Camp-Meeting and Pasture Reclamation work

* note from July 2026 *

Here's another old post that never got published. 😜

This was right after the men had built our new tabernacle for holding the camp meetings here.

I did not have any writing done on this post, so all notes are things written currently in remembering that time.

2018 Camp-Meeting and pasture reclamation work

It was so fun having my cousin, Mecia, visiting... and my cousin Bretton in the background as well. (At that time, Bretton normally came to every Camp-meeting out here 😊)

A group of the young people taking a hike. We normally try to take the young people on a neat hike every year. Tyrel headed it up a lot, but this year, he was too busy working. So Summer and I planned the hike to a place we would go hunting in the winter. Turns out, there was no view at the top like we normally got, since the leaves were very 

Several of my cousins! 😊

Loading up straw to take up to the Pasture Reclamation Job.

Random pictures from back at home. One evening, Summer and I wanted to see the sunset, so we climbed on the roof of Keith's hay barn to enjoy the view. 💖

At this point, a lot of Tyrel's work was for the forest service doing jobs that his Dad would bid on. A lot of times it was me and Tyrel doing certain jobs by ourselves, but on this job, the whole family came out. I even remember Tyrel's Grandad being there. (Who just passed away this last June in 2026)

Oh, the wonderful memories! I vividly remember Grandad eating vienna sausages out of the can that day. (Something most of us had in our lunch boxes along with a sandwich.) 😋

Just the other day, we happened to drive by the place that Tyrel rented this straw spreader from... I wouldn't have remembered that detail otherwise, but it was actually a 4 hour round trip to pick up this spreader, and another 4 hour round trip to return it later. Oh, the joys of living so remote! 😁

-MarLeahJoy

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