Every few weeks or so I
head into town to the local Sam's Club. With five children encircling
two full shopping carts, it is expected for us to hear multiple:
“Well, You've sure
got your hands full!”
This
is a constant refrain whenever our family appears in public, at any
venue. And, no matter who the people are behind this observation,
they are quite correct. Our hands, our hearts, and our days are very
full. And we are grateful, for they are full of:
Music
Our
life is enriched with music in many ways, and we are so blessed to
hear our children begin to fill the house with their own joyful
melodies. After taking informal cello lessons at home for several
months, Margaret began taking official lessons this past summer, and
has flourished. Margaret, William & Amelia continue to take piano
lessons from me, and this Advent we are enjoying having live
Christmas music. William recently received a guitar for his birthday
and has begun picking up a few basics. The children love
their music classes at Ozarks Academy and will all (except Hattie) be
singing in the musical Christmas program at church this year. It is a
blessing for our children to be getting old enough to join in with
our familial round singing sessions as well. Clay and I continue to
haunt various venues where people, for reasons unknown, allow us to
jam on fiddle & drum. Most notably the local farmers' market.
When my siblings join the ranks things get kicked up to another
level. Whether we're playing for dances, heritage festivals & or
posing for our CD cover.... the Deylight Country Orchestra knows how
to have a good time.
Learning
Ozarks Academy provides a great once-a-week opportunity
for Margaret and William to have a blast with their fun teachers and
good friends. History parties and science experiments, art projects,
latin, music and more have been part of a wonderful experience. The
rest of the time we are homeschooling, and I am so thankful for the
chance to watch them stretch and grow. Our house is filled with
books, craft projects, music, crayons and strewn papers, and I love
it. William has turned the corner in reading this year and one of our
chief delights is listening to him slowly, persistently sound out
words every evening as he reads out loud with his book-light in bed.
Amelia has begun the reading process and is already well on her way.
Susannah absorbs everything, plays happily during school time, and
repeats whatever poems, songs, or letter sounds that catch her
fancy. Hattie has recently discovered the joy of learning to walk –
with rapture on her face but still with one hand firmly clasping a
support.
Animalia
From our bizarre guinea flock roosting in the old silo,
to our ancient pet starling, Arlo, who still fills the house with his
endearing muttered phrases and fake coughs, to our herd of horses...
we are officially crazy animal people. We try to claim that we are
farmers and that our animals, for the most part, have a purpose or
role on the ranch. Yet somehow that doesn't quite cover the pet goose
out in the chicken coop or the large lazy tabby cat that snores on
our bed.
Our summer was filled with horse activities as I gave
our children riding lessons and continued to train Samson, our draft
pony – most notably to haul a firewood sled. (And to bow, another
vital horse farming skill.) We also purchased Dan the Man – an
older Haflinger cross, to help us get started in harness horses. Clay
and I have got the horse farming bug and have started drooling over
every bit of harness & wagon & draft horse we see for sale.
Meanwhile, patient Dan is giving us some experience and wonderful fun
family memories as we drive him around the farm.
Hard Work
After
several great years working with Terracon, Clay obtained a position
as Environmental Analyst with City Utilities. We are thankful for
this new opportunity. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, days are full of
chopping & hauling firewood, milking, fixing fence, gardening,
planting trees and all the other unending list of chores that come
along with country living. It is a labor of love for us, though. And
our children are already happily & helpfully chipping in with
animal care and gardening-- when they're not out swinging at their
playground, making mud pies or climbing trees. Wouldn't want life any
other way!
Play
Hard work is no good without little seasons of rest in
between. Traveling to San Antonio (for business, but with some fun
mixed in), visiting with family & friends, little hiking trips,
and, of course, some horse play, are just a few of the ways we
decompress. Our church family at Christ the King provides wonderful
fellowship & a time of rest for us every Sunday, and we are
continually thankful to the Lord for rooting us in that community.
Many blessings from our home to yours this Advent
Season.
May your Christmas be bright and your New Year full of joy!
With much love – Clay & Elissa, Margaret (8),
William (6) Amelia (4.5), Susannah (3), Harriet (1)
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