# 431 - The Forest and Family

This past weekend my niece came for a visit. Shaye is six years old and the two of us have an extremely close bond.

As for us moving, she's seen the process of selling a house take place. Over the past several months she's observed the For Sale sign go into the yard; she's heard us talking about people coming to see the house; and she knows that a family of six is moving into the house, but she's never been to our acreage. So, she really doesn't understand WHERE we are moving to, except through pictures.

 

But, right now, we live less than ten miles away from Shaye, so we get to see her at a moment's notice, if we want. However, most of our gatherings are scheduled in advance so all of us can make the best of the arrangement.

 

Having Shaye around is hysterical because a six year old is unpredictable and a straight-talker.

 

And when she's at our house, we keep that kiddo BUSY. I suppose I came from a background that encourages children to be active, to explore, to be challenged to use their brains, to enjoy heavy outdoor activity and hands-on projects NOT completed by the ADULT.

 

Over the past couple of long visits to our house, Shaye and I put in some heavy-duty time toward making a home-made felt story-board. Initially, we spent five hours cutting felt designs out, with the help of a pattern. Then, we went "artistic" and off-pattern.

 

 

The above story-board showed Shaye's creative imagination...she explained this story-board as a scene with one girl wearing a bracelet as she holds a duckie and her "imaginary friend" stands next to her. Who would've thought a six-year old would make a story-board with an imaginary friend?

 

The photo below she titled, "The Life-Cycle of a Tree" and when I first looked at it, I was a bit confused, but she explained. "The blue drop at the base of the tree is tree-seed, then there is sun, rain and growth so that the tree grows big with a beautiful flower!

 

I look at Shaye and wonder, "Are you really six years old?"

 

 

 

I attribute her Tree-Life-Cycle knowledge to the fact that her daddy is in charge of the church garden which grows vegetables and fruits for charitable purposes. Nearly every weekend, they are doing something with the garden, from sowing seeds to harvesting the crop.

 

My own children grew up helping me with a garden that I grew every year. For years, my husband would only help prep the ground for the garden and the rest was up to me. So, the girls really got to play a part in gardening. 

 

Yearly, I started seeds inside the house and soon my girls knew exactly how to pick a ripe tomato or they would be eager to run get a bell pepper needed for dinner preparation. My oldest daughter Heather is pretty awesome at gardening at her own house near Fort Worth, Texas. She has a beautiful ornamental garden, and every year, her vegetable garden expands.

 

Heather is pregnant with her first baby, so I hope that, one day, her little girl will also be given lots of outdoor time with her mother in the garden. Digging in the dirt with your mom or dad is really special. Those moments are so sweet. 

 

Anyway, Shaye loves to be at our house, and she loves doing projects, but in a few days, we won't have a house!

 



After a long day, Shaye and I were sitting on my bed looking at Facebook pictures her daddy had recently posted...he's a professional photographer on a stellar level...for real, he works for NASA.

So, Shaye and I were checking out some weird photos, laughing and acting silly, then in the middle of the hopping around, she accidentally put her foot on my face. WHAT?

Of course, I made all the sounds of disgust that one would make after a foot touches their face and this prompted a bit of foot/face craziness that had her laughing so hard that she collapsed into a torturous rolling fit of giggles.

Soon, we were taking pictures of the silliness, and I told her that this nuttiness meant my face needed a serious disinfecting.

Since we're moving in about three weeks, I hope that Shaye will adjust to the major changes. No longer will we have this house that she calls a "mansion."

Thank God.

But, I am hoping she adjusts to the country environment and doesn't miss this house too much. I have a feeling, with her personality, she is never going to want to leave our acreage. She's already been asking if we can get her a horse.

I keep trying to prepare her for the environmental difference she will encounter...no small back yard or neighbors in sight. I explain that her aunt and uncle will actually live IN A FOREST. I don't think she'd be able to grasp the concept of this kind of life until she experiences it.

Since we don't yet have a house on the acreage, in three weeks we will discover the forest might be the only home we own!

Looks like RV shopping is again on our list of priorities.