S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y Night!

Party, party, party at the Boyle household! Early bedtime for the kids, special dinner for Andy and me, and an extra episode on Supernatural on Netflix. Yep. We're crazy, wild people! HA!

Nate and I started putting up Halloween decorations today. Started with the orange lights and the ghost that makes scary noises as it zips along its line. Tomorrow, we'll put up the blinky ghosts lights. Not sure how long we'll be able to wait before we get the pumpkins. Nate is really excited about Halloween this year. In fact, he is really upset when he sees the Christmas decorations out at Walmart. "Halloween isn't even over yet!"

The homestudy visit is over. It went well. We're trying to decide what to do differently this year. What MORE to do. Any ideas?

Mary confesses!

It must be said!

I'm an animal-loving, potato-eating, out-loud-laughing farm girl who has been transplanted into Butte, MT. I still long for the wide-open spaces of my youth.  

I love seeing field upon field of wheat, potatoes, and barley growing beneath a clear blue sky. The smell of freshly cut alfalfa fills me with joy, as does the site of ripe wheat in the golden afternoon sunlight. And, most of all, the site of baby animals--even the cows!--just tickles me to no end.

I'm most comfortable in jeans and a t-shirt. I think a baked potato and a nice grilled steak are fine dining (sorry, vegetarian and vegan friends!). I think kids should play in the dirt, make mud pies, and know the joy of finding a litter of kitties in the hay stack; they should sleep out under the stars, climb trees, and watch thunder storms sweep across the fields with awe and wonder.

I sometimes dream about living among pine trees, far up in the mountains my mom taught me to love. I still consider the mountains a place apart from the rest of the world . . . almost sacred; a place where I remember who I was and still am, a place where I can immerse myself in God's creations and feel close to Him.

Life's journey has taken me out away from the farm (but thankfully kept me close to the mountains). But beneath the citified, scatter-brained exterior beats the heart of a simple (still scatter-brained) farm girl. And I wouldn't have it any other way!