Celebrations and Freedom...for others

Summer has officially started, at least that is what the weekend felt like with all of the family, friends and cookouts.
We had friends over Saturday for another family movie, only this time we had food and BBQ and delicious pies and slaw first.

 The kids endured the heat by running through the slip and slide.

 The sand box and tire swing were also played with, as well as the trampoline. It truly is a kid paradise around here with so much land to run and play upon.

The blue go-kart was used to drive on a track that we mowed through the pasture. This was all pre-movie entertainment. Lets' not forget the wonderful friends we were all able to visit and laugh with..good times.

 Fletcher has gone from crawling one week to pulling up the next.

 He even stands with only one hand for support. He's quite proud too!

 He's a sweet, sweet, boy......

His ONLY fault would be that he likes to teeth on people! In fact the girls call him "Zombie Baby" because he is constantly biting. OUCH!

 The 4th would not have been complete without more friends and family. We had ice cold soda and kabobs on the grill.

 More fun was had hanging outside, trying to climb trees and running through the pasture.

It was the first 4th without my dad, and his birthday was also over the weekend. To say that we were not all a bit melancholy would be a lie. This was a first, another step towards moving on with our lives and it was very bitter sweet. But then, anytime we move forward it is bittersweet because in order to move forward, we must also leave something behind.
We rounded the night with fireworks galore and went to bed that night exhausted but happy that we could have such a fun festivity here on Barefoot Farm.

 Yesterday we again played outside at a church where the big girls attend their Civil Air Patrol meetings.

 The kids love to swing and also climb the poles on the swing set. It was approaching bedtime, but decided to go grab a treat at Sonic and play outside anyway.

 This little man enjoyed sharing my Oreo Blast. Oh, it was so, so yummy! It was also great to again just hang out on a quilt with him. No agenda. No chores. Nothing but hanging out.

 A last minute gift from a dear Aunt was a huge success. The kids ran around for an hour playing with bubbles.

Tomorrow we hit the lake for some more family time. More food. More Fun.
It's amazing that in these times of poor economic times, we are chock full of blessings. Anyone in this great Nation can become anything.
This is where I turn your attention to North Korea. Yep, I thought about the poor people of that country all weekend. Amid my many blessings, there are people across the globe who have nothing. NOTHING. They have no voice, no food, no hope. Imagine for just a minute that you had been born there instead of here. I have one video for you to please watch. My dear friend Lisa made it over the weekend. The pictures are from her trip last April to South Korea. You might shield young eyes, as it is graphic at times. The drawings are from stories told by defectors who escaped.




After a huge weekend of celebration, what is a child's life worth to you? What can you spare so that ONE person can escape from the horrors in North Korea? Can you spare $10? $20? It's really that simple. I am raising funds for 318 Partners so that they can help a REAL person leave that horrible country. They cannot save everyone, you cannot save everyone but we can save at least ONE person. We can change their world for good. Imagine if you were on their side of the world and we were all over here celebrating with all of our food and glory and drink. Would you want us to dig deeper and find a few dollars to help? It's not much money, even in these times. You can read about the raffle and how you can participate HERE. I am only $400 shy of my goal and not only are the prizes fantastic, you would be helping someone who is truly in need.

I know the times are lean but honestly, you can find the means to help. You do, after all, live in the country of Hope and Prosperity, and Free Speech. You are not under a ruler who joyfully ties pregnant women up and cuts their babies from their bellies. You are not under an oppressor who tortures and starves his people. You can find the money to help. You can be THEIR VOICE!

So let's make this happen! Let's give 318 Partners all of our support....

and enjoy your week:-)

"...once our eyes are opened, we can't pretend we don't know what to do. God, who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls, knows that we know, and holds us responsible to act."

Proverbs 24:12