Two Fridays

Last friday was National Donut Day. Of course we didn't go to town we made one batch at home. This felt very small compared to our football gifts. It also felt very decadent. 

We did not use tallow wanting to insure they tasted perfectly delicious. 

Millie is pretty skilled at donuts. She knows the process and is a great helper. 

Voila so yummy. We shared with our neighbors. It was nice to walk up to their door and offer them a few donuts to join our celebrating. 

The allotment Millie left for us at home. 

The next week Friday was a different story. I got this picture early in the day. Reed had noticed this cow hobbling around upon investigating he found she had a problem. He got her loaded and we went to the vet. The assistant asked if we wanted antibiotics that if we were going to kill her we would have to wait a few days before she could be butchered. This is a bred cow a few months from calving. A calf is worth over $1500 newborn. We don't want to loose this cow right now. When the vet came out she assured me the xray and possible removeable of whatever was in there complete with antibiotics would be less than $500.00. I told her that was cheap compared to the irrigation and tractor repairs lately. She laughed and said yes animals are much less expensive than mechanical issues. 

A few hours later they called to say she was ready to go and sent us home with this wire they found around her hoof. 

While waiting for Reed and Livy to get the pen ready for her these two were coming very slowly to the farm. They thought they had run out of gas. Reed showed them the reserve tank and they shook their heads in disgust. This is just a small example of the type of season it is. Learning lots of novices learning. Reed takes a few with him often to show them how to start motors little tricks to get things to work the stuff anyone wouldn't know because they haven't done the process. 

I woke from a nap with Jake (the first one in weeks) to see Reed carrying Merle in held straight up. Merle was very dirty and crying. I demanded to know what was wrong. There was a four wheeler accident Millie was driving Merle was holding the toolsf rom fixing the pump at another place and Reed was following in the tractor. Millie got spooked by traffic on the road passing and whatnot and Merle got tossed off into the dirt. Millie also fell off the fourwheeler I learned a day later. Our neighbor Kerry Wysocki stopped to help them and assessed Merle for brokenness. He deemed him fine. He brought home Merle and the tools. Reed carried Merle in. He would not move his arm at all and was very upset. I could see no blood and little scratches but did not like how immobile his arm was. I decided to take him to urgent care for xrays. We got a blessing from Greg before we proceeded. Merle did not like going over the train tracks or bumps in the road. We got right in and the worst part was manipulating his arm for the x-rays- He does not do well with painful events. This is him and I after the xrays calming down with a warm blanket. The doctor told us nothing showed up and just see how the next few days go. 

We went for a burger and fries after the doctor check-out. He enjoyed them. Kids went to bed GReg came home and Jake thought push-ups looked really fun. 

He's getting to the age where he really likes his dad and wants to go with him. He's not quite big enough and with Greg's intense load of repair responsibility on the farm the days of just going for a ride are past or gone not sure which. Thus when Greg comes home at night Jake is sure to spend a few seconds with him. 

Two Fridays. One week apart. Weeks full of fixing, figuring, and frustration. A week full of sick kids,  I was at the doctor office three days this week getting strep tests and medicine for very sick kids. Weeks with some friendship and a lot of faith. Even some fighting. Ok a lot of fighting. 

The night before I had read about a recently popular singer who was talking about how big his God is and how he could rescue a drug addict no-body and turn them into a saved singer star. I thought and lamented I want a God that is that big. I could use some help right now. So I prayed it out I fought some with God about how hard life is this summer, how we just can't seem to catch a break because everything is breaking. I asked for help. 

The next day we had the DMV added to list of things to do. It was a five minute wait 2x we walked in. That is unheard of ever in my almost 30 years of going or hearing about people going. Most new drivers have to wait for hours and hours even days because they can't wait that long. That was God making a miracle for me. 

The second and far more important was Merle and Millie being spared the pavement, the full canal, and obviously serious bodily harm. I know for sure they were protected and helped. I know that all our trite prayers for safety are heard and answered. I'm thankful yet again for kind neighbors and for angels who watch over us. 

Merle spent the day in a home wrapped sling to help isolate the arm. As the day wore on he used it more and more. A free squirt gun from a yard sale helped inspire use. He is still pretty sensitive without it. We found lots of bruises on Millie who also left the 4wheeler. Her upper thigh, knees, shoulder and a bump on her head. No one told me she too had been thrown off. Again thankful she is ok.

We will not be superstars- we don't want that attention, but we do have a big Big God who loves and watches over us all the time. We need to ask and we need to pay attention. Life is good and we are blessed.