We are Growing!

Summertime naturally lends itself to growth, and we’ve been following suit! We’ve added four Golden Comet chickens to the farm, and Adam has named them “The Golden Girls.” They are starting to lay some tasty eggs for us, and we also hope that in letting them free range our pasture, they will help with insect control, as we’ve had a tick outbreak here in Davidson County this spring. I went to pick the girls up in the Acadia, and transported them in the dog kennel - It was quite comical to look in the back seat and see my new passengers!

Another exciting addition to the farm is a two year old mare named Hanna, that I purchased as a project - at least until Amelia is old enough to get started. A friend of mine knew that I was shopping, and she told me about this mare that a cowboy was using to day work on a cattle farm in Virginia. At first, I was skeptical, but the more I looked at her, the more I could see potential through her rough edges. I’ve been working with her going on six weeks now, she’s making good progress. When you’re the one doing the training every day, it can be easy to loose sight of how much progress the horse makes over time. In light of this, I will be documenting Hanna’s progress over the coming months through video updates, uploaded to YouTube for anyone who is interested. You can watch the first two videos here.    To have the files to look back at years from now will be a good reminder, and an interesting case study, for sure.

I’m excited to see what Hanna will turn into as she learns to find her balance. In developing her physically, she will become more confident mentally, and my goal is always to build a horse that will trust me no matter what I ask of them. She may not look like much today, but she will be something to behold one day! This is what keeps me going ❤️

In the garden, I’ve been harvesting romaine lettuce, spinach, broccoli, and now the cucumbers are coming on — Today I’m firing up the water bath to can the first batch of dill pickles! We’ve also been enjoying locally grown strawberries and peaches, summertime delights! Hopefully you’ve been enjoying some local produce too.

Adam is two weeks into recovery from his lower back surgery, and is getting better every day. We appreciate your thoughts and prayers; this has been the second back surgery in a year for him and we pray it is the last, and that he will regain his strength and remain pain free. We have a lot of living left to do together, and we are reminded that the pain Jesus endured on the cross was so much more than physical pain. He also shouldered the weight of human depravity for us.

“Christ, the one who created the lush, green world and brought life and wonder from nothing, reaped the consequences of sin for us. Now we’re no longer bound by crushing circumstances or stuck in unrelenting strongholds; we are free, and we are finally okay— more than okay— in him.” — Gretchen Saffles, The Well Watered Woman

There’s so much to be thankful for when we remember what Christ has done for us and in us! So many reasons to worship, even when circumstances don’t change, because the posture of our hearts shift when we look to Jesus.

“The earth will bring thorns and thistles to you, but if they bring you nearer to God, they are the best crop the ground can grow!” — Charles Spurgeon

Blessings from our family to yours,

Rachel & Adam Hilton