The Carter LoDown

Backyard Farming & Life Musings

My name is Lauren, and I am so glad you have stopped by. I have always loved writing, so much so that I have actually kept all my journals—even the embarrassing ones from middle school.

There is something about documenting moments in your life that you can reflect on. Expect the LoDown on all things backyard farming, home remodeling, and life happenings while keeping it real, one authentic post at a time. 

Come along and subscribe to get the Lo-Down.

xoxo, Lo



Easy Clean Duck Coop

Recent Posts

  • America 250: She Carried a Century of Change

    America 250: She Carried a Century of Change

    Last week, I bought a Time Magazine titled “America at 250.” It’s a pretty interesting magazine and one that made me think about my ancestors. My mom was in town for a week, and we were talking about how our aunt lived to 106. I’ve talked about her before, my…

  • It’s the Start of Summer Break

    It’s the Start of Summer Break

    This week is the last week of school, and then it’s summer break! As I was thinking about summer, I painted two paintings this week that made me think about it. My parents have been going shrimping on their boat, and we are planning to go with them on one…

  • A Discipline Rooted in Invitation

    A Discipline Rooted in Invitation

    This week, we had rain and the start of some summer storms. I love it when it rains really hard, and since we have a metal roof, we hear it that much more. My cousin texted me in the morning and said her two-year-old daughter woke up at 4 am…

Learning to Live in Today When You’re Waiting for Tomorrow Stay Planted: Life, Faith, & Adoption

Summer has been full over here — Y2K parties, family camp, camping trips, the Oregon Coast, a suspected shark encounter (spoiler: it was a sunfish), and a few very passionate laundry opinions.But underneath all the stories and laughs, we found ourselves talking about something much deeper: what it looks like to surrender the future and actually live in the day God has given us.Em shares how she’s been learning to stop looking at the entire calendar and instead ask, “What does today have?” Lauren connects that same idea to the five-year wait to adopt, wrestling honestly with disappointment, hope, desire, and what it means to trust God when there still isn’t an answer.We talk about hope deferred, the difference between wanting something deeply and making it the ultimate thing, and a picture Lauren has been given of God holding the lantern and simply asking her to take the next step with Him.Plus: Y2K nostalgia, summer chaos, an Oregon Coast “shark,” vacation laundry hacks, and why Lauren finally bought non-white sheets.Come hang out with us for a very Stay Planted episode about trusting God with tomorrow while learning to be present for today.
  1. Learning to Live in Today When You’re Waiting for Tomorrow
  2. Catching Up After a Hiatus
  3. BIG Adoption News, Funny Farm Stories & Honest Mother’s Day Thoughts
  4. Double Date Night Part Two
  5. A Double Date Night