4.30.24 TVCC shop skills

Back on the homefront Mark and some buddies attended the shop skills contest at TVCC. Mark did well. He won the day. Going into the contest, he thought the reigning champion had graduated so he had a shot at first this year. He did in fact place first (by a ways) from the rest of the competition. The young man on the far right had boasted all year that he would beat Mark. Maybe after Mark graduates next year that young man will win the contest. That's kind of how it goes it just takes time and various experience to know enough to win these competitions. 

Thanks to Addie's understanding and insight Reed and she were able to wow the teacher with a children's book about a greek hero. As a result, Reed and some peers presented their stories to the school board early in April. 

They read part of their stories to the board members. 

The hero and legend herself won another race or two at the LaGrand Eastern Oregon College meet on a beautiful windy Saturday. 

She too is improving and benefits from the older more experienced runners graduating. 

 In a variety of ways and areas the kids are doing well and gaining recognition for their efforts. I would be amiss not to recognize the great force Ms. Addie is in our home. We have been struggling all month to get along and get going the same direction. Finally,  we are finding new ways to interact and work together. She and Reed spent many hours serving a neighbor this weekend. She is known for her thorough abilities to make a yard tidy and pleasant to look at. Especially with Reed around to do the heavy lifting and do the extra stuff she wouldn't get to. 

A neighbor lost their grandson in a sad head-on car accident this week and we have had a few opportunities to serve them. This was one mowing their overgrown not finished lawn. Greg serviced and revived their lawn mower after a winter in storage. Addie and Reed mowed and weed-whacked for so many hours. They have abundant energy and vision of how things should be. I'm thankful they did this project willingly. 

4.25.24 state skills john

It seems like every weekend since March some kid or kids have been somewhere across the state of Oregon. John had his run at the state skills contest a few weeks ago and came home with a medal from the diesel mechanic position contest. 

At home we enjoyed the weather and some time cleaning the garden. 

Annas prayers were answered and we found a very clean nice buick to replace her car that had died at school. We had been looking for months and this one was listed in our town for the price she wanted with low miles. We were thrilled. After some talking and a short test drive and much longer talking Anna had a new used car. 

The skills participants for this year. 

All the same school placed 1,2,3. John got them to bite their metals like olympians do. 

The auto competitions. John got 6. The guy on right Walker got first. Sam standing next to him got 4th and John 6th with the long young man in 9th or 10th. 

Part of his prizes were safety equipment. John was so thrilled he loves stuff like this. I have similar pictures of him when he was 5. 

He also won some tools. 

But really the blue hard hat he told people there is the thing he was most excited about. He told them he'd always wanted a real hard hat. 

This program has inspired a lot of fun and trained skilled workers. There is so much need for people with skills right now. As a mom I know my kids know how to do things. It's hard to send them to college when I'm well aware of the huge need for skilled workers. But those are their choices and we provide training, education, and time to figure it out. As we move from directing to encouraging we too are evolving in our parenting. John is a good guy who has come into his own character this year. We sure love him and are pleased with the young man he has become. Life is good. 

 

4-29-24 Nyssa chamber banquet

Last week we started getting invitations to the Nyssa Chamber of Commerce Banquet. Days are super full so I wasn't sure if I could commit. A few days later I was informed my parents were getting an award and could I help spread the word. That changed my willingness and I sent some texts to invite some dear family. We got together that evening for a long party. 

At the end, we gathered for a picture. This is the crop my parents grow best! A strong family full of strong-willed opinionated people who have turned all their energy into great lives and are in turn creating their legacies.

Some of the grandkids came to support their grandparents. The theme was Mardi Gras complete with lots of beads. The kids took that as a challenge to gather as many as they could. 

It was really hard to shut off the tractor before 5 to get my family on the road and situated for the evening. 

I'm so thankful for modern agriculture with auto steer that makes perfect rows and has much less operator stress. 

Mark and John had their Junio Senior Prom as well. Mark's date Sariah, and  John's Lia. 

The auction took so long, there were so many quality items but the auctioner really milked the crowd. 

James and Reed patiently enduring. 

Harold was driving back to college so we sent him on his way. Complete with a bag of popcorn for the road. 

The family was scattered throughout the dining area and we moved between the tables visiting and sharing purchases. 

The girls always have fun with their cousins. The dinner was unique to our taste New Oreleans fare. Complete with jambalaya. The all-you-could-eat shrimp and honey-buttered cornbread were delicious and comfortable. It's good to have new experiences and I'm glad we were able to share this time with family. 

Each table was hosted by a different business. One table had stanley tumblers which are hugely popular right now. Trey scored some sugar beets!

Trey and grandma in their funny hats. 

My parents were at the very end. They were surprised and humbly accepted their award. They do not like attention called to them. 

 It was a nice evening full of visiting, relaxing, and waiting. We came home and Greg went back to planting while I got kids to bed. My parents have created a great life and example for us all to look up to. I'm thankful for the farm life that allowed me time to work with them and provided self-confidence and self-reliance as I created my own life and family. We are so blessed. 

I wrote this later as my memories of their agricultural journey

Bruce began farming at a young age driving tractor for his father. He grew up working alongside his parents and learning the craft of growing crops and caring for animals. At age 14 he grew his first crop of sugar beets, beginning a lifelong multi-generational connection with the amalgamated sugar company. A few short years later he met and decided to date then court Renae who was also an agriculturalist raising bottle calves to sell and working on the much harder ground of the nyssa bench. Both being farmers their dates involved farm chores. One evening they went to check Bruce’s irrigation water. Renae was shocked he didn’t bring a shovel. No successful irrigation on bench ground is possible without a lot of deep hard shoveling. They were both heavily involved in the Nyssa FFA . The two continued their courtship and decided to marry on June 11, 1977.

Their first years of life were spent on part of the expansive  K,S, & D land near the Snake River in Nyssa. Not only did they till the soil, but began a family of 7 children.  5 girls, and 2 boys came over the next 16 years of their life. The children were welcome and enjoyed going to farm with dad. After doing water a short stop at M & W for a donut were a hoped for end to the chore, and just maybe to going with Grandma Lois Corn for a while. Bruce was a patient teacher developing the ability to teach not only farming but life lessons as they waited for a dam to fill, or as they drove from one piece of land to the next. The ride along kid was able to witness and learn from the many interactions between landlords, hired hands, and farm buyers in this time spent with dad. Through all the days of work and struggle Renae would make sure there were healthy meals on time and that the bills got paid.  They had a shared goal that their kids were learning to work and manage their money.

In addition to that full time job both were called to be in various leadership positions year after year in both the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and in the community. Bruce served over 30 years on the Owyhee Irrigation Board and also served for over 20 years on the Sugar Beet board. Through this service he was mentored and allowed monthly interaction with fellow farmers, lawyers, and managers. Always being a student he learned how they treated others, how they managed businesses and policies and how they personally lived their lives.  A perk was some yearly travel opportunities all over the country.  These were formative relationships and bridges between past and present farmers and leaders.

Renae was busy with life at home also serving in church callings, but mostly training her family and gaining her own executive skills as she learned to be still and heal from injuries. This long suffering gave them both a new spin on life and further developed their relationship with each other, God, and others. As her healing progressed hard times came to the farm with Markets being low and unsustainable in the late 90’s. Renae realized she could not work her way out the problem, but she could use what they had and make a difference. Thus began a 20+ year journey of educating people around the Valley even around the country about how to cook with and store wheat.

She had honed her baking skills over years of homemaking and was a presenter with real life from the trenches experience. She immersed herself in wheat knowledge and began offering workshop classes where students could hear, touch, and taste whole wheat food. In addition to this direct marketing they had a contract with a local bakery that really drove their production. The weekly trips to Nampa Idaho in his old 1960’s one axle farm truck were a staple of Bruce’s weeks for years. He would even take the antiquated truck to Boise Town Square the local “big” shopping center to buy Christmas presents for the family and Renae especially. Bruce always made a point to buy clothes he thought were pretty for her and this required a trip to the “big” city.

Becoming known and familiar with the fresh bread market opened an opportunity for the local Ontario FFA chapter the Corn kids were members of. Renae would bake dozens of loaves of bread at a local independent bakery for the FFA kids to sell to fund their FFA travel expenses. All this experience and practice made Renae the best bread maker around and developed her kid’s (and their peers) skills of selling. Bruce & Renae have a talent for giving their children ways to develop their skills and talents.  In addition to financial opportunities Bruce and Renae were deeply involved and willing to train more than one class of FFA public speakers. This ability to speak in front of others is one for which they are known and think highly important for others. Through their hours and hours of listening and suggesting improvements kids have transformed from weak communicators to national winners.

In the early 2000’s grandkids began to arrive in the family and a new chapter began. Over the years Bruce has found a new enjoyment working with his grandkids on various farm projects. From washing and driving his extensive classic tractor collection inherited from his father to a community ag show, or teaching them to operate tractors or trucks he loves empowering his grandkids. The kids still love lunch and or dinner at grandma Corn’s table and look forward and connive ways to be at grandma’s house.

It is hard to separate who exactly does which piece of the farm. Renae is masterful at bringing life to Bruce’s ideas and responsibilities. From seasonal parties with either family or friends or both to business ventures they are a team. Renae working so often on the computer books side of the farming with Bruce in the physical day to day it is a team effort. This commitment to work together has made them an unconquerable team, no matter the weather, market, or other problem their faith and dedication to each other have found a solution and way forward.

Of note on any farm are the host of workers who also manage the day to day work required to grow and harvest crops. Over the years several  field men have blessed the Corn farm- Perry McPeak, Daniel Hernandez, Robert Deleon, Juan , and Bernardo. Each gave their unique skills and life experience to the Corn family and we are thankful for their time and energy. 

4.23.24 Activity days and jam

Last week for activity days we learned about voting. The boys were charged with making skits to promote the best candy bar. The older group did this easily and willingly. The younger group had a very hard time and were pretty reluctant. Finally, we joined the two groups together and they got through a skit. This is the older group they were independent in their design and staging I was impressed. 

The girls were our willing audience. After the skits, the kids took time to vote. Although this activity was very challenging due to the resistance of the younger boys I think it turned out well. The group I worked with with was delightful and very creative. I'm always surprised as kids show their various talents. It's good to have many different opportunities. 

John made me this floral arrangement in his plants class. This was right before he left for his auto skills competitions. 

Lia and Merle are big fans of bread and jam. Their number one requested food is bread and ham. We read the book about Bread and Jam for Frances. This story is about a little girl who refuses to eat the meals her mom makes but just eats bread and jam for 3 days straight. She eventually misses different tastes and goes back to eating meals. This book was an exact fit for Alia. It's fun when an author has captured an experience the child of the time also is going through. 

Life has been overwhelming as per the norm of spring. The kids are doing much good and experiencing a lot of success. The younger kids are enduring and enjoying life for the most part. They like having Anna and Harold home. I'm glad they can know each other a bit as they are in completely different stages of life. The amount of dishes, cooking, and laundry consumes my days with the travel planning, taxes, business, gardening, animals, purchasing etc is just extra. Life is good and full. I would definitely say the windows of heaven are pouring out on us. 
 

4.18.24 Full days

Oh if only this is what our days looked like. I guess it is. I know every day there are a lot of people in my house each with different needs and responsibilities. 

Anna gave Afton a nice deep hair wash. Her completely clean hair is beautiful. I always envied my sister's straight hair. Andrea and Merle are good at wearing their new hats. When Addie returned from her travels last weekend she woke up Sunday and took the little kids on a walk before church. They adore spending time with her. They also love it when she takes pictures of them. 

The dandelions are coming out and of course, we love that they are so bright and vibrant! The kids came home with handfuls of flowers for me. 

The bike riding is slow as the older kids removed the weak training wheels. She has a lot of desire and I'm sure one of these days she's going to master the balance required. 

With Reed Andrea gets to gather eggs. She loves to bring eggs to me mostly they survive and are used. 

On the rest of the days we had thing after thing with the big kids. John had an article on Facebook about being a strong man at school. From the 200-pound bench club, he also achieved the 1000-pound total weight lifted in a series of 3 weights. These are some of his friends who are also in the club. 

We had senior night at the local track meet. This is John throwing. He actually placed 2nd in the shot put at this meet. He is improving meet-by-meet by about a foot or two per week. 

Addie ran strong races the mile and 2 mile she totally dominated. She basically ran alone, she is looking forward to running against faster runners soon. I'm excited to see how she does when challenged.

The coach's wife put together nice recognition baskets for the Seniors and a flower for the moms. I always try to be put together but I'm past beauty over comfort or function. It was cold at this meet and got colder the longer I was there. I do enjoy visiting with people and athletes. The kids were there for the first hour then I took them home. As the meet went on and more than one child was called over the loudspeaker because they were lost from their parents. I was thankful that wasn't me as that freaks me out in a major way. 

At home with another late dinner, Addie took it upon herself to teach us how to be successful in school. She is a natural teacher. 

Even though I started dinner early in the day track meets are notoriously long and dinner was around 9. I have to admit that even though it is late the kids love when we are together and they get to interact with their older siblings. It's hard to break that up it's good for the younger ones to learn and feel seen and it's good for the older ones to be loved and listen.

I sent this poster to the writing teacher. She is unique and demanding but through her program, we have all learned and improved our abilities of written communication. She was impressed and suggested Addie be her student teacher in a few years. This was providential as Addie is looking toward her future and making some plans. When people ask what she wants to do she is saying business. I think that is a waste of her many talents with kids and information. That particular offer of student teaching might be a life-changing moment we shall see where it goes. 

Every day this week had multiple events happening in overlap with various kids. Not to mention an overarching disagreement on future engagements. The constant battle between people in a home is challenging, to say the least. As the mom in the middle knowing and sticking on just one side is rarely possible. I'm sitting listening to a parenting class where they are analyzing situations that happen in less than a minute. If only those situations were isolated to just one child not three or 5 or 10. Oh well, new tools and new perspectives might give room for better practices. 

At the soft end of the week (meaning school is over for the week which means 4 nights to work on homework). Homework is heavy right now as teachers are trying one last time to help kids prepare for the state test. As I went to bed very discouraged last night about one child, I contacted the teachers this morning asking for their assessment. We had a meeting after school where I was delighted to find that child has actually made tremendous measurable growth. I was so relieved. I was surprised to hear their assessment of my sullen, quiet, very reluctant child. They are anxious to share answers, and they are cheerful and dynamic with their teachers and peers. I was shocked really? Do they just use it all up at school? Is it just so hard to be good and on all day that they are dead when they come home? But the takeaway is the child is growing tremendously which is the purpose of life is to grow and become. 

So after a very stressful week, we are blessed beyond measure and life is good. 

 

4.16.24 Work

I am a visual person and thus my life and thoughts can generally be seen because I see it to remember and track it. Tidiness is a trait we are probably lacking in my family. When we got home from church I smiled to see the lawn yet again littered with shovels and a few bicycles. It's the farming time of year again. The shovels had been put to use the day before. In fact the annual buying of replacement farm tools is a ritual I don't take lightly. A good shovel is imperative to the way we farm. Reed and Livy tried out the different shovels in the store and brought home different versions than I would have. They of course are more experienced so I listen to their assessments and go along. 

I touched on Bruce's energy levels lately. He is a willing and able new spray guy. The weeds are popping up and he emptied several half full backpacks of spray this weekend. We are working on technique but willingness can make up for less than perfect application. And so far he has kept track of his spray gloves. We are all about safety here. 

The days dad stays home a lot of big projects happen. Harold and Reed reattached the pivot and gathered scrap for the scrap bin, then Greg decided to repair a ditchline. With so many able bodies it's hard not to tackle big problems. He attached the dirt carryall and the loader was brought for the major dirt movement then the kids did the fine adjusting and removing dirt from the ditch. 

Friday night the kids had a 4-h meeting where they gave short speeches about their animals. Livy just gave general details of feeding pigs, Millie talked about pig byproducts, and Reed talked about pig taming. 

These beginning experiences talking in front of a group are important. 

We broke out the lawnmower and got busy on that huge task. 

After all this work and togetherness I felt the need to make cookies. Yet a batch of cookies doesn't go far with a big hungry crew,

The younger set who were inside the house got 1.5 cookies a piece. I think they snitched the other 1/2  a cookie before bed. 

 The older kids were at the farm crushing cars with Harold and Greg. The number of kiddos is overwhelming to most, cookie three meals a day this weekend was not a fun process, to say nothing of the laundry and dishes. I was listening to a podcast and they were explaining how creativity is a divine desire and outlet. I have no creativity left in me after all that homemaking. And that doesn't touch on managing the multitude of personalities, levels of desire, and the elements, and animals. Monday's find me very tired. And yet also thankful for the energy and capabilities of those in my home. We are enormously blessed and thankful for this journey and are able to do what has to be done with God's help and by working together. Life is good and we are blessed many times over.