HA HA HA

This was way too much fun. I could spend many a wasted hour making these up. This was a little "present" I made for my parents. Enjoy!

Movin' on up...

Hey there, friends. Have you ever had one of those days where so many things went wrong you just can't help but be bummed? Welcome to my day. My brother (who is not a christian) is in a relationship that I desperately would like to see him out of. And things keep getting worse and worse. The Lord told me a long time ago that my brother was not going to be happy until he accepted Christ as his savior. And I've said about all I can say to him. Which is the part that really drives me crazy. What do you do when someone just won't accept your help? I guess my job is to just pray, love, and let the holy spirit do the rest. And while I know that God views those as some of the most important things you can do, I just wish I could be there. It's hard being half way across the country when your brother needs you. I'm worried about him. I wish I could just kidnap him and bring him to live with us but I know that would never work. On to bummer #2, a dear friend of mine, who I simply LOVE, is having some marriage problems. She's been lied to , deceived, and had her heart broken. But I am so amazed at her attitude!! She simply wants to love the man God gave to her and to see this thing through. She wants her love for him to be a testimony of God's love for him. Bless her heart! All of that is very encouraging but it is still hard to see her going through it. Again, I just want to be there. To babysit her child so she can have some alone time, to take her out for coffee, to pray with her. And lastly, bummer #3. We are moving tomorrow. I realized after I wrote my last entry that perhaps I should have been a little more specific. We are still staying in Georgia. We are moving one town over to a cheaper house. Let me explain a little. A few months ago the Lord began to prepare John and I for some big changes. He wasn't so specific as to tell us exactly what they would be but we do know that we need to get ready. God, being the smarty-pants that He is must have known that if He showed it to us all at once that I'd probably freak out ( and I probably would have). So, he's giving it to us in peices. He has told us to save money. And save alot. While, he has shared with us a little more than that we aren't quite ready to share it it with everyone yet. ( Gotta keep you coming back for more!) So back to my bummy mood, I just hope it all goes okay. Honestly, this whole past week all I've really wanted to do was pack up and go back to Kansas! ha! Everyone would be so shocked to see us! But I trust that God has us where he wants us for now. Usually, I try to stay pretty optimistic. I've got a great husband, wonderful children, and a God who is so awesome I can't even but it into words. But with so much stuff going on in the lives of people I love and me not being able to be there, it's got me down. So, pray for me. I think the next week will be kind of hard getting adjusted to our new setting. I wish I had the attitude that God would want me to have but, I'll be honest, I'm not there yet! Thanks for reading and have a blessed day!

Running the race,
~A

All too soon

I've been avoiding writing this post for a while. Finally, I decided I might at well just do it and be done with it. I hate to break the news but this blog will be very short lived. At the end of the month we will begin our "budgetarian" lifestyle and, unfortunately, the internet does not fit into our new diet. So, while may be able to update it here and there, it will never be the same. (please realize that this is all written with sarcasm and I'm really not THAT upset!) We've had a mad week of packing here at the Washburn household and hopefully by the end of next week we will be settled into our new abode. To be honest, I'm not too excited. But I am trying!! I've come to really love this house we live in now. It's become our home here in Montezuma. But maybe God is trying to teach me something. It's never good to get too attached to material things. I keep trying to remember that it is just a house. And all of this is for a purpose. This all goes back to my post a couple weeks ago about changes for us. God has shed some light on what is in store for us in the future and we want to do whatever His will is for us. ( Or, trust me, I'd be packing up and moving back to Kansas in a heartbeat!) My husband is outstanding, I must say. He knows I'm kind of having a hard time with this and he has been more supportive and encouraging than I could have asked for. God has truly blessed me. So, I will keep the posts coming for as long as I can. This little blog will be missed by me. But, a means to an end. Or maybe a means to another beginning.....

Running the race,
~A

Trying to be artsy

So, I've come to the conclusion that I really shouldn't be blogging. As I read through others blogs I see that they are deep and witty. I am neither of these! I am so amazed at how poetic people can be on these things. But, alas, I will keep posting my little thoughts. :) Here are some new pictures. Enjoy!


I love this place. One of my favorite days of the week is Monday. That's the day I pack up all the kids and we take a trip to the library. I LOVE to read. And I am determined to make sure my children do too. Every week we get 11 new books we've never read (well, once in a while we get an oldie but goodie) and then come home, settle on the couch, and read until it's time to do something else. It's a memory I'm hoping to instill in my children. And then one day, when they have their own children, maybe they'll pass it on.


My family drinks raw milk and these are the cows where it comes from. Isn't it funny that I can actually take pictures of the cows I get my milk from?? I know...all you city folks are gasping as I speak but let me assure you that the people around here have been drinking it since they were born and they are fine. So far, we've been too. Lately, I've come to really appreciate our local farmers. And I want to support them as much as possible. Many big, commercial farms are squashing out these little guys. I totally encourage all of you to shop local! It uses less resources and is much healthier for you! Did you know that the tomatoes you buy at the grocery store are actually picked green and then gassed to turn red?? Ew. Don't even get me started about processed foods. If you have a farmers market, go to it. You can go to www.localharvest.com to find one near you. Even better- grow it yourself.




A fun mom day. Sometimes being a mom requires you to let loose a little, get out of your "grow-up" zone and just be silly!




A little glimpse into a mennonite family. I thought maybe some of you would like it. This is Michaela. She's 7. She had just got back from gathering the eggs from her family's chickens. Fresh eggs are a million times better than store bought, by the way.




This was a very fun day. The sun was shining, I had the windows open, the children had been perfect angles all day. And I said "I'm making waffles!" The kids were quite giddy. We all had on our aprons and Lilly was cracking eggs (she's really very good!), Luke was stirring. It was a lot of fun. It's moments like these that make me SO happy to be a mom.


My whole family applied for passports the other day. With 5 of us, that was mighty expensive, let me tell you! We had to give them our picture, our address, our social security number, our first born child....okay, maybe not that last one. Why do they have to know so much?? It makes me nervous! I heard that every new passport is going to have a chip in it so they can track you. Hmm....me no likey. All in the name of security. I read an interesting quote the other day by Ben Franklin. He said, "Those who give up their liberties for temporary security will in the end lose both." Think about that.

Running the race,
~A