Today.

Nana and Papa came on their way down South. They brought us a whole huge box of books...all mine from when I was little. They also brought huge pixie sticks for the sweeties (which soon turned into fencing instruments) and lots of little candy legos...

We talked and laughed. It was so nice to see them. With all of us being sick off and on for the last 3 months, we haven't been able to get together at all (minus the girls' princess trip we had a few weeks back).

They walked around our home and admired all the decorating projects I've been up to. We scanned the basement and talked over possible plans for finishing it. Then we gazed out over the backyard at all the rocks we've lined for flower beds. We talked about the summer plans for our yard and about how this perfect little home and this soon-to-be-perfect yard is my children's whole universe. And the hills surrounding us--though not as picturesque as wheat fields and cornfields, are perfect for long walks and exploring. And with the coming of our fence in just a few weeks, and our grass in just a few weeks after that, it will be such a perfect world for my little children.

And so I've set aside this home-on-a-farm dream that I've held so long. Maybe I'll pick it up again when the nest is empty and Patrick and I are ready for a new adventure. Or maybe not. Maybe this home will weave itself so tightly into my heart that I won't be able to let it go...not for all the cornfields in the country. Time will only tell.

But regardless of where we will live in 25 years, whether it is here, or a new home, or an existing home remodeled in the country, my home will be the perfect place to invite family and friends and new mothers and little grandchildren to come take a few days and relax. It will be a place of retreat for any who need to chat, rest, and rejuvenate. This will be my purpose then. And I'm so extremely grateful that the Lord gave me this vision last night of the next season of my life. Because it made me realize that not all of my dreams have to come true right now. When I'm 50, I'll enter another glorious stage with nearly half of my life still ahead of me. And if it is right to take my farmhouse dream off the shelf, then I will. And if not, I won't. I will know then. But either way, my purpose of offering a safe haven of love to my family will be the same.

And as for this season....it's supremely GLORIOUS! I was given a vision of that last night as well. This perfect little Sun Haven Cottage is to become--today--an MTC for my children....a Missionary Training Center and a Motherhood Training Center. And my purpose continues to be to nurture my little ones in love and righteousness...to help them discover their testimonies, teach them the truths of the gospel and practical life skills; to help them discover and refine their talents; to play with them in childlike wonder; to bring a love of music into their hearts; to bind us together through meaningful, simple family traditions; and to bring us Home together--back to the presence of our Father.

But I've rambled off on a tangent....

Back to Nana and Papa...

When it was time for them to go, we walked outside to say goodbye. But then we heard the ice cream truck's melody, and so Papa gave us $5 and we ran down the sidewalk in our bare feet to buy some ice cream. The boys have long been wanting to do this but we always seem to miss it when it comes around!

And as we walked back to our home in the warm April sunshine, I smiled to myself with all the happiness that's deep inside of me...This small-town life of mine, it's mine...and it's oh so good.

Scratch that, it's oh so perfect--perfectly perfect in every way.

And I wouldn't change a single thing.

A Grueling Saturday.

I dreaded this day for a long time.  And before I was ready, it was upon us.

And we spent all day from early morning till evening, trenching with Dad on the big Diesel DitchWitch, and Patrick on the Mini-Excavator (and me and Mom as navigators).

{I also got to ride with Patrick a lot...}

We began our yard expedition with a Mt. Everest of ugly dirt and 60 million dirt clods, rocks the size of softballs, and boulders the size of small station wagons.

We raked and hauled and moved and cried and Phase 1 was complete by the beginning of July.

Then we had to make 3 substantial retaining walls (with many of our newfound rocks).  That wasn't fun.

Now we have close to 2 dozen stations, many manifolds, what seems like a thousand trenches, and a garage packed full of sprinkler supplies.

Everyone keeps saying it will be worth it when it's all done.  And all I can think of is how many more backbreaking days it will be till what they say proves true.

Because our yard has never ceased to overwhelm me.  Me, who was always been such an indoor, read-a-book type of girl.

But I think that all of this work only leaves me with a completely new paradigm shift.  When, IF we ever get this yard to actually look like a yard and not a chalky, rock graveyard, I will expand my horizons.  I will gladly go out and plant and weed and garden and harvest.

You see, after all of this overwhelmingly intenseness is over, yard "work" won't really seem like work at all.

It will be beauty.  And faith-building, and glorious.

I think perhaps I'll become an outside girl after all....