My Fall Home

Fall is one of my favorite seasons!

I love the brilliant colors, the woodsy scent of leaves, and the crisp evening air.

I get excited about pulling out my sweaters and boots,

and wrapping up in cozy blankets.

It was so much fun bringing some of those elements into my home this year!

I don't think I've ever really decorated my porch for fall, other than setting out a mum.

But after I got these gorgeous pumpkins from Massanutten Produce, it all just came together.

This old hickory rocker was left at the house,

so I added a cozy flannel I found at the last Embellish sale!

I stopped in at the Blue Ridge Hospice Thrift Store and found this darling yellow garden stool.

I love the pop of color it adds to the porch!

The galvanized bucket was a few dollars at a flea market.

I created these farmhouse banners for the Barn Sale this year,

and this one ended up in my studio!

I love the simplicity of these mini white pumpkins, and used them throughout my house.

The terrarium is a great place to display seasonal items!

I put a mini pumpkin, leaf and some acorns in mine.

This is one of the many old mantles that came out of the farmhouse that was originally on this property. 

The sign is one that I painted (and is for sale if anyone is interested!)

and the ferns were foraged in the woods behind the house. 

The succulent pumpkin was a gift; isn't it adorable?!

I used my wood round to create an autumn-themed tea bar, complete with pumpkin spice tea

and salted caramel syrup! The coffee drinkers can't have all the fun.

Oh, and let's not forget all the pumpkin desserts!

It wouldn't be fall without them.

And we're on the back porch, where Hadassah is cozied up with my Aztec blanket that I purchased 15 years ago in Mexico! It's also Sprinkle's favorite spot to take a nap.

Thanks for joining me on a tour of our home!

xoxo, Ruby

Of Extraordinary Beauty in an Ordinary Day

It was a typical September Sunday afternoon.

I was weary after a long week of harvest, and could hardly wait to enjoy a deliciously long nap.

But two certain little children had no interest in sleeping,

and it soon became apparent I may as well forget those dreams!

They begged me to come outside and play,

so I let them drag me along,

still wishing for my bed.

They spotted the trees next to the hammock, and decided they wanted to try to climb them.

And I realized I needed my camera to document the moment!

They quickly discovered that climbing the tree was actually much easier than

 figuring out how to come back down! 

Thankfully, I was close by to answer their loud hollers for help!

Eddie had to spend some time working, but he joined us for game of kickball:

a favorite summer game of ours.

The girls soundly beat the boys, mostly because the youngest player didn't understand

that he was supposed to run the bases and usually managed to get out!

But we all had a great time.

Then came lots of cool tricks on the bikes,

for which he removed his shirt. Can we say CUTE?!

Never mind that we are too big to ride a trike.

It's much more fun that way!

Next, they wanted to E X P L O R E.

And I found this beautiful butterfly!

Climbing the fence is the best part, obviously.

They wandered all over the pasture...

...picked some lovely flowers for me!

and then decided that the cows just might come back into the pasture,

and that would be scary,

so they had better hurry and climb back over the fence!

And somewhere along the way,

my frustration melted away.

It was still an ordinary Sunday,

but in their childish joy, they helped me discover a day full of extraordinary beauty.

Harvest Highlights

Friday marked the end of a three-week chopping season

 for Eddie and the guys on the harvest crew!

They logged hundreds of hours on hundreds of acres over more than a dozen farms in the area.

We're so grateful for another bountiful harvest and God's merciful protection over the guys,

in spite of a rather serious accident that happened. 

I think we all breathe a big sigh of relief when this job is behind us!

Nicholas was so excited to get to ride with Papa in the chopper,

and he ended up spending hours in that cab!

This is one of the very best parts of farm life: our children getting to work with their Papa.

When the guys were working on our farm, we took four wheeler rides out to the fields.

The kids always fight over who gets to sit in the front and "help" drive!

It looks like Hadassah won this round :)

Our farm has almost no flat fields, and sometimes I get a little anxious when I ride along on the hills!

But the view sure is beautiful!

One of my jobs as farm wife is making food for the guys.

I often ask Eddie what I should make, and he usually says "sandwiches"!

I usually scoff at the idea, but when he suggested these tomato mozarella pesto sandwiches (with bacon), I decided that wasn't such a bad idea after all!

We miss having Papa at home in the evenings, so sometimes we'll go out to the fields with food

and go for a ride!

The children squeeze side-by-side on the floor while I take the buddy seat,

and we all watch in fascination as the huge head devours the long stalks of corn.

Every year, Eddie ties one ear of corn to the side rail of the chopper.

Who said men don't like to decorate?!

Taking photos of the harvest and the scenery is therapeutic for me.

Occasionally, I can get video footage for Eddie to use in his seed dinner meetings in the fall!

My favorite shots are when the chopper is breaking through the end of the row!

Sometimes, we throw down a blanket and break out the watermelon...

....and then stuff our face full and cheese for the camera!

And THIS is how we all feel at the end of harvest!

Hadassah Turns Five!

Last week, we celebrated Hadassah's 5th birthday!

Five years...since a tiny little 6 pound baby girl was placed into my arms and I entered 

the world of motherhood!

I just love watching her grow and learn and become the person

that God uniquely created her to be.

She is our artist and is constantly coloring and drawing.

She loves to dance, and was excited to start her second year of classes.

She has a servant heart, and will often say "Let me do that for you Mama, so you can just relax!"

And she is our official family doctor. Got a scraped knee? She'll find you a band-aid in no time at all!

So a Doc McStuffins party is what she requested.

In our backyard, there was a perfect spot under a grouping of trees

 to set up the party.

Even though the decorations were simple, Hadassah thought it was beautiful!

Fun fact:

We've had perfect weather to host outdoor birthday parties for all five years!

Here's hoping the trend continues.

And these three little girls have been at each party, too! 

It's so fun to watch them grow up together.

Hadassah and I had fun making these cupcakes together!

I was going to just make purple frosting, but no; there had to be pink too.

With sprinkles, of course!

Getting everyone to look at the camera at the same time

is like Mission Impossible.

But I love the way this captures their personalities!

The best part of a birthday - according to Hadassah - is opening the presents!

I took the children on an "adventure" one evening and snapped a few pictures of the birthday girl.

"I love styling, Mom!"

She's equal parts sweet and sassy!

Most of the poses were her idea! haha

And I was sneaky enough to get a few pictures of them both! 

Nicholas' hugs never last very long :)

The highlight of the evening: collecting "special" rocks.

Sweet daughter,

May the light that shines out of you only get brighter as you grow.

And may you always live life with the same passion

and joy that you do today!

Happy birthday, Hadassah Jo!