11.7.19 FFA National Convention

Anna and Aliza were able to attend the FFA National Convention last week. They had a great time. So many dreams come true.

1. Flying on an airplane. Anna already loves to fly, Aliza has been anxious for her chance. She too loves it. The trip was super wonderful because her best friend Maddie came along. 

One of their first stops was ziplinning in some underground caves. Anna did this last time but said this time it was much safer and more enjoyable.

They drove around in two ford expeditions. Anna in back with the luggage. She said everyone packed a lot!

A small piece of the halloween Spooktacular in Louisville KY. So amazing over 5000 pumpkins on display.

Maybe the best part of the trip touring the stud farm where they actually touched a stud horse. This one is valued at over 80 million dollars. WHOA! They said he felt like silk.

The famous grave of the horse movie they were in love with a few years ago. I omitted sharing the many pictures of delicious meals they got to eat. Dreamy to just order something yummy. 

I love facetime and the ability to see and talk with my girls. A screenshot from one of those calls. Anna is a generous communicator speaking freely and daily. Her siblings are less inclined to visit. 

 Because Anna has been around a while she has met many FFA members from across the country. This man in the middle they met last year at U of I ag days. He is now the president of Washington State FFA.

On Sunday the girls were treated to some upper mid-west beauty at a local park. Fall is gorgeous back there. The girls enjoyed getting into nature after a week of city.

The glories of youth! These ladies are all good friends who share many common interest. They had a delightful week making memoreis to last a lifetime. Life is good.

11.6.19 FFA and blankets for vetrans

Anna is the district president for FFA this year. Recently the district Ag Sales and SErvices & job interview contest was held in Ontario. Anna has competed in this contest several times and new of the long hours spent waiting for your turn and then results. A lot of hours with a lot of kids just waiting. Her grandmother Corn suggested using some of that time to do a service project. We love tying blankets around here. I buy the fabric and sew the top and the bottom then I have clubs or groups my kids are involved with tie them. It's an easy win and a much-needed item in the cold winter months. 

Getting the blankets ready and a cute Bruce.

Another of Addie's gorgeous sunset pictures.
And pictures that literally melted my heart. Patriotism right there! And an easy way to socialize and shake off some pre-competition jitters.

I took the blankets a few days later to the Veterans administration where they were distributed to homeless veterans. I love projects like this. Fast enough to complete in few minutes and a way for lots of people to work together. 

11.5.19 Halloween

The week of Halloween when Millie got in the car from the bus she excitedly announced she had signed up to bring 1000 donuts to their class Halloween party. I texted the teacher and asked her what was going on?? She said no just a dozen for Millie and Livy. I said that would be okay and started mapping out the week. I requested the proven recipes from grandma Saunders who kindly shared. The recipe was filed and I didn't look at it until Wednesday night. I was thankful I had bought a quart of buttermilk as all the donut varieties called for it as the wet part. I stirred up four kinds of dough because I wanted to try all four and see which I liked best. YEars ago grandma had made pumpkin donuts for  Anna and Harold's first-grade classes when they came to our pumpkin patch, I remembered them fondly. She had expanded her offerings with coconut, chocolate, and applesauce. 

The dough was simple and reliable to make. IT turned out! I was also able to chill it overnight which was one major selling point of this project I could do it in phases. 

The next morning as soon as the kids were out the door I started making donuts. I could fry 8 at a time and between frying, frosting, and rolling out I was moving. I invited Sue down for hot donuts about 2/3 way through she came and helped me finish so I didn't burn the last ones. Thankfully Lia slept and Afton happily played elsewhere so she wasn't tasting or getting burned. Bruce also slept. 

When they got up and had a donut they excitedly modeled their costumes. All-day it was put them on take them off because mom was trying to keep them clean. We changed one more time and headed to the school to share donuts with the entire school, and to join in some of the parties happening there. We made about 120 donuts that day in about 2.5 hours. And I did not discover my favorite they all had a good flavor so I guess we will have to try again!

Millie was worried because Anna wasn't here to do her hair princess style. We compromised on mom practical and we went to the trunk or treat in town, also remembering some dinner for Harold. 

I loved this display. The lady is a local artist and I appreciated even more that her pictures though festive are not scary. After counseling with Livy for weeks about ghosts and wolves and the like I was loathe to scare her this evening, her imagination is too big sometimes.

Addie wasn't much into taking pictures and the kids were in a hurry to trick or treat so this is the best we have of Halloween 2019.

Reed bank robber, BRuce spider man, Millie princess, Livy witch, Afton fairy, Lia Bumblebee.

At my parents visitng with my dad photo thanks to Addie, I did question why she always takes sideways pictures- she said we move too much. 

And an attempt to document the other fun of the evening the cows were out and spoked and it was dark. The boys had missed trick or treating because they were not finished building another fence, they were given plenty of time but chose to drag it out. When we came home to get them and give the cows some water Greg found cows out of the pen. Hence the big flashlights were brought out everyone took a place along the fence and we got the cows back in while finding the weak spots. The boys and Greg were left home to fix the problem and then moved on to other farm problems. I'm not exctied about this part of the farm season it’s a lot of work to take care of other people's cows and that multiplies as more and more show up.
However, I keep telling myself these lessons are powerful teaching moments and if I can just remember to be the mom that wants men for sons not spoiled big boys we will all be better off. I don't have to do much more than stick to my gun. The consequences are natural and do a good job of teaching what is done right  stays done. Lollygag around and slop through the work then do it again and again and miss out on other opportunities. We have lots of coats, gloves and hats and now big flashlights  so no matter the weather or time of day the situation can be dealt with. We brought them home candy and the younger kids made sure they got some. Not life as planned, but life working toward the big plan.

11.4.19 Harvest

A dream come true happened this fall, I got to drive beet truck! It was so fun and safe! All decked out below. I'm not sure how one would get hit on the head with a sugar beet in the cab of the truck, or when they are dumping out of the back of the truck and you are in the cab, but I was following the rules nonetheless!

How beets are emptied from the truck nowdays. the endgate lifts the belt flows them onto another belt that conveys them to the large pile.

I grew up riding in the beet truck. I love beet harvest this has always been a goal of mine to take a load of beets to the dump. My brother was in need of another truck driver so I volunteered for a few hours. Happily, I had no problems and successfully deliver 4 or 5 loads.
Beets weren't the only crop ready for harvest. We also had a lot apples to can.

Everyone helps when we decide to make a canning mess.

Things were going so smoothly until seconds later when a jar of hot sauce was dropped on the floor and the mess got bigger. These big kids are sure good help when they choose to be. We switched positions multiple times to keep everyone fresh and we got about 100 quarts done in about 7 hours. And got the entire kitchen and most of our dishes dirty but it cleaned up as it always does and we were done with canning for 2019!

11.4.19 Catching Up

This decade is almost past. That is amazing. In this decade I had 6 more children. I became 6x more busy and we continued to grow and learn. The cycles of life keep repeating and we keep breaking ground on the next phase of maturity. From Greg and I entering our forties to having our kids become teenagers and now almost young adults. We have made lots of mistakes and said a lot of I'm sorry, and because I told you so. As we have learned in this decade life changes so fast and can be over in the blink of an eye. We are thankful for many tender mercies and for a mostly normal healthy life. The fall has changed into winter and the kids are building fence and caring for cows. Inside we break out the pile of sweatshirts and wool socks and endure coolness. The young kids spend a lot of time near the fire and we read a little more, share enforced closeness as outside isn't' as tempting as summer.

Addie is in love with sunsets. I must admit they have been glorious this past week. We are blessed with uninterrupted views of a huge sky framed with mountain silhouettes. The colors are much more grand than my phone picks up but they are beautiful nonetheless.

 Lia loves her big kids. She adores the time they are home with her. Many mornings she wraps up with Harold in his sleeping bag while doing his seminary lesson. It makes me sad to think she won't remember them much but it makes my heart happy that she is so loved and included by them.

Anna and Aliza have been gone for a week and this lady has been my right and left hands. She is capable and loves to be left alone. She also prefers pictures in sunglasses. I so appreciate her organization and her stick-to-it personality. She has recently started piano and dutifully practices every day. While she is a prickly pear sometimes she also reminds me of myself at that age. I pray to parent her as she needs and count it a success when we have whole days of getting along. I'm bracing for when her sisters return.

My three at home watching the new Book of Mormon videos and or baby einstein. While I was pondering what to do with them all day while I did the obligatory work I remembered those charming videos Anna, Harold, and Aliza use to enjoy. They also mesmerized and soothed these busy three.

Oh, a long-awaited happy picture. Alivia has taken off with her reading. I often find her sitting reading to herself sounding out words and working her way diligently through books. This makes me so happy!! She is reading easier, faster, and more fluidly. We still have work to do but the confidence is coming and the desire is there. I never doubted her end success but getting to visible progress is long faith-filled work!

How excited I am for pictures like this again. I have missed my older girls so much. I did not realize how much of a calming influence they are on me. Their ability to just do some of the night time nurturing, corraling, and crowd guidance is so HUGE! I use to get stress headaches all the time, I haven't for years until last week. I realized the enormity of doing all of this solo without the helpful diversion of their conversations and strength is very overwhelming.

Oh our busy end of the day family gathering. As I rode to church yesterday mentally thinking of all we don't do and are not, I realized we are at least in the habit of going to church, reading our scriptures if only out into the air to make noise, praying rote as it may be... but the habit is there. I was reasssured that the habit counts and is drawn upon as situations show need. I have also been struck as different hardships pop up around us how blessed we are to be so absent of really hard times. I'm not complaining or hoping that happens. Helping others is enough. I'm thankful for the days that are mine.

This life is good, for some reason my life work is to teach, train, house, and love these 12 bodies. They are diverse, headstrong, smart, and loving. I am thankful for this path that is mine.

10.19.19 Corn Day

"A consecrated life is filled with work, sometimes repetitive, sometimes menial, sometimes unappreciated but always work that improves, orders sustains, lifts, ministers, aspires." D. Todd Christofferson, Reflections on a Consecrated Life

I ponder almost daily on the differences in my family's life and those on facebook and other blogs I read. There are never pictures of weekends spent entertaining ourselves. Instead, it seems our favorite hobby is working together. I can honestly say it's easier to manage the crew if they are busy. They are united in disliking what we do sometimes. They can get a lot done. They are pretty cute kids, and nothing confronts a bad attitude like a job you don't want to do and no way to leave it unless you just finish, I do really love that part when dealing with teenagers. 

This day we went to pick up corn. The combine operator had failed to notice he wasn't harvesting rather just dumping the corn. This is a criminal offense in our neck of the woods, waste all that hard work??? No way! So we went and spent some time together picking up the corn. 

Some were less pleased than others. Some did more than others. The little girls rotated through picking up and playing with LIa in the car as it was too cold for her in the field.

We persisted in filing up the pickup and the trailer. I taught the kids what full really means.

We finished the corn and went to town for our weekly shopping trip. We had a quick trip to a local farm stand with awesome produce. Such a delight to see natures bounty. 

We took the corn home and unloaded our pile. That was much easier than loading it.

The younger kids took a few minutes to enjoy riding home in the back of the pickup and shelling some of the corn. Simple pleasures with siblings that are your partners in work and play are the best kinds of days. So no we don't leave our 100 mile radius often. We don't spend much time on pleasure. But we eat well, we share our misery and joy, and we are a family trying to choose the better part.

These are not coerced smiles. Each path is different we just work to end up in heaven together eternally. Another day spent with purpose and a measured outcome. I love being the mom!