6.22.23 4-h Fair prep

Small animals are my favorite fair entries. They have a short window of responsibility one day of showing and they don't eat much. Today was the picture due date so we had a small photo shoot last night with the said critters. 

It was close to golden hour and the kiddos were cuter than the fluffy chicks.

This is a new variety a Red flock master from Pennsylvania they are much hardier though not as large as the traditional cornish cross shown above. We shall see which grows to the necessary size for fair competition. 

Another harvest from the garden basil. We love the smell of basil and pesto is divine! I'm freezing the leaves until I get enough for a batch of pesto. 

Alia loves summer but four wheeler riding is horrible on hair. Her curly hair really catches the dirt and wind and is nearly impossible to comb out. Thus it was time to braid her hair. This is the first attempt. Her hair is actually fairly long but with the tight curls it's always the same length. She was excited to have her hair done.  

It's been a long time since Aliza has let me facetime with her and see her face. I was so happy to see her and watch her work one night this week. This is her cowlady get up, getting ready to go work in the gift shop. She can wear brown it makes her skin glow. My kids mostly wear colors I don't personally like. It's been a learning curve figuring out what looks best on them. 

Her kitchen is tidy and mostly always clean. She is such an organized body and such a delight to visit with when she will. 

Millie is enlivened by the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe series of books.  Of course she was happy to snuggle Andrea who got up too early. 

I tried some more watercolor cards for some thank you's. I was happy with how they turned out. Thank you YouTubers for the instruction.

And more 4-H walking pigs. Livy was not impressed with her first attempts. It ended in tears for her as she has never had to independently guide an animal and thus didn't understand how to move her body and the pig. This next time with Mark, who gives us all courage and instruction, the walking was much better. All part of the process is learning how to master yourself and another animal.

The best part of summer projects is it's all of us. Everyone is together. I invested in some cheap squirt guns the kids are enjoying getting each other wet. 

 The days are long and frustrating trying to get everyone where they are suppose to be, kids at home bored and un structured. The constant food and dishes it's a lot. Then being ignored most of the time. This is not a happy smiley mom. I really marvel at people who are smiley. Mostly I feel like an elephant is stomping on me or wanting a piggy back ride.

So it goes the rains have made the elephant a baby instead of full grown. It's fascinating how different each farm season is. We have yet to have more than one day of 90 degree weather most are 70-80. We even had to dig some more blankets out for night time. The neighbors below us their corn is black on the top leaves from frost damage. I'm thankful our crops are still green and growing. We continue to spend an hour a day, most days, in the garden. I'm pondering if that's where I should spend my time but I am satisfied and proud of each small harvest and the order we can keep there. We work together weeding, mulching, planting, and watering. There are small tomatoes on several plants, the vines continue to expand and the flowers are blooming again. So far so good I guess the time spent together is good for them too. We definitely get our hands dirty and spend time being in nature. I hope someday they will understand the crazed determination to make them responsible, careful, observative (notice what's under your feet, where things are located, etc etc.) and able to handle large tasks. I enjoy the garden and hope the demands will again teach the lessons that we think are imperative to capable adulthood. So mow the acres they do mow every week, and pull weeds for hours on end, and ride bikes, and squirt guns, and and and. We are blessed. 

6.18.23 Big Week

As I write this week is almost officially over. I have been dreading the demands for months. As a busy family we try to schedule and live day by day while also looking months ahead for possible roadblocks. This week all three oldest kids were going to be done to various locations. With the late farm start and the always present farm demands I knew this was going to be tough. Not to mention tight as the camps overlapped and we missed ride deadlines. I knew I was going to be driving to make this happen. John left Sunday for football camp. This is an invitation only camp I finally learned this year my guys have been going for 5 years or more I never asked about it. It looked like he would be done with responsibilities on Tuesday night allowing him to make the ride group on Weds morning for the next activity. Thus Greg and I slipped in a temple date and then arrived at the camp just after John's team had won the division B championship. He played well. We are all looking forward to an exciting run at the state playoffs this fall. WE got home late and I started the laundry John went to bed. I didn't sleep well worried about too much. 

This sweet verse helped me relax a bit and I slept another hour. 

These clouds were part of the help for the week. They dumped water while we were gone allowing for the water to be off until Friday. The poor hay farmers around us have been waiting almost a month to have a window to cut and dry hay in. The neighbors had just turned their hay to get drenched again. 

We have an abundance of eggs I made a chocolate mousse sponge cake. Yum! While not beautiful it was delicious. 

The kids got some fence around some nice feed for these yearling cows. 

The girls found a nice use for morning glory. 

Andrea picked up the remains and also wanted a head piece. 

After a lot of time home alone we were at the 4-H meeting in the park. The younger kids really enjoyed the play things. It was good to just hang out with them. I wish I wasn't always running around. 

These two had a few lessons to learn about the see-saw both were dropped off or bounced off. 

Summer evenings are just gorgeous as is this little cutey who is fast becoming a toddler not a baby. 

Addie and Mark had a great time at FFA camp. They learned a lot and met some great people. 

 I had told Mark I would come get him so he could connect to his next camp. I was very worried about getting lost in the forest. I was worried about other things too adding up to a very nervous mom. I prayed when I got home from dropping Reed at mutual that somehow I would be able to do what I needed to do and care for my family while accepting the Lord's will. Just talking to someone sounded very helpful. When I went to pick Reed up there were few people there. Just two friends talking. The one came over to talk to me and we ended up visiting for a while. I was so thankful for what she shared and taught me. I felt very heard. It was an answer to my prayer for help. The visit helped me sleep as I was able to calm down and relax. The next day I followed the twists and turns to get to Mark and then worked the road in reverse to get him and a friend home for the church camp ride. 

The week has worked out ok. We worked and worked on water as the weather was breaking 80 today. It's a lot of work to get water to each plant. It's a lot of work trying to care for and nurture each child. I've heard a lot this week oh you're so incredible I could never do what you do. I often don't know how we keep surviving. I'm thankful for heavenly help in the form of numerous angels not mentioned but who come at specific moments and lift the load that is day to day. I'm thankful for the kids having positive experiences. They are in a busy time of growing. Life is good and we are blessed even as life gets heavy and hard. 

6.17.23 Sports

Ahh the track awards night.  Addie got several for state track and something about working hard and being determined. I don't know exactly what they called it. This is her with her coach Mary and baby daughter Bridget. 

She finally got her letter as they had run out in the fall when she earned it for XC. 

Addie and the fellow competitors and winners at state. She told me she loved practicing with people who had fierce drive like she feels. I'm thankful she was able to see she's not alone in her desire to win. 

Shifting gears to the upcoming football season. John took himself to football camp check-in as we were in Ontario at the baby blessing. This field is so huge. When we picked him up three days later many a fellow players knees were raw from turf burns. 

John's team won the small school scrimmage. He played really well opening holes to run through and score. He is a big guy. He is gentle and kind and determined. Mark would have loved this. But he is at FFA camp where he learning more leadership skills as the president of his chapter. I'm thankful for Greg teaching them to be Men. Demanding respect, getting out of bed, completeness, finishing jobs correctly, kindness to women, and so much more. I'm very aware and humbled how blessed I am to be a mom again and again. 

 I'm thankful these kids are able to grow, to be positive influences, to have friends, and success. I'm curious about the conversations and situations that come up. They make them think, ponder and choose who they are going to be and what they believe. That's important. I'm thankful for blessings that are ours. Life is good and we are blessed. It was delightful to spend the car ride home listening to John explain camp highlights. His team also won the strong man gym challenge of lifting weight, flipping tires, hanging from a bar, and pushing a sled. The last time the Vikings won the scrimmages they also won state. That is a real possibility this year. I want to host some activities at our house as an safe alcohol trouble free spot. Summer boredom causes lots of problems for kids. We shall see if Addie will agree and if I have energy to put it together. Life is good. 

6.16.23 Fun times- & Answers to prayers

The best way to start a day with my hands full. Soothing to all parties these two are like peanut butter and jelly. I rarely get one without the other on my lap. We are easing into the day getting energy to go to a funeral.

After the funeral we stopped to redeem the ice cream cones the kids earned the week before. The smell of French fries tempted our taste buds so we indulged in an order of tater tots and French fries to counter the cold of our ice cream cones. It's rare we get to spend time with our hard working very busy dad. Thankfully with summer and no school John is able to man the shop allowing dad to leave for a few hours at a time. 

A friend was there and shared an ice cream cone and a stool with Bruce. 

Later that night we went to the ward party at the local water reservoir. We were shocked at the amount of water. Literally about a foot from the grass line. That is very odd compared with years past where it was a good 6-10 feet from the grass line. And another shock the water was warm. 

Even Andrea was game for getting wet. I forgot her life jacket but did manage to get everyone else a life jacket, and swim suit, and food we contributed. 

John showed up later and got ready to go out. 

The boats came in and he went out. 

Bruce rode the tube and helped hold the boat at the doc. He's growing up this summer. 

Mark's job was to keep kids on the tubes he rode holding onto little people again and again. He was sore when done. There were several kids who wanted turns. 

The next day after the baby blessing we went to play at Uncle Kevin's. The kids had a great time exploring and trying new entertainments. 

At home Mark and LIa had a snack. 

The rain started and we remembered the bags of cement the guys had been using to fix ditches. They rushed into the rain to cover them with a tarp. In less than a minute they came in soaked. 

We have been blessed with abundant water this year. Thankfully we haven't gotten hail on our corn. This storm and another two days later made this week pretty calm. Which is helpful with Mark, John, and Addie gone to various camps. So God watches over all and hears our prayers and worries of how will we manage with our crew gone. He is a generous God. I need that reminder as I worry about my little problems and need to remember He's got this. Ask, and then say thank you I see what You did for me.