2019 Farmhouse Decor Roundup {Part 2}

Hi Friends! I hope your week is going well. Are you getting ready for Easter? We're looking forward to a family vacation later this week, and as always there's loads to do to get ready to leave. At last count we're up to 25 animals... and with that comes a lot of little instructions for when we're away. And then there's the packing... But I'm not complaining that we're heading to a sunny and warm destination! :) It's always worth the prep.

Today I'm rounding up more of the top posts from this year so far (in case you missed them). 

If you missed Part 1 you can find it here!

Processing Wool Into Yarn {A Little Dream Come True!}

Faith * Family * Farmstead* {Farmhouse Style} T-Shirts!

Hi Friends ~ I'm excited to announce that these super soft heather, vintage-style tees are now available here for a limited time! I've partnered with Joys of Threads who hand prints each shirt from silkscreen. The tees are stretched on a wooden frame and custom made to order. They run true to size with no shrinking.

Faith for a Farm...

Good morning Friends! I hope your Sunday is going well. I wanted to share some of the "Faith for a Farm" series of posts that have meant a lot to me. Thank you to my friends Carrie, Stacie and Meg - whose stories I have included.

Just click on the link beneath each picture. I hope you will be encouraged!

Faith for a Farm: Finding our Little Farmstead

Faith for a Farm: International Adoption



Faith for a Farm: Type 1 Diabetes {Caroline's Story}



Faith for a Farm: Meg's Story



Faith for a Farm: An Accident


Have a blessed day!

Xo

Faith For A Farm {Meg's Story}

I received an email, a few months ago, that I don't think I'll ever forget. It was from a dear lady, named Meg, who had a simple question about a pillow she'd seen in one of our pictures. We exchanged some emails, and through them, I learned a bit of her amazing story. With her permission, I'd like to share it with you...

In the first year of our search (for a farmhouse) our agent called us about a house that seemed to have all that we were looking for.  When she mentioned to the other agents in her office that she was going to show it to us, they asked her if her buyers were renovators because the place needed to be gutted and renovated.  We were willing to paint, paper, carpet, but we were not renovators, so the appointment was cancelled.

Three years later we were still looking. We had seen everything available on the market. We were only looking at new listings with our criteria as they came on the market.  One day our agent called letting us know about a house that was coming on the market that day and we ran over to look at it.  As we pulled in the drive, something clicked with our agent and she said, "Remember that house that you wanted to see three years ago that needed to be renovated?  I think this is that house!" And it was!!!

Faith for a Farm... Looking Up

How has your summer been going? Has it been everything you hoped for? Has it been difficult? Has it seemed to pass too quickly or felt like a long season?

This summer has been a very good one for our family. I am especially grateful since it began with a very painful breach of relationship, which we never saw coming.

As we wrestled with words spoken, trust broken and the realization that certain things would never be the same, I felt assurance from the Lord that He was with us and that His favor would continue to rest upon our family.

His favor upon us - imperfect and undeserving, but beloved - His children. 

He had family members and friends stand in where those we were separated from may have been involved in the past.

We probably miss His provision sometimes and chalk it up to coincidence, when it is really our Heavenly Father showing His love and meeting our needs in a tangible way.

"God is always doing 10,000 things in your life and you may be aware of three of them." - John Piper

As waves of sadness and resentment would come - and they still do at times - He has been faithful. Faithful to remind us to look up. To keep our eyes on Him. To seek His will. To yield to His timing. To see His goodness. To thank Him. And to trust Him.

He gives peace and joy in exchange for our heartache and heaviness. 

As the boys and I drove home the other night, we were excited to spot two hot air balloons above us. Shortly after we arrived home, they sailed right over our barn...

A visual reminder to keep looking up! 

Love and blessings to you, whatever you are facing today...

Xo

Psalm 121: 1-2

I lift my eyes to the mountains.

Where does my help come from?

My help comes from the LORD,

the maker of heaven and earth.

Sharing with:

Thoughts from Alice

Faith for a Farm... Grandpa Thomas

Yesterday we received a call. 

My husband's Grandfather had passed away shortly after breakfast.

My husband has always been close to his Grandpa. He remembers "hunting for nickels" with his Grandpa (where they'd drive along searching for cans that they'd recycle for five cents a piece) in his Grandpa's blue Ford pickup. They camped and fished together. He'd make pancakes on the open fire with huckleberries that they'd just picked. He always had good stories. He laughed a lot.

Grandpa Thomas sometimes lead worship at his church... he loved singing hymns.

Our three boys really adored their Great-Grandpa, and I loved him too. He was a big man with a big heart. He was very friendly and had a great sense of humor!  

Like us, he and his wife raised three boys! 

It was important to us that our children knew their Great-Grandpa, and they did. Last Thanksgiving, as we sat around the table sharing what we were thankful for... Grandpa Thomas looked, with tears in his eyes, across the table, pointed at our three sons and said, "I'm thankful for those three." 

I remember the way our boys (ages 11, 8 and 5) looked in that moment... wide-eyed and sensing the importance of what they were hearing. They were so loved by, and important to, their Great-Grandpa. He talked about family, loving Jesus, and what it means to be a Thomas. We shared this time with Aaron's parents, which meant there were four generations represented!

What a blessing for our boys and us to have this connection with prior generations and understand more of our family's roots.

The last time we visited Grandpa Thomas, he was living in an assisted living home. His health was declining and it was hard to see a man once so full of life, fading. Our son Noah (8 years old at the time), had been practicing on the piano for many weeks so that he would be ready to play for his Great-Grandpa. Noah played "Amazing Grace" while his Great-Grandpa tried his best to sing along. It was a very special time that we'll always treasure.

While we miss him being here with us, we take comfort in knowing that Grandpa Thomas is in heaven with the Lord and with his wife, whom he has missed so much...and we know we will see him again.

John 14:2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?

Revelation 21:4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.

Thank you for being here and sharing life with us.

Have a blessed Sunday!

xo

Faith for a Farm... Finding our Little Farmstead

It's hard to believe - - we have reached the one year anniversary of this blog! 

Thank you to each of you who have read, commented, encouraged and shared life with me in this little space. I have truly enjoyed the friendships here and the opportunity to share the joy of nesting, creating and celebrating life's special occasions with you, kindred spirits. 

I am excited to start a new series on Sundays, named after my very first post... 
'Faith for a Farm'. While most of the posts on Little Farmstead have to do with home decorating, DIY projects, parties and bits of pieces of our family life here on our mini farm, this new series will focus on our personal stories of faith. 

I hope they will be an encouragement to you!

Finding our Little Farmstead

For many years, my husband and I dreamed of a country home where our three boys could have some wide open spaces to play and explore. 

We hoped for a mini farm where we could learn together the joy and responsibilities of caring for some animals. We imagined a home with additional outdoor space that would be inviting for our extended family and friends.

My husband's one requirement was that our new home had a  place for a fire pit. Growing up camping, he knew that's where our boys would sit and talk with us - around a camp fire.

I think a big part of the dream was having more reasons to be at home together, as a family.

Over the years, we looked at many houses, but the doors always seemed to close due to possible job relocation, finances, timing, didn't quite feel right, etc. My sister and I would scour online listings and do many "drive-bys" of homes for sale, keeping the dream alive. Thank you, Jodi. ;)



During this time, I struggled because I knew I had so much to be thankful for and didn't want to be materialistic... yet the dream for a change in lifestyle for our family was so strong, I could almost taste it. 

The challenge was to continue to hope, dream and trust without becoming discouraged or discontent.

In addition to our prayers and the prayers of our family, we had a special group of friends who prayed with us about this dream. I remember one girls night out with three of my close friends. After enjoying dinner together, we sat in my friend's mini(van) and prayed together. We each asked the Lord for specific desires of our hearts. It was amazing to see each one of those four requests answered, including us moving into our little farmstead!

When we first were shown this home - with over two acres of mostly fenced, flat land, a charming country house, a barn and a chicken coop - we knew (okay, we hoped!) this was it. It was all that we had hoped for! And can I tell you how glad we were that none of those other places had worked out? It was truly worth the wait. We moved in the week before Thanksgiving one year ago. 

Though I know happiness is not a place, we are so grateful and happy to be here. We thank the Lord for answering our prayers and bringing our family here... for however long He sees fit. 

Please know I am not equating a house with many more urgent situations. I know there are people struggling in relationships, with health issues and with financial needs. 

I share our story of finding our home in hopes of encouraging you to offer your dreams to the Lord in prayer, knowing He is always good. And that He cares deeply for you. Perhaps what you dream of is a desire He has planted in your heart for a reason...

 "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." James 1:17


Have a blessed Sunday!

xo


Sharing with:
Dwellings - The Heart of Your Home
Coastal Charm

A Chicken Miracle!

"Mom! I think something's in the coop! I hear a lot of noise!" 

It was the battle cry young boys live to hear. I dashed for my shoes as my three sons grabbed all manner of weapons (foam swords, shields, air soft guns and the like).

We raced to the chicken coop...

We were so sad to see only the feathers of our dear hen, Charlotte. 

She had been at the top of the pecking order (not counting the rooster). 

We always said she was a fighter, a survivor.

And then, I broke the cardinal rule of {mini} farming. 

I cried. In front of my kids. About a chicken.

In my defense, I was sick with a fever. But still. I was disappointed we had lost yet another chicken. We had plans to make the area more predator-proof this spring. 

With my own eyes, I've seen a bobcat and coyote on our property this first year at our little farmstead. We also hear owls. So, we have an idea of what's around. There was a time when all this wildlife would have really scared me. But this is home and we love it. We feel safe and we are learning.

Feeling defeated, my little homesteaders and I headed back inside.

Later that night, my husband called me to the front door. 

The sweetest surprise awaited!

Charlotte!

Turns out she is a fighter and a survivor. She'd found her way home - and 

to the front door no less! We've never been so happy to see a chicken. :)

And that was our little chicken miracle.

Thank you for stopping by today. I'm wishing you a faith-filled, 

miraculous day for both the little and big things in your life...

xo

Sharing with:

French Country Cottage
The Charm of Home
Dwellings - The Heart of Your Home
Cedar Hill Farmhouse
Savvy Southern Style