Last night it rained again and so we're still waiting for things to dry up enough to finish harvest. The sun just broke through the heavy clouds as I wrote the last line.

Yesterday, I met up with a friend for coffee and we had a really great chat. And today is our homeschooling support group. And then it's groceries and then after supper, AWANA. And frankly, I know I'll be exhausted because I'm feeling tired already :-)

It was my turn to lead worship for this Sunday and all week I struggled with not feeling ready to get back into it. I didn't even start putting my team together until Wednesday (which is very unusual for me). Partly it's because harvest is still not over. That snow disappeared but the days have been overcast and wet - and so far harvest is still at a standstill. And my mood seemd to match the days.

So this past Wednesday, I decided I really needed to get out and get together with our homeschooling moms group. It was such a blessing! Once I finally got going, my passion for it kicked in and I really enjoyed preparing for the week (even if I did find out on Friday that I was also responsible for a special music number as well!)

So last night's practice was going well until we got to the hymn "Are You Washed in the Blood" which I'd done a different arrangement for (throwing in some blues chords, etc). Our poor pastor was in his study working on his sermon and had to come out to tell us it sounded all wrong. He was sweet about it. But I was wishing he could explain in better detail what exactly was wrong with it. So we made some changes and hoped for the best.

But here's what was special - it was awesome to get the criticism and honestly not feel bad about it. This morning we were cracking some jokes about it and it felt good - really good. By the way, the service went awesome and that song....well it may not have been anyone's favorite but we had fun singing it anyway! And we worshipped.

I'm so not ready for this....

This is the view from my front door this morning! It's hard to believe we were harvesting a crop just a few days ago in the heat. The boys couldn't wait to get all their winter gear on and head outside - it's perfect snowman building snow. Unfortunately, it's hard to enjoy knowing that this is covering approx. 300 acres of our wheat crop. 

I forgot how much I like to draw...

I took a little walk down memory lane with my boys this afternoon. No, not pictures....drawings. I took a couple of art classes in drawing and watercolor when I was working in Banff National Park and just have laid it to rest since getting married. It was fun to show them some of the drawings I'd done years ago. This one is one sitting at the Banff Spring Hotel looking at Rundle Mountain. I was with a friend who also enjoyed drawing...it was a fun way to spend an afternoon.

I've always thought it would be fun to get back into it. And so I've been on the look-out for something for homeschooling for the boys. But most everything I saw was more arts and crafts rather than drawing technique for kids.

And then a homeschooling mom brought some books she wasn't using to the park where we met one day, and there was the book to get us started. So thanks to this fellow prairie girl, we've started art with the book "ArtThrough Children's Literature". Did I mention I love homeschooling.....

Who know what I'll be doing today....

I've become the fall guy this harvest...especially these last couple of days. We're on our last crop which is Durum wheat and it is yielding better than expected. Two trucks are having a hard time keeping up to the combine and so I've been doing what's needed to keep it going.

One day that meant unloading Jake's truck while he took another truck to the field. Then he'd come back with another full truck which I'd unload while he switched trucks and went to the field. He was constantly driving... I was constantly unloading with very little break for two hours. And the last half an hour I was standing holding my freezing three year old who was constantly yawning. I ended up wrapping him up in a pair of Grandpa's dirty coveralls that were in the truck because it was the only thing I could find. And I was tied to the conveyor - it really needs constant attention or else it can easily be overloaded and then I'm back to emptying it into 20 ten gallon pails again....

It was a good thing Ladger hadn't asked me to do that all day - I don't know if I could have kept it up much longer.

So the next day was better... I just had to take the third truck out to the field for one dump. But that is the truck no one expected to be using...it's not been tuned up and is a beast to drive. I think Ladger's dad is surprised I can get it to the field and back. And today, I have no idea what I may be called on to do. I find it difficult managing the uncertainty of my day along with figuring out in minutes what to do with the boys so that they're safe and reasonably content. Because when the phone rings....I don't have time...I have to go.

Cemetery: A place where people go to die

According to Rory.

Precious boys....precious rocks

The boys were outside playing and I couldn't quite see what they were up to. After they'd been out awhile, I called out to ask what they were doing and the answer was 'just playing'. So I went back to cleaning up the kitchen. And then I saw them both pulling this little wagon filled with rocks. They wanted to help me add the rocks around my plants in this flowerbed. What could I do but drop my dishtowel and head outside to put every single one of those precious rocks in a spot in that bed?

So much to tell...

We sent Rory off on the school bus this morning. It felt a little funny. Even Ladger waited until the bus came to see him off (usually he's off to work by then). So I just had to go check my picture box to find this picture that I remembered from years ago. And sure enough it was there. Here I am running off the bus...oh so long ago. I remember Mom trying to take that picture and wishing I would slow down so she would have time to focus. But I was in such a hurry...so much to tell... I've just edited this post to add the picture
of Rory's first day at school. He doesn't look quite as excited as I did, does he now?

We rent some land and when we combine it, the owner likes to help us with the trucking. Yesterday, I took out the grill and barbecued out on the field. Rory had always called this guy "Uncle Bill" but for some reason he started calling him by his last name. And without a Mr. in front either. It sounded so funny. Like he was a teammate....which I guess he was that day....part of our farming team.

Beautiful to be part of a bigger picture...

Ladger is a bona fide introvert. We were having a community church service, barbecue and afternoon of entertainment (games) and that is about the last thing that appeals to him. And since we had broken down Saturday, it didn't take much for him to decide to get that header back up and running as we still have a good portion of harvest to go (and lots of others are finished already...the pressure's on!).

So the question became...what was I going to do? It was either pack up the boys and go feeling a little overwhelmed with managing them on my own or miss out altogether. I went. And I was blessed!

Fourteen churches hosted this event and they included Mennonites, Evangelicals, Charismatics, Roman Catholics, Lutherans, Anglicans, Baptists, etc I felt I had a little taste of what heaven will be like. And then I came home to find out that the whole service had been aired on the radio that morning and Ladger had listened to it. It was evident that he had been touched by the service as we talked about it and I felt blessed that we could share the experience...even though separately.

I'm on a roll...

No one ever told me that cleaning my closets could be fun. But I'm actually enjoying it...the sense of accomplishment is pretty great! Yesterday, after finishing the master bedroom closet, I started on the linen closet. Today, I went to town and bought out Wal-mart's stock of storage cubes (plus some other closet storage accessories) and picked up a trunk I had ordered a couple of weeks ago. The boys had fun 'helping' me put the trunk together and that is now holding blankets and throws that I like to keep handy in the living room (but it's so great to have them off the arms of the couch now).

And then I finished the linen closet while the boys watched "Scooby Doo". And then it was time to tackle the boys room. We gutted it. Everything got reorganized..starting with the closet and then moving furniture around. The boys love their 'new room'. I love it too. In fact I'm becoming a little nuts I'm afraid....I keep opening the doors to rooms and closets and enjoying the view!

Even as I was waiting for the computer to load some pages, I started organizing my desk. This room's next. I'm on a roll....can I keep it up until the house is completely re-organized and cleaned from top to bottom?