hello, Monday.

hello, growing garden and fresh cut flowers.

hello, hours of outside fun.

hello, pregnant naps in the sunshine.

hello, week 23 (this one is flying by!)

hello, super heroes and new bike helmets.

hello, rain drops forecasted, but sun peeking through.

hello, fresh fish for dinner (caught by my manly man).

hello, 4.5 foot snake skin found in my garage—-eek, i couldn’t sleep for a few nights.

hello, strawberry picking prospects.

hello, new weekly playgroup.

hello, my newly MBA graduated husband (i couldn’t be prouder of all of his hard work for us)!

hello, life….. you sure are a beautiful one!

linking up with Lisa Leonard for “Hello, Monday”

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growing up, i lived on a 40 acre farm with lots of barns, hay mounds, and fields to explore.  there were many times that my sisters and i were running around for hours with little to no supervision (that we knew of) and had plenty of time to make new inventions (ahem, hay mound swing made from 100 year old pulleys), climb trees, and get lost in fields of thistle flowers.

my dad was the cautious one and my mom encouraged lots of “dangerous” adventure.  even with all of the potential for danger, my two sisters and i never had any broken bones or major injuries (unless you count the time i fell on a ladder hook and had two stitches in my gluteous maximus).

all this to say, i’m so grateful that we live on a plot of land that can daily encourage my own kids to explore and imagine and create their own adventures.  sometimes that includes earthworms (or “snails” as they call them) on tonka trucks and sometimes that includes snow white digging up rocks, but those dirty fingernails and happy faces are small encouragements to me that they are being kids—kids that are doing what kids do.

and don’t get me wrong, it goes completely against my type A personality to let them get grubby and run barefoot and bring squirmy, squishy bugs close to my face, but i’m really working on letting that little stuff go and hoping that when they look back at their childhood, they will remember that mom let them be kids who were free to explore and play without perfection.  (i still don’t want them playing in the tall grass for fear of snakes and ticks, though!…..baby steps).

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……..baby!  and healthy and happy in there at 21 weeks!

we took the kids to the ultrasound and they were so darling, especially Brother, who stayed by my side, holding my hand, and whispering, “you ok, mama?” for most of the time.

when we got the news……

Sister was ecstatic and her exact words were, “I told you!” (in such a matter-of-fact way).  she’s been convinced it was a girl and had talked about her baby sister since the day we told her the news.

Brother was playing games on the iphone by that time, but when asked what he hoped it was, he just said, “baby!”

this picture sums up what he’s going to have to deal with his entire life .

get ready, Bro!

we couldn’t be happier and i can’t wait to hold her in my arms~!  thanks for all the well wishes and prayers coming our way.

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we enjoyed a fun-filled weekend with my little sister and her husband.  they drove the 10 hours from IN and spent a few days with us.  while here, we took them into the city (Washington, DC) and had such a great time.  the weather was a perfect 68 degrees and sunny!  it was such a sweet time with them and i love to see how happy they make my kids when they are around, too.  thanks for visiting, sis!

Museum of Natural History (such a hit with the kids!)

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it’s been raining for three days straight, but despite the fact that we are locked inside the house, i’ve been overwhelmingly aware of how the Lord is renewing and refreshing the earth during this wet spell.  perhaps, it is just much more noticeable when you are surrounded by forest, but i’ve never really appreciated the vibrant greens and pinks that Virginia springs bring until this year.

the earth is so dark and rich and full of nutrients.  it is quenched and bursting forth with life and beauty—–knowing full well that there will be a season in the near future that is hot and dry and then it will begging for relief.

for now, though, it soaks up the rain and glorifies its Maker.  to Him be the glory.

“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.”  Isaiah 40:8 ESV

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we are part of a small group through our church that meets every saturday night after church and shares dinner together and a time of bible study.  everyone pitches in to help with the meal and i’ve been so impressed with the amazing spread of food every week.  below, i put together some of the meal ideas we’ve tried and also some new ideas.  if you need to feed a large crowd, potluck-style, they might help you too!

my pinterest board can be found HERE.

1.  Tacos (crockpot browned hamburger, or shredded chicken are great options that can stay warm while you’re at church)

2.  Cold-cut sandwiches with all the fixins’

3.  KFC & sides

4.  Build-Your-Own-Salad bar

5.  Haystacks (this is a fun meal i grew up with as a kid.  it involves piling your plate high with rice, taco beef, lettuce, tomatoes, veggies, cheese, crumpled doritos (my fav part), gaucamole, sour cream, beans, etc.  it is almost like a large taco salad, and really yummy.)

6.  BBQ ribs, pork, etc.

7.  Hamburgers/hotdogs

8.  Pulled Pork (Crockpot) Sandwiches

9.  Spaghetti

10.  Chili

11.  Walking Tacos (take the individual sides of fritos and put in taco meat and toppings and mix together in the bag.)

12.  Sloppy Joes

13.  Baked Potato Bar with chili and all the fixings

14.  Homemade pizzas

15.  Baked Ham with sides

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sometimes a man just needs to come home from a rough day at work and…

eat a pork chop,

drink a craft beer,

light a fire,

and listen to the game under the sunset.

tonight is one of those nights.

thank you, Lord, for your provision and peace in the midst of chaos.

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oh, such a fun day picking beautiful tulips!  jon’s aunt was visiting from california, and we had a blast amongst the blooming beauties.  we took TONS of tulips home with us and shared them with my inlaws and neighbors.  the two huge bouquets in my house are making me so so happy!

for local friends, this awesome tulip farm is in the middle Haymarket on 15.  it’s open until this weekend only!

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we live in the middle of the woods and there is much wildlife including deer, rabbits, and squirrels.  but, one of the main things i was looking forward to about living in the country was to be able to have my own garden.  so, i’m determined to try some methods for protecting my itty bitty plants from complete disaster.

here’s what we did with our raised garden bed.

1.  it is 6ft by 6ft and i used two 10 ft 1/2 inch pvc pipes for the main structure.  i simple attached the two pipes together with zip ties.

2.  while in the plumbing/pvc area of Home Depot, i found these little gadgets (no idea what they are called) but they have a long screw inside the bell part that was perfect for screwing into the raised bed and then you can tighten or loosen the other two screws to fit your pipe.  for the 1/2 pvc pipes, i used the 1 inch bell gadgets (see photo).  the pipes can slip in and out so that i can remove the whole netting system whenever i need to weed or fertilize, etc.  i did put them slightly titled to better fit the piping and on all four corners of the bed.

3.  we used 36 in. x 15 ft hardware cloth fencing found in the garden center or home depot or lowes.  we used two rolls and attached the fencing to the pvc pipes and to each other using zip ties again.

4.  for added protection, i am also using this animal repellant spray.

the net actually came in really handy last night as we had a frost advisory and we were able to throw some old sheets over the structure for protection!

it’s not perfect, but i’m hoping it will do its job.  let me know if you try this system and how it works at keeping the animals out of your garden this summer.

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this isn’t your regular “guest post” and it is truly worth your time to take a minute and read what my dear friend, amanda, has to share with you today.  my heart breaks for her struggles, but i see God being glorified through her difficult situation and heartache and she and her husband are a serious encouragement to me.

love her!

…………………………………………………………

Hi there, have we met before? If not let me introduce myself:

I am a country-living, ice tea drinking, good book reading, farming, ranching, Jesus-loving, curly-headed wife of a seminary professor. He’s a teacher, I’m a writer. He’s a thinker, I’m a creative. Together we make our home on a small farm in Texas.

I’m so thankful that Andi is allowing me to share my heart with you today. Andi and I have been online friends for a couple of years now, and last October I had the distinct pleasure of meeting her at the Influence Conference in Indianapolis. I have so much admiration for Andi, and consider her a kindred spirit.

Andi is allowing me to be here today for a very specific purpose: to help spread the word about infertility. April 21-27 is National Infertility Awareness Week, and as a woman who is currently battling infertility, I am passionate about spreading awareness about infertility.

A few facts:

• Each year approximately 1 in 6 couples in the United States are diagnosed with some level of infertility.
• “Infertility” is defined as the inability to conceive after one year of unprotected, well-timed intercourse for women under the age of 35. Women 35 and older may be diagnosed after 6 months of unprotected, well-timed intercourse.
• 30% of infertility is the result of an ovulatatory disfunction (i.e. there is a problem with the woman’s ovulation cycle).
• 30% of infertility is the result of a problem with the man (i.e. sperm structure or pruduction).
• Many women who face infertility describe their situation as “lonely,” “isolating,” and “painful.”
• There is a large spectrum of treatments for infertility, with varying degerees of invasiveness and cost.

My story:

• My husband and I have been trying to conceive (often abbreviated TTC) for almost 4 years.
• We were officially diagnosed with “unexplained infertility” in February 2012 (the same month our foster boys were removed from our home).
• We have tried various therapies and treatments, from “alternative” therapies to traditional western medical treatments.
• We’ve experienced the pain and frustration of two failed IUIs.
• Until last November my husband and I kept our struggle to ourselves. We were completely unwilling to share our story, and to some extent we were unwilling to accept our diagnosis.

National Infertility Awareness Week:

This week on my blog, A Royal Daughter, I will be sharing and dedicating the entire week to spreading awareness about infertility, offering encouragement for those battling infertility, and providing resources for friends and family of those facing infertility. Topics will include:

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