3.30.22 Spring Break almost through

Addie is a super student. She has a large project coming up this final quarter at her school. She will be turning in 2-3 essays a week starting next week. She knew the requirements as other kids have completed this project in the past, so she spent a lot of spring break beginning to craft her essays. She spends a lot of time on her writing striving to get it perfect. I'm proud of her work ethic and foresight to be ahead of the expectation instead of behind. 

This year is the second of a drought. The water leves are uncomfortably low, thus we are changing some of our farming plans. We are trying wheat for silage. My kind brother allowed us to use his very nice grain drill and tractor. Mark was the head operator yet allowed lots of help on the heavy loading part. 

A primary reason we farm is the constant need to work together. As our bishop likes to say we are farming to raise kids not just a farm with kids. I love how there are tasks for everyone. We just got back from picking up those empty bags which we are saving to burn with weeds. The wind has picked up today and had scattered them. Grandma saw them strewn about and asked if Bruce could come help her. Livy also came and they neatly stacked and secured them for later use. Merle, Lia, Andrea and I went on a walk to see the end result. We even got our hair wet from some rain so that is encouraging. 

The amount of faith to farm when the weather is contrary is immense. I have heard the stories of timely rain, quick growing crops, and other miracles, yet in our time now it's hard to keep your chin up and not be a worried mess. But we go forward and plant and hope, pray, Greg fasts weekly, and endure. I'm  checking our practices, are we keeping the sabbath holy? Are we paying a full tithe and fast offering? Could we go to the temple more? What else can we do to be worthy of the blessings we are asking for? Can we get shorter seed, can we conserve water any other ways? What about our marginal corners, what if what if? I've talked with neighboring farmers. Older ones who have weathered other tough years, and younger ones who have new crop ideas. I talk continually with our field man he is kind and willing to look for answers among his resource banks. I really enjoy the networking and information gathering. As a female I can handle being unknowledgeable and can always couch my questions in I don't know. I think males are suppose to have answers that's a harder position to work from. 

I think he's just resting not actually asleep. Or maybe it's just a picture of the ever present water bottle. Considering the kids were in-between burning this was a nice cooler activity. 

Me and my side kick working to get enough calories into her. I nurse her and she takes a bottle. It's a doable duo option that is necessary right now. I've learned to be thankful for options even though it's not as I would prefer. I get very discouraged and wonder why I try/ waste my time nursing. But with all the shortages I have to keep at it who knows what tomorrow or next week will bring. She's growing, I get some help and rest, and it's ok. It's all ok. That's a great thing not broken, not insurmountable just ok. 

We do have beautiful skies. Addie is a master at capturing the awesomeness of nature. And a boy with a stick isn't that how life should be when you are young? 

At the end of the day all snuggled in reading scriptures. Yes indeed my arms are full! I'm blessed. People say invite others to your home to feel your spirit to see how the gospel works. That makes my blood run cold. It is wild unruly and fraught with fighting, correction, and side conversations. From the kids deep in their comic book to the baby who's about to get bit by her brother, to the teens talking about whatever they did that day, to the little ones running back and forth just being generally antsy. That's not what I would choose to show off. We take pictures because the chaos is us and I'm sure we will miss it as the house gets emptier and quieter this raw living will give way to order and calm and loss of vitality. 

Reed is really a great guy. He's strong, responsible, diligent, and willing. 

I was told while we were gone with Aliza that the kids were ready for bed and he circled them up for scriptures. Grandma obliged then when they were done he gave everyone the normal command to kneel for prayer. Again a bit surprised grandma obliged and the routine passed. I'm thankful for his leadership and willingness to do the routine. He was asked to shoulder a lot last year with Mark out due to his leg. This year as we've discussed things in family time he's mentioned how that was a really hard and really good thing. Isn't that the law of life hard = good. Millie and Bruce were his main companions on burning. Days like these use Bruce's abundance of energy and show Millie's buddy competence. 

Livy was home babysitting. I don't love her pushed out of the group but the group dynamics are tricky. We have the super charger kids that go go go then we have the ones who are so good at home. I'm learning and working to best manage our next group of workers. 

As a finale to spring break we had a picnic. Due to illness we missed the large family picnic but the kids were not about to pass a chance to cook on a fire so after a long day of working and shopping they lit the wood and planned to roast hotdogs and marshmallows. Greg got here before dark and managed the cooking excitement. 

I'm thankful for this life we live. It is ours and we are blessed to be so fortunate. We are safe, we are healthy, we have all we need and want. Life is good.