11.18.21 stretching

Notice the definite stereotypes in the picture. The boys are sword/stick fighting and the girls are dressing up dolls. We are equal opportunity here the girls definitely sword fight mostly the boys do not play with dolls. All play with blocks and the top play item after weapons are the plastic animals and magnetic blocks. 

Even though Mark is not fully able right now he still spends a lot of time wrestling and loving his younger brothers. One definite benefit of him recovering is all the time he spends with his younger siblings. He is interesting and listens to them. That's one thing I don't enjoy about being so busy is the lack of just being together. 

Harold told us he was sending a surprise. We were surprised and thrilled to receive a box of fabulous books. He was helping a family move and they were getting rid of these books, Harold being a product of our family recognized the treasures that they were. Thankfully these were sent to our home. 

 It's very interesting having two missionaries out, we are learning week by week what it means, where the boundaries are, and how to support and love them. As yet we are not on fire with missionary work here at home, but we try to continue being kind, involved, helpful, and concerned about others. The missionary work for the missionaries involves a lot of personal refinement, humility, and stretching to deal with others on such an all the time basis. 

All in all life is good. Life is not easy sometimes it's more pleasant and less full than others but there are always hard spots. We love and support and encourage as best we can along with teach, give instructions and help from our limited capacity far away. A new way of parenting for sure. Can't beleive those two are so old already. I am blessed. 

11.17.21 Life is good

Last weekend before the cow situation got crazy we worked on more canning. We did applesauce and pumpkin pulp. The kids love scooping pumpkin seeds. 

Oh the hive of busy bees. This annual event is a highlight few things taste11.17.21 as good as hot fresh applesauce. The kids were great help and knew mostly what to do. 

For mutual last week these two led the group in pie making. While several of the girls brought store bought pie crust, Aliza demonstrated how simple homemade can be. The new mutual program and trying to fit back in that weekly activity since the COVID shut down has been hard to say the least. However, when you are needed and can share there is a tiny bit more desire to go. I was relieved after a lot of pushing them out the door that they came home happy and reporting a good time. Hard to know how much to push and how much to let go with teenagers. 

Man is just charming. He is cute, mostly uncomplicated or I guess non-verbal so he cries when not happy. Aliza reports he mostly just cries for me that he's totally fine when I'm gone but sure puts on a show when I return home. Lucky me. 

Last week talking with Anna we snapped this selfie to show her we are just fine and love hearing from her. I love the weekly facetime calls. I'm sure we would adjust to just written communication but oh to hear their voices and see their faces is just like a shot of love or peace each week. 

The one home playoff game. John got to play for the 4th quarter. We were not hoping for a win as we really miss him helping with the enormous workload. But we keep supporting his playing and preparing the team each week so on we go on the football journey. 

Part of the playoff ritual is mohawks. I'm not a fan of crazy hair cuts and this was hard to agree too. However, he's part of the team and all that entails. This is far better than so many other initiation rituals. So after a filling team dinner provided by the coaches a team captain called to ask for my verbal ok. He was very polite and respectful, remembering the pleading look in John's eyes when we talked about it I agreed. I was so happy it was not atrocious! I'm very thankful of this group of senior leaders on the team. They play together not thinking only they can win the game. They want this state championship very badly. They are mostly clean kids not trying to push limits or rules too far. They are smart and respectful, and have worked hard on and off the field.  They have a really good shot at the title because of all those factors, not to mention they are talented. 

Life is good we continue to learn and stretch. There are changes and opportunities everyday. My heart is content with the life I have chosen, it beats way too fast at some of the choices we make but overall I'm content. After writing about breathing easier those are probably fatal words for the week but truly this family gig is satisfying though hard. The never ending laundry heaps, the piles and piles of dishes trying to meet the needs of teaching, listening, loving, and supporting all these bodies is challenging. But my optimist or just bull headed spouse just shrugs and says what challenge? What's hard. He is a trooper for sure. 

We had a date at home Friday night. I was watching Jungle Cruise on Disney plus and he came home early enough- 9:30- to watch with us. We made popcorn and just sat next to each other with Bruce on one lap and Mark on the other side. We use to have spare time, these days it is a finite item. Yet, it was nice to not be working or exhausted and to be together. It's so easy to forget how rejuvenating a little down time is. And so nice that I continue to like him even through all the stress of daily living large. He always claims to like me, but I get very overwhelmed and stressed with the magnitude of expectation and responsibility. We covered Bruce's eyes a lot but he enjoyed being big and reported no bad dreams though he did talk about snakes the rest of the weekend from the movie. Life is good. 
 

11.16.21 Weekend Reflection

I realized since Anna and Harold left I haven't been as good about taking pictures of the group here on the very rare occasions we are all together. It's been an interesting adjustment to have them gone. I think about them often and try not to think too far ahead like how long they will be gone. We have 3 fast Sundays down with Harold and 1 with Anna. The difficulties of the cows has been pretty consuming and truly missing their skills and know-how has limited my desire to chronicle their absence. But like every glass there is a half-full side too. This group is also very capable and continues to show us who they are. They are very different each one. There is no carbon copying here. 

This is our continued attempt at gospel discussion at home. Notice the horseplay- the wrestling matches had just broken up. Reed was taking on John though he did not triumph he definitely was not just pushed over and tagged out. Those two have always loved to tangle. Merle likewise shows desire to tussle with Bruce.

 It makes Greg smile, I remember being alarmed watching him and his brother wrestle, coming from a family of sisters my brothers were far apart in age and not prone to that kind of competition it was alarming to say the least. Now in my home it's just part of what boys do when they can, and I try to stop it before anything gets broken. 

While we are not reverent I think there is great value in being together, we touch on topics, discuss the weeks timeline and events and try to share some gospel insight. It's a struggle but I'm hoping a drop in the bucket on their way to testimony and love of family life. 

Bruce likes to be like everyone else and loves to take pictures- there were about 50 of these on my phone. He is an observative, funny, and very talkative guy. I am loving watching him grow. 

This youngest brother is not to be left out. He loves to do what the big kids do and is at the age of extreme curiosity. Figuring out how the world works. He was so interested in the gears on the hand held can opener last night. He talks, not understandable yet, but he is adamant about what he wants and what should be going on. 

Millie accompanied me to town on Saturday for errands and shopping. She had achieved her first book it of the year so we figured that was a good time to redeem it. She enjoyed her personal pan pizza. She allowed me one bite. It sure smelled good! It's hard to make myself take just one kid, but it's nice to have less worry and to interact one on one with each kid. She is gone at school most the time and at night is in the house while Livy and I water thus we don't get much time together. I appreciated her company and chatter as we worked through our list. 

With the more and more lawless times we live it's a worry to take kids to town with me. I can't leave them in the car for a quick dash into a store to pick up one thing, I don't trust them out of my site. It frankly stresses me out to go to town with more than one kid. That's been a major change since COVID is going to town alone. I use to dread grocery shopping with 3-5 kids all darting in this direction and that, asking repeatedly for items throughout the store, and taking up room in the cart that I needed for groceries. Now they have little idea or concept of shopping. I admit it's less stressful, but I think it was good for them to interact, to learn not to shoplift, to see commerce in action. We listened to stories or snag songs of talking in the car while we drove, they learned some patience, I wasn't so worried what was happening or not happening at home. Trade-offs I guess. I don't think it's good for children to be hidden at home, that's a sad state of our society that children are rarely seen just put away until some distant time when they are grown up. 

Overall life is good we continue to grow and change. The days are fuller than I like but we are blessed with added strength and energy. I'm thankful for this group that is mine.  

 

11.12.21 Go Team

 Today John's team won another week of football play. The game was a long ways away and with all the cows and kids here it was impossible to attend. While we cheered on John or more accurately covered all the bases so he can continue preparing the starting squad for the weekend games, I was struck by the teamwork aspect that is such a commanding and bonding force in our life. 

Today was a hairy day- parts not sent, errands to run to ensure a successful primary program, and the usual lots and lots of cows. After all the errands I was not thrilled to see another semi-load of cows this one complete with 4 more bulls being dropped off. As I was sitting down to finally eat lunch there were murmurs of this is very bad, to be pulled up and out the door as over 200 cows dashed out of their pen. The first stopped on the lush green lawn while we pulled on shoes and got into spots trying to turn them back. To no avail there were too many cows and not enough directions or hands. Mark came to join us. That was the scariest part of the deal, I quickly realized we were severely outnumbered and had to have his cool very skilled head in the game. He was careful enough and helped avert the major problem of mixing herds- he can alone separate herds but the kind of driving it requires is most definitely not doctor approved right now. 

There is nothing quite like the adrenaline rush of getting cows back where they belong and the utter panic and frustration of them blowing through the line and going where they should not go, a lot of them. 200 1200 lb animals moving in a bunch is not a fun phenomena to watch especially when they are going where they are not suppose to. Thankfully we got them turned surprisingly Afton and Bruce are very brave around the cows they hold their ground and have a sense for working them. Reed and Addie follow Mark's orders pretty well. Aliza and Mom do plenty of shushing cows and moving them but on foot is our best spot not racing around the field, we do run pretty well when we have to. We turned about 40 back into the pen ourselves. 

After getting the cows contained I came back to my lunch and checking on the football team progress. They won the game! We won the battle of pens and locations. Many of this years starters are past 4-h members who corralled their own wild animals and helped their friends. You can see their animal catching style as the tackle and sack opposing teams. There is a lot to be learned working with animals. Patience, strength, enduring pain, how to read signs, quick reflexes, and confidence.

Later as I watered I got the first load emptied only to find that the pumping station did not suck water. Greg came and diagnosed, we figured we needed another pump and or hose. My mom willingly went for parts and I met her at her house. I'm thankful for her assistance to make the down time of watering much quicker. 

As John gets another week of practicing of preparing the starters for their competition next week I ruminated on all the practice that is happening at home. All the extra effort and skills being picked up by our scout and pee-wee team. It's been very hard having my cow expert Anna gone. Harold could muscle through most any situation and was a huge part of our mechanic shop efficiency. It has been a tough adjustment having their abundant skills absent. However we are seeing great gains and new ways of approaching problems at least on the farm. Addie and Reed work very well together they are a get er' done pair. Mark takes care of Merle- I'm sure he would not be healing so well without that little man by his side. Livy and I water every day for a few hours.

 She is learning to figure out solutions and not quit. Millie helps at home and Aliza fills in outside or inside depending on the day. 

I'm thankful for the common goals we share and the time we spend watching the sun set, the peace of being outdoors, the shared misery of the cold and cows running amuck, and overall the bonds of family life working to provide for our needs. We are blessed!

11.2.21 Breathing Easy

 How thankful I am for a lull between big expectations. I'm not sure what is next on our life schedule besides normal daily things: the assorted meetings, football playoff games, kids activities, more cows and lots more fencing. Yet, it feels so good to just be breathing again. To not be holding my breath and wondering how we are gonna manage. We are figuring it out and it's ok. 

This weekend as a finale to the week we celebrated Halloween at the annual family trick or treat party. 

I love that we were in a beet field! So fun and not so muddy as the road.

Uncle Kevin asked knowledge questions of each trick or treater if they were right they got candy if not they got another question. Brilliant!

As usual we had farm trouble and were late. The water truck, the second most important vehicle on the farm right now after the reliable little blue loader tractor, would not start, the starter had failed. After getting the gears stuck- they are very old and a very tight pattern as opposed to the newer farm trucks that is a broad pattern. Greg fixed that problem but the truck would still not start. So Reed got the little blue tractor and hooked the truck to it with a chain. Mark from home and Reed in-person, gave me instructions on what I was to do in the truck. Again I was so thankful for my very capable sons who have been trained by my husband.

 

I think I use to possess capacity to tackle projects but with the overload of so much responsibility and pieces of information that's not me anymore. I did manage to not burn the rolls- thank you to Millie for noticing the timer and taking them out. 

I was so thankful to hear the big kids were coming into town from their trip to the National FFA convention. How I miss their non-whiney, responsible, capable help! The Calvary returned!

Mark also insisted we unwrap his leg and look at it. I was not happy with what I saw. 

I do not love dealing with blood on my children and am somewhat worried about infection just because of our past experience. Thus I reached out to the doctor, a major don't cross line in medicine, to get his expert opinion. Thankfully he is a completely decent person not thinking he is far above us common folk. He responded via text with instructions and kindness. I wasn't up to the task until the other activities were complete. We both breathed deep and went for it gently removing the very stuck guaze. We got to the wound watched it bleed for a while then re-dressed it an wrapped it up. Another day in the books. The second dressing last night went much better no open bleeding. And so today with all this in the past I'm breathing a bit easier. Life is good. Strength is so many different accomplishments. Sometimes it's actual seeing like winning something or breaking a record. Sometimes it's just enduring. We are blessed. And I'm so thankful to be in this week filled with manageable stuff. Life is good.