Welcome

About Me

Hi, my name is Kimberly. I am a wife and have been married to my red hot fox for over 20 years (ok, we just had our 20th anniversary but I like saying it that way). I am also the mother of 4 children, three boys and a girl. Life is busy and full here at our little farmstead. Ok, it is not a real working farm because we don’t technically sell anything we produce from the ground or anything that stands or grazes on it but I do own a candle business that I started from my garage (a.k.a. the chemistry lab). I am a farm girl at heart. I wish it was a real working farm. Does that count? We are working on the possibility that it could be some day (when it grows up).

Why do I call myself “Grandma’s Girl”?

Let’s begin with Grandpa and Grandma Pugsley. Both came from mid-western farm stock, the children of generational mid-west farmers. They were farmers themselves for years until they retired and moved into “town”. The little “Mayberry like” town (Ponca, Nebraska) is where I spent many summers in my youth. My Grandmother let me poke around the garden with her. It was by Grandma Lucy’s side that I learned of the most delicious fresh corn, tomatoes ripe from the vine and pulling potatoes from the ground to eat that night at dinner. I also got to enjoy real butter (mmmm butter), breakfast made every morning and watermelon eaten on the back porch. . I truly became a farm girl, Grandma’s Girl, at heart.

A few mornings I snuck out of bed early to watch Grandma pray and have devotions with Grandpa before he headed out work. She was so devoted to him for so many years and I had the honor and privilege of watching their very God centered marriage as a child.

Later on in their lives I was privileged enough to care for both grandparents in their final days here on earth. I cared for them at different times as grandpa lived almost a whole decade past grandma. As an adult, I got to hear the wonderful stories and details of my grandparent’s lives, stories that I had never heard before as a child. Those years are precious to me now. I have an ache in my heart from missing their presence here in my life.

How I wish all of my children could have experienced how wonderful they both were. They surely loved all of their squirrelly grandchildren, my brother, sister and me. My children do hear the stories of all of our adventures though. I have rarely been so privileged to meet or know such generous, loving, God-fearing people. I can’t express how thankful that I am for such an example. I can only pray that God gives me the grace and mercy to be such for my children and grandchildren in the years to come. I am my Grandma’s Girl.

About Our “Farmstead”

My dad cleared this land and built the home in 1975. My husband and I bought the family home from my mother in 2001. I have lived here almost my whole life. It has gone through a few “face lifts” but no major renovations have been done……yet! Some day we would like to “name” the farmstead. Maybe when it grows up and starts to produce something we will get inspired to give it a proper name.

About the Blog

I have been thinking for a while on what kind of blog I would like this to be. My husband would certainly like me to practice my writing skills as I am the primary educator around here. It is surely hard to teach something that you are not too skilled at. I like teaching science, history and math but somehow the literary skills have escaped my expertise. So, forgive the many grammatical and writing errors that I will inevitably make. I am certainly not an expert on anything. I know a little of this and a little of that but not a ton of anything in particular. I do know about what our life is like here at the Long family farmstead, so that is what I will blog about. It will include faith, family, friends, decorating, cooking, gardening, summer garage sales, home education, my children’s photography, and of course everyday life. Thanks for stopping in to take a peek.