Photo Shoot

A couple of weeks ago, Kristina (our family photographer), decided to start taking some pictures of Kaitlyn for her graduation pictures. I think they turned out exceptional! I may be a little biased, but, it's true! The photographer did an excellent job, and the model is simply beautiful :o)

A day at the fair

Yesterday the girls and I went to the fair. A couple of families we know and love were singing there, so we went and listened. We ended up spending the whole day there! It was sooooooo hot and muggy. The heat index was 102!! Even though we were hot and sticky, we had a great time with our friends. I didn't get any pictures because I didn't want to carry our camera around all day in the heat. Michael met us there after he got off from work. We ended up have to leave an hour later because a tornado and severe thunderstorms were headed straight for us. Thankfully, we made it home safe and sound.

Next week, the girls will be singing at our county fair. I hope they place so they get a little money to save up for the new instruments they want. I will definitely take pictures when they are singing :o)

Bridal Shower

Yesterday was Kelli's bridal shower. It went really well. We had a Kentucky Derby style tea party with dresses and BIG hats :o) The girls and I made homemade raspberry white chocolate and cranberry orange scones. Boy were they YUMMY!! We also had fresh fruit, a variety of cheeses & crackers, fruit tarts, truffles, a varierty of teas and lemonade. Kelli sure got a lot of wonderful gifts. As of today, it's only *39* more days until her wedding! My baby is all grown up. I am so happy for her though.

"You're Missing Out"

How do you know that you want to train to keep a home if you’ve never tried to do anything else?
It seems a logical question to ask in our relativistic culture -why make one choice before you’ve tried out all of the others? By not going to college, aren’t you narrowing your options -by choosing to go one direction, aren’t you forsaking other options?

Well, yes.

But isn’t that the nature of making choices?

When I chose to stay at home instead of going to college… I chose to forsake certain life experiences. I didn’t move out at eighteen, nor am I planning to move out at twenty-one. I didn’t move cross-country to experience life apart from my family. I chose not to see myself solely as an individual, but, instead, to embrace my identity within the context of my family (and within the broader context of the body of believers), and that choice did narrow my horizons professionally… considerably.

When I chose courtship instead of dating… I chose not to invest time in every young man who manifests a mutual attraction. I didn’t go on my first date, didn’t have my first kiss after a breathless first date. I chose not to bring my boyfriend home from college and introduce him to Mom and Dad after I’d already made up my mind about him.

In fact, I chose to make all of my major life-decisions in conjunction with my parents -I don’t just forge ahead without consulting them on the big things (so I might buy that pair of shoes, but I didn’t start an English class without consulting them first).

I “missed out” on those things.

But sometimes, I think of other things I may have missed out on had I made different choices.

I think about how I would have been away from my family, at least during the four years when my little brothers -now six, three, two, and one -were growing and changing so much. I would have missed out on the special moments that I share with them.

And I think about how I might have missed out on the daily lessons I have been able to learn from my family -on being consistently discipled by my mother and to be challenged by my father. I would have missed out on being part of our church’s tight-knit covenant community.

I might have missed out on giving my very first kiss to the man I’m going to spend the rest of my life with (although I’m still not sold on having it in front of everyone at the altar! ). And I may have missed out on experiencing so many “firsts” with him, and on going into a marriage, Lord willing, transferring from one fruitful family environment and beginning another. Whoever that future husband may be, I’m looking forward to embarking on that journey with him.

I missed out on punching the clock in my first job. And I missed out on that big promotion that may have made my day. I missed out on spending my days at a college university.

And, perhaps, in an alternate universe, I may have missed out on teaching my brother Asher how to read. I may have missed out on getting to know my mother better these days than I’ve ever gotten to know her before, and appreciating things about her that I may never have noticed without the time I’ve been able to spend with her. I may have missed out on finding my place in this home and loving and learning within the context of my family -

My beautiful family!

We’re always making choices -we can’t possibly have it all, despite what the culture has told us. Stay-at-home daughters miss out on being college gals. College gals miss out on being stay-at-home daughters. And I could have chosen differently than I did… but I didn’t. And the further I travel along this path, the more I’m loving the choice I made.

By God’s grace, although I don’t have it all, I have enough. I have everything I need and most of what I desire (though I know Prince Charming won’t make my life perfect, he’ll be a welcome addition whenever he does get here -you understand ).

I was not afraid to make choices, and you shouldn’t be either. Embrace the calling that the Lord has put on your life fearlessly, in spite of what you’ve been told you’re “giving up.” Because, when it all comes down to it -in my humble opinion -you’re giving up those other things for something infinitely more precious.

And that’s a treasure that we truly don’t want to miss.
Jasmine

About The Author

Jasmine is the oldest of Voddie and Bridget Baucham’s six children. She is a homeschool graduate who enjoys studying and writing about areas as varied as theology, philosophy, political science, art, film and culture. She is also an aspiring author who currently lives at home where she continues to assist her father in his research, is completing a degree in English literature, writing a book based on her blog, Joyfully at Home, and is blessed to assist her mother with the care of her younger siblings.

Birthday Boy

Yesterday, my dear husband turned 43! I am so thankful the Lord bleesed our family with him. He is a wonderful godly man, a loving husband and father, and a great provider. We showered him with a few things he's been asking for, ie; a weather radio, and a brad nailer/staple gun. I made him a special dinner consisting of a new recipe of Parmesan Pepper Crusted Walleye w/garlic sauce. It was a BIG hit and he told me I could make it for him anytime! We also had porterhouse steak, fried potatoes with onions and red peppers. The girls made him *Crunchy Carmel Apple Pie* for his birthday *cake*. It was served warm w/ice cream. He looks pretty happy, don't you think? HAPPY BIRTHDAY MICHAEL. I hope you know how much we love and appreciate you!!!!

Humidity.......UGH!!!!

The last several days have been horribly humid! Since we don't have central air, there is NO WAY we can sleep upstairs. It is so hot up there, you can barely breathe. We do have a wall unit air conditioner on the main floor in the dining room, thankfully! So, every night, the girls drag their pillows and mattresses down to the dining room to sleep. I get the couch and Michael has been sleeping on the futon mattress next to me in the living room. We are hoping and PRAYING for some cooler weather to come soon!

New Appliances

A couple of weeks ago I found a wonderful *new to us* refrigerator on Craigs List. I have always wanted a refrigerator with the freezer on the bottom, but they were pricey, like $1,400.00!! So, being the thrifty wife that I am, I was on the internet searching for a good deal and found it! It was only 4 years old and in perfect condition. It now sits in my kitchen and I am loving all the space inside of it.

Last Thursday, the motor went out in our washing machine! It couldn't happen after the load was finished, oh, no, it had to happen when it was full of water!! I looked on Criags List again, hoping to find something reasonably priced and in good condition. Michael was a little leary of purchasing this without being able to *try it out* first, so we bought new. As of Friday, we are the proud owners of a brand new washer & dryer! Aren't they beautiful? They hum like a dream and I am a VERY happy housewife who loves doing laundry in her new machines :o)

Busy Days

I forgot to write about our exciting news. On July 15th, Michael was offered a new job. He started today. He loved the 5 mile drive, as opposed to the 63 miles, one way!! He said he really enjoyed his day. No more sitting behind a desk. He said he must have walked 20 miles, which he greatly enjoyed. He is the Director of Enviornmental Services for three nursing homes here in our town. He is a supervisor over 11 other employees. He'll be the head of all the maintence done there. He loves this type of work, as it is always something new and challenging. He also loves visiting with the elderly people who live there as well. I am so thankful the Lord provided him with this job. It's a lot more pay, better work enviornment, a Christian company, and best of all, CLOSE TO HOME!!

Speaking of home, lately, it seems I have been running here and there, rather than staying at home taking care of the many things that need my attention. Especially now with Kelli's wedding quickly approaching, I am gone more than ever. LOTS of shopping and LOTS of driving! But, I know this is only for a season, so I am enjoying it all, and making memories with my family along the way.

Today, we had my dress fitting, and the girls and I got our hair cut. That was a 2 1/2 hour round trip! We also met with the girls new piano and voice teacher. What a wonderful lady. The girls are really excited about starting lessons with her. She's very experienced, doesn't charge a lot, and is only 6 miles from us! YAY :o)

Tuesday we are off for another trip to St. Cloud to have my hair colored, pick up some more things for the wedding and then back home again. Four hour round trip!

Wednesday is another long day of driving. This time it's to my parents home to help them with some personal things and some house cleaning. They always take the girls and I out for lunch, which is always nice. Four hour round trip!

Thursday, I'm taking my best friend, Anna, out to breakfast to celebrate her birthday. Short trip.......40 minutes one way :o) I always enjoy time with my favorite girlfriend. She is more like a sister to me than a friend. Then, later in the evening, we take one of the dogs to obedience class. That's a three hour round trip!!

Friday.......I AM STAYING HOME!!!!! I have laundry to do, a garden to weed, and pick produce from, and then a house to clean from top to bottom.

Saturday, we are also staying home. There are many projects to be worked on here. We are hoping to get several of them *crossed off our list*

Sunday, is church, and then a nice relaxing day at home with my family. I love the times when we are out and about, but I really treasure the quiet times at home with my husband and my girls.

Was the P~31 Woman a Career Gal?

For many months now, I have been struggling with Christians believing it is okay to send their daughters off to college, to let them go off to the workforce, and to let them go on extended missions trips, all without their fathers protection. Is this biblical? I don't believe so. I don't believe that is what the Word of God says. What are your thoughts on being a *Keeper at Home*?

I have attached an artical below written by Pastor Voddie Baucham. I think he sums it up quite well. Visit Dr. Bauchams website, http://web.me.com/voddieb/vbm/home.html
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Recently I have heard the Proverbs 31 reference over and over in support of “women pursuing careers” in politics, or otherwise. Let me say that I have never argued that a woman cannot or should not work (though this is precisely what evangelicals in the blogosphere and on the airwaves have accused me of). In fact, I am on record (see: Family Driven Faith, and my previous post) on the subject and I have been unambiguous. Ironically, my daughter, Jasmine works for me! She is my research assistant, and she runs our online store (the store is down right now as we outsource order fulfillment). How, then, do some accuse me of arguing that a woman cannot work?

While I would never argue that a woman cannot work, I have argued that a woman is required to be a “keeper at home” (Titus 2:5; cafe. 1 Timothy 5:14), and that as such, she must prioritize her home and any ‘work’ she does must not be allowed to interfere with her primary calling as wife and mother. Hence, the farmer’s wife who helps with the harvest, the baker’s wife who works by his side, or the accountant’s wife who works as his receptionist in his home business are all in a different category than the so-called ‘career gal’ (not my term) who spends her life as a “helper fit” (Genesis 2:18) for another man (or a corporation) instead of her husband. Alistair Begg has said it well:

Ladies, [motherhood] is a full-time job. Do not kid yourself that you can be a dental receptionist and a mother; that you can be a typist and a mom; that you can be a Vice President and a mom. One of the two things will win. Now look at your Bible and ask what you have to do. (Alistair Begg, “Biblical Principles for Parenting.” Truth for Life podcast)

Let me say (as Begg did) that I am not so ‘thick’ as to be completely unaware of the fact that there are many women (like my mother) who find themselves abandoned by sinful, self centered, immature, and/or irresponsible men (both the father of their children and their own fathers), and thus literally have no choice but to work and provide for their children. Nor do I fault women whose husbands have been disabled for one reason or another for having to become breadwinners. I am talking about our willful cultural acceptance of a view that sees women as a mere means of production. I’m talking about the idea set forth in the Marxist worldview that sees taking women out of the household as a twofold accomplishment. 1) It doubled the productivity of the collective, and 2) it placed children under the authority of the state (via government schools and daycare), which for the Marxist, is god incarnate.

The push-back from conservative evangelicals has come in the form of references to the Proverbs 31 woman. This woman, according to many, is the prototype of the modern ‘career gal.’ I beg to differ. In fact, I would argue that there is absolutely no clear evidence in Proverbs 31 of a career of any kind. Moreover, I wonder if those using verses 16, and 18 to argue for the appropriateness of a woman having a “career” would also take the rest of these verses as seriously.

Proverbs 31:10
10 An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels.
11 The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain.
12 She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life.
13 She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands.
14 She is like the ships of the merchant; she brings her food from afar.
15 She rises while it is yet night and provides food for her household and portions for her maidens.
16 She considers a field and buys it; with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.
17 She dresses herself with strength and makes her arms strong.
18 She perceives that her merchandise is profitable. Her lamp does not go out at night.
19 She puts her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle.
20 She opens her hand to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy.
21 She is not afraid of snow for her household, for all her household are clothed in scarlet.
22 She makes bed coverings for herself; her clothing is fine linen and purple.
23 Her husband is known in the gates when he sits among the elders of the land.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them; she delivers sashes to the merchant.
25 Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come.
26 She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
27 She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her:
29 “Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.”
30 Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
31 Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates.

The Proverbs 31 woman was certainly entrepreneurial. She also brought income into the home and made it more productive. However, there is nothing in this passage that even hints at a career. She didn’t punch a clock. She didn’t have a nanny. In fact, the cultural context renders such a reading implausible. Old Testament Israel was not a culture in which ‘career women’ flourished. But what about the other truths in this passage that were the norm for women in Old Testament Israel? Why is it that we use this passage to push for women having outside careers, but we don’t push for women:

Getting up before the sun to cook for their family (15)
Growing their own food (16)
Making their own bed coverings (22)
Making their husband known among the elders of the land (23)
Making their own clothes (and those of their family) (24)
Making and selling garments (24)
Looking after her household (27)

These things are clear in the text. The ‘career woman’ argument is an absolute stretch. Especially when we recognize the irrefutable hermeneutical principal that Scripture interprets Scripture. Thus, we cannot use Proverbs 31 to negate Titus 2. Whatever the Proverbs 31 woman teaches us, she cannot teach that which would contradict the direct command for women to be “keepers (or workers) at home.” (Tutus 2:5, cf. 1 Timothy 5:14)

Here come the veggies!

Our garden has been doing extraordinary!! We've had several pickings of green beans, peas, lettuce, zucchini, and cucumbers. Everything tastes so wonderful and FRESH. Our tomato plants are taller than me!! This week the girls and I will be making regrigerator and dill pickles.

A special surprise!

Yesterday, I had invited the young ladies from our church to a surprise brunch to help celebrate Kristina's birthday. She had no clue anyone was coming. It was so fun to see her reaction when the girls pulled up to the house. Fun was had by all! Thanks girls for making it so special for Kristina :o)

Happy Birthday my sweet baby girl. I love you!!

Per Kristina's request, we went to Red Lobster for dinner......YUM!!

Here is Kristina with her Daddy and her new Hope Chest. It was made by his own loving hands!



Lots of updates

Hi! Sorry I haven't been very faithful at keeping this blog updated very well. It's been a busy couple of months around here.

We still have 2 males puppies left to sell from our litter that was born on March 18th. I have to tell you, these two guys are gorgeous!! They are by far the best looking puppies we have ever had. They have big blocky heads, broad chests, and great conformation. I honestly can't believe they are still here. They will be 12 weeks old on Thursday. We have one puppy from another litter that we have decided to keep. We've named her Meadow. She is snow white and beautiful. One day, she is going to produce some beautiful puppies.

Speaking of animals, we have decided to add to our critters here on the farm. Last Saturday we got two kittens from some friends. The girls named them Dawson & Patches. They are brother & sister.

The garden is growing well. I can't wait to be able to start eating some of the produce from it. Nothing is better than garden fresh veggies.

Next week, Kristina will be *SWEET 16*!!! Grandma Becker is coming up from Iowa to stay with us for 5 days. That's always a lot of fun. Kelli will also be coming home next Wednesday. She is going to spend the night and then help us celebrate Kristina's big day on Thursday. We're taking her out to dinner at Red Lobster (her choice). She is really excited because when the girls turn 16, Daddy makes them a Hope Chest. She already has lots of things to put inside it :o)

Well, I guess that's my update for now. I'll try and be more consistant on the writing. Until next time........Be Blessed!

Garden 2010

This past Saturday the rain finally dried up and we had warm temps along with sunshine, so we planted our garden. This year we planted red peppers, jalepeno peppers, green onions, peas, green beans, two kinds of lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, carrots, zucchini, asparagus, cucumbers, squash, sweet corn, cilantro, dill, and watermelon. I can't wait to taste farm fresh veggies!! We are going to be pretty busy come harvest time, but we are really looking forward to it.

Pictures.......better late than never!

Office Our Room

Kristina's RoomKaitlyn's Room

Sun Room

Living Room

Dining Room

Kitchen

My last post was already a week ago and I said I was going to post some pictures. However, I obviously forgot, SORRY! Time has been flying by and before I know it, another week has come and gone. So, with that, I will leave you with some updated pictures of our house and the property.

Long awaited update

It seems like forever since I've been on here to post anything. Gone are the days of boredom, that's for sure! Every day finds new things to do in our new home. We have been enjoying finding just the right spot to hang our pictures, place our furniture, and make it our home. Every night this week we find ourselves sitting around the wood stove with a nice cozy fire burning and good conversation. Later today I will post some pictures of how things are looking around here now. Until then.....Lord bless you!

All Moved In!

Well, we are finally all moved in. Moving day couldn't have gone any better. Friends of ours brought their *semi* and had us loaded in an hour and a half!! We were unloaded in the same amount of time and nothing was broken!!!!!! The ladies provided lunch for the whole crew. We we truly blessed. A big ~THANK YOU~ to all who helped us. We couldn't have done it with out you. Here are some pictures from moving day.

~*~CLOSING DAY~*~

Today, after a very long year of searching for a home to buy, we are now officially home owners!! We closed today @ 4:00.

Since this is an old farmhouse, there are lots of things to do to update it. Some of things we need to do or have already done are, paint every room in the house, rip out carpet, install a new tub surround, install a new sink and vanity in the upstairs bathroom, install a new pedestal sink in the main floor bath, install new light fixtures, CLEAN EVERYTHING, and then several little projects. I think we'll probably be busy for, oh say, the next YEAR!!!

But, the positive side of all this is, it is all ours and we thank the LORD for this wonderful gift He has given to us.

Tomorrow is the day!

Things have not been going "according to as planned" with the closing of our house. The sellers side is holding everything up. The property we bought was a home and 80 acres. The seller didn't want or need the house. They only wanted the land to farm. They put the house and 5 acres up for sale, which is what we bought. After having the land surveyed, we ended up with 6.24 acres, an added bonus! They had to draw up a new abstract and get that all legalized and filed with the county. That is taking longer than anticipated, so we wait. They are saying closing will now happen hopefully by next Wednesday!

I've been a little anxious as there are many things that need to be done in the house before we can move in on the 24th.

When our realtor called yesterday and told us of the new closing time, I lost it! "How on earth are we going to get this all done before moving"? I told her. Being the wonderful realtor that she is, she immediately contacted the seller's realtor and said "The buyers will take possession of the house at 8:00 a.m. on Friday morning"!! So, we may not close until next week, but at least now we can get in and begin our work. I am relieved at that and thankful that the Lord allowed that to happen.

This whole process has been a learning experience of waiting on the Lord's perfect timing. He knows what is best and *I* have to rest and trust in that!

Time is getting closer

Hello! It's been awhile since I posted, hasen't it? Sorry about that. It's probably because I've been busy packing and getting read to move in only *16* days!!!!!!!! Things are all coming together. We are supposed to close on Monday, the 12th. Our realtor said don't be surprised if it's a day or two later, because that sometimes happens. I'm trying to just rest in the Lord and let Him take care of every little detail. He is so much better at that than I am ya know :o)  Well, that's my little update. Back to packing..........

Quote

"What you do in your house is worth as much as if you did it up in heaven for our Lord God. We should accustom ourselves to think of our position and work as sacred and well-pleasing to God, not on account of the position and work, but on account of the Word and faith from which the obedience and the work flow." ~ Martin Luther ~