Monday, Monday

I'm a little giddy right at the moment, so I thought I'd share.  Nothing earth shattering.  M'Lynn got a good (great, perfect) grade on her 2nd speech in college ("Mom, Mrs. Handfelt's class was so much better and in depth than this.") and Erica got her much coveted job at the Winona 360 online paper!!!  A huge improvement from her current windowless, mindless job.  Double bonus!

But, more than that, I'm feeling my normal, odd, quirky personality and sense of humor return the longer I'm on the meds for Lyme.  It's like coming out of the other side of something murky and taking a big breath of fresh, clean air!  =)  I'm still forgetting things left, right and center (it's all the kids' fault, I swear) and dropping things with fingers that don't want to function, but boy-howdy, does it feel good to laugh and be sarcastic and feel AWAKE again!

A long way to go, for sure, but woo-hoo, bring on the ride!

Beautiful Week!

I have a quiet Friday evening ahead - so unexpected in my brain that I'm completely unprepared.  I suppose I could always do some cleaning.....  nah.....

The weather has been perfect this week and the crops are being harvested at a steady pace.  Brody has gone straight from football pads to a tractor seat as much as possible.  He and Grandpa Dean are like-minded in their enjoyment of planting and harvesting.  The connecting link, my hubby, has been preparing fences to allow the cows to make good use of the remnants left behind from the combine and getting ready to make corn stalk bales in another field.  That is where his passion lies - the animals.  This new balance has been good for all of us.

I have enjoyed having the wherewithal to do some cooking for everyone working so hard in the field.  Having survived my first herxheimer (herx) reaction to the beginning of  antibiotic treatment for Lyme, it is refreshing to have energy and brain waves to enjoy such ordinary activities.  I had my first appointment with the specialist following my diagnosis this week and he added 2 more antibiotics so I'm expecting to hit another herx before too long.  Lots of blood drawn to check for possible co-infections, immune system deficiencies and hormone imbalances which are common with Lyme.  I sincerely wish getting healthy wasn't so expensive!!

It feels strange to post with no picture.  Wished I had a camera driving to work this morning.  The sunrise was spectacular.  Have to be better about keeping it in my purse!  Now, out to enjoy what is left of this warm October day!

My Head is Spinning (♫Right-round, like a record, baby ♫)

School has started for all my kids - Jr. High, High School (Senior year!) and two College Freshman.  I wasn't really ready to give up that summer living, and truthfully, we've all had some adjustments to make and some growing pains to work through.... and they look like this:

Brody, my baby, has started Jr. High and was *VERY* nervous.  But, he's doing great and even went out for football.  His hope is to be a receiver.  He loves to run and pick that ball out of the air.  But, for now he is center.  Big adjustment for Mom & Dad?  Brody is now in practice until 5:00.  Being our chief skid loader operator and tractor driver, this puts quite a kink in the schedule!

Alecia has started her senior year.  Mom hasn't quite recovered from sisters' senior year and has been admittedly entertaining a bit of denial.  But, it has started and she has also started a new job.  She works the counter at a local pharmacy and really enjoys it.  However, Dad has lost another farm hand a few nights during the week.  I've lost my big kitchen helper.  It's definitely starting to show in the details.

Erica is all moved in at WSU and really, really seems to be adjusting very well.  I am moved and proud and not even a little bit surprised at her easy transition to college life.  We are all loving skype and have also installed it on her boyfriend's family's laptop so they, too, can SEE her now and again.

M'Lynn is finding a comfort zone with the other Animal Science majors at Hawkeye.  I'm beyond delighted!  She's purchased a desk and chair and is re-arranging (picture gutting and starting over type re-arrangement) in the room that was (and still is and will be) hers to share with Erica.  She's been studying up there and changing her approach and routine to school work and it makes my heart swell!

Chris has had probably the best summer he's had in a very long time.  I'm loving it!  And, to be truthful, I'm waiting for the crash.  We've never had so many good days in a row and NOT had some hard crash, so it's hard to enjoy without that hanging in the back of your mind.

And me?  Well, I've got an answer to the years long question of why I exhibit classic symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, thyroid condition and here lately, asthma, but repeatedly test negative for all.  I've joined Erica and lots of other folks in our area in the Lyme Disease club.  It's a long treatment, and I'm not looking forward to the antibiotics and supplements required to get healthy - or the expense of any of them - but I'm grateful to know what I'm dealing with and now know I will be getting better instead of progressively worse.

Love it...

Alecia is offended by the fact that Brody, who is 5 years younger than herself, can drive all the tractors while she doesn't know how.  So, she & Brody are working to correct that situation.  I was cooking supper the other night, watching kids out the kitchen window (one of my favorite past times) and lo and behold - Alecia was driving the 180 across the yard with Brody on the steps talking a mile a minute!
                So, when I had another chance to catch them in action....  I couldn't pass it up!

Push that, right there

No, the one right there...

And then it proved more than a first time driver could do...

or, maybe even a slightly more seasoned driver...

All of which

left us with burnt supper!

Summer, Summer, where oh where have you gone?!

My last post was over 2 months ago, and it feels like it was last week!  Remember when you were younger, and people continually advised you about how time speeds up as you get older and you were *sure* you knew what they meant because, really, time had been flying by and, really, how much different could it be?  Different.  Like you can't quite wrap your brain around something and pOOf, it's already gone.  Done.  Not always in a sad way - these are exciting times in our life.  Oldest two so close to beginning their next big adventure.  College!  Next one beginning her Senior year.  My baby starting Junior High.  This Mom loving how absolutely neat these kids are and shedding tears of EXCITEMENT for who they are and where they are going... and maybe a few because I know our days of being a "unit" are so, so numbered.  So I am hyper-aware of each minute we have to spend together and reminding them to be nice to each other for the millionth time because I know, as they can only guess, that these sibling bonds are so important, so necessary,  and they will rely heavily on them as they go on their way.

So, what made our summer POof?  Let's see....  parades, show calves, hay, some illness, volunteering at Church and with the Cattlemen and for the Bremer County Fair.  Not weeding the flowers, or the veggies.  Not painting those fences we swore up and down would finally get a much needed face lift this summer.  You see how it goes?  poOF.

Min loves, loves, loves her calves!                         Beef Queen Alecia waves to parade goers                

Erica & Jordan - Bremer County Fair Queen Contest

Rosie and her babies getting ready for fair.

And now, here we are.  Next week is Bremer County Fair and also marks the arrival of my sister, BIL and niece (SOOO EXCITED) the following week is college bound prep, and two days at State Fair.  Week after that is more State Fair and one college move in.  And the week after that school starts for all.  Game Over.  But before I anticipate summer's end, there are some amazing memories to be made!

AREN'T THEY PRETTY?!

Table decorations for the graduation party that is *3 weeks away*.  I. will. not. panic.  Will.  NOT.  :-) Today was M'Lynn and Erica's LAST Friday of High School.  How is that possible, exactly?  Did the calendar go into hyper drive and not tell me??

While I've definitely been pre-occupied with graduation preparations, there have been some other fun things going on.  Brody's final 6th grade band concert - with jazz band also - and, brace yourself - his JUNIOR HIGH physical.   Again with the hyper-drive, calendar.  No breaks for this Momma.

There's Brody and his good buddy Russ.  They are *the bomb* at tuba.  Honestly!

Erica had Senior Recognition night for Track... and I didn't even cry.  Aren't you proud?  I am!!

I'm soooo glad we decided to have the party at the 4-H building instead of our home AND so glad that I took the week between graduation and the party as vaction.  I know that week will be crazy, but knowing I have that week is keeping me sane right now - and allowing me to enjoy all these fun (but time consuming) year-end activities!

The count down has begun

May will mark the final days of M'Lynn & Erica's High School career and then, of course, there is the celebration.  June 4, 5- ? pm at the 4-H building.  I'm sooooo glad we decided to do it later.  Spring is such a busy time on the farm - 11 calves on the ground so far, corn is all planted, soybeans are almost all in - that it would have been just insanity to do their party in the next couple of weeks.

We have decided on cupcake recipe and frosting recipe (white chocolate, and it's seriously yummy).  I have tried my hand at potato salad... that still makes me nervous.  Chris is in charge of the burgers and coordinating all that with the Cattlemen.  Next for taste testing at home is choosing the punch recipe.  Think we'll go for simple there, though I have gotten some fabulous recipes from friends.  Final piece of the puzzle will be a giant Sam's Club run and then it will be down to actual execution.

So, I'm a bit distracted at the moment.  Random preparation thoughts popping into my head at odd times.  But, we are having a great time planning and preparing.  And we're managing to get all the important stuff done too - attending to the cows, calves, pigs, chickens and the soil!  :-)

A Sweet Walk...

Down Memory Lane!

I am nearing 1,000 more photos scanned in this week.  Graduation photo slide show is just a great excuse to finish my project of having ALL our photos stored digitally and then labeled, tagged, un-red-eyed and enhanced.  So excited to be nearing completion of at least stage one!

Here are a few of my favorites from the last few day's work.

Really, just an amazingly beautiful day in our life....

Wasn't Sunday beautiful?  I put aside all my "to-do" lists that included ANYTHING indoors and went outside to work and play alongside my family.  What an ordinary, extraordinarily wonderful day.

I worked with M'Lynn & Alecia to build a new fence to create a pasture for the bull....

and helped (and then watched) my kids work together with M'Lynn's new orphan calves

such patience they showed with these bewildered little sweethearts

I rode with my 12 year old son as he operated our biggest tractor and plowed to be ready for Grandpa to plant the corn

We all - humans and animals alike - enjoyed the beauty and promise of the day.  God has blessed us well.

Just Down the Road...

I'm not very good at estimating distance, but it's not very far down the road from our driveway.
A new roadside cross.

 

M'Lynn & Erica's senior classmate's life cut short.  Silence throughout the High School on Monday.  The strange site of cars lined up and down our gravel road as the Senior class came to stand vigil on Monday evening.  Class schedules adjusted for grief, teachers and students unable to think, and a funeral so devastating classes are cancelled at the Senior High.  Our hearts ache for all the kids, and they break thinking about the grief of the parents.  We pray for understanding and for the right words as we talk with our children.  This one moment will speak so loudly in its silence.  The programs, the officers, the parents, the teachers - they were not lying.  Wear your seatbelt.  If you drink, don't drive.  It's as simple and as important as that.

May God hold us all in the palm of his hand.

Lists

It is a time of lists for me.  That's my geeky way of handling life's stresses.  I've always been a list person, and at this time in my life, I find I'm waking up thinking in lists.  So, I think I'll share a list or two... aren't you excited?!


Excitement:
1.  Twin Hereford heifers.  Healthy.  Adorable.
2.  District FFA contest accomplishments for Erica and Alecia
3.  College found for M'Lynn.  We were sweating this one.  Iowa State it will be!
4.  Erica and Dustin begin dating.  After years and years of friendship.  
5.  Brody's "Highly Superior" mark for his Tuba solo at 6th grade contest. 
6.  Stacy & Kai & Raelynn hoping to move back to the U.S. yet this year!
7.  Two of three prom dresses purchased and girl's happy!


Challenges:
1.  Chris' sprained/torn (?) MCL and coming Mayo check on his R leg.
2.  Complacency in my good habits has set me back several pounds.  Time to start anew.
3.  That graduation thing.  Planning, paying, letting go.
4.  Keeping Brody focused on *school* when he wants to *work* (on the farm)


There, see, listing is good for me.  Much longer excitement list than challenge list.  And less than half of the challenge list items that my actions can affect.  All of it can be addressed in prayer.  I'm odd in this, I know, but listing has always been good for my soul, and my perspective.  

Beautify babies

Experience the Action

and 

Parliamentary Procedure

... and signs of SPRING make me giddy

Winter Wonderland

Baby, it's cold outside...

I've stopped looking at our handy dandy digital thermometer with the remote outside sensor. The number is big, and it's been continually negative for days on end. We're all excited about the prospect of a zero degree day in the forecast.

Beyond the weather, I've got some random stuff on my brain this afternoon...

I'm impressed by the toughness and resilience of my children in taking on the weather twice every day to go out and take care of their cows and calves, the horse and chickens. Lots of days the dogs won't even go out with them! They stay in the house, safe and warm, while my four determined kiddos head out into the tundra and take care of those that rely on them for food and water. I shouldn't leave out the hubby, because he is out there longer than the rest and does all the other maintenance items - grinding corn for feed, hauling hay, moving snow - so that chores can be as quick and painless as possible.

Chris and I spent some time with his grandparents this morning. It's made me a little melancholy. Grandma has been the rock in their marriage, and very healthy. Just before Christmas, aggressive cancer was found to be the cause of her stomach problems. She has lost about 50 pounds and is fighting a tough battle at her 88 years. Grandpa is not dealing well with her illness and has decided he'd rather not eat, thank you very much. They are both in the care center for the time being, where there are people to help with daily needs for Grandpa and keep an eye on Grandma. She starts round two of chemo this week, and she's not really recovered from round one. I pray for them so many times a day...

Speaking of melancholy, M'Lynn and Erica are just about done with the first semester of their Senior year. I have not quite kept up with my timeline for getting ready for their graduation celebration, but am being mindful of enjoying these last few months of our whole family being 'intact'. Mostly, I had hoped to be done scanning in their photos by now, so its not one of those deadlines that will cause too much trouble that I've missed it. Quite frankly, I now have enough photos to do a slideshow, I'm just working to get all the printed photos scanned in because I want them scanned. We had a few get wet in the basement last spring, so that motivated me to preserve them more permanently.

On a more positive note, I spent some quality time outside with my camera yesterday. It was therapeutic. I am one of the few, crazy people who really appreciates the beauty of snow. I really love it. Which is good, when you live where it snows. a lot. Doesn't make a lot of sense to me to live somewhere and hate the weather 3 months out of the year!!

My last 'me' thought for this entry - I finally stepped back on the scale last weekend and then again this weekend. It was a pleasant surprise to have only gained 5 lbs over the Thanksgiving-Christmas-New Years eating extravaganza. And this week I took two of those back off.