About Me

My name is Michelle and I am in my mid 30’s. We live in a house that is out in the boonies, nestled among the beautiful hills of the Finger Lakes region of NY. 

My husband Jay is an amazing carpenter. He is currently self employed and he builds beautiful things. He has a passion for old barns and loves to fix them up or take them down and repurpose the wood.

I have two beautiful daughters by birth (Kaya is 10, Luna is 6) and one lovely step-daughter, Nico who is 14. At the moment, we do not have contact with Nico, but she is sorely missed and loved so much.

In my former life I was a “recovering Catholic” and then a Pagan. For a while, I even considered myself as a Wiccan. I was a Dead-head, a hippie who lived in a van down by the river.

 

I was a drinker, a smoker and a midnight toker. I am proof that God will reach out *anyone* and the best label I could give myself now is Daughter of the King.

We are “baby Christians” and are just a few years into our walk with Christ.  My husband was saved about a year before I was. I was a bit more stubborn, maybe it is the red hair? I came to know and love the Lord and was baptized during the summer of 2009. It has been, in a word, amazing. We go to a great, small church and have a fantastic church family, for which I am constantly grateful. You can read my testimony here.

I am a “stay-at-home” Mom, who rarely stays home for more than one day at a time. I homeschool my girls and feel blessed to be able to do so. Some days are great, some days are a struggle, but I wouldn’t consider sending them to school at this point. I love having them home!

In June 2009, we sponsored Precious in Ghana, our first child from Compassion International, something that has changed our lives in SO many ways. As a penny-pincher, I did a LOT of research about the organization before I even brought it up with my husband. After weeks of searching and reading, I didn’t find anything about Compassion that sent up any red flags, in fact I was more inspired to take this step the more I learned. 

Thankfully, Jay agreed and the rest is history. I love Compassion and what it does. I love how it has changed how I see things and how I think. I love how my children see their blessings for what they are and have giving hearts thanks to knowing these children. In December 2009, I felt God tug at my heart to become an Advocate for Compassion. The training was incredible and I have falling in love with the organization more, as I learn more about it.

I started this blog in 2008 as a way to document our lives and share with family. Through the years, this blog has gown and become a labor of love.  I have a passion for helping sponsors understand the importance of their letters to their sponsored children.  I'm happy to share tips and ideas that might inspire others in the letter writing ministry. I have been truly blessed by the amazing community that I have come to know through Blogging from the Boonies. 

I love hearing from you, so if you're new, please leave a comment or drop me a line. You'll make my day!