Looking back and looking forward...

Our progress toward building our Art Barn house and studios is slow, but still beautiful, fun and fruitful. I am happy to enjoy our land as it is and build whenever we can. There is no hurry. Life is in the living - experiencing it slowly has it's benefits. Looking back, here are some of my favorite Art Farm photos. Looking forward, I know God will do many wonderful things and I am thankful for my little piece of earth.


This is before we started clearing the building spot - deeper into the woods.

Here's Big Red.
Here's Big Yellow - Lonnie's back hoe. Robbie, Noel and Isaac all learned to drive it.
Isaac resting.
Now this was real progress.
And this was real fun.
Lots of camp outs. When the house is built I know we will miss the camping, so we enjoy each season as it comes.
I love this picture!
Isaac having fun.

Isaac, Sophia, Anna and Noel.
Anna and an axe.
Noel and an axe.
Shaughn helping with one of our many huge bon fires.
Our camp site.
After we've cleared some of the land.
A spring view from Bobby's pond.
A beautiful spring pond.
A gorgeous autumn view from Bobby's house, down the driveway.
Camping in winter.
Camping in summer.
Good friends.
Fun on the paddle boat.
Fun with friends.
Sisters.
Sophia Hua Kai
My kids.
Sophia walking up the drive.
Sophia walking down the drive.
Best friends.
Robin
Robbie and Anna in the dune buggy.

Bobby's horses are home at the farm. Happy day!

Bobby and his horses. (Check out the new barn doors on Bobby's building. I love barn doors.)

Giving Thanks in late Autumn...

I am thankful for sunshine on a cold day, beautiful children running in an open field, horses prancing on a hilltop, my little cowgirl who dressed herself in mix-matched clothes and a red cowgirl hat, friendships that last a life-time, and our own little piece of God's amazing earth.

Isaac, Sophie, Michaela, Anna, Moriah, Joey and one of Becky's horses
Horses on Becky's farm
My cowgirl
Petting Prince - Sophie's favorite miniature horse
Mix-matched cowgirl
Cold cowgirl
Becky's farm... and the Art Farm are four miles apart...
Later the same day... the Art Farm driveway and Sophia!
Sittin' on Uncle Bobby's hay stack
Best friends
Views of our pond late Autumn


Joey, Anna, Isaac
Moriah holding Sophia
Anna on Uncle Bobby's hay stack
Charlie's Angels

Dune Buggy Baby!

Seeking a little adventure on our land in Henry county we researched off-road vehicles, (looking for something safer than four-wheelers), and we chose a Talon dune buggy with four point harness straps and roll bars. We put the machine on lay-away last autumn hoping to get it out for the kids for Christmas 2007. It took us a bit longer to pay it off than anticipated, (like a year!), and we finally got it out this past Friday on Isaac's 14th birthday. It was a big surprise for him. (p.s. Thank God for roll bars! Isaac rolled the dune buggy on the first day. Suffice it to say that I wasn't too happy about it.)

Robbie and Anna - woo hoo!This is fun...Shaughn and his new wife, Renee...Lily Anna and her best friend Michaela - yes, they actually drove this bad buggy... check out the video below.Robbie and Isaac...
This is Isaac's injury after he rolled the dune buggy with his friend Jordan in the passenger's seat. With the dune buggy sitting on it's roll bars and the boys hanging upside down from the shoulder straps Isaac said the conversation went something like this, "Hey man, you o.k.? Yep. What about you? O.k? Yep. O.k."

Friends at the farm...
Silly girls...
Sophie driving... slowly!
Uncle Bobby and the kids...
Now this is my dainty little girl - ever so feminine - not!


Lily Anna and Michaela had to stay in the clearing driving a figure eight, but they had fun...