9.4.20 Lotsa learning

On a whim I bought a sunflower seed packet.I asked the girls to plant them just for fun. They did at the end of June, and now those seeds have grown into these monster plants. I've hoped to grow sunflower seeds since we moved here, This master gardener got it done!

They are reaping a bountiful harvest for many days spent hoeing. They diligently, tiredly, and happily worked almost every morning, except Sunday of course, in the garden. And now beautiful abundant produce. We are also enjoying cucumbers from the garden right now. 

I do not go garden with them, that is is a special time to learn from and visit with grandma. It has taught me though that continual effort reaps big rewards. It has given the kids confidence and wisdom from the stories she shares and the lessons they just learn by doing. 

As I continue to wrestle with the boss of my kids schooling, this lesson keeps coming to mind. As I worry if home school will be enough? Or real enough? The garden reminds me there's lotsa ways to learn and sure success comes through daily effort with good seeds, not just the habit I've known my entire life. Changing a paradigm is so hard. 

For some reason kids really like to write on white boards. Spelling and sentences are done much more willingly. Math problems seem to fly by. Who knew? I use my white board every time I teach the kids. Livy has wanted to learn cursive writing so I've been working with her through her spelling words. She drew how she felt when she is in danger. 

And some lessons like this one cutting puncture weeds for a neighbor to help cement a lesson just don't happen in a brick and mortar school. Still my responsibility to teach but I have a bit more time to work with when I toss the two hour commute and the endless hours of occupy student time. It's an interesting mix of get the work done and explore, and be in the books show thoughts on paper and "learn." Again hard to change the paradigm that the life we are living is teaching a lot of lessons too. 

This funny duck is learning a lot. I love how he puts the world together in his toddler mind. His go to answer for scripture time- "Satan wants to put us in prison!" Yep that's right he's not a nice being. He was playing football in Harold's super big shoes.

  Another experience full of lessons that were so formative. Living in the country where there is such demand for workers and need for skills sometimes it's easy to loose site of broader ideas. I have no idea which is most needed. I think each kid and their talents and desires required a different kind of learning. It's very overwhelming to look at the whole group of kids and try to meet all their needs and hopes, yet when I go two by two and sometimes one by one we get through the day and If eel confident some important goals were met. This process takes all day everyday, but it's good and it's what I signed up to do. I'm thankful for days when we win, they help me survive the days that we don't. Life is good. 

8.27.20 Faith, Failures, & Farming

Two Sundays ago Mark came roaring into the yard telling me there was a major problem with one of our pivots. I told him to talk to grandpa and tried to get Greg to come home. Mark was instructed to just wait there was nothing that could be done. Later that night after solving another problem Greg and Mark went to take a look. This picture shows the tipped over tower. They found a big problem. The pivot twist and torked until one section was tipped over and another had walked itself about 90 degrees from where it should be to form a right angel to the twisted section. 

Where the final two towers bent the structure to take a right angle to where it was suppose to be. 

An aerial view very faintly under that word you can see where the pivot bends at a 90 angle and is intersecting the pivot line. Not good. 

We had planned on hiring a company to repair the pivot and we did not want to loose any more corn than necessary along with needing the ground and pivot line to be accessible we asked our neighbor to come silage chop a path in. The good news was as he chopped it became apparent there was good moisture in the ground. They got slightly stuck. 

The chopped corn went to some other cows, the very green feed has to be fed quickly but not too much or the cows will get sick. 

I was so happy to see the ears this full. I was worried sick we would get nothing from this 30 acre spot. 

A very good view of the bend and the twist and the field. Dry dirt here is white, this is a nice black all good signs. 

We were both in awe of how close the chopped got to the pivot and hte nice path he made. 

Big events like this are family affairs we all headed down to watch the chopper and truck. The girls enjoyed some extra time with dad. 

Merle was not left out, it was hot standing there in the humid bubble of growing corn. 

I put the kids up on a hay bale to get a better view. Last night Greg couldn't find Reed after working on the combine late, they eventually found him on top of hay bale asleep. 

So that was problem number one the twisted bent pivot. Later in the week maybe the next day the younger kids had presumably moved the wheel line out of the path of another pivot. A month or so ago it was in the pivot track and got pushed back until it snapped the riser. That was repaired and this time the younger hands thought 3 feet away from the monster pivots was enough. Apparently not. Pivots are gigantic machines that do not stop moving unless they are stuck or very broken. In the meantime they just run over and demolish what is in their path. 

 So we continue to learn and try again. The best part of this story though is after ten days of waiting and hand wringing over how to fix the pivot the repair company finally came. After the wait Lloyd decided that it had been too long and we would spend more time researching repair options. Thus the company left and no repair was made. That evening as Anna and I returned from taking the baby to the chiropractor she noted the cloudy sky. I dismissed her observation retorting it was just smoke. An hour later thunder was heard and the kids exclaimed it's raining! I was surprised but even more so when the boys came home from working at the shop where they witnessed the miracle. The clouds opened up and poured rain on that field. Our neighbor 100 yards away even the hay field across the road did not get as much rain as the field with the mangled pivot. Between the smoke clouded sky and tempered weather and that rain I have hope the corn will be ok. I'm humbled that God blesses us so individually and often just when we so hope for help. So even though life doesn't work as planned always there is still good and still ways to be good. We are blessed and life is good even though it is hard. 

8.26.20 Feeding the masses

Family gatherings are never small and never sparse on food. The kids took a few pictures to document the weekend. We enjoyed tri-tip for three meals in a row! And lots of vegetables and funeral potatoes. No funerals just an easy side dish. We are blessed to live in such a land of plenty. This was taken right after church for the day. 

Plates prepared for all the little kids. 

We are hillbillies here we don't wash our shucked corn, but in a spirit of increased safety John and cousin Cobe washed all the corn available. This summer treat was the reward for finishing everything else on the plate. 

 Buffet style for the adults. There was lots of conversation, munching and filling of both body, mind, and heart. We are fortunate to have large family gatherings on both sides of the family, we are grateful for generous cooks and many willing hands. Life is good. 

8.24.20 A weekend runaway/family reunion

The family is of God. It is my primary focus and daily work. This weekend we took a rare opportunity to run to Twin Falls to visit with family and celebrate our 99th member a new bride for grandchild #4 Corey. Isn't that awesome 99 people in a family. These two are number 64 and 66. Newel and Merle. 

Breakfast the first morning. I love all the action and all the visiting. We love to chat. 

Anna got the flower arranging job. Addie helped by harvesting some greenery outside to help add some distinction to the bouquets. 

After Addie had her hair done for the day I couldn't pass up the chance to capture these two looking so similar. Aunt Denise and Addie. 

A random shot of the kids just playing and enjoying the beautiful summer day. 

I hope we have a lot more of these get togethers. It is so refreshing and important to strengthen each other, to relax, and to celebrate covenants made and families starting. Family is good. 

Bruce enjoying the balloons removed and shared from inside the groom's cool car. 

I love that kids rotate holding babies, playing, talking, helping. I love that Greg's Aunts are always available. This time I was consumed with babies of my own and soaking up conversations. It was so relaxing to be together and away from our troubles on the farm. 

It was also uncle Matt's birthday the horde around was super happy to help with that leftover wedding/birthday cake. 

The two hosts Kevin's house and cooking Kristi's party. 

A friendly football game. Notice even Bruce got to play. I so appreciate that the uncles are willing to play. The hard working dads rested for a change letting their tired bodies recouperate and recharge inside. 

Of course the day was rounded out by some target practice. Again facilitated by fun Uncles. 

Some weer tuckered out and some just didn't want them to miss out. This is Brenda's beautiful little Viv trying to wake sleepy Lia. 

Almost all the little boys waiting for dinner. Oldest is Reed at 10 youngest here is Jeddy Flake age 2. Bruce has been begging all day to go back and play with his cousins. 

 A normal weekend, traditions upheld bonds strengthened and renewed. Lessons learned, heads lifted and hands lightened. It's always good to get away and it's great to come home. All had a good time and were encouraged to keep on keeping on. It is far more important to be a family than hide alone. Even with the possibility of getting sick the love and unity that we felt is more important. Life is good and we are blessed.