of learning to love.

You can do anything with Christ by your side. 

You can learn to let down your guard, and find intimacy beyond anything this cheap world has to offer. You can endure the sting and find joy on the other side. You can build a life with an imperfect, yet humble man. You can be beautiful in the ugly and bare children, bare treasures, more amazing than anything. You can raise them together and learn how to lay down your life yet again. 

You can laugh, and you can endure, and you can find safety in the moments where words are few. 

I sat with this girl, now woman, and there was no longer feelings of inadequacy, only privilege and joy. 

In friendship, really all we can do is share His Word and share our lives. We can't fix things or have all the answers. We can't make choices for others, but we can listen and in humility speak life and truth. We can trust that the Lord can and will do in us all that He says He will.

Today The Cowboy and I are off to a wedding... the first wedding that my man has ever had the privilege of officiating. Weddings, marriage, it's all a journey you have to leave comfort for courage to embark on. And even in the stinging seasons, it's worth all the bravery you can muster up...

Cuz when you find the courage to lay down your life, man, that's when life truly gets good. 

Sweet Kalli girl, thanks for coming to the farm.

Thanks for sharing your life.

Thanks for helping me to be brave enough to share mine. 

Simplicity

I have a love for moments.

A love for the everyday ordinary.

A love for the simple things that make this farm house a happy place.

Each year my sweet mother in law gives me a gift card to this lovely place... And I get to bring these little treasures home, simple things that make my heart sing. And slowly but surely there are pieces of loveliness that are beginning to make our little farm house, ours.

Birthday Flowers below the mason jar light that the Cowboy put in for me above our farmhouse sink...

The sweetest little measuring cup I've ever seen near some Target, dollar bin, cork-top jars filled with two of my favorite things, flax seeds for smoothies and sunflower seeds for salads... There are two tiny white bowls behind the jars that hold salt and pepper, easy access when cooking...

One day, a few months back, I took the Dancing Girl to Saddle Club, and when I came home, this perfectly simple island was in my kitchen, with a grinning, handsome Cowboy standing next to it... 

My Cowboy, he laid the floors. 

He created the "Chandelier" with some old tin cans that we found at the most lovely store in Castle Rock. 

My Dad and I, we painted the cabinets and replaced the hardware. 

The littlest one rides around that island in his walker and bumps into my feet while I load the dishwasher. 

The oldest boy scrambles eggs each morning in this kitchen. 

The middle boy rarely misses meal prep {he likes to taste test everything before it makes its way to the table}. 

The girls love to bake and all the treasures have learned the joy of serving, cleaning counters & washing dishes after each meal, being a part off a family in this quaint little corner of our home. 

The farm kitchen has become something cozy, and  lovely, and the most perfect kind of ordinary one can find. 

The Birthday

The three oldest brought me breakfast in bed this morning. 

My boy made me french toast.

The Dancing girl scrambled some eggs.

And that Spunky One, she cut the stems off the strawberries all by herself.

They had saved up $14 and each bought me a card with a flower on it and a stash of all my favorite candies.

It's a sweet way to wake up on your birthday. 

My Charmer drew me a picture and hugged me every fifteen minutes, along with an "I love you Mommy. Happy Birthday."

And my Joey,

He took me out to dinner,

 and bought me a new dress.

He brought me flowers,

and kissed my forehead each time he passed me in the hall.

He took me for a ride around the farm in his new golf cart... 

the one he traded the old yellow motorcycle for yesterday.

And we chatted long after the kids went to bed.

  

And these dear friends of mine;

One brought Panera for lunch,

and made me a fruit pizza...

I might have had more than a few pieces {weak smile}.

She sat with me on the porch and caught me up on her heart,

and listened long to mine.

Another brought gorgeous flowers.

I love flowers.

Loved this day.