Well, I’m mucking my way through the week at work, missing our long 4 day weekend. Boy did I have a good time being home! I got to have Speedracer all to myself on Friday while the older two were in school and then we picked them up as soon as school was out (3 pm rather than 5:30 pm!) and headed home for the rest of our weekend. How did we start our special time together?

By cleaning the chicken house, of course.

We started by gathering our supplies and tools. And boy am I thankful for having what we needed at our finger tips. I am thankful that, by His grace and our hard work, we can provide for our daily needs.

“Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.” (Ephesians 4:28)

The Ladybug and I usually have to tag team the big jobs...

And I’m thankful for my hard-working crew. Without them, it wouldn’t have been nearly as much fun.

“In all labour there is profit: but the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury.” (Proverbs 14:23)

...Cause the boys have their hands full.

I’m thankful that we got to have both quality time and quantity of time together this week (although it’s never as much as I wish!). It’s a nice little social lie that quality time somehow makes up for lack of time. It doesn’t. (Although if it’s all you’ve got to work with then it’s all you’ve got and you’d better make the most of it.)

“Therefore, my beloved bretheren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as you know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 15:58)

After I clean out the dirty nesting material, they refill the boxes...handful by little handful.

I’m thankful that God has provided us with the farm and that the farm provides us with meaningful work. Character-building work. Family-building work. Directly reaping-the-fruits-(or eggs)-of-your-labor work. Do you know how many biblical teaching moments I have found in that dusty chicken house, surrounded by eager little minds just waiting to hear how much God appreciates their hard work and cheerful attitude?

“Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.” (Matthew 9:37-38)

That is the look of trouble, folk. T-R-O-U-B-L-E.

And, of course, I’m thankful for the occasional sawdust fight. Now that’s free family fun for all ages!

“And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” (Isaiah 35:10)

That definitely looks like a threat to me...

Yep. It was. See the Ladybug hustle out of there?!

And the Cowboy says, "Game On!"

I’m also thankful that God has provided us with a house to retreat to when we’re done for the day. A roof over our heads. A Mr. Fix-It to help provide it (he was working while we were playing).

“But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.” (1Timothy 5:8)

Then I dump the rest in the middle and they spread it on the floor.

And I’m thankful for a slate tile floor for us to sleep on.  What, you ask? You mean, you don’t know the health benefits of sleeping on the kitchen floor after momma mopped up all the farm dirt (again)? Just ask Speedracer. It’s his favorite part of  doing winter chores!

I've got way to many of these pictures from the last couple weeks--it's becoming a habit! 🙂

“The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.” (Ecclesiastes 5:12)

{This post is linked up at Home with the Boys. Click Boys in Motion to see more busy boys!}