Little Acre Farm Girl

photo credit: benji-man

It's because of my friend Rachael, (who joined with me over a year ago to start our design business Willow & Juniper), then courageously stepped out in faith this past spring with her husband to take over a local coffee shop, that encouraged me to take a step back and pray, "what now Lord?"

Working alongside Rachael's creativity helped me to take a look at my gifts and evaluate what it is specifically in design that I love doing. 

I love color. 

I love nature. 

I love being outside and working with my hands.

I love being challenged.  

I love creating from what is available and...

I have always been drawn to flowers. 

(My mom loves to tell the story of me as a young girl often coming home with bouquet's "foraged" from neighbors yards.) 

At just nineteen years old I learned some of the basics in floral arranging from Norma Jean at Silverton Flower Shop and spent that summer working for a local family, bent over, cutting status and sitting on the back of a flower planting tractor. 

Over the years I've been asked to work on arrangements for all kinds of celebrations but it wasn't until a dear friend of ours asked if I would do the flowers for her daughter's wedding, (this month), that I felt in my heart I had found my place. 

To arrange flowers and bless others with God's creation brings me so much joy. 

I have a lot to learn yet but I'm going to step out to see where this path leads. 

I'm praying about going to floral school up in Portland this fall and in the between time I hope to grow this new business I call "Little Acre Farm".

The focus will be on foraged seasonal flowers from our acre and the surrounding countryside. 

It was bittersweet to part business ways with my good friend but now I see that Willow & Juniper was a kind of catalyst for us both.

A jump start to get us going where we needed to land.

Next week will be a big one for my mom and I as we prepare for our first wedding. I'm so grateful to have her expertise and wisdom to guide us along! 

I can't imagine a better work environment than our "Little Acre Farm". 

practice bouquet all foraged, even the ribbon was found from the our senior center thrift shop!

flowers from the acre...these farm girls are my favorite models

colonel sanders

"You know, it's amazing how many people look like Colonel Sanders." -Ben

"Colonel Sanders? Really?" -Mom

"Uh-huh, I try to find at least one person a day who resembles Colonel Sanders." -Ben

"But not the whole outfit right? I mean, not the black tie and white everything?" -Mom

"Oh no, not all that...just the "look" of Colonel Sanders. There are a lot of them out there." -Ben

"But seriously, The Colonel? Do like Kentucky Fried Chicken that much?" -Mom

"Oh no, it's not that at all. It's just fun." -Ben

And this my friends is what is going on in the mind of our twelve year old boy.

love this kid 

The "How"...

Abigail, Benjamin, & Elizabeth, 

Now that you understand the "why" (previously mentioned) we want you to understand the "how"...

Your parents hope to live love and grace daily through our words and even more so through our actions. 

Because we have made a decision to follow Christ with our lives we embrace His Word to be our guide. 

His Word is full of instruction, encouragement, and life. 

It is not easy to submit to the will of God and trust that He has a better path than the one we would choose for ourselves. 

Okay, so back to the subject of homosexuality...

Daddy and I have homosexual friends. 

Yes...friends. 

This is something that the world right now can't reconcile in their minds..

If we disagree with a lifestyle choice how can we be friends? 

If we voice our hearts and convictions in opposition to homosexuality we are compared to bigots, extremists, narrow minded hypocrites, homophobes, or worse. 

But nothing could be further from the truth. 

The decision to not a raise a rainbow flag should not be compared to being a white supremacist or book burning nazi. 

Daddy and I welcome homosexual friends to our table with open arms just as readily as they have welcomed us. 

We sit down together and talk. 

We laugh together. 

We listen to each other.

We respect one another. 

We are honest. 

The "How" for us is here...in our home. 

An open door to understand where a heart is coming from does not mean that we have to re-arrange our convictions to make one another comfortable. 

We are genuine in our faith and our love should mirror that of Christ. 

The love of Christ was most misunderstood by his church. 

Jesus was a renegade when it came to crossing barriers of religiosity...

his dinner companions had some "reputations" to say the least. 

Jesus asked questions. 

Jesus listened. 

And above all else, 

Jesus loved without compromise. 

So, this is our hearts too...

loving in spirit and in truth. 

We are all created equal in the image of God. 

Every human, born and un-born, should be treasured and loved. 

We hope to live out this "how" here every day. 

Enjoy this beautiful world! 

"The earth is full of Your lovingkindness O Lord..." Psalm 119:64