10.24.20 Snapshots of a day

This guy makes homeschool hard, and pleasureable. Everyone enjoys holding him instead of doing their school work. He disrupts us with cries, but delights us with his smiles. We love our little kids and continue to work to meet everyone's needs. 

The students run away or may be done, I know I was taking a break to nurse the baby. I get so frustrated trying to manage everything that has to be done. I need pictures to in some small way to preserve this season of our life. 

Later in the day we got a frenzied call from a neighbor asking for help. I was thrilled to be able to help in this small way to neighbors who have been so helpful to us year in and year out. I love seeing my guys work together and help others. 

At home the kids were working on apples for canning. 

After taking over the cattle chute, we gathered for scriptures, which meant everyone gathered a book and shared some space. 

As I sat holding Greg's hand, weary from a long year, my heart was full to look at this crowded room that we had created. Kids that look like us and that try and bless us. Kids that are loud, loving, and full of life. I worry and work hoping that they will learn what they need in our home. As I look at these pictures, which are such a small hope of capturing love and unity in our home. We were counseled to make our homes places of refuge by President Nelson. We were together, preparing to engage in our habit of studying the word of God. We are seen indulging in our love of books and words, being together. My life is blessed! 
 

10.22.20 Leaf Party

Traditions of fall live on! A super fun anticipated day of fall is the annual leaf party. There are two large trees in my mom's yard. The trees drop beautiful orange leaves each year, leaves just right for playing in. Each year the younger grandkids are invited to play in the leaves with grandma. This year where all the kids are homeschooled the older cousins were there too. This led to more imaginative play and more leaves moved around. The addition of 4 dogs made the day a little scarier for some but all had a great time!  

This leaf ring was a boat, a house, a bed, and maybe a few other things. So many imaginations and ideas at work. 

The main draw is the opportunity to run around and yell while playing with cousins. 

After the leaf party we went to harvest some garden vegetables. The kids were excited to find pumpkins at one house. I am behind Lia getting the ripe tomatoes that had dropped under the plants. 

A beautiful fall day!  Life is good we have been busy like squirrels gathering in all the fine last fruits of the season. The garage is full, the shelves are full, and we are content. We are exceedingly tired but at peace. We are thankful for many who have given us their last fruits. We live in a great valley, I pray for our great land. 

 I hope that these great traditions that we enjoyed in these last few weeks, will continue and that the pure joy and fun of family will go on. 

10.23.20 Beet Juice

Addie is full of surprises, information, and curiosity. After making lunches for the guys for the week, we realized the freezer was full and started searching for what could be removed. We found a small dark colored container and reached to remove it. Addie quickly grabbed it saying that's mine. I asked what it was and she said beet juice. She decided to experiment. 

The beet juice was the perfect shade of lipstick. Each younger sister in turn got some applied and wow it was just right on all of them. 

I decided to join the fun and let Addie paint my lips too. 

Addie is a thoughtful sister. Although she is not lovey in snuggling with kids, she is generous in activities, crafts, and outings for the kids. She takes the kids for walks, she thinks of and researches ideas to entertain and delight her younger siblings. We are all blessed by her research. 

 

10.20.20 Beet Harvest Traditions

Every year we go to beet harvest. Every year looks a bit different. Sometimes there are more people sometimes there are less. I miss those that are not there- my grandparents and some old friends, and I hope that those that are new can feel the goodness that is family farming. 

After harvest for the day Greg led the kids in picking up beets. They also scouted out the machine like good kids they left no part or height unchecked. I remember loving to climb on equipment when I was a kid too. 

This is why I love beet harvest I loved my grandparents. I loved how they made me feel important, loved, capable, and part of what was going on. I loved being with them. The attention and the camaraderie. 

It's hard for Greg to leave our town and his work but usually just once a year I can convince him to go to harvest. This year I theorized it was our annual hat off to my grandfather who would love that we were there. He would also have been pleased we picked up beets. This was a must in years past everyone would walk behind a slow moving truck cleaning the dropped beets. Times and harvest has changed, equipment has improved and labor is much more hired. 

Yet for a few minutes the kids enjoyed beautiful cool beet dirt, picked up beets, and enjoyed the challenge of tossing them into very tall trucks. Sometimes they made it and sometimes they did no. We were together in the gorgeous warm autumn air just relishing some freedom and maybe genetic instinct. 

I am constantly astounded to see the older half of my family. They are getting to adult size and are large people. They are funny, they love each other and are interesting. They don't as a rule like pictures but they trust and value each other and their individual strengths. This day Anna and Harold were driving truck. Reed had been with my dad, and Addie had ridden with Uncle Kevin. I took a turn with Uncle Kevin too. It was amazing and fast. 

Even the littlest boy got some dirt time. Another generation starting out on the dirt of Corn Farms. 6 generation of beet growers have worked for over 100 years growing sugar beets. So much has changed in that time, even in my lifetime. Yet the desire to be together, the need to forgive, the desire to improve, and the personality to enjoy working a lot has not changed. 

Anna driving truck, Livy & Millie rode with her. When she left for the morning she took Bruce who was up and ready when she was. 

After Harold drove this truck he forgot or didn't know how to close the tail gate. Kevin spotted it from the tractor. All got out to pitch the spilled beets back in the truck. A lesson learned. A taste of old times working together. 
 

Annual picnics at Owyhee Dam, harvest, Christmas and a box of chocolates for Valentines, those are traditions my grandfather enjoyed and made special. I'm so thankful my own father and mother have worked so hard to carry on and change those traditions to accommodate the larger numbers and the different needs of the group. Family is a tricky play, yet it is so important. 

At the end of the day while waiting for kids to return to the field I was blessed to visit with a man whom I worked with when I was a farm hand. He is much the same and yet wiser and maybe a bit slower. I admired his big heart when I was a teenager and appreciated his confidence in my farming skills. I still admire his loving heart and his ability and desire to work. Self-assurance comes from working.

Another man from my past showed up and I went to say hi. I knew this man from first grade on being a friend of his daughter. He pointed out all the good we enjoy in this rural valley. How thankful I am for lifelong friends and opportunities to continue to learn from them as I continue to grow up. It was a perfect day one that filled my heart until next year's harvest. Life is good!

10.19.20 Wet Corn and ninja skills

Friday night I asked the guys to stop by 9 so we could celebrate a birthday. I knew we were within striking distance, but they persisted on. The next day I learned to make hay while the sun shines lest you are wishing while it rains. I took the first load in although it was wet, the belt unloaded with no problems. The next load on the older truck bed, which to this point had performed perfectly, was a problem. I had heard tales of shoveling off loads, Unfortunately, this day I gained my own experience.

After an alarming squealing and no movement from the belt, I realized I was going to have to manually unload some of the corn. I began trying to move corn with my hands. I cleared all I could reach, then  tried the belt again and called my husband. Alas, not being patient, I continued to work at moving several hundred pounds more of corn. I cautiously climbed up the narrow wet steps and inched along an euqally narrow platform to heave myself over the 4 foot wall and into the full bed of corn. I made it into the bed and began kicking corn, that was not very effective either so I pulled myself up, kicked my leg over the now 6 foot high truck bed wall and skeddadled over the edge of the bed. I slid slowly onto the 6 inch ledge down the 6 inch wide ladder onto the ground. I spied a scoop shovel and got back into the bed to shovel off corn. After another 3 minutes or so I determined my body was tiring and I had to again jump up and wiggle -ninja kick- my way out of the slick bed. I was overjoyed when the belt moved. 

Each hump is a pile I am referring to moving manually. Several hundred pounds of corn usually it rolls quickly and freely just by gravity. 

One load delivered  I headed back to the field. I gallantly offered to take another load that was sitting in the grain cart thinking the corn was drier there and would not be a problem. Greg also added boards to the truck bed so the belt wouldn't be under full weight when starting. Unfortunately, when I tried the belt it just screamed and didnt move so I was again cautiously heading into the slick bed. The puddles were deepening and the rain was not letting up. 

Proof I was in the bed. The second trip I scooped standing on corn from the ground level. Thankfully the boards we had added in the front removed enough weight that only one pile had to be scooped by hand, however the wet corn was hanging up in the bed and not rolling out. Thus, I had to get in the bed to scrape the corn by foot while the belt moved through the center of the bed. 

 This was much more precarious. The slick metal, cool wind, rolling corn, moving belt, high sides... it was truly a ninja tv show like stunt. My heart was racing not just from exertion but from fear! I was worried of getting tripped up on the bed if I lost my footing. The sides were too high to hold on for balance and the sides were to slick to hold my shoes. It was a true balancing act. In hindsight I would have been fine on the belt riding out to the pile, but ignorance and the uniqueness of the situation kept my adrenaline rushing through my middle-age mainly use to sitting limbs. Somehow I got the corn out of the bed and flat jumped up to the now 6 foot hall top of the bed. I held on with my arms and managed a leg over the edge. A humph and a grumph and I was back on the slender platform inching my way to the wet small ladder. Once down the ladder I triumphantly walked slowly back to my truck bed took these pictures and headed home. I felt victorious and so grateful to not be strained or bruised. Just wet and cold. I think two more loads went that day and we were done! I'm thankful we didn't have six loads to deliver. It's a great balancing act being married and working together, add in the precious kids and it's a tight rope on a unicycle balancing apples on your head act. I think I mostly splatted in glorious fashion but the harvest is done and I am grateful to have been part of the team and to have a very forgiving husband. Life is good. 

10.18.20 Corn Harvest

Oh my goodness what a relief it is to be writing this from the point of being done!! I had no idea the stress and worry and just plain old grit that harvest requires. I've driven truck for many harvest seasons yet this one took the cake for most intense. In so many respects it was super great and in others read late at night or before finally getting started in the morning it was just plain ug! The best parts where when so many of my kids were out participating. Riding in the bank out wagon tractor, driving trucks, riding with dad in the combine- those were times of gratitude to be unified slaying the beast of harvest. 

There was a lot of time alone just soaking up the monotonous noise and thrill of seeing what we had planned, and worked for being delivered. 

A picture of the first load we delivered. Greg drove the renovated diesel truck and I took the reliable chevy. It was bonding to go together. 

The pride at this son who refuses to be photographed with his head and eyes seen but is the arms and legs of this farm. He knows how to do most jobs and has done very very well. 

The finished project and a picture of a crew tarping the silage pit. Also the corn pit almost ready to tarp. We dump the corn in piles then a giant high speed grinder would quickly cut the corn in smaller pieces then men would move it into the pile and pack it tight by driving up and down over it again and again to get all the air out to store it for the year. 

A sweet moment Afton headed to combine with her dad. She spent a lot of time riding. It's always interesting who really likes it and who could do without. 

Much of corn harvest is done after dark. The farm equipment has great lights but the delivery site was pitch black dark. Thus we went in pairs one to hold the high power flashlight and the other to drive. Again nice time working together.

The hungry cows waiting to eat the corn we grew. 

The corn we delivered one day this is about 6 loads. 

Speaking of truck driving I drove a lot of the loads, sometimes my baby would be my copilot. He would mostly sleep. Aliza watched over and loved him at home. I'm happy to report we continued nursing and and mostly met his needs. He loves his Aliza and she is so patient with him. Addie took care of the food and enjoyed teaching her siblings more on that later. 

I loved getting to finally spend time with Greg in the truck driving. After a long year of not even speaking to each other some days for more than ten minutes because of all that needed to be done it was so peaceful, mostly, to be in the truck with him.

The last few loads we hopped in with Greg to relax. 

And as soon as the corn is gone the fence posts and wire come out. Tomorrow we get the first load of cows. While this is a great second crop it is also a worry and time outside, which is good. I love the part of farming that is unifying. I get so tired of being the task master. I keep hoping the kids would just do what they know has to be done. Oh well. I'm thankful that after some convincing they get on task are so amazing at farming and living. I love their happy attitudes and getting to see them grow and accomplish. 

Life is good harvest number one is over! We averaged 6.8 T to the acre. Considering the pivot that was down I'm pretty happy with that. In fact I'm very pleased with the experience over all. Life is good it also takes a lot of work and grit.