Update on Becca in Japan

 More pictures of Becca, who is teaching English in Japan!

Slices of Weekend Life

Tom-baked Key Lime Pie and a lovely walk on the trails south of our house. 💛💚🩵

August Full Moon

 

Cowboy Candy

Hot peppers are starting to be ready for harvest. Cowboy candy canning time!

Thankful for Helpful Boys

In early summer, I hurt my arm by simply trying to grab my heavy work bag out of the back seat of the car and bringing it to the front seat. It was annoying, but I usually heal fast from injuries. However, my arm didn't really get better over the summer. Maybe it's because I'm getting older. I knew that I should have my boys do more around our little farm to compensate for my inability to keep up on everything, but I was hesitant since I didn't want them to resent all the extra work that gardening and weeding the wild areas entails, and they already do so much out here with the animals and yard. I was pleasantly surprised when they enthusiastically agreed to do more of "my parts" of the work. I'm thankful for boys who step up when things need to be done!

Flashback to the Past

I'm cleaning out boxes of paperwork and came across this gem! An old picture of Eric & I when we were young...I'm guessing 1998.

Tom the Baker

Tom is getting really good at baking meringues!  This one is strawberry. 🍓☺️

Texas Trip!

We had a wonderful week-long vacation visiting my family in Texas!  Sam stayed behind to take care of our little farm.  It was a great trip...busy and fun!!

Bowling Blast

We flew down to visit my family in Texas and they took us bowling today!  Eric scored a 150 and absolutely blasted everyone! 😃💓

Daniel's Baptism

Daniel was baptized today! 💓

Here is his testimony:

"I have grown up in the church, and I came to know about Christ early on in my life. Because of this, I don’t know the date or the time in which I was truly saved, but when I look back on who I’ve been, I can see that I was lost. Pride and selfishness were my main motivators, and I lived and thought in an incredibly self-centered way. I thought very highly of myself, and I saw my own brother as significantly inferior to me. I would come to church with my family but rarely understood anything or cared to take much to heart. I don’t know if I’ve ever been so sure of myself as I was around the age of 14, and I don’t know if I’ve ever been a worse person than I was around 14.

However, in ways that I didn’t see or notice at the time, God was using people in my life, most of whom are in church right now, and particularly my Dad, to guide me and teach me and speak to me the truths of God’s word and of the salvation that is in Christ. One verse that rings true in my head: “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” (Thanks Mom and Dad.)  

And then, in the past 6 months, my life has changed drastically.

I always really struggled to accept that Jesus would save me based on nothing I’ve done, but simply because of his work on the cross. But without me even consciously realizing it over the past six months, I began to believe this. My greatest comfort is now the assurance that despite my faults, and without any merit from what I have done, I can know that I am truly saved by Jesus and His work on the cross.

Additionally, my relationships with my brothers have improved immensely. Yes, I still have many problems, but I am no longer led by a spirit of pride, selfishness, and laziness. I have new power in the gospel to live differently. I really feel like, figuratively speaking, God has led me out of the land of Egypt. Despite the confusion, fear, and foolishness on my end, God has safely and carefully guided me to where I am now. And it really is amazing.

Jesus said that whoever confesses Him before men, he will also confess before the Father who is in Heaven. And so I thank God that I have the opportunity to say and confess that Jesus Christ really is the Son of God. And he has saved me. And it is because of his salvation that I want to be baptized today.

Thank you."

Babysitting Lambs

We're babysitting our friends' lambs to see if this is a direction we might like to go with our little farm. We'll be producing almost everything eventually! 😁

Father's Day 2026

Happy Father's Day to my hunk of a husband! 😍

Twins' Birthday

Tom & Troy are 15 today!  They're playing airsoft for their birthday. 💓💓

Becca Teaching English in Japan

Becca got a job teaching English in Japan!  She will continue language school while she's working, so she'll be busy.  Please pray for her as she handles so many responsibilities!

Organic Compost Bins

Christy, Jackson, Dan & the twins worked all day to build some compost bins for me! 😍 Now, we can create nutrient-rich, organic compost instead of just tossing everything onto the mound down in the south field like we were doing before.  I love all my hard-working kids!!  They make life out here better and better!!

Homemade Garden Labels

My kids are testing out making labels for my vegetable gardens with their 3-D printer!  I love them! 😃

Coffeehouse Christians

My goofy boys at the coffeehouse with friends!  I love that they get together with other Christians their age to discuss life, even though youth group is over for the season.

Sam the Grad

Sam has graduated high school and is working full-time at Zumbrota Ford! He loves his job!  He's hard-working, resourceful, and has excellent leadership & communication skills.  We're excited to see what the future holds for him! ❤️