4th of July 2026 - 250th Celebration

 

We had a very blessed 4th of July. Being surrounded by family right now is a gift that I cannot ignore. 

When the evening sunlight came out over our little gathering, I was reminded of some beautiful photos I took with my Canon from last 4th of July and haven't edited. (I'm trying to learn a new software that is free, and at my age, the learning curve plus the time I have available to dedicate to it, has proven a challenge! Haha!)

So I ran inside to get my camera, and both batteries needed charged! Whoops! That shows how long it's been since I used my camera last... and that needs to change! Ekk!

Here are some photos of the day just taken on my phone. :)

Tyrel bought a huge flag to put up at his shop for the weekend. :)

We enjoyed watching the train take off, some music, and ice cream at Cass.

I saw a patriotic goose similar to this at Hobby Lobby a couple months ago, but decided not to spend the money on it. Shortly after, I was browsing our local Dollar General with my mother-in-law and sister-in-law... and spotted this cute little duck that was similar size, but just plain. So I bought it and some other things to turn it patriotic. It was a fun little project. :)

Also, my Sister-in-Law, Summer, got me hooked on the idea of a tiered tray to set out on the kitchen table. Shana gave me this tray since the one I had did not have tall enough tiers. It's been fun to decorate!

Shana's amazing fruit pizza! 

Tyrel put off a wonderful fireworks show for us! :)

Since not having Lightroom (and while procrastinating learning new editing software), my latest creative outlet has been creating short home videos on my phone of different events in our life. I have some posted publicly on my Youtube. But some of the more personal ones with my boys and family have private links. :) I'll share link of one I created of our 4th of July celebrations this year.

https://youtube.com/shorts/zUgis6CxGN8?feature=share

I'm so thankful for this country we will in, and the freedoms we still have! <3

-MarLeahJoy

The Best Version of Yourself

note from July 2026

In some feeble effort to get back to using my Canon camera again, I am looking back through photos from last year that I need to blog. I quit my Lightroom (photo editing software) subscription last year because they just kept upping the price, and my need to use the software professionally kept going down as I am more busy with my family, keeping up with Tyrel's shop bookwork, and cut-flower gardening. Not to mention the whole year of 2025 we were deep in a remodel project to get a new shop location up and running for my husband. 

So in my dive back into blogging, I noticed several old blog drafts that had never been published. I might publish some of them sprinkled in with current updates. 

~ January 2018 ~

I know we've all heard in conversation about that one person that is just extremely easygoing, the one that's always wearing a smile, or the person that "you just can't not love!" You are normally sitting in a circle of people who feel equally inadequate to being called that "GOOD girl/guy." So it's okay... you all accept the fact that maybe you aren't the perfect person like some people may be, but you are all in the same boat... so it's just okay.

What I'm learning is that we can all be "that person" or we should try our very very best. We won't be known for the same exact good trait, and we certainly won't ever hear about it... (rather, for humility-sake we probably shouldn't.) 

Becoming one with another family and community has really made me question who I am. I see more how my actions and words (and first impressions) really effect other people... and then circle back to me again. It's been a real eye-opener, let me tell you. 

Recently, I listened to a message on Kindness... (Listen to it here! It's really good!) It really

In other news, I've been making some random changes to the house. Ever since I took Christmas decorations down, it's felt extremely empty here.

 I stripped the windows of the curtains to re-hang the rods... It really bugged me that the curtains were hung so low that they drug the ground. (Right now I'm enjoying using the same curtains that were here until I get an inspiration for anything different.)

Here's a low quality, real-time photo of it from my webcam... I'm sitting here in the recliner with the dog Benji on my lap, so no moving... ;)

I can't say I'm supper impressed with the change yet because it just needs more. So we'll see. :)

And yet another low quality photo of something I was able to hang after some re-arranging freed up some wall space :) It was a sign I made for our wedding that I had a vinyl sticker saying on... I took off the vinyl and am using it to hang souvenirs and photos (still to be printed) from our honeymoon and other travels. :)

I'm very happy with this corner that was created in my kitchen by moving the hutch over here. Tyrel got me those pretty glass canisters for Christmas... AND he got me a sewing machine that converts into an embroidery machine! :) So I made this little sign to hang.

And a snowy backroad adventure...

Another little craft that I can share now. I painted these for my mother-in-law for Christmas, so now I can share them. :) It was a fun little project!

Blessings!

-MarLeahJoy

Summer Vacation

We enjoyed a trip with Tyrel's family to Rehoboth, Delaware in June! 

The weather was perfect! But the best thing was the secluded beach we found that you could drive out on! 

We enjoyed flying kites, playing in the waves, and soaking in the sunshine, but we came back the next day to take family pictures. I am in love with how the pictures turned out!

the boys love their Aunt SumSum!

"Mamaw and Grandad"

We had already taken the big group family pictures, but I drug everyone together for one more family picture when the sky changed and the clouds were these beautiful soft shades! Hehe, it's all about that lighting! 

Zane and Summer 💗

Little Link stinker!

 

-MarLeahJoy

September 17, 2024

We have been doing homeschool PreK for 6 weeks now!

It has been so fun and good to add that kind of structure to our days! At first, I worried how we would fit one more thing into our days, but after some adjusting and learning the routine, it goes quite smooth.

Here's a poem Rhett memorized in the first two week:

The Swing

By Robert Louis Stevenson

How do you like to go up in a swing,

   Up in the air so blue?

Oh, I do think it the pleasantest thing

   Ever a child can do!

Up in the air and over the wall,

   Till I can see so wide,

Rivers and trees and cattle and all

   Over the countryside—

Till I look down on the garden green,

   Down on the roof so brown—

Up in the air I go flying again,

   Up in the air and down!

It is so cute to hear him say "pleasantest thing" ;)

 -MarLeahJoy

 

August 3, 2024

As a little girl, I was always fascinated with going fishing.

So much that I begged my dad enough times that we finally bought our licenses and went when I was a teen. We didn't catch anything, but I do remember sitting on the dock in the rain. I remember that my daddy took me. :) 

So last year I took the boys about this time in August. Link stayed in the stroller some of the time, other times I was wrangling him and putting worms on hooks all in one. We caught several little fish that we released back, then Kaitlyn and Eddie joined us and we got to take the boys out on some kayaks on the water. :)

But on this particular day, last Saturday, I was un-usually tired... I tried laying down for a nap while Link was napping. But sleep wasn't coming, and I suddenly had the thought to take the boys fishing and I completely didn't feel tired anymore! Ha! 

So I snuck around and gathered our gear while Lincoln continued to nap. And we headed down to one of the little fishing lakes in our county. Tyrel was occupied with prior plans this evening, so it was just me and the boys... me trying my best to figure out what bait the fish might bite! 

They caught a little salamander first :)

Rhett was all into the fishing this year and loved doing it himself! 

Sadly, he didn't even hook anything. But we sure enjoyed the outing!

-MarLeahJoy