It's been a LOOONG time since the last blog entry ... at least in time. I've been moving everything over from my old platform so it feels like I'm adding new blogs ALL THE TIME, especially if you haven't read some from the past and wanted to catch up.
The problem is most of the old posts are VERY out of date. I mean - there's still 6 of us, Gymnast (still a gymnast), Twinkles (still blows your socks off with his grinning twinkling eyes), Orangutan (I miiight have to come up with a new name for her... I mean she still sort of has red hair, and she sort of occasionally clings onto me, but it really doesnt' fit her anymore) and Little Love (she's still my liklik Love, and I often give her credit for giving me the passion to teach my kids more about PNG life, culture, langugae i go i go.
I'm still married to Mr. Barefoot, who continually goes ... barefoot. We just got a wall hanging from his aunt that states if you're not barefoot, you're overdressed. Yep - she got us right. My kids have races around the house OUTSIDE in the dead of winter.. barefoot. Oh yeah, we don't live in that 1500 square foot house anymore.. we're in a mansion on just about 5 acres... so it's a lot of running barefoot.
Ok, let me rewind. It's not REALLY a mansion, but... I don't know. I call it a mansion because it's more than I or any of us deserve, and the Lord blessed our socks off and gave us this glorious house and land and I feel like a princess, living in a mansion that I don't deserve. So yes, it's a mansion.
If you used to follow my website/blog, you might remember the tag line "Morobe Meri to Minnesota Meri?" Well that's gone now, cuz I"m no longer a Minnesota Mommy, I"m now a Wisconsin Mommy... but that just doesn't have the same ring as before - so it's gone. Gotta come up with a new tag line.
Or maybe I'll just keep it Islands Girl Adventures. I really like that. A lot. It used to be "Islands Girl Navigating an Un-Island World", then became Islands Girl Adventures, and finally Island Girl Adventures and Consulting when I merged my blog (Islands Girl) with my business "Tradition's Kitchen."
No idea what Tradition's Kitchen is? That's fine, check out more info here, or take a look at my shop here. My shop is far from complete - I have LOT more classes to offer but, like I mentioned on my home page - this just isn't a priority right now. Priority is my family, my husband, my animals, homeschooling, my church and community.... and then in between I try to fit in blog/work time. It's like the self care that is preached until it bubbles out of my ears on a regular basis. I get it - get self care or you go crazy. Thanks for reminding me 20 million times today.
We moved in the craziness of 2021... yeah, I'd still call 2021 crazy. Our house in Minnesota was feeling VERY small. As our realtor said when doing a walk through "WOW, you re BUSTING our of these walls." Yea, thanks Mr. Travis for pointing out the obvious. We debated about building on, or moving farther out into the country in MN, but everything was just too pricey. So we began looking elsewhere. The process of getting out to Wisconsin has the Lord's fingerprints all over it, and I'll share more of that story some time later I think. But, short story is we ended up selling our house, Grandpa Yes's house and a bunch of our stuff, and moving out to a massive 4000 sq foot house in the country, on about 6 acres. Big change, but SO SO good. It's been one of the BEST things I think we have ever done for our family.
I know everyone is so into minimalism these days. But man! I tell ya, moving to a bigger hosue with more space totally helped me stay more organized and feel less crazy. SO I say - UPSIZE!!!
I am getting to live a dream I've had since at least high school. I remember very clearly telling a friend in 12trh grade that all I wanted to do was grow up, find a sexy amazing perfect husband, have a bunch of kids, and live in a big house out in the country with a bunch of animals. And look at me - I am. It's mind boggling to me the Lord said YES to all my dreams!
Isn't that what it says in His Word though?
Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
I can't say I've always delighted myself in the Lord, but over the last 5 years I've been working towards that and learning what delighting myself in the Lord means. I've been shredding off the pauper version of Islands Girl I was raised in, and stepping into the Islands Girl QUEEN the Lord has always wanted for me.
I've lived in a poverty mindset most of my life. Five years ago, I truly believed that I'd be outside heaven's gates, begging for gold, and I was SO THANKFUL I'd be there vs Hell. I knew I belonged to Jesus but looking at where I came from, what I've been through - NO WAY would God allow me into "real" heaven. I'm content, SO content resting outside the gates, getting the breadcruumbs of his majesty and beauty.
What I've been learning these last 5 years is that there are NO BEGGARS and NO ORPHANS and NO BREADCRUMBS with Jesus. We're the only ones who hold ourselves in that box, and honestly put the work the Lord did on the cross to shame. He didn't die so that I can be a beggar. He died so I can boldly, with my head held high, walk through that ripped curtain and stand by his side, or throw myself in his arms. I'm his princess through and through and its about time I began living like one.
That's been what he's teaching me. And now he's given me a mansion to live in. I can't even imagine the mansion he's making for me in heaven, but I tell ya, I'm excited. Because I'm his princess and I know he loves me, so it's gonna be great!
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