This year is already sizing up entirely differently than the last two. Not only are the literal winds some of the most blustery on record, but our household has been sufficiently rearranged. Lots of change making room for lots of new ventures we are finally undertaking.
First of all, I thought football was a mainstay in the Parnell household. Curtis Wade has loved it so much, and so many friends were made through THESA (Texas Home Educators Sports Association), that I envisioned seeing it through high school up until graduation. So, when he came to us with doubts about this year, we were flabbergasted. At first, I was certain he was just ill-at-ease at the size of varsity teams we were sure to take on this year, yet we already had a regime he and Curtis (Daddy) were on at the gym, and in his 5'11 1/2" frame, he is physically bigger and stronger than last year. Then, I thought he might be apprehensive because THESA will host tryouts this year. Again, we assured him he was an important part of this team. Everyone, including coaches, would miss his participation. But, he persisted, so much so, that Curtis and I called for a halt on all plans until we could spend some time in prayer as a family before making this decision.
It's times like this that you don't want your children to quit something that certainly feels like a commitment, especially something you know they love. I devoted a lot of time in prayer, searching for an answer. The reason this decision was so catastrophic was because the team was finally taking off, and served as true competition last year. Curtis might have a chance to be a part of a winning team, competing regionally this year. If his goals were remotely what he had started out with, we needed to hang in there. If not, I'm up for change, but only if his decisions were not being made out of fear.
Sure enough, he had lost interest, maybe through a bit of burnout. They worked so very hard last year. And practices are not only increasing this year, but spring training started two months earlier. He commented that it simply was not as much fun as it used to be. The team was about winning. The coaches were about winning. Of course, the argument can be made, isn't that what you're supposed to do on an athletic team? Win? But, when the fun of it was all but gone for him, he was done.
So, with lots of time available this year that has for two years now been reserved for five a week practices, away games, and all participation in general, 2011 has opened up! Not to mention the financial commitment released!
After his mind was made up, and the family's social calendar was readjusted, I noticed Curtis Wade singing all the time. He's picked up his guitar more in the last month than he has the previous twelve combined. He wants to jump back into lessons full swing, and maybe take voice. He and I have started harmonizing in the kitchen while getting dinner on the table or dishes done. I love it! His favorite part of quitting was no longer missing our lakeside picnics, and we've already started 'em back up!
Although I didn't want to persuade Curtis at all, I was....in the end....glad. As much as I enjoyed the Friday night football, this year promises as much excitement all its own. Madison will finally be getting her permit to drive, and I know just the place to practice, Decatur. Those lonely back roads on which we lived, she had already driven when she was thirteen. There's no way we could get away with that here in town, nor would I want to try without a permit. She's so excited!
And that brings me to an awesome answered prayer of hers: When she turned 15, she was rarin' to go. She wanted her permit, and Curtis said "No." At least, not now. She took it hard. She spent the next few months learning to keep her mouth shut, and stop pressing the issue. Hard for her.....she's quite a go-getter. There isn't much that she sets her mind to that doesn't happen. Actually, I don't know that I've ever seen anything left unfinished that she made up her mind to do. What a marvelous tool in the hands of an Almighty God! In the midst of her turmoil, she was concerned about having a car. Yes, we have our 15 passenger family van, but she wanted a car available to her that I wouldn't need. So, she prayed, and one day, came in announcing to me that God had promised her a car. I told her, "Wow! That's great!", but I confess, I wondered how that was going to pan out.
Madison really tempered herself, kept quiet so as not to put pressure on Curtis about it, but was steadfast in her belief. When we'd see cool looking cars, or Jeep Wranglers (her favorite), she'd say, "Oh, that's nice. But, it's not mine. God's got one for me somewhere."
Lo and behold, just four months ago, a young family she babysits for talked with me alone about giving us a car that their extended family no longer needed. They wanted me to ask Curtis about it before mentioning it to Madison. Since we'd have to pay taxes on the blue book value, as they couldn't "gift" it to a non-family member, we needed to be sure we wanted it. OMG! The car is a great looking four door Chevy Malibu, with a blue book value of $4300! Not a thing wrong with it, and the family put new tires on it with a full tank of gas. We picked it up a few weeks ago. I've stood humbled and amazed. How glorious to witness your children grow in their relationship with Him! How satisfying to watch them experience their own answered prayers!
On a side note: I've got one younger one (identity concealed for privacy) that cried upon the arrival of the new car. When questioned why, this one took the gift as a certain precursor to Madison leaving, or getting married. I assured the one that I was 22 before I left home to get married, so Madison may still have 5 more years with us! Although, I shouldn't be surprised at the heightened anticipation; two of our young lady friends are getting married. One, the Cummins' oldest child (now 22 herself) a couple of months ago. They are our some of our closest friends. And the other, our piano teacher from Decatur, Miss Elise Elliott several weekends ago.
Another side note: Paula Cummins, the mother of the aforementioned 22 year old bride, is now expecting their 11th child in September. I love this mothers-of-many culture!!
With a wonderfully wide-open schedule, Maggie started her art classes back up again. She's prolific in her pursuit of art. Though, I've personally enjoyed frequenting Hobby Lobby with her and shopping for supplies, my favorite pursuit of hers is her dairy goat venture. We've talked about doing this for some time now, but she finally purchased her first doe this spring! Maggie has studied, read, and researched the whole dairy goat process from kidding to milking. And, as usual, I've been intimidated by the amount of commitment and work seemingly involved. I sure would not want to mess up with a sweet baby goat and experience the heartache of losing it. But, we had the opportunity of bottle feeding twin three day old babies, and watching several other kids feed from the "lambar" (an ice chest with holes cut out to hold bottle nipples, fitted with tubes that reach down into pitchers of milk). Then, we watched and learned how to hand milk the moms....six beautiful award winning Nigerian Dwarf and Lamancha goats. Though Pam used to run a dairy at Agape Oaks, she's retired but still shows and breeds. Her close friend, Anne Jones (also our neighbor) owns Latte Da Dairy, a Grade A dairy goat farm. Maggie and Curtis have been to visit her Open House last fall. Now Maggie has been invited to apprentice at her dairy helping with the entire process from bottle feeding more than thirty babies to hooking up fourteen moms to the milking machines. Fascinating! She's thoroughly enjoying this new-found hobby soon-to-be business! As it turned out, the twins we bottle fed at Agape Oaks had been previously reserved, but suddenly became available through a turn of events, and are now our very own!! I have never had more fun with a farm animal than with these babies. I remember when my Grandpa brought home a Pygmy goat kid for us grandchildren to play with. We had a lot of laughs with Nellie. I'm so excited our children will get to experience that same fun!!
Though we're certain about the dairy goats, we are not as certain, but considering, raising grass fed beef. At Whole Foods, organic grass fed ground beef is up to $7.49/lb. We can purchase local grass fed beef from a family that butchers out every spring and fall for $3.00/lb. With them still making a profit, how much could we save doing it ourselves? And, it would contribute significantly to our increasingly self-sustaining lifestyle. Curtis has his heart set on an authentic Old World Jersey dairy cow. Several farmers in the area raise up bull calves on a milk cow, turn them out to pasture to fatten up, then butcher and sell. There is quite a market for organic grass fed beef. That is not even considering the raw cow's milk that goes for $12.00 a gallon. Jersey's can produce as much as two gallons a day, even with a couple of calves on! We'll see. I'm in the researching stage. They are beautiful animals, though.
If you would have told me 20 years ago that I'd be a part of actively farming a little piece of land, I'd have laughed out loud, or possibly cried a bucket full. My impression of such things was quite different back then. But, I love it now! The girls and I hoed the garden last week, weeded it, fertilized it, and set out the sprinklers. Extremely satisfying!
I’ve posted new pictures of all the recent events below.
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