P A T I E N C E.

V I R T U E :  a quality considered morally good or desirable in a person.

They say that patience is a virtue. I am experiencing that patience is without a doubt a fruit of the Holy Spirit and only possible in and through God.

Taylor and I are in a season of waiting. Being patient is most difficult when you are waiting on something beautiful to come to pass. For us it is waiting on a baby to be born into the world, waiting to be in our own home, and waiting to begin growing food for families. Waiting for the cold winter days to pass and the springtime to burst forth in all her glory.

It is comforting to know that there is a reason for the waiting… The early buds of spring portray this beautifully. We cannot rip open a bud and force it to bloom. This will only bring death. The flower stays closed until the last freeze has passed and the environment is conducive to life! A new season does not come over night. There are many gradual changes that take place for the full transformation into a new season. Patience. Keeping the fragile flower in mind I am reminded that I too am fragile. I am not the Keeper of time or the Changer of seasons. So I will wait… allowing God to work the virtue of patience into me. 

As we patiently await springtime; thoughts of planting, sunshine, water, shorts, picnics, long walks and cool nights come to mind. In honor of anticipating spring, I wanted to share one of our picnic recipes with you. CHICKEN SALAD. This is Taylor's all time favorite! Not as heavy as some chicken salads, this dish is filling yet light. I hope you enjoy! 

Morgans Chicken Salad

• 1 Ib chicken thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup of Slivered Almonds
• 1/2 cup plus shredded mozzarella 
• 1/4 cup of chopped spring onions (about 2 from top to bottom)
• 1/2 cup of Mayonnaise ( we use mayo made with olive oil, vegenaise or homemade mayo)
• 1/2 cup of grapes cut in half or fourths

Grease your skillet (we use coconut oil, grape seed oil, or ghee) and pan fry the chicken until it is cooked all the way through. (This adds much more flavor than boiling or baking the chicken.) Then toast the almonds. Next, tear the chicken into bite size pieces and place in a medium sized bowl. Add the almonds, green onions,  mozzarella, mayo, and grapes. Toss until everything is evenly distributed. After placing the chicken salad in the fridge for 20 minutes or so, pack your picnic basket and enjoy in the sunshine!

Back in Bama.

       Well, fall and half of winter have passed by without a single blog post. I am starting to think (what am I saying, I KNOW) I have consistency and commitment issues when it comes to hobbies that take a steady pace. I hear admitting you have a problem is the first step. So step one…check! Step two, WRITE! 

      Many areas of our life have progressed over the past few months. We have left our farming internship in Fort Jones, California and are back in Alabama. What was only supposed to be a visit for the holidays has turned into a permanent transition. Much to both of our families surprise we are having our first baby in June! So we have decided to settle in Huntsville, Al. I never thought I would be back so soon and yet here we are! 

What have we been doing back in Alabama?

• We have started spending time at a one of a kind school in Huntsville, Lincoln Academy. They have a garden area that they would like to see incorporated into the students weekly schedule. Taylor and I have been given the opportunity to help cultivate and dream with them on what this may look like.
• I have been traveling to Auburn for yoga teacher training at Yogafly!
• Reading and going to bed early :) 
• Meeting with our midwife and going to birthing classes in order to figure out how a new life comes into this world!
• Looking for land. Taylor has been antsy, as you can imagine any farmer without a field would be. In the past week we have settled on a specific farm. Many many details are still falling into place, however we are at peace.
• dreaming, dreaming, dreaming. It seems like everyday God gives us a little more clarity on what feeding people physically and spiritually is going to look like for our family. I'm learning it takes being graced by the Lord to continue dreaming, when what you currently have looks nothing like what you envision. Lord, grace us to continue dreaming through the process...

"Goodbye Summer I Hate to See You Go."

Well, The summer has come to a close and so much has happened since our last post. With a lot of time, nurturing, and ultimately the growth of God the farm has really taken off! We have had many adventures togethers as well as sweet time with friends and family over the past few months. I was able to catch some of the beauty on camera.

We celebrated our one year anniversary here. 

Picked many a wildflowers.

Experienced a garden coming to life!

Met new brothers and sisters...which called for new adventures.

Special family time.

Killed a rattlesnake....and ate him.

 "Harvested" ( the clean way of saying butchered or slaughtered)  blackjack the goat. 

Picked up baby chicks from the post office.

“Isn’t it funny how life is so not what you planned”

— Jon Foreman

The Lord began teaching me the art of womanhood and what being a wife is all about. 

I have only scratched the surface on this life-long lesson. What a beautiful season. We are looking forward to what this fall has in store.