Summer on the homestead

The past month, we have been spending a majority of our free time working on our beautiful piece of heaven....John brought over the farmall, so we could smooth up the lawn & dig up rocks & roots.  Jason and i picked rocks in, what seemed to be the hottest days of the year....thinking the rock picking would never end.  Well folks, we are about 2/3 done with our lawn, and it was all worth it.  We are hoping to get it all planted before snow flys....so we have some more work to do! 

Jas on the farmall

my farmer.

Our brook before Irene came to town

We sure do love our land

Charlie & I taking in the last rays of a summers day

spreading the seed!!!

covering with hay

Hay from Conde's farm

Hot and tired after a hard days work!

Mrs. Hummingbird comes to visit from time to time

Charlie trying to stay cool in the heat of the day

Fast forward- two weeks later:

Enjoying a carrot on the front LAWN!

its coming in nicely

Love my boy

Phase one looking very good!

Beauty

Even greener this morning. 

I am so grateful for my hard working, loving husband.  Although i have helped quite a bit, he is out there raking and picking rocks from sun up to sun down.  He doesn't stop.  He truly has a farmers mentality about him.  He favorite days are spent at home, working on the house, the land and truly enjoying it.  I have pryed him away a few days this summer, but let me tell you, it is hard!!! 

Sometimes i get upset that we don't go on vacation in the summer, which is understandable, but we have just begun our journey together and he knows the many, many dreams that lie within his wife.  What he doesn't know is that he has already given me the reality of some of my biggest dreams.  We said our vows and declared our love for eachother, i live in a log cabin that we built (which i still can't believe!), and being with him has brought me back to myself. 

I have another big dream, which is soon to come along :)  He is not quite ready to be a papa, and this is not something to take lightly, i know.  We will bring another life into this world, when mama and papa are both ready.   He really wants to get the whole house done and feel more settled before undertaking the responsiblities of a father.  I admire him for that.  Another thing i'm not sure he realizes (although i remind him when children come into our conversations) is what an amazing papa he will be. 

That i am certain of. 

 The reality of the story is, i married a full blown, honest to goodness farmer, and I love him to the moon & back as he does me.

My Lake

My birthday dinner & flowers

Beautiful

Fresh farm flowers from my husband

I told you he would think of something~ a picnic in the loft

<3

Blueberries with mama

Happiness

Charlie loves his grammie

The Lake

fresh

New

Used (twice)

My father gave me some good advice two weekends ago during our lunch date:  "Beth, find a way to have a vacation in a day.  Your weekends will be so full, that once the workweek comes, you will feel like you have taken a mini break from it all...." 

After hearing his words of wisdom, i realized that that is exactly what we do.  We pack so much into our weekends, to enjoy the summer weather, to work on our beautiful home and to really enjoy each other's company, that by the time Monday rolls around, and its "back to the salt mines for me" i can reminisce in the joy we had all weekend long. 

As a child, one of my favorite memories of summer was going to the lake with my mom, brothers and friends.  she would always pack picnic lunches with goodies, and we would always get one treat from the snack bar.  Mine, almost always was cotton candy.  I remember swimming until i was a prune and loving the water surrounding our days. 

When i was fresh out of high school i spent two summers on Indian Lake in the Adirondacks of New York.  Looking back on those summers, they seem magical to me.  Working from dawn to dusk, hiking, laying on the docks, tons of swimming, a little summer romance and just being outside all the time, yes it was indeed magical.  I think i really found myself during those two summers, but then was always swept away, back into the world of civilization, of college, of "who i am supposed to be as a college student"  I always seemed to loose myself in the people i surrounded myself with.  I lost the stillness of the nights, the quiet walks down the trails, just by myself, the silliness of a midnight dip in the cold, pure water, i lost the Lake.....

Now that i am somewhat grown i have the urge to return my summer days to the lake.  I am settled, i feel like i have finally found myself again, i am happy and peaceful with where i am in my life.  I have a home, a family and my future is nothing but full of endless possibilities.  I have found my lake.  During these days at work, when i feel like the week will never end, i go there.  I go to the place that i feel alive and still and vibrant.  I go with my husband and my dog to the Lake.

Right Now:

Right now I am:

~26 years young.

~Enjoying trying new recipes, like this carrot tomato soup, in my new kitchen with my new food processor, (while also enjoying how supportive my husband is when trying these recipes) 

~Loving the peaceful nights i have spent this week in my "sewing" room...finishing up our picnic / beach blanket

~Amazed by the talent and speed that my husband spread ALL of our topsoil out.  Truly amazing.

~Suprised that my first homemade skirt fits!  while also thinking of way to tweek the patern for furture addtions :)

~Smiling at how much love charlie has for his new teddy bear (and also how he barked at it when they first met)

~Feeling grateful for the afternoon showers we have had this week....to keep a bit of the dust down on all the topsoil.

~Looking forward to spending a day with my parents, material shopping and blueberry picking.  Perfect summer activities

~Hoping for sunshine this evening for a lakeside birthday picnic with my my husband.  If not, he has a back-up plan....because he knows how much his wife wants to use her new picnic blanket <3

~And that is another reason why i love him.