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Lee Dirty.

Melissa Beene Ford/ Annie

I realized Saturday that my kids have totally, completely missed out on the childhood I experienced.

A childhood involving worms and dirt and mud and skinned knees, and leathery feet from playing outside barefooted, and muscled-up legs from entire days spent roaming the neighborhood on a bike.

My poor kids.

But that’s all about to change… for the first time since 2005, we have a house in a neighborhood with a real back yard. A yard that backs up to … WOODS. And Saturday we made a new friend.

It began when we were working in the yard, and found this…

Katie Beth wanted no part of it, being the sheltered, pampered, loves-the-indoors city girl that she is, but Annie was feeling bold and adventurous and …. touched it. “He’s made of rubber!” she shrieked.

And after she touched it… she … held it.

Oh yeah. She’s bad to the bone, all right.

“I want to name him….. Lee,” she announced.

“Lee Dirty.”

Lee Dirty was part of our lives only briefly that day — we let him go to do his thing in the dirt — but he made a lasting impression.

We talked about him all weekend; wondered if he had gone to worm church on Sunday morning.

It was the first step in my kids’ de-city-fication process.

Oh yeah. They’ll be country kids before you know it.


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Comments

  1. LKS says

    March 1, 2012 at 11:44 pm

    You know you need a pony…

    Reply
  2. Missy says

    March 2, 2012 at 5:06 am

    AWESOME. I spent a good part of my childhood on my grandparents' farm with cows and chickens and lots of Lee Dirtys and it kills me that my own kids are so citified. Sure wish my inlaws would move to the country…for lots of reasons (insert evil grin)

    Reply
  3. Melissa Morris Huntley says

    March 2, 2012 at 5:03 pm

    Two words (because I know you):  Play. Clothes.  <br />Otherwise you&#39;re gonna have a heart attack.<br />Mel

    Reply

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About Me


Hey there... I'm Melissa! Texas girl. Mom to three + one goldendoodle. Believer. Old house fanatic. Creating a happy + healthy home with purpose is my passion. I'm so glad you're here!

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I don’t know who’s big idea it was to strip 80 I don’t know who’s big idea it was to strip 80 years of paint off of this door down to the wood and start over… but that person has no business starting new projects. 😅 My neighbors must have thought this project would never end. *I* thought this project would never end. 😰 If you’re thinking of doing this yourself? Just don’t, ok? Throw the whole door away and buy a new one. 😂🤣 Just kidding.  Old house weirdos like me… we can’t just do things the easy way. Anyhoo… after some trial and error, @sherwinwilliams Celestial is what I landed on, and I have to say… I like it. Periwinkle-ish blue looks great with the yellow house and will look even better when the azaleas are in bloom. Was it all worth it? That’s not important right now. 🤭 Will I do this all again in two years? The magic eight ball says… without a doubt. 👏🏻 I’ve already picked the next color. #gluttonforpunishment #somefoolsneverlearn #oldhouselove #oldhomelove #makinghome #southernliving #gardenandgun #azaleadistrict #tylertx
Spring in the Azalea District makes the winters in Spring in the Azalea District makes the winters in an 80-year-old house completely worth it … what broken pipes, icy hardwood floors and drafty windows? 🤔 I forgot already. #comeonspring #azaleadistrict #tylertx
Happy Saturday ☀️ Happy Saturday ☀️
Salt Lake City is always magical ✨ Salt Lake City is always magical ✨
2022 had its highs and lows for sure, but scrollin 2022 had its highs and lows for sure, but scrolling through my pics from the last twelve months made me realize how blessed and content I am. Prosperity, love, and peace have been ours in abundance, in spite of the pain of losing my dad. The second picture is the last picture of him… the last time I saw him. 💔 But God has been good to my family this year and 2022 is ending far better than it began. 😄 #2022inreview #thanksforthememories
Who wants a Christmas tour of my home? 🙋🏼‍ Who wants a Christmas tour of my home? 🙋🏼‍♀️
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That’s it. That’s the tour. (Slide two). 
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It’s a new trend I’m starting: bare Christmas tree. Lowe’s tag still attached (so quirky and unexpected)! Christmas ornaments still in boxes. Coming soon to an Anthropologie window display near you. 
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Every year I think, “next year I’ll do better. Next year I’ll have it together.” And then, here we are on the SIXTH Christmas that we’ve been in this house, the sixth Christmas I’ve dragged our chaotic bunch of Christmas mess out of a chaotic garage I still haven’t unpacked from our move six years ago. 
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Maybe this year is the year I’ll organize it all and put it back neatly so that by Christmas number 7, it will be smooth sailing. People will flock to my social media to see how I’ve pulled everything off SO PERFECTLY. Next year will be my year. 
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Seems every year there’s less and less bandwidth for all these things. There’s more grief and stress, less money. More demands, less grace. 
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I put this sign on the wall in my office so I could keep it in front of my eyes: Love. Joy. Peace. And all that. I am SO unlike Jesus most days. So lacking in all of these character qualities. And that’s WITH waking up most mornings and spending my first 30 minutes with God Himself. 
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How lost would I be without that? Geez. I can’t fathom. I REQUIRE being transformed by renewing my mind every single morning, and even then, responding to people and life with love, joy, peace and patience doesn’t come naturally. 
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It’s the goal, though. 
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This weary world needs that from us Believers during this season, more than ever… even more than an Anthropologie-window-display worthy Christmas home tour. 
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I’m working on both.
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