Who We Are – Gather & Grow

I do not know a joy more thrilling than the first

I do not know a joy more thrilling than the first snow of the year! What fun, what fun.

This is the first cut bouquet I made all season. I

This is the first cut bouquet I made all season. It took the threat of frost to get me out there! Elsie is good about cutting flowers to bring inside, but I think I had this in the category of ‘not-totally-necessary’…you know, with lots going on with kids and a farm. But that was the wrong category! I enjoyed cutting the flowers and arranging them so, so much (which shouldn’t be a huge surprise since I’m my mom’s daughter…) Anyway, we were suddenly motivated to keep these beauties alive a little longer so we covered the tall celosia late last night and woke to a site very much like ghosts in the garden. But it was just flowers tucked in for the frost.

Elsie said to me, “mom, my history text book has

Elsie said to me, “mom, my history text book has ideas for family projects and usually I just read about them and move on, but this one wants us to make a model of Stone Henge with Rice Krispie bars and I think we should probably do it.” I told her this was a good catch. Her education would suffer if we missed this project…

It was discovered a few weeks ago that the same Sa

It was discovered a few weeks ago that the same Saturday Alden turned 7 was the same Saturday we were butchering 90 chickens. Obviously a chicken birthday party was coming our way. 🎉🐓🎉 I blogged about the whole thing: family-scale butchering and this epic hen cake. www.thegrovestead.com

My very favorite part of our Gather and Grow Farm

My very favorite part of our Gather and Grow Farm dinner fundraiser was my dad praying before the meal. Which is saying a lot because the night was without a hitch, the kids played beautiful music, the people gathered were salt of the earth and the food was fantastic. Rory and I gave a presentation telling stories and sharing pictures. But man, when my dad prayed I could feel a peace fall on the room. He was asked in the moment, mostly to get him to stop talking to the caterer…but then he started to pray and you know, I grew up hearing him pray every Sunday at church, each time we ate, and every night when he tucked me in. But it had been a while. And it was so special to have his blessing over the whole night. I just don’t want to ever forget that.

Tonight we have our annual fundraising dinner for

Tonight we have our annual fundraising dinner for Gather & Grow, and I thought I’d extend the invitation to give and support this two-year-old ministry. The Lord is doing a mighty work, turning the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers. We are going toe to toe with the some@pretty huge cultural giants saying the trade of relationships and intact families for material wealth and consumption was a poor trade. It has left us yearning for community, friendship and meaning. Which is where the family economy comes in. I could write a book right here- but Rory already has! 😅 So just know that we need partners in this work. You will be joining an effort that is just beginning. It’s exciting! Go to gatherandgrow.us and on the Give page you can join as a Giving Partner. (And I’ll send you a copy of that book!)

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