Just an extrovert learning to be still.

Over the last year, I've felt my life become almost rehearsed. I felt myself begin to get comfortable. I knew what my days would look like and what was planned. Life revolved around the kids schedules, school, sports, AWANAS.. Life trucks along, and everyday I would think,

Oh, I'd like to change that.

Or 

Oh, I wish I could make more time for that. 

Oh, next week I'll begin working on that. 

From making more quiet time with the Lord, to taking an evening walk with my family, I felt myself desiring to do them, but not being willing to step out of my routine I had established for my day. It probably sounds funny to some of you.. adding an evening walk?? That doesn't sound too difficult.

But something in my brain just wouldn't let me. Life was rolling along just fine, I was content, sure, there were things I would like to do differently or thought about doing differently, but my life was working. Why rock the boat.  And it had NOTHING to do with my body image or the way I was feeling about myself. (That's another blog post entirely if we are being real)

I started to feel the Lord calling me to make a few small changes. Get up an hour earlier, take an evening walk, give Him more of your time. I started making the connection, that the desires (or habits) I was wanting to add to my life, mostly revolved around setting up some quiet time into my day. The Lord wanted me to give him some quiet time. 

My TIME!?!? Lord? You want my time??? And you want me to be still? Not busy? 

Oh I just don't know about that. My time is everything to me. My time with my kids, with my husband, with our businesses. I keep super busy, and I LOVE it. The more the better, sure I love a good break once in a while, but I'm an extrovert. I want people, I want chaos, I want interaction. 

But quiet time by myself?? Sure I love a good bath once in a while, or a trip to see my sister for a few days alone. But devoted time everyday to be still and quiet. That is difficult for me. I feel the Lord calling me to take that time. I know He wants it from me, and I fight it with every inch of my being. I'm up in the morning and I'm going, finding something to do, something to accomplish. 

The idea of sitting in a comfy chair, with a cup or chai, and my bible with soft music playing sounds AMAZING. And in my head I can imagine how it would go. But getting myself to act on it, that's another story. The Lord wants my time. I know He does. He wants me to be still. He wants me to stop and fix my eyes and ears on him. And I fight him. He's been pulling at me this past year, and I struggle giving Him what he asks of me. Quiet time with God does not come easy for me, and it's not because I have 4 kids.. I have the time. I can make the time. He more than deserves my time, it's because of Him I have time. And I'm grateful for that. 

I have started looking at my life and thinking, what goals am I setting for myself? What am I doing to work on me as a Christian, wife, and mother? I'm a good mom and a great wife. I work hard everyday. I never thought slowing down would be my problem. But the Lord is calling me to take a step back, a deep breath, and be still. Be quiet. He wants me to listen. The Creator of the universe, the One who created me, wants me. He wants me in his word. I've prayed he can change my attitude, change my hardened heart. I want Him to take my unwillingness to change and change it! 

My family is making a huge move to a very, very small town. I've struggled with the fact that my kids will be leaving their  friends and activities. One of my first priorities was to make sure I would be able to fill those activities with new opportunities for them. If we can't do this then we will do that. I've struggled with leaving my friends and family, my people. I love my friends. Currently I know 1 family where we are going.

As I've processed this move over the past two weeks, I've gone from being sad and (a little angry) to being ecstatic! All this time of being afraid to rock my boat, or slow down. The Lord is now providing me with a home away from the distractions I have allowed in my life. A blank canvas to create the time for Him. I've been fighting this idea of "stillness" and "quiet" for so long. Don't get me wrong, my kids and I will still be involoved in many various activities. I'm an extrovert.. bring on the people! God made me to LOVE people. He made me to love being busy. He created me to serve him and to be active in our lives. But he also has called me to obey his commands for my life. I know He wants my quiet time. I know He wants me to be still and listen to Him.

So here goes nothing!! 

I'm a God created extrovert, learning to be still and quiet. I'm learning to listen. And I cannot wait to see where He takes me. 

The Swenson Family : The End of 2014

2014 was a year for growing for the Swensons. 

The Swenson girls continue to grow. 

 JK Swenson Livestock continues to grow. 

Our strength and love for the Lord continues to grow.

The Swenson family continues to grow.

In July 2014 we found out we were expecting another little Swenson due March 28, 2015.

I am in between 25-26 weeks pregnant with another little girl. Her name is being kept a secret, but people are more than welcome to guess :) She is a mover. Measuring perfectly. Everything seems to be going very smoothly. Due March 28th, 2015.

MadiLyn Gayle... what to say of this vivacious, cuddly, smart, little cutie. MadiLyn has really come into her own little way of things the past few months. She has developed a cautiousness of strangers... or even people she hasn't seen in 48 hours. She is becoming much more vocal, learning new words everyday. She adores her sisters, EmiLia especially. Many times I will find her having climbed in bed with Emi at night. She loves dogs. She also LOVES meat. Give that girl a steak and she will devour it quicker than her Daddy. Madi loves WordWorld DVDs. MadiLyn also has a slight obsession with shoes. And by slight.. I am joking. She LOVES them. Rubber boots, sneakers, mary-janes.. really anything she can get on her feet. She is a light in our lives and we love her more everyday. She is a spunky one!

EmiLia Jean.. aka Emi. EmiLia has one of the most tender hearts I know. She is very sensitive and needs her daily dose of cuddles and words of affirmation. She is still my girl who will run directly into a pole.. even if she is looking right at it or trip over an imaginary line on the carpet. She puts a smile on my face every day and knows how to keep it there.  EmiLia's speech has been thriving since she started speech therapy back in April. She loves having "her own thing". She works on her words daily and is always trying to learn new words to impress us with. EmiLia played t-ball in the spring and I coached her U-6 soccer team this fall. She also enjoys going to Awanas on Wednesday nights. In March, we had a Frozen themed 4th birthday party for her. She loves singing and dancing. She also loves spending time cuddling up and reading books. EmiLia enjoyed going to Disneyland in October with Grammie, Bapa Scott, Mom, and KaiLey Jo. She dressed up as Cinderella for Halloween while there. 

KaiLey Jo Mychal. Oh my sweet girl. I am having a difficult time being ok with the rate at which this daughter of mine is growing. This past year she has changed from the "little" girl to the "big" girl. She has learned to read. Is soaring through math. She continues to be home schooled and loves it. When asked if she would maybe want to go to public school next year it was an ummm... NO mom. (Made me feel like I was doing a better job than I was giving myself credit for) She lost a whole mouth full of teeth this year. The front 8 are gone and adult teeth have grown in! KaiLey has a pretty busy schedule. This fall we allowed her to add a new activity to her plate, tumbling. She loves it. The improvement over the last 3 months has been really neat to watch. We also added piano to our school day. She loves going to Ms. Sue's for her lesson once a week and is faithful in her practicing. She also has enjoyed Awanas for her second year this year. She played softball in the Spring. It was a new sport for her but she got the hang of it and is excited to not be the youngest on the team this next year. John coached her U-8 soccer team this past fall as well. She got her American Girl Doll "Sofie" for her 7th birthday this year. Where we had biscuits and gravy for dinner at her party. KaiLey Jo has a very tender heart. She is very, very kind. She loves other people, and is a prayer warrior for anyone who is in need of prayer. She is very motherly towards her sisters. She has thrived with new responsibilities this year. She is SUPER competitive.. she comes by it completely honestly ;)  KaiLey has enjoyed learning to really read this year and is working her way through the books in our house. She enjoyed going to Hawaii this year with the family and really loved Disneyland in October, where she dressed up as Sleeping Beauty for Halloween. 

KamBria and John :) Well it has been a great year.

John and I have been very busy. Between the girls, livestock, photography, traveling, and the YG. (And I know I am forgetting things)

I photographed 7 weddings this past summer. The most in a year to date. I also am home schooling KaiLey Jo. I co-directed VBS again this year. I also traveled more this year that I think I ever have. Virginia 2X, Minnesota, Hawaii, and Disneyland made for 5 plane trips. We also took a few days and went to Sumpter, OR for the 4th of July and then again in October for deer hunting. The girls and I traveled with the Swenson side back in January to Crescent, OR for a weekend in the snow. We did the Rogue River trip this year also. We had a camping trip up the McKenzie with the Akins side as well. We all traveled to Mount Hood for a wedding. (That place is BEAUTIFUL) Between running all over the place with the girls and just life in general.. my Honda Pilot hit 150K miles this past week. Still enjoying helping John lead our church's HS youth group on Sunday nights. I have fallen in love with our bunnies. I have made it my own little "livestock project" in raising meat rabbits. I also raised a bummer jersey milk calf this past spring, Lucy.  

John has been busier than me if you can believe it. He is still working full-time for a local ranch in Langlois, he runs our own livestock, and he is the youth leader at Langlois Community Church. Up most days at 5:20am and asleep by 10 most evenings. John has done a little bit of diving this year, more in the beginning of the year. (and when we were in Kauai!) He coached KaiLey's soccer team this fall. He raised and sold 69 yearling cattle this year on top of our cows with calves. He finally got to do some hunting this year, after hunting season being right in the middle of soccer season before. He got a spike elk in the Sixes Unit and a tasty little fork while deer hunting in Sumpter, OR. He is planning a chuckar  hunting trip at the end of this month with his Dad to go get Copper some experience with some real birds. 

Taking care of this brood: 

Our cattle herd has grown to 

32 cows

2 bulls

27 calves

This is Sven. One of John's bulls.

Our goat herd.. yes we have a "goat herd"

37 Nannies

2 Billies

30 kids

We also have a meat rabbit herd (hahaha)

2 Does

1 Buck

Our dog population has also grown.

Maggie May       6.5 years old

Maximus             2.5 years old

Copper             1.5 years old

Sweet Maci           1 year old

and... Maverick   8 weeks old (Max's son)

..with Maci due with puppies from Copper on January 12th, 2015.

We also have three sweet kittens.. 

Minnie

Daisy

and Nala

We also have a few random sheep. I despise sheep.

I think that pretty much covers JK Swenson Livestock LLC. Its been a busy year.

Here are a few random photos from throughout our year!

It has been a blessed year. We look back on this year and Thank God for his abundant blessings and gifts to our family. We owe everything we have to Him. In Jesus Christ our hope is found. He is our Rock. Upon Him we build our lives to serve and honor Him.

Have a Merry Christmas.

John, KamBria, KaiLey Jo, EmiLia, MadiLyn, and Baby :)