The Bigger Picture

On Monday, I said "It's been a long week!" It was indeed a long week. A GREAT week but a long one! So long that today is Saturday and I try my best to make a blog post by Friday of the week!

When we bought our homestead, we couldn't find our mailbox and assumed we had to dig a hole for one. Turns out, this beauty is ours and it was on the street behind us so the mail person only has to make one loop through our village. When we bought the house, we of course made the usual Amazon purchases. Ironically, now seeing the bigger picture, it's amazing how many boxes fit in our mailbox leaving our mail lady to not have to go out of her way. She fits them right into the mailbox. The bigger picture? Absolutely!

My stove is a fancy one from my appliance selling days. A number of weeks ago, I realized the oven was taking far too long to preheat then far too long to cook anything. Most ovens use a bottom element for baking and a top element for broiling. Mine uses both to fast preheat then cycles from top to bottom when baking for a more even heat. After some online trouble shooting, I determined that the broiler igniter wasn't functioning. I ordered the part and installed it this evening. With some help from Homestead Phil, we now have a functioning oven again!! The oven has a "warm" setting for keeping things warm and a "dehydrate" setting. When I bought it, I never in a million years thought I would ever dehydrate anything. Now, every hunting season, Homestead Phil takes over the oven for a few days to make homemade venison jerky. The bigger picture? Oh, yes!

#TompkinsPalooza2018 - Last year about this time, I determined that we were going to be very purposeful with our time making sure we scheduled activities and visits with friends and family. If we don't schedule it, it won't happen. We logged thousands of miles on our RV last summer traveling to see friends and family while experiencing many first for our foster son. It was really more about him but Phil and I certainly had an incredible summer! That was appropriately named #TompkinsPalooza2017. Now comes #TompkinsPalooza2018! We have been moving along with our Foster to Adopt process. Before we know it, our girl will be living with us full time and not just having short visits and short phone calls! This picture is when we were picking her up the last time! (I bet you almost didn't recognize us without our Rent The Chicken blue on!) #TompkinsPalooza2018 is well on its way with our girl! It's crazy... she looks like us! Her therapist openly admitted that God has been preparing her and us for her to be with us down to the detail of her having my eyes and round face with Phil's smile. The bigger picture? Only by God's love and grace!