Catching Up - Spring, Farm & Easter

Children's Chapel Rockport, Maine

Children's Chapel with Christopher, Henry & Hudson (yesterday).

They all loved it but Chris loved it the most.

Hudson throwing rocks into the ocean yesterday at the South End of Rockland Public Beach.

Chris throwing rocks.  What a gorgeous place we live in.  Henry hasn't been feeling well.  He was busy collecting sea shells.

Henry and Hudson

Hudson running around the park of the Children's Chapel.

We walked around the boardwalk in Rockland.

Easter Sunday hugs before church.

Easter baskets before church.

Henry on the egg hunt at church.

Hudson on the egg hunt at church.

Henry spying out the egg hunt int he church window.

My afternoon walk on Easter Sunday.  Reflection in a farm pond.

Hudson egg hunting at my mom's.

Henry at my mom's.

Henry at the church.

Our chickens enjoying the yard.

Chickens kissing.

Hudson getting muddy.

Hudson getting into things.

Juicing again.

Morning snuggles.

Crazy wild turkeys.  17 of them total.

Henry the day before Easter planting seeds at a farm up the road.

Hudson at the Guini Ridge Farm open farm day.

Henry and Chris at the egg hunt in our town center.

Hudson eating cereal.

The Easter cake I made for Henry.

Henry playing with the chickens.

Henry.

Our rooster Charles in Charge.

Hudzy Bear

Chickens

My cuteness

Camping outside with daddio

neighbors

Our slugger

Captives

We were talking in our Truth Project Class tonight.  The only man in the class other than the Pastor facilitating was stating how hard it is sometimes that Christianity is the only way.  How hard it is for him to explain it to his friends and for them to swallow it.  No, he's not a teenager.  He's probably my parents age.

Hmmm.  So many thoughts on this.  I am reading this Harriet Tubman book.  The whole human race is like what the slaves were in America in the 1800's.  We look at this "WAY" as being so narrow.

Folks, we not only have the keys to heaven, we have the keys to release us from bondage here on this earth!!!!  (I practically wanted to jump up and cheer in the class as the other three attendants watched me closely).  We don't have to be scared about the narrowness of our ways, when this truth LITERALLY sets people free.  Wouldn't we want to set people free?!

The trouble is (and I said this, too, as much to myself as to the atmosphere and the other people in the room), we are like so many of the slaves in the South during slavery.  Some of them were actually emancipated and didn't even know it, so continued in chains.  This was not their fault.  But as Christians we do the same thing.  We have been set free but we turn back to our bondage, chains, idols.  We have be trained very well by the enemy.  And it's no wonder others see Christianity as bondage when it's the reverse.  It's no wonder by the way we live.

I am not talking about the prosperity gospel.  No.  Not at all.  We will have trials and tribulations until we go home or Jesus comes back.  But BE OF GOOD CHEER!!!!!!  I OVERCAME THE WORLD!!! In John 16:33.

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,[a]
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
Luke 4:18

He came to set the captives free!!!  We are the captives and so is every other human being.  We are doing them a favor by sharing the truth.  

Let us not remain captives (I certainly have and do!!).  Jesus came to give us life and life more abundantly!

That is my prayer.  To live life and life more abundantly.  And not as a Christian that those around me say pass her a gun to put her out of her misery.  Not the onward Christians soldiers forced to do this horrible march by a hard task master. 

NO!  I have freedom in the truth.  Protection.  I look at God's truths as a healing balm and fortress around my life.  It's brings me security.

I lift Christ up and His life through me does a new thing, produces new fruit and draws new people unto HIM.

What a paradox this life is.  We weren't meant to direct our steps in Jeremiah 10:23.  And when we do, we are not living an abundant life, we are managing chaos as I heard Tony Evans say today.  Wow, have I managed a lot of chaos in my life.  

This life is such a paradox of waiting on God and stepping out in faith.  Being still and hearing His voice.

Finding Him in the details of life yet not getting so wrapped up in the details that we cannot even reach beyond our own little life.

That's the war against the abundant life.  This busy, overstimulated, chaotic life of the Western Culture.

I am praying and thanking God for the teaching I have received, and for those incredible-through-Christ believers who put feet to their faith.

And I am thanking God for the body of Christ because it is a life line to my world.

Henry's Farm is Growing!

Our little man is growing up!  Those are Hudson's legs.  He was lying on me all day yesterday.  Poor thing has had a bad virus for the past few days.  Doing a little better today.

Motherhood

Motherhood is such a paradox.  Such an illustration of our total depravity, the endless riches of Christ Jesus that are ready to be accessed and grace that flows freely.

It is the best of times and the worst of times.  But even the worst of times can be filled with joy.

You discover how selfless and selfish you are wrapped up into one little human being.

Lazy and ultra productive from moment to moment.

Not sure how you can make it through another night with only hours of sleep and all interrupted but you still wake up overflowed with joy to be their mom.

Sometimes you feel sorry for yourself but in the same moment would give up anything to make their life just a little better.

You do things you never thought you'd ever do - like stay at home, join mom clubs, and even consider the H word... home school.

You pour another glass of juice, wipe another bottom, make another meal, nurse the baby all wondering how you can muster up the energy to get through the next moment and then you dance and praise with all of your might wondering if you ever had this much energy in your entire life.

It's the tenth round of Ring Around the Rosie, driving by cows and answering a thousand questions.  Seeing life afresh.

Irritation rises like a frost from the ground in the spring and then thoughts of how you are the person that brings comfort to this little person's life.

To be needed. Can be overwhelming in a bad way and at the same time God knew exactly what you needed.

How can we do this thing called motherhood without Him.

Happenings at the Homestead

It's not possible to express how thankful I am to God for our little family.  I am so madly in love with my two crazy little boys EVEN when they drive me nuts and they DO!  I am also SO thankful for what God is doing in our lives.  He is working overtime.




Here is Hudson who loves to be massaged.



He is called the baby boss and the baby mafia by some ;).  He doesn't talk much but you know exactly what he wants by his grunts.



He's also a chocoholic!!  He can hear me opening a chocolate wrapper better than Henry!!



This is Bobbie Jo kicking my butt on a walk the day she got her first round of the strongest chemo they deliver.  Today she got her second round.  The very good news is her cancer has not spread beyond
her lymph nodes by her breast and it's very treatable even though it's the most aggressive cancer.



My strikingly handsome baby.



We went sledding a couple of weekends ago.  Christopher came with us.  Was with Bobbie Jo's family and friends.  My sister Jana is Bobbie's sister in-law.  Small world.  Dave has to work on Saturdays, so it was just me and the boys.  Hudson slept for a short time in the car but then braved the hill with us.  And a hill it was.  Unfortunately, I lost my phone on the way down the hill once so didn't dare to keep it with me after that.



Hudzy bear's head.  I think it was Henry's first time sledding too.  (March 11).



My grandmother was in the hospital for a few days.  They feared broken bones and then she got checked for cancer.  Thank God neither were the case.  My grandfather nicknamed the boys the Umstead Wrecking Crew.





Trying to decide what to do for Henry's schooling next year.  I just don't want to crush his little spirit.  He has been doing ABC Mouse.  I feel like school with a bunch of students my be too much for his sensitive soul.  He gets very stressed out by learning.



Baby love.  My natural athlete.





Henry is an instigator and Hudson is a brute.





The stool I got an an auction.  I haven't been back yet BUT I think I am addicted.  It's like a new world.  Like nothing I have every been to.  This one they do in inland Maine.  A subculture.



Hudson's hair is very curly.  Killer cute.



Friday mornings is story time at our local library.  We have been going there to play but last Friday my friend Jessica who homeschools her two youngest invited us to go hang out.  Henry took charge and snuggled up to the reader and chose the book.  He introduced me to his new friend.  In fact, he makes friends with everyone.  Today he made a new friend at the grocery store.  I want to keep that passion alive as long as possible.



Papa came over on Friday too.  And read all the library book we brought home.



Then we went to a new play place they opened in Rockland.



Very fun for the boys.



My uncle Gerald visited on Saturday.  So we had a family day.  Aunt Jana made this chef hat for Henry's birthday and brought him some gluten free stuff to make.



The pastor of our church and a group of folks including Molly, Wayne and Sam took a missions trip to Belize this week.  Dave preached the message on Sunday morning and did a really good job.  In this photo the folks on the trip had called in to say hi.



Teagan had her 8th birthday party at the community center.  My kids preferred to play in the gym.



Teags.







There is so much going on in our church.  Dave is gone tonight an hour and half away teaching a Bible Study.  I do a women's Bible Study Thursday night.  And Claire (in the red) had a Filipino Bible Study on Sunday evening.  I think Filipinos are Maine's largest minority.  Claire really wanted me to be there.  We had a really good time.  Eternal.



My mom gave us this book in honor of Hudson.  Totally him.



Christopher came over to play yesterday.



A few weeks ago I found this dresser at Goodwill.  It was $20!!  In pretty rough shape but I saw the potential and practically ran to the front to buy it before someone else did.  I love the Moroccan Red color I chose.  Love it!!