7.31.22 Happy Place

This is Mark's happy place working for Uncle Kevin driving the big green tractors with a buddy by his side for the cherry on top. Merle loves Mark he adores going with him on the four wheeler is good but tractors are the best. This tractor is new enough to have a buddy seat!! Or as Merle says "My seat!" We had Bruce with us a few days later we offered to have them both go Merle was adamant only he could sit in his seat. 

This day I even got to drive. Not the semi, Andrea and I were just waiting for a ride in the shade. No I got to drive my Grandma Corn's red truck. Ahh the memories of being in the passenger seat, and the ahh I felt for my grandma being so knowledgeable to drive a truck. 

 My grandmas would knit, crochet, read books and magazines. Another truck driver pieced very difficult quilts or cut quilt squares. Of course these ingenious women were before the mind numbing time wasting cell phone age. Yes I am guilty of wasting a lot of time while my hands are full oy babies.

This day it was nice to feel that jolt of importantness that I was helping, I was part of the team. It's hard to feel that just in the background at home doing dishes or always nursing.  It's a feeling I get everytime I get in a truck. There's a lot of talk and quandary why there is such a mental health crisis. To me people don't have real stuff to do. They aren't challenged on enough levels, there is too much isolation and aloneness. Natural connections to family, nature, and being needed are gone in our modern age. We can just buy it, hire it, or ignore it all together. Anyway enough philosophy. I'm thankful my kids get to taste that need to grow in their abilities and be part of the team. Life is good. 

7.31.22 Sleepy

Growing takes a lot of energy. Living farm life takes even more. Thankfully there is time to snooze. 

One major gift we have is togetherness. The you matter, you are important is personified in our home. 

In those tryign to be encouraging sign the what and who is missing.

There is a lot to be said to know to whom you belong, who you are part of, who cares about you, who knows your name and truly needs you. There is a lot to being wanted and loved. In this family in our particular situation of choosing to be self-employed with the repair shop and the farm we depend on our kids a lot. We are striving to make a life. We are hoping to teach integrity, dependability, responsibility which turn to self-worth, confidence, and courage. This is hard. This is good. This looks crazy, dirty, and maybe reckless. I have confidence in the process, I have to remind myself we can do this. We are blessed to live the life we chose. We are blessed with health and strength. We are blessed with energy and faith. We are blessed with smiles and abundance. We turn to God and know Him. We are loved. Life is good. 
 

7.30.22 Big projects

Oh what do you do in the summertime? Well we work. We get so muddy.

They stayed up - John, Addie, Reed, Livy, Millie and Greg - until 2 one night replacing 3 gearboxes and 3 drivelines. The next morning a mere 4 hours later another driveline gearbox combo when out. When that was finished a controller was bad. It was a long day but the pivot has worked so much better in the last 24 hours so that's a relief!

Livy painted a picture for Aliza who loves giraffes. 

Entries for the summer reading program sadly we didn't win any. But we read and were edified so that is a win too. 

She's growing into a chubby baby. I'm so thankful! I'm taking enzymes to better use my food I think it's helping her too. 

After the hard stretch of repairs and the all the time fighting moss I made handpies/turnovers. I usually reserve this for Christmas but believe me success feels pretty good when such a hug problem is solved. 

I've been cleaning like really deep cleanings. Just notice the books. Greg bought me a new bookshelf as he's lived 16 years in worry the old one would fall on him in his sleep. 

 It did in fact look tidy and adult. Jobs like these make my head spin but it was so refreshing when done. 

Another constant battle a clean floor. Spills, drips, mud, life this floor holds it all. I hand mopped on my knees to get the deep tracks off but it does clean up reliably well time after time year after year.

Taking assessment of what we need and what we have in preparation for back to school. Out came the totes and a sorting we did go. We found what we needed. This too makes my head scream!

 Slowly but surely we are making progress and getting some deep cleaning, organizing, and order to our home. It's a lot to keep all this going and to do so with a tight budget. However it does work out and we always have what we need. Life is good!

7.30.22 Little Mermaid Play

A few weeks ago my mom invited us to go to a play with her. I ended up going as I sent a large group. After the play with grandmas and aunt Mary. 

The kids did ok especially at the beginning. 

The kids were not prepared for what a live show is. They couldn't hear super well and were lost as to what was going on. All the fast movement of screens makes real life a little more challenging to follow. Thus we attempt these outings to learn and develop our brains. 

Before the play we did another round of flower delivery. 

 I enjoyed going to plays with my grandmother when I was young. I still enjoy plays I hope the kids eventually learn to appreciate theatre. Livy and Millie had a great experience. 

The ice cream at the end was a good wrap-up to the outing. Life goes fast these kids are getting big quicker than I can count. We are blessed. 

7.29.22 A year ago

We spent a Sunday evening posing for these pictures almost a year ago. My heart was heavy with wonder and worry how we would every survive without our two power house oldest kids. We were all unsure what a mission would look and feel like. We were deep in the throes of summer time need. We smiled and looked like the pretty us for a few minutes. I promptly lost the flash drive that had these images. I was heart sick. Finally we just had to have them re-sent. I love us! 

 Much has changed and much has not. We love our Andrea addition. We miss the two on top and have learned we can do fine and they are doing fine we are all good! Truly our hearts, hands, and life is full of blessings. 

7.29.22 Summertime

One of the best parts of summertime is melons. Nothing is as good as juicy fruit after a long day of sweating and working. One quirk of my fmaily is loving the white part. They eat the red but the part they love is the pink to white part of the melon. Many do this. 

A few more pictures fromt he summer oasis called the family reunion. The hike.

Skipping rocks, swinging. 

And back at home wondering why we even try. Every year I need a lot of tomatoes to make gallons of spaghetti sauce. We work and wait and get what feels like very little. This year I added a fertilizer regimen. The plants was lush and bushy and then this. After some discussion I think it's drift from the spraying the weeds around the edges. We have enjoyed a few tomatoes thankfully the entire plant wasn't killed. 

And one more family reunion Reed and Bruce helped grandpa share a story from his childhood. 

Life goes on. It is hot and there is a lot to fight each other, the elements, the challenges, the moss, and each other. Not all is rosy. A lot of frustration with this mortal experience. A lot of time problem solving and teaching. A lot of time playing for the kids who hide from mom. I get very very mad and defeated. I do a lot of dishes and try to come up with nourishing, easy, no oven required meals day after day. I fill water jugs and make sure there is ice. I scrub and swish out muddy clothes getting them dry just in time for the next round of muddy clothes. Thankfully laundry dries so quick in the heat and wind we have this month. Everyone is tired everyone is happy. The kids discovered running through the sprinklers a few days ago it was a delight. We enjoy watching movies from the living scriptures service. All is well. 

7.16.22 Learning

This summer our family seems to be in two groups. The older kids and the younger. Thankfully Aliza has helped tremendously with both. Whether running the older kids or crew bossing the younger she has made a huge difference in our ability to get things done. I'm trying to repeat lessons I think were good. Serving and noticing others is so important. We had the opportunity to share boquets of Lilies a few weeks ago. Everyone in the car got one or two vases to hold then they took turns delievering them to doors.

Millie asked how we knew where to go. I told her I prayed in my head and talked with Greg about it then we made a list and went, sometimes while we are driving around we change the plan a bit and go to a house not on the list. I love doing this you learn all kinds of things by just showing up. 

 Another important life skill is swimming. I'm trying to make it once a week. The second time was better than the first. The kids are getting more accustomed to the water. The water is cool! Wish they would let it get warmer. Oh well. 

It's finally happening she is getting big enough to play with. 

Every day all the art supplies come out and the kids draw, paint, and create together. It is a big mess some days bigger than others but a good use of their free time. 

I love their imaginations. I love their ability to clean up. We are blessed to have good health, companionship, and plenty. Life is good.