Kidz!

It's been awhile since I've written anything about my kids. If you think I've forgotten that I have some, you are slightly misguided! Kids never let you forget about them! They are one investment you will continue to contribute to for the rest of your life! And in my humble opinion, that is the one to concentrate on.

Running a farm has been all-consuming. We all have to work to pay the bills and we all love our extras - pools, trips, campers, cars, ATVs...name your drug of choice. Because we actually live on the farm site, we have also had the privilege of farming together as a family. The girls have earned money helping out in and out of the barn. There are times when it's great to have family and work run into each other, but there are times you realize you've given waaaaaaaay more to the farm than to the kids. And it shows!

In having to consciously downsize, the luxury of cable TV has had to go. At first I thought it would be a tough adjustment. And truly, on rainy days it is. I am amazed at what we have accomplished as a family in the absence of the boob tube. We have had more cards made, more homework done, more forts built, more trampoline games made up, more pictures taken and videos made...the list goes on.

Along with no cable, my poor dishwasher has died. We have been hand washing dishes for about a month, and let me tell you, a dishwasher can never get your dishes as clean as three girls can! Yes. Dishes are their duty. They must learn to wash, dry, put things away in an orderly fashion and do it all without screaming, stomping, tattling or sticking their tongues out at each other.

Ahhh.....cute, sweet rosy-cheeked children. What an investment!!!!!!

We have discovered that a little goes a long way. All our kids want is time. In the mind of kids, time is equal to love. I can get away with spending a lot less on video games, toys and trendy clothes if I take time to talk laugh and pray with my girls. I think we are all learning that we can live on a lot less. I would rather live in a small home bursting with love than a big one that echos with the sound of loneliness.

The things we have learned and are still learning through this whole ordeal of losing our farm are priceless truths that I could not have known otherwise. While the lessons are hard and the cost is high, I believe we are blessed.