We will NOT forget!

Today is September 11th, 2018. 17 years ago today was the terrible tragedy that took so many lives.  I'll never forget that day. We had just moved in to our home in Barnstead 2+ months prior. We had started our homeschool season that day. It was just me, Brittany and Maddie. Brittany was 11, and Maddie was 6. We didn't have the TV on that morning and so it wasn't until after lunch that we heard from someone at our Bible study what happened. We couldn't believe it!

Each year we take time at this time of year to remember and pray. The kids in my homeschool now were not even alive at that time, and so we take time to teach them all about what happened! Time to reflect and remember the fragility of our lives which are but a vapor. 

As promised in my last post, here are the details of our GoRuck Light. On Saturday, September 8th, Ellie and I participated in NH's first Go Ruck Light challenge and it was a 9/11 Memorial challenge. It was incredible, it truly was. It was somber, yet 

encouraging. Sad yet challenging.  

I'm still trying to process it all. It was an amazing day full of raw emotion combined with physical and emotional struggle. It's super hard to put into words all of the feelings. The minor pain we endured is NOTHING compared to what happened that day and the time following it. 

We carried our ruck sacks through the streets of Manchester following our American flag. We carried stretchers with 200lbs of sand bags on them, as well as lots of other various weighted sand bags. We took time to share how we were effected by the events of this day. We worked together with and side by side with people that we had just met that day. It was a day of remembrance, and a day of fellowship. It was a day that I will NEVER forget, just like this day. 

And just like that.....30 years!

Top of the morning to you all! Let me start out by saying I am SOOOOOO sorry that it's been so long since I've posted. Life has been super busy, wonderfully good, really hard, but super busy to say the least! BUT...I so love reading updates on all of you! And I LOVE my blog and keeping people updated on us....and I super duper LOVE pictures! LOVE LOVE LOVE them....and so I truly must make this a priority!!! Truly!! And so here goes! 

So in May...right before Mother's Day, I ran a Spartan Sprint race. YUP...I did...it was HARD, wet, and super muddy, but this Mother of 14 and Grammie of 5 made it!! Will there be another one in my future....Ummmmm....I don't think so...but we shall see! 

We had a really great summer! Really great! It went by super fast, but it was wonderful! Over the 4th of July we went camping in Bethel Maine and attended the River Rock music festival! That was awesome! Just incredible! Previously we had gone to Soulfest which was great, too, but we liked this MUCH better. Smaller, but still amazing artists! We got to see Mercy Me, and that was just great! One of their songs...Even If...has made a HUGE impact on my life this year! 

"I know You're able,
And I know you can,
Save through the fire
with Your mighty hand, 
But EVEN IF you don't, 
My hope is you alone!

"I know the sorrow 
and I know the hurt
Would all go away 
if You just say the word,

But EVEN if you don't,
My hopes is you alone!

Oh how I let these words just wash over me, especially in the hard days, and there have been MANY.....but God is faithful, and He is good ALL the time...and I'm so thankful I'm here to write about it!

I continue to press forward on my journey to fit and being healthy! I still go to the gym, and last month I went to a naturopathic doctor for some health insight. I had muscle testing to see which foods my body accepts and which foods it rejects! It was VERY eye opening! VERY....Turns out I need to stay clear of gluten, dairy, peanuts, peanut butter, cocoa and chocolate, sugar, and MSG. It's going to be really tough...especially for me...NO cheese, (and this girl grew up on sharp cheddar NY cheese! )....BUT....I'm already seeing amazing results! Amazing! And so....I will press on with this! 

We ran the Alton 5K in August. That was GREAT!

This has been a BANNER year for our garden! Amazing! We had raised 2 pigs this winter, and their pen was in the garden, and so we had GREAT fertilizer! We had an incredible asparagus harvest to start things off! 27 pickings!! 

And then we've had an abundant amount of peppers, beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, spaghetti squash, onions, corn,  lettuce varieties, yellow squash, kale, swiss chard,  peas, carrots, and we will have dried jacob's cattle beans, soon, too! Not to mention strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, and soon grapes! And an abundant herb garden as well! God has been so good to us this year in our garden! And what a LOT of analogies from scripture to gardening, and weeding, and harvesting! Take a peek at some of our amazing harvests:

This year my daughter Brittany taught me to make my own sour dough and kombucha! That's been awesome! I now have super HUGE scobys and my kombucha is doing really GREAT!! That's soooooo good for gut health!! I also did some canning and made dilly beans and pickles and zucchini relish! I purchased a dehydrator that's amazing and I've made a LOT of kale chips and zucchini chips, too! 

And......last but CERTAINLY not least.....is a surprise from our kiddos!! They gave us a get away for one night in York Harbor. They sent us to this LOVELY bed and breakfast called The Morning Glory Inn! It was incredible!  I HIGHLY recommend it! We went last weekend! We had such a GREAT time!! 
Here are some shots! Of course I LOVE the ocean! Just LOVE it! We walked the cliff walk in York, and ate lots of yummy food, too!  We met some wonderful people as well! As Glenn's Grammie Winslow would always say..."I have good kids!" and we truly do!!

And then...we came home to another surprise! The kids had put together a 30th anniversary party for us! A complete surprise! What a blessing it was! My brother and his kids came from VT, and we had a LOVELY afternoon! Thank you all so much! We received some money as gifts and we were able to purchase some new bedding which was much needed! And so I cleaned our bedroom and put up photo collages and the new bedding and it's just wonderful! Take a peek:

And so! That pretty much brings you somewhat up to date on the goings on here at Grace Abounding Farm! God has been so good to us! Thank you for your love and prayers! 

Tomorrow I go on my first Go Ruck challenge! It's a Go Ruck Light and it's 5-7 miles! Ellie is doing it with me! I PROMISE to keep you posted! 

Good bye for now! 

Love you all!

Mary

There ain't NOTHING gonna steal my joy!!!

I LOVE this song by Zach Williams:

My precious littlest grand baby Becca! She truly has amazing joy! 

Old Church Choir

Zach Williams

There's revival, and it's spreading
Like a wildfire in my heart
Sunday morning, Hallelujah
And it's lasting all week long

Can you hear it?
Can you feel it?
It's the rhythm of a gospel song
Oh, once you choose it, you can lose it
There ain't nothing, there ain't nothing gonna steal my joy

I got an Old Church Choir singing in my soul
I got a sweet salvation and it's beautiful
I've got a heart overflowing 'cause I've been restored
There ain't nothing gonna steal my joy
No, there ain't nothing gonna steal my joy

When the valleys that I wander
Turn to mountains that I can climb
Oh, you are with me, never leave me
Oh, 'cause there ain't nothing, there ain't nothing gonna steal my joy

I got an Old Church Choir singing in my soul
I got a sweet salvation and it's beautiful
I've got a heart overflowing 'cause I've been restored
There ain't nothing gonna steal my joy
No, there ain't nothing gonna steel my joy

Clap your hands and stomp your feet
Till you find that gospel beat
'Cause it's all you'll ever need, all you'll ever need
Clap your hands and stomp your feet
Till you find that gospel beat
'Cause it's all you'll ever need
All you'll ever need

I've got an old church choir, singing in my soul

I got a sweet salvation, and it's beautiful

I've got a heart overflowing 'cause I've been restored
There ain't nothing gonna steal my joy
No, there ain't nothing gonna steal my joy
Oh, there ain't nothing gonna steal my joy.

So get lost enemy! You are NOT going to steal my joy! 

This song has been my mantra these last days. Truly.....I need to keep it fresh in my day because there is nothing the enemy likes more than trying to steal my joy....trying to get inside my head and discourage me! I just need to say...."sing louder church choir!"....