Sorry to all my friends who prob think we've fallen off the face of the map! Life's been a bit crazy, but that's nothing new to most of ya'll....WE'VE been a bit crazy for awhile now! Lol...
This update is gonna be rather lengthy, I'm afraid...so grab a cup of coffee! But I'll try to post some pics so you can appreciate it some of it visually! :)
 |
| Pallets being delivered! |
|
|
|
Well, E. did get laid off...we finally got the official paperwork yesterday. So for the last 3 weeks, he's been home every day. He has totally needed the time to mentally recoup from the last 6 months working where he's been. So it's been fun having him home all the time...weird, but fun! Please be praying because though I believe that verse that I posted above, it's awfully hard to LIVE like I believe it when things are like this.
Before we knew he
was getting laid off, we started our little "farm". We got 10 chickens
and two dwarf goats...the female is prego. So we've been busy building a
coop and a mini 'barn' for them...all with free pallets our neighbor
got delivered to our house.
:)
 |
| The frame...don't we look red-neck! |
 |
| Almost all done! |
 |
| Billy (The Kid) |
 |
| Girlfriend, Bessie |
 |
| Two of the attractive hens...we have 4 pretty ones and.... |
 |
6 ultra-ugly ones! Who knew that cou-nu translated
into "naked necks"??!! :( Let's just say,
if they end up as dinner, oh well... |
 |
| Side view of "barn"...Still in "red-neck" stage! | |
|
|
 |
| Goat "Barn"...in progress |
 |
| Got tons of corn for the goats to munch on all winter! |
 |
| We gleaned! Felt like Ruth & Naomi! |
|
|
|
|
|
That's been our one highlight throughout all this. The relationships
we've made with all of our neighbors has been astounding. Pretty much all of our neighbors have contributed in some way or other to our little "farm". Most are just "city-folk" who don't know quite what to do with us. But they are a bit enamored and not a day goes by without talking to them over the fence line watching the animals...
One neighbor
is a little old lady who is just so cute. She gave us her plot of yard
to use. So we built her a clothesline for her to use on it and we want
to build an area that she can come out and sit with her grandkids....she
brings them out to feed the animals pretty much every afternoon. Then the family to our right has 5 kids...and they all LOVE working with E., helping to build the coop, learn car stuff, whatever...they're there...working away at whatever E. will teach them. The husband also loves E. and looks for him to come out so he can also work along side him. He's helped build the coop and the "barn" as well as gave us half of their plot of ground too! So now we have commandeered 3/4 of the land...lol...somehow we'll use that illustration at Thanksgiving! (The American's come, we take land, you eat with us...) His wife is so very sweet....very, very ambitious, but very sweet. We end up eating together as families 2-4 times a week! She has become a very dear friend...I am praying for ways to share my hope so please pray for those opportunities. Another neighbor is V; He is 20 and lives with
his dad. V. has been trying to speak to me in English because I
taught him some tongue twisters. The other day, he asked me if it is
hard cause I can't participate much in the conversations around me...and
I said "Yeah, it's been hard...today I cried about how hard it is." He
was really shocked and now he is always asking me if my day's been hard
or easier.
:) Also, we visited a pastor and his wife who live way out in the country.
E. told V. about it and said, "I bet it's way cheaper to
live out there." V. said, "No, you don't need to look for something
else! You need to stay here!" We are going to have an American Thanksgiving on Nov. 19...and all the neighbors (plus some others, I think.) are planning on coming. I'm excited to see what dialogue it opens up.
So in spite of how stinking hard
it is right now, I go to bed every night knowing that we are exactly
where we are supposed to be. And when I can't sleep at night cause of
this blasted insomnia, I've started praying for them. That we will be there when they start to have needs that we can help to meet and to hear about our hope...and the fact that we moved to France because of them.
Jennifer
