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The Big White Farmhouse

intentional living, little by little

October 2, 2015

{around here} Week 39/52: Week of 9.28.15


A collection of our ordinary days, recorded every week.  At the end of the year, I’ll publish them into a keepsake to treasure.

Around here, I have been:


watching the rain fall all week.  All of our commitments have been cancelled, so we’ve been sticking close to home.  There’s something so soothing about being home when the weather is bad outside.  The only downfall to a week of dreary days?  Less than awesome photographs.



loving how Sophia calls a flashlight a “sunlight”: “You seen my sunlight, mama?”


baking more bread.  I smartened up and made three loaves at once this time, which lasted us two and a half days.  A personal record.


reading The Winter of our Disconnect.  This book is challenging me to put away the electronic distractions (I mean, how many times can you really scroll through Instagram?) and do the things I always say I’d like to do.      


listening to classical music during school.  I love how the kids have been picking out the  different instruments as they listen.  


choosing to go No Sugar again in October.  I’m hoping it will help alleviate some hormonal symptoms I’ve been having.  I’m also part of a Facebook group and the community there is really helpful.  

excited to have scored a deep freezer for $30 at our neighbor’s garage sale!  Just in time because we will soon be picking up our second Zaycon Fresh order: 80 pounds of chicken breasts!  #bigfamilyproblems


planning ideas and posts for this 31 Day Writing Challenge.  It’s scary and intimidating and exciting all at once.  Only 29 posts to go!

October 1, 2015

{house to home} 31 Days of Contentment: Thriving in the Here & Now


Sometimes the picture in my head is so clear, I can actually see it.  A wrap around porch where Mark and I can sit in our rocking chairs, sipping coffee and talking about our day.  Four bedrooms – not huge – but big enough for five growing kids.  Land…one, two, maybe three acres…plenty of room for a big garden and for my kids to run and play.  We’ll set down roots, see our children into adulthood, and stay in one spot until we’re old and gray.     

All summer long, I tried to convince God that the time for this move to our “forever house” was now.  I started nitpicking the details of my current home, avoiding new projects (because, you know…resale value), and truly believing that all of our problems would be solved if I could just get us into this new home. 

And all summer long, God replied with a big “Not Yet”.  

This experience has laser-pointed an area in my life that I guess I haven’t wanted to see: I struggle with contentment.  I used to believe that contentment simply meant not comparing myself to others, but I’m realizing that there may be so much more.  Maybe this is the piece of the puzzle that explains why I keep stumbling with the concept of thriving?  

For the next 31 days, I will be digging deeper into the idea of contentment.  What does it mean?  Is it something that you can really achieve?  What role does contentment play in having a thriving life?   

Here’s what to expect the next 31 days:
+ I’ll be exploring eight different “steps” to greater contentment and wrestling with what that looks like in my life.      
+ I’ll be actively completing and sharing home projects in an attempt to embrace the home I’m in.
+ I’ve got two awesome giveaways in the works!!
+ My weekly Around Here posts will continue to be in Friday’s slot.

I hope you’ll join me all throughout October as I dive into the idea of contentment and I look forward to hearing your thoughts and ideas too.  
Here we go!

September 30, 2015

{thrive goals} September Review // October Goals


September.  A month of new beginnings and busier schedules.  A month of happiness and hardship.  A month filled with lots of laughs and a few tears too.  A month of celebration for our two littlest.  Transition months are always a bit tricky and September was no exception.  But at the end of the day, it was good.    


A few of my favorite blog posts in September:

+ Better than Before: A Review
+ The Inspired Readers Book Club: Book Three
+ 20 Things I Love: A Gratitude Journal vol.4



My September goals, reviewed:

1. Make more concrete plans for PreK.  Done.  I ordered a Letter of the Week Preschool Curriculum and so far, I’ve been really impressed.  We supplement the worksheets with lots of picture books and a craft or two and it seems like enough.  
2. Make an emergency preparedness kit.   This turned out to be a huge undertaking!  A simple search on Pinterest revealed a whole new world of 48-Hour Kits and Bug Out Bags.  Needless to say, I was a bit overwhelmed!  I decided to start small and make Mark a Winter Prep Kit for his car.  Other small steps we took: buying more non-perishables in bulk, making sure we have flashlights on every floor, and starting a first aid kit.      
3. Go to the dentist. Done!  So glad that is over with!
4. Get back to making reading a priority.  How do I answer this one?  Sort-of?  I’m definitely choosing to read again, but not getting very far.  There just aren’t enough hours in a day!    
5. Go apple picking.  Not yet, but we hope to get there in the next couple of weeks.


And my one goal for October:
1. Start and complete 31 days of writing on the blog.  // This is a totally crazy time of year for me to attempt something like this, but I’m jumping in anyway!  Hoping for the best…we’ll see how it goes!

September 25, 2015

{around here} Week 38/52: Week of 9.21.15



A collection of our ordinary days, recorded every week.  At the end of the year, I’ll publish them into a keepsake to treasure.

Around here, I have been:



struggling with the ugliness that comes along with blogging.  While I personally have never had hateful things spoken of me (that I’m aware of…and I’m not sure I want to know if people have), I’m sickened that it happens to others.  People can be so cruel and my sensitive heart struggles with that.  Some days I consider shutting down the whole operation here…


reading The Winter of our Disconnect.  So thought-provoking.


going to the dentist!  After too long away, I was so nervous…like sweaty, “how do I get out of this?” nervous.  Fortunately, everyone was very nice and I made it out okay.  Unfortunately, the repercussions of the diet soda habit of my 20’s has come back to haunt me – my poor enamel!   


watching coverage of the Pope’s visit.  The excitement and joy is palpable!


celebrating my girl.  She’s all about Madeline right now, so we got her a movie, a puzzle and a peg doll for her cupcake (which she’s played with nonstop ever since).  We also got her dress up skirts and while I worried that the gifts weren’t exciting or “big” enough, she was thrilled and has played with everything.  A good reminder that simple really is enough.


baking bread from scratch (no bread machine, my first time!) and vanilla cupcakes. 


considering checking off “Write everyday for a month” off of my 100 Little Things List in October.  Is that crazy?    


loving the cooler temperatures, even if we were back in the 80’s by the end of the week.  I’m dying to break out my sweaters and boots.  

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