That is not to say that we don't have times of stress or hectic activity in our home. But we do make an effort to move through those times quickly and efficiently as a team whenever possible, so that we can make the most of our free time.
Since we live on a little farm, we have daily chores which need doing. And because we place a high value on our time together as a family, we often do those chores together. So while I am watering and weeding the garden, our daughter is feeding and exercising the dog, and my husband is feeding the chickens and goats. We finish at about the same time, and then we go do something together. Sometimes we pitch a few horseshoes, or sit and chat on the porch, or watch the plants grow in the garden.
On days when all hands are required, we join together to do what we can to help one another finish the job. Just the other night it was time to trim the goat's hooves. Right now we have six goats, so 24 hooves to trim up. This can be hard on one's back. So hubby does the buck and the big does. I trim the kids, and Kaylyn talks to the goats and tries to help keep them calm during the process.
I suppose there are times when it might be easier to just do this job myself. But we wouldn't be learning to work together as a family to get the job done. So I put away the selfish desire to have things done just the way I might want them done, and be grateful for the blessing of a family who works together.
I remember when I was a little girl, my family rented a parcel of land from a family friend. We used that parcel to plant a HUGE garden. I remember going out in the hot summer sun with my three brothers and my parents to pick corn or beans, water the plants, and check on our bounty. It was a lesson in hard work with a reward that benefited the entire family.
That same bounty fed our family during homecooked suppers that went largely uninterrupted by extracurricular activities such as soccer practice, dance rehearsal, band practice, and the like. There was no texting at the supper table. No tv playing in the background. You could actually have a real conversation about the day's events and what was important.
I want my daughter to cherish the time she has with her family. I want her to have a foundation of home, togetherness, faith, and old-fashioned values that she can draw on in the future, no matter what the world throws at her.
So as her parents, my husband and I make conscious choices as to how we spend our time and what we let into our lives. We are counter-cultural in many ways. (I prefer "old school"!) For example, we turn our cell phones off when we get home, and we let the machine catch incoming calls during supper time. I know some people that would absolutely twitch with anxiety to not be "connected" to their wireless devices for any length of time! But we strive to keep technology from intruding into our lives.
One of the simple pleasures we enjoy is to go for walks around our property. We watch for the small changes that each season brings, thereby staying connected with God's creation. We delight in the intricacy of a spider web delicately crafted on the fenceline. We smile at the giddy leaping of a young goat kid learning to be in the pasture with the "big goats". And we don't mind kicking off our shoes and wiggling our toes as the three of us pile into our hammock in the backyard.
On a recent drive through the country, we stopped at this little store that sold old farm items, antiques, and such. I found and purchased a sign that now hangs in my kitchen that reads:
"Learn from yesterday, Live for today, Hope for tomorrow."
The only thing I would add is, "...trusting in God the whole time."
That about says it all.
