Busy, Busy Farm!

Our farm has been a busy place these past couple weeks!  We started seeing the changes last week, when Grandpa got out the combine and started tuning it up.  He knows everything about the farm equipment and does all the work himself (as opposed to some farmers who hire it out).  Matt has a lot to learn from 'the Boss' as we affectionately call him.  This week, Daddy has been home to work in the fields.  Today (or technically yesterday) was a 14 hour day.  It's hard work, but Matt really enjoys it.

Inside, we've seen some changes too.  I have been adjusting to the single parent lifestyle.  I have spent more time praying, as God is the only one who can give me enough energy for these two when I'm running on little sleep.  Thank you, Lord, for the energy to enjoy the day!

Claire and Henry have been helping me plan meals, grocery shop, and prepare the feasts.  They are nothing special, but it's hot and filling food and it's forced me to meal plan...something I should be doing anyway.  Grandpa Dodge, Grandpa, and Daddy had lasagna and salad tonight.  I put some extra special ingredients in the lasagna, to which no one noticed.  Matt knew I 'spiced up' the recipe, but asked not to know the specifics.  It was tasty and he wanted to eat it without thinking about what was in it...lol.  Gotta sneak in some more veggies here and there!  Luckily, Grandpa Dodge eats whatever you put in front of him.  Grandpa makes special requests like "don't give me as much salad as him," to which I ignore and tell him he would have been better off not saying anything because now he's getting more salad.  Daddy has learned that he is going to get tomatoes on his plate whether he likes it or not.  It's my kitchen...I'll run it how I want!  (Yes, I'm feisty.  If you come over though, you are a guest, so I'll be nicer.)

Helping Mami in the kitchen!

"This one looks good.  Look at how strong I am, Mama!"
This was an impromptu pumpkin picking party at Ivan's.  Daddy rents his land from Ivan and Ivan always has a little produce stand.  We were on the way to the field to deliver water.  We definitely needed this excursion...it had been a long day.  Nothing like a little outing to turn it right around though.

"Yessss!!  Mami is finally letting me work on the computer." 

Typical Saturday During Harvest!
Matt has a free moment unloading the wagons so we went out to visit him.  The corn flows out of the wagons, up the auger, into the bin, up the auger, into the dryer, into the next bin.  Thought I'd add that little farming tutorial for all those who don't know what goes on around here...lol!  :)

Mama's Little Man

"I'm working here...no pictures!"

Black Bean Enchiladas...yummy!

Look closely and you'll see Daddy's little helper!
And for all those who haven't heard this story...Claire comes in from the field (combining with Daddy and Grandpa the other evening), asked me if I missed her, told me she missed me, and told me she worked hard for three miles!  Then she asked me if she could have a cookie.  Matt had come in the house that morning and had a cookie.  She wanted one at the time, but I'd told her that he got one because he'd been working hard for three hours and we didn't need one.  Apparently Claire has a memory like no other since nothing else was said all day and she remembered!  Only got miles/hours mixed up!  She enjoyed her cookie...  :)

10 months and Perfect Love

What a fun time we're having watching our kids grow.  I read today something about appreciating each day with your children, as the next day they are just a bit older and you can never get the previous day back.  Of course we all know this, but it was a good reminder that I needed to hear.

Henry is exploring everything.  He gets mad when I take something away that he wants or when I stop him in his tracks on his way to something new.  He stands momentarily now without holding on to anything, so he's finding his balance.  He still cruises like it's none of your business, and is so fast crawling all around!  He enjoys trying all sorts of new foods and eats anything (almost!) that we are eating as a family.  He prefers to feed himself and will grab at the spoon if someone else is trying to feed him.  He puts his hands together like a clap for 'more' and shakes his hands back and forth up in the air for 'all done.'  He says Dada, Daddy, and Claire.  It is SO difficult to change his diaper.  Sometimes he will lay still if I give him something new and interesting to look at, but sometimes that doesn't even work.  Don't worry, we still change him! ;)  He is skipping his afternoon nap lately, which makes for a tired boy before 7:30 bedtime.  I have to put him down at the first hint of tiredness in the morning for him to get up in time and be tired again at afternoon nap time.  That is difficult to do any day that we leave the house, so we just try our best.  Henry is still a laid back baby and as happy as ever.

I love it when he nurses, it's our special time (though sometimes I'm so tired I fall asleep with him!).  He still curls his little legs up while he sleeping-nurses.  Every time he does it I think about how he's still my baby and he will be a little boy soon.  I love it when he giggles or gives me his big smile.  I love it when he sits still long enough to read a book (not often!).  I love it when he grabs onto me or my clothes when I'm carrying him around (as if to hold on for dear life!).  I love it when he smiles and laughs while playing with Claire.  I love it when he gives me big, sloppy, wet, baby kisses.  I love it when he looks out the window and watches for Daddy and says "Dada" or "Daddy."  I love it when we play airplane together and fly to Spain or China or Germany or the occasional Florida.  I love it when he reaches for me and almost dives into my arms (even after I've been holding him all day and I'd really like a break!).  I love my baby boy so much.  I can't even imagine the Father's love for him and for us all...my love for my children is so great, but imperfect - I'm a selfish being.  If I love them so unconditionally, how much greater does God love them and me, for His love is perfect and He is always unselfish.

Bountiful Harvest

We had such a nice, relaxing Sunday!  It was great to be able to hang out at home together all day after church.  We took two walks, picked up the house, got lots of quality reading and play time in, and harvested vegetables from the garden.  I am pumped about the garden.  It doesn't look so hot, as it's all grown together, but it's giving us some nice produce!  (Good thing I watered it...I don't think it would have survived this year without daily watering.)  Tonight, we picked seven purple peppers, two red peppers, and one lone tomato.  There are still lots of tomatoes on the plants, but they are all green or just barely turning to ripen.  The tomato was delicious - I ate it like an apple while we were picking.  Henry had a bite or two as well.  Claire seemed to prefer the peppers.  Of the nine we picked, approximately five have a couple bites out of them here and there...hehe.  I plan on cutting them up and freezing them to put them in fajitas, etc. this winter.  I'd like to learn how to can vegetables too, but my older and wiser teacher friend (mom's age) Julie told me freezing is a lot easier...so I'll stick with that for now.  :)

Being goofy!  (And Henry is looking for Daddy, who is mowing the road so we can walk on it better!)

Showing off our one tomato and a red pepper.  Henry seems pretty interested!  He's becoming a really good eater and likes everything we've given him.  We also checked the corn with Daddy before our walk, which Claire is storing in the pocket.  :)

Here she is!  I told you she's a bit overgrown.  Next year I'm planting farther apart and it's going to be MUCH bigger - can't wait!

My babies!  I cannot believe how big they are and how much I love them.  They are the lights of my life!

Goin' to the Chapel!

We are SO excited for Onkel Alex and Tante Jaclyn's wedding this month!  Today really felt like the kick-off, as we hosted a shower for Jaclyn.  We played a couple fun games and had some delicious quiche and muffins for brunch.  Fun Fact 1: Alex's favorite movie is Ace Ventura.  Fun Fact 2: Jaclyn preferred that her oldest sister Jami wiped her butt when she was little (i.e. Jaclyn 2 year-ish and Jami 10 years old).  Fun Fact 3: Alex's first kiss was Margaret Van Heel.  Fun Fact 4: Jaclyn has been planning weddings for years.  She'd been married three times before the age of seven, to a neighbor boy named Sam.  No one knows where Sam is today.  Fun Fact 5: Alex and Jaclyn, in ten years, are going to be living on an acreage, have 2-3 kids, have one more dog than the number of kids they have (that would be 3-4 dogs), and be "in debt up to their eyeballs."

Random thought: I think we need to change cultures.  We need more than just one day for this wedding.  It's going to be one BIG party!!!!

We love visiting Onkel Alex while our van gets an oil change!  A good excuse for some quality onkel time, even if it may not be the 'most productive thing Alex could be doing right now.'  Right, bro?  ;)