The Goose is Getting Fat...

The boys started school! Their first day was Thursday the 15th. The change has been good, it's been a nice change to the crazy summer we had.

I am not sure the boys feel the same :)

This week Taylor and Joseph have been staying with us. They are here till Friday. It's been a nice addition to the ranch. It's a lot of fun to have them be a part of what we are doing out here.

Jon and Blake went to a duck blind drawing this morning with 300 other people. Naturally they assumed their chances of getting a blind were very slim. It was a grueling wait for the both of them, but to their surprise Jon's name was drawn!! They got to choose one of the few blinds left. They were surprised to find out that the blind was right behind our property about 50 yards!! What a crazy adventure! All that to say, we will be eating a lot of game this year, which excites me beyond anything else. I LOVE cooking with and eating any kind of fresh game. I better get the cook books out and find some good recipes. As they were finding their blind he also ran across a guy that will take him on a goose hunt (no pun intended, haha) Jon of course is extremely excited!! He says he can now just skip Christmas! HA! I love that he is so passionate about hunting, I find it absolutely exhilarating to think that we might be able to have a goose for Christmas! It's like the ultimate Christmas tradition that no one really upholds much anymore. It would be really cool to begin that tradition with our boys.

Speaking of Christmas... I am so ready! I love the feeling of the cooler weather, the ability to bake, bake, bake and the endless possibilities of decorating! I can't quite bring out the Christmas music, but trust me as soon as Thanksgiving ends the music will be blaring. Okay, that might be an exaggeration but I think you get the point. hehe

Life is going great, Jon and I are learning so much out here and have definitely taken to parenting very well. Or so I think ;)

Please keep us in your prayers!
In Christ Always,
Whitney

It's Been Awhile...

It's not because I forgot about my blog, or that my life is just too busy to post anything ( although, now that I think about it, it's been pretty crazy ). I would say the biggest reason I haven't posted is because every time I think about a post, nothing comes to mind. There are only so many times you can post pictures of the scenery out here, and life right now is pretty much the same. 

The boys start school next week. Jon and I are both excited and ready for the new adventure the school schedule will bring. We have boys in track, football, archery, and one even going to votech. The summer was a great way to jump in and build relationships now it's time to live life with them. 

All that to say, that's not what I wanted to post about this time. 

My thoughts lately have been about the fact that Jon and I are completely different people out here on the ranch. I am constantly amazed by the new discoveries that happen every day. I am constantly finding that I have changed. My heart is different, my thoughts are different, my personality has even shifted some. Being in a different place, with different people and in a position of authority to teenage boys has a tendency to do that to you. I'm a mom. I take care of five boys, boys that aren't my own. I feed a family of seven now, sometimes even more than that. I am no longer sitting behind a desk or defined by the work I do in the church. I am on my own, with my husband. I am a wife to a man that is a father. We are young, yes, but nevertheless we are parents. I am a woman that has to prioritize my relationship with God, my husband and now these five boys. We have to work through tough issues as a family. We laugh together, cry together and are just down and out right goofy together. I love being a mom! I wouldn't trade where I am in life for anything! 

The ranch has changed us. We've grown up. We are different people now. I am amazed by God's plan for our lives. It's so incredible to see Him work it all out for our good. 

In Christ Always, 

Whitney