Who We Are
We are women from one Iowa farm family who love to find new ways to celebrate everyday life together. Join us as we plan family gatherings, try new recipes, take care of our homes, and educate our kids. We cherish our beautiful family farm, our time spent with our family, and most of all- our faith in Jesus Christ.
Some of Our Favorites
Denise
Denise Herrick is the mother and mother-in-law of these four blessed young women, and she is privileged to be a slice of The Gingham Apron. She is an Iowa farm wife who treasures her devoted husband of more than forty-six years and is the mom and mom-in-law to three men whom she admires greatly for their devotion to God, family, and a strong work ethic. Grandma of ten beautiful gifts, she delights in spending time with them and hopes to inspire them to love the Lord. A devoted follower of Christ, Denise loves spending time learning more about her Savior, who brought her into his family more than forty years ago. She also loves serving at her church, especially in women’s and children’s ministries. Denise enjoys people, adventure, and travel. She is inspired by listening to podcasts and reading books that build up her faith as she tends her lawn and flower gardens, passionately cooks, and helps out on the farm.
Molly
Molly Herrick is a daughter-in-law, married to Joe. They have two enthusiastic, adventurous children. They live on a century-old farmstead and produce crops and raise cattle. Growing up, she would have never dreamed of marrying a farmer. Molly graduated from Iowa State University with a degree in interior design, and spent a semester studying in Rome, Italy. Molly loves God and people and believes in the importance of hospitality. She is continually inspired by nature and loves to be outdoors when she’s not designing, decorating, and trying new recipes.
Shelby
Shelby Herrick is married to Denise’s oldest son, Bill. Although she comes from a long lineage of Iowa farmers that trace back over multiple generations, Shelby never envisioned she would be living a rural life. But God always has a plan! These days you can find her living on a farm with her husband, three fun-loving kiddos, and a multitude of animals. Shelby is a follower of Christ and enjoys spending time with loved ones, digging into the Word with friends, vacationing with her family, and exercising. Shelby has both an undergraduate degree in corporate wellness and a master’s degree in education from Northwest Missouri State University.
Annie
Annie Boyd is Denise’s daughter and the wife of Shane, her high school sweetheart. She is the mother of five gregarious and adventurous children, whom she homeschools. She loves traveling, spending time outside, reading, and baking bread. Annie received her BA in elementary education and biblical studies from the University of Northwestern, St. Paul. She accepted Christ as a young girl and hopes to invite others to know about his love, faithfulness, and forgiveness.
Introducing Our new Book
The Gathering Table
Our book The Gathering Table was recently released. Filled with beautiful photography and inspirational writing, The Gathering Table follows this Iowa farm family through a year of gatherings that strengthen relationships, establish and deepen family traditions, and showcase God’s gift of great food.
Why We Blog
A few years ago, we girls were talking about just how special our family is. We are unique because our lives are centered around a strong faith. We are unique because we are a family that is committed to growing closer. And we are unique because we are family farmers in a time when family farms are becoming hard to find. We are so thankful for our wonderful, country life, and in gratitude we decided to share our daily blessings with others through this blog.
Here are some of our favorite things to share with you:
- Our faith in Jesus Christ and what we are learning in his word
- the beautiful scenery from our Iowa farm
- the gatherings that we plan to bring our family (and hopefully yours, too!) closer together
- our family recipes that have been passed down for generations
- new recipes that we try and love
- experiences and tools that have helped shape the schooling of our children
- everyday joys of living our country life to the fullest
We hope that through this blog you can come to love country life, your family, and the Lord more each day.
