An Ode to Toyota

Today I said goodbye to a member of my family. 

She was there when I met Cam. 

She was there for my high school graduation. 

She was even there for my first and last day of college. 

And after countless vacations and memories, I have traded her in for a newer model. 

Yep. I said goodbye to the Corolla today. 

She was a great car, but it was time for me to move on. 

To bigger and better things. 

Like signing paper work. 

By myself. 

Talk about being an adult!

And while the Corolla was a great car, 

I am so excited to start a new chapter in my new 4runner!

One full of adult things. 

Like weddings. And houses. 

Teaching careers. And eventually babies. 

I love Toyota, but I really love my 4runner!

Pickle Juice

I smell like a pickle. 

An extra juicy vinegar filled pickle.

Not from eating them but from making them. 

My aspiration is to be a modern day Suzy Homemaker. 

Quite literally. 

Supper served by 6, house clean as a whistle, and craft projects galore. 

One day I will be that complete package, but until then I will settle for letting a "glimpse" of her surface every once in a while.

Tonight she showed up while Cam and I made homemade pickles. 

I felt right at home slicing and dicing in the kitchen. 

He cut the onions, because they make me cry every time, 

and I prepared most everything else. 

I would like to say I made my grandmother's recipe, but I chose to try my hand at refrigerator pickles instead to get my feet wet. 

You can find the original source of my recipe here.

I adapted this recipe by adding red onion to my jars instead of red peppers and cauliflower. You can pickle anything, but cauliflower didn't sound too good to me. I think the carrots give the jars a nice pop of color though, and pickled carrots are actually quite delicious! All 8 jars sealed after canning them, which means we don't have to refrigerate them after all.  

In a few days we will open a jar to test them, but I think the others will do best to sit and season for a month or so. I'm excited to try them, and even more excited to let my inner Suzy shine in the future with more than just pickle juice. 

Greener Pastures

So this happened yesterday.

Cam hopped in the bucket of Mr. Jimmy's bulldozer to trim up some tree limbs. 

It made me nervous at first, but he seemed to be having fun. 

Sometimes that's all that matters. 

After trimming several limbs and an hour or so of work on the bulldozer this...

Has become this!

Work is finally underway to build us a driveway!

Many thanks to Cam for helping clean this area up.

Pretty soon we will have a new drive and a greener pasture to boot!

Sloppy Seconds

For those of you that have ever owned chicks,
you know that they're messy eaters.

And for those of you that haven't, now you know.

They're messy.
Like hopping in the feed trough, spilling more feed
than what they eat kind of messy. 

And when you have more than one feathered friend 
eating from the same trough, the messiness just gets multiplied.

We feed our chicks scratch feed once they lose their "fluff."

It has sunflower and corn seeds in it, among other things.

And when you have messy eaters, these seeds get all over the place.

And sometimes, they plant themselves.

We currently have three corn stalks and four sunflower plants
growing in our backyard.

I guess the chickens wanted a little more "character" to their yard.
It's been a nice little summer surprise!

She's a Layin'

We had a bit of excitement yesterday. 

Dad came running in the house at dusk saying, 

"Ahna, grab your camera and come look!" 

I didn't know what was going on, but grabbed my camera anyway 

and went outside to see what all the fuss was about. 

Dad was standing by the Pheonix pen pointing at the ground.

So I walked over, went inside, and found this. 

Our very first Pheonix egg! 

It's so tiny, but absolutely perfect for pickling.

When Dad checked the Dominique house they had an extra egg too.
Look what beautifully brown eggs our Dominique is laying! 

That means we have two new egg layers on the farm. 

That's five eggs a day y'all, in a range of sizes.

Our girls weren't supposed to start laying until August. 

I guess my calculations were a little off, but that's alright with me!

Post-It

 

My life is a series of Post-It notes right now.

They're making millions off of me, honestly.

 

Go buy more books.

Label my books.

Organize my library.

Build bookshelves.

Paint the bookshelves.

Book the florist. 

Pay the jeweler.

Call the trailer guy.

Order save the dates.

Decide on invitations.

 

And the list goes on...

 

I'm getting a little overwhelmed by all the things I have to do this summer. My brain is in constant motion thinking about what is to be done, bought, or paid for. I seriously have about 12 different to-do lists in three different notebooks. And some where in the middle of all those lists, normal life has to continue. I'm beginning to question whether or not I can get everything done in the next two months, and more importantly if I will have the funds to do so. But I know that no matter what, My God will provide.

 

Philippians 4:19

"And my God will meet all your needs according

to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus."

 

 

Jaquarium

I have always wanted to hatch chicks in my classroom.

 

I can remember this being a topic of discussion during Easter dinner several years ago. My family and I sat around my grandmother's dining room table debating the type of incubator I would need and how many I could hatch.

 

While I haven't had the chance to hatch eggs in a classroom of my own yet, I was able to help another classroom full of kids experience the miracle of eggs hatching.

 

A month ago one of my coworkers asked if I could provide her with fertilized eggs. She admitted that she knew nothing about incubating eggs, but she wanted to try because it's something she remembers her teacher doing for her class as a kid.

 

We ordered her an incubator off of EBay since ours was occupied at the time.

It was only $20, and was most definitely a to-go container with a Christmas light stuck in the side. We both laughed hysterically when it arrived because we could have made the same thing ourselves.

(Genius marketing by the company, I should take notes.)  

 

So we set the incubator up, and began the 21 day count down to the hatch date.

Sarah and her "hall buddy" Karri rotated their roles as "momma bird," turning the eggs daily, twice a day, at the same time each day. Incase you didn't know, incubating eggs is truly a science.

 

Yesterday was the 21st day, and we had absolutely no activity. I was preparing Sarah for the reality that our babies may not make it. Then, when I arrived at school this morning Sarah came running down to my door ecstatic because there was a crack in one of the eggs.

 

I checked in on the egg periodically throughout the day, monitoring its progress. I was truly hoping that it would make it so these sweet babies could experience the miracle it truly is. When I left school there was still but a small hole in the top of the egg. Then, not an hour after leaving, I got a phone call from Sarah.

 

I'm pretty sure the conversation went something like this:


"Ahna! It's Sarah. We have a baby chick! He just hatched and he's flopping all over the place! I think he wants out. What do I do? I think he wants to walk on the ground." While trying not to laugh I responded with, "He's fine. He needs to stay in the incubator so that he can dry off. Does he have enough room to lay in the incubator?" To which Sarah said, "Yeah, but he can't stand up. I think he really wants to get out."

 

After reassuring her that the chick would be fine, I hung up the phone.

Ten minutes later I got a picture of the little guy.

 

 

Precious right?

And they've named him Jaquarium.

 

Wait until I tell Daddy that one...

 

Here Comes the Bride

I bought my wedding dress.

Let me say that again.

I BOUGHT MY WEDDING DRESS!

Last Saturday some of my family and I went wedding dress shopping. My mom and I had already "pre-shopped" on Valentine's Day to get an idea of what I liked and didn't like. I wanted to save everyone the hassle of traveling place to place if I didn't find "the one" on our first outing.

So back in February we went to Divine Design Formalwear in Trussville. They were very friendly and so helpful! I had a specific dress in mind, but it had since been discontinued. I tried on several dresses anyway and ended up absolutely falling in love with one. It was nothing like what I originally wanted, but it was absolutely perfect. I wanted my family to help me a make a final decision though, so I chose three dresses that I liked, the one I loved, and told the clerk that I would be back soon with everyone.

And, two months later, we purchased my wedding gown!
  

Surprisingly, no one cried.
Although I suspect there were a few tears shed behind closed doors.

While I can't share a picture of my wedding dress with you, I can share a picture of us from lunch after we purchased my gown.

I am so grateful I was able to share this special day with my mom, my aunt, both my grandmother's, my future mother in law, and my best friend (not pictured). These ladies have watched me grow and have supported me every step of the way.

I am so excited to have them alongside me on the day they play

"Here Comes the Bride."

Oh Baby Baby

Back in March we lost our beloved Wendy to a hawk.

My mom was devastated. My dad was disappointed.

And I was mad.

After losing one of our main egg layers, we decided to incubate some eggs.

About four weeks ago these sweet babies were born.
This picture was taken when they were just four days old.

My cousin is the incubating champ! He incubated six eggs for us with some of my aunt's Swedish eggs as a "trial run" for our Dominickers. Three out of the six eggs made it, and all three hatched!

This next week I plan on incubating a dozen or so more eggs to hatch and sell.

Here's to new babies and new life on the farm!

Busy As a Bee

Wednesday the power at work went out. While this may not affect most businesses, everything we do is based off the internet. Even the phone I answer.
So we shut down for the night.

Which was nice, because for once I was at home with my family on a week night.  

And what better thing to do when you're home than check on the livestock?

My aunt and cousin bought two bee hives last year.

I don't know too much about them yet, but I do know that they don't sting you every chance they get like most people think. They're fairly calm, and a marvel to watch. 

But, sadly, the hives from last year both died. We're not sure exactly what happened, but we're pretty sure it had a lot to do with the wet weather. My cousin was heart broken. And mad. Very mad. He cleaned the hives of what little honey they had created over the summer, and left their empty shells sitting in the yard.

Until about two weeks ago, when he and my aunt bought two more bee colonies.
   

So, since I was off work, Cam and I were able to go out with my cousin to check on the bees. Monday's storms knocked the hive tops off, disturbing the colonies. We thought we had lost our queen bee. Which is pretty serious. Apparently if the queen moves off or dies, the entire colony goes with her. So you need a queen to survive. And a replacement queen is expensive.

So off the hive top went, and out came the combs. Pretty neat, huh? All those little guys are taking pollen off our property to provide enough good stuff for our queen bee to live off of. And to produce the yummy thing we call honey.

I told you they were a marvel to watch.

And good news too! We found both the queens. One in each hive. So no more worries about buying an expensive replacement or losing these new hives.

All is right on Payne Family Farms.

We're just keeping on keeping on, busy as the bees.  

We're Adults Now

Cam and I went window shopping for furniture this evening. 

The last time we went window shopping we came home with a $600 TV. 

And, naturally, tonight we purchased furniture.

$3700 worth. 

I'll let that sink in for a second.  

Our very innocent trip to Room's To Go turned in to a quite expensive one. We went in expecting to just browse for furniture, and came out with a bedroom suite. A whole suite! I'm actually quite excited now that I've gotten over the sticker shock. 

Furniture is expensive y'all. 

Cam and I decided we loved this bedroom suite the minute we saw it. It was elegant, rustic, and solid. And on sale. Who can beat a sale right? We actually saved $1500 alone on our king sized mattress. $1500! After he told me the price of it, I was sold. I figured what's the harm in just buying the mattress, right? 

And then our lovely salesman mentioned that our furniture could be delivered as far out as six months. Six months you say? Don't mind if I do. 

And so the shopping began. 

We actually found our bedroom suite quite quickly. I told Jeff I wanted a dark expresso colored platform bed. He lead us to the exact bedroom I had described, but it just didn't feel right. I kept telling Cam that it felt too "upitty." So, per my remarks, Jeff asked what we really wanted. I then told him that we wanted something rustic which I was positive they didn't have. But I was wrong. And Jeff didn't disappoint. 

This absolutely perfect king sized bed will be delivered to our new home on August 2nd. We just bought our first real furniture! I feel like an adult. 

An in debt adult, but an adult nonetheless. 

Family

Yesterday I spent half the day researching our birds. They're known as Heritage breeds and I wanted to know how we could register them as such to prove them meaningful.

 

 And that got me to thinking-what is the meaning of heritage anyway?

  

It means so many different things to so many different people.

And it's honestly lost on some, they don't care where they come from.

But I think deep down each of us has a desire to belong, and part of that belonging is knowing where your roots are.

 

 

For me my roots are on a 60 acre farm that was started by my great grandfather many years ago, when it was much bigger than just 60 acres. He raised his children there, my family. My grandfather. Who raised his family on the same land, my father and my aunt. Who have since raised my cousin and I there too.

 

But you see, heritage is much more than a piece of property or the four walls of a house. It's nestled down deep in your inner being, at least it is for me. My heritage has made me who I am today. It's just as much a part of me as the farm I live on, yet it can't be defined as any one thing. It's everything.   

 

If you asked my grandmother what is most important in life, after God she would say family. And she's right. My family, my heritage, is so much a part of me that I couldn't function without them.

 

 

We get together for every birthday, graduation, celebration, and holiday.

 

Those are the times I look forward to. Sitting around my grandmother's dining room table talking about life, her worn white bowls serving creamed corn and field peas. These moments in time mold me. They are what creates this thing called heritage in my mind. It's tradition and familiarity. It's my family.

 

 

I pray that one day when Cam and I have children, that they will feel the way that I do. They will be fascinated by their family members, present and past, and form a curiosity to learn everything they can about them.
It is up to us to carry on a family heritage.

 

One strong in Faith, Love, and Family.   



It's Delicious

Yesterday Cam and I tasted wedding cakes.

That was a challenge in itself considering cakes are made with sugar,
and sugar is only allowed on the weekends in our household.

But we made a decision none the less.

We will be having a three tiered carrot and vanilla wedding cake.
And let me tell you, their carrot cake is delicious.
Which is inadvertently a play on words,
considering our cake will be from Delicious Bakery.

My absolutely positively very favorite cake is carrot cake, which Cam just so happens to like also. That works out nicely for us, but not everyone shares our taste buds. Hence the need for the traditional vanilla cake option in the center tier.

If there is one thing I'm excited to eat at this wedding, besides macaroni and cheese, it would be carrot cake.
Delicious!

Don't Stop Believin'

Cam and I are planners.

We are also dreamers.

And for every dream, we have a plan to make it a reality.

 

Our dream is for our farm to become a household name.

And while we have many plans in place to make this a reality, it is still a process.

One that the Lord has His hand in completely.

 

We can try and plan all we want, but in the end He already has it planned out for us. So it doesn't matter how many numbers we crunch or which livestock we decide to invest in, if we are meant to be full time farmers, the Lord will find a way.

 

My fiancé wants to be able to wake up every morning knowing that his job is waiting for him in the field, not in a building down the road. He wants to look out over the fields while he is drinking his morning coffee and see a pasture full of black angus cattle calling his name. He wants pastures full of hay that need bailing and fences that need mending. And as his future wife, I want this for him too. 

 

But it will only happen by the Lord's grace, and a lot of hard work.

 

 It has always been a dream of mine to marry a farmer and raise our children on a large farm with rolling pastures and a white picket fence. When I met Cam, I knew I wanted to marry him despite him not wanting any of these things. But the Lord works in mighty ways! I don't quite remember when Cam decided that he wanted to be a farmer "when he grew up," or what exactly sparked his interest to do so. I can just remember being elated at the idea of him wanting to continue on my family's farming heritage.

 

The Lord was planning our farming future well before we even met.

 

It is amazing how God works if you will just let Him!

 

 

Deuteronomy 28: 1-11

If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God:

You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country.

The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock—the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks.

Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed.

You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out.

 

The Lord will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven.

The Lord will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to. The Lord your God will bless you in the land he is giving you.

The Lord will establish you as his holy people, as he promised you on oath, if you keep the commands of the Lord your God and walk in obedience to him. Then all the peoples on earth will see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they will fear you. The Lord will grant you abundant prosperity—in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your ground—in the land he swore to your ancestors to give you.

Now That's a Bargain!

Judging by the amount of furniture in my parent's garage, 

I may have a craigslist addiction. 

Cam and I will be moving in to our own home in 6 short months!

And why pay full price for anything when you can get it a little used, but cheaper?

For the past month we have spent every weekend going to get something for our new home. Cam told me I wasn't allowed on craigslist all week just so that he could rest today. I don't really blame him.

However, I did find a great deal on a patio set this morning! 

Even though my online browsing has consumed his weekends since February, I don't think he's complaining too much. We currently have a desk, curio cabinet, gun case, dresser, refrigerator, oven, and three bookshelves awaiting their place in our new home. And the best part? We purchased everything for less than what a brand new refrigerator would cost!

I don't think he realized he was marrying a bargain shopper at first, but I think now he's pretty proud of it! Especially when it means I'm saving him money. 

Just Do It

I have a Nike obsession.

It's a bit problematic.

And almost as big as my boot collection.

I honestly don't know why I started to accumulate tennis shoes, but I have at least three pairs in my closet at all times.

I bought my newest pair last week as a weight loss reward.

I'm not one to talk about my weight. Ever.

It's been a struggle for me since I was quite young

and has never been a topic of discussion.

Until today.

Cam's the only one that has ever made me feel secure in my own skin. He's also the one that drug me, kicking and screaming, to the gym two years ago. I resented him for it at first because I thought it meant he wasn't happy with me. That he wasn't attracted to me because I didn't have slim hips and a flat stomach.

I have since learned that I wasn't as secure in my own skin as I once thought. He wasn't doing it for him, but for me. He wanted me to be healthy so that I could live a long life with him and our future children.

In the beginning I despised the gym. I went basically to pacify Cam. I had no interest in running, lifting weights, or even sweating for that matter. I went only "if I had time" and made excuse after excuse as to why I didn't go. But as time went on I realized I needed to make a change. So I began to take my time in the gym more seriously.

About a year and a half ago I changed my diet and began eating more pure. No chemicals, no dyes, no GMO's or gluten. Just food, raw and whole, the way it's supposed to be. I went from dragging my feet and putting off exercise to making it my priority. And guess what? My efforts began to pay off.

But when my school schedule became more involved, my gym time became less and less consistent. I went from being in the gym daily to maybe once a week, if that. And less gym time meant a lot of muscle loss.

I was mad. I went from loving the gym to despising it yet again. It betrayed me. All that time I spent there and I had nothing left to show for it.

After graduation in December I made a vow to myself that I would work on me again. School was over, and I had no more excuses to separate me from my goals.

By mid January I was in the gym consistently again. And now, almost two months later, I am where I was on the scales before school took over my life. That alone is motivation for me!

I decided to write this post today on a whim. It's not for a pat on the back, or recognition for my dedication, but for motivation for others that may be struggling like I have. It's not easy, nor is it meant to be, but in the end it will pay off. Stop putting yourself down. Don't make excuses. Get off the couch, get out of the house, and 'Just Do It.'

Sunny Side Up

I've totally dropped the ball on this blogging thing.
I apologize.


As of yesterday all four layers are producing eggs!

The ducks look ecstatic about that, don't they?

The girls have become such proficient egg layers that they will lay quite literally anywhere.

Their new favorite spot? The yard.
I feel like I'm on an Easter egg hunt every time I go out to gather eggs.

Mom bought this nice ceramic egg holder to put our eggs in. It holds a dozen at a time, but now that we're getting four eggs a day we need about six of them.
With the way they've been producing we'll be able to start selling eggs soon, I am excited about that!

Last weekend we tried our eggs for the first time.
After all, you have to try your product before you can sell it.

They. Were. Delicious.

I prefer the duck eggs over the chicken eggs, they just have so much more flavor! See how much darker they are than the chicken egg that's on the right?

If you've never tried a duck egg, you're missing out!
Especially when they're sunny side up. 

The Welsh Women

We finally have two productive groups on the farm!

Introducing Lou and "the girls."

The females truly don't have names, because it's difficult to tell them apart. "The girls" suits them nicely, until you try and call one of them over.
Then it's like, "Girl. Come here girl." 

Awkward. 

We've had these sweet babies since New Year's, however they haven't been contributing members until today.

Cam texted me this picture just a few minutes ago with the title,
"We've got a new egg layer!"
That's right, we now have duck eggs people!

This fine cream colored sphere is the product of one of our Welsh Harlequin ducks. We acquired this sweet trio with the help of my cousin, some construction paper, and a little slick ninja action. Now THAT'S a story for another day. Anyway, Welsh Harlequins are actually quite rare with only 5,000 breeding pairs left in the U.S. However, they are also one of the best egg layers around. So those eggs you see? They're kind of a big deal. From now until the girls last days we can expect to find duck eggs in the nest almost daily. Excited is an understatement when it comes to these deliciously rich things. 

Omelet anyone?

Chicken Feet

In all of my 22 years, I never once thought I would ever have to rub a chicken's feet.

Yet, here I am on a Sunday afternoon doing that exact thing.

Crazy, and gross, I know.

When we got our beloved chickens last Sunday we were told, "And by the way, they have scaly leg. But don't worry, a little treatment and it will clear right up."

Have you ever googled this junk? Do it. I'll wait. It's GROSS.
Scaly leg is basically the infection of the chickens scales by tiny microscopic mites. When they infect the feet they make the scales raised and irritated, causing the feet to be very sore. If the infection gets bad enough they can lose toes and even their entire foot. Thankfully Captain and the ladies weren't to this point yet, but they weren't far from it.

So, how do you kill this disgusting condition? Vaseline.

My grandmother has always said that Vaseline is good for everything. Got a cut? Put Vaseline on it. Got a bruise? Put Vaseline on it. Dry skin? Put Vaseline on it. You get the picture. It's become a running joke in our family, to the point that we buy her tub after tub for every special occasion.

But it turns out Grandmomma was right, a little Vaseline goes a long way. It actually smothers the mites that are currently living under the scales, kills them, and allows the legs to begin the healing process. After treating our chicken's feet daily with a Vaseline mixture, they have finally begun to heal. I am quite excited about the progress we have made, because let me tell you, this stuff is gross and tough to get rid of. While I didn't think to take any pictures of their poor feet before treatment, I did take one today.

See the nastiness up on top of her pitiful leg?
 But would you look at all that new skin forming above my thumb?!
Excited is an under statement.

I was originally told that it would take up to two weeks to see an improvement, but seeing such a vast difference after just seven days speaks volumes. I do believe we're on to something, and it's not just chicken feet. 

For the Love of Chickens

Ah, Valentine's Day. The day where you get candy, flowers, and cards. Right?

Wrong. 

Not in this house anyway. 

This year for Valentine's day I got a very nice pair of amethyst earrings…
and a rifle scope.

Yep, you read that correctly. And I couldn't be more excited about it!

My darling fiancé received truck parts.
An EGR delete kit sounds like a lot, but it's really just a fancy term for an over priced metal pipe.

But would you look at his face? 

Pure elation I'd say, and definitely worth the spike in my credit card bill. 

My parents went a completely different route for Valentine's though and bought each other live animals. 

Yep. Chickens to be exact. 

Introducing Captain and his girls, Wendy and Thumbelina. 

We drove two hours out of our way on Sunday to get these babies, and while we saw some beautiful countryside on the trip, two hours is a long time for some chickens. Captain and his girls are Dominickers, or Dominiques, as they are more properly called. Dominickers are considered a heritage breed of chicken and have become quite difficult to find. My father had Dominickers growing up and has wanted some of his own ever since, so when I found these beauties on Craigslist I couldn't say no. They're already pulling their own weight too!

Ta-da! Our very first egg! 

When we left Beulah, Alabama with the chickens on Sunday afternoon the breeder told us they wouldn't start laying again for a few weeks due to the cold snap. But when dad went out to the coup yesterday he found an egg, and a pretty one at that! 

Did I mention that we also got some babies? 

Seven to be exact, four Dominickers and three Golden Pheonix. 

The Golden Pheonix is an exotic breed, and while the babies have a while to grow, they should look something like this: 

Would you look at that tail?! Simply beautiful. 

I am excited for what this new farming chapter holds for our family. 

Cam said at the end of the day Sunday, "Ahna Becca, I'm starting to feel like a farmer." And since he's spent the entire evening looking at cattle trailers, I believe he truly is. 

Perfect Timing

Three years ago today my fiancé asked me to marry him. 

We met when I was a senior in high school. I knew he was the man I was going to marry within three months of dating him, although he probably thought I was crazy. Most all of our friends did. They thought we were too serious too fast, and maybe we were, but look at us now. 

We had been together barely a year when we first looked at engagement rings. It was an accident really. We had originally gone to Kay's to look at necklaces, but while we were there I happened to glance at the wedding rings. And there it was. THE ring. My ring. 

I asked the lady behind the counter if I could try it on. 

As she was handing it over, the questions began. 

"When are you getting married?" 

"How long have you been together?"  

"Would you like to apply for our Kay's card?"

Cam and I hadn't even seriously discussed marriage yet, what was I supposed to say to this woman? All I wanted to do was try on the ring. It glistened beautifully on my finger. I didn't want to take it off. I simply told her that we planned on getting married within the next year and thanked her for letting me try it on. Cam agreed that it was a beautiful ring, but that he wanted to keep looking before we decided on one. My heart was already sold, and apparently his was too. 

Three days later he left early from work and bought my engagement ring. I guess he knew, just like I did, that he had chosen me as his wife well before we had discussed the idea of marriage.

The ring I desired lay tucked away in Cam's bedroom while I drug him to countless jewelry stores for the next year. I'm not sure why he waited so long to propose, just waiting for the right timing I suppose. A year and a half after Cam bought my engagement ring, he dug it out of the top of his closet and prepared for my proposal. 

It was Valentine's day weekend, 2011. Cam had a night of surprises awaiting me. He wouldn't tell me where we were going or what we were doing, just that I was to show up at his house ready to go. When I arrived at his house he immediately ushered me to the truck and blindfolded me so I couldn't see where we were headed. About forty-five minutes later we arrived at P.F. Chang's. I was very excited because this was my favorite "special" place to eat, but when we got inside we found out there was a four hour wait. Naturally Cam hadn't thought to make reservations, so we had to make new dinner plans. 

We ended up at my second favorite restaurant, Stix. We got a table with our favorite cook, Charlie, and several other couples. Halfway through our meal one of the men called attention to the restaurant, got down on one knee, and proposed. Cam said later that he had originally planned to do the same, but thought it would look like he was copying him and didn't want our big moment to be cliche. 

After dinner we got back into the truck where he blindfolded me again. Cam drove me thirty minutes down the road to the park where we shared our first kiss and he originally asked me to be his girlfriend.  Here he got out of the truck, ran around to my side, opened the door, and proclaimed that I could take off my blindfold as he knelt on one knee. 

The excitement I felt on that day is nothing compared to the excitement I feel now as our wedding day approaches. Today I am more in love with this man than I ever thought I could be on that day three years ago. 

A Small Seed

I admit, while my fiancé wasn't exactly the outgoing "country man" he is today when we met, he wasn't exactly a city slicker either. 

Cam grew up on 20 acres in Montevallo, Alabama with his mom, his two sisters, and his sweet grandparents who he called Momma Teen and Dad. From what I hear, Dad was one of the most innovative men of his time. He grew up in the great depression and learned to make a name for himself even without graduating high school. He was a jeweler, a salesman, an investor, a coal miner, and a decorated war veteran, as well as a bit of an entrepreneur. While Cam didn't grow up on a farm, Dad still taught him a few things about country living before he passed. One of my fiancés greatest memories as a child was riding on the tractor with Dad. To this day he says that tractors give him peace because of it, which comes in handy when our fields need to be bush hogged. 

Here is sweet "baby" Cam and his grandfather, Dad, doing what they did best. 

I am forever grateful to this man that I never had the pleasure of meeting. He created a gentle spirit within my future husband, as well as an appreciation for the outdoors and working with your hands. Dad planted a small seed of farming in Cam a long time ago, it just took me coming in to his life to help it grow. 

The Beginning of a Lifetime

You may read the title of this post and think 

"'The Beginning of a Lifetime', what does that even mean?!" 

Let me explain…

I started this blog to document the new life I have begun, a life with my fiancé. 

Here we are. Aren't we precious?

We've been together six years this October, which just so happens to be the month we get married. 

I come from a long line of farmers.

This is my great grandaddy, my grandaddy, and my sweet daddy. 

Notice the overalls and straw hats, us Payne's are kind of infamous for that. 

When I first met Cam, he was far from any kind of "country boy" I had ever known. But the longer we dated, the more attracted he became to my family's country lifestyle. My great grandaddy, John Oscar, was a true farmer from what I hear. He had cattle, hogs, and a garden some city slickers would dream of. My grandaddy took on most of his stock, but as he got older he got rid of it piece by piece. Now our family just has a yearly garden and corn patch big enough to feed the whole valley, and some times we do. Cam and I developed big dreams of becoming all organic farmers, but we weren't sure how quickly the idea would take off with my daddy. So, about a year ago we decided to branch off from the family farm and start our own farm together. But once we realized how expensive it would be to start over, that idea didn't last long. Plus I didn't want to leave my daddy alone to do all the bush hogging and seed planting by himself. 

Now we have big dreams of expanding my family's old farm and starting an organic farm with them, together; one that my daddy and grandaddy would be proud of. 

This blog is about us, our adventure together as newly weds, 

and our beginning as organic farmers.

The beginning of a lifetime of happiness, hard work, and family farming.