Raising best friends

I usually write here about our home and farm. And I really haven't blogged for a while, but I saw an instagram story from an online friend of mine Jen from Beauty and Bedlam, and I wanted to hop on here to share some of my thoughts on this.  She talked about raising her kids as friends and how important it is. I instantly messaged her and thanked her for saying how I have always felt. Without it really being something we've talked about, Baileyhusband and I have done just that.

Living out in the country, it wasn't always convenient for friends to come over, and honestly, I always said to my children that "they have each other, I gave birth to 4 of you to be each other's playmates." Kind of sounds a little harsh and rude coming from a mom, but there is more truth to that than I thought.

Without knowing, I have raised best friends. Do they fight? Um, heck YES!! But in the end, they are always there for each other and typically want to hang with each other over friends any day. I believe building that friendship and showing them how important family is over everything else is what has grounded them and built our family's foundation. We go as a family to each other's events, such as concerts, games, contests, etc. Never has been an option.

Supporting each other and being each other's chearleaders... I hope that is my parenting legacy. Parenting is hard! I feel like a failure some days, well, most days. I tend to use "bad language" in front of my kids... ( but they are not allowed to), I sometimes don't have socks clean for them, the kitchen sink is usually full of dirty dishes, and I really hate to cook. (glad I married someone who is good at it though!!) But the one thing that I feel I got right? The closeness and importance of family. I mean, who else knows how horrible your childhood is and can relate to all the mean things your parents made you do, like chores, cleaning your room before company came, or being made to eat green beans??

Our oldest is getting married soon, and her sister is her maid of honor. Her brothers are also playing a huge part in her wedding. This mama will be crying her eyes out the whole day seeing all the beautiful dresses and tuxes that her babies will be wearing, and how important this day is in the life of all of us.  And daddy walking down our firstborn?? (ugly crying just thinking about it) We are gaining an amazing new son in the process, he is exactly what my heart has prayed for my daughter. And I hope our legacy of FAMILY FIRST will be carried on to the next generation. 

All of these photos were taken at a session on a vacation we took to mark our other daughter's graduation. This vacation WAS expensive but oh so worth having us all there. These pictures are priceless to me.

So my advice? Take those vacations as a family. Make your kids play with each other over always needing to be with friends. Make them sit through each other's games, concerts, etc. Do fun things together, even as they grow up. Stay connected to family not your phone when you are together.

These are the moments that my kids will remember the most. (hopefully not all the dirty dishes)

Boho Graduation Party

I honestly cannot believe that my little girl has all grown up and ready for this great big world! Now exactly half of my children are leaving our nest and this Mama has mixed emotions about it all. There is something so amazing to see the child that you have loved, taught, healed, kissed, looked after, worried about, prayed for, cried over, fought with, obsessed about... (you get the idea), looking at you with her big brown eyes and declare that she is an adult. Um, excuse me?? And I just want to say THANK YOU to all of my friends and family for putting up with this crazy woman I became while wanting EVERYTHING to be perfect for her Graduation Party~ Breakfast in the Barn. 

We, and when I say "WE" I mean Daddy....my amazingly patient husband, finished this new little project on our farm just in time for the big day! Nothing like a huge deadline looming over us to get it finished. ( I highly recommend deadlines such as this :) 

THANKS DAD!!

When I planned our other daughter's grad party in 2012, we had it on our back deck/porch. Well, even though it was pretty, it was kind of crammed and this time around I wanted it more spread out. And this daughter has a little different style....so a Boho Party in our new barn was what needed to happen.

Now before you declare me a horrible photographer, in all of my craziness of the day, and because my REAL camera was being used to take pics with all of the guests and the graduate as they arrived, I took most of them with my cellphone, ugh, when will I learn??

We used vintage windows that I picked up at various antique stores and junkin sales. I see great things for these in the future! 

We showcased some of Sierra's favorite dreamcatchers that she has made and blankets, pillows, rugs, tapestries, and decor that are her signature Boho look. 

The guests signed a book called I Wish You More and got to leave their wishes for her.... I still haven't signed it myself, too emotional......

I have had these old sofas in our basement, loved on old relics, that I've hoarded. But now they had a reason to shine...and added to the eclectic vibe we wanted. 

I purchased these chairs and this table from World Market. Which will eventually be on our back porch. Ordered them online and I love them even more than I expected to!! 

This next seating arrangement was a way to hide a huge pile of barnwood that we have stored in this barn. So I made a long bench out of it with some quilts and pillows. Sierra's crate/storage chest that was a past 4H project was a great coffee table.  

I cannot tell you what a dream come true this was for us to give a party in this barn for our little girl High School Graduate. And as fun as it was to show these pictures to you all, guess what? I did not take ONE SINGLE PHOTO of the food table!!! Well, a lot of work went into it and I'm so mad that I don't have anything to show for it....we had donuts (20 dozen!), scrambled eggs, sausage links, bacon,  fruit, coffee, and orange juice. I guess it was all yummy....mother and hostess of the day didn't get one bite. HA! 

And to quote one of our favorite new songs by Tim McGraw....

"I know you have mountains to climb, but Always Stay Humble and Kind"

Sierra, you will do great things in this life, graduating is not the end, but a beautiful beginning! We could not be more proud of the athlete you are, the friend, sister, daughter you are, the performer/ singer you are, the Honor Student you became, and one of my best friends. Congratulations baby girl! 

Hey, maybe I just found what I should write in her guest book!? 

What a Difference a Weekend and a Rug can Make

Happy September friends! Now that school is in full swing, and our days are (kinda) getting cooler, I have FALL on my brain! And to me, this time of year is like a new beginning...a way to get re-organized, look at your rooms that you spend the most time in and get them all cozi-fied. A place where you LOVE to spend time in! 

Last weekend, I got to spend the most amazing 3 days with my 3 sisters and my mama in Chicago. It was my oldest sister's birthday celebration weekend, and it couldn't have been timed any better. It wasn't until we were away for 24 hours that I felt like this was so needed. Spending time away from all your responsibilities, for just a few hours or a few days, is a great re-start for your soul! 

{All 5 of us in our hotel bathroom!}

And it may have helped that I could do some serious shopping at my favorite store .... 

{Ikea near Chicago}

It's probably a good thing for my wallet that the closest Ikea stores are at least 3-5 hours away.

For starters, I didn't want to put anything on a credit card, so I could only use the cash that I brought. This is a great way to keep me in check, so to speak, because I could SERIOUSLY have spent another $500 easily!! And because I DO want to stay married, I only spent what I took with me. And I didn't really need to eat the rest of the weekend, so I spent almost ALL OF IT. (HAHA) 

{Lake Michigan at the Navy Pier}

The best part of being away on a little "Mama Vaca" is coming home to my family, all rested and recharged. Some of my purchases aren't going to be revealed until after a certain boy's 10th birthday :). But my favorite purchase EVER in the history of EVER is this....

MY NEW COWHIDE RUG!!! 

Now people...I have done my research, and this was a huge steal!! Ikea already has great prices on cowhides, the one currently in our bedroom came from a trip to the Minnesota's Ikea last spring break. But I have been stalking black/white cowhides forever. I have heard nasty rumors that if you ordered one online from several different online shops, that it wasn't always what you want. Most of the time it is mostly black with maybe a small spot of white. Not what I wanted or ever pictured for us. I did find an online shop that advertised you get what is actually pictured, so it was going to be my choice for when/if I took the plunge to buy (yet another) cowhide. I know....but one is NEVER enough! :)

My cart was already kind of full, when I saw my dream rug...after making a sprint for it before anyone might see it, I quickly swiped it up....and noticed this....

{A tiny cut about an inch and a half long}

To make a long story short, I swindled them down 20% in their "AS IS" dept. (Who knew there was an "AS IS" in Ikea?? Next time, I'm starting there!) 

I really don't even notice the cut, or even care! (Shhhh...don't tell them that I would have paid full price). Baileyhusband has already promised to stitch it up with taxidermy needle and thread, but in the meantime, our coffee table is covering the cut...no problem! 

Our front room is one of my favorite rooms. I read, use the computer, listen to Wyatt play piano, have gossip sessions with my girls, do my morning devotions, and see the view of our front yard in this small yet loved room. 

But something has always been missing....and I knew it. Never wanting to be a dissatisfied homeowner/ decorator...I made due with what I had. And I was fine with it! But now...HOLY COW! (pun intended) And when someone asks what I would grab in case of a fire....this is it! 

Do you see that branding? JC...the initials of the greatest man who walked on this earth. Yet another reason that this is THE. BEST. RUG. EVER.

So thank you to all my sisters and my mama for a fabulous re-charge weekend. What a difference it has made as a mom and a wife for me. 

And also so happy to have finally purchased my dream rug!

 I hope you all find some time for yourself or for your home that may make a difference in how you feel. Happy Weekend!! 

p.s. I have made some changes to the blog...do you notice them? Let me know what you think! 

Sweet Sixteen

She turned 16 yesterday. And yes, I am aware how beautiful she is. Her father does own guns. Her personality is just as beautiful. So proud of the woman she is becoming. Also, one of my best friends. 

Obsessed Much Mondays: It's OK to be lazy

As we are nearing the end of our summer...I feel myself really wanting to get as many projects done in and around our home as possible. But that is actually a double edge sword. My mind is going in a thousand directions, and it is really tiring! Sometimes, I need to allow myself just to stop and relish in this season. 

Enjoy the fruits of our labor... and just be still.

Summer, when I was growing up, was all about being outside... playing..  and sometimes just good old-fashioned laziness. But these days, it's like keeping up with the Jones'. So and so are going to the pool everyday, or are taking all these vacations.... I really just want my kids to be bored like we were when we grew up! Actually one of my favorite "mom" sayings is "If you are bored, than you are a boring person." (my kids HATE when I say that)

Being HOME is my favorite place to be...and living on a {mini} farm, there is SO MUCH TO DO. To me, we live in a vacation spot. I am aware of the fact that some families that live in the city or in town love to go camping or other vacations to get away from it all. Well, we are away from it all. So, no need to go anywhere, right? 

Having the animals to tend to and play with is just the start of it. 

The exploring of nature and all it's beauty (we live next to a wooded area that has a bike trail and creek running through it)


The sense of pride and accomplishment when eating from your own garden that you planted yourself

The chance to build something yourself, and just let yourself be creative. We need that time to let our minds wonder, to sit and daydream. Getting in tune with yourself and Mother Nature is good for your soul. 

I will try to remind myself of these things as this summer is whizzing past. 

And I hope my children look back and see that their summer was not wasted, but the exact opposite.  

This was part of my Summer Series called Obsessed Much? Mondays. You can read all the other Mondays in this series by clicking HERE. Or at the top of the page, the tab called "Obsessed Much". 

A Cousin's Weekend

I have three sisters....together, we have 12 children. I thought it would be fun to share a weekend that we had over the Easter holiday this spring. 

I am so proud to say that all 12 cousins are extremely close knit, almost like brothers and sisters. We have made it a point to always stay connected, especially now that they are growing up, going off to college, and for one of the cousins that means JOINING the AIR FORCE. That nephew of mine has spent the last 2 years stationed in Japan. And came home for a month before moving to Italy where he is now stationed.

We all gathered at the airport, awaiting his arrival. And then here is the first glimpse of him....still gets me teary-eyed everytime I see this {blurry} picture. The next several that I took were completely blurry, maybe because I was jumping up and down and laughing yelling crying!?

While he was back for his visit, and because it had been 2 years since we had ALL been together, I planned a COUSIN'S WEEKEND. A very large slumber-party at our house! 

My sisters and I, along with our Mama, planned the weekend out: 
where everyone would sleep, the menu, the photoshoots, the games...

And we had only ONE RULE:

{NO CELL-PHONES or other techy devices}

We were to stay plugged- in to each other....

{My sisters and I}

{My sister and her family reunited!}

Mornings at my house were my favorite, I have a ton of (embarrassing, for our eyes only) photos of coffee time in our jammies, but here is one on Easter morning after all 12 cousins hunted and found their baskets from the Bunny.

{the Girls}

{the Boys}

Airsoft gun wars are a favorite pasttime when these 9 are together, so they all camo-ed up and spent hours around our farm and woods. 

 You are NEVER too old to enjoy slumber parties, 4-wheelin, playing games....
 

 This was truly my favorite. weekend. ever.

Easter morning at church with Grandma, and these 12 can never be serious for long.

 My sister, Kelley, was in charge of games for the weekend. She is brilliant with coming up with "Minute to Win It" type games (with prizes)!

Then it wouldn't be Easter without a good ol fashioned Egg Hunt...well, with a twist ;) Since they are getting too old for the real deal, we made a game of it.
The adults (while the "kids" were inside) spelled out words on the lawn.

We told them they needed to correctly write down what each word said, then when they thought they had it....we told them that they needed to correctly tell us how many eggs were used in each word also. 

We didn't even count ourselves, we just laughed watching them so seriously counting...we told them when they had it wrong and had to go back and recount. Seriously....funniest thing, watching them.....

Then there was the infamous "Golden Egg". Which had a very large amount of money in it. The cousins had to find it somewhere in the front yard. This is where it got REALLY competitive :)

I look back over these pictures all the time...someday these 12 will get married, and bring their own families. (which will also be fun) But this one weekend was like a once in a lifetime event that we will all cherish...just them, one last time, UNPLUGGED!