FarmWife- Me. A late 30's Stay-at-Home-Mom to the four FarmHands. Married almost 14 years to...
Husband/FarmBoy- the love of my life, father of my babies, bringer of my bacon, and my own personal space heater. He mows the yard and cleans the pool. Guess that makes him my sexy gardener and pool boy, too. Now if only I could train him to bring me drinks with little umbrellas in them...
BabyGirl- Our headstrong, determined, imaginative 13 year old daughter. First born. Not a bit bossy. (Sarcasm doesn't read well, does it?) She has suffered from Sensory Processing Disorder, but is doing much better now, post Occupational Therapy and sensory diet. She's the ring leader and keeps the others entertained with shouts of, "Who wants to play a game?" that she is (naturally) in charge of. Ending her grade school days this year and cheering are her 2 main concerns.
#1 Son- Our kind, sensitive, intelligent, and hysterically funny oldest son. He's 11 going on 48 some days. He keeps us on our toes with his constant questions and frequent bear hugs. He's helpful around the house and farm and protective of his younger siblings. And like an elephant, he never forgets...unless it's about something he's told not to do.
B.B.- Our wild child. He's only 15 months younger than his big brother. A miniature version of his father. He's fearless. He never slows down. He is rarely quiet. He's our little guy, but he's tough as nails. He climbs higher, runs faster, and fights harder than any of the others. I suspect he loves deeper, too.
Bitsy- our book end girl. She is a near carbon copy of her mother at the same age, except a bit on the shy side. Anything the big kids can do, she must try or tell them they're doing it wrong. And don't think that just because she's only 7 that she doesn't know what's going on. She's scary smart and is sure to keep us on our toes. Just don't mess with her baby dolls, purse, make-up, or shoes. This one is our fashionista and the little mother to the others.
The Queen Mother (QM)- also known as Grammy to the FarmHands and Mama to me. She helps me maintain my sanity mostly during long phone calls to her Petite Realm in Tennessee and her pretty frequent trips to visit the Farm. Grammy is one of our very favorite people around here.
Daddy- My daddy, as the name implies. Also known in these parts as Pa. Married to QM for 3 years longer than I've been on this earth. My first favorite man. He spoils us all, worries about us all, and works hard to keep us happy and provided for even when we've been out from under his roof for years.
Bubba- my media crazed baby brother. Married to Beck, and obsessed with all things movies, anime, and cosplay. We've never had a boring day with Bubba around.
Princess- my fashionista little sister. She entertains me and keeps me well dressed while helping me balance out the craziness that is our brother. And she can decorate a mean Christmas tree! She's also mother to my perfect, fat boy nephew, H.T. (Heir to the Throne). He is Awesome, just like his Aunt FarmWife (go ahead, ask him. He'll tell you). The Boy is on a mission to steal my Oscar nod for best dramatic performance by a 7 year old.
Busha and Bucka- My maternal Grandparents- QM's mother and father respectively. They live 7 miles from us and therefore are a big part of our lives. I don't know what I'd do without them nearby. They've taught me so much about love and life. Their support has kept me afloat since relocating to the country. I rarely go a day without talking to Busha.
Grandma and Grandpa M and M- My Paternal Grandparents. Daddy's folks. They live 3 hours to our north, so I don't see them as often as I'd like. They are generous, kind, loving, and caring people. I've learned so much from their example. They moved into an independent/assisted living facility a few years back and Grandpa's heath is declining. We're happy to have all the time with them the Lord allows us. Edited: We lost Grandpa in August of 2013. While our hearts are broken, we know this world is not our home and those were not our final goodbyes.
Having two sets of living grandparents makes me an interesting study for a mid 30's something. All 4 have instilled a love of the Lord in their children and therefore in me. They've been wonderful role models for me in the areas of Christian living, marriage, family, and hard work.
Uncle Gick and Unkie Di- My aunt and uncle. The reason I moved to the country in the first place and met my FarmBoy. Uncle Gick is QM's youngest brother. They've been surrogate parents to me when I need them and surrogate grandparents to the FarmHands. Uncle Gick takes us farming! Unkie Di should actually be 'Auntie Di', but when you're 2, 'Auntie' is not always easy to say. And have I mentioned they have a camper? How cool is that?
Uncle E and Aunt C- Husband's aunt and uncle and our frequent saviors. The FarmHands would move in with them given half a chance. They're our go-to babysitters, and my go-to sanity saviors!
IT Superguy (formerly known as NM) and A Starry Night- IT Superguy is Uncle E and Aunt C's oldest son. He and A Starry Night were married in August '10 adding to our extended family. He got a wife, I got a wonderful new friend, and B.B. got another girl who tries to kiss him much to his chagrin. IT Superguy is our resident Tech Geek and A Starry Night may be the only person in a 100 mile radius who understands my obsession with Jane Austen and Zombies.
Art the Omnipotent- My BFF 4-Evah! (Yes, deep down we're really 15 years old) Former roomie and current partner in crime. I think my husband is secretly glad we live 5 hours away from each other. I'm not sure he could deal with the craziness that ensues when we are together. Together we speak in movie quotes, preform Ice Capades in my mother's kitchen, and spontaneously burst into song. She's the ringmaster of a rather wild circus of Rapscallions (as QM calls them) including Syd- the acrobat, Lu-lu- the walking brain, and Mr.CA- the daredevil (her three can be easily compared to my three oldest....like slightly larger carbon copies).
And last, but not least, Inkling- My newly converted Canuck cousin. She lived in the STL until a certain former lifeguard (Henry David) swept her off her feet and away to the Pacific Northwest. Mama to one beautiful and exceptionally expressive Grasshopper. I spend a lot of time wishing they lived closer and a lot of time being thankful that they have each other.
