SPRING At The Cabin

Beautiful sunshine, warm and gentle breezes...it is SPRING at last! 

 The mud has a faint green tinge to it suggesting grass, (how exciting)

 and the children think it is surely summer-SOOO warm that they are barefoot and asked if they could go swimming in the pond.  (It is 54 degrees).

I said no.

So, they donned their mud boots and stomped through puddles,

 played with the baby goats,

 and had a perfectly marvelous day.

The bigger boys went off gallivanting, 

so just us girls here, along with Gabe to keep us company.

We girls are content with little to do outdoors at present, just enjoying the warm sun,

 watching Olivia and Gabe play, 

chatting about what we would like to plant where this year, 

coming vacations, and what to cook for dinner, which goats we will keep, which we will sell,

 and all kinds of other girly chatter.

Daddy often calls us "SQUIRRELS" since we chatter on so.

  (smile)

All the fun in the sun tuckered the littles out.

They were quick to nod off at nap time today.

Gabe was so sweet here I just had to snap a picture to capture the moment..

he is growing so fast, and will soon be one of the big boys.

..just cherishing the time now that he is still 

somewhat little.

Happy Spring To You!

Julianne

Little Woodsmen Pocket Dump

My Little Woodsmen have a pretty standard daily dress and gear they carry.

Camouflage
 makes up a large part of the boys wardrobe,
 as well as Carhardt, Wrangler, Wool, and BOGS.

But, a belt  and pockets to hold all the necessities is the real must have...
although each of the boys also have a full possibles bag they take on all woodsy adventures.

EDC,
 or Every Day Carry
is a big deal around here.  

What a man has in his pocket

 ( or a woman in her purse) 

may save his life.  

  

We believe that a little preparedness goes a long ways.  

 Being prepared teaches resourcefulness,
ingenuity and situational awareness,
competence and readiness.

With that in mind,

 we are training them up the way they should go....

and that way includes a pocket knife as well as other "just in case" items of importance.

We are that kind of people.

The kind where any random day for the boys
 may include cooking an unfortunate rabbit for lunch.

(But then, when they come inside for afternoon tea, they must be gentlemen, you know.
Sort of, like Swiss Family Robinson meets Pride and Prejudice.)

Just out of curiosity, I randomly called for a pocket dump the other day,
which I do occasionally for fun and amusement.

Here is what we found-

Joe:

Joe carries a KA Bar, wallet, lighters, and multi tool.  He also has a hatchet on his belt.

Ben:

Ben has an Altoids can with matches, fish hooks, whistle, band aids, and cotton balls.

  He also has a Swiss army knife, a pocket knife, and a boot knife.

Jim:

Jim carries an Altoids can with a fishing kit in it,

 he also has a hand warmer, a Swiss army knife,
wallet (with a full Dutch Brothers Card in it, he informed me)
 an antler handled flint and steel, a pocket knife, a fixed blade and some matches. 

 Jim too carries a hatchet on his belt.

Gabe:

Gabe carries a whistle in his Altoids can, and a vintage Luke Skywalker in his pocket everyday.

He declined a pocket dump today, feeling rather grumpy, which is very out of character for him.

It is a beautiful sunny spring day,
and the boys are excited to get their school work and chores done so they can do the important stuff..
..like identify what sort of R.O.U.S is in the big pond,
 and try to discover the whereabouts of the Canadian Geese nest - staying a safe distance so as to not endanger them.
 Then, too, there is the daily observation of birds and their songs,
 and general romping through the woods.
I will hear all about it come 3:00, when I serve tea and  snack for the children,
 gathering the little ones in to get scrubbed up clean and have a nap.

Ah, the beauties of our redneck life!

Blessings To You,
Julianne

Gentling Mama: Heavenly, Herbal Healing

I have a confession.

 I am often times, just too tightly wound. 

 I can get anxious easily. 

 If I were a horse, I would be labeled "high strung."

The last 5 years I have worked very hard to relax, loosen up, trust God, 

and maintain a gentle and quiet spirit.  

But, it does not come naturally to me.  

It is a battle.

I often see myself winning this battle now that I am older 

(I just had a birthday, and wow! am I feeling older!).  

But, I do not ALWAYS win.

This week has seen extra challenges for me, 

and I have not met them with a gentle and gracious spirit.

Despite my prayers, my time alone with God, my plea for His peace, 

I think my blood pressure its up quite a bit.  

I have felt worry and anxiety creeping in, and with it, irritability- a sure sign of stressed not managed.

It is high time to gentle mama, .....again.

I spent the morning allowing the children to run out side while I read the psalms, 

played serene music, and talked to the Lord. 

The healing balm of uninterrupted time with my Heavenly Father did it's work to my heart.  

Seeking forgiveness for allowing the poisons of pride, tension, and anxiety to be effective in my life, 

I could feel the burden lifted, as if 10 lbs had been removed from my shoulders...

the sigh escaping bringing chills to my arms. 

 Now to repair my nerves.

 I went to the kitchen seeking herbal healing.  

Knowing my weakness, my cupboard is stocked with soothing herbs. 

 Four of these, I combine to make Preacher's Passion tea.
(equal parts of chamomile, passionflower, peppermint, and oat straw)

 I may rename it "Calming Mama" tea.
(smile)  

Sarah Reeves is reciting Psalm 139 in the background.

The hot brew ministers to my body.  Sarah Reeves speaks to my soul.

 Next, I smothered my skin in a recent gift of lavender lotion from my sweet friend,
Enola Gay, 

who made a basket  of natural products for my birthday.
Lavender is a calming herb.  I often put a few drops in my dishwater, just cuz'.

If I find myself overly emotional, I would treat myself to a dropper of Valerian;
a calming herb which, in tincture form, is effective instantly, Praise the Lord!
  

Lastly, if at all possible, (it is not today)
I will take a therapeutic walk in the great outdoors of Idaho. 

Sometimes my husband has to remind me that taking this time is of utmost importance. 

My tension effects everyone in the family,
dog included.
However, yelling at my self to "BE STILL MY SOUL!" is never really all that helpful.
That high strung horse has to be soothed and talked to in a still, small voice.
We mama's need quiet time.... and I know just where to find that voice.....

A little maintenance goes a long ways.

Thankfully,
I have had the time today to dress my

battle wounds an resume duty.
I may limp a bit yet,
but I have whole pot of that tea,
and many more psalms and prayer times to pepper my day with.

Humbly Yours,
Julianne

Life After The School of Honor

Life will never be the same for the 24 of us

 who gathered at Providence Lodge for Idaho's first School of Honor last weekend.  

It was a sacred time.

18 young men, ages 9 - 17, drank in the enthusiastic teaching of Logan Wilson. 

 Honor, chivalry, civility, and lessons from heroes of the past 

kept the students enthralled for three fast paced days of learning.

As fabulous as the material was, 

the real life model of Logan and his two impressive Interns 

meant just as much to the admiring boys, 

whom I think, would have followed them to the ends of the earth. 

 For Brian, Rose and I, 

words cannot express the emotions we feel, 

or the depth of gratitude for what the Lord has done, 

but longing for you to hear, 
I will do my best.

First and foremost,
if you ever have the opportunity to send a young man to the School of Honor, 

do it.  

What power there is when a young man speaks life and godliness to other young men!  

The manner in which Logan teaches his materials reaches into the depths of human emotion,

 and draws out from that
inspiration and motivation,
conviction,
and joy to pursue honor. 

 I saw it in their eyes, the 18 boys we hosted here.

On the lighter side,
I also saw with my own eyes, 

7 loaves of fresh baked bread disappear in one meal!  

...Nearly 30 lbs of chicken at another, and a daily ration of three gallons of milk per meal.

 I have a new appreciation for the Duggars.

 They were, in all honesty, very well behaved - 

and Brian and I enjoyed having 21 young men in our home.  

We enjoyed feeding them.  

We relished watching them rapt as Logan taught.

I have already heard from several parents

 that what their sons learned is being applied at home already, 

 a new course for living a more God honoring life charted out and implemented by the boys themselves.

 Our family was very blessed by these three godly young men.
 What a pleasure to have them in our home!

God is at work in this younger generation.
He surely has something very big in mind for them...
seeing the caliber of men and women He is raising up gives me much hope for the future.

Truly, It  has been a most amazing event!!

Tired, but  very blessed,
Julianne