beautiful lancaster county

Mark took this picture while driving thru lancaster county on sales calls. He got a new iphone and is having fun with the camera and some of the cool editing features. I love seeing his passion for photography and creativity come to life. It is always a good sign. 

our homestead

 We dream of a homestead. A place to own and put our roots down deep. A place to raise our children. A homestead where writing, photography and businesses would flow. A place where we could have a bed and breakfast....
But in the meantime this is our homestead. Our little corner of the world where we rent a big ol' farmhouse and raise our children. How do you dream for the future and yet walk in contentment with where you are RIGHT now. Sometimes it feels there is tension in the proccess.
The other night we were all working in our HUGE garden (think 12 one hundred foot rows) and I looked up to see my family working the ground TOGETHER and I could not help but smile ear to ear and was reminded of how good life is NOW. And just when I thought that I looked up and saw two deer in the meadow. It was beautiful like something surreal out of a movie, with huge pillowly clouds as the backdrop. It seems some of the tension is relived when I embrace fully where I am at so I can recieve whatever is coming in the future.
So here are some pictures of Blossom View Farm, our today homestead.

 As for God, his way is perfect:

The LORD’s word is flawless;
he shields all who take refuge in him.
It is God who arms me with strength
and keeps my way secure.
He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;
he causes me to stand on the heights.
He trains my hands for battle;
my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
You make your saving help my shield,
and your right hand sustains me;
your help has made me great.
You provide a broad path for my feet,
so that my ankles do not give way. (psalm 18)

thru the looking glass...

our little hope

 What a joy to mother this little girl. Her name Hope Ireland, literally means "Vibrant Hope" and she is full of it. She has a personality all her own and she keeps me quessing and laughing. The last two weeks have been huge for her as she has started potty training and sleeping in a big girl bed...none of which was initiated by me. She started wanting to be changed every time she went and asking to go on the potty and she started climbing out of her crib. I was dragging my feet on both but decided to go for it and she is doing pretty well. She loves being big. She keeps walking around saying she is four. She has an opinion on how her hair is combed and the past week she wants "ig-tals mommy" everyday. Too cute.

We love you Hope!

snapshots of summer

summer is here.

So summer is officially here, at least in my book as school ended yesterday. The start has been a bit shaky with lots of fighting and melt downs (some of my own as well). Part of it might be the scorching heat that makes it feel like 110 outside and maybe 90 inside our farmhouse. Yikes.
Tuesday the kids and i went strawberry picking and have since made freezer jam and had strawberries and icecream every single night! I'd like to think that any extra weight I may have gained from eating iceream every night has been lost as I sweat it out with no air conditioned....
Here's to fresh strawberries, iceream and the start of summer....

adoption.

 We met our good friends Jason & Betsey two years ago and there was an instant connection. They have four boys and have moved almost as many times as we have. We can share our hearts and laugh together. We hung out with them on Saturday and their two oldest boys fell in love with our kittens. Sunday they came back to take them home. They were so excited....and they ended up taking three of the four! It was a blessing for everyone.... Just like our friendship...

when I grow up...

Moses came home with a paper he wrote at school. The assignment was to write about when he grows up...here is what he wrote:

"My cousins Noah, Kaden, Judah, Ezra and I are going to make a humongous house when we have enough money. To earn money my cousin Noah will probably be a football player. I will probably work with my dad to earn money. After that we will start to build the foundation and we are going to have a giant deck. We are going to have a grown-ups only room, cousins room, guest room, a lego room, a building room, and lots of other rooms. The lego, cousins, and building rooms will probably be the funnest rooms of them all.

We are going to have a hot tub on our giant deck and we are going to have a pool and a tree house. When I grow up I want to be a builder because you make money, build the foundation and build rooms."

Moses Buckwalter, age 7

So I think he might have gotten a few of these ideas last summer when him and his cousin Noah drew house plans for the fore mentioned "humongous house" they are planning to build. Can't wait to see what each one of these boys end up doing?!!! I know there is a calling and destiny on each of their lives to impact the world...



For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you a hope and a future. (jeremiah 29:11)

a cat named baby

 So our mama cat had four little kittens, who we are currently in need of homes by the way. But in the meantime Hope and Sarah have become quite fond of a little kitten they call Baby and that is not only his name but also how they treat him. They hold him, rock him, give him baby bottles, wrap him in blankets, and read stories to him. It is all quite hilarious but even more crazy is that the Baby lets them. He goes limp in their arms like a baby doll as he is carried, jostled and hung upside down.  Meet "baby"...

 If anyone is interested in a kitten here are the pictures of the others...we have two identical black and white ones and a gray one with blue eyes. All cute and friendly...we just got too many cats. I didn't even want any cats at all and now we have six. Way too many...so these little cuties are free to a good home!

Have a great day!

Dear Secret Admirer...

We got home late Sunday night from the beach and Monday morning the kids found a bag sitting on our porch. In it was a shirt for each kid, a cool hat for mommy, and turkey hill gift card for Daddy....with no note except "Enjoy and God Bless". The shirts were perfect and the crazy thing is the kids were needing some new stuff for summer. Sarah said excitedly "Mom, we have a secret admirer". Yes, we do and we also have a heavenly Father who loves us and know our needs. It was a reminder that His heart is on us. So....

 Dear Secret Admirer,
THANK YOU. We were so blessed!
love, the Buckwalters

"For I know if His eye is on the sparrow,

Then His heart is on me."

-Jake Hamilton